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  3. I recently finished reading The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman, a memoir in essays by Niko Stratis. A good book, particularly if you are someone who thinks about recorded music/popular music a lot. The author gave an interview with Xtra magazine about the book on its release last year. I have been thinking about this excerpt from that interview, in which she’s responding to a question on masculinity:

    Men don’t have to think about community a lot, right? Because every community they feel belongs to them. And I think that is a damaging thing. Men need to start to consider the spaces that they’re in a lot more and be thinking, “Whose community is this and how do I honour that; how do I help preserve it; how do I help look after it in a way that doesn’t centre me?”

    Jan 19, 2026 06:19 PM

  5. I’m reading They Said It Couldn’t Be Done, Wayne Coffey’s book about the 1969 World Series. The audiobook is narrated by sports broadcaster Gary Cohen. Each chapter is packed with biographical details about the 1969 Mets roster and other key players of the events of the book.

    Nestled snugly in Chapter 12 (Game Three against the Baltimore Orioles) is a biography of Karl Ehrhardt, a commercial artist better known as the “Sign Man” who was a fixture at Shea Stadium in the 1960s and 70s. Ehrhardt always wore a black derby with the Mets logo, and would carry a portfolio of about 60 handmade cardboard signs into the ball park, holding up his 20-by-26-inch messages at key moments in the seats behind third base. By the time Erhardt stopped attending games in 1981 he had created about 1,200 signs.

    You can’t tell the story of the 1969 Mets without the Sign Man.

    Dec 3, 2025 07:17 AM

  7. Bookmarked A Pattern Language Index.

    My friends and I have long been fans of this book, and attempt to use its patterns in our own homes and spaces. The book is 1,200 pages long, with countless intertextual connections. It always seemed ripe for mapping and distilling the patterns together more interactively.

    Sep 21, 2025 05:19 PM

  9. Bookmarked How to make a book by Mike Monteiro

    I was submitting to authority for protection. In my mind, a publisher would take care of me. They’d help me make my book better. They’d help me find my audience. They’d make sure the book got in front of people who’d buy it. They’d do all of the things that authors generally don’t like doing, and allow me to focus on what I wanted to do, which was writing. Getting that gold star from an authority figure feels really good. This goes beyond authors and publishers, of course…

    May 2, 2025 09:00 PM

  10. Bookworks, a local store here in Albuquerque places their staff picks all over the bookshelves inside. You can also pick up a bookmark featuring a staff member’s top ten picks for a particular genre. I was intrigued by Deb’s ten essential books on writing, recognizing many of the authors and a few of the titles here.

    bookmark featuring deb's ten essential books on writing
    1. Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow by Steve Almond
    2. Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin
    3. Body Work by Melissa Febos
    4. Wonderlands by Charles Baxter
    5. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
    6. Draft No. 4 by John McPhee
    7. How to Write a Novel in 20 Pies by Amy Wallen
    8. The Anatomy of a Story by John Truby
    9. The Business of Being a Writer by Jane Friedman
    10. The Journey from the Center to the Page by Jeff Davis
    Jan 30, 2025 07:24 PM

  14. Bookmarked Authors Apart by Alan Dalton.

    Alan Dalton is keeping track of where authors of A Book Apart have made their books available, for purchase or for free, after the publisher closed and ownership and publishing rights were restored to the authors.

    In my first year into my first real web design job I bought the first four ABA titles, and still have these plus a handful of other slim, colorful tomes on my shelf. I’m glad these resources will continue to be available, some at free or reduced price. Essential for any web designer’s library.

    Oct 27, 2024 09:52 PM

  15. In reply to Woodie Guthrie - American.

    This Woody Guthrie biography is on my books-to-acquire-and-read list…hopefully by the end of this year!

    A few years ago I read Searching for Woody Guthrie by Ron Briley, published by the university press where I used to work. That one was OK, but I’m eager to get my hands on a copy of the biography by Joe Klein.

    Aug 5, 2024 11:33 PM

  17. In reply to Dunking on J.D. Vance’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Is ‘Unusual Behavior,’ Goodreads Says.

    Years ago, when this Hillbilly Elegy book came out, I was living in an Appalachian city (Knoxville, Tennessee). I was interested in the response from people who grew up in this diverse region, and sought out the opinions of people who read Vance’s book. I did end up borrowing a copy from the library, to see what the fuss was about.

    If you’re interested in critique, pick up What You Are Getting Wrong about Appalachia, Elizabeth Catte’s searing response to Vance, published in 2018.

