I’m not quite sure what inspired this puzzler, but today it’s all about couples – literary couples, historical couples, film couples. Enjoy! (And if you need more help, there are some hints in the comments…) If you see this, you’ll need to upgrade your browser. Click here to play the crossword outside of the blog. Read more
In Raven Stole the Moon, Jenna Rosen walks away from a life that is fractured. Two years ago, her young son drowned in a tragic accident at a resort in Alaska. Her husband seems to have moved on, but Jenna cannot let go of her grief. On the anniversary of their son’s death, they attend a party that turns out… Read more
I have occasionally described books as “a wild ride,” and it’s often a very apt description. Books are like trips we take — some are pleasant Sunday drives, some are fast and bumpy. John Dies at the End is like a ride on a twisting, speeding, swooping roller coaster. On acid. With no seat belt. John and Dave are slackers.… Read more
Historical fiction can be challenging, both for writers and readers. It doesn’t take much — just a word, a name, a description — to bounce you right out of the story. In the Author’s Note at the end of Mistress of the Art of Death, Ariana Franklin says “It is almost impossible to write a comprehensible story set in the… Read more
I have always loved Joyce Carol Oates’ writing. I love her combination of long, flowing sentences and short, choppy fragments. Little Bird of Heaven is lovely to read, even when the story is heartbreaking. Krista Diehl’s family was fine before “the trouble” came. Her father, Eddy, ran a construction company. A handsome man, he was well-known around town as a… Read more
Paddy Meehan is probably the most flawed heroine I’ve read in a while. By page 10 of The Dead Hour, she has already taken a bribe. She lies, she has an affair with a married man — but in her own way, she’s trying to do the right thing. Her way is just a bit roundabout. Paddy is a reporter… Read more
The amazing thing is that I finished this novel. The premise of One Amazing Thing is a cliche: a group of people are trapped together after a disaster and they may die, but before they do, they are going to tell a story from their life — their one amazing thing. It’s a mixed group, the sort of group you would… Read more
I saw the movie, Let the Right One In, last year and was immediately drawn in by it. The stark settings and minimal dialogue gave the film a sense of isolation and dread. Nothing good could happen in these surroundings. As soon as I found out the film was based on a book, I had to have it. It just… Read more
The vampires are everywhere these days! I thought I had called for a temporary ban on vampire books, then I found this one in my suitcase on my last trip (and in my carry-on for this week’s trip: Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist — saw the movie and had to read the book). But Bloodsucking Fiends:… Read more
Alone by Loren D. Estleman is a marvelous mystery about the movies. Film archivist Valentino (no first name necessary with a last name like that) specializes in hunting for lost classics and convincing their owners to donate them to the UCLA film school. He doesn’t mean to keep getting mixed up in murders, but with this cast of crazy characters,… Read more