I grew up in upstate NY.
Somewhere in the liminal space between the hopeful voyeurism of The Truman Show and the pitch-black techno-dystopian near-future of Black Mirror exists Samanta Schweblin’s new masterpiece Little Eyes. Unsettling in its plausibility, this is more a cautionary tale of the present than of the future. In an era of pervasive self-surveillance and anonymous connectivity, an age of avatars, dashcams, trolling, and live streaming, Schweblin deftly observes the humanity that blooms, the obsession that lurks, and the depravity that curdles behind our screens. Each compulsive arc in this novel lands with a Dan Chaon-like crunch of shock, betrayal, humiliation, and consequence. The less I say about the intermingling plots, however, the better. ~ Reviewed by Joe Michon-Huneau
A big, nostalgic, visual love poem to the sea—an ode to the oceans of the world. Gorgeous seascapes and really dynamic shots of penguins, whales, seals, and coral. Blackwell peppers in his insights and reflections on being in and near the ocean. I love this book! ~ Reviewed by Joe Michon-Huneau
Bill Bryson has done it again! With his trademark charm and stylistic wit, Bryson offers a unique system-by-system tour of your own body. While his previous foray into science, A Short History of Nearly Everything, offered an expansive look outward, here he focuses inward. With frequent detours highlighting fascinating medical innovations and oddities along the way, he’s able to capture the fullness of the bodily experience in ways both incisive and entertaining. A perfect gift for the curious. ~ Reviewed by Joe Michon-Huneau
A dark, absurdist, hilariously irreverent take on the apocalypse and death, told in sticky note sketches. I first discovered Hertzfeldt’s distinctive stick figure style via Youtube over a decade ago in an animated video called “Rejected,” a series of increasingly existential rejected ads that earned Hertzfeldt an Oscar nomination (seriously, look it up). In book form, his mutant imagination channels Gary Larson, Randall Munroe, and Edward Gorey alike. A perfect gift for black sheep and weirdos. ~ Reviewed by Joe Michon-Huneau
If George Saunders and Nora Ephron had hit it off at a party some 30-odd years ago, Bob-Waksberg could conceivably have been their unintended consequence. His stories ripple with a similar depth and goofiness that made his animated series BoJack Horseman such a hit. Each story is about the lunacy of romance: a dog details in dog-speak the intricacies of his owner’s failed relationship; a scientist has an affair with the parallel universe version of his own wife; a deceptively simple list of lies a couple has told each other. Though strange and humorous, each one struck several chords of recognition: desire, anxiety, heartache. ~ Reviewed by Joe Michon-Huneau
Northshire Manchester
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Northshire Saratoga
424 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
ph. 518.682.4200
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