Comic Review: The Old Guard by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández

Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández’s The Old Guard began as a sharp, tightly written comic series before spinning into a multimedia franchise that includes the popular Netflix films. Having come to the comics after watching the first movie—a personal favorite for both me and my wife—I found myself reading them with Charlize Theron’s Andy and the rest of the cinematic team already in mind. That context colored the experience, for better and for worse. The First Series: A Strong Start The opening series of The Old Guard delivers everything you’d hope for in an immortal-mercenary saga: gritty action, complex characters, … Continue reading Comic Review: The Old Guard by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández

Book Review: Babylonia by Costanza Casati

Costanza Casati’s Babylonia is a modern retelling that moves fluidly between the worlds of history and myth. At its heart lies Semiramis, the legendary Assyrian queen whose reputation has been maligned in centuries of ancient texts as the “whore queen.” Casati flips that narrative on its head, offering instead a nuanced and sympathetic portrayal of a woman whose power, cunning, and humanity resonate across the ages. Reframing a Legend One of the most compelling aspects of Babylonia is the way Casati re-frames Semiramis. Rather than leaning on the lurid accusations of antiquity, the book positions her as a figure of … Continue reading Book Review: Babylonia by Costanza Casati

Book Review: 10 Rules for Resilience, by Joe De Sena

Joe De Sena, the founder of Spartan Race, is no stranger to grit, obstacles, and pushing past perceived limits. In 10 Rules for Resilience, he lays out a straightforward framework for living with more toughness, less clutter, and greater purpose. The format is familiar to anyone who has read self-development books: a list of rules that are universally “good things,” illustrated with examples from the author’s own life. De Sena threads in his background as an entrepreneur and endurance athlete, highlighting the mental and physical trials that shaped his outlook. A few ideas stuck with me: The opening chapter even … Continue reading Book Review: 10 Rules for Resilience, by Joe De Sena

Book Review: Crush It!, by Gary Vaynerchuk

Blurb Do you have a hobby you wish you could indulge in all day? An obsession that keeps you up at night? Now is the perfect time to take that passion and make a living doing what you love. In Crush It! Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion, Gary Vaynerchuk shows you how to use the power of the Internet to turn your real interests into real businesses. Gary spent years building his family business from a local wine shop into a national industry leader. Then one day he turned on a video camera, and by using … Continue reading Book Review: Crush It!, by Gary Vaynerchuk

Book Review: The Bright Forever, by Lee Martin

Amazon Blurb PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • A “cleanly written [and] artful . . . page-turner” (San Francisco Chronicle) about a nine-year-old girl’s disappearance and the lasting impact it has on her close-knit community “Compelling . . . both harrowing and deeply felt.”—New York Daily News On an evening like any other, nine-year-old Katie Mackey, daughter of the most affluent family in a small town on the plains of Indiana, sets out on her bicycle to return some library books. This simple act is at the heart of The Bright Forever, a suspenseful, moving novel about the choices people make that change … Continue reading Book Review: The Bright Forever, by Lee Martin

Book Review: Maybe You Should Talk To Someone, by Lori Gottlieb

Blurb OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD!INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!Now being developed as a television series!*An O, The Oprah Magazine’s Best Nonfiction Book of 2019*  *A People Magazine Book of the Week**An Apple Best Books Pick for April**An April IndieNext Pick**A Book of the Month Club Selection**A Publishers Marketplace Buzz Book**A Newsday, Apple iBooks, Thrive Global, Refinery29, and Book Riot Most Anticipated Book of 2019* “An irresistibly addictive tour of the human condition.”–Kirkus, starred review “Rarely have I read a book that challenged me to see myself in an entirely new light, and was at the same time laugh-out-loud funny and utterly absorbing.”–Katie Couric “This is a daring, delightful, and transformative book.”–Arianna … Continue reading Book Review: Maybe You Should Talk To Someone, by Lori Gottlieb

Book Review: Artificial Condition, by Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries, 2)

Blurb A USA Today bestseller The “I love Murderbot!” ―Ann Leckie Artificial Condition is the follow-up to Martha Wells’s Hugo, Nebula, Alex, and Locus Award-winning, New York Times bestselling All Systems Red It has a dark past―one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot”. But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more. Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A” stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue. What it discovers will … Continue reading Book Review: Artificial Condition, by Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries, 2)