Kurt Busiek Resists
in the house when the house burned down
Book Recommendations:
Recommended by Kurt Busiek Resists
“And since I'm catching up, I also just read OLD DOG 1 by @declanshalvey Clayton Cowles @HeatherAntos. Another great looking book -- high energy, don't-know-who-to-trust action/espionage with a tough, bitter, surprising lead and a winning series concept. Check it out! https://t.co/L64JcE8rKm” (from X)
by Declan Shalvey·You?
by Declan Shalvey·You?
Jack Lynch was a once-promising CIA operative. On the eve of retirement, looking back at a failed career, he is tasked with one final mission…that goes horribly wrong. He wakes years later to a changed world and deeper changes within him. When a shadow group offers Lynch a second chance at a life of adventure, he’s paired with the last person he could ever imagine. In order to adjust, this old dog will have to learn some new tricks…OLD DOG is a striking new spy-fi series by DECLAN SHALVEY, the accomplished and innovative creator behind books such as Moon Knight, X-Men Unlimited, INJECTION, and TIME BEFORE TIME.
Recommended by Kurt Busiek Resists
“As an example of how behind on things I am, I just now read advance copies of THE LONESOME HUNTERS 1-2 by @MrTylerCrook, and issue 4 just came out recently. So, late. But it's an amazing book, and I recommend it highly. https://t.co/PpGm1oB0ln” (from X)
by Tyler Crook·You?
by Tyler Crook·You?
A new fantasy series written and drawn by Tyler Crook! From Russ Manning Award-winning and Eisner-nominated Harrow County cocreator Tyler Crook comes this supernatural fantasy about loss, power, and destiny. An old and out-of-practice monster hunter in hiding crosses paths with a young girl that forces him to confront these chaotic creatures. As the beasts invade their tenement, they set off on a supernatural road trip to stop these ancient evils in a story that explores the ways that youth informs adulthood and how early traumas can haunt us in old age. Coming-of-age fantasy adventure!
Recommended by Kurt Busiek Resists
“Amazon’s got my number, apparently. The next book on the recommendation list has a blurb from Elizabeth McCracken, who is _also_ brilliant.” (from X)
by Bonnie Garmus·You?
by Bonnie Garmus·You?
#1 GLOBAL BESTSELLER WITH MORE THAN 6 MILLION COPIES SOLD • Meet Elizabeth Zott: “a gifted research chemist, absurdly self-assured and immune to social convention” (The Washington Post) in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show. • STREAM ON APPLE TV+ This novel is “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel” (The New York Times Book Review) and “witty, sometimes hilarious...the Catch-22 of early feminism” (Stephen King, via Twitter). A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results. But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo. Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.
Recommended by Kurt Busiek Resists
“Since I’m not going to finish another book this year, here are the four best books I read in 2021: GREAT CIRCLE by Maggie Shipstead, THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY by Amor Towles, CLOUD CUCKOO LAND by Anthony Doerr and BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME by Julia Claiborne Johnson. https://t.co/1CfplKNJhT” (from X)
by Maggie Shipstead·You?
by Maggie Shipstead·You?
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A TODAY SHOW #ReadWithJenna BOOK CLUB PICK • The unforgettable story of a daredevil female aviator determined to chart her own course in life, at any cost: an “epic trip—through Prohibition and World War II, from Montana to London to present-day Hollywood—and you’ll relish every minute” (People). After being rescued as infants from a sinking ocean liner in 1914, Marian and Jamie Graves are raised by their dissolute uncle in Missoula, Montana. There--after encountering a pair of barnstorming pilots passing through town in beat-up biplanes--Marian commences her lifelong love affair with flight. At fourteen she drops out of school and finds an unexpected and dangerous patron in a wealthy bootlegger who provides a plane and subsidizes her lessons, an arrangement that will haunt her for the rest of her life, even as it allows her to fulfill her destiny: circumnavigating the globe by flying over the North and South Poles. A century later, Hadley Baxter is cast to play Marian in a film that centers on Marian's disappearance in Antarctica. Vibrant, canny, disgusted with the claustrophobia of Hollywood, Hadley is eager to redefine herself after a romantic film franchise has imprisoned her in the grip of cult celebrity. Her immersion into the character of Marian unfolds, thrillingly, alongside Marian's own story, as the two women's fates--and their hunger for self-determination in vastly different geographies and times--collide. Epic and emotional, meticulously researched and gloriously told, Great Circle is a monumental work of art, and a tremendous leap forward for the prodigiously gifted Maggie Shipstead.
