Posted in Books, Clever dialogue, Humor, Neil's Picks, Quick read, Quirky characters, Romance on June 4, 2008 | No Comments »
There’s probably a reason why screwball comedy has more history as a film genre than it does as a subset of fiction. All that witty repartee is more fun to hear than it is to read, and the behavioral hijinks that work on the screen can come off as just a little too precious on [...]
Posted in Barry's Picks, Books, Characters, Clever dialogue, Fast-paced, Humor, Quick read, Science fiction on May 21, 2008 | 3 Comments »
Connie Willis is known for her clever, creative science fiction writing that deftly blends issues of importance with dry humor and intriguing characters. Willis’s work ranges from the somewhat dark and dystopian vision in The Doomsday Book to the much lighter, more hopeful, and certainly funnier To Say Nothing of the Dog. Her 1996 novel, [...]
Posted in Adventure, Books, Clever dialogue, Humor, Jennifer D.'s Picks, Quirky characters, Science fiction on February 21, 2008 | No Comments »
This is the story of the end of the world, or at least the end of the planet Earth. The Vogons, a (technologically if not intellectually) superior alien race, need to build a new hyperspatial express route, and our planet is in their way. Luckily, Earthlings Arthur Dent and Tricia McMillan manage to [...]
Posted in Adventure, Books, Clever dialogue, Fantasy, Fast-paced, Humor, Neil's Picks, Quirky characters, Superhero on February 5, 2008 | 2 Comments »
There’s a reason nobody recognizes that Clark Kent is Superman, and it’s not the powerful disguise of a pair of square-rimmed glasses. He’s hiding behind the fact that he is BORING. The same holds true for other heroes: Batman. Wonder Woman. Spiderman. Let’s face it, the only thing colorful about these folks is their clingy outfits. Everything else [...]
Posted in Books, Chick Lit, Clever dialogue, Humor, Quick read, Quirky characters, Sense of place, Young Adult on January 16, 2008 | No Comments »
If you are looking for a light, very funny Chick Lit read, you may want to give Liz Rettig a try with her debut novel, My Desperate Love Diary. I couldn’t put it down! It is written in the first person in diary format, and tells of the ups and downs of sixteen year old [...]
Posted in Clever dialogue, Humor, Janet's picks, Movies, Quirky characters on January 2, 2008 | No Comments »
Can you imagine a worse twist of fate than winning big on the lottery only to drop dead with the shock? Well that’s what happens to Ned Devine. Ned’s untimely demise doesn’t stop his neighbors from trying to make sure that Ned’s good fortune is not wasted. They hatch up a simple plan to claim [...]
Posted in Clever dialogue, Humor, Janet's picks, Movies, Quirky characters on December 31, 2007 | 5 Comments »
A movie about six unemployed steel workers, set in the depressed industrial north of England, doesn’t exactly sound like the recipe for a successful comedy but believe me, The Full Monty is a terrific film. It is British independent film making at its best.
Driven by a desperate need for cash, and inspired by a local [...]
Posted in Books, Characters, Clever dialogue, Jennifer D.'s Picks, Quirky characters on November 29, 2007 | 3 Comments »
If you’ve read Hamlet, you should read Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. It is a play within a play, a telling of at Shakespeare’s story from the point of view of the minor characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (or Ros and Guil, as Stoppard refers to them). The men are caught up in the story, [...]
Posted in Books, Classics, Clever dialogue, Jennifer D.'s Picks, Romance on November 28, 2007 | No Comments »
Well, it was inevitable. Any list of plays must feature something by Shakespeare. Even if the list were of bad plays, he would still have to be included. As much as I enjoy Hamlet, and Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet, I chose to highlight a less obvious choice, Much Ado about Nothing. It is my [...]
Posted in Books, Characters, Clever dialogue, Fantasy, Jennifer D.'s Picks, Setting on November 27, 2007 | No Comments »
Did you ever wonder what happened to fairy tale characters after “They lived happily ever after”? Into the Woods offers the answer: true happiness can’t last forever. The first act tells the stories of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and also features elements of other stories. The second act explains [...]
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