One of these things is not like the other

.

If you look real closely, you'll find a masterpiece of lasting genius buried among these fresh comics for kids.

.

043) Urban Legend Hunters: The Dreaded Mr. Snipe by Joel McKerrow and Wayne Bryant, finished July 23

Honestly, I didn't care for it. It's trying so hard to be funny and clever and I found it tiring. HOWEVER. The 9yrold read it and loved it and insisted I read it which is why I read it. And, honestly, if you find all the scatology and "wit" entertaining, this was a terrific series launch. So I suspect we'll be seeing these around the house for a while.

two or three days 

☞

044) The Firelight Apprentice by Bree Paulsen, finished July 23

The 9yrold finished this and declared it excellent and I thought I recognized the author's name. Sure enough I've read her Garlic books for kids and her vampire tale for adults so I figured I'd take an hour and knock this one out as well.

It's good. Paulsen does seem to have a strong need to push certain concepts forward (which is fine) and this books seems to borrow a plot choice from Frozen (which is fine) but somehow.... Little things like the child looking like a dwarf and some pacing issue kept me from really loving this one—I just couldn't settle in. Anyway, I'm sure her next one will be no less charming and maybe more satisfying. 

one night 

☞

045) The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter, finished August 4

I absolutely loved reading this version of the Torah. Although I certainly will continue reading other translations, I'm sufficiently persuaded by Alter's translation goals that I may well spend the first half of 2030 reading it again. I felt so educated in terms of literature and history and archaeology and theology by his voluminous footnotes (I'm certain they're longer than the Torah itself) and I happily shared recently read ones with all I talked to but! they were so many that I couldn't possibly hold onto them all. I must read this book again!

 

The best twenty dollars I've spent on a book? Maybe. Certainly I've zero regrets. And I heartily recommend Alter's work to each and every one of you. There's a certain magic that only someone who has spent their entire life mastering one realm of knowledge can impart, and this book offers that magic.

the year so far 

☞

046) Surfside Girls: The Mystery at the Old Rancho by Kim Dwinell, finished August 6

Daughter o' Mine continues making me read comics from the library but I really liked the first of these and I liked the second too. I hear it's now a show on Apple+, which makes sense. Could be a modern Scooby-Doo? It has sort of a utopian view of both California's rancho/mission era and modern politics, but it's okay for kids to believe the world is good. That should be part of their diet.

one sit 

☞

previous books

The first five books of 2026

001) Red Harvest by Dachielle Hammett, finished January 3
002) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, finished January 14
003) Snoopy's Guide to the Writing Life edited by Barnaby Conrad and Monte Schulz, finished January 16
004) You Are Too Much, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz, finished January 19
005) Ice by Anna Kavan, finished January 24

Emotion-of-your-choice Valentine's Day!

006) Midville High: Comic Caper Collection by Matt Blair, finished February 5
007) Guarding the Moon: A Mother's First Year by Francesca Lia Block, finished February 10
008) The Sellout by Paul Beatty, finished February 13 

I don't know much about hats Kafka wore
Or if Bottom's dream sunk in the sea
But I know that George Lucas made a fine film
And that The Shining just isn't for me

009) Where Hats Go by Kurt Wolfgang, finished February 20
010) Kafka's Manuscript, finished February 27
011) Lucas Wars by Laurent Hopman and Renaud Roshe, finished February 28
012–014) A Midsummer's Night Dream by William Shakespeare, finished March 9  

Six for 2026

015) The Path and the Gate: Mormon Short Fiction edited by Andrew Hall and Robert Raleigh, finished March 15
016) Hyperion by Dan Simmons, finished March 19
017) The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins, finished March 21
018) Visitations by Corey Egbert, finished March 23
019–021) After the Blast by Zoe Kazan, finished March 25
022) Accidental Devotions by Kelli Russell Agodon, finished March 30

Such poetry! Such hardboiling!

025) New & Selected Things Taking Place by May Swenson, finished April 2
026) Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett, finished April 4
027) Loved Ones by Kevin Klein, finished April 4
028) Grace Is Not God's Backup Plan: an urgent paraphrase of paul's letter to the romans by Adam S. Miller, finished April 5
029) The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler, finished April 9

After 2026—What?

030) Saints Volume 3: Boldly, Nobly, and Independent, 1893–1955, finished April 11
031) Wrapped in Plastic: Twin Peaks by Andy Burns, finished April 11
032) After 1903—What? by Robert Benchley, finished April 15 
033) Money: The True Story of a Made-up Thing by Jacob Goldstein, finished May 4
034) Montana 1948 by Larry Watson, finished May 6
035) Clever Girl: Jurassic Park by Hannah McGregor, finished May 11

Fifty-three days and only nine books
(American literacy truly is in decline)

035) Okchundang Candy by Jung-soon Go and translated by Airin Park, finished May 22
036) The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card, finished May 27
037) Bad Kitty Goes on Vacation by Nick Bruel, finished June 1
038) Backward by Ben Abbott, finished June 10
039) Too Many Cooks by Rex Stout, finished June 12
040) Pickles by Brian Crane, finished July 7
041) Pickles, Too by Brian Crane, finished July 7
042) Lost & Found by Shaun Tan, finished July 13
043) The Arrival by Shaun Tan, finished July 13