Reviews

Peony is a lovesick maiden in China during the 1600s. Meaning, she read a play called The Peony Pavilion and then, like the main character in the play, starved herself to death for want of love. The first half of the book details Peony’s life until her death. The second half details Peony’s journey to becoming an ancestor after her death.

Livability is a collection of nine short stories written by Jonathan Raymond. These stories all take place in Oregon. Many of the stories involve drifters, failed relationships, and missed opportunities in life. They are both touching and sad. Two of the stories Old Joy and Train Choir were adapted into indie films.

Unbeknownst to my colleagues, I am basically a sentimental sap and I absolutely loved this movie. Julie Powell is a food and recipe blogger and, of course, we all know who Julia Child is. In this fun movie, Julie decides that she will cook all of the recipes in Julia Child’s first book….one a day for 365 days….and she will post her results on her blog.

Back in the days when Led Zeppelin was still a going concern, my friends all seemed to worship guitarist Jimmy Page. And indeed, the man could play guitar; terrestrial radio (and now its satellite competitor, XM Sirius) still vibrates to the mighty riffs Page laid down for songs such as "Whole Lotta Love" and the notorious "Stairway To Heaven."

Back in 1998, while doing research for an article, the author discovered some medical studies that revealed that the outcomes for people in the United States with schizophrenia have worsened over the past 25 years.

I started reading The Passage by Cronin and the City of Thieves simultaneously.  I stopped reading the  The Passage on about page 40 because of the mounting tension and the prospect of vampires.  But somehow I could continue reading the fictionalized account of the  devastation inflicted on th

This biography of Lincoln the covers the start of his quest for the presidency until his assassination, chronicles his relationship with the men who made up his Cabinet. Most of these politicians ran against him during the 1960 Republican Convention.

Anna Pigeon is back for a somewhat different tale of adventure and suspense. She’s not in a National Park this time, but visiting a friend in New Orleans for some R and R after her more recent traumas. Anna becomes caught up in the dark and ugly world of child trafficking.

As a fan of the show Mystery Science Theater 3000, I have a great appreciation for Michael J. Nelson. Sure, some people prefer Joel, the first host, but I started with Mike and have always had a soft spot for his dorky delivery and hapless enthusiasm. And as the head writer, his wit was a major force behind the overall flavor of the show’s ten seasons.

Frank Einstein is the costumed character, Madman. He was brought back to life by mad-scientists and now has trouble remembering who he is and struggles deciphering fantasy from reality. By the first few panels we’re introduced to his existential crisis quickly followed by an attempt on his life by some thugs.