Critic: The first couple of times I heard Over the Top or Under the Weather, I was surprised by the energy and topicality, and the last few times I wished that it had a deeper, more resonant purpose. Musician: Our real goal with Over the Top or Under the Weather—We weren’t trying to write the best record ever or to re-invent rock and roll… we just wanted songs people could relate to and songs that wouldn’t sound dated in a few years.
A review of The New York State Chess Association Congresses – Buffalo 1894 and 1901 by John S. Hilbert
John S. Hilbert’s erudite and informative book will be of interest to admirers of Pillsbury’s brash yet subtle chess, as well as to those curious to learn about the chess scene in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. Throughout, it sparkles with insights and facts about the chess personalities and institutions of those far-off, distant days. Can one conclude that this was a quieter, a more leisurely and civilized age?
A review of Wombat & Fox Thrillseekers by Terry Denton
Even for readers who aren’t reluctant, Terry Denton books have something extra to offer. For one thing, they’re utterly irreverent. His characters are always getting up to crazy hijinks, sometimes due to their own stupidity and sometimes due to their own cunning. For another, he has an almost post-modern style where the reader is continually brought into the story, winked at, nodded to and encouraged — never mind third person objectivity.
A review of Waltzing Australia by Cynthia Clampitt
By the end of the narrative, I felt I knew the author very well. Unafraid to honestly respond to her own emotions, and her surroundings, reading this book is as much about witnessing a person’s transformation through close contact with the natural world as it is about the places she visited in Australia.
Interview with Louis Nowra
The author of Ice talks about his latest novel, his characters — both real and imagined, the relationship between fiction and biography, the relationship between love and madness, his upcoming work, and lots more.
A review of Little Dorrit (audio book) by Charles Dickens
For sheer entertainment alone, it would be hard to beat the relaxation and engagement of listening to such a well done adaptation. For anyone who has to spend time in a vehicle or engaged in an activity that doesn’t allow for a book in hand, this audio is one which will transform the journey into one of pure pleasure.
A review of Ambulances & Dreamers by Bel Schenk
The iconic references are frequent enough to lure in the hippest of readers, and much of the poems are humorous. A series of “available” fortunes are listed in “These Fortunes are Currently Available”, including such things as “He may be ugly but remember how desperate you are.”
A review of Stricken: The 5,000 Stages of Grief by Spike Gillespie & Katherine Tanney (Eds)
Stricken is filled with honest and heartfelt stories from a collection of very good, mostly Texas-based writers who possess the life experience and courage to share their stories with others. The next time someone I care about is in need of comfort and solace in the face of loss, I’ll be certain to pass on this worthy and life-affirming book.
A review of A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
A Brief History of Time is far more than a science book. It’s one of the renaissance books that is so seminal to the notion of who we are, and where we might be in the next fifty years, that it should be required reading for every person from high school on. If that seems like a big ask you’ve got the wrong idea about this book.
An interview with Jennie Nash
The author of The Last Beach Bungalow and The Only True Genius in the Family talks about her latest novel, her thoughts on the origin and nature of genius, on her characters, on losing a parent, on the writing “zone”, and lots more.