Since the snow had finally decided to give us a cease fire, and since all my American friends had been raving about it, yesterday we decided to go see what Birdman was all about.
Birdman really is a fantastic movie, both for the story, the acting, and the direction. Every single choice points to its focus on duality, real and imagined, stage and backstage. It’s made to look like it was shot all in one take, and there are very … (Read more)
The Bread We Eat in Dreams by Catherynne M. Valente
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a wonderful anthology, and a perfect starting place for those who want to delve into the writings of Catherynne Valente without committing to a full novel.
I have read most of the stories in this anthology before and, on a second read, they don’t come as strong or shocking, but more like long-time friends or forgotten lovers with which to share a … (Read more)
Queers Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the LGBTQ Fans Who Love It by Sigrid Ellis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Most of the pieces in this collection deal with growing up with the Doctor (or Captain Jack, who features a whole lot in the first part of the book). There’s nothing wrong with writing an essay as your personal life story, but when they make up the majority of your book they all tend to … (Read more)
The Melancholy of Mechagirl by Catherynne M. Valente
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I had already read most of these stories separately, so reading them again together was like visiting a distant country for the second time: though the overall panorama has not changed, some things have moved, some have changed, some touch you in different ways.
I will leave judging the poetry to someone else, as that is not really my usual field. I liked Tsukayama Park better … (Read more)
Valour and Vanity by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Poor Jane and Vincent cannot get a break.
On the trip to Venezia their ship is assaulted by corsairs and all their goods are stolen, their host Lord Byron is nowhere in sight, and they’re now forced to face the city penniless, without documents nor a letter of presentation.
So begins the latest Glamourist book, a tale of deceptions, financial struggle, and heists. With nuns. And racing … (Read more)
File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents by Lemony Snicket
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A brief respite from the main series, these are 13 short and fairly easy mysteries to solve in Stain’d-by-the-Sea, with the solutions in a separate section at the end of the book. Except the solutions seem to come with some extra information that seems to firm another mystery altogether…
Delightful as usual, this book gives a little more insight to the characters and location of the … (Read more)
The Well’s End by Seth Fishman
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
There are so many things I don’t like about this book that I’m not even sure where to start.
First, the minor: I found out about this book because of several illustrations that Kate Beaton made for it. Most of the articles about these illustrations fail to mention that they do not appear in the end product.
Second, the characters. Only a couple of them are more or … (Read more)
Cotillion by Georgette Heyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I absolutely love Freddy!
Though nominally this book is about Kitty – her predicament, her coming to London, her getting tangled up in other people’s problems – none of this would happen, or get resolved in any satisfactory way, without the quiet, simple, and unassuming help of a character who, normally, would be relegated to the sidelines, being the helpful best friend or that guy in the background.
The story … (Read more)
Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book is a fun, fast read but as, other commenters have said, the best word to describe it would probably be “cute”.
The plot is set into an alternate-history regency with magic, and is pretty much a fast-paced action romp with simple but relatable characters.
The most distracting issues is that, because of its macguffin nature, one of the main plot points (the main character disguises herself as … (Read more)
Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A quick and easy read in the style of Jane Austen, set in a world where magic exists in the shape of glamour, complicated sensory illusions, and is considered one of the arts a proper girl must know in order to fetch a good marriage. The story follows Jane Ellsworth, a gifted glamourist but unlucky in love, as she accidentally stumbles into a series of … (Read more)