Adam B.
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allthingsbooks.bsky.social
Adam B.
@allthingsbooks.bsky.social
220 followers 380 following 330 posts
Teacher, optimist, and book nerd living in Wisconsin.
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allthingsbooks.bsky.social
Saw "Wake Up Dead Man" tonight and highly recommend it. Rian Johnson honors the locked room mystery while also poking fun at its more preposterous aspects. The story is thrilling, and every actor is giving 100%.

And as a fan of Poirot-style mysteries, I was giddy at every twist and turn. 1/
An advertisement for "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery." The image is of the film's main characters standing around an open grave. We are looking up from the bottom of the grave. The most prominent of the characters is at the foot of the grave: Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc. The roof and steeple of an old church are in the background.
November 29, 2025 at 3:53 AM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
For anyone in Wisconsin who saw Tammy Baldwin's name on this list and was instantly enraged (like I was), it appears that she's a "No" on the bill, per journalist Molly Beck on the former Twitter site. This Threads list was wrong.
A screenshot from X (formerly Twitter), in which Wisconsin journalist Molly Beck quotes Senator Tammy Baldwin: "A wink and a nod to deal with this health care crisis later--with no actual guarantees--is just not enough for me or the Wisconsin families I work for."
November 10, 2025 at 1:27 AM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
I saw her name on that list and was enraged. She's my senator and has done a good job holding the line against Trump (other than her support for Duffy, which is unforgivable). Voting "yes" on this bill just seemed out or character for her.

Glad to see that list was wrong.
A screenshot from X (formerly Twitter), of Wisconsin reporter Molly Beck quoting Senator Tammy Baldwin: "A wink and a nod to deal with this health care crisis later--with no actual guarantees--is just not enough for me or the Wisconsin families I work for."
November 10, 2025 at 1:25 AM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
The new Mavis Staples album came out yesterday, and it's beautiful. Probably one of my favorite albums of 2025.

To be 86 years old and still putting out strong, soulful music that speaks to who we are (and who we can be) is such an accomplishment.

Cannot wait to see her live in Chicago.
The cover of Mavis Staples's album "Sad and Beautiful World." The album cover has no words. It shows Mavis, dressed in black, sitting at a small kitchen table. The two windows behind her have curtains drawn over them. Staples is looking down rather than at the camera, and her hands are clasped.
November 8, 2025 at 10:57 PM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
When people talk about the loss of physical media, they usually focus on DVDs and CDs, and for good reason.

But I worry about audiobooks.

Which is why I went to a library book sale this weekend and bought a stack of audiobooks for $6. #BookSky 1/
Two stacks of audiobooks from a library book sale: "M Train" by Patti Smith "A Life in Parts" by Bryan Cranston "The Best Cook in the World" by Rick Bragg "Jacksonland" by Steve Inskeep "Feel Free" by Zadie Smith "Liarmouth" by John Waters "Cane" by Jean Toomer "Rough Draft" by Katy Tur "Raising Lazarus" by Beth Macy "Dopesick" by Beth Macy "My Life in Middlemarch" by Rebecca Mead "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain "My Life on the Road" by Gloria Steinem
November 2, 2025 at 2:21 AM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
Weekend plans... #booksky
A photo of me holding a copy of Thomas Pynchon's new novel, "Shadow Ticket." There is a Barnes & Noble sticker on the cover.
October 10, 2025 at 12:41 AM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
These two books have been sitting on my shelves for quite a while. Looks like it's time to actually read them. #NobelPrize #BookSky
The covers of two books by László Krasznahorkai, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature this morning: "Baron Weckheim's Homecoming" and "Satantango." But books have red covers with no illustrations.
October 9, 2025 at 11:58 AM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
Two innings down. This is one hell of a game so far. #Brewers #ThisIsMyCrew
October 4, 2025 at 7:12 PM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
"The Last Castle" is not a particularly good movie, but it's worth watching for the ending. Seeing Robert Redford righteously and methodically destroy James Gandolini's corrupt prison is 20 minutes you will not regret. Two acting titans giving 110%. #MovieSky
A screenshot from "The Last Castle." Robert Redford is on the right, and he's facing James Gandolfini on the left. Other prisoners stand in the background.
September 16, 2025 at 2:55 PM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
Reiner's output from 1984 to 1992 is just astonishing. I can't think of many other directors who had a run like this.
A screenshot from imdb.com, of Rob Reiner's directorial projects: "The Princess Bride" in 1987, "When Harry Met Sally" in 1989, "Misery" in 1990, and "A Few Good Men" in 1992. A screenshot from imdb.com, of Rob Reiner's directorial projects: "This Is Spinal Tap" in 1984, "The Sure Thing" in 1985, and "Stand By Me" in 1986.
September 13, 2025 at 4:29 PM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
Eleventh Book: "The Sirens of Titan" by Kurt Vonnegut.

