The Tao of Reading

I won't go into all the tedious details, but
our new abode has brought along with it
a plethora of challenges, let us say, in the
current parlance. One of them you might be
able to help us with (by signing a web-based
petition at
stop the expansion {click here}). Poly Prep,
a local private school, wants to build a 4
story building,next to and marring the time-travel
effect of, the gorgous Landmarked 19th Century
mansion it is housed in, one
of the key reasons why we moved here
(you don't have to live in Park Slope,
or Brooklyn, to sign the petition- the idea
is to safeguard the landmarked status of
the neighborhood).

Anyway, despite some of the drawbacks of the
apartment, which nonetheless
has some very nice qualities,
I still love Park Slope. Prospect
Park, across the street, is much more
rural in feeling than manicured Central
Park, and best of all, the main branch,
at Grand Army Plaza, of the Brooklyn Public
Library, is about a 5 minute walk away.
I've taken to endlessly browsing the fiction section.
My previous visit's booty- which was included in
a list published here not long ago,
netted a page turner titled *Mooch*
by Dan Fante. Yesterday's expedition
led to (among others I might get to by and by)
a nifty excellent read titled *Cloud 8* by Grant Bailie.
Of course, even though it was published
by*ig pubishing* in Brooklyn, because it's good
there are lots of reviews online; I just
love the fact that the mainstream media
is not the place to look for opinions on
anything anymore- New York Times
is no longer "over if you want it"- it
is now "over, in case you haven't noticed."

Here's a review of the wonderful *Cloud 8*

Flavah reviewers {click here}...
Hmm... I wonder if anybody's bought the
film rights yet- it would make
a fun movie- especially without any
"stars"- except for, of course,
Parker Posey {click here},
and, even though the book opens up with the main character dying
in a car accident at age 35,
Wally Shawn {click here}
who should narrate the whole film in a voice-over.
******************************************************
Missing Tom Beckett already?
Try to console yourself with this
interview from
Jacket 25 {click here}