Toad by Katherine Dunn (Written in 1971, Published in 2022)

Finished: Sometime in December.

Grade: A

This is a previously unreleased novel from the writer of Geek Love, one of my favorite books, and it does not disappoint!

It is a grimier grittier perspective on the beat generation. Also a female perspective.

While the whimsical young men are off poetizing about ham and eggs and trying to reach nirvana, in a tent, who is doing the stuff that actually needs to get done?

If you like Jack Kerouac you'll like this book. And if you hate Jack Kerouac you'll REALLY like this book.

Big ups to Ida for giving me this bad boy!

The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon (2000)

Finished: 10/??/2022

Grade: A

Set during the Golden Age of Comics in New York City, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay follows two Jewish American cousins (one a born and bred New Yorker, the other a refugee from Prague) as they rise to prominence in the world of superhero comics.

A book about the Jewish legacy in American culture. A book about the glory days, and the mediocre petering out that follows. A decade spanning plot of love, loss, and good business decisions.

This is a fun book, but I think it fails to commit to some of it's heavier themes in a satisfying way. This novel is a Good Jewish Boy, and when it tries to tackle edgier content it can come off like a 12 year old who snuck into an R rated movie.

I liked it though! It's good! Pulizer prize good? who am I to say.

The Dispossessed by Ursula K LeGuin (1974)

Finished: 10/15/22

Grade: A+

Another absolute banger from Ursula K Leguin. 10/10 Really good.