Witch Trial By: Cate Conte

Continuing the larger mystery from the first book, Witch Trial adds more layers of intrigue and danger for Violet to deal with. Interesting characters, a fun premise and a great plot this is a great mystery!

 

Mary Jane By: Amy Herzog

 

I flew through this one!  Mary Jane is an intense, moving, honest and raw look at care giving.  Short sweet and to the point, this play pulls no punches nor should it.  A stunner of a piece!

Purlie Victorious By: Ossie Davis

Ossie Davis is as brilliant a writer as he was an actor.  Purlie Victorious is laugh out loud funny, but infuriating at the same time.  Sad to say nothing has changed since the time in which this what writer, nor since the time in which it is set.  A really great theatrical satire that should be presented more often!

 

Uncle Vanya By: Anton Chekhov

No matter how many Chekhov plays I read-I just can't muster up any feelings for any of the characters.  I also rarely see the point of the plays.  I didn't find any of the characters is Uncle Vanya appealing, I found the level of hysteria to be over the top and just didn't understand what I was supposed to get out of the piece.  However, if I see a performance of Chekhov's works I get so much more out of the piece.  Weird.

An Enemy of the People By: Henrik Ibsen

It's sad to say that nothing has changed since this play was written in 1882. One hundred and forty two years later the world is still struggling with the themes presented in Enemy of the People. The Haves and the Have Nots still struggling with the power dynamic of who gets to call the shots.  Brilliantly juxtaposed within a clash of brothers, Ibsen's piece examines a power struggle with the public's health and safety as it center, but it quickly devolves into a clash of egos.  Brother versus brother, business interest versus, public interest...it was relevant then and it's relevant now. Sadly.

The Mammoth Book of Best Horror Comics Edited By: Peter Normanton

 

I was never really into horror comics while I was growing up. As an adult I have a better appreciation for the artwork and the story telling that goes into comics, and this collection of horror comics is really well curated.  Seeing how the stories changed over the years, before the restrictive comics code, and after, is like a little bit of a sociology lesson, in terms of what's permitted/accepted in any given decade.  I do wish some of the covers were in color, especially those covers that the editor discuss the coloring technique.

Universe X, Vol. 2. By: Jim Krueger

I got this out of the library at work, not realizing it was the second volume...oh well.  Like any good author should, there was no impediment to understanding the story line of this because the authors made enough references to what happened in the previous volume without taking me out of the story and without doing an exposition dump.  I've always loved how comic books can teach deep lessons about the human condition wrapped in a seemingly "childish" past time of comics, and Universe X is deep indeed! (unfortunately the library at work doesn't have Volume 1!!!)

 

Supermen: The First Wave of Comic Book Heroes (1936-1941) Edited By: Greg Sadowski

 

A fascinating look at the beginnings of the Comic Book Hero craze.  I highly recommend reading the notes at the back of the book.  They give details information on the comics presented in the book and how they lead to the comics that we know and love!

The Importance of Being Earnest By: Oscar Wilde

I haven't read something so ridiculous and laugh out-loud funny in a long time!  There is a reason Wilde's work has endured...the man was a master as wordsmithing.  Earnest is a perfect little play!

 

Pulp Fiction By: Quentin Tarantino

It's been 30 years since the movie came out, so I thought I'd read the screenplay to celebrate it's anniversary.  The violence and language are surface-Tarantino has a unique way of showing the human condition by showing extremes.  Pulp Fiction the screenplay reads as brilliantly as it plays on the big screen.

The Snow Child By: Eowyn Ivey

Not what I was expecting at all! This should have been a depressing, and bleak story, and it was anything but!  A retelling of a popular Russian fairy tale, The Snow Child is written with such tenderness and love that despite the action in the book, the reader always feel light, joy and hope. A tender an loving handling of beautiful characters in challenging circumstances make this a wondrous read!

 

Spider Woman's Daughter By: Anne Hillerman

 

I've not read any of Tony Hillerman's mysteries, but his daughter has given a good sense of his characters in her first mystery.  The descriptions of the locales, the Native American traditions, the familial bonds and way of life are all stunningly rendered.  What kept this from being a great mystery, for me, was the plotting.  I felt that they were moments when the characters said or did things that were then contradicted in a later chapter. I also felt that it was obvious "who did it" and it didn't ring true that neither Bernie nor Chee figured it out.  Enjoyed reading it, liked it a lot, personally, felt it needed a little more work to tighten it up.