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Poems That Make Grown Men Cry
Poems That Make Grown Men Cry: 100 Men on the Words That Move Them by Anthony Holden Published: 2014 Length: 336 pages This hyperbolic title reads a bit like Internet clickbait, but Anthony Holden explains in the introduction that the idea grew from discussions with his male friends of poems they couldn’t recite without choking up. Whether all of the men in this book wept at their choices, I cannot say, but I feel like some of them may have just chosen their favourite sentimental poem. Poems That Grown Men Quite Like doesn’t have that same punch, however. It’s an interesting project, with the taboo of men showing emotion tackled…
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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams Published: 1979 Series: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy #1 Narrated by: Stephen Fry Length: 05:51 (216 pages) It’s been two decades since I first read this, and I think I enjoyed it even more the second time. I thought I’d listen to the audiobook despite having the hard copy on my shelf, just because it was narrated by Stephen Fry. Anything Fry narrates is fantastic, and since he was such good friends with Adams, you can feel a little of the love in his performance. The Random House production does have some quirks, with weirdly abrupt chapter transitions, but I still…
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Quiet
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain Published: 2012 Narrated by: Kathe Mazur Length: 10:39 (352 pages) A lot of people seem to assume that introversion is a synonym for shyness and extroversion for sociability, which is an oversimplification. It’s more about how sensitive someone is to being overstimulated by their environment. Introverts are easily overstimulated, by socializing and noise and light, and extroverts are less sensitive to that. As a result, introverts tend to withdraw from that stimulation. Extroverts, on the other hand, can easily become bored without it. Someone can be introverted and still enjoy speaking publicly or having a…
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Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant
Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant by Tony Cliff Format: Original Graphic Novel Illustrated by: Tony Cliff Series: Delilah Dirk #1 Publisher: First Second Published: 2013 Length: 169 pages I was in the mood for some good old-fashioned adventuring after playing Uncharted 4, and I had heard this graphic novel described as a mix of Indiana Jones and Tintin, which seemed to fit the bill perfectly. It certainly did, and I’ve already picked up the sequel. This is a breezy and fun adventure story set in the early nineteenth century Ottoman Empire. The title character, Delilah Dirk (great name), is a badass woman of Greek and English descent who has…
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July in Review
Books Acquired: Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling by Tony Cliff Books Read: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams Poems That Make Grown Men Cry by Anthony Holden, Ben Holden The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann We Stand On Guard by Brian K. Vaughan My plan for this upcoming month is to write more than one post. An achievable goal, you would think, but after this last month who knows. What a naughty blogger I’ve been. As an apology, here’s a video of my dog’s beard in the wind. A video posted by Rob McMillan (@mcmillan) on…