The Rad Librarian » new reads

Bodyworld- Dash Shaw

marcus — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:41:10 +0000

Mindbending comic about a mad botanist researching a new plant in 2060. The art is exquisite and paints the overlapping realities in an visually stunning manner. Great to own and refer back to.

Ilustrado- Miguel Syjuco

marcus — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:32:09 +0000

Winner of the Man Asian Literary prize as an unpublished manuscript, this is a dazzling debut about the Philippines and its search for identity; both personal and political. The multiple voice used to tell the narrative were complex and played off each other in a lovely ruminating way. Highly recommended.

The Dream of Perpetual Motion- Dexter Palmer

marcus — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:02:07 +0000

Great premise- A man pens his memoirs while being trapped on a zeppelin controlled by mechanical men while he searches for his lover who must be on board somewhere. All hail the editor of this well paced strange tale. The short narratives make this unique story build well, and readers will delight at the level of imagination on display.

Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives- David Eagleman

marcus — Mon, 03 May 2010 20:03:36 +0000

Just like the title suggests- these are 40 short stories of possible afterlives. Eagleman, a nueroscientist who studies brains and consciousness, has created a very thoughprovoking collection. My wife and I took turns reading the tales out loud to each other which sparked great conversation. Simply lovely.

Spin- Robert Charles Wilson

marcus — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:35:53 +0000

An artificial Alien barrier is placed around the earth which keeps it sealed while time outside the “Spin” moves millions of years in the future. Are the Hypotheticals who created the barrier benevolent or sinister? The human drama is well developed within the science fiction framework. It’s a very engaging story that keeps the reactions of people plausible when they think the world is going to end. Highly recommended for readers who don’t usually try a SF novel

the memory artists- jeffrey moore

marcus — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:04:05 +0000

Very inventive Montreal based novel of synesthesia and hypermnesia (perfect memory) that used multiple narrative devices to good use. Noel, who has the above mentioned abilities, tries to cure his mother’s Alzheimer’s disease as well as growing to maintain his own relationships.

This Night’s Foul Work- Fred Vargas

marcus — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:46:48 +0000

This is the 5th mystery translated from French that features Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg, and my favorite so far. Like any good mystery series, the characters develop more complexity as the novels progress. Adamsberg is quite a singular policeman, and the French history that infused the series keeps the plot moving along nicely.

The posthuman dada guide: Tzara & Lenin play chess- Andrei codrescu

marcus — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:15:48 +0000

This a clever manifesto putting Dada rightly as one of the prime inspirations of modern theatre, art, poetry, and anti(political) actions. Codrescu contrasts the radical urges of Tzara and Lenin and makes a compelling argument that dada has lasted longer than communist theory as a source of creative energy. A book that I bought instead of just checking out.

The magicians- Lev Grossman

marcus — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:23:13 +0000

Masterful tale of young overachieving urbanities going to a Magic school, and still needing to figure out how to have a meaningful life after they graduate. He takes a tired theme and makes it new in a memorable fashion. Written for grown-ups, but teens will love the journey.

Britten and Brulightly- A Graphic Novel Hannah Berry

marcus — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:23:07 +0000

Great illustrations with a lovely patina of colors plus a private investigator whose partner is a tea bag make this noir comic a great reading experience. Having just one surreal element keeps the tension in the forefront without becoming absurd. This is a great debut from Berry.