Dave Eggers has written a new book. A highly political one. An important one. With a beautiful cover to boot.

This beautiful 50th anniversary edition of Slaughterhouse-Five was all it took for me to decide it was due for a re-read. I absolutely adore Vonnegut. This is also a great example of why I prefer analog to digital books.

This beautiful 50th anniversary edition of Slaughterhouse-Five was all it took for me to decide it was due for a re-read. I absolutely adore Vonnegut. This is also a great example of why I prefer analog to digital books.

This one intrigues me. I haven‘t read this author before and therefore have no real clue of what to expect. The plot of a young American relocating to Prague in the late 90s to teach English appealed to me and the gorgeous cover design certainly helped convince me. So far the books I‘ve read released in 2019 have really impressed me. Hopefully the streak continues.

Next up is this beauty of a book. This is a stellar cover design. Plot description plus title had me thoroughly convinced that this should be my next read. It also made me miss playing the piano, but that‘s fixable.

I‘m beyond excited for the new Nathan Englander book. The story of a secular Jew from an orthodox family who refuses to recite the Kaddish for his dead father. Instead he hires someone through a website to take care of it for the required 11 months. Intrigued? Indeed I am!

I‘ve said it before and I‘ll gladly say it again: Two Dollar Radio is one of the most interesting publishers out there. Just look at this beauty of a book! The title is quite awesome as well!

Just finished a brilliant and quite dark novel that I want to let linger. Therefore I‘m grabbing some nonfiction this morning.

Somehow I completely missed this when it was called The Emissary. Now, under its new title, it was brought to my attention. I‘m really excited for this one. Gorgeous design as well.

I just got this beautiful edition of Brainard‘s seminal work. Cloth bound and with a new foreword by Paul Auster. Truly a wonderful book.

These days my morning leave me with a very unsatisfactory amount of reading time. Today, I managed to squeeze in some Williams. This might be my favorite play of his and the Reclam Verlag edition fits snugly in my pocket.

My friend Kristina, whose opinion I regard very highly, recommended this to me ages ago. Now I‘m getting around to it and so far it was a wise decision.

I remember being jealous of Michael Uslan from an early age. He managed to turn his passion for comic books into his life‘s work. Not only did he bring comic books into the light and make it academically acceptable to study this art form, but he also brought Batman to the big screen in a way that hugely influenced my childhood. His biography is well written. Funny, moving and at times like looking into a mirror. Highly recommended.

I remember being jealous of Michael Uslan from an early age. He managed to turn his passion for comic books into his life‘s work. Not only did he bring comic books into the light and make it academically acceptable to study this art form, but he also brought Batman to the big screen in a way that hugely influenced my childhood. His biography is well written. Funny, moving and at times like looking into a mirror. Highly recommended.

I was pleasantly surprised when Ransom Riggs announced that a fourth book was forthcoming in the Miss Peregrine series. Now it‘s here and in full colour. Expectations are high to say the least.

I came across this edition recently and couldn‘t help myself. This is my fourth copy of The Aleph, including two beautiful hardbacks. The plan was to put it on the shelves next to the others, but then suddenly I found myself reading it once more. Borges really was a juggernaut of writing prowess. Wonderful reading every time.

Morning coffee at my new office space. I loved Pessl‘s previous books, so can‘t help but have high hopes. Even though I‘m not the target audience for a thriller/crime story. Would have loved for the book to have been bound just a little sturdier. This was the best-looking copy I could find at my local store.

Khaled Hosseini tells the tale of one human being and our current refugee crisis. He does so in a book beautifully illustrated by Dan Williams. We must keep telling these stories and reading them.

Eating breakfast out this morning while reading Japanese short stories. Not a bad way to start the day.

This morning I‘m reading a couple of essays from this wonderful collection that so vividly evokes a certain era as well as James Baldwin himself.

After two evenings of wine and drinks it‘s nice to have a quiet Sunday morning with poetry, coffee, and food.

New book by Gary Shteyngart makes for a great morning. Opening lines hooked me instantly so now I‘ll be drinking coffee and reading.

This book was a birthday present from a good friend of mine. I trust his taste, as well as Alan Moore‘s I might add, and now I‘m finally getting around to it.

So, I started reading this one last night and I‘m already absolutely taken with it. Butler writes beautifully and takes the classic coming-of-age elements and transforms this into something new and fresh. I find myself writing down passage after passage in my quote notebook.

Do I think it is coincidence that this book came in the slipstream of True Detective? No. Am I still intrigued by the references the book purports to build its story on? Yes. We shall see if this is just a cheap dime novel or if there‘s something substantial at hand.

Using the events of December 29, 1918 in Berlin as a starting point Jesi formulates a phenomenology of revolt that distinguishes between revolution and revolt. Drawing on philosophy, history and literature Jesi builds a phenomenal and important work. Unfortunately most of Jesi‘s writing remains untranslated. For now.

