“I want to make my nothingness count.” First, I should tell you that Claire Messud and I have a complicated history. To be blunt: I hated her last book, The Emperor’s Children. It made me so angry. Looking back at my review (you can read it here), I see that perhaps a lot of this … More Book Review: The Woman Upstairs, by Claire Messud
“There was power in having once known someone.” Let me get this out of the way right now: this is a tremendous book. I have a couple of criticisms, which I will get to, but hot damn. Meg Wolitzer has written an astonishingly clever, detailed novel, and the utmost respect must be given to that. … More Book Review: The Interestings, by Meg Wolitzer
Olympic Melodrama Doesn’t Even Make the Podium I can’t with this one. I just can’t. I’m going to be honest with you: I didn’t finish this book. Don’t think I ever will. The plot is nothing but ham-fisted emotional manipulation with poor writing, and it’s insulting. You have Kate and Zoe, two female cyclists getting … More Book Review: Gold, by Chris Cleave
Merely twenty-four hours after I said in my review that I would probably buy a hardcover copy of This is How You Lose Her, the new book by Junot Díaz, in order to attend a book signing, I have done just that. And it was glorious. After posting my review, I cruised over to the … More The Morning After: Junot Díaz at Barnes & Noble
“This is what I know: people’s hopes go on forever.” I’m going to be blunt here: if This is How You Lose Her isn’t already on your reading list, add it. Immediately. Mark my words, it will be appearing on numerous top ten lists for 2012–which is exactly where it belongs. This is How You … More Book Review: This is How You Lose Her, by Junot Díaz
So here’s the deal. I’ve decided to set a mission statement for this blog and clear the air about something. It’s been in the news (mainly in publishing circles, but also in The New York Times) that there’s a lot of bogus book reviewing going on online. And I want to assure you that every … More On Ethics and Book Reviewing (No Sock Puppets!)
“Friends see most of each other’s flaws. Spouses see every awful last bit.” Gillian Flynn’s dizzying, addictive thriller wants to ask you a question: how well do you know the person you’re married to? Are you confident you actually know what they’re capable of? Maybe you should keep some protection close by. Just in case. … More Book Review: Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn
“Being part of history is rarely a good idea.” Man, I really wish I had crossed this one off of my to-read list sooner. You see, I enjoy history, but I have a hard time getting into nonfiction books. Most of them are bone dry and deadly dull, in my experience. Wading through the options … More Book Review: Assassination Vacation, by Sarah Vowell
“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
Supposedly Fun 