This was probably the wrong time to read a comic sci-fi novel about the lack of agency we have over our own lives. I love Vonnegut's work, but this one left me feeling cold. Though maybe that was the point? #BookSky
The cover of Kurt Vonnegut's novel "The Sirens of Titan." The cover is mostly purple. The author's name is in yellow font at the top; the title of the books is written in black font below. To the left are three yellow eyes floating on the cover. (In the novel, a character named Salo has three eyes.)
August 11, 2025 at 1:51 AM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
Watched the "Naked Gun" reboot today. I grew up with the originals and love them, so I was apprehensive. But it's good.

Is it as good as the originals? Of course not. But the gags were silly and plentiful. Also, Pamela Anderson steals the show. Her jazz club routine had me laughing so hard I cried.
The poster for "The Naked Gun," which features Liam Neeson in a suit and tie, with a badge on his belt, holding a gun and looking serious. Pamela Anderson is at his side in a red dress. There are at least seven random hands touching either Anderson or Neeson. A still from "The Naked Gun," in which Pamela Anderson stands on a stage in a jazz club. She is wearing a black dress and looking out seductively at the audience. Behind her are the musicians in the jazz band, standing in front of curtains.
August 7, 2025 at 8:24 PM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
It wasn't the most explosive moment, but halfway through "Parasite," when the fired housekeeper's face appears on the video monitor, the atmosphere in the entire theatre changed. And when she opened the secret door in the basement? Forget it.
A still from the movie "Parasite," in which the housekeeper is seen on a video monitor. She is outside the front gate in a storm, asking to be let in.
August 1, 2025 at 5:25 PM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
Tenth Book: "The Last Samurai" by Helen DeWitt.

One of the most unique reading experiences of my life. DeWitt is operating on such a higher level of storytelling, I'm sure I missed a lot. The second half of the book, in which Ludo seeks out eccentric father figures, is wonderful. #BookSky
The cover of Helen DeWitt's "The Last Samurai." The title and author are written in white font. The cover photo is of a British subway line, only the photo has been turned around, so that the subway train is upside down and in the top-right corner of the image. The rest of the image is the tile wall of the subway station, and the tile floor...which are, again, upside down.
July 29, 2025 at 2:14 PM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
I'd never even heard of this movie before I saw your post. Did a quick search on IMDb, and...this plot summary is just incredible.
A screenshot from IMDb. The film's title "Dust Bunny" is at the top, with the release date (2026) below. The plot summary: "An eight-year-old girl asks her scheming neighbor for help in killing the monster under her bed that she thinks ate her family." Director and Writer: Bryan Fuller Stars: David Dastmalchian, Mads Mikkelsen, Sigourney Weaver There is also an image of the poster, which depicts a little girl peeking over what might be bedsheets...which are in the fact of a monster. The ruffled "bedsheet" also contains skulls.
July 25, 2025 at 7:56 PM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
Three years ago, I began listening to the Poirot novels on audiobook, on weekend drives to see my then-boyfriend.

That relationship ended badly, but I kept listening.

This morning, I finished "Curtain," the last Poirot novel. I'm going to miss that funny little Belgian man. #booksky
The cover of the audiobook for Agatha Christie's "Curtain." The cover has a drawing of a bottle of poison, with the book's title on the side; below the title is the book sub-title, "Poirot's Last Case." Above the title is a blue skull and crossbones. Alongside the bottle are the words "Performed by Hugh Fraser."
July 24, 2025 at 9:25 PM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
Attended a Lord Huron concert in Milwaukee tonight. One of the best concerts I've been to. If you ever have a chance to go, I highly recommend it. #musicsky
July 24, 2025 at 4:38 AM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
So, I made a donation to KUCB in Alaska. I'll still find a station or two in Wisconsin to support, but it's rural stations in far-off places that need the most support right now. Because, in situations like the recent earthquake, they may be the difference between life and death.

www.kucb.org

/End
A receipt for my donation to KUCB ("Your voice in the Aleutians"). I donated $100. (Fun fact...when you donate $60 or more to KUCB, they offer to send you a gift. In this case, I will be getting a coffee cup in the mail. If you donate $150 or more, you can get a shirt. Just saying.)
July 21, 2025 at 5:45 PM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
According to an article from the Washington Post, KUCB and other public radio stations sent out tsunami warnings so people on the islands could take shelter.

