Author: Liberty Hardy

First of all, how stunning is that cover??? It’s…dazzling. (Sorry, not sorry.) This is a fantastical story set in 1990s Nigeria and inspired by West African mythology. It’s about two young women trying to find their way after losing their fathers. Treasure meets a floating man who promises he can bring her father back from the dead — for a horrible price. And Ozoemena is wrestling with fulfilling a promise that she doesn’t want to keep, but she made it to her father before he vanished. Both these situations are going to spiral out of control, causing the girls to cross paths and have to figure out together what they are willing to pay to get what they want.

Backlist bump: The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré

Okay, this one I actually did read and it’s great fun! It’s a send-up of the reality baking competition The Great British Bake-Off, and it’s pretty delightful. When someone poisons the most obnoxious, entitled contestant on a baking show just before they are set to start filming, the producers are sure the season is over before it starts. But contestant Shauna Wickle is determined the show must go on and convinces them to let her solve the mystery before anything else bad happens. But with so many suspects, it isn’t going to be (over) easy! (I realize I just wrote that whole paragraph when all I needed to say was that one of the judges is a cat. Automatic buy, lol.)

Backlist bump: Giant Days by John Allison, Max Sarin 

Ally Wilkes sure likes setting thrillers in cold climates! Her first novel was survival horror on an Antarctic expedition. And this one is about two scary Victorian polar expeditions. Like The Endurance, but with more horror! And who doesn’t want a little historical horror for the holidays? William Day is a disgraced ship captain famous for a failed polar expedition in which several crew members were eaten. When his second-in-command from that expedition goes missing in the same area thirteen years later, Day sees it as an opportunity to redeem himself if he can find the missing man. But this trip may prove to be just as doomed as the first. Because as he will learn, the past haunts him still, and the dead are very patient.

Backlist bump: All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes

This week, I am reading The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard and The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hasashi Kashiwai, Jesse Kirkwood (translator). In non-book things…well, it’s pretty much been all books this week, lol. I’m trying to catch up after being sick for so long! The song stuck in my head this week is “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” by Bryan Ferry. And here is your weekly cat picture: It never looks like Zevon could really fit his whole body in that bowl, but I promise you it’s true.

Thank you, as always, for joining me each Tuesday as I rave about books! I am wishing you all a wonderful rest of your week, whatever situation you find yourself in now. And yay, books! See you next week. – XO, Liberty

If you listened to All the Books! a few weeks ago, you know that I am not a fan of The Nutcracker. I don’t know what it is about it, but I’ve never enjoyed it, not even when I was little. And by all accounts, I should because it has giant dancing rodents! But even though I don’t enjoy it, that’s not going to stop me from picking up this new novel. It’s a dark fantasy retelling of The Nutcracker, which, as Jenn pointed out on ATB, sounds right because the ballet is a dark fantasy! And I bet this is going to be a good time. The novel is about two sisters, Clara and Natasha, a curse, jealousy, and Natasha’s revenge.

Backlist bump: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

This is another new book from Jesse Q. Sutanto, one of the hardest-working writers in the business. It’s her fourth release of 2023! Yes, you read that right. This last offering for the year is a charming YA novel about a teen named Kiki, who is a big-time gamer online. She is friends in-game with a player named Sourdawg, who she discovers is a student at her new school. It’s one of the reasons she enjoys playing the game. But Kiki can’t tell him who she is because she plays as a male character online to avoid harassment and is worried Sourdawg won’t want to be her friend anymore when he finds out she’s a girl. Can she discover which student is Sourdawg and manage to stay friends…or maybe more?

Backlist bump: Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Jillian Cantor has written a LOT of novels, and each seems to be better than the last. They have mostly been in the genre of historical fiction, but her last novel was a historical mystery retelling of The Great Gatsby that I thought was fantastic and deserved more love. So, I am very excited to pick up this most recent book, which is a straight-up thriller. It’s about a down-on-her-luck author named Olivia who is offered a lucrative position ghost-writing a biography for a famous billionaire. Henry “Ash” Asherwood has a secret he wants to share about his late grandmother and Daphne du Maurier, the author of Rebecca. But the more Olivia digs into Ash’s family history, the more dangerous things become for her. Is signing an NDA going to mean she winds up DOA? (Lol, that was bad. But I’m keeping it in because it’s funny-bad.)

