It takes a lot for me to believe that a romance novel will bring the wonder and delight promised. This story has more than romance, however. It has magical conspiracy, and actually turns teatime, a relaxing activity, into moments of suspense for the relevant parties. We also get some generational…

One author visit energizes a Tuesday night, with talks of travel and sexuality. — Author events are great when one sees the amount of energy that can fill a room. You see adoration and emotional connection when an author walks into a room and commands attention. I’ve missed this energy before the pandemic. Damon Dominique, I had no idea how much joy that he…

How good are the odds of a renewal? — Oddballs season two premiered Friday, February 24, on Netflix. It is presumably the last installment of the show we will get before Netflix pulls its nonsense about not wanting to pay the hardworking crews who lock into these contracts. That it happens is a travesty, but a topic for another…

Don’t look back, when traveling forward into the mountains. — When you’re reading a sequel to a story. you often wonder what’s left of the story to tell. In this case, we get a new romance and an exploration of what redemption means, as well as a clean slate in a new place. What does it mean to become a…

Trusting a tiny green dragon and a small boy that becomes a hero the hard way. — I didn’t expect that a movie would change me in college, during a year where I thought I would be jaded about animation. Then I sat through and watched the whole film. A bucktoothed teen found out that the enemy he was supposed to kill became his best friend. A…

How one character can wreck you with fundamental goodness. — Sometimes there is only one response to the end of a show: “NOOOOO!” I was saying a lot of that at the end of season two of Dead End: Paranormal Park. While I knew that finale was coming, actually seeing it in the flesh hurt a lot. I was hoping…

What can we find when we choose to investigate hostile shadows? — I met October Santerelli when moderating him and several other writers on a panel about sensitivity reading. When I found out that he was releasing a new book this month, I offered to review it since he’s an eloquent speaker. He sent me a copy for an honest review. …

What did transgender and nonbinary teens in 2014 experience when coming to terms with their identity? — Some books make you want to tear up while you hear many people’s stories. They break your heart, as you hear of kids that are fighting for their right to live, to exist. I just want to hold them tight and reassure them things will be okay. I also learned…

Netflix had ONE JOB… When Squid Game premiered, it managed to win over international audiences. I saw it a few months after the fact and fell for the beautiful cinema, as well as an emotional story about human bonds in the worst of times. …