Category Archives: Year

The Romanov Sisters, by Helen Rappaport (audio)

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Thistle

Subtitled: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra. I have long been fascinated by the Romanovs and their fate during the Russian Revolution. At the same time, I learned very little in school about Russia’s politics and … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Displacement, by Lucy Knisley

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Thistle

When Knisley’s elderly grandparents sign up for a Caribbean cruise, her family want some one to go with them, as they require constant care. Knisley volunteers, knowing that she doesn’t have a lot of time left to spend with them. … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Adult, Visual | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Beyond Binary, by Multiple Authors

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Thistle

Subtitled: Genderqueer and Sexually Fluid Speculative Fiction Edited by: Brit Mandelo Okay. I’ve never been good at reviewing short story collections, so I’ll just start out by saying why I chose to read this book. For the past few months, … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Firefight, by Brandon Sanderson

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Thistle

Firefight is the sequel to Steelheart. I’m not going to summarize it because I don’t want to give away series spoilers. A good series opening summary is available at that link. Note: There are major book spoilers after that summary. Back … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke (audio)

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Thistle

This book is way too long and multi-plotted for me to try to describe on my own. I’d paste in the Goodreads synopsis, but that’s also extraordinarily long, so instead, if you don’t really know what this book is about, … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

House of Shadows, by Rachel Neumeier

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Thistle

When eight sisters are orphaned, two must enter contracts outside the home in order for the others to survive. Karah is taken in by the most prestigious and respected Flower House (think Geisha) in Lonne. Nemienne is apprenticed to a … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged | 2 Comments

Choose Your Own Autobiography, by Neil Patrick Harris

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Thistle

When I was a kid, I loved Choose Your Own Adventure novels. There’s one in particular, The Magic of the Unicorn, that I read over and over and over. Having always been a pragmatic, logical kind of person, I took … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Firstborn, by Lorie Ann Grover

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Thistle

Tiadone is a firstborn female, and by law, not allowed to live unless her parents declare her male. They do so, and Tiadone grows up knowing that though her body is female, she is male, and must conform to all … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

All Joy and No Fun, by Jennifer Senior (audio)

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Thistle

Subtitled: The Paradox of Modern Parenting. This book is a sociological look at the ways parenting has changed over the last hundred or so years. It is not a how-to or advice book about parenting, and it focuses on the … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Adult, Prose, Wellness | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Harry Potter Page to Screen, by Bob McCabe

Posted on December 26, 2014 by Thistle

Four years ago, I read Harry Potter: Film Wizardry, which was about the Harry Potter movie series as it existed by that point (ie not all eight movies). Harry Potter Page to Screen covers some of the same areas as … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014, Adult, Visual | Tagged , , | Leave a comment