Meeting Curtis McMillen

I met author Curtis McMillen last night at Out on the Lakeshore, where he spoke about his book, Brandon and Wilson at the Catch.

Bookin' It in 2025

For a plethora of positive reasons, I was only able to finish reading a mere five books in 2025.  They are as follows.

1. Emerging from the Cracks: My Journey to Authentic Living by C. H. Danton (second time)
2. Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson 
3. Bicycles: Love Poems by Nikki Giovanni (second time)
4. Keith Haring Pop Up Book 
5. 107 Days by Kamala Harris

Meeting Ananda Lima and Roger Reeves

I was pleased to attend this school year's last installation of the Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series, featuring authors/poets Ananda Lima and Roger Reeves, at Hope College last night.

Hearing Cody Daigle-Orians

Last night, author Cody Daigle-Orians was the featured guest at my local book club.  He joined us virtually and spoke about his latest book, The Ace and Aro Relationship Guide.

Bookin' It in 2024

Sadly, the challenges that plagued me last year continued in my 2024 reading year.  However, I was able to finish the following five books.  The titles in bold were particularly influential, inspiring or intriguing.

1. Menopause: A Comic Treatment edited by MK Czerwiec
2. Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley
3. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
4. Emerging from the Cracks: My Journey to Authentic Living by C. H. Danton
5. Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed by Laurie Halse Anderson

Meeting Jeff Smith

This evening, I met author/activist/archivist Jeff Smith, who spoke at Out on the Lakeshore about his latest book, A People's History of Grand Rapids.

Hearing Tsering Yangzom Lama and Shane McCrae

Two nights ago, I attended the latest edition of  Hope College's Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series, featuring novelist Tsering Yangzom Lama and poet/memoirist Shane McCrae.

Hearing Dana VanderLugt

Last night, I attended an event featuring author/educator Dana VanderLugt and poet/retired professor Jack Ridl at Hope College.  The two engaged in an on-stage conversation about VanderLugt's new book, Enemies in the Orchard.

Bookin' It in 2023

The year 2023 was the most difficult year of my life, for a number of reasons.  I found it nearly impossible to focus on reading for pleasure, but I was able to finish the following four books.

1. The Apology by Eve Ensler
   
2. The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel  
3. Look Again: A Memoir by Elizabeth A. Trembley
4. Practicing to Walk Like a Heron: Poems by Jack Ridl 

Hearing MK Czewiec and Elizabeth Trembley

Last night, I had the pleasure of experiencing two authors/educators/graphic artists, MK Czerwiec and Elizabeth Trembley, speak at Hope College's first Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series event of the school year.

Meeting Elizabeth A. Trembley

I enjoyed hearing and meeting author Elizabeth A. Trembley at Out on the Lakeshore tonight.  She spoke about her graphic memoir, Look Again, as well as the magic of making comics.

Bookin' It in 2022

I finished 20 books in 2022.  The titles in bold were particularly influential, inspiring or intriguing.

1. Cack-Handed: A Memoir by Gina Yashere 
2. Can Black People Grow Hair? by Andrea Krystal 
3.  Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman
4. Rainbow Warrior: My Life in Color by Gilbert Baker
5. Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon
6. High School by Sara Quin & Tegan Quin
7. Femme in Public by ALOK
8. Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving Extremism by Megan Phelps-Roper
9. Unprotected: A Memoir by Billy Porter
10. Your Wound / My Garden by ALOK
11. If You Give a Pig the White House by Faye Kanouse
12. Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity Edited by Micah Rajunov and Scott Duane
13. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts 40x40: Bad Reputation / I Love Rock-n-Roll
14. Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America by Michael Eric Dyson
15. Bearing My Seoul by Taryn Blake
16. The Little Book of Pride: Love Is Love by Joanna Gray
17. Love Lives Here: A Story of Thriving in a Transgender Family by Amanda Jetté Knox
18. Enter the Blue by Dave Chisholm
19. Wolfpack: How to Come Together, Unleash Our Power, and Change the Game by Abby Wambach
20. Saint Peter and the Goldfinch: Poems by Jack Ridl

Bookin' It in 2021

I finished 10 books in 2021.  The titles in bold were particularly influential, inspiring or intriguing.

1.     1. Possum Dreams by Julie Sola

2.     2. A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver

3.     3. Dog Songs: Poems by Mary Oliver

4.     4. Sects, Love, and Rock & Roll: My Life on Record by Joel Heng Hartse

5.     5. Broken Horses: A Memoir by Brandi Carlile

6.     6. My Family’s Soybean Farm by Katie Olthoff

7.     7. SHOUT by Laurie Halse Anderson

8.     8. Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love by Jonathan Van Ness

9.     9. Untamed by Glennon Doyle

10. An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo