A Christmas Carol has long been my all-time favorite book, but with Great Expectations, I finally and properly met Charles Dickens. And what an introduction it was.
Let me start by saying: if you’re torn between reading and listening to this one, go with the audiobook. I did both, and I’m so glad I did — January LaVoy and Will Damron are fantastic, especially in the podcast segments, which feel like a true-crime show come to life.
This book broke my heart — and not in a sweet, wistful way. This is a gut-punch of a novel that takes on Victorian morality, gender roles, and the unforgiving weight of societal judgment. While the story takes place in rural 19th-century England, its themes still echo uncomfortably in the present day. Hardy doesn’t hold back in showing how the world punishes women for the sins of men and the hypocrisies of a supposedly moral society.
This book does a great job taking a lot of information we know about life and considering where we might be able to find it – not only within our solar system, but in the cosmos. Not only that, the author thinks about both life as we know it and life as we don’t know it.
n today’s episode of “What Genre Did Michael Crichton Write?” we find he has a penchant for European historical fiction with a dash of American Western flair thrown in for good measure. Just when you think you’ve got him pegged as the guy who writs about deadly microorganisms or rogue neurosurgery experiments, here he is, transporting us to the grimy streets and gilded railcars of Victorian-era England.
This book continues the Gateways saga as a part of the Deep Space Nine relaunch (i.e., post-series) storyline. It does one better than the other, but it is still a fantastic book.
I’m a pretty big fan of David Fincher films and his adaptation of Gone Girl is one of my favorites. But for some reason, it has taken me years to finally get around to reading the book. And wow – am I glad I did!!
This is a couple essays from the 1800s. Although he can be quite rambling at times, both essays still stand up in some ways today.
This book follows five loosely-connected stories. The connection – a simple DNA test can tell you who your perfect match is.
Stephen King’s It is a massive, ambitious novel that blends supernatural horror with the deep emotional resonance of a coming-of-age story—and for me, it was the latter that really made it shine. I listened to the audiobook as I read along, and Steven Weber’s narration is phenomenal. He gives each character a distinct voice, and his pacing grows more frenetic as the tension builds, adding a whole extra layer of immersion to the experience.