The Greatest Books Post Ever Posted (at least in this room)

.

085) Room by Emma Donoghue, finished November 30


Holy crap, people. All the praise I'd heard about this book failed to make one important point:

It contains the most exciting scene in all of literature.

This is not mere hyperbole. I cannot ever remember being so stressed out by a book that my brain was unable to process the words as quickly as my eyes were scrambling over them, desperate to see what would happen next.

And that was about a third into the book! Further emotional climaxes to follow! Including a surprisingly just-right ending.

I don't want to say too much --- I'm glad I had forgotten most of what I read before I began --- but I would like to say that you should not let the idea of a five-year-old narrator make you cringe and you should not let the zeitgeisty buzz put you off and you shouldn't let the awful founding conceit push you away. This book is for all taste levels; it's for fans of thrillers and fine-lit alike. No matter your final opinion (mine is still percolating, though certainly positive overall), you won't regret reading it.

Ma is a heroic, educated young ma. Jack is a complicated child who is a child. And you are the one now clicking my Amazon link or logging onto your library's website to meet them.

This is one time the masses are right. Enjoy it.

three days



===========================================================



084) The Armed Garden and other stories by David B. (translated by Kim Thompson), finished November 27


David B. is an indie French cartoonist I've heard of but never read. Why oh why did I take so long?

This book contains three stores, "The Veiled Prophet", "The Armored Garden", and "The Drum Who Fell in Love". The last two share a character and the Czech countryside. The first takes place in Baghdad (and environs). All take place a long long time ago. Say, six hundred years.

And the stories feel very much of their time. Not only in their confusing and violent and ambiguous natures (which feel, yes, very medieval), but also in the images. Their flatness and details and the layouts of certain set-piece moments all feel like art of the time. Yes, sure, it's clearly a modern cartoonist, but clearly this cartoonist did his research.

Highly recommended. (Note the sex and violence though.)

two days



===========================================================



083) The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told, finished---was it November 26?


Ugh. No wonder comics had a bad reputation if, twenty years ago, after over a half-century of Superman, these were the best stories every told. I've been working on reading this book to the kids for over three years and they have been as underwhelmed as me.

Sorry Supes fans.

over three years



Previously in 2011 . . . . :

78-82

082) Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov, finished November 13
081) Variant by Robison Wells, finished November 12
080) Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain, finished November 10
079) The Devil Colony by James Rollins, finished November 9
078) Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol, finished November 7



75-77

077) The Best American Comics 2011 edited by Alison Bechdel, finished November 5
076) The Complete Peanuts 1977-1978 by Charles Schulz, finished November 3
075) Ghost Story by Peter Straub, finished October 27



71-74

074) Duncan the Wonder Dog by Adam Hines, finished October 23
073) Poem Strip by Dino Buzzati, finished October 15
072) No Arm in Left Field by Matt Christopher, finished October 18
071) Hamlet by William Shakespeare, finished October 18



70

070) The Canterbury Tales adapted by Seymour Chwast, finished October 12


65-69

069) A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born by Harry Harrison, finished October 4
068) Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett, finished September 27
067) Modern Masters Volume Sixteen: Mike Allred by Eric Nolen-Weathington, finished September 19
066) iZombie: uVampire by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred, finished September 15
065) Knight and Squire by Paul Cornell and Jimmy Broxton, finished September 12


64
064) Alice in Sunderland: An Entertainment by Bryan Talbot, finished September 21


59-63
063) Blacksad written by Juan Díaz Canales and drawn by Juanjo Guarnido, finished September 5
062) 21 by Wilfred Santiago, finished September 4
061) Bone by Jeff Smith, finished August 29
060) Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: Race to Death Valley by Flody Gottfredson, finished on a date that's a little hard to identify exactly
059) Shakespeare Wrote for Money by Nick Hornby, finished August 18


58
058) Take Time for Paradise by A. Bartlett Giamatti, finished August 11

53-57
057) The Shining by Stephen King, finished August 9
056) I Don't Want to Kill You by Dan Wells, finished August 6
055) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, finished August 2
054) Moneyball by Michael Lewis, finished July 12
053) Madman New Giant Size Super Ginchy Special by Mike Allred et al, finished approximately July 9

