While writing the title for this post, I accidentally typed “The Dinosaur Thief,” which gives you an idea what kind of impression I had about the main character of this true story, Eric Prokopi. Non-fiction […]

Lau Sing Kee and Literature
I don’t think there’s any better argument in favor of reading than the fact that it makes you a more cultured, empathetic human being. We live in a world that attempts to monetize and empirically […]

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
I have an email routine. First, I delete all the SPAMMY emails. Then I go through my SPAM folder in a neurotic search for any important emails that accidentally got placed in the SPAM. It […]

House of X #2 / Powers of X #2
If a “mutant” by definition is an alteration from the norm, how exactly does humanity come to terms with it? That question has been at the heart of the X-Men comics since the beginning. Mutants […]

The Haunting of Tram Car 015
I’m starting to notice a pattern in the books I’ve read. No, it’s not a pattern that the authors themselves are responsible for. Rather, I’ve noticed that when it comes to my favorite books, rarely […]

Toni Morrison and The Bluest Eye
I was first introduced to Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye in college (I’m starting to see a pattern here, now that I look back on it). It was a Women Writers course. It fulfilled some […]

House of X #1 and Powers of X #1
I bought the hype, and I bought the comics. And I’m so glad I did. This new X-Men series is absolute fire. I was always a comics fan growing up. I loved Spider-Man so much […]

The Porcelain Thief
Huan Hsu’s non-fiction account of his family history, dating back to the late 19th century, is an absolutely fantastic, enlightening read. Hsu begins a journey through his family tree after learning about his great-great grandfather, […]
The Elizabeth Kostova Reader
“I’m pretty sure Dracula is sending people letters.” That was how I was introduced to Elizabeth Kostova. I was working at a golf course with my best friend and we were stuck string trimming around […]

Ranking the Josh Malerman Novels
I can now state that I’ve read all of Josh Malerman’s major novels and consider myself a fan. And while I liked the Netflix adaptation of his seminal work, Bird Box, I can very honestly […]