Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is perhaps the lightest book in the Harry Potter series, with no Voldemort appearances or the intense darkness that surrounds him. This one’s mostly illusion, and it happens to be my favorite one, the one that REALLY makes me wish I could attend Hogwarts. Hogsmeade, the town just outside […]
I've reviewed lots of books and written 20 of my own.
World Premier Performance!
Tomorrow I get to write my name next to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Rodgers and Hammerstein! Okay, my hometown isn’t exactly Broadway. And an audience of 200-300 doesn’t exactly compare to the millions who’ve viewed “Phantom.” All right, all right, half of those in attendance probably will be parents and grandparents come to wave to the toddlers taking the stage between acts. […]
Cassidy Jones and Vulcan's Gift, by Elise Stokes, 2011, Book Review
I’m excited to be in on the release of Elise Stokes’ second novel, Cassidy Jones and Vulcan’s Gift. This fast-paced series is reminiscent of the adventures of comic book superheroes, except Cassidy Jones happens to be a totally hip, totally stubborn, totally modern fifteen-year-old girl. A freak accident left her with enhanced senses and superhuman […]
The Iron King, by Julie Kagawa, 2010, Book Review
“We were born of the dreams and fears of mortals…” The fey, the immortal, the faeries–they’ve always been out there, but Meghan never saw them till the day she turned sixteen. The day they came for her four-year-old brother. This delightful new tale draws from a pair of Shakespearean plays. Oberon, Titiana and Puck, from […]
Ship Breaker, by Paolo Bacigalupi, 2010, Book Review
After having this book recommended to me, I was extremely disappointed. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that it isn’t exciting. It’s not that Mr. Bacigalupi doesn’t drive a high-caliber story. And it’s not that he doesn’t create quality characters. But it’s sinister, gory, and Mr. Bacigalupi can’t go one paragraph without the word d—. He […]
The Call of the Wild, by Jack London, 1903, Book Review
Growing up, The Call of the Wild was one of the staples of my library, a book I read half a dozen times before I turned 18. I hadn’t picked it up in fifteen or twenty years, but I did so yesterday and read it through adult eyes. The story I remembered, but I was shocked anew at […]
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, 2005, Book Review
The Book Thief is quite an accomplishment. Five hundred and fifty pages of thought-provoking text in a very unique, slightly jarring style, all narrated by Death. The originality of this book made waves a few years ago, and that’s pretty hard to do. It’s a story of words. Words that prompted a Fascist regime, and […]
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by JK Rowling, 1998, Book Review
I just finished this second book in the Harry Potter series for my third time. The funny thing about these books, however, is that I can’t ever seem to remember them well. Because each of the seven takes place at the same location with the same characters, I get the plots all confused. There isn’t […]
What's your favorite book turned movie?
My favorite book-turned-movie has to be The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I loved all of Lewis’ Narnia books as a child (and I still do), but that first one especially resonated with me. I was in sixth grade the first time I read it, and I ate up the magic. I wanted to live there. I wanted to […]
Henry and the Paper Route, by Beverly Cleary, 1957, Book Review
My boys absolutely love Henry Huggins. These books may be over fifty years old, but the world of Klickitat Street still rings true. Families still have dogs. Little sisters are still pests. Neighbor kids still have squabbles. And boys still have dreams. Henry and the Paper Route, ten-year-old Henry Huggins dreams of having a paper […]