I was going to read Between the Devil and Ian Eversea (2014) by Julie Anne Long as soon as it came out, but my library purchased an ebook and not the Kindle version. After much waiting, I got the message to check it out, and I realized I couldn’t read it. I was disappointed, but there are a lot of other books out there, and I was soon distracted. It was only recently that I finally decided to suck it up and borrow the paper […]
Satire that works
“Writing a novel is pathetic and boring. Anyone sensible hates it. It’s all you can do to not play Snood all afternoon.” (100) How I Became A Famous Novelist (2009) by Steve Hely is a fun satire about the publishing industry and the kinds of books that receive the most acclaim. The main character, Pete Tarslaw, is in his early twenties, out of college and without motivation or direction. In fact, he reminded me a lot of Rob Fleming in High Fidelity. Still hung up […]
One death is a tragedy, a thousand is a statistic
Like most people, I find history and politics more palatable when they focus on specific people rather than the sweeping ideas and dates of textbooks. Obviously, you need a balance, but if you look only at the big picture, you miss the innumerable tragedies and triumphs that are more relatable. This is one of the strengths of Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea (2010) by Barbara Demick. Demick gives us a look into North Korea during the famine of the 1990’s through the […]
Take a chance, and fall in love
“One never stops to think what underlies romance. Tragedy and terror, transmuted by time. Add a little art in the telling, and voila! a stirring romance, to make the blood run fast and maidens sigh.” (470) I wasn’t sure I wanted to read Outlander (1992) by Diana Gabaldon. I first heard of it through a Cannonball review. Although I believe Mrs. Julien called it a classic, there appeared to be some mixed feelings. The novel was reported as an amalgam of time travel, history, and […]
I feel as though I’ve read this before
Julie Garwood was at one time one of my favorite romance authors, but lately I’ve found her not living up to my expectations. Her latest books have seemed much more formulaic. I don’t know if that’s because she’s not writing them all herself, if she’s running out of ideas, or if I’ve just read too many of her books. Anyway, I was browsing my library’s collection when I stumbled on The Ideal Man (2011). It took a while before I figured out I hadn’t actually […]
Learning the Language of Love
Words of Affirmation Quality Time Receiving Gifts Acts of Service Physical Touch There you go, the entire book in a nutshell. You’re welcome. But I should probably go into more detail. One day at my gym, a spontaneous conversation erupted about love languages. As each person chimed in to say which “love language” they were, it made me wonder what I was missing. What are these mysterious love languages? Why don’t I know my love languages? I also couldn’t resist the allure of labeling my […]
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