    In 2016, headlines declared Appalachia ground zero for America’s forgotten tribe of white working class voters. Journalists flocked to the region to extract sympathetic profiles of families devastated by poverty, abandoned by establishment politics, and eager to consume cheap campaign promises. What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia is a frank assessment of America’s recent fascination with the people and problems of the region. The book analyzes trends in contemporary writing on Appalachia, presents a brief history of Appalachia with an eye toward unpacking Appalachian stereotypes, and provides examples of writing, art, and policy created by Appalachians as opposed to for Appalachians. The book offers a must-needed insider’s perspective on the region.

    For another historical perspective at the region, I also recommend Ramp Hollow by Steven Stoll.

    True, Appalachia is represented by some of the most conservative politicians in the U.S. today, but has its own tradition of radical organizing on the left. Check out titles from the Highlander Center bookstore for further historical and contemporary reading.

    Jul 18, 2024 12:08 AM

  19. Long Walk to Freedom

    I finally finished reading Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela (ISBN: 9780316548182).

    I started this book back in late 2022, which I only remember because it was one of the final status updates I posted on the website formerly known as Twitter. The book details Mandela’s early life, education, his involvement with the African National Congress (ANC), and his 27 year imprisonment. The book ends with Mandela’s release from prison, the beginning of the end of apartheid in South Africa, and the new government’s first democratic election after the end of the apartheid government.

    I’m glad I finally finished this book. Nelson Mandela looms large among figures who have influenced my outlook on politics, democracy, and the world in general.

    Jul 10, 2024 05:29 PM

  20. I recently finished reading Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age, by Annalee Newitz. (ISBN: 9780393652666)

    By “recently,” I mean I finished this weeks ago, and have been struggling a bit to write a review. Overall, I liked the book. Newitz traveled to the ancient cities of Çatalhöyük, Pompeii, Angkor, and Cahokia, and interviewed archaeologists and experts at each site. The book is a bit like a travelogue back in time, and I enjoyed learning a little archaeology and anthropology through Newitz’s accessible writing.

    Jun 29, 2024 07:33 PM

  21. Likes Book wish lists… by Chuck Grimmett.

    Book wish lists are like black holes. Inspirations and interests are so fleeting that one must act upon them immediately, or they are more than likely gone forever. Get books when they catch your eye, for your eye wanders.

    If you are one of the lucky ones who does happen to have a fleeting interest again in a book you passed up months or years earlier, you now have a special tie and must get that book right away. It is reaching out to you, pulling you in. Heed its call.

    Jun 18, 2024 05:17 PM

  27. The 99% Invisible podcast is doing a yearlong book club for Robert A. Caro’s The Power Broker. The first episode in the series, on the Introduction and first 100 or so pages came out a couple days ago, and features Mr. Caro himself as a guest.

    Another episode from December features self-proclaimed Caro fanboy Conan O’Brien and is an overview of the book, answering the question why should I read this 1,200 page book about expressways and parks and bridges?

    It’s not too late to join in the fun…there’s even a Discord server! I finished this book a few years ago (and am not sure if I’m ready to re-read it just yet). I’m totally going along for the ride and tuning in to this series all year long.

    Jan 21, 2024 11:15 PM

  28. Just finished reading Don’t Call It That: A Naming Workbook by Eli Altman, ISBN: 9781734248302 📚

    This is a helpful workbook if you are struggling to give your company or product an interesting name. The author points out repeatedly it’s actually a bigger risk to go with something boring or generic. The final chapter has some helpful info from a trademark attorney, too.

    Jan 21, 2024 08:41 PM

  32. Started reading Don’t Call It That: A Naming Workbook by Eli Altman, ISBN: 9781734248302 📚

    Got this as a gift recently. It goes into the naming and branding process at A Hundred Monkeys and is full of idea-generating activities.

    One thing Altman doesn’t recommend is starting with domain names, or at least giving up if the dot-com is not available. His reasoning is that there are a lot of creative work-arounds, audiences are getting more web-savvy, and your target audience isn’t likely to give up on you if your business or product isn’t at a predictable web address.

    Good stuff so far.

    Dec 31, 2023 09:08 PM

  33. Today I started compiling a list of kid-tested picture books on Bookshop.org.

    O.C. is nearing two, and it’s an age where she is making her preferences known. These are some of the books we find ourselves pulling off the shelf or checking out from the library frequently.

    I’ll add to the list as we discover more favorites.

    I may earn a small commission from sales from this and other links to Bookshop.org. Money I earn from Bookshop.org is used to pay the hosting costs for this website.

