Chad Comello
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  • Favorite Books of 2022

    Gotta be honest: 2022 wasn’t a great reading year for me. I read 22 books, which was much worse than 31 in 2021 and just barely better than the 18 in 2020. A lot of my potential reading opportunities were either taken up by movie watching, Cinema Sugar, or other leisure activities. Not a bad…

    January 17, 2023
    Books
    best of, books, lists
  • At home in the Library of Congress

    In a delightful convergence of two of my favorite things, Steven Johnson wrote about a research trip to the Library of Congress: Everything about my visit was an object lesson how a government agency can make a public resource available to its citizens in an efficient, useful, and even aesthetically-pleasing fashion. I am generally not…

    June 10, 2022
    Libraries
    democracy, libraries, Library of Congress, politics, quotes, Steven Johnson
  • Media of the moment

    An ongoing series Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer by Steven Johnson. My favorite author does it again, using his signature storytelling savvy to explain how human life expectancy has doubled in the last century. Vaccines, epidemiology, pasteurization, drug regulation, penicillin, and automobile safety sound like dry topics, but how they came to…

    February 16, 2022
    Books, Film
    books, media of the moment, movies
  • Favorite Books of 2021

    In 2021 I read 31 books. That’s 13 more than my record-low in 2020, so that’s nice. Regardless, my prime directive as a librarian and reader remains to follow my own reading values. Don’t worry about the quantity. Read serendipitously and at whim. Don’t forget fiction. And heed the Pollanian reading maxim. With that in…

    January 13, 2022
    Books
    best of, books, lists, review
  • Media of the moment

    An ongoing series of what I’ve read, seen, and heard lately Schmigadoon. Though its story is a little loose at the edges throughout the show’s short six-episode run, the central conceit of a couple getting stuck inside the world of an old-timey musical was a fun journey. Watch out for “Corn Puddin’” because it’s an…

    August 25, 2021
    Books, Film, Music
    books, film, media of the moment, movies, television
  • The Ghost Map

    When I learned Steven Johnson (my favorite author) has a new book out, it prompted me to finally read one of his previous books that’s been on my list for a while. The Ghost Map: The Story of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World was a timely read,…

    June 16, 2021
    Books, Science
    books, quotes, review, Steven Johnson
  • Favorite Books of 2020

    In his year-end summary of reading, Seth Godin wrote: “Books are an extraordinary device, transitioning through time and space, moving from person to person and leaving behind insight and connection. I’m grateful every single day for the privilege of being able to read (and to write).” I read 18 books in 2020. For some people…

    January 5, 2021
    Books
    Alan Jacobs, best of, books, James Nestor, Jeopardy, lists, Max Brooks, parenting, reading, review, Richard Linklater, Steven Johnson, World War II
  • Media of the moment

    An ongoing series on books, movies, and music I’ve encountered recently. Songs for Singin’ by the Okee Dokee Brothers. My eager anticipation was rewarded with this double-album’s worth of characteristically clever, catchy, and joyful tunes. I may have teared up during “Jubilation”. The Last Temptation of Christ. Sure, there are few regrettably ’80s moments and…

    June 30, 2020
    Books, Film
    books, film, media of the moment, movies, music
  • Favorite Books of the 2010s

    See also: my favorite films, TV shows, and albums of the 2010s. This list happens to coincide perfectly with the period of time I began (1) reading for fun once I graduated college, (2) tracking my reading, and (3) reading a lot more. This means I had tons of titles to consider. I forced myself…

    December 12, 2019
    Books
    best of, books, lists
  • Favorite books of 2018

    Goodreads tells me I read 72 books this year. Though I didn’t read as many as last year, with a baby on the way I’ve been trying to read abundantly while I can, for both quality and quantity. Here are the books published in 2018 that I enjoyed the most. (See previous best-of book lists.)…

    January 2, 2019
    Books
    best of, books, Coen Brothers, lists, Oklahoma City, quotes, review, The Odyssey
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