SELECTED BOOK ACQUISITION NOTES (October 1, 2026-Present)

  Under my hashtag eileenreadsbooks on Facebook, I occasionally place Notes to my acquisitions as the library progresses. Here are selections in reverse chronological order from January 1, 2024 which is when I began inputting them on this blog. To see older book acquisition Notes, go to Facebook and look up the hashtag. Acquisitions from July-September 2026 are HERE; April-June 2026 are HERE; January-March 2026 are HERE; October-December 2025 are HERE; July-September 2025 are HERE; April-June 2025 are HERE, Jan.-March 2025 are HERE, October-December 2024 are HERE, July-September 2024 are HERE, April-June 2024 are HERE, Jan.-March 2024 are HERE.

10/2/26

My library's recent acquisitions include two very significant books for two different direct readerships though there can be—and should be—overlap in audience. 

David Skipton’s THE CLAIMS GAME should be read by anyone who has insurance. Its subtitle explains its importance: “The Tricks and Deceptive Tactics Insurance Companies use to Underpay or Deny Your Claim,” a topic that’s unfortunately close to my heart. Its author is a former claims adjuster who thus knows of what he speaks. Sadly, insurance deception is not just a cause for anger at its injustice, but it’s heartbreaking because there is real hurt and pain caused for people who are usually at their most fragile state if they’re in the aftermath of an insurable (often catastrophic) event. This can be such a cruel world...

Another significant book is George Myers Jr.’s study that would be relevant to the literary world: WILD FORMS whose subtitle explains it as “A Field Guide to Formally Inventive Literature Since 2000.” In fact, being reminded of M. NourbeSe Philip’s huge achievement, ZONG!, made me pause to consider expanding my novel-in-progress GENESIS with a more extensive look at desaparecidos—I mention this because good books often inspire new works.

Because October is Filipino American History Month, I also note that WILD FORMS deserves appreciation for including books by six Filipino (including mixed race Filipino) poets and writers who take innovative and experimental approaches to poem-making and writing: Lynda Barry, Rob Macaisa Colgate, Monica Ong, Barbara Jane Reyes, Eileen R. Tabios, and Ronaldo V. Wilson. This is notable since it seems like only yesterday when Nick Carbo was noting in PINOY POETICS how most anthologies and books ignore Filipino contributions. Anyway, Salamat to George Myers Jr., himself a poet, book critic and someone who “over four decades, [has] handled this culture’s objects in shops and museums, libraries, trade shows and homes.” I’m grateful he deployed his chops to include the Filipino accent in a company that includes notables like Anne Carson, Claudia Rankine, Ben Marcus, Harryette Mullen, Mark Z. Danielewski, Barbara Guest, Ron Silliman, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge,, Christian Hawkey, Han Kang, Eleni Sikelianos, John Ashbery, Roberto Bolano, among others.

All this is not to say the other recently acquired books aren’t important in their own way. I’m particularly grateful for receiving my author’s copy of SANTELMO 14 from publisher San Anselmo Publications and the issue editor and scholar-historian Charles Samuya Veric. This journal is an important addition to the Martial Law-related literature of the Philippines.

With my library’s target of 15,516 books (a number that replicates the number of books lost to a wildfire), that’s 2,113 books down, 13,403 books to go! Good Afternoon!