Entries Tagged as 'Books'
A review of Rick Kupchella’s book by Cade, age 6
Cade climbed up onto the loveseat next to me, with two books in his arms.
“Here.” He pushed the books toward me. “You like books. You can have these.”
“Oh,” I read the titles and was surprised to see local TV news anchor Rick Kupchella’s name on the cover. “Who did you get these from?”
“I don’t know,” [...]
Bang Crunch
The first two stories in Neil Smith’s short story collection Bang Crunch were so punch-in-the-gut good that it caused me a bit of anxiety. Could he keep up this stellar pace? What if he does? What if the entire collection is this good? Will my heart be able to take it?
The first story “Isolettes” about [...]
Namechecked by Kathleen Turner
So I got a mention in Kathleen Turner’s memoir Send Yourself Roses. It is by far the weirdest, most random thing to happen to me up to this point.
This morning I got a lovely e-mail from a gentleman named Don who said this:
I’m one of the early reviewers for Kathleen Turner’s new book, Send Yourself [...]
Instead of looking for a job I read this underwhelming short story collection, go me
First of all, I have to say, I got spanked today for spending most of my free time reading books when I should be looking for a job. And I’m more than a little pissed that the book I’ve spent all my time reading lately turned out to be completely underwhelming.
Before October, I’d never read [...]
Candy Girl makes my stomach hurt
For March, the Rock and Roll Bookclub picked Diablo Cody’s Candy Girl, a memoir about her year as a stripper/professional masturbator/phone sex operator.
You know how when you buy a bag of those little gold-foil wrapped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and the first one tastes so good that you eat about thirty-two more right in a [...]
A book that caters to my postal worker proclivities
I don’t know if it’s exactly a fetish, but I’ve long had thing for postal workers. It started eons ago when I developed a crush on the Postmaster back in Prior Lake. When I moved, I changed post offices and developed a crush on Mary. At least I think her name is Mary. We shall [...]
Read moreThe second book of 2008 to make me cry
Despite the way it appears, I don’t often cry while reading. In fact before I read Atonement, I could only think of two other books that made me cry. And now, here I am two months into 2008 and I’ve already cried twice while reading.
You might think it’s because I’ve gone soft. But you’d [...]
The annoying second person
You pick up Lorrie Moore’s collection of short stories called Self-Help because you’ve always admired her writing. Plus, your own writing is often compared to hers. Not because you are a master of the form, like Moore, but more because your short stories are peppered with a sort of sad and self-deprecating humor.
What you love [...]
The first book of 2008 to make me cry
I have no idea why I lifted my ban on “buzz” books to read Ian McEwan’s Atonement this week, especially now that the movie’s out, but I’m really glad that I did.
I spent a good portion of my time while reading Atonement fretting. The book came highly recommended by my writing teacher Dale. Despite an [...]
Elissa Schappell
The Times Paper Cuts has three stray questions for Elissa Schappell, who wrote one of my favorite books of 2000, the brilliant Use Me (which was really, I think, the first book of linked short stories I ever read).
Read moreNo one frustrates here more than you
Sometime this summer the Internet developed a big, fat Web crush on Miranda July and the quirky little Web site she made pimping her short story collection No One Belongs Here More Than You. I gotta admit, I crushed too. I eagerly anticipated the release of the collection. But as the buzz built my [...]
Read moreWrapped up in Books 2007, Part II
You can read Wrapped up in Books 2007, Part I, where I talked about books with a Twin Cities connection and the best short story collections. Here I am gonna tell you about a few more kickass books and a few books you should only read if you’re kidnapped at gun point, chained to a [...]
Read moreWrapped up in books 2007, Part I
One of the resolutions I made last night was to read more books and watch less TV. I only managed to read a paltry 47 books last year. Pathetic. So this year I’m giving myself what I call the Largehearted Boy Reading Challenge, 52 books in 52 weeks. Go me! Before I start my challenge [...]
Read moreIt’s been on the DeeVer since 12/21
I am tempting fate right now by watching “Fahrenheit 451″ on the DeeVer. If I am struck down in my sleep, you’ll know why.
Read moreNow I have guilt
It is clear to me that I have huge guilt about the book burning. Sure I didn’t like the book, but still. . .
So this morning during my mid-morning nap I dreamt that a tornado struck my house and sucked all my books out of the house, depositing them wet and twisted around the [...]
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