99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style – Matt Madden, 2005. A delightful and ingenious reimagining of Raymond Queneau’s Excercises de style in graphic-novel form. I especially loved the homages to R. Crumb, Winsor McCay, the Bayeux Tapestry, Charles Atlas ads, and Chick comics; and Madden’s clever ringing of various conceptual changes reminds me of Sol LeWitt’s methodical approach.
The Bridge Across Forever – Richard Bach, 1982. A friend brought up Jonathan Livingston Seagull (as the epitome of a terrible best-seller, as I recall), and I mentioned this one, which led to another re-read. Bach is one of my love-them-despite-their-flaws authors; he might easily be the worst of the bunch (some others are Frances Hodgson Burnett, Dick Francis, Robert Heinlein, Stephen King, Nevil Shute, Dornford Yates), but he’s got something that draws me back. It’s such a weird combo of sappy and quirky, of wish-fulfillment and unwitting self-owns. And although I don’t believe in the kind of eternal/astral soulmates he describes, Jonathan is my forever partner and I root for stories of true intimate partnership. The real Richard Bach and Leslie Parrish broke up, but the couple in this book still has a place in my heart.
The Dark is Rising – Susan Cooper, 1973. Read for Annabookbel’s #TDiRS22. I was surprised to realize I had never read it before, so it’s lovely to have this monthly journey to complete the series.
Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads – ed David Morrell, Hank Wagner, 2010. I love books-about-books, and although thrillers aren’t my favorite genre, I enjoy some of them. I added a few to my to-read pile, from old (Oppenheimer’s Great Impersonation) to sort-of-old (Goldman’s Marathon Man).