Why yes that is a not so subtle play on When Harry Met Sally, which has nothing to do with this novel whatsoever (except the New York setting). However, Suzanne Rindell’s debut is a pleasant blend of Hitchcockian noir and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Gatsby decadence. Set in New York during the 1920’s, complete with speakeasies,Continue reading “When Hitchcock Met F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell”
Author Archives: Rory
So You Have Issues…? A Top Ten List
Don’t we all. This week’s top ten list? Books that deal with tough issues (as hosted by The Broke and the Bookish). 10. White Oleander by Janet Fitch. Abandonment and adversity. 9. The Stand by Stephen King. Survival, the flu, and the evil machinations of the government. 8. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Love andContinue reading “So You Have Issues…? A Top Ten List”
Silken Prey by John Sandford
The Black Krim. Sounds ominous, right? Good thing this discussion will eventually lead into a review of John Sandford’s new thriller-mystery Silken Prey (review copy provided by publisher) – because there’s nothing particularly mysterious about the Black Krim, aside from a name that could double as a terrorist organization. Rewind a few hours. By nature I am an anxious person.Continue reading “Silken Prey by John Sandford”
Mommie Dearest: The Modern Guide To Fiction’s Worst Moms (A Top Ten List)
In honor of mother’s day, I have no doubt you will see many warm and fuzzy mom moments floating around the interwebs. This list is dedicated to the other mothers – the cold, calculating, and vindictive sort that make fiction so much more interesting. This list should start off with Joan Crawford, sadly, she was real…Continue reading “Mommie Dearest: The Modern Guide To Fiction’s Worst Moms (A Top Ten List)”
What We Read When We Want To Read For Fun: A Top Ten List
And by we, I mean me. And I don’t read Raymond Carver when I’m looking for a fluffy read, but I really do love What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. This week’s top ten list: top ten books when you need something light and fun (as hosted by the broke and theContinue reading “What We Read When We Want To Read For Fun: A Top Ten List”
A Dual Inheritance by Joanna Hershon
How do we end up who we are? Is it culture? Is it genetics? Is it both? As this site’s tagline threatens, today I will be intersecting life and literature. “Dual Inheritance Theory (DIT), also known as gene-culture coevolution, was developed in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s to explain how human behavior is aContinue reading “A Dual Inheritance by Joanna Hershon”
The Half Brother by Lars Saabye Christensen
Boxing. The noble art of self-defense. In an effort to be less defenseless and partly because my university required physical education to graduate, I took years of boxing and kickboxing in college. My training wasn’t quite as effective as one would hope, as I still feel too ridiculous for anyone aside from my trainer to watch me.Continue reading “The Half Brother by Lars Saabye Christensen”
Word: A Top Ten List
This week’s top ten: words/topics/what have you that will make you pick up a book (as hosted by The Broke and The Bookish), in this case I am limiting it to fiction. I read plenty of non-fiction in my professional reading, so it is not an area I often explore voluntarily (unless it’s cookbooks –Continue reading “Word: A Top Ten List”
Godforsaken Idaho by Shawn Vestal
It is possible that Dorothy Parker once said ‘The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity’. Dorothy Parker was a wise woman. She also said, rather correctly, ‘I like to have a martini, two at the very most. After three I’m under the table, after four I’m under my host.’ Indeed.Continue reading “Godforsaken Idaho by Shawn Vestal”
James Dickey’s Guide to Wilderness Survival
Subtitle: Deliverance by James Dickey I have learned a few life lessons worth remembering. The first: if you are the size of Kristen Chenoweth, rugby is not a sport you should play – find another calling. The second: live someplace warm – where it’s not 19F in April. The third: when dating someone, surreptitiously checkContinue reading “James Dickey’s Guide to Wilderness Survival”
flannel and folklore 