Backlist bump: Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor

This week, I am reading Prophet Song by Paul Lynch (which just won the Booker Prize on Sunday!), The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, and The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhorn. In non-book things, I started watching Obituary on Hulu, but I’m not loving it, so back to rewatching Psych it is! The song stuck in my head this week is “Strangers” by Mt. Joy. And here is your weekly cat picture: Zevon and Farrokh rarely get this close to one another for more than a few seconds, so I have to wonder if they’re plotting something.

Thank you, as always, for joining me each Tuesday as I rave about books! I am wishing you all a wonderful rest of your week, whatever situation you find yourself in now. And yay, books! See you next week. – XO, Liberty

Katherine Howe is a master at historical fiction, going all the way back to her debut novel, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. This one is about pirates! (Pirates are really big right now.) It’s actually the story of two women: Hannah Masury and how she became the most notorious, feared pirate of the high seas. And Marian Beresford, a professor in 1930 who is studying Hannah’s own telling of the story of her life and trying to get to the bottom of a mystery involving the infamous pirate. It’s a look at two women yearning to get out from under the societal constrictions placed on women in their time. And did I mention there are pirates???

Backlist bump: Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown

This collection from the fabulous Graywolf Press is pretty self-explanatory: It rounds up some of today’s amazing writers to talk about their video gaming lives! Contributors to the book include Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Chain-Gang All-Stars), Alexander Chee (The Queen of the Night), Charlie Jane Anders (All the Birds in the Sky), Hanif Abdurraqib (They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us), and Elissa Washuta (White Magic).

This is a book I only just learned about, and I am already so excited to get it. (Probably the paperback version because it’s from a university press, so the hardcover is $80.) Sofia Samatar and Kate Zambreno are two unbelievably amazing writers, and the idea that they have done a book together makes me jump up and down. It’s about literary criticism with a specific examination of tone. From the publisher: “Tone is a collaborative study of literary tone, a notoriously challenging and slippery topic for criticism.” I’m not going to lie, just the description of this book was too smart for me, but I don’t care because I love the authors so much.

Backlist bump: A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar and O Fallen Angel by Kate Zambreno

This week, I am reading Second Chances in New Port Stephen by TJ Alexander, Ice: Why I Was Born to Score by George Gervin and Scoop Jackson, and Burn by Peter Heller. In non-book things, I started rewatching Psych for the zillionth time. And thanks to a commercial — again — the song stuck in my head this week is that donut song from the new Dunkin’ commercial. IT WON’T LEAVE MY BRAIN. (It’s a really cute song, tho.) And here is your weekly cat picture: This is the face of a cat who wants to be fed again, after he just ate. (It doesn’t work on me.)

Thank you, as always, for joining me each Tuesday as I rave about books! I am wishing you all a wonderful rest of your week, whatever situation you find yourself in now. And yay, books! See you next week. – XO, Liberty

In this bestselling series, patrons of Café Funiculi Funicula are treated to more than just coffee and baked goods. They have the ability to travel back in time—but only for a few minutes. In each book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, we meet a new set of visitors and learn where they want to travel and why. Which means you can read them in order or pick any one of them up first. In this fourth book, there are things left unsaid that need to be answered: a woman missing her dog (sob!) and familial strife that needs to be rectified. They’re charming and heart-squeezing books, and I don’t see why this series won’t go on for a long, long time.

Backlist bump: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Geoffrey Trousselot (translator)

And this is one of my favorite middle grade graphic novels of the end of the year. Punycorn is the teeniest unicorn in the land of Carbuncle. Much smaller than any of the other unicorns, so he is not taken very seriously. When the other unicorns go off on an adventure, he is left behind at the castle. And that’s when the dastardly Sir Ogre decides to try and take over Carbuncle! Ready to fight to save their home, Punycorn and his friends, a dragon who can’t breathe fire and a very industrious dung beetle, are going to show everyone that you can’t judge a book by its cover. And they just might save the day in the process. It’s adorbs to the nth degree.

