Magazine Review: Water~Stone Review Volume 9: What Prevails

Magazine Review: Water~Stone Review Volume 9: What Prevails edited by Mary Francois Rockcastle It is time again to look at Hamline University’s annual literary magazine. This issue is from 2006. It’s dedicated to Frederick Busch, author of Girls, who had visited the university shortly before his death the previous year. The subtitle, borrowed from one… Continue reading Magazine Review: Water~Stone Review Volume 9: What Prevails

Book Review: People of the Book: A Decade of Jewish Science Fiction & Fantasy

Book Review: People of the Book: A Decade of Jewish Science Fiction & Fantasy edited by Rachel Swirsky & Sean Wallace One of the perils of reading a lot of anthologies is that you see a fair amount of overlap in stories, particularly in themed anthologies. (I include “Best of the Year” in that as… Continue reading Book Review: People of the Book: A Decade of Jewish Science Fiction & Fantasy

Book Review: Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes: A No-Bullshit Guide to World Mythology

Book Review: Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes: A No-Bullshit Guide to World Mythology by Cory O’Brien Our modern world is built, among other things, on the mythology of the past. The stories of how the world came to be, where people came from, and the foibles of the gods are deep in our cultural DNA. But… Continue reading Book Review: Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes: A No-Bullshit Guide to World Mythology

Book Review: Cat Pictures Please and Other Stories

Book Review: Cat Pictures Please and Other Stories by Naomi Kritzer This is the first collection of speculative fiction stories by Naomi Kritzer, headlined by the title piece, which won a Hugo Award in 2016.   There’s seventeen stories in all. “Cat Pictures Please” is a sweet story about an artificial intelligence accidentally created from a… Continue reading Book Review: Cat Pictures Please and Other Stories

Book Review: How I Resist

Book Review: How I Resist edited by Tim Federle & Maureen Johnson Disclaimer:  I received this advance uncorrected proof through a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of writing this review.  No other compensation was offered or requested.  As an uncorrected proof, there will be significant changes between this and the final product. As I write… Continue reading Book Review: How I Resist

Book Review: The Rebels

Book Review: The Rebels by John Jakes Philip Kent, nee Phillipe Charboneau, would much rather be at home, caring for his pregnant wife Anne.  But after he was forced to kill his murderous half-brother in self-defense, Philip has gone all in for the cause of the rebels against British rule.  Thus it is that on June… Continue reading Book Review: The Rebels

Book Review: The Baker Street Peculiars

Book Review: The Baker Street Peculiars written by Roger Langridge, art by Andy Hirsch It is 1933 in the city of London, and what appears to be a stone lion from Trafalgar Square is running wild in the streets.  Three children from different walks of life (and a dog) have separately decided to chase down… Continue reading Book Review: The Baker Street Peculiars

Book Review: Tuesdays With Morrie

Book Review: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom In 1995, there was fighting in Bosnia, O.J. Simpson was on trial for murder, and a man named Morrie Schwartz was teaching his last class about life.  It met on Tuesdays, and the student was sportswriter Mitch Albom.  Twenty years before, Mitch had been Morrie’s student in… Continue reading Book Review: Tuesdays With Morrie

Book Review: Last Hope Island

Book Review: Last Hope Island by Lynne Olson Disclaimer:  I received this Advance Review Copy as a Goodreads giveaway for the purposes of this review.  No other compensation was requested or offered.   Some changes may be made before the final publication date of 4/25/17–for example, the index isn’t included in this version. This book opens… Continue reading Book Review: Last Hope Island

Book Review: The Transplanted

Book Review: The Transplanted by John Bodnar This volume, written in the 1980s, is a survey of patterns of immigration into urban areas of the United States between 1830-1930 (approximately.)    It covers those who came to stay, those who just came to get a nest egg to improve life in their home country, and… Continue reading Book Review: The Transplanted