Books Read 2023

Graphic Novels

A lot of rereads because I picked up print copies…

• Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years

  Lois Lane: A Celebration of 75 Years

• Wonder Woman: A Celebration of 75 Years

• The Love and Rockets Companion: 30 Years

• Alias Omnibus by Brian Michael Bendis

• Batman Adventures: Mad Love Deluxe Edition by Paul Dini

• Transformers : Evolutions - Hearts of Steel by Chuck Dixon

• Batman: The Brave & the Bold: The Bronze Age Vol. 1 by Bob Haney

• Love and Rockets: The Covers by Gilbert Hernández

• Penny Century by Jaime Hernández

• Maggie the Mechanic by Jaime Hernández

• Esperanza: A Love and Rockets Book by Jaime Hernández

• Tonta by Jaime Hernández

• Angels And Magpies by Jaime Hernández

• Perla la Loca by Jaime Hernández

• The Girl from H.O.P.P.E.R.S. by Jaime Hernández

• Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? The Deluxe Edition by Alan Moore

• Transformers: Lost Light, Vol. 1 by James Roberts,

• Marvel Masterworks: the X-men 3 by Roy Thomas

• Marvel Masterworks: the X-men 4 by Roy Thomas

Gaming

• Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games by Matt Barton

• Boss Fight Books #28 Final Fantasy VI by Sebastian Deken

• Hardcore Gaming 101 Presents: Castlevania by Kurt Kalata

• The Secret History of Mac Gaming by Richard Moss

• The Apple II Age: How the Computer Became Personal by Laine Nooney

• Super Nes Works Volume I: 1991 by Jeremy Parish

• NES Works Volume III: 1987 by Jeremy Parish

• 50 Years of Text Games: From Oregon Trail to A.I. Dungeon by Aaron A. Reed

Fiction

Again, some rereads because I picked up print copies…

• The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

• Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene

• Sweeney Astray by Seamus Heaney

• The Midnight Verdict: Translations from the Irish of Brian Merriman and from the Metamorphoses of Ovid by Seamus Heaney

• The Testament of Cresseid & Seven Fables Robert Henryson, Seamus Heaney (Translator)

• The Translations of Seamus Heaney

• The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

• The Call of Cthulhu and Other Dark Tales by H.P. Lovecraft

• A Doll's House and Other Plays (Penguin) by Henrik Ibsen

• Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

• The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson

Non-Fiction

• The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams: The Complete, Uncensored, and Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek

• Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire (edited by Jehad Abusalim)

• The Price of the Ticket: Collected Nonfiction: 1948–1985 by James Baldwin

• Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions: The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights by Omar Barghouti

• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: A Norton Critical Edition (translated by Marie Borroff)

• Confronting Authority: Reflections of an Ardent Protester by Derrick A. Bell

• Frames of War: When is Life Grievable? by Judith Butler

• Life Against Dementia: Essays, Reviews, Interviews 1975-2011 by Joe Carducci

• Abolition. Feminism. Now. (Edited by Angela Y. Davis)

• Cinema 1: The Movement-Image by Gilles Deleuze

• Our Team: The Epic Story of Four Men and the World Series That Changed Baseball by Luke Epplin

• Revolution at Point Zero: Housework, Reproduction, and Feminist Struggle by Silvia Federici

• Silence is No Reaction: Forty Years of Subhumans by Ian Glasper

• Work Won't Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone by Sarah Jaffe

• Superheroes, Movies, and the State: How the U.S. Government Shapes Cinematic Universes by Tricia Jenkins

• Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages by Dan Jones

• The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors by Dan Jones

• Abolition for the People: The Movement for a Future without Policing & Prisons (edited by Colin Kaepernick)

• Our History Has Always Been Contraband: In Defense of Black Studies (edited by Colin Kaepernick)

• Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution by Neil Lanctot

• The Ninety-Five Theses and Other Writings by Martin Luther

• Knowledge Socialism: The Rise of Peer Production: Collegiality, Collaboration, and Collective Intelligence (edited by Michael A. Peters)

• Daily Life in the Medieval Islamic World by James E. Lindsay

• Care: The Highest Stage of Capitalism by Premilla Nadasen

• Jean Arthur: The Actress Nobody Knew by John Oller

• Revelations of Divine Love (Penguin) by Julian of Norwich

• Cities of Ladies: Beguine Communities in the Medieval Low Countries, 12-1565 by Walter Simons

• Making It So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart

• The Hours Have Lost Their Clock: The Politics of Nostalgia by Grafton Tanner

• Wages for Housework: A History of an International Feminist Movement, 1972-77 by Louise Toupin

• As Serious As Your Life: Black Music and the Free Jazz Revolution, 1957–1977 by Val Wilmer

• A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and A Vindication of the Rights of Men (Oxford) by Mary Wollstonecraft

Episode 70: Castlevania Symphony Of The Night

One of the best games ever and we are finally covering it! Join me, won't you, to discuss why I didn't like SoTN when it came out and how I see it now as one of video gaming's true masterpieces.

Instead of a Patreon, consider donating to our Extra Life charity drive. We are raising money for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. We raised $335 in 2019. So far in 2020 we have raised $105.

On Thursday nights around 7pm I stream old and new games until around 9pm. Check out my Twitch page for more information and a tentative schedule.

We are also on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher. You can also download episodes from the Internet Archive.

You can view our game ranking list here.

Show Links

• Jeremy Parish's Gintendo stream for the Saturn version of Symphony Of The Night.

• Legends of Localization on SoTN's intro scene.

• Nadia Oxford on SoTN.

• Oxford on Simon's Quest and Bloodstained.

One of the best games ever and we are finally covering it! Join me, won't you, to discuss why I didn't like SoTN when it came out and how I see it now as one of video gaming's true masterpieces. Instead of a Patreon, consider donating to our Extra Life charity drive.

Books Read In 2018

1. The Conversations by Cesar Aira

2. Culture & Anarchy by Matthew Arnold

3. Transformers Volume 7: Combiner Wars by John Barber

4. Things That Make White People Uncomfortable by Michael Bennett

5. The Chapo Guide to Revolution: A Manifesto Against Logic, Facts, and Reason by Chapo Trape House

6. Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet by Ta-Nehisi Coates

7. Break Out: How the Apple II Launched the PC Gaming Revolution by David L. Craddock

8. Revolution and the Word: The Rise of the Novel in America by Cathy Davidson

9. Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion

10. The Oxford Companion To Shakespeare by Michael Dobson

11. White Riot: Punk Rock and the Politics of Race by Stephen Duncombe

12. Lockdown High: When the Schoolhouse Becomes a Jailhouse by Annette Fuentes

13. The Bending Cross: A Biography of Eugene Victor Debs by Ray Ginger

14. The Day the Country Died: A History of Anarcho Punk 1980–1984 by Ian Glasper

15. Classic GI Joe Volume One by Steven Grant

16. More Than a Score: The New Uprising Against High-Stakes Testing by Jesse Hagopian

17. Long Shot: The Triumphs and Struggles of an NBA Freedom Fighter by Craig Hodges

18. The Odyssey by Homer (Barry Powell translation)

19. The Odyssey by Homer (Emily Wilson translation)

20. Going Underground: American Punk 1979-1989 by George Hurchalla

21. Pillars of Society by Henrik Ibsen

22. When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History Of Racial Inequality In Twentieth Century America by Ira Katznelson

23. All Labor Has Dignity by Martin Luther King Jr.

24. Bad Girls: Young Women, Sex, and Rebellion before the Sixties by Amanda Littauer

25. The People of the Abyss by Jack London

26. Liberalism: A Counter History by Domenico Losurdo

27. How to Create the Perfect Wife: Britain’s Most Ineligible Bachelor and his Enlightened Quest to Train the Ideal Mate by Wendy Moore