51-52
052) The Influencing Machine by Brooke Gladstone and Josh Neufeld, finished July 8
051) Wilson by Daniel Clowes, finished July 6

46-50
050) Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut, finished July 1
049) Housekeeping vs. The Dirt by Nick Hornby, finished June 25
048) The Light Princess by George Macdonald, finished June 22
047) Half a Life by Darin Strauss, finished June 17
046) Babymouse: Cupcake Tycoon by Jennifer L. Holm and Matt Holm (siblings), finished June 16

42-45
045) Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card, finished June 10
044) Writings from The New Yorker 1927-1976 by E.B. White (edited by Rebecca M. Dale), finished June 7
043) The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin, finished May 31
042) Unnamed book by unnamed client (MS POLICY),
finished May 27

33-41
041) Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour by Bryan Lee O'Malley, finished May 14
040) Scott Pilgrim Versus The Unverse by Bryan Lee O'Malley, finished May 14
039) Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together by Bryan Lee O'Malley, finished May 13
037) The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse, finished May 11
036) Scott Pilgrim Versus The World by Bryan Lee O'Malley
035) Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley
034) The Complete Peanuts 1975-1976 by Charles M. Schulz, finished May 1
033) Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli finished approximately April 27

32
032) Golden Gate by Seth Vikram, finished April 20

27-31
031) Batman: Year 100 by Paul Pope, finished April 18
030) The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby, finished April 9
029) iZombie: Dead to the World by Chris Roberson and Mike Allred, finished April 2
028) A Sense of Order and Other Stories by Jack Harrell, finished April 1
027) Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard, finished March 30

26
026) The Black Dogs by Ian McEwan, finished March 21

23-25
025) Stitches by David Small, finished March 20
024) Arkham Asylum: Madness by Sam Kieth, finished January 19 or 20
023) Hamlet by William Shakespeare, finished March 18

21-22
022) Red Rocket 7 by Mike Allred, finished March 10
021) Missile Mouse: Rescue on Tankium3 by Jake Parker, finished March 10

20
020) The Hotel Cat by Esther Averill, finished February 28

18-19
019) Wonderland by Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew, finished February 21
018) Redcoat by Kohl Glass (MS POLICY), finished February 18

14-17
017) Best American Comics 2010 edited by Neil Gaiman, finished February 12
016) Little Bee by Chris Cleave, finished February 10
015) Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck, finished February 2
014) Cursed Pirate Girl: The Collected Edition Vol. I by Jeremy Bastian, finished January 31

13-9
013) Sweet Tooth: In Captivity by Jeff Lemire, finished January 30
012) Sweet Tooth: Out of the Woods by Jeff Lemire, finished January 30
011) Essex County: The Country Nurse by Jeff Lemire, finished January 30
010) Essex County: Ghost Stories by Jeff Lemire, finished January 29
009) Essex County: Tales from the Farm by Jeff Lemire, finished January 29

8
008) Magdalene by Morah Jovan, finished January 27

7-6
007) Knightfall Part Two: Who Rules the Night by a slew of DC folk, finished January 23
006) Bayou by Jeremy Love, finished January 17

5-1
005) Mr. Monster by Dan Wells, finished January 10
004) The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, finished January 6
003) The Mystery of the Dinosaur Graveyard by Mary Adrian, finished January 5
002) Batman - Judge Dredd: Judgment on Gotham by John Wagner and Alan Grant and Simon Bisley, with lettering by the famous Todd Klein; finished January 4
001) Batman: Venom by Dennis O'Neil et al, finished January 2

It’s nice to get thoughtful replies from my elected representatives when I write them about, for example, SOPA

.

Dear Mr. Thteed:

Thank you for taking the time to write and share your views with me. Your comments will help me continue to represent you and other Californians to the best of my ability. Be assured that I will keep your views in mind as the Senate considers legislation on this or similar issues.

If you would like additional information about my work in the U.S. Senate, I invite you to visit my website, http://boxer.senate.gov. From this site, you can access my statements and press releases about current events and pending legislation, request copies of legislation and government reports, and receive detailed information about the many services that I am privileged to provide for my constituents. You may also wish to visit http://thomas.loc.gov to track current and past federal legislation.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I appreciate hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

Please do not respond to this message. If you would like to comment on legislation, please visit my website and use the correspondence form at https://www.boxer.senate.gov/en/contact/policycomments.cfm.

