Few writers can gut punch readers with an ending the way Stephen King can. Written in the first person, 11/22/63 is ominous from the start. But why it is so ominous takes over 850 pages to understand. For all his flaws with endings, the final lines are usually cutting. Take another story told in first person, The Green Mile. It’s only at the end, the very end, that the true cost of the story is revealed with that haunting final line “We each owe a […]
Clear alcohol is for rich women on diets
One of my favorite shows of the last several years is Parks & Recreation. I was heartbroken when it ended last year but happy the story was able to be finished and we were able to say goodbye to characters I loved. One of the more unique things about the series was that most of the main cast saw a huge increase in their exposure and popularity. In addition to the most striking example, Chris Pratt, you also have Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, and Nick […]
Depression, and blackouts, and murder(?), OH MY!
If you are looking for a well written, fast moving psychological thriller in the vein of Gillian Flynn’s brilliant Gone Girl you will be entertained and satisfied with The Girl on the Train. Like Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train uses an unreliable narrator structure to keep the reader off balance, revealing information bits at a time so that your understanding of the story keeps changing. It also features characters that are largely unlikable, yet strangely compelling, and keeps you turning the pages even […]
The Hans Christian Anderson classic is updated and spun into a Christmas story
With Matchless I’m at review 52! CANNONBALL! I don’t expect to do this again, I had to sacrifice longer novels for shorter ones to meet the goal and stretch with some graphic novels at the end but I’m satisfied with my reviews and enjoyed the challenge of pushing myself to stay on a reading and writing schedule. Apologies to my work for the countless lunch hours (and sometimes beyond) spent writing these up. On to review 52! Matchless began its life a spoken word performance […]