Manga Review: Kimi ni Todoke Vol. 2

Manga Review: Kimi ni Todoke Vol. 2 by Karuho Shiina Sawako Kuronuma is a victim of pop culture. With her pale skin, long straight black hair in a particular style, and an inability to put on a fake smile (it just looks creepy), Sawako bears a passing resemblance to Sadako, the scary ghost girl from… Continue reading Manga Review: Kimi ni Todoke Vol. 2

Comic Book Review: Avengers Season One

Comic Book Review: Avengers Season One written by Peter David, art by Various The Avengers exist because of Loki, the Norse god of trickery and sometimes evil. He had hoped to maneuver his brother Thor, god of thunder, into fighting the Hulk, the one man-monster perhaps capable of matching the Odinson’s strength. When Rick Jones… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Avengers Season One

Manga Review: Komi Can’t Communicate Vol. 1

Manga Review: Komi Can’t Communicate Vol. 1 by Tomohito Oda Hitohito Tadano is an average boy on his first day of high school. After a truly horrific experience when he tried to stand out from the crowd in middle school, he’s turned timid, wanting to blend in and fit in so as to have the… Continue reading Manga Review: Komi Can’t Communicate Vol. 1

Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 38-40

Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 38-40 by Rumiko Takahashi Quick recap: Rinne Rokudo is a shinigami, a psychopomp who helps the spirits of the dead move on to the afterlife. But he is partially human, so his powers are relatively weak and he often has to resort to special devices that cost money. Between that and… Continue reading Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 38-40

Book Review: Pride and Prejudice

Book Review: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The Bennet family is somewhat well off at their small estate of Longbourn–for now. But since the estate can only be inherited in the male line, and the family has five daughters with no sons, if Mr. Bennet kicks the bucket, the rest of the family will… Continue reading Book Review: Pride and Prejudice

Movie Review: An Affair to Remember

Nickie and Terry flirt aboard the ship.

Movie Review: An Affair to Remember (1957) directed by Leo McCarey International playboy Niccolo Ferrante (Cary Grant) is traveling back from Italy to marry his heiress fiancée Lois Clark (Neva Patterson). On the ship, Nickie discovers that his lost cigarette case is in the hands of nightclub singer Terry McKay (Deborah McKerr, singing voice by Marnie… Continue reading Movie Review: An Affair to Remember

Magazine Review: Strange Fantasy Spring 1970

The stories illustrated on the cover are, from left, "The Shrine of Temptation", "Sword of Flowers" and "Planet of Change".

Magazine Review: Strange Fantasy Spring 1970 “Strange Fantasy” was a short-lived reprint digest-sized magazine from Ultimate Publishing. This issue’s stories were originally published between 1959 and 1964, which somewhat belies the cover text. “The Shrine of Temptation” by Judith Merril starts us off with an anthropologist’s tale of a mysterious shrine on an isolated island.… Continue reading Magazine Review: Strange Fantasy Spring 1970

Book Review: Grace Harlowe’s Second Year at Overton College

Book Review: Grace Harlowe’s Second Year at Overton College by Jessie Graham Flowers, A.M. Having survived summer vacation, Grace Harlowe returns to Overton College and reunites with her friends from the previous years. She’s eager to resume her studies at the women’s school. And so begins another year of ups and downs. This is the… Continue reading Book Review: Grace Harlowe’s Second Year at Overton College

Movie Review: The General

Watering a train is hard for people who aren't experienced.

Movie Review: The General (1926) directed by Clyde Bruckman. The train pulls into Marietta, Georgia in 1861. The engine known as “The General” is driven by engineer Johnnie Gray (Buster Keaton). He loves his engine, but Johnnie also loves local girl Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack). The young sweethearts are just about to settle into some chaste… Continue reading Movie Review: The General

Movie Review: The Day the Earth Stood Still

Mr. Carpenter finally explains himself to Helen.

Movie Review: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) dir. Robert Wise The humans of Earth are a fractious lot. Why, just six years ago, they had an entire World War, as a result of which they created and used atomic weapons. You’d think they would have learned their lesson, but instead they went right into… Continue reading Movie Review: The Day the Earth Stood Still