In which a movie sends me back 44 years and a show dupes me into reading a really good book. The Books: The Amateur by Robert Littell, published in 1981. (The movie premiered in April 2025.) Zero Day by David Baldacci, published in 2011. (No, not that Zero Day (Taiwanese thriller). No, not that Zero … Continue reading Hero Complex / Complex Heroes
Category: Reviews
Antifascist Roundup
If you're at all alarmed with what you see, here's a roundup of reviews that touch on fascism, hatred, white supremacy, and antisemitism. We're in the thick of it, yeah? Keep your eyes and ears open. Arm yourself with knowledge, context, and humor. Resist with everything you've got. Hatemonger in Chief I posted my review … Continue reading Antifascist Roundup
Anatomy of a Scandal
If you had a shot at justice, would you take it? In 2018 I read a book called Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan and noted 'good, great writing' in my journal. Then the Brett Kavanaugh hearings happened, and I added this to my notes: OMG Kavanaugh It was one of those moments when … Continue reading Anatomy of a Scandal
The Terminal List
The frogman cometh. My journey began with this article in the Wall Street Journal... The Former Navy SEAL Who Keeps Churning Out Hit Books Jack Carr draws in unlikely readers with his personal details from battle and Amazon turns his work into a TV show The part about unlikely readers caught my eye. To create … Continue reading The Terminal List
The Human Scale
Souls caught in the balance. The Human Scale is a new novel by Lawrence Wright and what an ambitious, tender and unflinching book it is. Perhaps only Wright could have created a story like this - his background in the Middle East is well-established* and his writing chops are undisputed. The Human Scale is beautiful … Continue reading The Human Scale
The Chaos Kind
Barry Eisler Fangirl Post The Chaos Kind is a tight, tense tale of vengeance featuring some of my favorite fictional characters: John Rain, Livia Lone, Dox, Delilah, Larison and Kanezaki. Friendship, love and allegiance elevate this Barry Eisler novel over other popular thrillers and while everyone has their moment to shine, for me Dox steals … Continue reading The Chaos Kind
This is your brain on color
Color is the place where our brain and the universe meet. - Paul Klee Look, you can read Color Scheme or just look at the color palettes - either way you're bound to enjoy it. The subtitle promises an "Irreverent History of Art and Pop Culture in Color Palettes" and author Edith Young delivers in … Continue reading This is your brain on color