Thrifecta (a svithe)

.

Today I spoke in sacrament meeting, taught Sunday School, then taught elders quorum. Busy day!

In sacrament meeting, I was speaking in my role as newly called Sunday School president of the ward. For those of you not LDS, let me tell you that notwithstanding the word "president" in the title, generally this responsibility is looked at as a nonresponsibility. The purpose of the job is not terribly well defined and often redundant with other people's responsibilities. So I was speaking, in part, as an attempt to define my job.

Ironically, a year or so ago I went to a training for Sunday School leadership. I wasn't really needing to be there so I didn't take as good of notes as I could have, and those notes I've lost. In my attempt to get similar notes from someone (anyone!), I ended up throwing a hail-mary to an email address I found on line, viz. the guy who gave that training, the Church's General Sunday School President. By the time I sent that email (late last night) it was too late to be of any good. However, if I had checked my email before leaving for church this morning, I would have found his reply.

Unfortunately, the Church asks him not to share his training resources, but he did give me some other useful stuff, including this line from Elder Bednar: "Teaching is not talking and telling. Teaching is observing, listening, and then discerning so that we [as teachers] know what to say."

I don't know what the ultimate provenance of this quote is, but I feel my source is pretty reliable.

Also, it says pretty much what I was struggling to say in my talk: Teaching in the Church is not infodumping. It's not test-preparation. It is, instead, observing listening discerning.

Yes. Exactly.

Thank you, Brother Osguthrorpe. That was very helpful. You are a gentleman and a brother.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to prepare a lesson for tonight's home teaching.

previous svithe

Write like a Mormon

.

One of the curious things about Mormon culture is that so many of us are convinced that our culture is something to be embarrassed of. Why? It's crazy, is what it is. Mormons have a rich tradition of astonishing art, even though many of us live years before discovering it. Here in our own stake for instance, we have a killer painter in Bryan Taylor (see) and a killer fictionist right on our own back row --- Karen Rosenbaum (read).

But you know what I know? Bryan and Karen ain't everybody.

And though I could make you a list of great novels or plays that are decidedly Mormon and decisively worth your time (ask me), today I'm more interested in the future. And in getting all our hidden artists to be part of it.

Read the below, then follow on Twitter or like on Facebook and then create something beautiful that can be part of our long and growing growing tradition.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mormon Lit Blitz <mormonlitblitz@gmail.com>
Subject: [aml-news] Call for Mormon Works under 1,000 words

CALL FOR CONTEST SUBMISSIONS

Now announcing the first ever Mormon Lit Blitz Writing Contest, designed to promote Mormon letters by making quality work available in easy-to-recommend short, online forms. Send up to three submissions by 15 January 2012 tomormonlitblitz@gmail.com for a chance to win a Kindle and more.  

What we want:
Short work for Mormons to be published and read online.

The details:
“Short” means under 1,000 words.

“Work” means creative writing in any genre, from literary realism to far future science fiction, and in any form: fiction, essay, poetry, even play or screenplay if you can keep it under 1,000 words. Give us a tiny, polished gem we can show off to people who love Mormonism and love great writing but  “know not where to find” a place where the two meet.

“For Mormons” means for committed Latter-day Saints. Yes, that’s an extremely diverse audience (see the “I’m a Mormon” campaign---and your ward members), but it’s also an audience with distinctive shared values and history that don’t often get attention in creative work. We want you to write something that will appeal to us as people who believe in the sacred, who have ridiculous numbers of brothers and sisters we see every week, who worry about being good and faithful servants no matter what our day jobs are and wonder what it will be like to meet our grandparents’ grandparents in heaven. We don’t need your pieces to preach to us. We do need them to combine your creativity and religious commitment in a way that excites us and gives us something cool to talk about with our Mormon friends.

“To be published and read online” means we’re going to post six to twelve finalists’ pieces on Mormon Artistmagazine’s blog (www.mormonartist.net) and then ask readers to vote on their favorites.

