Book Reviews Feed

There was a mix-up somewhere here. This wasn't the book we were expecting to review. A quick glance at the description made it seem pretty clear that we weren't the target audience for this mystery novel. However, it's good to try new things and open yourself to different experiences every now and again, so we plunged into the story. Did it pay off? Let's discuss... The Author's Guide to Murder (out now) sees three women writers, who claim to be best friends, traveling to a retreat being held at an isolated Scotland Highlands castle. Within days of their arrival, the... Read more →

 

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It's been almost 50 years since the late Eddie Van Halen burst onto the music scene. He revolutionized guitar playing, the impact of which is still felt today. Millions of fans bought Van Halen records and were mesmerized by his virtuosity (yours truly included.) You're lucky if you ever get to see greatness live once, and we did on multiple ocasions over decades. It was devastating when Eddie died in 2020 at just 65 years old after battling cancer. Tributes flowed in from all corners of the globe, as his legacy was celebrated. There was one notable name who has... Read more →

 

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Have you ever started reading a book, thinking you generally understood what you were getting into, only to immediately discover it was going to be a different ride? I checked out Misfit: Growing Up Awkward in the '80's, by stand-up comedian Gary Gulman from the local library, thinking it would go in one direction. We eventually got to the expected destination, but the twists and turns to get there were a bit of a surprise. As a child of the 1980's, and being somewhat familiar with Gulman's thoughtful and funny takes on life, as well as his battle with depression,... Read more →

 

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Hi friends, Thank you. Thank you for hanging out with us for another year. We once again had visitors over the past 12 months from every country on Earth. (Hello, Vanuatu!) That's amazing, and it's something we never take for granted. The staff has been pouring through the archives, and they've chosen ten posts to highlight 2023. Mind you, we take great pride in everything we produce here, 5-6 days a week, 52 weeks a year. However, we couldn't list all of it, so feel free to scroll through the back pages and catch up on anything you might have... Read more →

 

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Britney Spears burst onto the scene almost 25 years ago with the release of her smash debut album, "...Baby One More Time." (We're guessing many of you just involuntarily started humming the chorus of the title song.) She has since gone on to sell over 100 million records worldwide, while also being subjected to nearly non-stop tabloid coverage for that entire time. Every step, or misstep she's made over the past almost-quarter century has been extensively documented for the world's judgement. The singer has long dealt with an invasive and hypocritical world that has treated her like a product, instead... Read more →

 

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An Irish-American woman living in South Boston in 1974 faces a nightmare when her teenage daughter goes missing. Meanwhile, a young black man dies when he is struck by one of the city's subway trains. Are the two events connected? The only thing the reader knows for sure right from the start is that Mary Pat Fennessy is going to make some powerful people angry when she starts asking questions. That's the gist of Dennis Lehane's new book, Small Mercies, which is out on April 25. The Dorchester, Massachusetts, native is a master at creating gripping mysteries set in Boston.... Read more →

 

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It would be hard to find someone in the United States who has never heard of Vince McMahon. Whether you're a professional wrestling fan or not, the odds are you know him as the owner of the WWE, a man who has been synonymous with the wrestling industry for decades. However, how many people know anything about his background, and how he reached the heights that he has since taking over the family business in the early 1980's? McMahon is a master of storytelling, and he's apt to tell any version of a tale that best suits his purposes at... Read more →

 

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As a member of Generation X, it's safe to say that the 1990's were the most transformative decade of my lifetime. Growing up as a kid in in the 1980's provided a seemingly straightforward framework of how the world operated. A young person could easily believe that this would last forever. Perhaps everyone thinks this about their childhood. However, it seemed like we were cruising down the road of understood expectations, and then we went flying off the map. The 90's was a time of overwhelming change in every aspect of life. It can sometimes be startling to realize that... Read more →

 

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Valerie Bertinelli is a multi-talented woman who has enjoyed success on multiple fronts over the course of her career. Of course, many know her for her roles on TV shows like One Day at a Time and Hot in Cleveland. She is also the Emmy Award-winning host of the Food Network's Valerie's Home Cooking and Kids Baking Championship. However, her accomplishments are not limited to television: She's the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Losing It; Finding It; as well as other books, including a popular cookbook. Bertinelli is well-known for her positive public persona, but like everyone,... Read more →

 

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Will Smith is one of the biggest stars in our lifetime. He's succeeded in multiple mediums with Grammy award-winning rap albums, one of the most popular TV shows of the 1990's, and he also starred in a record eight straight movies that grossed at least $100 million. Smith has a famous wife and kids, and he is recognized and loved by audiences around the world. In short, he's a BFD. Will Smith has now taken his skills to the world of books with his new memoir, Will. (out now) A quick moment to acknowledge some preexisting bias before we go... Read more →

 

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