Side Quest: Every Book I Read in my 29th year part 3

There's gonna be like, five more of these

The Hollow Ones by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Where I got it: Shakespeare & Co.

This paranormal detective tale only deepened my love for GDT’s ouvre of the occult. We’ve got the immortalish Hugo Blackwood, as stodgy and British as the name would suggest, leading two skeptical FBI agents in two different timelines. In the present timeline, he’s on the trail in New Jersey with Odessa Hardwicke, investigating a mysterious mass shooting which involved her dead partner. In the 1960s, he’s on the trail with Ed Solomon, a Black FBI agent working in the Deep South. Their parallel paths converge in surprising ways. This book is a fun spooky read with some spectacular sequences— it’s not pushing any literary envelopes but it checks all the boxes for an enjoyable paranormal mystery read.

Lives of the Artists: Keith Haring by Simon Doonan

Where I got it: Rizzoli

I really enjoyed this slim but mighty biography of Keith Haring. Haring’s work is basically inescapable these days due to the power of licensing— while I have mixed feels about that I have a lot of admiration for Haring himself, an artist who valued accessibility even after breaking into the lucrative art world. Haring’s advocacy, public art, and pop shop store are well documented in this read alongside more risqué sex/drugs/celebrity stuff.

Difficult Loves by Italo Calvino

Where I got it: Powerhouse

Italo Calvino’s writing never ceases to tickle me— his intellect, wit, and sexuality all mix into this perfect short story collection. Calvino ditches the magic of the Cosmiccomics and tzero for stories much more centered on the neuroses of the characters and their relationships to love. This contains one of my all time favorite short stories “Adventures of a Reader” in which a book enthusiast at the beach finds all kinds of clever ways to continue his book while being seduced by a beautiful stranger. This book also contains the longer story “The Argentine Ant,” which rivals Ionesco for surrealist chaos. This book is absolutely delicious. I’m envious of those folks with the ability to read in the original Italian.

Batman by Tom King

Where I got it: uhhh… internet?

Tom King’s 85 issue run on Batman starting in 2016 stands out as one of the world’s finest takes on the character in the modern era. A lot of stuff happens over the course of this run, most of it centered on the romance between Batman and Catwoman who finally after decades decideto tie the knot. King’s own experience as a veteran lends a certain groundedness to these characters as we explore their trauma and growth. It’s also very sexy. While the supervillain plotting is well done the standout issues are the ones in which we see these characters just be themselves— an extremely awkward double date with Superman & Lois Lane is one of my favorite issues. King’s other gift to us is Kite Man, a 60s era D-list bad guy who King develops into the ultimate underdog over the course of the run. 

Detransition Baby by Torrey Peters

Where I got: Book Club

This book had its own share of controversy both literary and political. While many people couldn’t hang with the messy characters, shifting timelines, and unadvisable sex, I had so much fun on this wild ride. Nobody comes off great in this book, but they’re all relatable and you can understanding their motivations for a whole lot of unwise choices. I also loved the Brooklyn-ness of this book. Descriptions of some of my favorite spots like Prospect Park and Greenpoint ring true and homelike to this Brooklyn resident. My mom was not a fan!

Intimations by Zadie Smith

Where I got: Spoonbill & Sugartown

This is a back-pocket friendly book of essays by Zadie Smith reflecting on life during the pandemic and other 2020-y topics. I’m a big fan of White Teeth but this book did not do too much for me. Perhaps the COVID of it all felt a little too soon, or the essays felt a tad underwritten, or both? I’ll give this one another try a few years from now. 

Scattered All Over the Earth by Yoko Tawada

Where I got: Center for Fiction

This is a fun, strange read in a future world with some kind of international amnesia– nobody can remember the nation of Japan! Main character Hiruko invents a new language (Panska- or pan-Scandinavian) and searches for others who remember Japanese. Along the way she collects a cadre of offbeat friends and admirers who follow her on her journey. This book is loose, silly, and sweet. It feels like an improv scene but in a good way. It doesn’t really end, per se, but leaves the door open for more wistful adventures.

The Moviegoer by Walker Percy

Where I got it: Found it on a stoop

In 1950s New Orleans, stock broker Binx Bolling struggles to fit in with his family, to connect with lovers, or to understand his unstable cousin Kate. While a book about a depressed guy who goes to the movies too much seems like a slam dunk for me (relatable), this one fell pretty flat. While the book was lauded when it came out in the 1960s, it comes off pretty sexist and racist by 2023 standards and boring in that existential novel way. 

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Farber & Elaine Mazlish

Where I got it: eBay

This one was a homework book for my grad program but a pretty good read. Faber and Mazlish’s approach is fairly simple— focus on validating children’s feelings rather than trying to correct or fix the problem. This book is somewhat dated but the wisdom of the writing feels relevant for parents and teachers today. I enjoyed this read but have had some trouble applying it in my professional life. This book is intended for neurotypical children, and the Autistic kids I work with require a lot more structure and language than this mostly listening based approach.

New X-Men by Grant Morrison & various illustrators

Where I got it: uhhh internet

Grant Morrison took over X-Men in 2007 with New X-Men, a series with a radically different flavor from your typical superhero comic. Morrison works some chaos magic on the old X-Men formula, revising old characters like Beast and introducing new fan favorites like Xorn, Kid Omega, and the Stepford Cuckoos. There’s drugs, sex, and large scale mutant genocide. This book is essential reading for X-Men fans of the modern era. Much of the current X-Men titles continue the themes and characters introduced here. The final arc “Here Comes Tomorrow” is especially chaotic and Morrisonesque, ending a series with a dystopian future timeline crazier than even Chris Claremont’s “Days of Future Past.”

Complete Stories Volume 1 by Isaac Asimov 

Where I got it: Allie moving to MN book purge

This is an absolutely massive collection of short stories from one of science fiction’s most prolific patron saints. This book has a whopping 48 stories in it. Some of them are mind blowing, some of them are dumb, and a lot of them have the classic Asimov move of “two dudes describing an idea.” The good ones are so damn good though! I love the trippy film noir vibes of “I’m in a Marsport Without Hilda” and the Twilight Zone twistiness of “Segregationist.” There’s plenty of stories with Asimov’s favorite motifs: robots, aliens, and supercomputers. There’s also some tongue in cheeck poems by Asimov about the woes of being a famous sci-fi writer. Skip this one casual  fans— leave this tome for the heads.

That’s all for now folks, be back soon with more book reviews and bookstore quests!