Those warnings reached people long before the Alaska Emergency Management Agency could. (The warnings were later cancelled.) 4/
A screenshot of the first few paragraphs of an article in the Washington Post, which I found reprinted on the website of the Spokesman-Review: Here are the opening paragraphs of the article: By Scott Nover and Karin Brulliard Washington Post When a 7.3-magnitude earthquake rumbled beneath the Bering Sea on Wednesday 50 miles south of Sand Point, Alaska, authorities sent their first tsunami warnings directly to the nearest public radio station, KUCB in the Aleutian Islands town of Unalaska. Along with other local NPR and PBS stations, it immediately broadcast alerts for residents and tourists to get to higher ground. By the time the Alaska Emergency Management Agency contacted Sand Point and other island communities, the word was already out, said the agency’s director, Bryan Fisher. The earthquake struck as senators in Washington, D.C., were debating whether to eliminate all of the $1.1 billion in federal funding for public broadcasting set to be doled out over the next two years to PBS, NPR, and local radio and television stations across the country. “If the funding goes away and KUCB can’t stay on the air, we lose that vital warning channel to the public, mariners, and tourists in our coastal communities,” Fisher said.
July 21, 2025 at 5:45 PM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
So I visited their website: www.kucb.org

They're the quintessential public radio station. They promote local events, feature updates on small town government, and focus on the region's culture.

However, it was an article about a recent earthquake (magnitude 7.3) that caught my eye. 3/
Two audio articles featured on the station website. The first says "Atka youth document traditional foods through digital storytelling," below a photograph of teens seated around a table with phones, microphones, and computers. The second article is titled "ANCHR gathering starts Thursday in Unalaska," below an image of the organization's logo/seal. Three articles featured on the station's website. The first is titled "Unalaska ports director declines resignation, threatens forthcoming litigation." The second is titled, "Like Christmas: After more than a month, food shipments have finally landed in St. Paul." (This is an island in Alaska, not the Minnesota city.) The final article is titled "Magnitude 7.3 earthquake shakes Sand Point and triggers tsunami warning for Southwest Alaska."
July 21, 2025 at 5:45 PM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
KUCB in Unalaska saw 54% of its revenue cut in the recent bill.

Having never heard of Unalaska, I looked it up on Google Maps. Let's just say, calling it "remote" would be doing it a disservice.

So I wondered...what does a radio station that far from the mainland do? 2/
The post reads: KUCB Unalaska, Alaska Radio Station Visit Website (with a link) Total Revenue Lost: 54% A screenshot of the state of Alaska from Google Maps. The pin marking Unalaska is in the bottom-left side of the image, on one of the Aleutian Islands, far away from continental North America.
July 21, 2025 at 5:45 PM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
I'm in Winona, Minnesota, for the Great River Shakespeare Festival ("Romeo & Juliet" last night, "Comedy of Errors" tonight). Swung by a local ice cream place, and they have a flavor called Minnesota Pothole.

How could I not get it?
A bowl of Minnesota Pothole ice cream. The bowl is yellow, and the ice cream is chocolate with chunks of dark chocolate candy in it. A pink spoon sticks out the back. A description of Minnesota Pothole: "Chocolate Ice Cream. Thick, Black Tar Fudge. Chunks of Chocolate Asphalt." The text is on a sign posted over the ice cream counter. Gallons of ice cream are visible below.
July 11, 2025 at 11:01 PM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
"Time just gets away from us."

Honestly, the entire last paragraph is a favorite, and I always hear it being delivered by Elizabeth Marvel, from the ending of the Coen Brothers' film. #booksky
The final paragraph of Charles Portis' "True Grit": I heard nothing more of the Texas officer, LaBoeuf. If he is yet alive and should happen to read these pages, I will be pleased to hear from him. I just he is in his seventies now, and nearer eighty than seventy. I expect some of the starch has gone out of that "cowlick." Time just gets away from us. This ends my true account of how I avenged Frank Ross's blood over in the Choctaw Nation when snow was on the ground. The cover of "True Grit" by Charles Portis, depicting a young girl with a rifle in one hand, standing before a black horse. The reins are in her other hand. There are mountains behind both of them.
July 11, 2025 at 8:16 PM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
Celebrated Prime Day by visiting an independent bookstore (Pearl Street Books in La Crosse, WI), getting a bowl of ice cream, and reading at a park next to the Mississippi River.

How many Amazon orders placed today? None. #booksky
A stack of three books, their spines visible: "The Homesman" by Glendon Swarthout "Histories of the Dividing Line Betwixt Virginia and North Carolina" by Byrd "Solaris" by Stanislaw Lem A photo taken in Pearl Street Books. On the left are bookshelves rising up to the ceiling. On the right are standalone bookshelves. There is a walkway between the two...a wooden floor with a red rug near the foreground. A cup of cookies and cream ice cream from The Pearl. A photo taken of the Mississippi River at sunset from a city park. The horizon is orange, the river is in the middle distance, and there are trees on both edges of the photo.
July 10, 2025 at 1:58 AM
allthingsbooks.bsky.social
Saw "Jurassic World: Rebirth" today.

For the most part, it treads a lot of the same ground as previous sequels, including a very silly plot.

However, it gets closer to the terror and dread of the first film than any of the other sequels. The raft scene alone is worth seeing in a theatre. #FilmSky
A scene from "Jurassic World: Rebirth." In the foreground is a young girl in an inflatable yellow raft. She is looking at a T-Rex, which stands some distance away looking at her. There are mountains on the left and right side, with white clouds in the sky.
July 5, 2025 at 8:57 PM