The Wednesday Wars was an unexpectedly moving delight when I read it. Part of the joy from reading it was that it wasn’t like most other books out there. It felt new and exciting, and when it went for your tear ducts it really earned the tears. Unfortunately, Orbiting Jupiter doesn’t have any of the same … More Book Review: Orbiting Jupiter, by Gary D. Schmidt
I’ve had a curious relationship with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. It’s a rollercoaster, really, and it all comes down to the ending of the book and the terrific movie adaptation by Alfonso Cuarón. You see, when I first read Prisoner fifteen years ago I didn’t really like it at all. I thought the ending was … More Book Review: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling
Although it’s the second book in the series, Chamber of Secrets was actually my first experience reading Harry Potter. Fifteen years ago I was 18 years old and attended a birthday party for one of my older sister’s college friends. Everyone spent the night at the friend’s house and in the morning I woke up … More Book Review: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling
Fifteen years have gone by since I first read Harry Potter when I was 18. I used to reread the books regularly but over time I began revisiting Hogwarts with less frequency. The fifteen year anniversary of my first reading seemed like a good time to do a little test to see how well J.K. … More Book Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling
“… the story you know is never the real one.” Euphoria is an elegant, heartfelt exploration of love, jealousy, and pride in a wholly unique setting. Love triangles are nothing new in literature, so the fact that one figures so prominently in Lily King’s story could have easily caused it to devolve into a fairly … More Book Review: Euphoria, by Lily King
“Because we were not in our country, we could not use our own languages, and so when we spoke our voices came out bruised.” Having a stamp of approval from Junot Díaz is not a small deal to me. In my mind he is one of the most authentic–not to mention best–authors working today. He … More Book Review: We Need New Names, by NoViolet Bulawayo
Out With a Whimper Disappointment, thy name is Jeff Lindsay. It was abundantly clear long ago that Lindsay had fallen into a rut with his Dexter series, that the magic had gone away and he was just going through the motions. I mean honestly, it reached the point where virtually every book had the same … More Book Review: Dexter Is Dead, by Jeff Lindsay
The downside of Agatha Christie’s most famous mysteries is that their secrets have fallen victim to their own success. Particularly in the internet age, it’s hard to avoid spoilers. Christie’s play The Mousetrap famously kept its ending a secret in the mainstream press despite being the longest-running play in history until its Wikipedia page repeatedly … More Book Review: Murder On the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie
Well this was very disappointing. I purchased a mass market copy of American Gods when it first arrived in paperback in 2002 or 2003. I finally got around to reading it in July of 2015, which means it was one of those books that sits around on your to-read pile for an inexplicably long time … More Book Review: American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
“You never know what’s in a person’s heart until they’re tested, do you?” I’ve been a fan of the movie adaptation Fried Green Tomatoes for a great many years. I also enjoyed Fannie Flagg on countless episodes of The Match Game thanks to reruns on The Game Show Network, so it was with great joy and … More Book Review: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, by Fannie Flagg
Supposedly Fun 