November 2013

  • Romantic Wednesdays: Thanksgivukkah Rant!

    Happy Hanukkah and Thanksgiving! According to those who measure calendars, these two holidays won’t occur at the same time again for thousands of years. I had high hopes for either a Hanukkah or Thanksgiving romance post, but after racking my brain and searching ardently in the library catalog, I came up regretfully short on titles for… Continue reading

  • Thankful for Books

    Thinking back on what I’ve read this year, and as Thanksgiving approaches, several books come to mind as works that inspire my gratitude. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo Li Lan travels to the underworld to break her betrothal to a dead man so she can marry his heir. Dark and mysterious, this powerful first novel weaves… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: Literary Adaptations, Indie Style

          For every bestseller that makes it to the big screen, there are a number of novels whose adaptations can only be found in art house or independent theatres in major cities. These adaptions often fly under the radar and often receive mixed reviews from critics and audiences, but they’re worth a look. These six… Continue reading

  • Science Fiction Fridays: Happy 50th Anniversary Doctor Who!

    Doctor Who is a British science-fiction show about a humanoid alien who travels through space and time with a companion (or two, hi Rory!) looking for adventure. On the eve of the show’s fiftieth anniversary it has never been more popular, especially in the United States. However, some of the show’s most ardent fans have… Continue reading

  • Romantic Wednesdays: Sweet Reads

    This is not a good time of year for the sugar-averse. From leftover Halloween candy to holiday pies and cakes, it seems that tempting treats are everywhere! If you’d like to get your sugar fix without the pesky calories, the following books featuring pastry chefs should satisfy your sweet tooth. Always on My Mind by Jill… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: Kings of Comedy

    This fall we saw the publication of books about two comedy giants – the biography Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the World That Made Him by Henry David and the autobiography Still Foolin’ Em: Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, and Where the Hell are My Keys? by Billy Crystal. The following films, some of their finest and funniest, are… Continue reading

  • Science Fiction Fridays: 5 new books that go great on ice

    Plaguewalker by Gemma Tarlach A brutish executioner sets off on a mission to find his runaway daughter after the plague decimates his entire village and puts him out of work. This dark fantasy has a nice dreaminess to it that is easy to get carried away in, but has vivid characterization that will make the whole… Continue reading

  • Romantic Wednesdays: The Romance of Military Science Fiction

    There are two definitions of the word “romance”: 1) a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love, and 2) a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life. In fiction, we talk so much about the first definition that we sometimes lose track of the second. Military science fiction is all… Continue reading

  • Seattle Rep’s The Hound of the Baskervilles

    We’re excited about the opening of the Seattle Repertory Theatre’s production of ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ later this week! Expect suspense and laughs alike in this popular Sherlock Holmes tale adapted by veteran Seattle theatre artists David Pichette and R. Hamilton Wright. Pichette and Wright bring their witty sensibility to this classic Victorian whodunit about an attempted murder tied… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: HBO Original Films

    Although you won’t see them in theaters,  HBO produces original films that are on par with theatrical releases. Here are five original films produced by HBO in 2013. Behind the Candelabra is the most notable of HBO’s original films this year. Based on the memoir by Scott Thorson, it tells the story of Thorson (Matt Damon) and… Continue reading

  • Historical Fiction: Remembering World War I

    Next July is the centennial anniversary of the Great War’s beginning and an increasing number of new historical novels are set in this time period. These are a few of our favorites from 2013.                          Continue reading

  • Science Fiction Fridays: 5 great horror reads to keep your thrills going through the holidays

    The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All by Laird Barron A short story collection from the award-winning author melding horror, hard-boiled noir and the weird into unforgettable tales. Barron is a master at the craft of short story writing and his newest collection is yet another jewel on his crown. Fans of literary horror and… Continue reading

  • Romantic Wednesdays: Romance In Death

    There’s a recognized trope in romance that people want to, let’s say, celebrate life after a funeral. Or any kind of “near death” experience. That’s not what this post is about. Ahem. The “In Death” series, by J.D. Robb, is a genre bending mash up of romance, surprisingly classic police procedural mystery, and just a… Continue reading

  • Books on Near-Death Experiences

    Dying to Be Me: My Journey from Cancer to Near Death, to True Healing by Anita Moorjani A fascinating account of a woman’s remarkable near-death experience in which she finds her path in life.  Born to Indian parents in Singapore, growing up in Hong Kong, and educated by British education, Moorjani was an outsider from… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: The “Three Flavours Cornetto” Trilogy

                                         Never heard of the “Three Flavours Cornetto” trilogy? How about the “Blood and Ice Cream” trilogy? If not, you’re likely familiar with the quirky, genre-bending British films starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost and directed by Edgar Wright, rather than the Cornetto ice cream flavors that appear in each film.… Continue reading