One catch: since even 1,000 words can be intimidating on a screen, your piece needs a strong hook of no more than 120 words (or eight lines for poetry) to be visible on the main blog page. Mark the end of your hook with [MORE]. Even our editors will only read further if you’ve piqued their interest.

Submission Guidelines:
Submissions must have fewer than 1,000 words with a hook no longer than 120 words (or eight lines for poetry). Submissions must be engaging to Latter-day Saints and engage with their Mormon identity in some way.

Authors may submit up to three works. Each submission must be attached to an email as a .doc or .pdf file. The selection process is blind, so the author’s name should not appear on the document.

Email any questions and your submissions to mormonlitblitz@gmail.com. Submission emails should contain the author’s name, the titles of each submission, and contact information (telephone number or email address).

By submitting, authors give us the one-time rights to publish their work electronically. Previously published work is OK if you still have the rights to the piece and if it meets the above contest requirements (don’t forget to add a [MORE] tag to the end of your hook).

The prize:
The contest editors will select six to twelve finalists. All finalists will have their short works published online starting in mid-February 2012 and actively promoted across the LDS blogosphere by the Mormon Lit Blitz team.

After all pieces have been published, readers will vote on a single Grand Prize Winner, who will receive a Kindle pre-loaded with LDS literary works, including Parley P. Pratt’s classic short “A Dialogue Between Joseph Smith and the Devil,” Peculiar Pages’ recent Monsters & Mormons anthology, Zarahemla Books’ Dispensation: Latter-day Fiction, the poetry anthology Fire in the Pasture, and recent issues of Mormon Artist magazine.

Phil Tippett

.

Last night I went with a friend who works at Tippett Studio to see his boss talk and to watch Starship Troopers.

Phil Tippett, in case you don't know, is a big deal. He worked on all three Star Wars movies, invented go-motion, oversaw the transition from go-motion to pure CGI in Jurassic Park (but not before coming down with pneumonia, when he began to believe that CGI had ended his career and everything he had been working for was moot), and now makes a living doing effects for movies, many of which are crap, but hey --- Smurfs and Immortals pay the bills.

I'm not going to say everything he said now, but as I remember things, I will add them to the comments. Check back.

Starship Troopers was just as ridiculous as you've heard. The acting is terrible (allegedly on purpose) and the humans' strategies are so stupid you kind of want them to get wiped out. But the movie did have one fun surprise: a Mormon scene. You can read about it by clicking the image.

Book me.

.

082) Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov, finished November 13


My parents bought this book for me last Coast Guard Day (it had been on my wishlist on the recommendation of Nick Hornby). And although I was excited to read it, I was also prepared to be disappointed.

And I remained prepared all the way through. And that anticipation grew as the book progressed and I could see more and more ways for the book to ultimately disappoint me. And then I finished it. And holy crap. I wasn't disappointed. Not in the least. In fact, I want to read Penguin Lost. I even want to read other unrelated Kurkov books like A Matter of Death and Life.

Seriously. I cannot tell you how many times this book took turns that looked guaranteed to ultimately suck, and then did not suck. I'm not sure I'm explaining well how amazing this was. And I'm even more sure that I'm not selling you this book.

Part of the problem? Telling you about the book will set you up to expect a book that is disappointing and sucky. Even though it won't be. As Hornby said, why not just write on its cover DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. Seriously.

But it doesn't suck.

Trust me on this.

a few months

(the first cover is mine; click any to read someone else's review)




===========================================================



081) Variant by Robison Wells, finished November 12

First, yes, this book is as much fun to read as everyone's been saying. I allowed myself to be propelled through it as quickly as any book of late. And sure, it's YA so the page count doesn't reflect the small pages and larger type and wider margins, but still: I don't read 384-page books this quickly anymore. So there's that.

Second, what a brilliant setup! And just when you think he's discovered a new and better way to instill paranoia, he ups the paranoia by a factor substantially larger than five.

So. Nonstop excitement (and not of the gratuitous variety where it's just in stuffed willynilly). Well drawn characters (though those characterizations are totally undercut by new information --- bold move). Well integrated twists.

My only complaint is that I hate books that end on cliffhangers (no matter how excellent the cliffhanger). If I'd known, I might have waited for the other books to come out first.

