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

.

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



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

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

Peculiar Pages

.

I haven't talked in this space for some time about my ittybitty publishing company, but that's not because we've been active --- it's because we've been so active I haven't had a chance. Dozens of blogposts elsewhere on the internet have I sculpted while Thutopia waited patiently.

Let's talk first about the book released on Halloween, Monsters & Mormons. Proposed to me by William Morris, we've been working on it for over a year and a half now.

It will be difficult for me to overstate how much fun you'll have reading this book. It may, I grant, be more fun for Mormons, but I guarantee that monsters of all stripes will find joy herein.

(Also: although copies of the cover are available elsewhere online, this is the first and so-far-only place where the finalized version of the cover exists. Thanks to Anneke Majors who did the bulk of the work, and Denise Gasser [who added paint] and Lady Steed [for, among other tasks, the awesome Peculiar Pages skull-logo].)

Reclaiming the pulp tradition, redeeming my people from over a century of stockvillainy, has been great fun. And not just fun --- some of the stories are also moving, thoughtful, shocking, dangerous, provocative, etc. Don't dismiss this as mere pulp fun. And, at the same time, don't dismiss the pleasures of pulp fun.

The first book that finally dropped this month has been the enormously complex enterprise Fire in the Pasture. Thankfully, Tyler Chadwick did most of the work on this one. All I had to do was come up with the idea and get out of his way.

(This cover, by the way, art by the inimitable Casey Jex Smith, design by Lady Steed.)

This is the first serious collection of Mormon poetry in over twenty years, and in that time a goodly number of serious Mormon poets have landed on the national scene. It's hard for me to overstate how I've enjoyed reading this book, myself. And I'm not, as you may know, a superhuge poetry reader. But excellence speaks for itself.

So. That's what's up with Peculiar Pages.

Go forth and purchase.

On friends (a svithe inspired by what I heard at church today)

.

In the Doctrine & Covenants, Jesus expounds on a note be barely played in the New Testament, viz. he is our friend.

I'm not interested in getting into who is a friend of Jesus and who is not or other such silly argument --- all I'm interested in is that Jesus, god, is not above calling people like us his friends.

There's a lesson in there, somewhere.

previous svithe

(books)

.

074) Duncan the Wonder Dog by Adam Hines, finished October 23

I know I overuse words like beautiful and great and brilliant. One word I do not overuse is genius. And I'm not about to apply it to this book, but I am going to trot it out cautiously all the same.

You see, Duncan the Wonder Dog might be a work of genius. I don't know yet. I won't know until further books come out. But it might be. It very well might be.

Comics are growing up when an out-of-nowhere debut can be as complex and lovely as Chris Ware's best work.

(Read this pdf sample of the first many pages of this huge book.)

It would be impossible to ruin this book no matter how much I gave away, so don't feel leery about reading any of the notes below.

Here's the conceit. Our world, but animals talk. Not in a mickey-mouse way or a cinderella way or a dr-dolittle way. Just a simple, literal, animals that talk.

This leads to startling moments, as we see wild animals interacting with each other, circus animals, pets and humans, passing birds landing on a balcony.

And the necessary complications of life when you have to kill something that talks before you can have a hamburger.

The resultant politics can be read as commentary on race in America or on the environment. But that does not have to get in the way of your enjoyment, no matter your take on those issues.

And, related to that, the terrorist ape Pompeii may be the most terrorizing villain to come out of comics since the Joker. I kid you not. What makes the Joker terrifying? His alien mind.

What can be more alien than another species?

Be afraid.

Read this book. As soon as you can.

Seriously: read this book.

It's the first volume of a planned nine, and so we'll decide later whether or not this is a comics masterpiece, a work of genius. But I wouldn't bet against Adam Hines. Not today, not ever again.

