“Maybe, thought Ben, we are all cabinets of wonders.” As a devoted fan of Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret, I had high expectations for this book. To be perfectly blunt, I was disappointed. It would be easy to make a pun about being not-so-wonderstruck after all. I’m going to try not to do … More Book Review: Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick
“Courage is one thing that no one can ever take away from you.” First off, I should probably admit that I’m a bit of a Gleek–even though I readily admit that Glee is something of rollercoaster in terms of quality–and Kurt Hummel is my favorite character. So I’m a Chris Colfer fan, and when I … More Book Review: The Land of Stories, by Chris Colfer
“It was possible to change your own destiny, but you had to be vigilant and you could never look back.” In this novel, billed as an examination of the complexities of modern love and marriage, Amina Mazid, a Bangladeshi woman, moves to Rochester, NY to get married to George Stillman, the American businessman she met … More Book Review: The Newlyweds, by Nell Freudenberger
“To be a subject is an act of aggression.” Well this hurts. I wanted to love this book so much. I adore Alison Bechdel. She’s incredibly smart, witty, analytical, and heartbreakingly honest–all qualities that have made Fun Home, her first foray into graphic memoir, a modern classic. It’s one of my favorite books, not to … More Book Review: Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel
“Our blood is the same, we just use it differently.” The Sisters Brothers reads like a rampage. It’s compulsively readable in the way the best potboilers are; I tore through it in no time at all. It tells the story of Eli and Charlie Sisters, two vicious gunslingers known for their effectiveness and ruthlessness. But … More Book Review: The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick DeWitt
Boy, do I have a feeling I’m going to provoke a lot of anger among the Nerdfighter community with this. All I ask is that you hear me out. … More Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green
I had the privilege of attending a book signing with Gail Simmons hosted by Tom Colicchio, and at that event Tom described this book as a “love letter to food” and the culinary industry. I don’t think a more succinct, accurate description of this book could possibly be found. … More Book Review: Talking with My Mouth Full, by Gail Simmons
Can you call it a grand romance when the central relationship is toxic? David Nicholls wants you to think so. … More Book Review: One Day, by David Nicholls
“That was why I come. Not to find a friend, but to finally, and forever, lose one.” The downside of being an avid reader is that you can go through a great deal of books without really connecting to one. It’s not that you’re jaded, just that at a certain point it takes more to … More Book Review: Half-Blood Blues, by Esi Edugyan
Review of Hilary Mantel’s Man Booker Prize-winning novel Bring Up the Bodies. … More Book Review: Bring Up the Bodies, by Hilary Mantel
Supposedly Fun 