But I have no regrets!

two days and thirty-six minutes into the next



===========================================================



080) Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain, finished November 10


This is the first of the post-Huck Finn Tom Sawyer books. Tom Sawyer was a great kids' book. Huck Finn is the leading candidate for Great American Novel. Tom Sawyer Abroad is . . . . Let's call it a step backwards.

It's another kids' book ala Tom Sawyer. Tom and Huck and Jim accidentally stow away on a balloon that's four parts Jules Verne and fly to the Sahara, losing their grumpy undeveloped inventor/captain into the ocean en route. Which is the first of many moments that comes and goes and leaves the reader thinking what?

The story is short and ends absurdly abruptly. Takes some Dr. Doolittle-esque turns, doesn't seem to take reality as seriously as the previous books, and so on. Much of the book is spent with Tom playing the straightman to Huck and Jim's comedy act. While funny (make no mistake: I lolled frequently), it's a good thing this book was supershort.

two days



===========================================================



079) The Devil Colony by James Rollins, finished November 9


Read my take here.

a couple weeks



===========================================================



078) Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol, finished November 7


Starts off as one thing and becomes another so swiftly and perfectly that it's dizzying and an utter joy. I do think the final resolution came to easily --- definitely needed one last turn before closing --- but aside from that pacing issue, this book is brilliant.

If ghosts are going to be like this, let those who say ghosts are the new vampire/zombie be right.

(two not-quite-sequential pages)

today



Previously in 2011 . . . . :

75-77

077) The Best American Comics 2011 edited by Alison Bechdel, finished November 5
076) The Complete Peanuts 1977-1978 by Charles Schulz, finished November 3
075) Ghost Story by Peter Straub, finished October 27



71-74

074) Duncan the Wonder Dog by Adam Hines, finished October 23
073) Poem Strip by Dino Buzzati, finished October 15
072) No Arm in Left Field by Matt Christopher, finished October 18
071) Hamlet by William Shakespeare, finished October 18



70

070) The Canterbury Tales adapted by Seymour Chwast, finished October 12


65-69

069) A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born by Harry Harrison, finished October 4
068) Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett, finished September 27
067) Modern Masters Volume Sixteen: Mike Allred by Eric Nolen-Weathington, finished September 19
066) iZombie: uVampire by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred, finished September 15
065) Knight and Squire by Paul Cornell and Jimmy Broxton, finished September 12


64
064) Alice in Sunderland: An Entertainment by Bryan Talbot, finished September 21


59-63
063) Blacksad written by Juan Díaz Canales and drawn by Juanjo Guarnido, finished September 5
062) 21 by Wilfred Santiago, finished September 4
061) Bone by Jeff Smith, finished August 29
060) Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: Race to Death Valley by Flody Gottfredson, finished on a date that's a little hard to identify exactly
059) Shakespeare Wrote for Money by Nick Hornby, finished August 18


58
058) Take Time for Paradise by A. Bartlett Giamatti, finished August 11

53-57
057) The Shining by Stephen King, finished August 9
056) I Don't Want to Kill You by Dan Wells, finished August 6
055) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, finished August 2
054) Moneyball by Michael Lewis, finished July 12
053) Madman New Giant Size Super Ginchy Special by Mike Allred et al, finished approximately July 9

51-52
052) The Influencing Machine by Brooke Gladstone and Josh Neufeld, finished July 8
051) Wilson by Daniel Clowes, finished July 6

46-50
050) Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut, finished July 1
049) Housekeeping vs. The Dirt by Nick Hornby, finished June 25
048) The Light Princess by George Macdonald, finished June 22
047) Half a Life by Darin Strauss, finished June 17
046) Babymouse: Cupcake Tycoon by Jennifer L. Holm and Matt Holm (siblings), finished June 16

42-45
045) Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card, finished June 10
044) Writings from The New Yorker 1927-1976 by E.B. White (edited by Rebecca M. Dale), finished June 7
043) The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin, finished May 31
042) Unnamed book by unnamed client (MS POLICY),
finished May 27