Recommended by Kurt Busiek Resists
“This is a wonderful book. Despite reading most novels as ebooks, some I buy in print because I want to page back and forth, look at the structure and figure out (or try to) how the book works. That was true of GREAT CIRCLE; I think it’ll be true of CLOUD CUCKOO LAND too.” (from X)
by Anthony Doerr·You?
by Anthony Doerr·You?
On the New York Times bestseller list for over 20 weeks * A New York Times Notable Book * A National Book Award Finalist * Named a Best Book of the Year by Fresh Air, Time, Entertainment Weekly, Associated Press, and many more “If you’re looking for a superb novel, look no further.” —The Washington Post From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of All the Light We Cannot See, comes the instant New York Times bestseller that is a “wildly inventive, a humane and uplifting book for adults that’s infused with the magic of childhood reading experiences” (The New York Times Book Review). Among the most celebrated and beloved novels of recent times, Cloud Cuckoo Land is a triumph of imagination and compassion, a soaring story about children on the cusp of adulthood in worlds in peril, who find resilience, hope, and a book. In the 15th century, an orphan named Anna lives inside the formidable walls of Constantinople. She learns to read, and in this ancient city, famous for its libraries, she finds what might be the last copy of a centuries-old book, the story of Aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky. Outside the walls is Omeir, a village boy, conscripted with his beloved oxen into the army that will lay siege to the city. His path and Anna’s will cross. In the present day, in a library in Idaho, octogenarian Zeno rehearses children in a play adaptation of Aethon’s story, preserved against all odds through centuries. Tucked among the library shelves is a bomb, planted by a troubled, idealistic teenager, Seymour. This is another siege. And in a not-so-distant future, on the interstellar ship Argos, Konstance is alone in a vault, copying on scraps of sacking the story of Aethon, told to her by her father. Anna, Omeir, Seymour, Zeno, and Konstance are dreamers and outsiders whose lives are gloriously intertwined. Doerr’s dazzling imagination transports us to worlds so dramatic and immersive that we forget, for a time, our own.
Recommended by Kurt Busiek Resists
“The cheerful ghost of a springer spaniel? I’m in. This book sounds great. https://t.co/zZKY3NbajG” (from X)
Locus Award Winner—Best First Novel A National Indie Bestseller Nebula Award Finalist Lodestar Award Finalist Ignyte Award Finalist TIME's Best 100 Fantasy Books of All Time NPR Best of the Year Booklist's Top 10 First Novels for Youth A BookPage Best of the Year Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best" PNBA Bestseller Publishers Weekly Best of the Year Buzzfeed's Best YA SFF of the Year Shelf-Awareness Best of the Year AICL Best YA of the Year NECBA Windows & Mirrors Selection NEIBA Award Finalist Tor Best of the Year Kirkus Best YA of the Year Publishers Weekly Flying Start American Indian Youth Literature Award Finalist "Groundbreaking."—TIME "Deeply enjoyable from start to finish."—NPR "Utterly magical."—SyFyWire "Atmospheric and lyrical...a gorgeous work of art."—BuzzFeed "One of the best YA debuts of 2020. Read it."—Marieke Nijkamp ★ "A fresh voice and perspective."—Booklist, starred review ★ "A unique and powerful Native American voice."—BookPage, starred review ★ "A brilliant, engaging debut."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review ★ "A fast-paced murder mystery."—Publishers Weekly, starred review ★ "A Lipan Apache Sookie Stackhouse for the teen set."—Shelf-Awareness, starred review A Texas teen comes face-to-face with a cousin's ghost and vows to unmask the murderer. Elatsoe—Ellie for short—lives in an alternate contemporary America shaped by the ancestral magics and knowledge of its Indigenous and immigrant groups. She can raise the spirits of dead animals—most importantly, her ghost dog Kirby. When her beloved cousin dies, all signs point to a car crash, but his ghost tells her otherwise: He was murdered. Who killed him and how did he die? With the help of her family, her best friend Jay, and the memory great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother, Elatsoe, must track down the killer and unravel the mystery of this creepy town and it's dark past. But will the nefarious townsfolk and a mysterious Doctor stop her before she gets started? A breathtaking debut novel featuring an asexual, Apache teen protagonist, Elatsoe combines mystery, horror, noir, ancestral knowledge, haunting illustrations, fantasy elements, and is one of the most-talked about debuts of the year.
