The Mysterious Charms of Arthur Pepper is a fast read, and the characters in the story move through grief and the process of beginning life again. The titular hero – and “titular” is one of my favorite words btw – also learns to become who he wants to be now, instead of existing in a sort of holding pattern following the sum of his habits and obeying the expectations of those around him. Arthur Pepper’s … Continue reading The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick →
Someone has to say it and it might as well be me: Seriously Wicked is seriously adorable. This is a light YA urban fantasy, suitable for tweens and up (actually it’s pretty G-rated, but I’m guessing it will be most interesting to tweens and younger teens as opposed to younger kids). There was plenty to amuse and delight me as an adult reader, starting with the book’s opening: I was mucking out the dragon’s garage … Continue reading Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly →
The Secret Loves of Geek Girls is an anthology that combines prose writing, illustrations, and short comics by many different authors. All of the entries explore the ways in which women who identify as geeks experience romance. There are countless variations on this theme – some people write about their first crush, some about a divorce, some about how fan fiction shaped the way they talk about sexuality. The general theme is romance but the … Continue reading The Secret Loves of Geek Girls ed. by Hope Nicholson →
Well, this didn’t take long. It has been brought to our attention that the ever-reliable Chuck Tingle has a new book out, Oppressed in the Butt by My Inclusive Holiday Coffee Cups. Because I feel that parody coffee cup porn is the perfect response to the ridiculous Starbucks coffee cup outrage, I volunteered to review the 4,700 word “book.” I even kind of enjoyed it. My mother must be so proud. I’m just going to … Continue reading Oppressed in the Butt by My Inclusive Holiday Cups by Chuck Tingle →
I’ve been a fan of Jenny Lawson’s blog The Bloggess for a long time–she’s a truly funny writer who posts stories about her crazy childhood, her crazy adulthood, and balances them all with reflections on mental illness. Furiously Happy is the same way–it’s two parts humor and one part discussion of something that most people find hard to talk to about. It’s one of those rare books that makes you snort-laugh in public and also … Continue reading Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson →
I have a lot going on in my world right now. We’re moving from Jersey to (most likely) Maryland, so my brain is overtaxed with lists. So many lists. Lists that give birth to their own lists, all of them color-coded with various highlighters, and organized in a constantly shifting order of importance. In fact, this description from Devil’s Bride best captures my brain right now: “Within minutes, she was immersed in lists—initial lists, then … Continue reading Archie Comics: The Reboot →
Steampunk fans, nerds, comic book fans, and history fans rejoice, for all these things come gloriously together in The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage. Author Sidney Padua combines a non-fiction comic, a fiction comic, and non-fiction prose for your delight and edification. Here’s the deal: The first section of the book tells the real-life story of Victorian Mad Scientists Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace (commonly referred to as history’s first computer designer and computer … Continue reading The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sidney Padua →
Oh, Cold Comfort Farm, where have you been all my life? This classic went completely past my radar and now that I’ve found it I’m actually surprised that it’s not dedicated to me, specifically. Cold Comfort Farm, published in 1932, pokes gentle fun at the sub-genre of novels that dwells on misery and melodrama on English farms. Early versions of this genre include the works of Thomas Hardy and of course Wuthering Heights by Emily … Continue reading Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons →
This is a movie that knows what it is and is content to be so. Light on plot, heavy on abs. Men with shirt allergies and simple goals. So many abs. I have not seen the first Magic Mike. I did, however, read the wikipedia plot summary before the movie started. That’s enough. It’s three years after the events of Magic Mike, and Mike has a tidy little business making custom furniture. When the other boys … Continue reading Movie Review: Magic Mike XXL →
Inside Out is the new Pixar movie, and it took me a longer time than usual to go see it because I knew I would cry. Well, yeah, of course I cried, and thanks Pixar SO VERY MUCH for adding a line at the very end of the credits that made me cry all over again just as the lights went up. I also had a really good time. This is an inventive, sweet movie … Continue reading Movie Review: Inside Out →
Comedy Central has tapped directly into my soul with their new half hour show, Another Period. This show satirizes reality shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians and period dramas (especially Downton Abbey) by placing a turn of the century rich family in Newport (The Bellacourts) under a reality show microscope. We get candid interviews with family members, confessionals from the much-trodden-upon servants, and footage of all the exciting events upstairs and downstairs. Of course … Continue reading Another Period: Comedy Central Meets Downton Abbey →