28. The Mosaic of Islam by Suleiman Mourad

29. The Law of the Father? Patriarchy in the Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism by Mary Murray

30. Crazy Like A Fox: The Definitive Chronicle of Brian Pillman 20 Years Later by Liam O'Rourke

31. Good Nintentions: 30 Years of NES: An Unofficial Survey of the Nintendo Entertainment System by Jeremy Parish

32. Uneven Developments: The Ideological Work of Gender in Mid-Victorian England by Mary Poovey

33. Black Panther: The Complete Collection Volume One by Christopher Priest

34. The Death of WCW (10th Anniversary Edition) by RD Deynolds

35. Cosmos by Carl Sagan

36. Transformers: Combiner Wars by Mairghread Scott

37. Shakespeare's Hamlet: Manga Edition by William Shakespeare

38. A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599 by James Shapiro

39. Nabakov's Shakespeare by Samuel Schuman

40. Hegemony How-To: A Roadmap for Radicals by Jonathan Smucker

41. Space Is The Place: The Lives & Times Of Sun Ra by John F. Szwed

42. Shakespeare, Dissent, and the Cold War by Alfred Thomas

43. Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Fool's Gold by David Tipton

44. English Novel in History, 1895-1920 (The Novel in History) by David Trotter

45. The Illogic of Kassel by Enrique Vila-Matas

46. Crime, Gender and Social Order in Early Modern England by Garthine Walker

47. The New Atheist Threat: The Dangerous Rise of Secular Extremists by CJ Werleman

48. Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

49. Citizens to Lords: A Social History of Western Political Thought from Antiquity to the Late Middle Ages by Ellen Meiksins Wood

Weekly Reader

• Nadia Oxford on Breath of the Wild.

• Michelle Alexander on e-carceration.

• Emily Wilson on translating The Odyssey.

• Jeremy Parish on the legacy of the first Metal Gear game.

Episode XVIII: Metal Gear (NES)

Metal Gear was an "okay" game that frustrated me in many places. In 1989, I would have never believed it would become such a popular gaming franchise to this very day. Before we start: Just wanted to warn that there is some discussion of PTSD and domestic violence near the middle of this episode.

We are also on iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher. You can also download episodes from the Internet Archive. Please consider becoming a Patron of the podcast.

We will be on hiatus during August. There MIGHT be some content in the feed at some point during the month, but normal episodes will resume on September 1st.

Links

• Cart-Ography Stream #001: Let's Map Metal Gear, Pt. 1

Worth Reading

1. Nina Illingworth on the homophobic "humor" of liberalism.
2. Jeremy Parish's great series about Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
3. Luke Savage on how liberals fell in love with the horrific show The West Wing.
4. R.L. Stephens on Ta Nehisi Coates.
5. Jessica Wilkerson on the Appalachia.
6. Amber A'Lee Frost on current leftist protests.
7. Anthony Pappalardo on the youth crew aesthetic.
8. Jessa Crispin on identity and amnesia.
9. Angela Nagle on The Handmaid's Tale.
10. Miya Tokumitsu on the vast control employers have over the lives of employees.