Recommended by Kurt Busiek Resists
“Wow. This is a much thicker book than I’d expected. Should be an interesting read… https://t.co/kQvw3W4lvf” (from X)
by Dave Sim, Carson Grubaugh·You?
by Dave Sim, Carson Grubaugh·You?
"Comics' answer to Finnegan's Wake, an inspired work of obsessivegenius that will take a long time to untangle." - Rob Salkowitz, SeniorContributor, FORBES "The Strange Death of Alex Raymond is one of the most spectacularcomics I have ever read or seen. I can't recommend it enough, although you mayhate it. Bizarre and beautiful and completely unique." - Jim Rugg, Cartoonist Kayfabe, Street Angel, The P.L.A.I.N. Janes "This is a master work. I'm honoured to have even laid eyes on it." - E.S.Glenn, author of Unsmooth, cartoonist for The New Yorker "Amust-read for anyone interested in the history and craft of comics" - BrandonGraham, King City, Warhead, Prophet "Grubaugh provides a brilliant and fitting conclusion to what would haveotherwise been one of the most notable unfinished works of recent times. I forone am excited at holding the completed Strange Death of Alex Raymond inmy hands." - Gary Spencer Millidge, Strangehaven, Alan Moore: Portrait of anExtraordinary Gentleman Legendary creator Dave Sim is renownedworld-wide for his groundbreaking Cerebus the Aardvark. Now, in TheStrange Death of Alex Raymond, Sim brings to life the history of comics'greatest creators, using their own techniques. Equal parts UnderstandingComics and From Hell, Strange Death is a head-on collision ofink drawing and spiritual intrigue, pulp comics and movies, history and fiction.The story traces the lives and techniques of Alex Raymond (Flash Gordon, RipKirby), Stan Drake (Juliet Jones), Hal Foster (Prince Valiant),and more, dissecting their techniques through recreations of their artwork,and highlighting the metatextual resonances that bind them together. Foreword by Eddie Campbell.
Recommended by Kurt Busiek Resists
“@PeterJSanderson The book is called SO FAR, SO GOOD. It’s very much a “star talks out many anecdotes, someone shapes them into a book” type of memoir, but it’s breezy and amiable and there’s some fascinating stuff in it.” (from X)
by Ursula K. Le Guin·You?
by Ursula K. Le Guin·You?
"Ursula K. Le Guin, loved by millions for her fantasy and science-fiction novels, ponders life, death and the vast beyond in So Far So Good, an astute, charming collection finished weeks before her death in January, 2018. Fans will recognize some of the motifs here―cats, wind, strong women ― as well as her exploration of the intersection between soul and body, the knowable and the unknown. The writing is clear, artful and reverent as Le Guin looks back at key memories and concerns and looks forward to what is next: 'Spirit, rehearse the journey of the body/ that are to come, the motions/ of the matter that held you.'"―Washington Post"Le Guin’s farewell poetry collection, contains all that created her reputation for fiction―sharp insight, restless imagination, humor that is both mordant and humane, and, above all else, that connection to all creation, that 'immense what is'."―New York Journal of Books “It’s hard to think of another living author who has written so well for so long in so many styles as Ursula K. Le Guin.” ―Salon “She never loses touch with her reverence for the immense what is.” ―Margaret Atwood “There is no writer with an imagination as forceful and delicate as Le Guin’s.” ―Grace Paley Legendary author Ursula K. Le Guin was lauded by millions for her ground- breaking science fiction novels, but she began as a poet, and wrote across genres for her entire career. In this clarifying and sublime collection―completed shortly before her death in 2018―Le Guin is unflinching in the face of mor- tality, and full of wonder for the mysteries beyond. Redolent of the lush natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, with rich sounds playfully echoing myth and nursery rhyme, Le Guin bookends a long, daring, and prolific career. From “How it Seems to Me”: In the vast abyss before time, self is not, and soul commingles with mist, and rock, and light. In time, soul brings the misty self to be. Then slow time hardens self to stone while ever lightening the soul, till soul can loose its hold of self . . . Ursula K. Le Guin is the author of over sixty novels, short fiction works, translations, and volumes of poetry, including the acclaimed novels The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed. Her books continue to sell millions of copies worldwide. Le Guin died in 2018 in her home in Portland, Oregon.
