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Featured
Blog Launch
Hello! My name is Joe Kessler, and I’ve been blogging in one form or another since 2004. This is the launch of my new home for that, where I’ll be posting book reviews and other short pieces of writing. I’m also debuting a Patreon site for anyone who would like to support my efforts through… Read more
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TV Review: Barry, season 3
TV #40 of 2026: Barry, season 3 I’ve never been wholly sold on this Bill Hader series about the hitman-turned-actor, but at this point, I am rapidly losing my patience with the project. I’ll push on because there’s only one more eight-episode season ahead of me, but I don’t know that I have much hope… Read more
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Book Review: Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
Book #145 of 2026: Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (Nevermoor #2) I like this children’s fantasy sequel even better than its series debut, although the Harry Potter similarities are heavier this time (which is perhaps not a problem if you’re explicitly seeking a Rowling-free substitute, but does suggest a certain lack… Read more
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Book Review: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis
Book #144 of 2026: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia #5) [Note: this is an updated version of my review from 2020.] This was always my favorite Narnia volume growing up, and it turns out I actually like it even better as an adult. The nautical adventure… Read more
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TV Review: Doctor Who, season 1
TV #39 of 2026: Doctor Who, season 1 I was a little behind the times when I started watching Doctor Who in 2009, but I began here as so many modern fans have, with the 2005 reboot initially starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper. I’m coming to it again now fresh off a rewatch of… Read more
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Movie Review: Jurassic World (2015)
Movie #43 of 2026: Jurassic World (2015) The 2010s gave rise to an increasing number of legacy sequels (or “legacyquels”) that got greenlit for dormant movie franchises, with this film, Creed, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Mad Max: Fury Road all releasing in 2015 alone. Those titles share another trait common to such projects… Read more
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Book Review: Blightfall by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson
Book #143 of 2026: Blightfall by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson (Riftwake #1) [Disclaimer: I am Facebook friends with the first credited author.] I’m somewhat baffled by the marketing / cover design for this novel, which is the launch of a new science-fiction trilogy — now called Riftwake, although originally announced as Skyward Legacy —… Read more
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Book Review: The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub
Book #142 of 2026: The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub (The Talisman #1) I wasn’t overly impressed when I read this novel a decade ago, but with the news that another sequel would be coming soon, I wanted to return to it to refresh my memory. On this reread I was joined by… Read more
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Book Review: The Blighted Stars by Megan E. O’Keefe
Book #141 of 2026: The Blighted Stars by Megan E. O’Keefe (The Devoured Worlds #1) A dark but excellent science-fiction debut, in which humanity’s future comes increasingly under threat from dangers both internal and external to the species. The worldbuilding here is very reminiscent of Altered Carbon, with people surviving death by downloading copies of… Read more
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Book Review: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Book #140 of 2026: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders An ambitious and experimental novel that ultimately doesn’t quite work for me. I like this conceit in the abstract, of a purgatory populated by spirits who can’t pass on because they won’t admit that they’re dead, and I love the detail of the real… Read more
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Movie Review: Jurassic Park III (2001)
Movie #42 of 2026: Jurassic Park III (2001) The first JP film not to be directed by Steven Spielberg also marks a clear point of diminishing returns for the franchise, which might explain why it went dormant afterwards until the reboot Jurassic World in 2015. It’s the shortest installment as well at a mere 92… Read more
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The Lesser Joke: book reviews and more 