reviews

Why You Should Drop Everything and Read Outlander Author: Diana Gabaldon Pretty much everywhere I go, from a casual bad movie night with friends all the way into the intensive atmosphere of the office, I somehow manage to hear about Outlander, both the book series and the television series. Finally, one day while I was at work and chatting with my colleague (also an avid book reader), I decided that there must be something in all this hype beyond the mere surface idea of gorgeous people in stunning love triangles experiencing smoldering page after page of seduction.  Of course, if the book [...]

Coming of Age, Finding Forgiveness, and Confronting Mystery Author: Ed Tarkington Advertised as one of the February picks for Book of the Month Club, the write-up for Only Love Can Break Your Heart captured my interest with its comparison to The Wonder Years and classical coming-of-age stories. Following the tumultuous youth of Richard aka Rocky, told with painful knowledge and reminiscence, the tale winds through the backbeat of 70s music, family life, and the complexities and limits of forgiveness. Rocky’s hero is his older half-brother, deviant, pot smoking, storytelling Paul with the hot but troubled girlfriend. Siblings united by a father tellingly referred to as “The [...]

Keyboard (in)justice... Author:  Jon Ronson Pitchforks and torches used to be the tools of choice.  But as we’ve become more civilized over time, extrajudicial punishment has become less and less necessary.  Truth be told, I can’t remember the last time we rounded up a posse in these parts.  But the Internet has put a new spin on an old tradition.  Post an offensive image on Facebook?  Fudge the truth a bit in your latest book?  Tweet a joke that upsets someone?  In today’s constant and highly efficient social media whirlwind, if you hurt someone’s feelings, you can be an unemployed [...]