Book #245 of 2018: Elevation by Stephen King A lackluster novella from a writer who should know (and can obviously do) much better. Part of the problem is the warmed-over premise of a man gradually losing his body weight, which can’t help but recall the author’s earlier novel Thinner — which if not quite a …
Author Archives: Joe Kessler
Book Review: How Long ’til Black Future Month? by N. K. Jemisin
Book #244 of 2018: How Long ’til Black Future Month? by N. K. Jemisin A few of these short stories miss the mark for me, and the ones I like best seem front-loaded in the first half of the collection, giving the book at large an uneven feel. Still, author N. K. Jemisin’s imagination is …
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Book Review: 41: A Portrait of My Father by George W. Bush
Book #243 of 2018: 41: A Portrait of My Father by George W. Bush My political views are very different from both the author and the subject of this presidential retrospective, but thankfully the former steers largely clear of politics to talk about the latter’s character. (The author’s brother Jeb, for example, barely features in …
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Book Review: Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy
Book #242 of 2018: Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy An informative overview of the country’s current opioid crisis, which has deeper roots — dating to the turn of the century in its present form or even further for historical analogues — and a more singular origin — …
Book Review: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Book #241 of 2018: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (Montague Siblings #1) Overall, I adore this historical fiction novel about queer teens on their grand tour of eighteenth-century continental Europe. It’s phenomenal representation in a genre that often starves for any diversity at all, and the action of the story …
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TV Review: Doctor Who, season 11
TV #52 of 2018: Doctor Who, season 11 I love the new Thirteenth Doctor, along with plenty of other tweaks in this first chapter of Doctor Who under showrunner Chris Chibnall. I adore the dynamic between companions Ryan and Graham, and I like that the season is immediately approachable for brand-new and lapsed viewers, which …
TV Review: Breaking Bad, season 2
TV #51 of 2018: Breaking Bad, season 2 A bit of a transitional season, taking us from the tough-but-stupid (and honestly a bit stereotypical) drug dealer Tuco to Heisenberg and Jesse’s initial attempt to be solo kingpins, and finally to the beginning of their partnership with the enigmatic Gustavo Fring. It’s still Breaking Bad, so …
Book Review: And Now We Have Everything: On Motherhood Before I Was Ready by Meaghan O’Connell
Book #240 of 2018: And Now We Have Everything: On Motherhood Before I Was Ready by Meaghan O’Connell A short, powerful memoir about unplanned pregnancy, birth, early parenting, and postpartum depression. I really admire author Meaghan O’Connell’s sharp, matter-of-fact tone, which basically comes across as a more human version of Amy Dunne from Gone Girl. …
TV Review: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, season 2
TV #50 of 2018: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, season 2 Not as tight a story as the first season, but I like that it immediately pushes forward new character-driven plots, especially for Paula, and that the status quo continues to get shaken up as the season progresses. And of course, the songs are as clever and catchy …
Book Review: Ararat by Christopher Golden
Book #239 of 2018: Ararat by Christopher Golden (Ben Walker #1) This story of demonic possession and murder unleashed by the discovery of Noah’s Ark on an isolated mountainside is a solid paranormal thriller, sort of like Michael Crichton or Dan Brown crossed with early Stephen King. I would have liked a little more depth …
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The Lesser Joke: book reviews and more 