The stories read quickly, and are very easy to follow and get into, which speaks to the appeal these books have for reluctant readers. There is a good mix between action, reflection, and dialogue, and the stories are well written, with the wholesome theme of good conquering evil in a variety of forms keeping everything positive without descending into corniness.
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Interview with John Flanagan
John Flanagan talks about his 11th Ranger’s Apprentice book, The Lost Stories, the 12th book and its potential setting, his characters, the upcoming film, his new series Brotherband, and lots more.
The Spanish Element: Don’t Let Me Drown, a film by Cruz Angeles; and Sugar, a film by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
How can we pretend as if everyone has an equal chance in life? There is a willful forgetting involved in the sustaining of many of our trumpeted principles; and Sugar is an act of sympathetic remembrance. Both Don’t Let Me Drown and Sugar are immigrant stories, humble and profoundly American stories.
The Small Town New York Boy Became a Good Singer and Songwriter: Brian McKnight and his album Just Me
McKnight’s two-disk Just Me collection is, obviously, a generous set. The first part, the studio album, shows that McKnight, whose career has lasted twenty years, has not lost his appeal or his vigor; and were it not for the age-related exclusions of current radio formats, the presence of his work would shame younger artists.
A review of Nemonymous Night by D F Lewis
Even upon ending, the reader unfamiliar with DF Lewis’ work isn’t sure whether one has reached an understanding of self or the dream or made it to reality again or whether they should perhaps start over and read once more. It is a very well wrought book that many fantasy lovers will enjoy for the statement it makes by unmaking.
A review of Gandhi : A Manga Biography by Kazuki Ebine
The best part of the artwork in Gandhi: A Manga Biography is that Kazuki Ebine creates characters that are true to life rather than being the large eyed cutesy figures of many of the Manga tales. Kazuki Ebine shows many scenes of action and pain and suffering as well as determination and the will to continue.
A review of The Map of Time by Félix J Palma
Primarily, though, The Map of Time warns of the hazards of manipulating history; this could loosely be read as a modern commentary on the written records of history–records that now include an increasing magnitude of unreliable records located on the World Wide Web. To a lesser extent, Palma explores the familiar modern anxiety of privacy: time travel would ultimately establish ‘a world where privacy would no longer exist’ and an individual could no longer sustain control—or permanency—over their actions.
The Drama of Death: Steven Soderbergh’s film Contagion
The film is a major effort, and looks good, but I did not think of it as beautiful; and while I can admire all the actors in it, some of whom are among my favorites, I was not surprised that Gwyneth Paltrow, an actress of charm and cool temperament, of intelligence and instinct, was the alpha and omega of the film.
A review of Trouble On Earth Day by Kathy Stemke
Trouble on Earth Day is a simple book that is easy for very young children to understand and for early readers to read themselves. Kurt Wilcken’s bright cartoon images have lots of fun detail (like a baseball cap on the guitar playing bird), and children will relate to the vivacious young animals.
An Interview with Angela Slatter
The author of the magnificent mosaic, Sourdough and Other Stories, talks about her book; about fairy tales, red hair and writing; and about much else.