Books Read In 2016

1. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
2. A People's History of Christianity: The Other Side of the Story by Diana Butler Bass
3. The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome by Susan Wise Bauer
4. The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade by Susan Wise Bauer
5. Heavy Metal Music In Britain by Gerd Bayer
6. The Slow Professor: Challenging the Culture of Speed in the Academy by Maggie Berg
7. The Smart Girl's Guide to Privacy: Practical Tips for Staying Safe Online by Violet Blue
8. Monsieur Pain by Roberto Bolano
9. Nazi Literature In The Americas by Roberto Bolano
10. The Unknown University by Roberto Bolano
11. The Secret History of Science Fiction by T.C. Boyle
12. The Sorcerer's Daughter: The Defenders of Shannara by Terry Brooks
13. Letters, 1941-1985 by Italo Calvino
14. Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History Of The Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang
15. Lion's Pride: The Turbulent History of New Japan Pro Wrestling by Chris Charlton
16. X-Men: Days Of Future Past by Chris Claremont
17. Disgrace: A Novel by J.M. Coetzee
18. Panther In The Hive by Olivia A. Cole
19. Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy: The Many Faces of Anonymous by Gabriella Coleman
20. The Student Loan Scam: The Most Oppressive Debt in U.S. History and How We Can Fight Back by Alan Collinge
21. Secret Identity Crisis: Comic Books and the Unmasking of Cold War America by Matthew J. Costello
22. Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica by Kevin Courrier
23. Unfortunately, It Was Paradise: Selected Poems by Mahmoud Darwish
24. Star Trek Archives: The Best Of Peter David
25. Women In Class Struggle by Marlene Dixon
26. Mystery Science Storybook: Bedtime Tales Based on the Worst Movies Ever by Sugar Ray Dodge
27. The Life Engineered by JF Dubeau
28. Husker Du: The Story Of The Noise-Pop Pioneers Who Launched Modern Rock by Andrew Earles
29. On Literature by Umberto Eco
30. Selected Essays, Poems, and Other Writings by George Eliot
31. Picture Windows: How The Suburbs Happened by Elizabeth Ewen
32. False Choices: The Faux Feminism Of Hilary Rodham Clinton by Liza Featherstone
33. Welcome To Night Vale: A Novel by Joseph Fink
34. The Minutemen's Double Nickels on the Dime by Michael Fournier
35. Nirvana's In Utero by Gillian Gaar
36. Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? by Neil Gaiman
37. The Game of Our Lives: The English Premier League and the Making of Modern Britain by David Goldblatt
38. Imagine: Living In A Socialist USA by Frances Goldin
39. Anxiety: A Short History by Allan V. Horwitz
40. Queen Of Chaos: The Misadventures Of Hillary Clinton by Diana Johnstone
41. The Walking Dead Volume One by Robert Kirkman
42. The Walking Dead Volume Two by Robert Kirkman
43. Capitalism: A Short History by Jurgen Kocka
44. Flu: The Story Of The Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus that Caused It by Gina Kolata
45. State & Revolution by Vladimir Lenin
46. Daredevil: Born Again by Frank Miller
47. Milton and the Post-Secular Present: Ethics, Politics, Terrorism by Feisal Mohamed
48. All Star Superman by Grant Morrison
49. Alice Munro's Best: Selected Stories by Alice Munro
50. Batman & Green Arrow: The Poison Tomorrow by Dennis O'Neil
51. The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized, History by John Ortved
52. Game Boy World: 1989: A History of Nintendo Game Boy, Volume One by Jeremy Parish
53. The Apology by Plato
54. The Reactionary Mind: Conservatism from Edmund Burke to Sarah Palin by Corey Rubin
55. Islamic Science and the Making of the European Renaissance by Goerge Saliba
56. The Assasination Complex: Inside The Government's Secret Drone Warface Program by Jeremy Scahill
57. Batgirl 2012 Annual by Gail Simone
58. Lumberjanes Volume One by Noelle Stevenson
59. Lumberjanes Volume Two by Noelle Stevenson
60. The ABCs Of Socialism by Bhaskar Sunkara
61. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia by Patrick Thorpe
62. The People: The Rise and Fall of the Working Class, 1910-2010 by Selina Todd
63. The Monsters Of Education Technology by Audrey Watters
64. Lumberjanes Volume Three by Shannon Watters
65. Lumberjanes Volume Four by Shannon Watters
66. Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism by Max Weber
67. Race Matters by Cornell West
68. Crisis On Infinite Earths by Marv Wolfman
69. A Vindication Of The Rights Of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft