How to define Paramore? Are they pop? Rock? Something else entirely? To be honest, I had always thought of them as catchy rock light, and liked them (or didn’t) on a song-by-song basis. “After Laughter” is the first album of theirs that I’ve listened to as an entire album; with that caveat, I’ll boldly claim […]
Read more "“After Laughter” by Paramore"Impoverished laborer Ombima steals from his employer’s garden in order to put food on his family’s table. This action leads to his involvement in a forbidden affair, and a downward spiral into greed, jealousy, and backstabbing. That synopsis notwithstanding, “Forbidden Fruit” is less a tightly plotted tale of lust and revenge, and more a brief […]
Read more "“Forbidden Fruit” by Stanley Gazemba"A fascinating melange of WWII “aviation lit” (to coin a term) and hard sci-fi, with a side of metaphysics and fantasy, “Fata Morgana” is a unique book. It’s not exactly something I would normally read, but I found it extremely interesting nonetheless. Somewhat to my surprise, since I was expecting sci-fi, the book starts off […]
Read more "“Fata Morgana” by Steven R. Boyett and Ken Mitchroney"While any Politkovskaya book is an emotionally intense experience, this one is particularly wrenching: it begins with articles she wrote during the final years of her life, including the articles that may have led to her murder, and ends with tributes–some heartfelt, some grudging–paid to her after her death by her friends, admirers, and enemies […]
Read more "“Is Journalism Worth Dying For?” by Anna Politkovskaya"“New York, Actually” is a charming tale of two people who believe they can’t fall in love–until a couple of dogs bring them together. So if you love dogs, romance, and New York City, this book has pretty much everything you need. Molly is a relationship advice expert who’s never not only never been in […]
Read more "“New York, Actually” by Sarah Morgan"I’ve always had mixed feelings about John Mayer. “Your Body is a Wonderland” was, and continues to be, a guilty pleasure (I just relistened to it several times), and I thought “Waiting on the World to Change” was amazing, but overall his sound was a little too…I don’t know, jazzy and…I don’t know, overthought or […]
Read more "“The Search for Everything” by John Mayer"Isadora Duncan was, in her own peculiar way, one of the most influential personalities of the 20th century. Not only did she usher in a new conception of dance, but she embodied the turn-of-the-century ideal of turning life itself into art. Her personal life was at least as theatrical as her performances, and much more […]
Read more "“Isadora” by Amelia Gray"Rufus is on a mission to prove the validity of astrology. To do so, he teams up with other like-minded and well-funded individuals to effect one of the most massive data heists in the history of data heists. “Astrologer’s Proof” covers these heists and the subsequent efforts to use the data, and the fallout it […]
Read more "“Astrologer’s Proof” by David John Jaegers"“Was it really worth it? Elena thought as they prepared her for the sacrifice. Was any of this really worth it at the end of the day? Sure, pursuing a PhD. had given her a chance to think deeply about issues that she cared about…But was it really worth it for her? At a certain […]
Read more "“Adjunct” by Geoff Cebula"Recently widowed, Deborah signs up for a garden share scheme so that someone will take care of her late husband’s garden. The person assigned to share her garden is Luca, a stunningly handsome young man with a criminal past. Although seeming to have nothing in common, Deborah and Luca develop an understanding and are able […]
Read more "“The Former Chief Executive” by Kate Vane"
E. P. Clark: Author, Book Reviewer, and All-Around Literary Handiwoman 