Recommended by Kurt Busiek Resists
“@mattsouthworth @gabrielhardman @thetzechun I think the best writing books often aren’t about writing, they’re about thinking about story and presentation. The book that helped me to turn the corner into writing rather than imitation was THE FICTION EDITOR by Thomas McCormack.” (from X)
by Thomas McCormack·You?
"Lucid, thoughtful…writers and teachers will learn much from it…Belongs wherever Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style finds frequent use."—Booklist "Writers will actually learn things here."—Los Angeles Times "Perfect for teachers, critics and general readers."—Library Journal "Required reading for all those who care about good fiction."—Kirkus Reviews Drawing upon twenty-eight years of experience as the CEO and editorial director of St. Martin’s Press, Thomas McCormack gives practical guidance about how to plan, write, and revise a novel. A standard reference for editors since its first publication in 1988, The Fiction Editor has also become popular with writers because McCormack’s advice is constructive at every step of the creative process. From individual word choice right up to the overarching effect of the work as a whole, he details how to structure the novel, choose the characters, drive the story, diagnose narrative ailments, and find and apply specific remedies. In this revised second edition, McCormack takes advantage of almost two decades of additional experience to clarify and expand on what he has learned. "Written in an amiable tone, often using examples, hypothetical writing scenarios, or dialogue-style discourse between industry professionals to clarify its points, The Fiction Editor, the Novel, and the Novelist is a superb handbook for fiction writers but especially recommended for prospective and professional fiction editors."—Midwest Book Review Thomas McCormack edited authors as diverse as James Herriot (All Creatures Great and Small) and Thomas Harris (The Silence of the Lambs). He was awarded LMP's Lifetime Achievement Award and the AAP's Curtis Benjamin Award for Creative Publishing. For two years, he wrote "The Cheerful Skeptic" column in Publishers Weekly.
Recommended by Kurt Busiek Resists
“@NerdSector2814 The most interesting book on this stuff is KIRBY & LEE: STUF SAID by John Morrow, but I’ve also just picked up a lot over the years through conversations and interviews and such. The Dr. Strange/Droom stuff comes from reading the stories and seeing the connections.” (from X)
by John Morrow, Jon B. Cooke, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Wallace Wood, John Romita Sr.·You?
by John Morrow, Jon B. Cooke, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Wallace Wood, John Romita Sr.·You?
For its 75th issue, the Jack Kirby Collector magazine presents this first-of-its-kind examination of the creators of the Marvel Universe, in an oversize book! It looks back at their own words, in chronological order, from fanzine, magazine, radio, and television interviews, to paint a picture of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee’s relationship―why it succeeded, where it deteriorated, and when it eventually failed. Also here are recollections from Steve Ditko, Wallace Wood, John Romita Sr., and more Marvel Bullpen stalwarts who worked with both Kirby and Lee. Rounding out this book is a study of the duo’s careers after they parted ways as collaborators, including Kirby’s difficulties at Marvel Comics in the 1970s, his last hurrah with Lee on the Silver Surfer Graphic Novel, and his exhausting battle to get back his original art―and creator credit―from Marvel. Stuf’ Said gives both men their say, compares their recollections, and tackles the question, “Who really created the Marvel Comics Universe?”.
