When you recommend a book the first thing you do is explain what the book is about. I sometimes struggle to accurately describe a book without giving too much away while still capturing the plot. For today's diversion you can throw that all away. Today we will attempt to describe a book in the … [Read more]
Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan
This book is 145 pages about a Red Lobster's last day of business. That's it, that's the plot. It's about the people - Manny, the manager, mostly, working the final shift in a closing chain restaurant on the outskirts of a parking lot of a sad, gray mall, just before Christmas during a bleak, snowy … [Read more]
The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt
There are some books which rely wholly on the plot; the prose just moves the plot along, and of course that's fine, and it doesn't mean the prose is bad. But sometime an author wields prose differently - in this case, our subject, whose name may or may to be Marguerite, is revealed by the style of … [Read more]
Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls by Kathleen Hale
When two twelve year olds attempted to stab their friend to death due to a delusional belief in Slenderman, the case made headlines across the world. However, the defendents' mental health issues made navigating the legal system more difficult. Hale extensively interviewed Geyser, her family, and … [Read more]
The Snowmansion: (A Wordless Winter Picture Book About a Snowman, Friendship, and Magic for Kids Ages 4-8) by Gideon Sterer and Stella Lim
Anna's Kokeshi Dolls: A Children's Story Told in English and Japanese by Tracy Gallup
For the winter holidays I like to find a few books that fit the seasons (snow, particular Holidays (both spiritual and non) and “something else.” That usually is just a good book to recommend. Well, I found two different books (both out, but read via online readers) that fit a few of the … [Read more]
Once, Again, Always by Amanda Gayle
This is going to be short and sweet. I loved this book. It was absolutely what I needed to read right now. A great romance with two compelling leads. The fact that the author didn't try to magically heal stuff through the power of love. You get to see Molly and Aster before (at least up to what she … [Read more]
Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell (author), Faith Erin Hicks (illustrator)
My reasons for reading Pumpkinheads are twofold. First, I'm not ready to let go of that Halloween feeling just yet, and second, I'm dramatically behind on my to read goal. Paired that means a revisit to this graphic novel on my shelf was obviously called for. Because why not read an autumnal … [Read more]
