Book #145 of 2021: The Invasion by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs #1) At the start of this long-overdue series reread, I am struck by how well the first Animorphs book holds up decades on, both from the perspective of a now-older reader and as a cultural artifact removed from its original pre-9/11 context. (The last …
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Book #76 of 2021: The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn #2) Another phenomenal piece of epic fantasy, juggling pulse-pounding cinematic action, endearing characters, court intrigue, worldbuilding revelations, and even a hidden traitor subplot with apparent ease. Although I miss the feeling of daringly clever heist shenanigans from the first novel, this sequel is …
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TV #23 of 2021: WandaVision Brilliant in concept and nearly flawless in execution, I have very few critical notes for this miniseries, the debut television project under the immediate creative control of producer Kevin Feige at Marvel Studios and the premiere event in his Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four. It’s a decade-by-decade journey across American …
Book #63 of 2021: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn #1) This first Mistborn novel is every bit the modern classic that I remember, although it does have a few gender issues that author Brandon Sanderson improves upon in his later works. (Nothing too egregious, but except for our teenage heroine, this is a …
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TV #18 of 2021: The Queen’s Gambit An outstanding character study and period piece, offering the same sort of lush mid-twentieth-century design details that bring the era to life on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The main focus here, however, is on our complicated protagonist, a brilliant but lonely young prodigy struggling to understand the world …
Book #17 of 2021: The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo (The Singing Hills Cycle #1) A quiet but captivating #ownvoices fantasy novella, rich in feminist character work and immersive East Asian-inspired worldbuilding. I’m always so interested in stories like this that can compel the reader’s attention despite a complete lack of traditional …
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Book #5 of 2021: The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson The beginning of this sci-fi epic is a little exposition-heavy, but I’m so glad I pushed through to the heart of the story, which is full of the great characters, big ideas, and exciting action that I so adore in the genre. It’s the …
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TV #55 of 2020: The Mandalorian, season 2 Beyond even its debut season, this second year of the live-action Star Wars show is an outstanding achievement on every level. The spinoff program really does feel like it’s happening in the exact same continuity as the movies — something that Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and its …
Book #287 of 2020: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia #5) 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 is episodic but fun, and the way the children travel from …
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Book #276 of 2020: Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse (Between Earth and Sky #1) An outstanding fantasy series debut, telling an interesting and distinctive story in a diverse world inspired by pre-Columbian indigenous civilizations. (Cacao as currency! I love it.) There’s a lot packed into this initial volume, from priestly power struggles to high-seas sorcery …
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