Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation, by Olivia Judson

Poor seaweed flies (and roundworms, rabbits, and rodents).  Until 2008, they had no one to turn to to explain their lusts and reproductive hangups.  Fortunately Dr. Tatiana (as created by evolutionary biologist Judson) happened on the scene, and now they can turn to the relevant portion of her self-help book and solve those problems. For [...]

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Griftopia, by Matt Taibbi

The United States is in the middle of the world’s largest and longest-lasting crime spree.  The criminals are known– their names and photos routinely appear on the front pages of newspapers– but law enforcement has been unable to make arrests or bring charges.  And, according to Rolling Stone journalist Matt Taibbi, they are likely to [...]

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The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes, by Marcus Sakey

The man who thinks of himself as Daniel Hayes isn’t sure of  his real name.  All he has to go by is the insurance card he finds in a BMW he discovers after crawling onto a rocky beach.  Some clothes in the trunk fit him, the cash in an envelope fits him (plus it’s the [...]

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Fun and Games, by Duane Swierczynski

If you want someone out of the way, preferably permanently, and you don’t want any fingers pointed towards you, why not solve both problems with an arranged accident?  It’s got to be plausible, it’s got to be visible (no conspiracy theories here, thank you very much), and it’s got to do as little damage as [...]

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The Central Park Five, by Sarah Burns

When political and media pressure combine in high profile criminal cases, the result can become the disgrace of a civilized society.  Sarah Burns has gone back to 1989 to remind us of a particularly odious episode that exemplifies that disgrace. The term ‘wilding’ entered our vocabulary when a large group of black and Hispanic teens [...]

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Conviction

Elisabeth from Circulation Services ends the week with this review: What do you believe in? Do you believe strongly enough that you would dedicate your entire life to it?  Would you be willing to sacrifice your marriage because you believe so completely in what you need to do?  Would you cancel promises that you have [...]

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Any Man of Mine, by Rachel Gibson

I’m not a big fan of hockey.  I usually try watching the Stanley Cup, and I get bored.  So I’m not sure why I’ve read so many of Rachel Gibson’s books about the fictional Seattle Chinooks Hockey team. Maybe it’s the strong female characters—these women are spunky, funny, sensitive, smart.  In Any Man of Mine, Autumn [...]

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The Hearts of Horses, by Molly Gloss

My colleague Connie from Outreach Services provides today’s review: As a born and bred Easterner, I find something alluring and mysterious about the American West. This book transported me there, with a look back at at the western home front during World War I.  Molly Gloss did a great job of capturing  small town, rural [...]

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You Belong to Me, by Karen Rose

Out for her morning run, medical examiner Lucy Trask sees a man she believes to be an elderly neighbor slumped over a chess table, clearly dead.  However, she can’t identify him right away because his face has been beaten beyond recognition.  While her heart twists at the horrific murder, Lucy is relieved when additional evidence [...]

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Th1rteen R3asons Why, by Jay Asher

This young adult novel has been out since 2007, but I recently saw an interview with the author in a popular magazine and had to put the book on hold to read.  Apparently this book has grown in popularity through word-of-mouth—and after reading it I understood why. Clay is excited to receive a package in [...]

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The Four Corners of the Sky, by Michael Malone

Finally, the one writer I can always count on to cheer up a dreary mood is Michael Malone. So it was a great prize when I managed to get an advance reading copy of Malone’s newest novel The Four Corners of the Sky while I was at the American Library Association’s midwinter conference. I restrained [...]

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The Book of the Dead, by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston

I do not normally read thriller/suspense titles, but in a spirit of adventure, I picked up the  collaboration between Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston from the shelves. The Book of the Dead is the seventh title in the authors’  series featuring FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast, who is a modern day Sherlock Holmes—skilled at detection, [...]

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The Law of Dreams, by Peter Behrens

As readers of this blog (and colleagues in the reading world) know, Robertson Davies is one of my favorite writers. My enjoyment of Davies’ books has sparked my interest in Canadian fiction, and I have been fortunate to find a number of other writers from the North who have captured my attention. A while back, [...]

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Un Lun Dun, by China Mieville

I have been meaning to read some of the urban fantasy of China Mieville, if for no other reason than that someone with a name like that ought to be a great fantasy writer. Certainly, all the reviews have praised Mieville’s characters and stories. Some time ago, I came across a copy of Mieville’s YA [...]

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The Bad Quarto, by Jill Paton Walsh

Ever since I read Jill Paton Walsh’s completion of Dorothy Sayers’s final Lord Peter Wimsey story, Thrones, Dominations, I have wanted to read one of Walsh’s own mystery stories. While browsing the fiction collection recently, I came across Walsh’s most recent Imogen Quy mystery, The Bad Quarto, and was immediately drawn to it for the [...]

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The A-Team (2010)

WRL Development Officer Benjamin Goldberg closes his week of posts with an action-packed adventure film. Did you ever watch the 1980s TV-show The A-Team? Did you like it? This movie version of the show takes the basic premise and pumps it full of adrenaline like only cinema can. Make no mistake, The A-Team, starring Liam [...]

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Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps, by Chris Jericho

Today, WRL Development Officer Benjamin Goldberg takes a look at the world of pro wrestling. This is a book about professional wrestling, a.k.a. sports entertainment. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea. It should be noted though that the people involved are showmen and athletes, driven to deliver the best “product” possible. If you [...]

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Death Race (2008)

WRL Development Officer Benjamin Goldberg delves into a nonstop action film. Death Race stars Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Ian McShane, Tyrese Gibson, Natalie Martinez, and Max Ryan. It is not for everyone, and definitely is not for the young or the squeamish, as the swearing and violence are unavoidable. However, if you enjoy an explosion-filled, [...]

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