On the Bedstand
Denis Kitchen, Underground Classics: The Transformation of Comics into Comix. A fascinating illustrated history of underground comix, from Crumb to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers.
Robert Redick, The Ruling Sea
An imperial princess, a vast boat crossing a seemingly endless ocean, Machiavellian plots and schemes concerning two warring states and a posse of intelligent rats populate this second installment of an epic fantasy trilogy.
James Haug, Legend of the Recent Past
A book of poetry that evokes the slightly askew and celebrates the nuances of the off-kilter.
Dennis Crenshaw, The Secrets of Dellschau: An encrypted story and gorgeous folk art that barely got saved from the landfill.
Brock Clarke, Exley
A satirical exploration of a father-son-therapist relationship by the author of 2007’s An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England, which garnered Clarke comparisons to both John Irving and John Kennedy Toole.
Therese Soukar Chehade, Loom
A blizzard provides Chehade with the canvas on which to paint both the contrasting and familiar personality traits of three generations of women, all of whom are Lebanese immigrants, and their mysterious neighbor, Loom.
Richard Michelson, Busing Brewster
A children’s book that beautifully describes the effects of a complicated adult issue, racial integration in schools, in a positive and constructive way. By local author/curator Richard Michelson with illustrations by R.G. Roth.
Larry “Bozo” Harmon, The Man Behind the Nose
Written by the original Bozo the Clown, Larry Harmon, just before his death in 2008 at age 83, this book of true stories describes the myriad encounters he had, in costume, over the years. Surviving pythons in Thailand, cannibals in New Guinea and two assassination attempts during his 1984 presidential bid, the character was Harmon’s ticket to… somewhere.
Julia Holmes, Meeks
Meeks, from Easthampton-based Small Beer Press, presents a disturbing, dystopian tale of authoritarianism and despair in the vein of Orwell’s 1984 or Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.
In the remainder pile
John Browne, Beyond Business: The awesome life of the BP CEO before his company ruined the Gulf of Mexico.
Sarah Palin, America by Heart: Reflections of Family, Faith and Flag. More like America by Numbers, and not numbers that are good for your faith or your family.
Jonathan Wells, Icons of Evolution: Science or Myth? Why Much of What We Teach About Evolution Is Wrong. Why does it feel as if humanity is “devolving?” Books like this that try to dispel the long-accepted theory of evolution in favor of religious mythology aren’t helping.
Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and The Olympians Hardcover Boxed Set. A collection of books from the Harry Pot—er, the Percy Jackson series. About as original as Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow.
Barack Obama, Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters. Wonderfully illustrated, but people are hurting out there—are we really paying this guy to write children’s books while he’s in office?
George W. Bush, Decision Points. Yeah, tough decisions—Bentley or Lamborghini? Cristal or Dom Perignon? Heck of a job, Georgie.