33-41
041) Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour by Bryan Lee O'Malley, finished May 14
040) Scott Pilgrim Versus The Unverse by Bryan Lee O'Malley, finished May 14
039) Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together by Bryan Lee O'Malley, finished May 13
037) The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse, finished May 11
036) Scott Pilgrim Versus The World by Bryan Lee O'Malley
035) Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley
034) The Complete Peanuts 1975-1976 by Charles M. Schulz, finished May 1
033) Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli finished approximately April 27

32
032) Golden Gate by Seth Vikram, finished April 20

27-31
031) Batman: Year 100 by Paul Pope, finished April 18
030) The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby, finished April 9
029) iZombie: Dead to the World by Chris Roberson and Mike Allred, finished April 2
028) A Sense of Order and Other Stories by Jack Harrell, finished April 1
027) Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard, finished March 30

26
026) The Black Dogs by Ian McEwan, finished March 21

23-25
025) Stitches by David Small, finished March 20
024) Arkham Asylum: Madness by Sam Kieth, finished January 19 or 20
023) Hamlet by William Shakespeare, finished March 18

21-22
022) Red Rocket 7 by Mike Allred, finished March 10
021) Missile Mouse: Rescue on Tankium3 by Jake Parker, finished March 10

20
020) The Hotel Cat by Esther Averill, finished February 28

18-19
019) Wonderland by Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew, finished February 21
018) Redcoat by Kohl Glass (MS POLICY), finished February 18

14-17
017) Best American Comics 2010 edited by Neil Gaiman, finished February 12
016) Little Bee by Chris Cleave, finished February 10
015) Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck, finished February 2
014) Cursed Pirate Girl: The Collected Edition Vol. I by Jeremy Bastian, finished January 31

13-9
013) Sweet Tooth: In Captivity by Jeff Lemire, finished January 30
012) Sweet Tooth: Out of the Woods by Jeff Lemire, finished January 30
011) Essex County: The Country Nurse by Jeff Lemire, finished January 30
010) Essex County: Ghost Stories by Jeff Lemire, finished January 29
009) Essex County: Tales from the Farm by Jeff Lemire, finished January 29

8
008) Magdalene by Morah Jovan, finished January 27

7-6
007) Knightfall Part Two: Who Rules the Night by a slew of DC folk, finished January 23
006) Bayou by Jeremy Love, finished January 17

5-1
005) Mr. Monster by Dan Wells, finished January 10
004) The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, finished January 6
003) The Mystery of the Dinosaur Graveyard by Mary Adrian, finished January 5
002) Batman - Judge Dredd: Judgment on Gotham by John Wagner and Alan Grant and Simon Bisley, with lettering by the famous Todd Klein; finished January 4
001) Batman: Venom by Dennis O'Neil et al, finished January 2

Svithing alone

.

John 16:32
Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

Job 7:16
I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.

Lamentations 3:28
He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.

1 Thessalonians 3:1
Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;

Ecclesiastes 4:11
Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

Numbers 11:14
I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.

Alma 33:15
For it is not written that Zenos alone spake of these things, but Zenock also spake of these things—

Deuteronomy 1:12
How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?

Galatians 6:4
But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

Psalms 102:7
I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.

Matthew 14:23
And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

Isaiah 14:31
Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times.

Leviticus 13:46
All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.

Jeremiah 49:31
Arise, get you up unto the wealthy nation, that dwelleth without care, saith the Lord, which have neither gates nor bars, which dwell alone.

John 6:15
When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

John 8:9
And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

John 8:29
And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

John 12:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Alma 17:17
Therefore they separated themselves one from another, and went forth among them, every man alone, according to the word and power of God which was given unto him.

Moses 3:18
And I, the Lord God, said unto mine Only Begotten, that it was not good that the man should be alone; wherefore, I will make an help meet for him.

Helaman 10:1
And it came to pass that there arose a division among the people, insomuch that they divided hither and thither and went their ways, leaving Nephi alone, as he was standing in the midst of them.

Ecclesiastes 4:10
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

Genesis 2:18
And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Alma 29:14
But I do not joy in my own success alone, but my joy is more full because of the success of my brethren, who have been up to the land of Nephi.

Isaiah 5:8
Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

Hebrews 9:7
But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:

Jeremiah 15:17
I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation.

