This is a little unfair, but indulge me: What if Ron Weasley had defeated Voldemort? And Hermoine didn’t come into the picture until they were adults? And Harry was gay and fell in love with Draco Malfoy? Oh, and instead of all white* main characters, there were characters of color? Instead of only confirming** Dumbledore’s sexuality after the fact, it was right there in the text? These are fundamentally fan-fiction-y questions, so if fan fiction*** is your bag, then you are probably going to love […]
What Is Hidden In Snow Is Revealed At Thaw
“As if on Blackåsen, there was no God. As if Blackåsen belonged to someone else.” In the summer of 1717, a settler family—a husband, wife, and two daughters—arrives on the fictional Blackåsen Mountain. Before they can so much as settle in, their daughters discover the body of a murdered man. What follows is a winter of secrets, mysteries, and ghosts. Read the rest at Pop Culture Penalty Box. [Photo is mine, and is of Alta, Utah, not Sweden.]
The Secret Lives of Sharks
“A surprise is rarely a stranger, but a faceless patient who’s been reading across from you in the waiting room the entire time, his head hidden by a magazine but his orange socks in plain view, as well as his gold pocket watch and frayed trousers.” Part 3, Chapter 35: The Secret Garden I’m trying to decide if I liked this book. There are aspects of it I loved, and aspects of it that were middling. On the whole, the ending felt sudden and not […]
I Can’t Pull You Closer Than This
I LOVED this book. Often when I really love something, I’ll say to a friend that they need to read it or watch it, so I have someone to yell about it with. I don’t want to yell about this book. I want to press it into people’s hands like a secret, hushing their protests. Don’t ask questions. Shhhh. Just read it. Read the rest at Pop Culture Penalty Box.