29. At Home, by Bill Bryson. Usually a travel writer, Bryson decided to stay at home for this one and write about the histories of everyday things, including the home itself. Normally given to tangents, Bryson constructed this one of almost nothing BUT tangents. Still, it's quite interesting and entertaining.

30. Before the Great Troubling, poems by Corey Mesler. This is Mesler's second full-length collection. Of course, he's got probably 2-dozen chapbooks as well. This is a really strong collection. Mesler has made clear strides since his previous full-length collection. His descriptions, especially, are deciptively profound. I reviewed this one for the American Book Review.

31. Pulleys and Locomotion, poems by Rachel Galvin. Fairly weak and thin collection. There are strong moments--mostly when Galvin moves beyond the stunted vagaries of language that seem to pass for 'poetry' these days and delves into her family history. But there wasn't a single poem in the book I'd pull out as exceptional. I was supposed to review it, but I don't see any point.

What I'm reading now: Sundown Towns, by Loewen. This is a study of racial violence primarily in the North and Midwest, after Reconstruction. I'm also reading a handful of poetry collections.