I’ve read plenty of good books in 2016: books I’ve enjoyed, books that were well-written, books I’d recommend to people. What I haven’t read are books that go above and beyond that. Jane Steele is the first full length novel I’ve read this year that I want to procure a hardcopy of and just fall asleep with after rereading my favorite parts. I want to force it upon friends and strangers alike because it was such a lovely reading experience. Jane Steele is kind of […]
Death tends to put a damper on things
3.5 stars. I’ve heard so many good things about this series of young adult books by Maggie Stiefvater over the past few years so I’ve been really eager to read it, but I didn’t let myself until now because the last book is coming out soon. I tend to forget the details of books quickly and that makes for a poor reading experience when each book is a year or two apart. Anyway, I finally borrowed the first book from the library as an audiobook […]
The game is afoot
3.5 stars. A Study in Charlotte is a pretty genius take on the Sherlock Holmes stories. It’s a modern-day retelling which we’ve seen before, but Cavallaro sets her characters in high school and makes them descendants of the real life Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Making them descendants is such a smart move because Jamie and Charlotte can share traits with their predecessors, but they aren’t glued to them. They can have their own adventures and personalities. Also, three cheers for a female Sherlock. She’s […]
Going to have to rate this book with Begonia, Crab-apple blossom, and Saffron
2.5 stars. I’m trying to figure out if this book really did have serious flaws or if it was just wasn’t a fit for me and my tastes. It’s very possible that it’s a mixture of both. Obviously I made it through to the end and it wasn’t a hate read so it wasn’t a terrible book, but I found it to be an incredibly frustrating read. The beginning was almost magical in the way it drew me in. By two-thirds of the way through […]
Warning that your heart might be crushed
Okay, I am generally not that fond of high fantasy books, but this was an incredibly fun romp. The story alternates between the childhood of Locke Lamora as he learns many skills in the service of robbing the rich blind and present day when Locke is head of the Gentleman Bastards, a chosen family of skilled orphans. Together they develop long cons to swindle the highest born of Camorr. Unfortunately for Locke, several forces are individually working to complicate his life for various reasons. He’s […]
At least politicians take credit for their insults these days. The founding fathers used pseudonyms to attack each other in print.
I’ve been listening to WNYC’s On the Media podcast religiously since 2007. News, especially political news, stresses me out, but something about OtM makes it bearable. They take an overhead view of issues and talk about the ways different types of media succeed or fail in a snarky, intellectual way. The hosts, Bob Garfield and Brooke Gladstone, are great. If I had to answer one of those questions about hosting dinner parties and inviting anyone dead or alive, Brooke would 100% be on my invite […]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- …
- 49
- Next Page »