Catching up

I have gone almost a month without writing in here. That is not good, but maybe after the writing flurry of December and--to some extent--January, left me a bit burned out. 

I thought about writing a blog post after the shootings at Michigan State but wasn't able to organize my thoughts and feelings into anything that felt coherent. I did write something on Facebook the day after the shooting happened and might reproduce it here at some point.

How about taking a lighter approach for my return to the blog after a month away...

Here is an update of some books I have read recently:

Accidental Czar: the Life and Lies of Vladimir Putin is a basic overview--it is written in "graphic novel" fashion--of what makes Putin tick and the political/social environment in Russia that has made his presidency possible. 

All Your Racial Problems Will Soon End: the Cartoons of Charles Johnson is a revelation (at least for me). I read Johnson's 1990 National Book Award winner Middle Passage many years ago and absolutely loved it, but had no idea that he had started his career as a single panel cartoonist--a cartoonist of profound wit who tackled racial and political themes of the late '60s and '70s. I don't think every cartoon in this book completely lands, but when they do, they strike with withering humor. 

After putting it down for several weeks, I am back reading Donna Tartt's The Secret History. I don't know if I mentioned this here, but I wasn't interested in this book when it was published. I remember Tartt being a phenomenon when I worked at Schuler Books and I was put off by it at the time. However, after listening to most of the podcast Once Upon a Time at Bennington College (I got bored with it when I became too dishy), I decided to give The Secret History a try. The first 30 pages or so didn't grab me, but it seems to be getting more engaging. That said, I think my tolerance for books about smart-ass, bratty, pretentious college kids has reached its limit. Maybe if I HAD read this book in the early or mid '90s, I'd find it more profound. Still, I have yet to finish the book, so I will save final judgement for later.

The cat wants attention, so it's time to put this post to bed.