    Dec 27, 2023 02:21 AM

  34. Likes Blood in the Machine – Matt Stein.

    If you work in tech, don’t know this story, or don’t experience any discomfort with Marc Andreessen’s “techno optimism,” this is could be a very important book to spend time with…It corrects the malicious characterization of Luddites being against technology and progress by following the grim story of how that came to be.

    I’m enjoying this book and Brian Merchant’s approach to telling this story. Sadly, my library copy is due back soon, so it will be a few weeks before I can pick this up again.

    Nov 29, 2023 04:23 PM

  37. Finished reading Killing the Buddha: A Heretic’s Bible by Peter Manseau and Jeff Sharlet. 📚

    ISBN: 9780743232777

    Twenty-plus years ago, Peter Manseau and Jeff Sharlet set out on a road trip to chronicle the spiritual side of this weird landmass called the United States. They join a gathering of pagans in Kansas, meet the pastor of a cowboy church in Texas, interview a storm chaser in Oklahoma, you get the idea.

    Interspersed between each travelogue entry is short fiction or nonfiction inspired by the Old Testament, plus “Gospel” and “Revelation” by a variety of contemporary authors. “Samuel” follows the rise and fall of a preacher in a church tightly controlled by twelve deacons. “Job” is a meditation on suffering with a few jokes and Venn diagrams. The short story “Gospel” appropriately has 4 different endings.

    A mixed bag, but intriguing and entertaining enough to keep me from beginning to end.

    Nov 11, 2023 05:58 PM

  45. Want to read The Age of Insecurity by Astra Taylor. 📚

    In this urgent cultural diagnosis, author and activist Astra Taylor exposes how seemingly disparate crises—rising inequality and declining mental health, the ecological emergency, and the threat of authoritarianism—originate from a social order built on insecurity. From home ownership and education to the wellness industry and policing, many of the institutions and systems that promise to make us more secure actually undermine us.

    Sep 26, 2023 05:58 PM

  48. Finished reading Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel 📚

    I didn’t realize there would be pandemic themes going into this one, but it was interesting to see characters and settings from the earlier book, The Glass Hotel. Overall, I enjoyed the plot, pacing, and time travel elements.

    Sep 2, 2023 09:56 PM

  50. Visited Title Wave Books, Revised this morning and found a copy of ‘Killing the Buddha’ for 25 cents. This is the original hardcover with ❌ dust jacket by Paul Sahre.

    Book cover featuring a photo of a white cloud in a blue sky with a big red X through the middle

    Also picked out some picture books with the kiddo.

    Aug 26, 2023 12:46 AM

  53. Want to read The Neoliberal Deluge, a critical collection on the politics of disaster and reconstruction in New Orleans, edited by Cedric Johnson 📚

    Katrina was not just a hurricane. The death, destruction, and misery wreaked on New Orleans cannot be blamed on nature’s fury alone. This volume of essays locates the root causes of the 2005 disaster squarely in neoliberal restructuring and examines how pro-market reforms are reshaping life, politics, economy, and the built environment in New Orleans.

    Contributors: Barbara L. Allen, John Arena, Adrienne Dixson, Eric Ishiwata, Avis Jones-Deweever, Chad Lavin, Paul Passavant, Linda Robertson, Chris Russill, Kanchana Ruwanpura, Nicole Trujillo-Pagán, and Geoffrey Whitehall.

    Aug 14, 2023 01:35 AM

  63. Want to read After Black Lives Matter by Cedric Johnson 📚

    Johnson was on a recent New Books Network podcast to talk about his new book on policing and anti-capitalist struggle.🎙️ At the end of the podcast, he has a chance to discuss some of the interesting work he’s doing as an urbanist studying the Olympic Games in Los Angeles ahead of the 2028 Games.

    May 28, 2023 05:31 AM

  77. Finished reading: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 📚

    This the second novel about a fictional pandemic (and the immediate collapse of society) I managed to finish recently. The other one was Severance (2018) by Ling Ma. Both books were written and published in the years before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

    No more dystopian pandemic fiction for me for a little while.

    Jan 19, 2023 05:54 AM

  79. Finished reading: The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wengrow 📚

    This book is worth reading, as are the critiques of it, especially the responses by Chris Knight, Nancy Lindisfarne, and Jonathan Neale. I would not waste your time with any reviews penned by employees of the American Enterprise Institute.

    I’m glad I finished this book and found it worth engaging with. Graeber and Wengrow present a much more hopeful view of humanity than the other popular titles in the Big Histories genre they are in argument with, including “Sapiens” and “Guns, Germs and Steel”.