Luke 10:40
But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

1 Samuel 21:1
Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

Daniel 10:7-8
And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.

Job 1:15
And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Job 1:19
And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Exodus 18:14, 18
And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.

Genesis 44:20
And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

Isaiah 49:21
Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?

Ecclesiastes 4:8
There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

Numbers 11:17
And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.

Mormon 8:3
And my father also was killed by them, and I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people. But behold, they are gone, and I fulfil the commandment of my father. And whether they will slay me, I know not.

Genesis 42:38
And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

Mormon 8:5
Behold, my father hath made this record, and he hath written the intent thereof. And behold, I would write it also if I had room upon the plates, but I have not; and ore I have none, for I am alone. My father hath been slain in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have not friends nor whither to go; and how long the Lord will suffer that I may live I know not.

Joseph Smith—History 1:15
After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.

Abraham 5:14
And the Gods said: Let us make an help meet for the man, for it is not good that the man should be alone, therefore we will form an help meet for him.

previous svithe

That's me. In the top right corner.

.

Variant bookbomb

.

Rob Wells is a guy I respect. And he has a new book out. And, because he just lost his job and might not get reemployed for a while, we're bookbombing him today. Which means everyone buys his book today (from Amazon) to boost his sales numbers and maybe get him some attention. I haven't read the book yet (it's in my bag though), but everyone agrees it's awesome. So take a chance. Why not?

There's a party going on tonight tomorrow night and you're invited (I am an idiot)

.

I'll be here(s).

more new books made old

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077) The Best American Comics 2011 edited by Alison Bechdel, finished November 5


As always, I enjoyed this book a great deal. It included a few of my favorite artists (notably newcomers to the series Kate Beaton and my pal Noah Van Sciver whose new comic in Sunstone I'll write a post about soon). Nothing really floored me this year, but I am left feeling good about the state of American comics. I suppose that's an adequate response.

let's call it a month



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076) The Complete Peanuts 1977-1978 by Charles Schulz, finished November 3


Like the first volume in this set, these strips remain an utter joy to read. I bet Thoreau would have taken them to Walden.

lil' under six months



===========================================================



075) Ghost Story by Peter Straub, finished October 27


I bought this book circa 2004 at a library sale on Stephen King's recommendation. I read the first few pages several Octobers ago (before reading the first few pages of another book I need to finish, also starting with the abduction of a young, blonde girl). Long enough ago that I started again at the beginning.

The book reminds me in good ways of Dan Wells's John Cleaver books, though those elements don't appear until the end. It's a slowburn novel. Constant promises of more-to-come --- promises never reneged on.

The book was made into a movie in the early 80s starring Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and John Houseman as the old guys. I guess it must not be that great because best I can tell it's been utterly forgotten. But the idea of great actors in their twilight (Fred Astaire lived six more years, Fairbanks never made another movie, Douglas died before the movie was released, and Housman wouldn't last the decade) has been thrilling me as I read, imagining this book as an HBO series.

But I don't know if I can recommend it. The book is a joy of horror, written horror. Sure you could turn it into a scary movie, but much of what happens would become hokey.

One other thing I liked about the book is it's taste of late 70s America. A world I was present for but can't remember. A time lost, yet so close.

Like a ghost.

(Though, for the record, I think much of it's aging has not been )

TIME




PReViouSLy

71-74

074) Duncan the Wonder Dog by Adam Hines, finished October 23
073) Poem Strip by Dino Buzzati, finished October 15
072) No Arm in Left Field by Matt Christopher, finished October 18
071) Hamlet by William Shakespeare, finished October 18




70

070) The Canterbury Tales adapted by Seymour Chwast, finished October 12


65-69

069) A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born by Harry Harrison, finished October 4
068) Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett, finished September 27
067) Modern Masters Volume Sixteen: Mike Allred by Eric Nolen-Weathington, finished September 19
066) iZombie: uVampire by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred, finished September 15
065) Knight and Squire by Paul Cornell and Jimmy Broxton, finished September 12


64
064) Alice in Sunderland: An Entertainment by Bryan Talbot, finished September 21


