Amorous Woman by Donna George Storey
Amorous Woman by Donna George Storey is an erotic novel that follows an American named Lydia through Japan, guided by her loves, lusts, and desires. Continue reading Amorous Woman by Donna George Storey
Author: driftlessareareview
Besides writing book reviews for his own blog, Karl writes reviews and essays for several other venues. He lives in the Midwest and has a full-time job. Posts might be irregular, but a commitment to quality is the first priority. The blog has a variety of subject matter, ranging from guilty pleasures to out-of-print hidden gems.
Dollhouse Riffs: Riff #5: Belle Chose et le Désordre des Choses (The Disorder of Things)
Belle Chose Dollhouse’s third episode into the season explores the issues of performance and gender. Entitled Belle Chose (French for “Pretty Things”), the episode begins with a bizarre performance of sorts. A weird male, in a nondescript room that appears transplanted from a mini-mall, is talking to a group of immobile women. The women are posed like mannequins yet they look very realistic. Only when one of the women try to escape the clutches of this demonic incarnation of George McFly, does the viewer snap out of the Uncanny Valley reverie. Terry Karrens (Joe Sikora), the George McFly look-alike, loses … Continue reading Dollhouse Riffs: Riff #5: Belle Chose et le Désordre des Choses (The Disorder of Things)
Guild Musings: Musing #2: Chat channels and wifi
For Better or Worse: The Knights of Good The third episode of The Guild, the plot hinges on Codex’s inability to bring the Knights of Good back together. Codex (Felicia Day) cautiously and politely asks the Axis of Anarchy (the rival, evil group headed by Wil Wheaton), if they could get Tinkerballa (Amy Okuda) back. The Axis of Anarchy smell an intruder in their midst and then verbally assault Codex with all manner of f-bombs and snark. Wil Wheaton snarked at Codex by quoting Ayn Rand. Considering Rand’s philosophy of utopian selfishness precipitated our current economic unpleasantness, my money is … Continue reading Guild Musings: Musing #2: Chat channels and wifi
Dollhouse Riffs: Riff #4: Season Openers
Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse opened with the episodes “Vows” and “Instinct,” bringing new faces like Jamie Bamber and Alexis Denisof. The season also began with a critique of two idols within the conservative mindset: marriage and motherhood. In “Vows,” the Dollhouse organization imprints Echo with the personality of an undercover FBI agent. In her assignment, she married a wealthy amoral arms dealer played by Jamie Bamber. Bamber (Lee Adama on Battlestar Galactica) uses his authentic British accent. His good looks and easy-going charm create a false front to his nefarious activities. He is not above selling dirty bomb components to terrorists … Continue reading Dollhouse Riffs: Riff #4: Season Openers
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: a history of Nazi Germany (Thirtieth Anniversary Edition) by William Shirer
Nazi Germany. Hitler. The SS. The names bring up connotations ranging from the cinema of Steven Spielberg and Mel Brooks to tasteless political posters at town hall meetings and anti-war protests. In the eternal words of stand-up comic Bill Hicks: “We’re going in for God and country and democracy and here’s a fetus and he’s a Hitler.” In our modern age, we have called whatever enemy of convenience a Hitler. The same phenomenon throughout history with different groups of people thinking the Antichrist was Nero, the Pope, Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, FDR, Ronald Wilson Reagan, Ayatollah Khomeini, Mikhail Gorbachev, Bill Clinton, … Continue reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: a history of Nazi Germany (Thirtieth Anniversary Edition) by William Shirer
Legion (Horus Heresy, Book 7) by Dan Abnett
Can Dan Abnett save the franchise? After the underwhelming Descent of Angels by Mitchel Scanlon, the Horus Heresy series is in desperate need of revival. None is better equipped to revive the flagging franchise than the prolific Dan Abnett. Abnett, author of Eisenhorn, the Ravenor series, the Gaunt’s Ghosts series, and other titles for Marvel and Doctor Who, has the rare gift to write well and to write a lot. Like the space fantasy version of William T. Vollmann, he churns out full-length novels at a ridiculous rate. In Legion, Abnett throws the reader into a desert landscape, a war … Continue reading Legion (Horus Heresy, Book 7) by Dan Abnett
Where the Wild Things Were: Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators, by William Stolzenburg
On the tip of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, ecology professor Robert T. Paine threw starfish into the sea. In Alaska, killer whales preyed on sea otters. In the northern forests of Wisconsin, massive deer herds mowed down several species of wildflower. What do these disparate actions have in common? In Where the Wild Things Were: life, death, and ecological wreckage in a land of vanishing predators, author and nature columnist William Stolzenburg explores what happens when top-tier predators go extinct. Discussing several case studies, ranging from the tiny starfish to the polar bear-eating killer whale, Stolzenburg shows the ecological devastation following … Continue reading Where the Wild Things Were: Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators, by William Stolzenburg
The Art of Reviewing: Special Case File #1: The movie “300”
Every blog needs a large-scale project. The Art of Reviewing will explore reviewing as an art form and as a valuable element to understanding society. During this project, I will profile specific reviewers of merit. Several specific cases also explore other facets of reviewing. Special Case File #1: The movie 300 In this installation of the Art of Reviewing, the focus will be on a single cultural product. The movie is 300 (Zak Snyder, 2006). In the halcyon days of Dubya’s second term, the film adapted a comic book written by Frank Miller. In the process creating a sensational CGI … Continue reading The Art of Reviewing: Special Case File #1: The movie “300”
Guild Musings: Musing #1: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” – Gil Scott-Heron Note: To avoid confusion, italics will differentiate the Guild (show) from the Guild (group of characters). Two episodes into its third season, The Guild has become an Internet phenomenon. The show follows the comic misadventures of various gamers associated with The Knights of Good, a guild in a MMORPG [Massive Multi-player Online Role Playing Game]. While the game they play involves mythical creatures, fantastic quests, and cool costumes, the shows follows their day-to-day lives. In another nod to the MMORPG, the players do not address each other by their real names … Continue reading Guild Musings: Musing #1: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
The Art of Reviewing: Jeremy Clarkson
Source: The London Times Every blog needs a large-scale project. The Art of Reviewing will explore reviewing as an art form and as a valuable element to understanding society. During this project, I will profile specific reviewers of merit. Several specific cases also explore other facets of reviewing. Jeremy Clarkson. Depending on whom you talk to, mentioning his name usually follows adulation or vilification. The tall, shaggy-haired presenter of Top Gear and Driving columnist for the London Times, brings a sensational edge to the staid world of automobile reviewing. Prone to bombastic statements, dismissive of anti-pollution legislation, and a worshipful … Continue reading The Art of Reviewing: Jeremy Clarkson
The Driftless Area Review 