The Spirit Engineer
William Jackson Crawford is skeptical of the seances that are popular in England after World War I. But his skepticism turns to wonder after he meets Kathleen Goligher, who allows him to talk to his beloved mother’s spirit. William spends years trying to prove Kathleen is a genuine medium. AfterContinue Reading
The Cabinet
The Cabinet is a surreal tale of a government worker who manages symptomers, who may be the next evolution of mankind. Each of the symptomer’s tales are told separately giving this book the feel of short stories with an overarching narrative loosely tying them together. My favorite surreal book isContinue Reading
Pawmistry
One hot and humid morning, my Siamese cat Mochi and I began reading Pawmistry. The book explains how your cat is “privy to the most staggering universal truths and yet [is] still being regarded as a mere house pet!” The author explains her dislike of the word pet in aContinue Reading
The American Gun Mystery
The American Gun Mystery is an early Ellery Queen mystery originally published in 1933. It has been out-of-print for over thirty years until now. I’m a fan of Queen and have read four of the earliest novels with pleasure. This is my first time reading this book. I was disappointedContinue Reading
Pearl
Pearl is a pig. A very special telepathic pig. The author, Josh Malerman, also wrote Bird Box. Enough said. If you want a totally original take on horror, pick up Pearl. You won’t be sorry. It’s perfect for a cold autumn evening. 4 stars! Thanks to Del Rey and NetGalleyContinue Reading
Fan Fiction
Fan Fiction is a book about Brent Spiner, who played Data on Star Trek: TNG, written by Brent Spiner. It has a real setting and at least some real characters. It also is fiction, per its title and prologue. Brent is being stalked by a person who represents herself asContinue Reading
The Last Guest
The Last Guest is advertised as an Agatha Christie and Mulholland Drive mashup. While it does have some characteristics of both, it is mostly a slow-paced behind-the-scenes look into the rich movie crowd’s symbiotic relationships. Elspeth is invited to her husband Richard’s fiftieth birthday party at his stunning mansion. SheContinue Reading
The Fly
A fly is born! After breaking out of his shell, literally, The Fly explores his environment. He finds both friends and foes. He also finds adventure. Basically, that’s all a fly can ask for out of life, right? The Fly is a cute look at life from a fly’s (andContinue Reading
Brand Hacks
Want to learn how to increase sales by marketing your product to the people who are most likely to buy it? You could take a semester class in college—like I did. Or you could just read this book. And the only final exam is how well its Brand Hacks workContinue Reading
Sankofa
In Sankofa, Anna’s Welsh mother is dead. Anna’s husband has left her. When Anna finds the journal of the African father she has never met, she is intrigued. Can she make contact with him in West Africa? How will he react to her? Why was he kept hidden from herContinue Reading
Anvils, Mallets & Dynamite
Anvils, Mallets & Dynamite is the definitive story of Looney Tunes. It is well-researched from a multitude of sources. Plus, it is just a fascinating read! The book starts at the beginning of animation in Hollywood with a brief mention of Disney and other animation studios’ styles before jumping inContinue Reading
The Shift
The Shift is about changing your mindset. Instead of using willpower to drive your diet, utilize skillpower to take detailed steps into your weight loss journey. The book discusses how to change your negative self-talk. It also goes over research into how to set habits to make it easier toContinue Reading
Spy X Family Vol 6
Loid is a spy. He has a fake family made up of Yor, the wife who is also an assassin, and Yuri, a first grader, who is also a telepath. In this episode of their story, Loid and his co-worker, Fiona, are the focus. The pair must win a tennisContinue Reading
Nottingham
“England is sick. We are the cure. We steal from the rich. We give to the poor.” So say the Merry Men of Nottingham in this new graphic novel. By graphic, I refer not just to the art, which is beautiful, but also the incredibly bloody depictions of many murdersContinue Reading
On Tyranny
On Tyranny uses examples from European history to show how democracies have fallen in the past. It includes twenty rules to follow here in the US to avoid the same fate. The text is from a book published in 2017. The illustrations are new. Though this book is labeled TheContinue Reading
Babylon Twins
The science fiction book, Babylon Twins, is a strange little tale of human survival amidst a machine-created apocalypse. El and Clo are twin girls. They and their younger brother, Dyre, avoid the machine takeover when their mom escapes with them into the forest. Ten years later, the children are grown.Continue Reading