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My Two Cents


The Loves of My Life: A Sex Memoir, by Edmund White.
Fascinating stories, touching moments, a few truly disgusting tales, but surprisingly short on wisdom.

Arnold Plotnick
Oct 212 min read


All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me, by Patrick Bringley
A truly charming book about art, grief, parenthood, and life.

Arnold Plotnick
Oct 142 min read


Long Island, by Colm Tóibín.
A brilliant sequel to his fabulous novel Brooklyn. Five stars. You won't be able to put it down.

Arnold Plotnick
Oct 62 min read


The Minimalist Photographer: 50 Techniques for Capturing Beauty in Simplicity, by Antony Zacharias
A helpful book with excellent photos that illustrate the author's points pretty nicely.

Arnold Plotnick
Sep 292 min read


Beings, by Ilana Masad.
An intriguing book that tries to relate queer identity with alien abduction, and succeeds pretty well.

Arnold Plotnick
Sep 212 min read


Bread of Angels, by Patti Smith
One of the best memoirs I've ever read. Beautiful, vulnerable, and deeply human.

Arnold Plotnick
Sep 132 min read


Robert Frank: Trolley - New Orleans, by Lucy Gallun
One of the most enjoyable photography books I've read. Only 48 pages, but absolutely riveting. Five stars.

Arnold Plotnick
Sep 32 min read


Harsh Cravings, by Jason Haaf
Two stars, and that's being generous.

Arnold Plotnick
Aug 242 min read


Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) by Sly Stone
Impressively articulate and pretty fascinating, I must admit.

Arnold Plotnick
Aug 142 min read


Welcome Home Amsterdam – Talia Stone
A charming book of short, sweet stories that bonded me even further to the city I love.

Arnold Plotnick
Aug 42 min read


In the Absence of Men, by Philippe Besson
A great premise, but unrealistic dialog prevents it from becoming the novel it wanted to be.

Arnold Plotnick
Jul 242 min read


Captain's Dinner: A Shipwreck, An Act of Cannibalism, and a Murder that Changed Legal History.
Four men in a lifeboat. Two weeks without food. One impossible choice that would reshape the boundaries between survival and murder

Arnold Plotnick
Jul 142 min read


A Street Photography Manifesto, by Brian Lloyd Duckett.
A clear, concise book that will help you find your voice as a street photographer.

Arnold Plotnick
Jul 42 min read


I've Seen the Future and I'm Not Going: The Art Scene and Downtown New York in the 1980s (Audiobook), by Peter McGough
Two stars for this audiobook for its torturous narration (although the content was fairly irritating as well).

Arnold Plotnick
Jun 272 min read


Bug Hollow by Michelle Huneven — ★★★★
A satisfying, solid four-star novel that was interesting all the way through.

Arnold Plotnick
Jun 122 min read


Every Exit Brings You Home: A Novel by Naeem Murr
I really wanted to like this novel.

Arnold Plotnick
Jun 22 min read


Burning Down the House: Talking Heads and the New York Scene that Transformed Rock, by Jonathan Gould
An in-depth look at one of the most innovative bands in music (and a personal fave of mine)

Arnold Plotnick
May 253 min read


The Kinks are The Village Green Preservation Society, by Andy Miller
A neat little volume in the 33 1/3 series covering a fave album by a fave band.

Arnold Plotnick
May 152 min read


Gonzo: A Graphic Biography of Hunter S. Thompson, by Will Bingley and Anthony Hope-Smith
A fun read, but still falls short of its stated goal, I think.

Arnold Plotnick
May 53 min read


Near Flesh, by Katherine Dunn
A collection of bleak, disturbing stories for established Dunnophiles.

Arnold Plotnick
Apr 253 min read
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