I have a few tests for cookbooks I want to try. First, I borrow them digitally and read through, bookmarking recipes I might want to try. Once I reach four or five bookmarks, I put the book on hold at the library so I can borrow and use post-it notes on a physical copy. This book passed both of those tests in record time. In fact, I started reading it digitally while on vacation, and … Continue reading I Dream of Dinner (So You Don’t Have To) by Ali Slagle →
The Science of Women in Horror is disappointing in the sense that there’s very little science in it. Instead, it’s an overview of women as depicted in horror, along with interviews with women who have worked behind the camera. As such, it’s pretty basic, but it did add several films to my To Be Watched List. The cover promises “The Special Effects, Stunts, and True Stories Behind Your Favorite Fright Films,” but very little of … Continue reading The Science of Women in Horror by Meg Hafdahl and Kelly Florence →
Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films was balm to my nerdy little heart. I got into horror much the same way I got into romance, which is to say I thought I didn’t like it, then realized I had been liking it all along somehow without noticing, and then I couldn’t get enough of it. There are some interesting intersections between romance and horror as genres, and I know we have some fans here … Continue reading Nightmare Fuel by Nina Nesseth →
I really enjoyed Laziness Does Not Exist as a “grind/productivity culture is a big pile of garbage” manifesto, and I also really like Dr. Price’s writing. I didn’t think I was the audience for this book, which is about the masking Autistic people do to conform with neurotypical expectations, and is written by an Autistic person for fellow Autistic people. Whoodamn, I was wrong about that. This is a thoughtful, compelling, and detailed look at … Continue reading Unmasking Autism: The Power of Embracing Our Hidden Neurodiversity by Devon Price →
Fans of the romantic comedy genre will no doubt enjoy the nonfiction book, From Hollywood With Love: The Rise and Fall (And Rise Again) Of The Romantic Comedy. This book is a history of the “modern” rom-com in film starting with When Harry Met Sally (1989) and ending with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018). Along the way it discusses what a rom-com is and isn’t, why some work and some don’t, the … Continue reading From Hollywood With Love by Scott Meslow →
Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed by Saraciea J. Fennell (ed.) is tough for me to grade. As many of the other reviewers have mentioned in the past, anthologies can be a struggle to evaluate because invariably some stories are going to resonate more than others. But also I struggled because, despite being Latina, I did not feel like the target audience for this book. The primary aim of this anthology of essays is breaking down … Continue reading Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed edited by Saraciea J. Fennell →
This is a very odd book that I have read one or two chapters at a time, and then told people about, usually starting with, “Can I tell you about this weird-ass book I’m reading that I can’t stop thinking about?” The format follows a dialogue between a student and a philosopher, a follower of the Adlerian theory of psychology. While the subtitle reads, “The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and … Continue reading The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga →
After I reviewed Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang, M.D., one of our commenters requested that I review Lydia Kang’s nonfiction book, Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything (co-written by Nate Pedersen). Well, gosh, it’s a sacrifice, but if I MUST read a book full of weird historical semi-medical remedies for things like Bubonic Plague, well, then I guess I must. I do it for you, Bitches. Quackery is what … Continue reading Quackery by Lydia Kang, M.D. and Nate Pedersen →
I didn’t expect this book to make me cry, but it did. Specifically, I got teary when I was reading the introduction and came across this sentence: “It shouldn’t require an act of feminism to know how your body works, but it does.” I felt equal parts furious, seen, and relieved when I read that. When The Vagina Bible was released a couple of years ago, I devoured it, paying special attention to the section … Continue reading The Menopause Manifesto by Dr. Jen Gunter →
When Books Went To War, by Molly Guptill Manning, is a delightful non-fiction sure to delight the heart of any bibliophile and/or history nerd. The book is fairly short for non-fiction (the paperback is just under 200 pages not counting appendixes), and easy to read (it avoids jargon). It’s fascinating and heartwarming and informative. I loved this book and would suggest it for any avid reader. When America joined WWII, the troops had many problems, … Continue reading When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning →
The Library Book by Susan Orlean is a gripping piece of nonfiction. Using the 1986 Los Angeles Library Fire as a framing device, Orlean explores the mystery of how and by whom the fire was started as well as the history of the Los Angeles Public Library and how libraries today are changing to meet modern needs. Orlean goes into detail about the fire itself, which makes for agonizing, informative, and emotionally gripping reading. The … Continue reading The Library Book by Susan Orlean →
