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Ends more abruptly than I’d have hoped, but tells an important traumatic story with a unique, relatable voice that offers subtle assurance that Jennette will, in fact, survive the tragedy. Her mother is a truly horrifying personality, presented from a perspective that reminds me of The Florida Project in how the childish innocence makes the atrocity even more heartbreaking.
In a universe of harsh interstellar conflict, the practice of interspecies diplomacy—when possible—is important. So …
Scalzi details combat well (even arena combat) and does a good job of sketching the rough aspects of alien morphology, letting the reader fill in the fine grain. Still, this little essay hovers weirdly between the chronology of the rest of the book series, and probably should have been incorporated into one of the novels instead.
How do you tell your part in the biggest tale in history?
I ask because …
As someone who deeply loves Back to the Future: Part II, I’m thrilled with this idea of diving back into the previous story from a fresh perspective. As someone who notices that all of Scalzi’s characters talk like snarky teens, I’m pleased to see him finally take one on as protagonist. His emotional depth—not usually a sci-fi strong suit—remains impressive, and this new perspective on the universe he’s built offers some potent examinations of privilege and morality.
I love The Music Man, and I love this rollicking, charming, funny tale of its creator, its inspiration, and the punishing but relentless process of bringing it to life. It’s a good thing it took as long as it did—the longer it gestated, the more of Willson’s madcap genius and quirky charm it absorbed.
Twisty, convoluted, and self-consuming, I wasn’t always sure I was following the events and motivations, but it was a world I enjoyed spending time in.
This is a story about Peter Duke who went on to be a famous actor. …
Patchett doesn’t disappoint. Her stories unfold elegantly, revealing her lovely characters in unique and subtle ways. Her prose is beautiful without being showy, and she embeds clever observations about the human experience. (And I liked her insights on performance, fresh as I was from another novel about actors and storytellers!)
Retired from his fighting days, John Perry is now village ombudsman for a human colony …
Scalzi has a gift for handling poignant emotion as deftly as sci-fi action, world-building, and the political mechanics of alliances and enemies. All of his characters talk like each other (even the murderous, dominating Consu aliens have an insult-laden sarcastic edge), but luckily that voice is an easygoing, affable sardonic wit that (usually) doesn’t wear too thin.
Admittedly, this book is dog-whistle perfect for my particular excitement and sensibilities. I adore Tom Hanks. I love his perspective on what it means to have character. And this story celebrates everything about filmmaking and the creative process that I love so much. It’s moving and inclusive, and thoughtful and funny—and completely unfilmable (which is possibly a happy accident, but hopefully it’s Hanks realizing that this tale is best suited for the novel form). It may seem overly wordy at times (if you’re not as deeply enthralled as I was), but Hanks is just trying to show that every little morsel of experience and inspiration and personality makes its contribution to the final product.
Cleverly written, with an engaging style and an entertaining peek into Mycroft’s personality. The writing drags a bit during action, but there are fun puzzles along the way, and the characters and their connections are realized with warmth and nuance.
In this candid and often hilarious memoir, the celebrated director, comedian, writer, and actor offers …
I’ve loved a lot of Woody’s work, admired some films a lot, been amused by some, found others lacking, and found some completely uninteresting. But I agree with his assessment that he’s never made a truly great film. He’s been prolific, worked across all kinds of genres and styles, and he’s had complete artistic control—and the result has been some very good films, some very enjoyable films, some insightful films, and plenty of misfires. But never one that falls in the category of “truly great,” and I think that is what makes the filmmaking aspect of the book so interesting. It’s rare to get such insight into the creative process of someone who never strikes gold, but just keeps doing the work. His writing is full of clever wit, as you’d expect—candid and interesting, generous and forgiving, and he handles the terrible stuff as decently as he reasonably can. There …
I’ve loved a lot of Woody’s work, admired some films a lot, been amused by some, found others lacking, and found some completely uninteresting. But I agree with his assessment that he’s never made a truly great film. He’s been prolific, worked across all kinds of genres and styles, and he’s had complete artistic control—and the result has been some very good films, some very enjoyable films, some insightful films, and plenty of misfires. But never one that falls in the category of “truly great,” and I think that is what makes the filmmaking aspect of the book so interesting. It’s rare to get such insight into the creative process of someone who never strikes gold, but just keeps doing the work. His writing is full of clever wit, as you’d expect—candid and interesting, generous and forgiving, and he handles the terrible stuff as decently as he reasonably can. There are genuine insights and few out-loud laughs (though, to his credit, he refrains from retelling any of his jokes).
Lydia lives in Acapulco. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and …
Beautifully written and heartbreakingly authentic. Its characters and their journey are truly indelible.
Delivers eye-opening insights about acting and filmmaking, and plenty of good stories and great laughs. It's interesting to see him lay out the four main chapters of his career (striving; success; doldrums; acclaim) and I'm sure the current upswing makes it easier to look back more candidly. The book would survive without so many recaps of comedy sketches, but they’re funny, so that’s a plus. The writing is clever, charming, and self-effacing, with a little bit of comedy snobbery but many good messages about creativity, ambition, momentum, and advocating for yourself and your instincts. It won't always work out, but Odenkirk seems to conclude that it's far better to work that way than to compromise—because surefire success is guaranteed by neither.
For more than two years, one book has taken over Germany's hardcover and paperback bestseller …
It’s a lot of characters to keep up with, but the writing style pulls you in to their lives, the detective story, and the scientific minutiae, making all of it accessible and interesting. Maintains plausibility and earns its length—Schätzing creates a world and you get the feeling you’re inhabiting it and watching details and discovery unfold, rather than keeping track of innumerable details. Its message is interesting, and you discover it as you wind through the story, rather than having it broadcast at you.
There's a throughline of earnest tone, and expectations reconsidered with an open heart, but it’s a collection of very different stories from multiple perspectives, written skillfully with engaging specificity. The female characters are impressively realized, especially relating adolescence, development, and sexual assault—areas where male writers often stumble, or steer clear.
The Colour of Magic is a 1983 fantasy comedy novel by Terry Pratchett, and is …
People who know how much I love Douglas Adams have asked if I’ve tried Pratchett, and I’m so glad I finally did. Each is his own singular genius, but there are bits of what I love about Adams and in this, and also Borges, plus plenty of Sir Terry’s own delightfully lunatic perspective.
