Get In Trouble Book Review — A quirky and fun short story collection
There are a few gems among Kelly Link's short story collection Get In Trouble that are certainly worth the trouble of reading I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Kelly Link’s short story collection Get In Trouble. I never read a short story collection before it and I had my apprehensions. However, after just hearing…
Then We Came to The End Book Review — Poignant, funny, and tragically real
Joshua Ferris’ Then We Came to the End is equal parts stinging satire of working and moving character study about the meaning of life For me, the best way to tell how I felt about a book is looking at my reaction to the ending. I’m not talking about my reaction to what happens, but…
Bellweather Rhapsody Book Review — A Compulsively Readable Dark Comedy Mystery
Bellweather Rhapsody is a coming-of-age drama and whodunit mystery wrapped into a quirky dark comedy Agatha Christie, The Shining, and Stephen King are all directly referenced in Kate Racculia’s sophomore effort. However, they are more than just reference because they shape the book itself. Bellweather Rhapsody is simultaneously a "whodunit" mystery, teenage coming-of-age dramedy, shifting…
Dark Matter Book Review — A tense, well-plotted thriller
A quick and efficient page turner, Dark Matter doesn't bring anything too new to the genre, but it is certainly entertaining enough to keep you reading If you read the premise of Dark Matter, you don’t immediately see anything terribly original or grout-breaking. A man doesn’t know it but the entire world he knows is about to…
Weiner Movie Review — The fall and fall of Anthony Weiner
Weiner is one of the most satisfying and hilarious political films ever made, which makes the fact that it's a fly-on-the-wall documentary all the more impressive Where most documentaries often rely on style to tell a story, fly-on-the-wall documentaries have to rely on the subject. Thankfully for Weiner, the subject is a narcissistic politician that can’t…
Carry On Book Review — A Harry Potter satire that is just as magical
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell is a sharp and hilarious satire of Harry Potter featuring the worst chosen one ever Simon Snow is the worst “chosen one” that has ever existed. That’s pretty much the line that drew me to Carry On. Rainbow Rowell is known more for her books like Eleanor & Park and Fangirl —…
Wonders of the Invisible World Book Review — A mature, but magical young adult novel
Wonders of the Invisible World is a refreshing adventure into the space of fantasy young adult genre that feels completely original I think one of the most interesting and successful parts of the young adult genre is the “weird” factor. You have to admit, a lot of YA is weird with weird characters in weird situations. But…
Sleeping Giants Book Review — A Unique, Engaging Sci-fi Thriller
Sylvain Neuvel's Debut Novel, Sleeping Giants, Deftly Avoids Becoming a Sci-fi Cliche A dissociated birthday party, a new bike, and a 23-foot-long metal hand. And so begins Sylvain’s Neuvel’s debut novel Sleeping Giants. Sleeping Giants follows Doctor Rose Franklin, a gifted physicist working at the University of Chicago, who, after falling down a perfectly square hole…
The Impossible Movie Review — Sentimental to A Fault, but Thrilling and Gorgeously Made
Emotionally raw and unnerving, The Impossible is a disaster movie that is actually a family drama at its core, which makes for a thrilling a beautiful movie This month, director J.A. Bayona returns with a movie adaptation of Patrick Ness’ novel A Monster Calls. So, I thought it would be a perfect time to go back and…
The Wave Movie Review — An American disaster movie in Norway
Despite relying on genre cliches, a new setting and distinctly Norwegian point-of-view make The Wave an enjoyable disaster flick By the time we get to the eponymous wave in 2015’s The Wave, we are nearly halfway through the movie. Usually when that happens in a disaster movie, that time feels squandered. But not with The Wave. We…