Review of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Bottom line: It’s a deeply beloved classic for a reason. Read it! Rating: Strongly Recommended Review: There are many types of nerds/geeks (also, I prefer the term nerd to geek, but that’s a topic for another post) out there in society – Dr. Who nerds, Star Trek nerds, Star Wars nerds, and so on. While […]
Review of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Rating: Strongly Recommended Blurb: Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor. […]
Family Fridays – Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan
Genre: Children’s Fantasy Ages: 9 and up Blurb for the first book: The Lightning Thief After getting expelled from yet another school for yet another clash with mythological monsters only he can see, twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is taken to Camp Half-Blood, where he finally learns the truth about his unique abilities: He is a demigod, […]
Interview with Evie Woolmore, author of Equilibrium
A few nights ago, I was in the mood for trying something different, and the baby was actually asleep, so I downloaded the sample for Evie Woolmore’s Equilibrium. It certainly was something different for me. I had never even heard of the genre, magical realism, before, but I thought I might as well try the […]
Review of Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (1985) (The Ender Quintet)
Bottom line: A compelling character and suspenseful story combine to create an engrossing read. Rating: Recommended Blurb: In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race’s next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew “Ender” Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, […]
Review of the Chronological Man Adventure Series by Andrew Mayne
Bottom line: A fun, historical, science-y, steampunk-y, adventure-y series of short stories. Rating: Strongly Recommended Review: I really like this series. It consists (so far) of two short stories, telling the tale of Smith, time traveler extraordinaire, who shows up to save the day whenever he is needed. The books are short enough to be […]
Review of “Nineteen Eighty Four” or “1984” by George Orwell (1949)
Bottom line: Definitely worth a read, as it explores timeless topics such as power, inequality, and control. Rating: Strongly Recommended Blurb: 1984 has come and gone, but George Orwell’s prophetic, nightmarish vision in 1948 of the world we were becoming is timelier than ever. 1984 is still the great modern classic of “Negative Utopia” – […]
Review of Timekeeper by Heather Albano (2012)
Bottom line: A very strong sequel to Timepiece, and a very fun read. Rating: Strongly Recommended Blurb: An alternate history adventure featuring time travelers, freedom fighters, Frankenstein’s monster, the Battle of Waterloo, and Napoleon invading Britain by dirigible. — In Timepiece, young adventurer Elizabeth Barton and her suitor William Carrington used a mysterious pocket watch […]
Review of The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey (or The Hobbit: Part 1/3)
Bottom line: A fun movie set in Tolkien’s world, though not a strict adaptation from the book. Rating: Recommended Review: When The Hobbit came out, I never got around to seeing it in theaters, being 8 1/2 months pregnant at the time and then otherwise occupied. So I finally saw it when it became available […]
Zombie Twofer
First, let me preface this by saying that I’m not really into zombies. Most zombie movies are reviewed enthusiastically for me by my husband, followed by a “and you should never watch it”. What can I say? I’m a wimp about violence. However, I thoroughly enjoyed these two books, and they continue to make the […]