Brendan
@brendanbe.bsky.social
monthly reading updates; occasional reply guy
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Brendan
@brendanbe.bsky.social
· Dec 31
A somewhat @backlisted.bsky.social - inflected selection of my favorite books of 2024. I finished only 41 this year, but at least Middlemarch was one of them
September 30 | October 1
October 1, 2026 at 2:00 AM
September 30 | October 1
My bday presents to myself just arrived from England, both @backlisted.bsky.social coded: the Gaining Ground rerun obviously, but Andy read some Benson poems years ago (she’s mostly unpublished in the US) and now I'm hooked.
Bless @blackwells.bsky.social for shipping over here for free
#booksky
Bless @blackwells.bsky.social for shipping over here for free
#booksky
September 10, 2026 at 9:31 PM
My bday presents to myself just arrived from England, both @backlisted.bsky.social coded: the Gaining Ground rerun obviously, but Andy read some Benson poems years ago (she’s mostly unpublished in the US) and now I'm hooked.
Bless @blackwells.bsky.social for shipping over here for free
#booksky
Bless @blackwells.bsky.social for shipping over here for free
#booksky
“Did Pnin have hoes?”
— @tricialockwood.bsky.social and @lrb.co.uk truly earning my $ for this subscription podcast today
— @tricialockwood.bsky.social and @lrb.co.uk truly earning my $ for this subscription podcast today
August 17, 2026 at 1:59 PM
“Did Pnin have hoes?”
— @tricialockwood.bsky.social and @lrb.co.uk truly earning my $ for this subscription podcast today
— @tricialockwood.bsky.social and @lrb.co.uk truly earning my $ for this subscription podcast today
Reposted by Brendan
My July in books: this is what peak performance looks like for an English teacher home for the summer with few responsibilities other than walking a dog and cooking.
(Books read on the left; books bought on the right)
YTD: 33 read, 21 bought
#booksky #litfic #poetrysky
(Books read on the left; books bought on the right)
YTD: 33 read, 21 bought
#booksky #litfic #poetrysky
August 1, 2026 at 11:22 AM
My July in books: this is what peak performance looks like for an English teacher home for the summer with few responsibilities other than walking a dog and cooking.
(Books read on the left; books bought on the right)
YTD: 33 read, 21 bought
#booksky #litfic #poetrysky
(Books read on the left; books bought on the right)
YTD: 33 read, 21 bought
#booksky #litfic #poetrysky
My July in books: this is what peak performance looks like for an English teacher home for the summer with few responsibilities other than walking a dog and cooking.
(Books read on the left; books bought on the right)
YTD: 33 read, 21 bought
#booksky #litfic #poetrysky
(Books read on the left; books bought on the right)
YTD: 33 read, 21 bought
#booksky #litfic #poetrysky
August 1, 2026 at 11:22 AM
My July in books: this is what peak performance looks like for an English teacher home for the summer with few responsibilities other than walking a dog and cooking.
(Books read on the left; books bought on the right)
YTD: 33 read, 21 bought
#booksky #litfic #poetrysky
(Books read on the left; books bought on the right)
YTD: 33 read, 21 bought
#booksky #litfic #poetrysky
I'm finally reading Under the Volcano, and (sort of inspired by a classic @backlisted.bsky.social episode that re-ran this year), I'm going to pair it with a bottle of $60 mezcal. Bad idea? Probably, but I'm on summer break, so. Watch this space to see which I finish first ... or vice versa #booksky
July 13, 2026 at 8:05 PM
I'm finally reading Under the Volcano, and (sort of inspired by a classic @backlisted.bsky.social episode that re-ran this year), I'm going to pair it with a bottle of $60 mezcal. Bad idea? Probably, but I'm on summer break, so. Watch this space to see which I finish first ... or vice versa #booksky
Finally got deep enough into my TBR pile to read the subject of one of the most poignant @backlisted.bsky.social episodes ever, released less than two weeks before the author died at 96.
It's great, and not enough people know about it — echt Backlisted. www.backlisted.fm/episodes/222...
#booksky
It's great, and not enough people know about it — echt Backlisted. www.backlisted.fm/episodes/222...
#booksky
June 23, 2026 at 12:35 PM
Finally got deep enough into my TBR pile to read the subject of one of the most poignant @backlisted.bsky.social episodes ever, released less than two weeks before the author died at 96.
It's great, and not enough people know about it — echt Backlisted. www.backlisted.fm/episodes/222...
#booksky
It's great, and not enough people know about it — echt Backlisted. www.backlisted.fm/episodes/222...
#booksky
Books read (l.) and bought (r.) in May.
The McNally Jackson reprint of "The Planets" is a gorgeous resurrection of a seventies artifact — a decorated hardcover with no dust jacket (although, weirdly, whoever designed it gets no credit inside)
YTD: 19 read, 13 bought
#booksky #litfic #poetrysky
The McNally Jackson reprint of "The Planets" is a gorgeous resurrection of a seventies artifact — a decorated hardcover with no dust jacket (although, weirdly, whoever designed it gets no credit inside)
YTD: 19 read, 13 bought
#booksky #litfic #poetrysky
June 1, 2026 at 10:14 PM
Books read (l.) and bought (r.) in May.
