Books, Taylor Swift, and other hyperfixations
Once in a while, books come along that feel special, books that leave me choked up for no reason, books that make me feel like I'm on a runner's high when I read them. The Good Luck of Right Now is one of those books. It almost feels like it was written for me. The plot… Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick
I should stop picking on Janna Nickerson. There are other terrible books out there. It's just that Eyes of War has given me so much material. Today's passage has bits of entertaining silliness, but I found myself actually angry while rereading it. For some reason, Ms. Nickerson doesn't seem to understand how plurals work. Unless they meld together… Continue reading TERRIBLE PROSE TUESDAY: That’s what editing’s for
This isn't the first time I've posted about Fruits Basket. I finished the series this weekend, so expect a few more Mondays featuring upsetting manga moments. Megumi is all right as far as characters go. He's Saki Hanajima's precocious younger brother who could pass for her identical twin and hangs out with her friends so often… Continue reading MAKE-YOU-CRY MONDAY: Megumi Hanajima
Warning: So many spoilers. If you'd like a summary, scroll to the bottom of the review. Hey, Shadow and Bone. C'mere. I wanna talk to you. Sit down, Shadow and Bone. How have you been? I've been hearing really great things about you. You know, I really liked you at first. I mean, really liked you. Your first 90 or so… Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Know what I like? Foreshadowing. Without foreshadowing, a writer's twists can come out of nowhere and make about as much sense (see: "Frozen"). If you're going to drop a huge bomb later on in the story, it's best to drop little hints before it happens. Or, you could do what Janna Nickerson does, and make… Continue reading TERRIBLE PROSE TUESDAY: Father was acting very suspiciously
Minor Fruits Basket spoilers today. If you don't want to know who the horse of the zodiac is, read no further. I have a pattern: whenever I read Fruits Basket, I cry. The series' halfway point is usually where I get emotional. People think Fruits Basket is just a dumb shojo manga (I could name names...you know who you are),… Continue reading MAKE-YOU-CRY MONDAY: Rin Sohma and Tohru Honda
Ahoy! Thar be spoilers here! We return to my favorite series to examine each of the heroines' love interests. Carswell Thorne I was not a Thorne fan when I started reading. It had something to do with his bravado, self-appointed title of captain, and sensitivity to prison soap. Kai puts it perfectly in Scarlet. [Thorne's] prison photo showed him… Continue reading The Men of Lunar Chronicles
No video this week, as well as no book. Time for something a bit different, namely complaining about terrible lyrics!! Hurray! I'm disappointed in Andy Grammer. I bought his first album in 2011 and loved it, even if certain songs of his haven't aged well. Grammer dropped "Honey, I'm Good" in October of last year,… Continue reading TERRIBLE PROSE TUESDAY: Honey, I’m good
Sondheim, Sondheim, Sondheim. Astonishingly bitter and wickedly funny. Better flow and rhymes than most mainstream rappers. I became a Sondheim fan after stumbling across "Company" on Netflix a couple years ago. The only downside to liking Sondheim is he's not what you would call an optimist. I've never seen "Assassins", but I've listened to its soundtrack many times.… Continue reading MAKE-YOU-CRY MONDAY: The Ballad of Booth
I bought Cinder in 2011 when I ran out of books my freshman year of college. I no longer have my original copy due to my annoyance when what I thought was a standalone ended on a cliffhanger. It took a good friend of mine to convince me to give the series another chance. Looking back, I don't know… Continue reading The Women of Lunar Chronicles
Narrative Paradise 