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
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
Hooray! Another great passage from Eyes of War. I'm fairly impressed with the description in today's passage. Sure, it takes a turn for the morbid, sounding like something you'd find in George R. R. Martin's books, but it's not bad. There are a couple flubs--"The oval face held fear."--but it's pretty good for Ms. Nickerson. The… Continue reading TERRIBLE PROSE TUESDAY: It was a massacre…ho hum
I've got some beef with Christian fiction. I love C. S. Lewis and realize the great impact his Narnia novels had on Christian literature. The problem with Lewis' work is that it inspired other Christians to write painfully obvious allegories that barely cover up the gospel message. Instead of telling stories, they get preachy. I'm not… Continue reading TERRIBLE PROSE TUESDAY: Overly inspirational
Narrative Paradise 