Category: Books

  • The Hobbit: Which Version is Best?

    The Hobbit is my favorite book of all time. I can go back and read it over and over again and never get tired of it. It’s a classic tale that will stick with me for as long as I live. But there are multiple versions of this story out there. Yes, you can go…

  • The Dragon Reborn: The Gears Begin to Turn

    I’ve been told many times that this is the stopping point. People I trust and respect have said that they were satisfied with this book and felt no need to read any of the further entries in the series. Question is: will I agree and drop the series after this? Or will it lock me…

  • Varys ‘The Spider’: Why He Worked and How the Show Ruined Him

    Game of Thrones is not a series in which simple people last. Those who are purely good quickly have their intentions taken advantage of and end up dead. Those who are purely evil are quickly assassinated to prevent them from becoming as dangerous as they could in a position of higher power. If you’re too…

  • The Eye of the World (By the Cover): Representing the Genre, Not the Book

    I’ve got a soft spot for old book covers. They’ve got a sort of old, somewhat goofy charm to them. Which is part of what drew me to certain book series in the first place. Including the Wheel of Time. Question is: does the cover actually work for the story? Well… not really. What the…

  • Dolores Umbridge: The Pros and Cons of Introducing An Easily Hated Character

    Yes, I have been watching Harry Potter movies again. Yes, you can expect another review very soon. Yes, that has everything to do with this article. Dolores Umbridge is one of the most infamous fictional characters of recent years. No Harry Potter character and few characters in all of fiction have inspired as much pure,…