In my native, tiny, country I couldn‘t possibly conceive of living anywhere but the capital. I need culture, books, diversity, open minded people, architecture, museums, coffeehouses, restaurants etc. Even our capital has somewhat of a village feel. This book collects short stories about cities. Many of them love letters to the bustling life of a large metropolis. Some of them are amazing. Well worth the cover price. (Breakfast not yet assembled).

One of my local book pushers convinced me that my next read should be a book about a wager between Apollo and Hermes that leads to fifteen dogs being granted human intelligence. Wonderful cover design and the book is great so far.

A well worn copy from the library. I‘ve used this book several times. A thoroughly researched account of a fascinating chapter in American cultural history.

Just started reading this. I haven‘t read any of Hooper‘s other books, but this one certainly is evocative. Canadian literature is not something I‘m well-acquainted with either. If Hopper is indicative of literary trends there, I‘ll definitely go digging for more reading material from Canada. This one should hit the streets June 7th and the Hamish edition shortly after in August.

Two Dollar Radio is fast becoming one of my favorite publishers. This tome of Hanif Abdurraqib‘s essays is a beauty. Well written, poetic, interesting and enlightening. This is definitely a must-read.

I must admit that I didn‘t know this book before the film brought it to my attention. I absolutely adored the film, and now I‘m reading the book. Everything is closed here for the holidays so reading and drinking coffee will probably take up most of my time.

My copy finally arrived. This a powerful example of all the good that can come from the comic book industry putting their minds together with a common goal. A long list of wonderful writers and artists have contributed to this anthology. The proceeds will be supporting disaster relief and recovery in Puerto Rico. Go get your copy. You get wonderful stories and help out people in need at the same time. What‘s not to like?!

I dare not guess at how many times I‘ve read this book over the years. I first encountered it on one of the bookshelves in my parents house at age 10. I had just seen the film and brought the book to my mother for confirmation that it was indeed the very same Cuckoo‘s Nest. I still consider it one of the greatest novels written in the 20th Century.

Another re-read. It‘s been 11 years since I last read this, but I couldn‘t settle on anything from my to-read list. So I decided on a revisit. From my previous rating of the book it looks like I really liked it. Now it‘ll be put to the test. One thing is certain, I really don‘t like this cover. It looks like a cheap crime novel.

Re-read. I haven‘t read Annihilation since 2014. I watched the film last night and found that my recollection of the book wasn‘t that strong. Therefore I decided to read the book once more in order to more properly compare the two.

I must admit that the number of South African books I‘ve read is quite small. So when I heard good things about this one, I jumped at the chance to widen my horizon.

Philosophical speculative fiction is something that can reveal hidden parts of the human condition. It is also something that can be quite horrible. I‘m hoping for the first category with this one. Out 10th July this year.

As a teenager I read this countless times. I also watched the Kubrick film a lot. Then I stopped. It‘s probably been 15-20 years since the last time I read my battered and broken copy. So now I‘ve bought a new copy with the restored text and look forward to reading the book again.

I haven‘t read this in a long time. It is a rare thing to come across a work of art that so powerfully manages to contain a political messages while not abandoning the great story. Ellison was a wonderful writer.

Having an early Sunday morning with a book, and a recording of Chopin playing in the background. I tend to forget the pleasures of fun and light literature in my olden days. I tend to go for the serious, and somber these days. As a small kid I would constantly go to the school library and ask for scary stories. The librarian would find me something, I‘d read it, return the next day to say “that wasn‘t scary. I want a really scary story.”

Tea instead of coffee can only mean one thing... I‘m down for the count and need all the distraction I can get. Starting the day with one of my favorite Batman stories.

After a couple of weeks primarily dedicated to research and work, I‘m letting my hair down and reading something non-work related. I‘ve heard great things about this one, and so far I‘m hooked.

The EC Artists‘ Library series from Fantagraphics Books is always amazingly put together with high quality print quality, great essays and fantastic offerings from the EC catalogue of stories. Forty Whacks is no exception. All scripts are by Al Feldstein with William M. Gaines and Ray Bradbury providing stories. All art is by Jack Kamen.

When pressed for time in the morning, this is one of my go to titles. I can read a couple of diary entries from this collection that gives the reader fascinating insights into the lives of New Yorkers: rich and poor alike. Highly recommended

I‘m continuing my German comic book research. Barbara Yelin does really interesting work. The art work in Irmina is beautiful and really evokes the time period that the story takes place in. I‘m reading the version released by Self Made Hero

The second collection of articles from The Believer. Still some of the best essays I‘ve read. Some of these essays revolve around subjects I have zero interest in, but I find myself riveted nevertheless.

When your work involves reading comics by Ulli Lust you‘re doing something right. My girlfriend made this beautiful breakfast for me. January Tuesdays don‘t have to suck.

The first week of the year has been somewhat hectic, and I‘ve only had the time to read single issue comic books and poetry. Today‘s Saturday and I‘m settling in with a book given to me by a dear friend.

This will probably be my next-to-last-read of 2017. I was not a fan of Vegetarian, but this is immensely beautiful and poetic. The translation by Deborah Smith is great. The roll is homemade by my girlfriend.