COVERSPY: BECAUSE WE ARE ALWAYS JUDGING YOU

 

CoverSpy, the blog that tracks what all of your asses are reading on the subway, is one of my favorite new blogs. I love it mostly because it's fun being judgmental about what you’re reading, but also, because one of the main spies appears to live in the Slope (or surrounding area), since 75 percent of what (s)he posts occurs off the F train out of BK.

Yesterday morning, while perusing CoverSpy and judging you for your Jodi Picoult and cultural history of menstruation (yes, this is real) selections, I almost choked on my chamomile tea.  Oh Park Slope, congratulations.  You’ve officially out-caricatured yourself:

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer (F, 20s, brunette, Park Slope Coop tote, F train)

Well done, my loves.  Now, which one of you is this…besides all of you?

THE RESULTS: UNITED METHODIST CHURCH BOOK SALE

Ok, so I just got back from the United Methodist Church book sale (see all the shit I bought above).

A couple of things to note: its totally fucking overcrowded, and you're gonna have to fight an overwhelming compulsion to flee from the moment you arrive. People are either pushy (and have no problemo shoving you straight into the table as they need to jam their fat ass by you into a corner where there's no room for them in the first fucking place) or clueless (and standing there in the worst possible spot they could be blocking 19,000 people as they bounce a cute lil bebe on their hip waiting for their wife to finish picking up her new stash of bodice ripper romance novels). Both are equally annoying. But if you can just resist the urge to run off to 7th Ave Donuts and persevere: its worth it if you can put in the time.

Click to read more ...

I Asked The United Methodist Church Book Sale to Marry Me...It Said 'Yes' [BOOOOOOKS!!!]

Yo: the once-a-year gigantic/epic/not-to-be-missed book sale is going down this weekend at United Methodist Church.

Honestly, this shit is one of the highlights of my cold, dark, Park Slope winter. If you've never been, you should definnitely check it out. Basically, the United Methodist Church basement is taken over with piles and stacks and craploads of books which are all on sale for like next to nothing. It gets real serious crowded down there, and people will be in your way from the moment you enter until the moment you leave, but if you can hang, there is LOADS of good shit to be had.

I'm not going to tell you the sort of good shit I'm going to be looking for, cause then all you bitches are going to buy it all up before I get there on Sat morning. But, yeah: I'd be shocked to hear about someone going to this thing and not finding SOMETHING.

It's cash only, so ATM it up before you arrive. Also, they keep replenishing books all weekend long, so it really is sometimes worth it to go both days (I always do).

Here are the deets:

Saturday, February 20 from 8:30am to 4:30pm
Sunday, February 21  from 12:30pm to 4:30pm

$0.50 for pocket sized paperbacks
$1.50 for trade/quality paperbacks
$2.00 for hardcovers
$4.00 for DVDs
$3.00 for CDs
$1.00 for videos
$0.50 for records

United Methodist Church
410 Sixth Avenue (Corner of 6th Ave. and 8th St)

Reading is fundamental, yo!

(via OTBKB)

Who Gives A Shit: Help Me, Help You

Because I have an eighteen-stop completely local commute from South Slope to my nine to five in the mornings, I wake up like, twenty minutes before I have to leave, drag my ass up to the F train in a half-conscious stupor (but immaculately put together, of course), and then spend the next forty-five minutes staring into space (which explains why I’ve been on page four of Crime and Punishment for the last two weeks).

Staring into space often turns into me inventorying everything that everyone is reading, thus assuming I know everything about their lives solely based on their book selection.  Yes, I assume everyone with a Kindle is reading erotica.  Especially you.

But over the last week, I’ve noticed a disproportionate number of self-help books, including shit like How To Find Your Inner Goddess, How To Make Money With Your Ass Still on the Couch, You Will Lose Weight Just By Reading This, etc. 

I want my trashy romance novel readers back…so I can read over their shoulders.  I’ve already found my inner goddess, dammit.

Anyone else notice this self-help phenomenon recently? [ed note: And follow-up: do you think any of that shit actually work?]

Literary Night at Perch: David Zweig [What are you doing tonight??]

So, Greg and I are going to this tonight. And if you bitches want to hang, drink beers and hear author David Zweig read from his fab new book Swimming Inside the Sun, then come awn down:

Tuesday, January 5th
7:30pm
Perch Cafe
365 Fifth Avenue
FREE

Here's the interview David did with Hey Brooklyn, if you want some more scoop.

C U next Tuesday (sorry, couldn't resist) L8rs.