    Jan 12, 2023 04:56 PM

  89. Started reading: Severance by Ling Ma 📚

    Digging into this contemporary apocalyptic zombie novel about a mysterious pathogen and a small group of survivors. The book features a project manager as the protagonist: a millennial woman who works for a bible manufacturer facing down a plague of biblical proportions.

    This book predates the Covid-19 pandemic by only two years.

    Review in the New Yorker from 2018

    Sep 20, 2022 07:03 AM

  99. Want to read Included: Redefining Accessibility for the World Wide Web by Molly E. Holzschlag 📚

    In Included: Redefining Accessibility for the World Wide Web open-standards web expert author and presenter Molly E. Holszschlag shows non-technical and technical readers alike that building websites to be inclusive and accessible is good for business, growth, and for people everywhere. She starts by explaining what it means to have a web that is accessible to everyone of all abilities, anywhere globally, and even accessible to anything human and machine. She then tackles how different sensory perceptions can be used to ease human computer interaction. For organizations she outlines the processes, workflows, expertise, and testing needed to deliver on organization goals for inclusive access. And she does all this with a minimum of code, showing the web designer that yes, coding for inclusion is built in to web principles rather than something added on later and showing managers and leaders how their organization will benefit from this inclusive web design.

    Jul 18, 2022 02:26 PM

  100. Currently reading: The Shame Machine by Cathy O’Neil 📚

    I picked up O’Neil’s last book ‘Weapons of Math Destruction’ when it came out and it left an impression on me. ‘The Shame Machine’ explores how shame (on a macro level) is used as a way to shift responsibility for social problems from institutions to individuals.

    Jul 18, 2022 07:26 AM

  102. Finished reading South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry 📚

    The American South is a complicated place. North America is a complicated place. Imani Perry’s latest book was written as a corrective to Albert Murray’s 1971 memoir/travelogue “South to a Very Old Place” (I have not read Murray’s work, but it is referenced several times in Perry’s book). This book should not be classified as a memoir or a travelougue, or a history, or poetry, or polemic. It is all of these and more.

    Jul 14, 2022 05:24 PM

  103. A wonderful picture book for kids (and adults too): The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld.

    I was familiar with some of Tom Gauld’s cartoons as well as his covers for the New Yorker. The simple shapes and intricate cross hatching of his art translates well from the comics panel to the storybook spread.

    My niece and nephew liked this book and I will enjoy reading this bedtime story to my daughter.

    Jul 13, 2022 04:42 PM

  105. Finished reading: Citizen Cash: The Political Life and Times of Johnny Cash by Michael Stewart Foley 📚

    I enjoyed this book, particularly the chapter on Cash’s prison concerts and about his opposition to the death penalty and activism for prison reform. The epilogue, on the American recordings (produced by Rick Rubin) and the end of Cash’s life around the beginning of the Iraq war, was also quite good.

    Jun 16, 2022 08:38 PM

  108. Finished reading: Freedom of Choice by Evie Nagy 📚

    This is (I’m pretty sure) the only authorized book about the band DEVO (or Devo), published by Bloomsbury in the 33 and 1/3 series, 35 years after the album Freedom of Choice came out.

    The thesis of this book, backed up by interviews with members of DEVO, is that the recording of Freedom of Choice represented the creative and collaborative pinnacle of the band. The album’s success spelled the beginning of the end though, which is also ironic since they released six LPs after this one, never officially broke up, and are still touring today.

    The book is a solid history of the band, the album and a meditation on what it means to be a Devotee.

    Jun 5, 2022 07:45 AM

  110. Finished reading: Worn: A People’s History of Clothing by Sofi Thanhauser 📚

    Fascinating global examination of the social and labor history of clothing production, told through five fabrics: Linen, Cotton, Silk, Synthetics, and Wool.

    In many ways this could have been a much more expansive book—This is not an anthropological look at the meaning of clothing or history of fashion as status marker. Still, I thought it was a great read (or in my case audiobook) for what it is.

    May 22, 2022 01:33 PM

  114. Want to read: Whole Earth: The Many Lives of Stewart Brand by John Markoff

    Told by one of our greatest chroniclers of technology and society, the definitive biography of iconic serial visionary Stewart Brand, from the Merry Pranksters and the generation-defining Whole Earth Catalog to the marriage of environmental consciousness and hacker capitalism and the rise of a new planetary culture…

    Discovered via online book event: A Conversation with John Markoff, hosted by the Internet Archive.

    May 6, 2022 03:18 AM