The first index was devised to let a busy ruler know what parts of a book he could skip. Later, indexes were used to provide snarky commentary (“Let no damned Tory index my history”). And throughout, just like with every new technology, people were afraid it would turn the youth into lazy, less serious citizens of the world. If any of this sounds interesting to you, I highly recommend Index, a History of the by Dennis Duncan. I will, however, suggest reading the book versus listening to the audiobook. Index entries do not always make for the most interesting listening. 

I fell in love with Greek mythology in 4th grade. This book would not have been appropriate for me to read at 1o years old. But if you are over 18, have ever found yourself thinking “Are you fucking kidding me?” while reading Greek mythology, and still want to read more Greek mythology, then Unbelievable True* Stories from Ancient Greece by Anna Werner is the book for you. Anna’s research and deep understanding of the subject are obvious, but it is her humor that shines through as she expresses the thoughts many of us have had while reading these stories.  

If you’re lucky enough to have met Bobby Brimmer, then you have a good idea what reading G.H.O.S.T. Teams Book 1 – Magic is like. It’s his personality on the page – an action romp with a wise-cracking hero. There are fight scenes and chase scenes and unsuccessful flirting scenes. There’s not a lot of deep introspection, though there’s enough character development to show the hero isn’t perfect and has plenty to learn. But the best part of the book was that it was FUN. This was an easy read, and I will definitely be reading more of the series. 

The point of poetry is to speak directly to another’s heart, and that can be done regardless of whether or not the poems are technically good. I say this because I do not think that Collins is a technically good poet, but his poems did speak to me. Each one was a small piece of everyday life. There was no big philosophy, the things he still can’t tell are not the secrets to love or what happened after we die, but instead mundane pieces of his life he is not quite ready to share and perfect in their own way.