Backlist bump: Batcat: The Ghostly Guest by Meggie Ramm

Yes, I know you have heard me mention this series roughly a million times. But there is always someone out there who is reading about it for the first time! And since it’s the greatest sci-fi series of the last decade, it’s worth repeating. This is the seventh book in the Murderbot Diaries and the second full-length novel. Murderbot is a security droid that accidentally gained sentience (and chose its own name.) It says it doesn’t like humans, and it wants to be left alone to stream television shows all day. But under the curmudgeonly demeanor is a droid with a metal heart of gold. Murderbot frequently fights for the tiny, fleshy humans and begrudgingly makes friends along the way. In this novel, Murderbot is not operating like it should and will need help figuring out what is wrong so it can help its team on a rescue mission. You don’t have to read these in order, but I strongly suggest it. There are little details and comments that make more sense if you do. Plus, you get to read this award-winning series, and that is an amazing treat!

Backlist bump: All Systems Red by Martha Wells

This week, I am reading Dixon, Descending by Karen Outen, “What Do You Mean, Murder?” Clue and the Making of a Cult Classic by John Hatch, and The Eyes Are The Best Part by Monika Kim. In non-book things, it’s NBA season, so I am watching a lot of games, along with our nightly intake of quiz shows. (Switch is really fun, y’all.) Thanks to a commercial, the song stuck in my head this week is “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone. And here is your weekly cat picture: Zevon has the “it’s dark at 4:30” blues. (Related: That blanket he is on is called a Coma Inducer, and it’s the most comfortable blanket I’ve ever owned!)

Thank you, as always, for joining me each Tuesday as I rave about books! I am wishing you all a wonderful rest of your week, whatever situation you find yourself in now. And yay, books! See you next week. – XO, Liberty

My Name Is Barbra by Barbra Streisand

Touching the Art by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore

Remembrance: Selected Correspondence of Ray Bradbury by Ray Bradbury and Jonathan R. Eller

Data Baby: My Life in a Psychological Experiment by Susannah Breslin

American Shield: The Immigrant Sergeant Who Defended Democracy by Aquilino Gonell, Susan Shapiro

Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education by Stephanie Land 

Jumpman: The Making and Meaning of Michael Jordan by Johnny Smith***

To Free the Captives: A Plea for the American Soul by Tracy K. Smith

The Autists: Women on the Spectrum by Clara Törnvall, Alice E. Olsson (translator)

The View From Down Here: Life as a Young Disabled Woman by Lucy Webster

The Liberators by E. J. Koh***

Hot Springs Drive by Lindsay Hunter

A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Porter

Baumgartner by Paul Auster

The Madstone by Elizabeth Crook***

Again and Again by Jonathan Evison

A Song over Miskwaa Rapids by Linda LeGarde Grover

The Rainbow (Vintage International) by Yasunari Kawabata

Upcountry by Chin-Sun Lee

The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez

Today Tonight Forever by Madeline Kay Sneed 

The Apartment House on Poppy Hill by Nina LaCour and Sònia Albert

Books Make Good Friends by Jane Mount 

​​The Future by Naomi Alderman

The Mantis by Kotaro Isaka, Sam Malissa (translator)

Blood Betrayal (Blackwater Falls Series, 2) by Ausma Zehanat Khan

Enchanted Hill by Emily Bain Murphy 

World Within a Song: Music That Changed My Life and Life That Changed My Music by Jeff Tweedy***

Correction: Parole, Prison, and the Possibility of Change by Ben Austen

Excuse Me As I Kiss The Sky (Button Poetry) by Rudy Francisco 

Racial Wellness: A Guide to Liberatory Healing for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color by Jacquelyn Ogorchukwu Iyamah

The Core of an Onion: Peeling the Rarest Common Food—Featuring More Than 100 Historical Recipes by Mark Kurlansky

Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl by Mary Mahoney and Allison Horrocks

