Category: Book Reviews
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Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger – A Book Review
I’m a teacher, and The Time Traveler’s Wife experienced something of a resurgence in my classroom this year. Many seniors discovered it for the first time and, like me, now claim it among their favorite books. Their enthusiasm renewed my interest in Niffenegger, and so I sought any work I could find at my local…
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A Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking
My wife and I watched The Theory of Everything film a few weeks ago, and it inspired me to read something – anything – by Stephen Hawking. It did so because the film helped me realize that we have a living legend among us, one of history’s greatest thinkers still living in our day and…
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Prophet: Joining (Volume 4) – A Book Review
Joining is gloriously indecipherable. I’ve followed this series since the beginning, and its utter disregard for the audience’s sensibilities and needs are refreshing. This is science fiction at its frustratingly best. When you open a volume of Prophet, you are doing so on the narrator’s terms. You are entering a universe you do not recognize, and,…
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Foxcatcher by Mark Schultz – A Book Review
Of course, after seeing the mesmerizing film of the same name, I had to go directly to the source material. I’m happy to report that Mark Schultz’s account of his time with John du Pont is a fascinating read that puts a lot of the movie in the proper context. Let’s be clear, Foxcatcher the…
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Injustice by Tom Taylor – A Book Review
I’m not a gamer, but I heard the DC series titled Injustice, which serves as an introduction to the video game, regularly impressed readers. When I happened across it at my local library, I knew I had to give it a read. Wow. I’m glad I did. If you’re unfamiliar with the premise, the Joker…
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Son by Lois Lowry – A Book Review
I read The Giver in high school and adored it. I loved its abstract nature while still rooting itself mostly in reality. I recently watched the film adaptation, and doing so inspired me to revisit the book. Because three companion pieces came out between the time I read the original work and the movie, I…
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Brother Lono by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso – A Book Review
It’s not necessary to read Azzarello and Risso’s Eisner award-winning series 100 Bullets to understand Brother Lono, but it would certainly help. Lono proved a breakout character from that hard-boiled serial, so it’s no surprise that years after 100 Bullets fired its final shot, Lono should make a reappearance. Azzarello and Risso tell a classic…
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Seconds by Bryan Lee O’Malley – A Book Review
If you come looking for seconds on Scott Pilgrim, you won’t find them. With that being said, though, Seconds is anything but disappointing. Bryan Lee O’Malley’s new graphic novel features Katie, a woman nearing thirty years of age who leaves her partnership at a restaurant called “Seconds” in order to open a new one. However,…
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Trillium by Jeff Lemire – A Book Review
All the accolades celebrating this book are accurate – it is a very special work. To briefly summarize, Trillium is a story that takes place in both 1921 and 3797. William Pike is a soldier trying to find himself again after the Great War, and Nika Tensmith is a scientist trying to use the plant…
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Manifest Destiny: Amphibia and Insecta by Dingess, Roberts and Gieni – A Book Review
This first volume of Image Comics’ Manifest Destiny absolutely blew me away and rocketed to the top of my favorite titles. If you’re unfamiliar with the work, it follows Lewis and Clark’s expedition into the unknown. They have been officially charged by President Jefferson to explore and map the region. Unofficially, however, they are to…
