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Book review #11: The Paranoid Style in American Politics.

Richard Hofstadter 1964 I am interested here in getting at our political psychology through our political rhetoric. This is a collection of essays by historian Richard Hofstadter. Though I doubt it has ever really lost relevance since it was published in 1964, it has definitely gained a lot in the past year or so. It’s titled after Hofstadter’s most famous essay, “The Paranoid Style in American…

Book review #10: On Writing by Stephen King.

Stephen King 2000 You must not come lightly to the blank page. In the crowded genre of books about writing, we can now declare Stephen King’s On Writing to be a standard. It’s so often read and recommended that many who have never tried a word of King’s fiction will yet have this one on their shelves. And for good reason. King, whose stories have entered our cultural lexicon in a way that other…

May Book Haul: The Finale, Part 1

I’m going to put all these books away now. Since I brought them home in May they’ve been in a stack on the living room floor, but other books have come into my life since then (surprise), so it’s time to wrap up this used book haul, the biggest of the year. I’ve already mentioned Robinson Crusoe, The Remains of the Day, and The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain. Here are the rest of my finds:…

May Book Haul: The Finale, Part 2

The second half of the May Book Haul, continued from Part 1. 7. The Trial by Franz Kafka (more…)

Cool Shop, Open Wallet (part 1)

Wayfarer Books Bought & Sold 85 Princess Street Kingston, Ontario Let’s take a break from going through my latest summer book sale haul, to inaugurate a new series. I think I’ll call it Cool Shop, Open Wallet. Over the past couple years I’ve been photographing the bookshops I visit, so I’m going to start posting about these exceptional places. They’re shops I frequent regularly, or did at some…

Book Haul: The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain

I try to be picky about coffee table books, since I have more of them now than I could ever possibly display on my coffee table. But this one made it through. I’ve been wanting a digestible history of Britain for a while (mainly since stumbling my way through the War of the Roses via Shakespeare). Nothing signals digestible more than the word “Illustrated,” right? By the time I get to 1066 and…

Book Haul: Remains of the Day

I was thrilled to find Kazuo Ishiguro’s Remains of the Day at one of the charity book sales a couple weeks ago. I recently read one of his books for the first time (you’ll find out which one when I post a review sometime in the next 50 years) and it was great. But this is the famous one. Again, a great example of how book sales can be a source of fun older editions, for a fraction of the cost of…

Book Haul: Robinson Crusoe

One thing I always look out for at charity book sales: classics I should already have. Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe is a good example. I knew I should have a copy, but could never fork out $20 for a new one at the store (or even $10 for a used one). This one cost $3, which is just about right, and I’m a sucker for retro paperbacks.  

Nice haul after two #yyc used book sales. Now to read them all before next year (yeah right)

Haul. Every year, Calgary has two charity book sales in the same month, usually within a couple weekends of each other, and occasionally (as happened this year) overlapping on the same weekend. The first is the Servants Anonymous sale at Crossroads Market, and the second is the CBC Calgary Reads sale at the Calgary Curling Club. Last weekend I went to both of them. (more…)

9. The Lottery and Other Stories

Shirley Jackson 1949 “The teacher spanked a boy, though,” Laurie said, addressing his bread and butter. “For being fresh,” he added, with his mouth full. Around eight years ago I was dutifully reading my way through an anthology called The Art of the Short Story, edited by Dana Gioia. I sometimes forget it now, but this book was a great supplementary education, even for somebody who had…

8. Gravity’s Rainbow

Thomas Pynchon 1973 Proverbs for Paranoids, 3: If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about the answers. You’re confused, and you’re supposed to be. You’re lost, but not for lack of information: if anything there’s too much, covering more abstruse topics in more detail than you ever wanted. No, it’s something else: the shrouded logic, the elusive plot, the…