Thursday, September 21, 2017

4, 3, 2, 1

I saw Paul Auster read from Mr. Vertigo, which is a lesser novel. I love the NYC trilogy. His last ones have been pretty good. I've read all his novels except the one about the dog. Couldn't get through that one. I saw his movie. I've read his wife's work and his wife's sister's excellent work on Charcot at Lew Aron's suggestion when I was in a study group. I've listened to Sophie Auster, Paul's daughter on spotify.

I read a bad review of the book, but then saw that he was longlisted for the Booker prize. I saw the book at the library.

I started the book which has an grand beginning, it feels like an family epic. But now I want perfect times to read it, no distractions, not tired, clear headed. Of course with a toddler that is pretty impossible, when she goes to bed, I tend to gork out and sleep. When she's awake it's a bit of a hurricane. I need to get less precious.

It's a long book. I don't really like long books anymore. I think the last tome I read was We, The Drowned. And I read that on a tablet. (BTW, I've lost my Kindle but these new ones look awesome.)

Friday, September 8, 2017

New bookstore in Queens!

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I read that 3 former Barnes and Noble employees who worked at one of the 3 Barnes and Noble bookstores that closed down and left a vacuum in Queens New York City, except for the Astoria Bookshop. The rest are Christian. Of course there are Barnes and Nobles in Nassau county on Long Island, and in Manhattan. 

Anywho, so I walked over to this one, and it was not open. The paper in the windows suggests they are still remodeling. It's on Lefferts in Kew Gardens, across from the 7/11, down from the Gourmet store. Down from Danny's the famous pizza place. Several blocks from the train station, near where Kitty Genovese was murdered. Walking home, I walked past the Charlie Chaplin home near there. There is a lovely independent movie theater there. I'd say after Astoria, Long Island City and Forest Hills Gardens, that Kew Gardens is a hip neighborhood, and a bookstore really makes it hip.

I thought print media was going to die with readers. I love my apps that I use with my tablets because my eye sight is going and I can enlarge the text. I can't read as long with normal books. Even so, there's nothing like a book in your hand, and seeing how you progress, looking at various parts of the book. It's a better experience to read a real book, even if it is more expensive and takes up so much space.


Found a picture of the owners. They raised over 70k on Kickstart.

In other news, I have read recently What We Talk About When We Talk About Ann Frank. I love that story and the other stories aren't bad either. I saw Englander was talking in Manhattan, but it cost so I didn't go see him.

I love Raymond Carver's story "What we talk about when we talk about love".

The other book was My Italian Bulldozer. It was a fun little romp. I might try out more of Alexander McCall Smith's books.