What's New On the Shelf?

I've added a few new cool things lately.


Going into Town is the latest from cartoonist Roz Chast, a favorite of mine. This book is a brief memoir coupled with a pencil-sketch guide to getting around New York City. If you know someone who's moving here, this would make a great gift.

I wish I had had it when I moved to NYC in 2014 but it only came out this year.

Margaret the First, by Danielle Dutton, is a novel about the life of Margaret Cavendish, a 17th century novelist who wrote all kinds of crazy things, from what I understand. It was coupled with one of her books, The Blazing World, which I also bought- a great literary double feature indeed. Thanks to Greenlight Books in Fort Greene for the pairing.

Last year I decided to buy a one-year subscription to books from the small press & Other Stories, and I got my first book from them in the fall, Nicola Pugilese's Malacqua, about a flood in Naples. I can't wait to wade in, so to speak.

Finally, I got a copy of Bernardo Atxaga's The Accordionist's Son for contributing to a Kickstarter launched by Graywolf Press, Europa Editions and Other Press to send booksellers to international book fairs. They successfully raised $30,000 to launch this literary scholarship program and gave various incentives for contributions. This signed copy was my little prize. Atxaga is a favorite author of mine so I was pretty excited.

That's what's new on my shelf. What's new on yours?