Rating: 4.5/5 “‘Course, all stories are Anansi stories. Even this one.'” Neil Gaiman does it again, folks. Anansi Boys is a clever, witty, heartfelt novel that is unmistakably Neil Gaiman while also being individual in its own right. Compared to American Gods, this is a much shorter and more carefree read. It all begins with... Continue Reading →
Rating: 5/5 “‘Could you tell me,’ he asked, ‘who you are?’” (155) “‘I’m Wilhelm Reich’s son.’” (168) This is a curious book. It seems to have made the rounds in influential artistic circles a few decades ago, but never really into the mainstream public. I had trouble tracking a copy down, but after hearing that... Continue Reading →
Rating: 4/5 The Altruists was an unexpected pleasure for me. I usually don’t enjoy realistic fiction depicting the ups and downs of family dynamics, but Andrew Ridker really hit the nail on the head with his characterization of a father, mother, daughter, and son, each with individual personalities that inevitably feed off of each other.... Continue Reading →
Rating: 4/5 I remember picking Sabriel up at my middle school library years ago, looking at the cover, and putting it back down. Only until it was on a required reading list did I make myself go pick it up again, and boy was I not disappointed. I recently decided to re-read the series, and... Continue Reading →
Rating: 5/5 “[T]here is nothing right or wholesome anywhere in today’s politics.” How does one go about rating a 2,500-year-old book? Just the fact that a book has lasted this long is a feat within itself. Plato’s The Republic goes beyond that, however. It reveals a lot of inner truths about the nature of humanity... Continue Reading →
Rating: 5/5 I watched the film Paris, Texas last week for a film class as my first introduction to the German filmmaker Wim Wenders. I was struck by the way the American Southwest was captured in all of its beauty - something I think only a foreigner with reverence for open spaces could have done.... Continue Reading →
Rating: 4.5/5 I grew up in the magical world of J.R.R. Tolkien. The elves, dwarves, hobbits, dragons, and goblins swallowed me into their mystical realm of dark forests and misty mountains. I read the books and watched the films countless times, continuously immersing myself in the exquisite world that Tolkien had created. Now, I had... Continue Reading →
Rating: 4.5/5 “The how of Pooh?” I read this entire little book in one sitting. It’s short, sweet, and revealing. Benjamin Hoff uses an engaging and passive style of conversation between the reader and the Pooh’s cast to reveal more about The Way and how it applies to our everyday life. “While Eeyore frets,And Piglet... Continue Reading →
Rating: 2/5 I.... just couldn’t finish this book. I honestly think I was more in love with the premise than the actual words on the page. Despite this, I do recommend you give it a try. Here’s a quick synopsis: Allan Karlsson is a 100-year-old man living in Sweden. On his birthday, he suddenly decides... Continue Reading →
Rating: 5/5 “The story so far:In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.” I wish that I was alive when The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was published. The political jabs were, I’m sure, extremely hilarious and relevant. The... Continue Reading →
Truly Scrumptious Books 