Movie #2 of 2021: In the Heights (2021) A fun but perhaps overly-long adaptation of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical about the Latinx neighborhood of Washington Heights in NYC. Like the stageplay, it’s the story of people who are scraping by just above poverty and how they must weigh the idea of leaving for opportunities elsewhere …
Author Archives: Joe Kessler
Book Review: The Message by K. A. Applegate
Book #163 of 2021: The Message by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs #4) Cassie’s first Animorphs novel is an absolute delight. Plotwise, it pushes the narrative further than any volume since the premiere, adding in one final teammate to join the group of morphing teens. (I’ll avoid spoilers beyond that here, but this new ally will …
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Book Review: Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett
Book #162 of 2021: Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #31) A tremendously funny and poignant story of a young woman who disguises herself as a lad to enlist in her nation’s army. Author Terry Pratchett strikes a fine balance between showing the camaraderie and bravery of soldiers on the one hand — the reasons …
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TV Review: Dawson’s Creek, season 4
TV #50 of 2021: Dawson’s Creek, season 4 Although I still don’t love Dawson Leery as a character, this is easily the least infuriating he’s ever been. The writers have toned down his self-centered and jealous nature in a way that can read as belated maturity in the high school senior, and they even manage …
Book Review: The Descent of Monsters by Neon Yang
Book #161 of 2021: The Descent of Monsters by Neon Yang (Tensorate #3) I think this is my favorite Tensorate novella yet, although it’s a bit of a departure from the previous stories. There’s a brand-new protagonist, a Ministry of Justice official tasked with rubberstamping that a scene of slaughter was caused by arrested rebels …
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Book Review: Sunday the Rabbi Stayed Home by Harry Kemelman
Book #160 of 2021: Sunday the Rabbi Stayed Home by Harry Kemelman (The Rabbi Small Mysteries #3) If you’re reading the Rabbi Small series for the titular mysteries, I could see it being a frustrating experience. In this third volume, the murder plot doesn’t start until halfway through, and the clergyman is only brought in …
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TV Review: The Americans, season 4
TV #49 of 2021: The Americans, season 4 This remains a good show from scene to scene, but I’m growing frustrated with some of the larger plotting decisions. Last year built up a few tense and untenable situations that never came to a head, like Kimmy’s advances and the literal Chekhov’s gun in Martha’s kitchen …
Book Review: The In-Between by Rebecca K. S. Ansari
Book #159 of 2021: The In-Between by Rebecca K. S. Ansari Too many under-explained elements in the magical side of this middle-grade story, about a young teen who becomes convinced that his next-door neighbor is a harbinger of disaster. Why do the pencils on her desk vanish? What’s ultimately up with that distinctive yet fake …
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Book Review: A Darkness More Than Night by Michael Connelly
Book #158 of 2021: A Darkness More Than Night by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch #7) Author Michael Connelly’s first big crossover project is intriguing in concept, teaming up his usual hero LAPD detective Harry Bosch with retired FBI agent Terry McCaleb from the novel Blood Work. Jack McEvoy, reporter protagonist of The Poet, is here …
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Book Review: The Encounter by K. A. Applegate
Book #157 of 2021: The Encounter by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs #3) There isn’t much additional worldbuilding in this third novel, and I’m not a huge fan of the action being driven by a one-off ‘Animorphs notice something weird and investigate’ event rather than anything with larger plot implications. Nevertheless, this is an interesting and …
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The Lesser Joke: book reviews and more 