Duncan the Wonder Dog. Let the show begin.


over a week

073) Poem Strip by Dino Buzzati, finished October 15

This icksexy Italian 1960s counterculture take on Orpheus and Eurydice is pretty dang wonderful. The way it references everything that was happening then and the recently past art (eg Surrealism) and contemporaneous European lit and meshes it all into a wonderful series of poems and comics is terribly enjoyable to read. Props to the translator because the poetry really has to work for the book to work.


two days




072) No Arm in Left Field by Matt Christopher, finished October 18

Matt Christopher's middle-reader sports books are the Big O's new love, so I picked this one up (he'd brought it home from the school library) and read it. I can see why he likes them. Every chapter has a thrilling baseball game and the story story is built in the gaps between games. This particular one is about a black kid moving into a white town and making friends even, eventually, with the mildly racist kid (through team play, of course).

They're a fun read. Got sporty kids? Send 'em this way. Matt C does about every sport you can imagine.

off and on over a week




071) Hamlet by William Shakespeare, finished October 18

I am so sick of Hamlet.


about a week




PRVSLY

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

Being-a-little-child (a minisvithe)

.

I taught a lesson about this today, but it's an idea I heard from another lesson that has my attention:

Part of what we should emulate children is how they cry when they need something.

Lesson: pray.

Naturally would I ignore a part of kids I don't like as emulation-worthy when it is, in fact, the part I am most in need of emulating.

previous svithe

"To Augustus" by B. Zim in Time volume 5, issue 129 (1887)

.

"STICKTOITIVENESS." "Is there such a word?"

With a very large capital Y, unlettered youth, we answer that there is. The dictionary makers simply do not display it all under one tent; they dismember it and scatter it to the four winds of their definitive pages; it is found intact only in the valuable vocabularies of certain wise men. It should be found in all vocabularies.

Perhaps you haven't such a thing as a vocabulary, Augustus? Well, well then, never mind; that Sticktoitiveness is a word---dictionaries to the contrary, notwithstanding--you may rest assured, and a word to which you should swear at once, and with bitter earnestness, unswerving and indissoluble allegiance. It is a WORD, Gus, and it ought to be graven upon every page of your copy-book. Lay your hand, therefore, in the palpitating region of your lower left-hand, vest-pocket and swear---hold! Just one minute, Gus. Have you contracted the baneful habit of inviting to the theatre young ladies who wear bonnets like that? Miserable youth You cannot answer! Enough! Do not swear! Do not swear---for-swear .

[see her hat here]

1500 Posts (a svithe)

.

Including the 29 drafts awaiting completion, I am currently writing my 1501st thmusing. This is quite a large number. It's been over two years since post 1000, so somehow, even though I feel my pace has dropped tremendously, I've written roughly 500 posts in roughly the same time the first 500s were completed. Which amazes me since most of my silly little things now go to Thwitter or Thumblr. Both of those sites also see a lot more traffic than this one as well.

I haven't done a survey, but I suspect that this blog has become, in large part, a series of book reviews with svithes for leaven. Not sure how, mm, commercial that is.

Just before I started blogging, I hated blogs. I hated how they were cluttering up search results, for instance. Then NPR convinced me to start one of my own. And I grew to love it. No social media will ever, I think, consume me as blogging did once I finally dove in.

But the blog heyday has passed and new things take our time and clutter our search results. Blogs, in many respects, seem dead. Instead of posting five or so times every week for the rest of my life as I once imagined, I use it to track a thing here and a thing there. Ideas too long for Twitter or too controversial for Facebook. But if I have something Important to say, I'll throw it up in A Motley Vision or maybe ask another big blog if I can guest (By Common Consent is now a friend).

Of course, before I dismiss the blog's reach, I should note I still average a few dozen unique visitors a day (it is still true, however, that a significant portion of my hits every day for years now has been people wanting to look at this image of a cat liver), plus it's followed by an unknown number of readers and compilers etc. Who knows. Maybe I'm very popular. And all the discussion is happening off site. Or not at all.

Really, what does it matter.

Yet, so much of my soul is here (1501!) that I too remain here. It's practically a horcrux (shoutout to young people!).

Which is where we finally get to the svithey portion of this post.

Where we deposit our time, there we deposit our soul.

So the thoughtprovoking question (your answer to which I may never well hear) is how do we determine where to spend our bits of soul.

Where?

Where.

Where . . . .

pervious svithe