On Community by Casey Plett

Hunt on Dark Waters by Katee Robert

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

Never Wager with a Wallflower by Virginia Heath

Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes) by Travis Baldree***

Chaos Terminal (The Midsolar Murders Book 2) by Mur Lafferty

A Power Unbound (The Last Binding Book 3) by Freya Marske

The Tatami Time Machine Blues by Tomihiko Morimi, Emily Balistrieri (translation)

Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park

We Are the Crisis (The Convergence Saga) by Cadwell Turnbull

Iron Flame (The Empyrean) by Rebecca Yarros

Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng

Atana and the Firebird by Vivian Zhou***

Emmett by L. C. Rosen

With or Without You by Eric Smith

Fancy Meeting You Here by Julie Tieu

This week: I’m currently reading This Great Hemisphere by Mateo Askaripour, Chita: A Memoir by Chita Rivera, and The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir by Griffin Dunne. I’ve been really into celebrity memoirs lately, for some reason! I have Henry Winkler and Babs up next. Outside of books, I watched Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which was exactly what I wanted it to be, and Quiz Lady, which was pretty good. It’s always amazing to see Sandra Oh and Tony Hale, and there’s a surprise at the end that made me burst into tears. The song stuck in my head right now is “Attitude” by The Replacements. And here’s a cat photo: Here’s my little orange monkey, Zevon, doing his best croissant cosplay.

This first pick is actually out today! It’s almost 600 pages from one of the greatest horror writers of our generation. It’s set at the segregated Gracetown School for Boys during 1950 in the Jim Crow South. Robbie is a 12-year-old Black child who is sentenced to six months at the “school” for kicking a white child. The school is legendarily violent and terrifying, and from the start, he sees the haints (ghosts) of several boys who died there, usually at the hands of the adults who work there. Meanwhile, his sister is fighting to try and get his release, but it may already be too late for Robbie. It’s a frightening novel, not just because of the ghosts, but because this is based on real schools and events.

And this is a giant novel of horror upon horror upon horror! When young Gaspar’s mother dies, his father agrees to bring him to his wife’s family. But holy cats, the family is so scary and effed up. They think they need the boy for their disturbing cult, in which the members commit atrocities in their search for immortality. Can Gaspar’s father save him from his fate? This reminded me a bit of Clive Barker and a bit of The Passage by Justin Cronin. It’s a doorstopper of upsetting fun from a fabulous author.

Brad Pitt voice: Awwwww, what’s in the box??? From the author of The Changeling comes this historical horror novel. It’s 1915, and Adelaide Henry is making her way from California to Montana to hopefully claim a piece of land for herself as part of the Homestead Act. But things are not easy for a Black woman by herself. Luckily, she has a trunk she keeps with her at all times that contains…something. And as she forges a new life for herself, she’s going to need to open it.

And this is an excellent debut about a mother’s love. When Magos loses her young son, her grief drives her to do something disturbing: She cuts a piece of her son off and keeps it in a jar. She heard an old tale about people being reborn this way. And imagine her surprise and joy when the thing in the jar starts to grow and move…but then it also needs to feed. Magos will have to figure out just how far she’ll go to have a second chance with her son.

And last but not least, a scary book about apples, worthy of a Stephen King comparison. In the small town of Harrow, an apple orchard has yielded the most delicious apples the residents have ever had. So delicious they will do anything to have more. But not everyone is sure that this new apple craze is healthy. As the residents grow stronger (and more dangerous), will someone step in and put a stop to the madness? As disturbing as you think it is, I promise it’s worse.

This week, I am reading Ours by Phillip B. Williams and Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra. In non-book things, I watched the Muppets Haunted Mansion special, which turned into watching The Muppet Show. I’ve rewatched half of the first season so far (after I watched the Alice Cooper episode from the third season, of course), and it’s a trip. I haven’t seen it since I was little, and I didn’t fully appreciate just how weird it was back then. (“I’ve never known a toothache this bad before…”) The song stuck in my head this week is “Toxic” by Britney Spears. And here is your weekly cat picture: Zevon is going as taffy for Halloween.

