3 Books I Bought for My Birthday

New to the TBR: Basketball stories by Hanif Abdurraqib, novels by Shirley Hazzard and Eva Baltasar

Jul 14, 2024

Welcome to our first rundown of books I recently added to my To Be Read pile. I took the day off from work on my birthday. It was a beautiful day in May, and I started it at a book store, of course. Then, I met a friend for lunch at Katz’s Deli. We digested our huge sandwiches by walking all the way downtown to the Staten Island Ferry, which we rode back and forth. The day ended at another book store (where else?), where Donna and I caught a terrific reading with one of my favorite authors Hanif Abdurraqib. Here are the books I purchased:

‘The Great Fire’ by Shirley Hazzard

Shirley Hazzard’s National Book Award-winning novel ‘The Great Fire’ had been on my list of must-find books ever since I read ‘The Transit of Venus.’ I found this copy at Sweet Pickles Books on the Lower East Side before I went to Katz’s. As I was browsing, a worker was stocking shelves. He looked over his shoulder to the store’s owner and said something like, ‘Where should I put this Hazzard book?’ My eyes widened, and in my mind I said, ‘Put it into my hands!’ But I kept my cool. After he put it on a shelf, I casually glided over and picked it up. I have no idea what the book is about, but the back cover calls it ‘an extraordinary love story set in the immediate aftermath of the great conflagration of the Second World War.’ But it could have been about anything, really. I’m just here for more Shirley Hazzard.

‘There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension’ by Hanif Abdurraqib

I love Hanif Abdurraqib’s work. As long-time BoG readers know, I’ve reviewed ‘They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us,’ 'Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest' and 'A Little Devil in America: In Praise of Black Performance.' So when I saw he was reading from his new book, ‘There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension,’ at McNally Jackson’s South Street Seaport location on my birthday, I was like:

Bevis says Oh, I'll be there — GIF by @paramountplus via Giphy.com.

After my buddy and I took our ride on the Staten Island Ferry and had a drink at Jeremy’s Ale House, I met up with Donna and went to the reading. It was tremendous! Abdurraqib is fascinating—his talk about art, writing, his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, and basketball was riveting. Donna and I agreed that we could have listened to him for hours. After the event, Donna pushed me to get my copy of the book signed. I’m very shy in person, and resisted at first, but got into the line. When it was my turn, I was nervous, but we had a good quick conversation. The NBA playoffs were happening, and his beloved Minnesota Timberwolves and my New York Knicks each were in tight series. We talked about the teams’ chances, and our mutual love for J.R. Smith, a former Knicks player and legend. He wrote a wonderful inscription:

The inscription reads, To Mike with hope for the Knicks

Though the Knicks ultimately lost their series against the Indiana Pacers, I have high hopes for their future and this inscription to remind me of a great birthday.

‘Permafrost’ by Eva Baltasar

I went back to that McNally Jackson location the following day to pick up a gift card another friend had left for me. Even though it wasn’t my birthday anymore, I figured I should use the card, so I browsed. Many of you know I love Eva Baltasar’s novel ‘Boulder,’ and, after the reading the previous night, I looked to see if the store had any copies of her other works. I didn’t see any. Even so, on the second night, I looked again. Lo and behold, this copy of ‘Permafrost’ had materialized. I don’t know anything about it, but I’m excited to read it. I also am obsessed with artwork by Anna Morrison, who designed the cover. She also did the cover for ‘Boulder,’ which I loved so much I bought and framed a print:

A framed drawing of a woman smoking a cigarette rests on a chair.

What do you think of these books? Have you read any of them? Let me know in the comments. And as for when I should review them, let me know your preference in this poll:

Books on GIF does not solicit review copies. We feature books we purchase at independent bookstores around New York City and on our travels, or were borrowed electronically from the Brooklyn Public Library.

Thanks for reading, and thanks especially to Donna for editing this newsletter!

Until next time,