Thematic spoilers follow. The failure of Armada, for me, was the recursive and self-referential style of Ernest Cline, which ended up feeling like a crutch rather than an addition to the fairly straightforward plot. Unbeknownst to me, this book is in a similar vein to my previous read. Redshirts … [Read more]
Recent Reviews
The Most Desperate Girl Alive
Oh, I did not like the main character of this book, and while I don't believe the author intended me to, I disliked her and all her friends and her whole freaking family so much that by the point when the big tragic event of Ani's high school years was finally revealed, I felt almost guilty at my … [Read more]
A lot of cursing, with some food thrown in
Anthony Bourdain published Kitchen Confidential back in 2000, before he became the mega-hit that he is now. I think at the time, he had published a couple of novels and made a bit of a name for himself as a chef in New York City. Now, of course, he's on every 5 minutes on the Food Channel -- so it's … [Read more]
A Charming New Romance
So this was published Tuesday. Amazon shipped it to me. I received it yesterday after work and was done before midnight. I just couldn't help myself! This is the Dare charm I know and love. There was her usual patented whimsy and disregard for history, but mixed in were characters who felt much more … [Read more]
The game is always afoot!
I grew up reading Sherlock Holmes adventure stories. I immersed myself in the short stories and novels alike, and I delighted in the adaptations, particularly the episode of Wishbone that adapted The Hound of the Baskervilles (to date, my favorite Holmes novel). So I am always curious/suspicious … [Read more]
Helter Skelter
Vincent Bugliosi's Parkland was one of the better non-fiction books I read this year and I instantly wanted to seek out Helter Skelter. As the prosecuting attorney against Manson, Bugliosi was infinitely qualified to write this book; it is both well researched and full of personal memories. Our … [Read more]