Initially, I only gave this four stars because it was just such a difficult reading experience. And I don’t mean difficult as in skill level. I mean it in terms of emotional effort. I usually reserve my five star rating for those books that end with me fist-pumping in the air and running screeching around the room while my pores ooze out excitement and love, and this is not the sort of book that inspires that kind of reaction. I think this says a lot about […]
Hyperbolic Hilarity
I’m really excited to announce that for the first time in I don’t know how long, I finished my book club’s selection well before our monthly meeting. Yes, the book in question is really just a collection of blog entries that are mostly illustrations, and I read it in two hours at the beach this weekend, but whatever. Yay me! Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh is a collection of entries from her blog of the same name. Allie is a wonderfully flawed young […]
Reading About Writing
Yes, I’m reviewing a grammar book. Yes, I have such a thing as a “favorite” grammar book which implies that I have read more than one. For fun. Glad you’re still with me, grammar nerds. I picked up this book years ago while searching for a replacement copy of my beloved Strunk & White. The title caught my eye because hey, who doesn’t want a little sinning in their writing? As far as grammar books go, this is less of a reference book and more […]
Wanted: Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen
Malcolm Gladwell is a storyteller. What I find particularly admirable about his work is that he is able to convey what has been traditionally a spoken language skill into a written one–while reducing seemingly complex ideas into digestible bite-size chunks. It is not surprising, then, that The Tipping Point (2000) was a best seller and achieved “one of the best books of the decade” status on many lists. Pulling from a broad set of examples from different aspects of life and history, such as from Paul Revere’s […]
A great book about the worst movie
First things first: If you haven’t seen The Room, you need to. Preferably in a full theater or with a bunch of people who know the routines that go along with the scenes, à la Rocky Horror Picture Show. I’m not sure how much I would have enjoyed it seeing it alone in my living room, honestly. But my first time seeing this at Alamo Drafthouse? Riotous laughter was yanked from me by the surrounding 200 people. Also there were collective shrieks of horror and […]
Spirituality and Art Therapy
An edited collection of essays from a number of different practicing art therapists, from a diversity of backgrounds. Each author presents a different view of art therapy practices, and stems from a different spiritual background, yet they all focus on the connection between creative expression, artistic practices, and the spiritual sense of the human soul. Ranging anywhere from Christianity to Buddhism to Spiritualities connected to the Natural world, the authors tell their personal stories, as well as those of clients that they have worked with, […]