Thank you, as always, for joining me each Tuesday as I rave about books! I am wishing you all a wonderful rest of your week, whatever situation you find yourself in now. And yay, books! See you next week. – XO, Liberty

And in this corner, we have a contender for the biggest book release of 2023! Seriously, I think this is going to be the biggest seller of the year. And why not? Spears has been famous for most of her life, but basically under the control of other people for much of that, due to first being a child entertainer and then a conservatorship. In her first memoir, she talks about her family, her music, her fame, her relationships (including her first boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, and her 55-hour marriage), and more. Spears has been a source of public idolization and ridicule for decades, and it is great that she is finally getting to tell her story. And if you want to read another tell-all memoir from a legend out today, there’s Behind the Shoulder Pads: Tales I Tell My Friends by Joan Collins (who is 90 now, btw!).

Backlist bump: I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

I loved Chang’s last books, Gods of Want: Stories and Bestiary. Her writing is raw and sinks its claws into your brain and shakes your head around. This novel is about two troubled girls named Anita and Rainie, who meet a pack of stray dogs that can communicate with humans. Forming their own pack based on the dog’s stories about the legend of women-dogs, the two think they’ll be friends for all time. But when they are separated, Rainie must figure out a way to rescue Anita before she’s lost forever to a dream world. (It’s called Organ Meats, and y’all know I’m a vegan, but I am going to read the hell out of this book anyway, lol.)

Backlist bump: Gods of Want by K-Ming Chang

And last but not least, a new novel from Tim O’Brien—his first in 20 years! You might have had to read his novel The Things They Carried for school. It is considered one of the greatest books about the Vietnam War ever. This new novel, set in 2019, is a darkly comedic revenge story full of eccentric characters, current events, and American scenery. It’s about a journalist turned bank robber looking to get even with the man who ruined his life and the bank teller hostage he brings with him on his journey.

Backlist bump: The Dog of the South by Charles Portis

This week, I have started getting back to reading. I read The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark, which I think might end up my favorite book of 2024. And right now, I am getting ready to start Thirsty by Jas Hammonds and A Better World by Sarah Langan. In non-book things, we started watching Bodies on Netflix. I read the comic when it came out, but I barely remember it. But the show is intriguing so far. And I am excited for the NBA season to kick off today! The song stuck in my head this week is “Paint” by The Paper Kites. And here is your weekly cat picture: Farrokh and Zevon are trying to stare down a moth by the ceiling light. Spoiler: It didn’t work.

Thank you, as always, for joining me each Tuesday as I rave about books! I am wishing you all a wonderful rest of your week, whatever situation you find yourself in now. And yay, books! See you next week. – XO, Liberty

This is the book I read, and I loved it. It’s easy to explain, but the execution is much more complex and weird and smart. In a future America, people are hired to go into the dreams of stressed-out workers and remove the frightening, upsetting bits. So when the workers wake up, they feel less stressed and more relaxed, therefore hypothetically being more productive. The workers don’t even know this is happening; it’s their bosses who hire the company. Jonathan Abernathy is a twentysomething with so much college debt he has a lien on his wages. So, he takes this job as a way to get debt forgiveness. But as someone who has been in the shoes of the exploited, the overworked, the workers who have three jobs just to make ends meet, this is a tricky occupation for him. Plus, unbeknownst to him, he has a partner he can’t see who follows him everywhere. This is a weird sci-fi dramedy that gets at the heart of exploitation, capitalism, debt, life, and death. It reminded me a bit of reading a Kurt Vonnegut novel, and it has the kind of narration I love, where we know things about the main character before they do. If you like original debuts, give this one a try.

Backlist bump: Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke

This longlisted Booker Prize nominee is high on my list of books to read soon. It’s set in the 1920s and follows a couple in Malaysia whose lives are disrupted when writer W. Somerset Maugham and his secretary come to visit. Everyone is unhappy; everyone is hiding something about themselves, such as their sexuality, an affair, and a dark past. As Maugham searches for ideas for his next novel, he discovers the truths that keep being revealed will make for the most compelling book yet.

Backlist bump: The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng

And this one I picked up because I heard Chin speak about it, and he was such a wonderful storyteller. This is his memoir about his parents’ Chinese restaurant in Detroit. It was a place that brought in customers from all paths of life from all over the city. And it is where Chin grew up realizing he was gay and how the city and his family helped him navigate his young years and grow up to be a filmmaker and writer.

