Alice by Christina Henry
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Okay…not sure how to talk about this.
First, the biggest problem is the characters are never in any real danger, they defeat the enemies much too easily and there’s never anything at stake beyond physical harm, which, as stated, was never going to be a thing. There’s no depth to Alice and when we finally get Hatcher’s backstory, it doesn’t affect him in the present. Continue reading “Alice by Christina Henry”
Who doesn’t like to be scared?
Okay, sure, lots of people don’t. But in case you’re not one of them, NPR has once again taken an informal and completely non-scientific poll to find the 100 Best Horror Novels And Stories. Naturally, they did it this year, 2018, since it marks the 200th anniversary of the original publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Continue reading “100 Best Horror Novels And Stories : NPR”
So oftentimes I will read something I like and want to share it here on the blog. For whatever reason the mind kicks in and says “this is something which should be preserved.” So I file it away and eventually, I write up my thoughts about the link and then I set it to post. Continue reading “On Women and Speculative Fiction”
Who Are the Forgotten Greats of Science Fiction?
Tor.com blogger James Davis Nicoll asks this question and while I’m familiar and widely read in some of these folks, there are also a bunch I don’t know and a few I’ve never heard of. So here’s another set of books and authors to go on my reading list.
Reading a collection of short fiction from any given author is always a mixed bag. Same goes for an anthology of works by different authors centered around a certain theme or category. You might like some and some, well, they round out the collection.
But when you have a “Best of” collection, especially one curated by another well known writer or editor, well then, that’s a great way to start a good library. And that’s what Tor.com talks about in this article featuring A Survey of Some of the Best Science Fiction Ever Published (Thanks to Judy-Lynn Del Rey). While I’ve read some of these, and own several, a bunch more are going on my wish list.
There’s something incredibly cool about the art of editing. It can transport you from one time and place to another in a fraction of a second. Kuleshov developed the idea of “creative geography” when it came to film editing and now, here’s an extreme example of how it can be put to an extremely effective use. While this might be a tad long, it nevertheless is worth watching.
So I posted this on Facebook, but it seems like it needs a more permanent home. Therefore, posting it here.
And while it’s true this is piece is focused on Gaiman, there are a number of really good links which are just as important to the truth of reading and storytelling that I wanted to keep it nearby. “Truth is not in what happens but in what it tells us about who we are.”
Source: Neil Gaiman on Why We Read and What Books Do for the Human Experience – Brain Pickings
Hi.
I’m Jaq…and I’m a book collector.
<hi Jaq>
Continue reading “13 Secrets of Rare Book Dealers | Mental Floss”
In honor of the great Icelandic holiday tradition, Here’s a list of some of the best books of the last year for you to peruse, think about, ponder and maybe, just maybe, if you have the time, read. It’s a list with something for everyone and easily searchable. And as an added bonus, they have their lists for the past 9 years linked as well. Enjoy! #bookconcierge
This was my first time reading/listening to a Carrie Fisher memoir and I was blown away. Even 40 years removed from the topic at hand, it’s amazing how much insight and honesty she has for the subject matter. Continue reading “The Princess Diarist – Carrie Fisher”
This is a great infographic! Global English Editing services (I am not endorsing them – I know nothing about them) have put together this fun list of the most iconic books set in every country of the world. With this gorgeous map, you can tour the entire literary world—without ever leaving home.
If you scroll past the map/graphics you’ll find all of the books listed alphabetically by country so you can get a little sense of the plot. Unfortunately, there’s no hot links so if you want to grab any of them, click here.
And yeah, I specifically chose the Lithuanian entry as the graphic for this post.
So there was this article a few weeks back in The Washington Post: The death of reading is threatening the soul. Pretty heady stuff. Their subhead is Commitment to reading is an ongoing battle.
And I read it at a most opportune time. Continue reading “The death of reading is threatening the soul – The Washington Post”
I’m just waiting until we move into a (at least) semi-permanent place, where I can get all my books gathered together – and then I will figure out an organization strategy. So looking forward to that day!
Here are 10 organizational strategies for the next time you find yourself in the throes of moving, decluttering, or procrastinating.
Source: The Millions : Ten Ways to Organize Your Bookshelf – The Millions
Getting the Hang of Thursdays 