Manga Review: The Seven Deadly Sins Volume 1

Manga Review: The Seven Deadly Sins Volume 1 by Nakaba Suzuki Boar Hat is a small tavern in the middle of nowhere, known for its excellent selection of booze and the owner’s terrible cooking. It’s run by the childish-appearing Melodias and his talking pig partner Hawk. Despite its remote and variable location, Boar Hat gets… Continue reading Manga Review: The Seven Deadly Sins Volume 1

Comic Book Review: 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 2019

Comic Book Review: 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 2019 edited by Tharg Artist Carlos Ezquerra was a long-time contributor to the 2000 AD comics series, including co-creating the popular Judge Dredd series with John Wagner in 1977. He passed away in October 2018, and this issue is designed as a tribute to him. “Night at the… Continue reading Comic Book Review: 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 2019

Book Review: Wives to Burn

Book Review: Wives to Burn by Lawrence G. Blochman William Shakespeare Gabriel may have bitten off more than he can chew when he accepted an assignment to go to India and track down Fred Oaks. Bill’s past as a reporter may make him an excellent investigator for the Five Continents Detective Agency, but India’s a… Continue reading Book Review: Wives to Burn

Book Review: Best New Horror #28

Book Review: Best New Horror #28 edited by Stephen Jones It says something about the number of books published every year, even in this “print is dead” time, that this is the first time I have seen an installment of this British-published horror anthology. Number twenty-eight! Admittedly, my attention was first grabbed by the gruesome… Continue reading Book Review: Best New Horror #28

Book Review: The Sea Chase

Book Review: The Sea Chase by Andrew Geer Sydney Harbour is bustling on this September day in 1939, but one ship, the Ergenstrasse, lies idle, waiting to fill her sadly depleted coal bunkers. This ship is part of the German merchant marine, and everyone is well aware that it is only a matter of time… Continue reading Book Review: The Sea Chase

Book Review: Under a Wild Sky: John James Audubon and the Making of THE BIRDS OF AMERICA

Book Review: Under a Wild Sky: John James Audubon and the Making of THE BIRDS OF AMERICA by William Souder When John James Audubon arrived in Philadelphia in 1824, he carried with him a portfolio of beautiful bird paintings he hoped to turn into a book, and a backstory of childhood in Louisiana, being the… Continue reading Book Review: Under a Wild Sky: John James Audubon and the Making of THE BIRDS OF AMERICA

Book Review: The World of HIstory

Book Review: The World of History edited by Courtlandt Canby & Nancy E. Gross History is a very wide and deep subject.  It extends from the beginning of the universe (though much before written records is speculative at best) to just this last minute, and from the movements of great nations to what precisely people… Continue reading Book Review: The World of HIstory

Book Review: Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney: Slavery, Secession and the President’s War Powers

Book Review: Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney: Slavery, Secession and the President’s War Powers by James E. Simon Those of us with a cursory knowledge of American history, like myself, have heard of the Dred Scott decision of 1857, in which Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney opined that the black man had no… Continue reading Book Review: Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney: Slavery, Secession and the President’s War Powers

Book Review: The Case of the Fenced-In Woman | Inspector West Takes Charge

Book Review: The Case of the Fenced-In Woman by Erle Stanley Gardner | Inspector West Takes Charge by John Creasey These two books were bound together as a Detective Book Club selection and thus I am reviewing them together. The Case of the Fenced-In Woman:  While Perry Mason is best known for defending innocent people accused… Continue reading Book Review: The Case of the Fenced-In Woman | Inspector West Takes Charge

Book Review: Great British Fictional Villains

Book Review: Great British Fictional Villains by Russell James For a wide swath of fiction, a well-written villain is essential.  They provide the impetus for the hero to act, scatter obstacles in their way, and act as a dark mirror to the hero’s personality.  In many cases, the villain of a story turns out to be… Continue reading Book Review: Great British Fictional Villains