Recommended by Kurt Busiek Resists
“Best Stephen King book: THE STAND (long version) Best Stephen King movie: STAND BY ME. #itsastandthing https://t.co/3qsbOcJtYj” (from X)
by Stephen King·You?
by Stephen King·You?
#1 BESTSELLER • NOW A PARAMOUNT+ LIMITED SERIES • Stephen King’s apocalyptic vision of a world blasted by plague and tangled in an elemental struggle between good and evil remains as riveting—and eerily plausible—as when it was first published. One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years! This edition includes all of the new and restored material first published in The Stand: The Complete and Uncut Edition. A patient escapes from a biological testing facility, unknowingly carrying a deadly weapon: a mutated strain of super-flu that will wipe out 99 percent of the world’s population within a few weeks. Those who remain are scared, bewildered, and in need of a leader. Two emerge—Mother Abagail, the benevolent 108-year-old woman who urges them to build a peaceful community in Boulder, Colorado; and Randall Flagg, the nefarious “Dark Man,” who delights in chaos and violence. As the dark man and the peaceful woman gather power, the survivors will have to choose between them—and ultimately decide the fate of all humanity.
Recommended by Kurt Busiek Resists
“…rereading FINDERS KEEPERS by Stephen King instead. I’ve only read it once and I was probably ill at the time, so I don’t remember the details all that well, but it’s pretty much exactly the right book for my mood right now. I love libraries and e-books.” (from X)
by Stephen King·You?
by Stephen King·You?
Now an AT&T Audience Original Series A masterful, intensely suspenseful novel about a reader whose obsession with a reclusive writer goes far too far—a book about the power of storytelling, starring the same trio of unlikely and winning heroes King introduced in Mr. Mercedes. “Wake up, genius.” So begins King’s instantly riveting story about a vengeful reader. The genius is John Rothstein, an iconic author who created a famous character, Jimmy Gold, but who hasn’t published a book for decades. Morris Bellamy is livid, not just because Rothstein has stopped providing books, but because the nonconformist Jimmy Gold has sold out for a career in advertising. Morris kills Rothstein and empties his safe of cash, yes, but the real treasure is a trove of notebooks containing at least one more Gold novel. Morris hides the money and the notebooks, and then he is locked away for another crime. Decades later, a boy named Pete Saubers finds the treasure, and now it is Pete and his family that Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney, and Jerome Robinson must rescue from the ever-more deranged and vengeful Morris when he’s released from prison after thirty-five years. Not since Misery has King played with the notion of a reader whose obsession with a writer gets dangerous. Finders Keepers is spectacular, heart-pounding suspense, but it is also King writing about how literature shapes a life—for good, for bad, forever.
Recommended by Kurt Busiek Resists
“@DaveScheidt @DarkHorseComics @MrTylerCrook @cullenbunn Well, _I_ won’t be reading HARROW COUNTY fifty years from now, I can tell you that much! I’ll be dead. But still, great book.” (from X)
by Cullen Bunn, Tyler Crook·You?
by Cullen Bunn, Tyler Crook·You?
Emmy always knew that the woods surrounding her home crawled with ghosts and monsters. But on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she learns that she is connected to these creatures--and to the land itself--in a way she never imagined. Collecting the first four issues of the southern gothic fairy tale from the creator of smash hit The Sixth Gun, beautifully and hauntingly realized by B.P.R.D.'s Tyler Crook!
Recommended by Kurt Busiek Resists
“@gabrielhardman Have you ever read the book? The book is amazing.” (from X)
by Walter Tevis·You?
by Walter Tevis·You?
After 20 years of hibernation, former pool champion "Fast" Eddie Felson is playing exhibition matches with former rival Minnesota Fats in shopping malls for prizes like cable television. With one failed marriage and years of running a pool hall, Eddie is now ready to regain the skills needed to compete in a world of pool that has changed dramatically since he left it behind. The real challenge comes when Eddie realizes that in order to compete successfully, he must hone his skills in the game of nine-ball as opposed to the straight pool that had once won him fame. With a new generation of competitors, fear and doubt and the daily possibility of failure arise, giving Fast Eddie a new challenge to overcome. The Color of Money is the source of the 1986 film starring Paul Newman in the role he had originated in The Hustler.