The McNally Jackson reprint of "The Planets" is a gorgeous resurrection of a seventies artifact — a decorated hardcover with no dust jacket (although, weirdly, whoever designed it gets no credit inside)
YTD: 19 read, 13 bought
#booksky #litfic #poetrysky
The McNally Jackson reprint of "The Planets" is a gorgeous resurrection of a seventies artifact — a decorated hardcover with no dust jacket (although, weirdly, whoever designed it gets no credit inside)
YTD: 19 read, 13 bought
#booksky #litfic #poetrysky
May 22, 2026 at 11:06 AM
Books read (l.) and bought (r.) in April. (The Lerner and Riley are rare examples of me reading books as soon as I got them, so they count toward both totals.)
YTD: 15 read, 11 bought
#booksky #litfic #poetrysky
YTD: 15 read, 11 bought
#booksky #litfic #poetrysky
May 1, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Books read (l.) and bought (r.) in April. (The Lerner and Riley are rare examples of me reading books as soon as I got them, so they count toward both totals.)
YTD: 15 read, 11 bought
#booksky #litfic #poetrysky
YTD: 15 read, 11 bought
#booksky #litfic #poetrysky
[Gift link]
“Come back from the brink, Mr. Saunders. Please don’t disappear up your own kazoo.”
Dwight Garner is NOT a fan of George Saunders’s new book! I’ve got tickets to see him tonight in Brooklyn and will be reading the fuck out of it anyway
#bookskyn #litfic
“Come back from the brink, Mr. Saunders. Please don’t disappear up your own kazoo.”
Dwight Garner is NOT a fan of George Saunders’s new book! I’ve got tickets to see him tonight in Brooklyn and will be reading the fuck out of it anyway
#bookskyn #litfic
George Saunders Serves a Heavy Helping of Virtue in a New Novel
www.nytimes.com
January 26, 2026 at 4:12 PM
@biancatherosestone.bsky.social ’s new book arrived in the mail today, and before I even get to the poems I’m marveling at what a beautifully designed volume it is
(Design credit to Beth Steidle at @tinhouse.bsky.social )
#booksky #poetry #poetrysky
(Design credit to Beth Steidle at @tinhouse.bsky.social )
#booksky #poetry #poetrysky
January 16, 2026 at 10:59 PM
@biancatherosestone.bsky.social ’s new book arrived in the mail today, and before I even get to the poems I’m marveling at what a beautifully designed volume it is
(Design credit to Beth Steidle at @tinhouse.bsky.social )
#booksky #poetry #poetrysky
(Design credit to Beth Steidle at @tinhouse.bsky.social )
#booksky #poetry #poetrysky
New favorite hat just arrived from @nyrb-imprints.bsky.social — it’ll serve as an expression of my opinion of the state of things, as well as a way to identify my Labatut homies in the wild
#booksky #litfic
#booksky #litfic
January 9, 2026 at 8:35 PM
New favorite hat just arrived from @nyrb-imprints.bsky.social — it’ll serve as an expression of my opinion of the state of things, as well as a way to identify my Labatut homies in the wild
#booksky #litfic
#booksky #litfic
Now seated at The 92nd St. Y and fanboying tf out (moderately!). Yakkin’ about William Maxwell, let’s go @backlisted.bsky.social
October 27, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Now seated at The 92nd St. Y and fanboying tf out (moderately!). Yakkin’ about William Maxwell, let’s go @backlisted.bsky.social
I usually wait till the weekend to listen, so I didn't know till yesterday that Backlisted is doing a live show at 92NY in October (!!!)
I metaphorically jumped on those tickets, & it's a good thing this is the internet because I might have physically shoved people out of the way for them
I metaphorically jumped on those tickets, & it's a good thing this is the internet because I might have physically shoved people out of the way for them
New episode up now. A Taste of Honey by Shelagh Delaney, with guests Dave Haslam and Melanie Williams in conversation with Andy Miller, Una McCormack and Nicky Birch. @davehaslam.bsky.social @britfilmmelanie.bsky.social @unamccormack.bsky.social www.backlisted.fm/episodes/245...
245. A Taste of Honey by Shelagh Delaney — Backlisted
Dave Haslam and Melanie Williams join us to discuss A Taste of Honey (1958), Shelagh Delaney's first play, written and produced when the author was not yet 20 years old. To describe this as an ...
www.backlisted.fm
August 9, 2025 at 3:50 PM
I usually wait till the weekend to listen, so I didn't know till yesterday that Backlisted is doing a live show at 92NY in October (!!!)
I metaphorically jumped on those tickets, & it's a good thing this is the internet because I might have physically shoved people out of the way for them
I metaphorically jumped on those tickets, & it's a good thing this is the internet because I might have physically shoved people out of the way for them