There is a scene in the show Portlandia when the main characters decide to kill some time before a dinner party by watching the pilot episode of Battl...moreThere is a scene in the show Portlandia when the main characters decide to kill some time before a dinner party by watching the pilot episode of Battlestar Galactica, one of the shows Alan Sepinwall covers in this book.
Twenty four hours later, we find the characters still sitting on the couch, unshowered, having missed the dinner party, wondering to each other if they should move or just continue watching the show.
As somebody who has never watched an episode of Battlestar Galactica, I wondered along with them if I should invest some time.
After reading Sepinwall's excellent boom, The Revolution Was Televised, it appears I should start watching that show, along with Mad Men, The Sopranos, and Breaking Bad.
Not only does Sepinwall write a book that is easy to read, he breaks down why these shows shook the pillars of traditional television, and why we should invest our time.
Let's face it: A lot of what we find on television sucks. So Sepinwall, one of the most well-respected modern television critics, wants to open our eyes to shows that don't. Within the 300+ pages, he has done just that.
If I can take anything away from this book, it's that I have a lot of catching up to do over the holidays.(less)
I have yet to read a book by Jo Nesbo that I didn't like. There's something about Norwegian crime fiction that separates it from the rest.
Of course, i...moreI have yet to read a book by Jo Nesbo that I didn't like. There's something about Norwegian crime fiction that separates it from the rest.
Of course, it all started with Stieg Larsson. His "Millennium Trilogy" brought focus to a part of the world that we had only heard about, providing life to what I thought was an otherwise bland society. Maybe it's the dialect; maybe it's the expressions. Either way, when I start reading the next story in the Harry Hole series, I quickly become engrossed in the latest tale, savoring every page and secretly hoping it lasts forever.
Even though I've read "The Snowman", "Nemesis", and "The Devil's Star" out of order, it hasn't taken away from my overall enjoyment of the series. My only wish is that they would hurry up and translate the earlier books in the series so that we could own the entire collection.
If you like crime fiction with a sympathetic protagonist, I highly suggest you try this series. (less)
Count me among the people who sided with Michael Rosenberg and the Detroit Free Press when they released their investigative piece that claimed the Un...moreCount me among the people who sided with Michael Rosenberg and the Detroit Free Press when they released their investigative piece that claimed the University of Michigan football team had knowingly exceeded the number of hours the team had practiced outside the maximum allowed by the NCAA.
But after reading "Three and Out", my entire perspective of this black eye against the school has changed, especially Rich Rodriguez.
If you give me a book that takes the reader behind the scenes to show how a major sports team -- pro or college -- operates, I'm going to devour it. But if the writer, by a major stroke of luck, was embedded during one of the most tumultuous times in an esteem university's history, well, that's just icing on the cake. I'm not going to turn it down.
What this book becomes is a portrait of an embattled football coach who can count on one hand the number of his supporters, while trying to turn a football program around that had seen some of its best players leave under questionable circumstances.
I've always viewed the University of Michigan as somewhat of a snooty university, but the way some of the "Michigan Men" act is downright childish.
I'm still not a huge fan of the university or Rich Rodriguez, but reading this book game me some perspective on just how hard it was for RichRod to succeed. Some might argue he was screwed from day one.
Whether you love or hate U of M, if you love sports, you owe it to yourself to read this book.(less)
I just wrote a lengthy review, only to watch Goodreads delete it when I tried to preview it.
Long story short, this book is clearly the middle book of...moreI just wrote a lengthy review, only to watch Goodreads delete it when I tried to preview it.
Long story short, this book is clearly the middle book of the series, acting like a bridge that needs to be crossed in order to get to the destination.(less)
"The Last Policeman" is a police procedural dressed up in an apocalyptic dress. But based on the premise of this book, I expected a lot more.
The idea...more"The Last Policeman" is a police procedural dressed up in an apocalyptic dress. But based on the premise of this book, I expected a lot more.
The idea of a policeman continuing to do his job with an asteroid barreling down on the earth is compelling and different. But the story failed to really grab me. And there were a few parts toward the end that left me a bit confused. Ben Winters did his best to tie up some loose ends, but the actions taken by a few of his characters seemed, well, out of character.
[Potential Spoilers]
Since the book is the first book in a trilogy, we don't get to see the big payoff (i.e. the asteroid making contact.) That would've added some more urgency to the story. Otherwise, it's just in the background and doesn't play as large of a role as I thought.
I am going to read the second book, but only because I want to see what the author has in mind for the end. Maybe the second book will pick up the pace, because this one had lots of potential, but didn't live up to it. (less)
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