Backlist bump: Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam by Thien Pham (Not technically backlist, but worth a shout-out.)

This week, well, I am too sick to read anything. (Frowny face.) But I have watched almost 30 episodes of Moonlighting, which just started streaming for the first time. What a wild trip it has been! It’s so quintessentially 1980s, and I have missed zany Bruce Willis. The song stuck in my head this week is “Run from Me” by Timber Timbre, which, if you have been watching the new season of Our Flag Means Death, you heard there recently. And here is your weekly cat picture: Zevon is checking out MC Hammerhead on the wall behind him.

Thank you, as always, for joining me each Tuesday as I rave about books! I am wishing you all a wonderful rest of your week, whatever situation you find yourself in now. And yay, books! See you next week. – XO, Liberty

Roxane Gay fans, rejoice! It has been a few years since a new book from her, but we have always been able to read her wise words online and in The New York Times opinion section and as the NYT “Work Friend” columnist. This is a curated selection of her best pieces from the last ten years, ranging from politics and the issues plaguing our country, to pop culture and some of the advice she has doled out over the years. She is funny, frank, and fearless about everything she discusses, and while some readers may be familiar with the work, it is a joy to have it all in one handy book to revisit.

Backlist bump: Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay

In time for Halloween season comes this bananapants horror novel! It’s like Stranger Things for grownups. Olivia works the concession stand at the drive-in in the small town of Chapel Hill, Pennsylvania. She’s lived here for three years since running away from Connecticut, and her only happiness in life is her friend Sunflower. Olivia thinks Sunflower is the most perfect person ever, and has feelings beyond friendship for her that she can’t share. This is really all you need to know, because the most bonkers stuff is going to start happening almost immediately after the book starts, when Olivia reports for work. There’s a monster, supernatural weather occurrences, a widespread unknown infection taking over the town, and more. Olivia, Sunflower, and the few other unaffected citizens must try and survive the night while figuring out what the hell is going on. It is completely wild, a little ridiculous in a fun way (I don’t believe a runaway hiding out would attend high school any more than I believe vampires would), and plenty gross, too. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Backlist bump: The Worm and His Kings by Hailey Piper

And to finish things up today, I have Dow’s magical middle-grade debut. Wini and Kal are both kids in a small town who are experiencing trouble in their lives. Wini’s family is struggling to keep their magical bakery afloat. To try and help out, Wini casts a forbidden spell, which backfires and puts the whole town in peril. Meanwhile, Kal is having a hard time adjusting to the reappearance of her grandfather in her and her father’s lives. He disappeared years ago, and dark rumors surround him. When Wini and Kal meet, they discover they have a lot in common and work together to find solutions for the problems in their lives, because there’s no magic like friendship. (Awwww. That was sweet. But a little gross, too, right? I felt a little gross typing it lol.)

Backlist bump: Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega

This week, I am reading Little Rot by Akwaeke Emezi and The Halt During the Chase by Rosemary Tonks. In non-book things, I haven’t been watching much TV, but I do have Over the Garden Wall playing in the background while I do work and chores. It’s also the preseason for my Celtics, who won their first game last night. The song stuck in my head this week is “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind. And here is your weekly cat picture: Zevon really doesn’t understand that he’s a cat sometimes, and tries to sit on the couch like a human.

Thank you, as always, for joining me each Tuesday as I rave about books! I am wishing you all a wonderful rest of your week, whatever situation you find yourself in now. And yay, books! See you next week. – XO, Liberty

This week: I’m currently reading Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt and The Hive and the Honey: Stories by Paul Yoon. Outside of books, I haven’t had much time to watch anything in the last week or so, but I am excited about the new seasons of Switch and Jeopardy. And I’m so excited the NBA preseason starts this weekend (even if the Celtics are trying to break my heart with all these trades.) The song stuck in my head right now is “Am I Wrong” by Love Spit Love. And here’s a cat photo: Once again, Zevon shows us how he can sit like a person on the couch. (Related: Any (older) New Englanders remember that commercial for the aquarium where the kid says, “I can walk like a penguin?”)