59-63
063) Blacksad written by Juan Díaz Canales and drawn by Juanjo Guarnido, finished September 5
062) 21 by Wilfred Santiago, finished September 4
061) Bone by Jeff Smith, finished August 29
060) Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: Race to Death Valley by Flody Gottfredson, finished on a date that's a little hard to identify exactly
059) Shakespeare Wrote for Money by Nick Hornby, finished August 18


58
058) Take Time for Paradise by A. Bartlett Giamatti, finished August 11

53-57
057) The Shining by Stephen King, finished August 9
056) I Don't Want to Kill You by Dan Wells, finished August 6
055) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, finished August 2
054) Moneyball by Michael Lewis, finished July 12
053) Madman New Giant Size Super Ginchy Special by Mike Allred et al, finished approximately July 9

51-52
052) The Influencing Machine by Brooke Gladstone and Josh Neufeld, finished July 8
051) Wilson by Daniel Clowes, finished July 6

46-50
050) Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut, finished July 1
049) Housekeeping vs. The Dirt by Nick Hornby, finished June 25
048) The Light Princess by George Macdonald, finished June 22
047) Half a Life by Darin Strauss, finished June 17
046) Babymouse: Cupcake Tycoon by Jennifer L. Holm and Matt Holm (siblings), finished June 16

42-45
045) Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card, finished June 10
044) Writings from The New Yorker 1927-1976 by E.B. White (edited by Rebecca M. Dale), finished June 7
043) The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin, finished May 31
042) Unnamed book by unnamed client (MS POLICY),
finished May 27

33-41
041) Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour by Bryan Lee O'Malley, finished May 14
040) Scott Pilgrim Versus The Unverse by Bryan Lee O'Malley, finished May 14
039) Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together by Bryan Lee O'Malley, finished May 13
037) The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse, finished May 11
036) Scott Pilgrim Versus The World by Bryan Lee O'Malley
035) Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley
034) The Complete Peanuts 1975-1976 by Charles M. Schulz, finished May 1
033) Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli finished approximately April 27

32
032) Golden Gate by Seth Vikram, finished April 20

27-31
031) Batman: Year 100 by Paul Pope, finished April 18
030) The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby, finished April 9
029) iZombie: Dead to the World by Chris Roberson and Mike Allred, finished April 2
028) A Sense of Order and Other Stories by Jack Harrell, finished April 1
027) Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard, finished March 30

26
026) The Black Dogs by Ian McEwan, finished March 21

23-25
025) Stitches by David Small, finished March 20
024) Arkham Asylum: Madness by Sam Kieth, finished January 19 or 20
023) Hamlet by William Shakespeare, finished March 18

21-22
022) Red Rocket 7 by Mike Allred, finished March 10
021) Missile Mouse: Rescue on Tankium3 by Jake Parker, finished March 10

20
020) The Hotel Cat by Esther Averill, finished February 28

18-19
019) Wonderland by Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew, finished February 21
018) Redcoat by Kohl Glass (MS POLICY), finished February 18

14-17
017) Best American Comics 2010 edited by Neil Gaiman, finished February 12
016) Little Bee by Chris Cleave, finished February 10
015) Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck, finished February 2
014) Cursed Pirate Girl: The Collected Edition Vol. I by Jeremy Bastian, finished January 31

13-9
013) Sweet Tooth: In Captivity by Jeff Lemire, finished January 30
012) Sweet Tooth: Out of the Woods by Jeff Lemire, finished January 30
011) Essex County: The Country Nurse by Jeff Lemire, finished January 30
010) Essex County: Ghost Stories by Jeff Lemire, finished January 29
009) Essex County: Tales from the Farm by Jeff Lemire, finished January 29

8
008) Magdalene by Morah Jovan, finished January 27

7-6
007) Knightfall Part Two: Who Rules the Night by a slew of DC folk, finished January 23
006) Bayou by Jeremy Love, finished January 17

5-1
005) Mr. Monster by Dan Wells, finished January 10
004) The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, finished January 6
003) The Mystery of the Dinosaur Graveyard by Mary Adrian, finished January 5
002) Batman - Judge Dredd: Judgment on Gotham by John Wagner and Alan Grant and Simon Bisley, with lettering by the famous Todd Klein; finished January 4
001) Batman: Venom by Dennis O'Neil et al, finished January 2