Scene: it’s autumn. Route 1 along the North Shore (title case) of Massachusetts—rather, “Old Route 1,” to distinguish it from the stretch with strip clubs and furniture outlets and orange dinosaurs. The scenic portion with private schools and shuttered restaurants and blind intersections that almost kill you (truth). Radio: on. “Fire” by the Crazy World […]
Goodreads: Describe the book you’re currently reading in three words! Jarrod: Author reinserts himself. If I’m going to review books V and VI then I might as well close it out with number VII—more Roman numerals, please! Do I then follow the author’s lead and start over with The Gunslinger next? “Stephen King fled through […]
[Mind redacted spoilers—highlight to reveal—and paragraphs ending with questions.] Goodreads: Describe the book you’re currently reading in three words! Jarrod: Author inserts himself. Such is the wrong turn King made when resuming The Dark Tower after a six-year hiatus that nearly killed him. Equal time passed between the earlier third and fourth books—The Waste Lands […]
The game: Broncos at Patriots Unscheduled bye The beer: Simpler Times Lager The knockout: Cowboys win, 37–34 The commentary: In other words, the coronavirus defeated hubris and covered the spread by a mile. Simpler times are fading fast. Maybe the Pats and Titans should face off every week and pull in other teams (the Falcons?) […]
The game: Patriots at Seahawks The beer: Night Shift Whirlpool Pale Ale The result: Loss, 35–30 The knockout: Titans win, 33–30 The commentary: Undefeated season? I won’t rule it out! Meet the new boss, folks, because this is the team’s most impressive season-opening win-streak in years, as Cam Newton distributes regret evenly across half the […]
Updated: January 2, 2021 Continuing, for some reason, to chronicle every book and short story I’ve read since The Lord of the Rings in the spring of 2017. Part 1 (2017) | Part 2 (2018) | Part 3 (2019) | “Selected readings from the Old Lady Book Club” Critical remarks are avoided… Rereads coopt the register mark… “Library Book Club” selections […]
Updated: January 1, 2020 Continuing, for some reason, to chronicle every book and short story I’ve read since The Lord of the Rings in the spring of 2017. Part 1 (2017) | Part 2 (2018) | “Selected readings from the Old Lady Book Club” Critical remarks are avoided… Rereads coopt the register mark… “Library Book Club” selections are noted […]
Updated: January 1, 2019 Continuing, for some reason, to chronicle every book and short story I’ve read since The Lord of the Rings last spring. Part 1 (2017) | “Selected readings from the Old Lady Book Club” Critical remarks are avoided… Rereads coopt the register mark… “Library Book Club” selections are noted in red to represent the […]
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