UO Blog

From Elsewhere


02/21/13 04:17PM

Blog Staff Book Recommendations

Here at the UO blog we spend a lot of time trolling the internet. Like, a lot of time. I mean, there are thousands of cat videos out there. And although the internet is the greatest thing the world has ever seen, we can't forget about dear, sweet books. Books are still awesome! Plus, sometimes it's just cozier to curl up with a book instead of a metal laptop. So, even though none of us are book experts, we thought we'd throw out the titles of our current fave books. Spreadin' the book love, yo!



I've been re-reading Dave Egger's A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. A Gen-X manifesto, I liked the book when I first read it at 18, but now that I'm in my (guh) mid-20s, I'm really appreciating Eggers' skill and honesty. I'm also reading a comic called Y: The Last Man, about a world where every male on Earth dies in a sudden and violent manner, except for one dude. Sounds good, right? I'm just getting into it but so far it is badass.—Angelo




Right now I'm totally on a Stones binge, and this is a great book to go along with that. Aside from just chronicling the insanity of their 1972 American tour, Robert Greenfield gives a good commentary on the rock and roll scene at the time.—Maddie




The last novel I read and finished (ha!) was I Love Dick by Chris Kraus. Me and a lot of the Rookie gals are really obsessed with this one. It's a semi-autobiographical account from Kraus about falling in love with a man named Dick and the transformative, introspective journey she takes to get close to him through letters. It's radical and redefines feminism and is really great.—Hazel




I received this book over the holidays and have spent the past couple months getting acquainted with Ms. Coddington. Grace's memoir is filled with delicate illustrations that bring to life the people, places and stories that have been scattered throughout not only the book, but her long-lasting career in the fashion industry. This is one of those books that fills your eyes with wonder the minute you open your hardback and are greeted by front row she has so frequently called home. Ladies and gentleman, welcome to Grace's life. —Ally





This book, Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy, is like a little behind the scenes look at the different people who do various forms of taxidermy. It's super cool. I haven't finished it yet, but I give it a solid two thumbs up because learning how to make dead shit look neat is awesome.—Katie




I came across a dog-earned copy of this compact 1961 novel in a second-hand bookshop recently and devoured it in one afternoon. It's such a beautiful, life-affirming tale of tolerance and triumph over adversity that will make your daily dilemmas seem suddenly microscopic. Also, the beatnik-era New York dialogue is the best. It was a pretty gutsy book for its time, candidly exploring issues of race and disability, and was made into the equally boundary-breaking 1965 film of the same name starring Sidney Poitier and Shelley Winters.—Natalie