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My Two Cents


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
6 days ago2 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


The Secret Public: How LGBTQ Performers Shaped Popular Culture (1955 - 1979)
Massive. Informative. Fascinating. A huge undertaking, but worth the time. It took me nearly seven weeks to finish Jon Savage’s massive The Secret Public: How LGBTQ Performers Shaped Popular Culture (1955–1979) — which, for a compulsive reader like me, qualifies as a major time commitment. But it was worth every dense, fascinating, and occasionally maddening page. I suspected I’d love it before I cracked the open. Savage wrote England’s Dreaming , still the gold standard o

Arnold Plotnick
Apr 153 min read


On This Date - The Jam (w. Tuff Darts) at CBGB's Second Avenue Theater
An early, amazing punk concert. One of the best nights of my youth.

Arnold Plotnick
Mar 313 min read


No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson, by Gardiner Harris
An infuriating book about a truly despicable company.

Arnold Plotnick
Mar 222 min read


The Slip: A Novel by Lucas Schaefer
Three stars for this coming-of-age boxing mystery.

Arnold Plotnick
Mar 152 min read


Playworld, by Adam Ross
An unforgettable year in the life of a child actor coming of age in classic '80's Manhattan

Arnold Plotnick
Mar 72 min read


Mothers and Sons, by Adam Haslett
My first book of 2026. A fabulous, devastating novel. Five star material.

Arnold Plotnick
Feb 282 min read
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