Shelf Life: December 2012

By Nico | March 5, 2013

Last Shelf Life of 2012. Gonna be brief.

154. Sunset Park, by Paul Auster
(Henry Holt and Co., 2010)

I’d never read Auster before, but I’ve heard good things. Perhaps this wasn’t the best introduction. I found Sunset Park to be very disjointed and there were too many pointless references to baseball. I couldn’t get into it.

155. The City and the Pillar, by Gore Vidal
(Abacus Books, 1948, 1997)

A classic of gay literature, it tracks Jim’s dawning awareness and acceptance of his sexuality, exploring the different scenes available to gay men in the 40′s and 50′s.

156. The Invisibles, Vol. 7: The Invisible Kingdom, by Grant Morrison
(Vertigo, 2001)

After all the hype, I kept hoping it would get better, and it didn’t. It’s disjointed, often incoherent and, in the end, clichéd. I don’t understand why The Invisibles was so popular.

157. The Walking Dead, Vol. 16: A Larger World, by Robert Kirkman
(Image, 2012)

158. The Walking Dead, Vol. 17: Something to Fear, by Robert Kirkman
(Image, 2012)

Things seem promising, and then they don’t. I remain on the edge of my seat.

159. Ontological Necessities, by Priscila Uppal
(Exile Editions, 2007)

Another poetry book that made me think, Yes, this person understands.

160. The Great Race, by Nathan Kumar Scott
(Tara Books, 2012)

I was expecting a similar story to Aesop’s “Tortoise and the Hare,” but the story of the mouse deer and the snail had me fooled right until the end. Great story, fantastic art. Loved it.

161. The People of Forever Are Not Afraid, by Shani Boianjiu
(Hogarth, 2012)

I grabbed the ARC, I couldn’t resist the title. It tells the story of three young women growing up in a small, poor town just outside Jerusalem, their army training and service, the lives they make for themselves and the brutalities forced upon them.

162. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, by David Sedaris
(Little, Brown and Company, 2009)

I love Sedaris’ loosey- goosey autobiographical stories, and they’re all I’ve read from him, so I admit I was a little unprepared for this. Modern day Aesop morality tales for the ironic and plugged in. It’s brutal and hilarious, and an interesting departure. I could read more.

163. The Juliet Stories, by Carrie Snyder
(House of Anansi Press, 2012)

A novel told in stories. I’m still processing how I feel about it. The majority of the stories are told from young Juliet’s perspective, but still felt distanced, removed somehow. Even more so as she became an adult. Though there’s no question that Snyder’s an excellent writer.

164. A Page from the Wonders of Life on Earth, by Stephanie Bolster
(Brick Books, 2011)

Another great collection.

Nico is a bibliophilic reader, writer, editor, reviewer, poet, blogger, hat wearer and kitten tickler. Nico's work has appeared most recently in Broken Pencil, The Antigonish Review, and Carousel, among other journals. Nico tweets as @plutopsyche.

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Category: Books & Literature