September 2012

  • Science Fiction Fridays: Attack of the killer sequels!

    The word “sequel” has practically become a pejorative these days, mostly due to horrendous movie sequels that are clunkier, dumber and less fun than the originals. However, the science fiction and fantasy genre has its own share of clunkers. Continue reading

  • September Sleuthing: Women Detectives to Die For

    Looking for another Stephanie Plum or Kay Scarpetta to slink into your life? Check out these lesser-known women detectives who reveal the darker underbellies of locales from coastal Florida to the Alaskan wilderness. Artifacts, by Mary Anna Evans (Faye Longchamp Mysteries) Aspiring archeologist Faye Longchamp resorts to “pot-hunting” to save her ancestral home, an island… Continue reading

  • Of Parrots and People

    Of Parrots and People: The Sometimes Funny, Always Fascinating, and Often Catastrophic Collision of Two Intelligent Species by Mira Tweti This title is an informative and moving account of the negative impact we have on the parrot population and on the planet as a whole. Tweti argues that we have not only destroyed their natural habitats,… Continue reading

  • Country & (Mid)Western

    Gorgeous orchestral arrangements. Achingly beautiful vocals set against the sparkle of mandolin and glockenspiel. Nuanced lyrics that invoke the stark panoramas of an Ohio landscape. Could this actually be country & western music? Yes, but with a twist. Sometimes known as “alt-country” or “countrypolitan,” this relatively new form of country music has transformed an often-maligned… Continue reading