Book #26 of 2019: The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Steve Brusatte This 2018 book is an interesting review of the current scientific understanding of dinosaurs, much of which is different from what was taught in schools decades ago (and from the representation in popular culture …
Author Archives: Joe Kessler
Book Review: Flight or Fright edited by Stephen King and Bev Vincent
Book #27 of 2019: Flight or Fright edited by Stephen King and Bev Vincent In principle, horror about air travel is a fine concept for a short story collection. There’s so much that can go wrong on a plane, at least in the domain of fiction: from supernatural cloud-dwellers (“Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” by Richard …
Continue reading “Book Review: Flight or Fright edited by Stephen King and Bev Vincent”
Book Review: Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne
Book #25 of 2019: Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne (The Tales of Pell #1) This novel aspires to be a tongue-in-cheek fairy tale sendup a la Discworld or Shrek, but it doesn’t have anywhere near the heart or cleverness to pull that off. Instead it reads more like just …
Continue reading “Book Review: Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne”
Book Review: Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale
Book #24 of 2019: Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale (Princess Academy #2) Much like the first book, this Princess Academy sequel seems like a great title for readers transitioning between the middle-grade and young adult publishing categories. It’s a tough act to balance the atmosphere of class consciousness and fermenting revolution against a lighter …
Continue reading “Book Review: Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale”
Book Review: Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart
Book #23 of 2019: Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart (Kopp Sisters #1) The heroine in this historical fiction novel has a plucky Willa Cather vibe to her, and it’s neat that her story is based on real events (which have also been recently portrayed in an episode of the show Drunk History). The …
Continue reading “Book Review: Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart”
Book Review: Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander
Book #22 of 2019: Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander (The Chronicles of Prydain #4) I like the section near the end of this book when the hero apprentices under a series of artisans who sneakily give him life lessons along with crafting skills, but as a whole it’s a bit too meandering for my tastes. …
Continue reading “Book Review: Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander”
Book Review: Thanos: Titan Consumed by Barry Lyga
Book #21 of 2019: Thanos: Titan Consumed by Barry Lyga Originally announced and written as the first novel set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before Disney walked back that claim just before publication, this book presents the backstory of its title character and the origins of his quest to destroy half of all life in …
Continue reading “Book Review: Thanos: Titan Consumed by Barry Lyga”
Book Review: Circe by Madeline Miller
Book #20 of 2019: Circe by Madeline Miller I’m not well-versed enough in Greek mythology to recognize everywhere this novel diverts from the traditional versions of the title character’s story, but it’s nevertheless clear that this presentation of her life on her own terms is something special. Much like Wicked, it’s a feminist reclamation of …
Book Review: All the Ever Afters: The Untold Story of Cinderella’s Stepmother by Danielle Teller
Book #19 of 2019: All the Ever Afters: The Untold Story of Cinderella’s Stepmother by Danielle Teller I have a soft spot for fairy tale retellings, and in theory this novel offers a fine premise: Cinderella is a spoiled brat, her stepmother is a former servant struggling to keep the household solvent, and all the …
TV Review: Breaking Bad, season 3
TV #6 of 2019: Breaking Bad, season 3 This series has been incredible from its very first scene, but the third season is where it truly hits its stride in terms of plotting and character work. This run of episodes is all about the chess game against Gus Fring and the battle for Jesse Pinkman’s …
The Lesser Joke: book reviews and more 