March is Women’s History Month and the sturdy pioneer women of Colorado deserve a hearty salute. They worked long and hard by themselves or alongside husbands to make their home in the Colorado wilds. They fought to bring schools, churches, and women’s suffrage to Colorado. In fact, Colorado was the second state in the union, […]
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The twisted marriage thriller
Who knew that marriage was such a treacherous business? Married people, maybe, and anyone who’s read Gone Girl. It should not be a surprise to anyone that terrible people and their terrible marriages are a large part of the thriller genre; apparently, the gruesome methods these people use to torment each other know no bounds. So, whether […]
Continue readingLearning to draw
Do you doodle?Would you like to improve your skills and learn to draw? I know I would. Drawing’s a fun and relaxing way to get rid of stress and be creative, and drawing can be practically free, for the price of a pencil and a scrap of paper, and it’s portable. And maybe, just maybe, […]
Continue readingLet’s Go to the Dentist
I was always afraid of going to the dentist when I was young. The masks, the too-bright light, the tiny metal picks, the high-pitched whirr of the drill all combined to make a place much scarier than any haunted house. Terrified by dentists, I vowed to never EVER trust one. Never say never, right? One […]
Continue readingHail to the Chief: great presidential biographies
Presidents Day is coming soon, and if you’re like me, you like fun facts about U.S. presidents. For example, did you know that Franklin Pierce, our 14th president, is considered to be one of our most handsome presidents? That “Hail to the Chief”, the official presidential anthem, first became a tradition because James K. Polk […]
Continue readingBlack History Month: classics to read and watch
February is Black History Month, with such a wide range of voices and experiences, over centuries and continents, that it is hard to present all the rich variety of history, commentary, and fiction. Here are a few classic books by African-American authors to start with: […]
Continue readingBest New YA Authors
Every year the American Library Association (ALA) presents the Morris Award to an outstanding Young Adult book written by a first-time writer. Because of its defining criterion, I like to think of the Morris Award as the ALA’s version of a Rookie of the Year Award. Don’t, however, let these authors’ newness to the scene […]
Continue readingSolving the Case of the Forgotten Book Title
It happens to the best of us. You read a book review, then head to your local library with that certain book in mind you’re dying to read. You pull into the parking lot, whistling a happy tune, because hey, you’re at the library! The library rules! You head over to the stacks and stare […]
Continue readingLiterary horror-fancy scares for the highbrow among us
If you’re like me, you’re too tasteful and refined for the gaping-maw, bloody bones of everyday horror. You want excellent writing and psychological shivers to give you the creeps. Thanks to Unbound Worlds, I now know about literary horror fiction and the high-class path to getting scared. Dread, fear, and distorted reality are all part […]
Continue readingTales of icy adventure and exploration
Why are stories about polar exploration, and the resulting disasters, so appealing? Are the icicle-laden beards and mustaches of our heroes to blame? The poor frosty gents certainly have my respect and admiration, even if they were sometimes motivated more by vainglorious ambition than the pure search for knowledge. Their heroic stories of endurance and […]
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