Faulkner’s The Hamlet is about a family of hicks (The Snopes) living in the boonies of Mississippi in a town called Frenchman’s Bend. The novel kicks off by introducing us to the town and giving us a little bit of backstory before bringing in the Snopes and launching us into a Southern, poetic, fablelike, and […]
I don’t tend to like things set in high schools—books, 80’s movies, tv shows, classes, you name it—and we could go into the whys, but what it basically boils down to is that I feel like I already know that story, and I’m bored by the way most people tell it. But there are exceptions […]
I am too old for Percy Jackson. I’m okay with that. But I think it’s important to start off this review with a qualification: Percy Jackson is not Harry Potter, it’s not the The Hunger Games, it’s not even Twilight. Which is to say, it’s not a careful examination of adult themes through the guise […]
This feature sees your intrepid author venturing back into the books that delighted her in the past to see if they still stand up. If you’re a fantasy reader, chances are good that you’ve heard of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. In fact, I think I’d be willing to say chances are about 100% that […]
The film adaptation of the truly wonderful book One Day, predictably, leaves much to be desired. While the presence of the always sensational Patricia Clarkson (perfectly cast in the pivotal role of Dexter’s idealized mother) certainly helped the film along, the incredible miscasting of the story’s leading lady proved devastating to the adaptation. So much […]
It’s rare that you get to say a book changed your life and not be talking at least somewhat hyperbolically. It’s even rarer to get to say that about a book by Stephen King. I’m not trying to knock the man whose name is ridiculously appropriate given that he is the King of pulp horror […]
(because an actual review would just be scattershot and hard to follow) 10. It turns out I really like the actual kingdom of Westeros. One of my problems with this installment was that most of the action was set in the southron kingdoms, like Meereen and Bravos, and that I wasn’t all that invested in […]
I am happy to admit I indulge in the time-honored tradition of hurrying to read a book before a movie comes out. I’d like to think that I DON’T do this just so I can sound smart and say things like, “Well, yes the movie portrays her angst in a very visual way, but it […]
Rachael, you say, after post after post in breathless anticipation of A Dance With Dragons, how is it possible that you’ve yet to say anything about the latest in George R. R. Martin’s saga? Well, hypothetical internet reader, I am ashamed to report that my radio silence comes from a rather pathetic place: I haven’t […]
One of the unfortunate side effects to being addicted to young adult literature, particularly of the Sci Fi-Fantasy variety is you occasionally get sucked into a story that the whole time makes you feel like a fool. Lots of YA Lit is great, well-written stuff. But a lot of it (like any genre) is boring, […]
I have a passion for both memoirs and religious stories, so it seemed like Mennonite in a Little Black Dress was written for me. Yet the overall narrative left me cold. The author, Rhoda Janzen, has had an interesting and occasionally tragic life. And she chronicles it all with a humor and good cheer that […]
Welcome to a new recurring feature over here at MyBookshelf. Quick Hits is a monthly feature that will allow us at MyBookshelf to share a little bit about some books that we love, whether they be classic favorites or new discoveries. Rather than providing long reviews, these quick hits will give you just a little […]
The longest-tenured Artistic Director in the history of The Stratford Shakespeare Festival was an eccentric former actor famous for temper tantrums and stage fright. As a director, he staged some of the most popular productions the festival ever housed. In his 14 seasons in charge, he opened the new studio theatre, started the Birmingham conservatory […]
One of the year’s most successful literary offerings, One Day by David Nicholls is so much more than chick lit. The story of Emma and Dexter is hilarious, heartbreaking, poignant and inescapably honest. It also sports a truly excellent structure, dropping in on Em and Dex once a year from 1988 to 2006. The one […]
One of my favorite past times is the leisurely barnes and nobles stroll. When I was younger, and unaware that true hipsters would scoff at the fact that I prefer the bright lights and corporate opulence of the chain to the dusty, dirty selection available at most independent bookstores, I imagined how deep and thoughtful […]
Young Adult novels are like catnip for me. I eat them up like they’re about to disappear, and during the process I sink inside of them and stretch out like I’m meant to live there. Because of this, I read A LOT of young adult fiction, and even the worst of it tends to hold […]
It’s taken me just under a month to post on Mockingjay, the final installment of Suzanne Collins unparalleled trilogy, after having finished it. It wasn’t for lack of passion. But although I may have consumed the novel like a cheeseburger after a Yom Kippur, I wanted to let it slowly ruminate in my mind for […]
I think there’s a good subset of fans who consider Chamber of Secrets the weakest of the series. I have always been a part of this group. So it was with a mixture of determination and resolve that I approached re-reading the second book as part of my quest to re-read the whole series and […]
Perhaps it seems redundant to you to read yet another article about Harry Potter, especially three years after the final book came out. However, one of the singular joys of being a Harry Potter fan for me has been the ability to revisit these books throughout my life and discover new and exciting things about […]