In January we took a whistle-stop trip to NYC for Thing 2’s 10th birthday. It’s becoming a thing (we saw Annie last year). This year we saw Matilda. You must go. Really, you must. I don’t know how you’ll do it, but try everything you can to go see this show. My Goodness… it’s a book-lover’s paradise. And oddly, the theater was populated by plenty of folks who (I gather) had never read a Roald Dahl book...

I thought some of you might be interested in this book. If you, like me, ate Laura Ingalls Wilder books for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as a kid, then this book might be… interesting… sobering… sad… and informative. I could only read it in small bursts (it’s quite sad in places) but very, very interesting. Particluarly Laskin’s description of how this 1888 freak storm happened. If you watch the Weather...

This chart shows why garlic and olive oil are even better for you than you think. I guess we can stop ruining the South American agro industry and lighten up on Quinoa?...

I know I could be risking much by reviewing this film, what with hosting a literature podcast and all, but hear me out. I like to judge a film (or a book for that matter) on whether or not the end goal was achieved. For me, To Kill a Mockingbird is pretty much the pinnacle of book-to-film that you can find. Sure you lose 98% of the subplots and a lot of important subtext — but was the book represented in a way that did justice to...

I have a lot to be thankful for as 2013 rolls to a close and I’d like to do some thanking here. Tara Swiger and the Starship folks have—as always—been amazing, creative, smart, funny, helpful, and critical in all the best ways. They’re why this site looks better and why the rest of my sites will soon look better too. They make me smile every week—pretty much every day. Cooperative Press and all the cooperative-types who publish,...

I took my first sort-of-Shelfie years ago and didn’t even know it! Remember Cheddar, the CraftLit Critter? This was his first photo-op: Is the “Shelfie” Just Intellectual Wankery? |...