Afterwords

bookstores

Danielle on The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

Sometimes when you're down, whatever higher power you believe in throws you a bone. I call it God, but you might call it Karma or the Universe or George. Whatever works for you. The point is that sometimes -- most times -- life gives you the things that you need,

The Book Drop

Danielle talks about The Book Drop

Let me introduce you to the nice people at Bethany Beach Books [http://www.bethanybeachbooks.com/]. Located in Delaware, this little gem of an independent bookstore is a) super adorable, b) open every day of the year, and c) responsible for one of the coolest subscription boxes you could possibly

Urban Fantasy

Danielle on Killfile: A Novel by Christopher Farnsworth

I zoomed through this novel. It's a fast paced, interesting, highly readable. The concept is this: John Smith can read minds. As you might suspect, the CIA and military think this is a highly useful trick, so they make him an operative. As you might also suspect, being able to

family

Danielle on the Gift of Books

My birthday is right after Christmas, so my childhood memories of what I received for Christmas versus what I received for my birthday are a bit blurred. As a result, I don't know which of those two occasions warranted what, to this day, may have been one of the most

reading

Danielle on Thanksgiving

Dear Book People. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the USA, and it's ... well, to be honest? It's not my favorite holiday. (Food centered celebrations have a tendency to make me slightly uncomfortable, but that's a story for another time.) Anyway. When I was growing up, we rarely celebrated Thanksgiving at

Top 5 lists

Danielle on Five Books That Make Great Gifts (Part Two)

Let's do this thing! For the person in your life, young adult or otherwise, who likes epic, steampunk-ish, sprawling tales: The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer For the person in your life who a) enjoys Anna Kendrik b) is slightly crazy c) is interested in what it's like to be

murder

Danielle on The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer

I don't think that you can talk about anything Stephenie Meyer has written without acknowledging Twilight, so let's go ahead and do that, shall we? I don't love Twilight. Before you stop reading, let me say this: I don't hate it, either. I resisted reading it, and then I read

Urban Fantasy

Danielle on The Gentleman by Forrest Leo

What’s an excellent but underappreciated (1) poet to do when he runs out of funds? Marry for money, of course! And what should the same poet do when he discovers that he doesn’t love his new wife... and that she has destroyed his ability to write? Sell her

harry potter

Danielle Says: Everything I Need to Move Forward, I Learned from Harry Potter

I woke up this morning in an America that felt very different than the one that I went to sleep in. Intellectually I know that’s not true — all the election results did was uncover the realities of this country that I have, perhaps, not wanted to acknowledge — but when

Trigger warning

Danielle on The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel

The Summer That Melted Everything is a debut novel by author Tiffany McDaniel. I feel like I have to say that first thing, because this book has the potential to be great. Greatness peeks through the pages like a small child peeking through the blinds of a house — visible, but

Lady Mechanika

Dan on Five More Comics I'm Reading Right Now

My last comic post [https://www.afterwords.io/dan-on-five-comics-im-reading-right-now/] was so much fun, I thought I'd do another since I love me some comics. I got a late start in comics, as they weren't something I had access to as a kid. I was well into my twenties before I

Music

Danielle on Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

I have been under the weather (such an interesting phrase, as I can’t remember ever being OVER the weather? But I digress…) this week. I have had a sinus infection, which has made reading difficult due to the “skull being crushed with a vise” headache I have had, but

Top 5 lists

Danielle on Five Books That Make Great Gifts (Part One)

Yes, I know, I KNOW. I know that today is Halloween. I know it's ridiculously early to be thinking about the holidays. I KNOW. However, if you're at all like me, and the thought of going to a store after Thanksgiving -- any kind of store at all -- makes

Sherlock Holmes

Danielle on Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

The new season of Sherlock has FINALLLLLLLLY been given an air date (praise all that is holy) and I am excited. So excited, in fact, that I decided to review a Sherlock novel. Well, I’m SORT of reviewing a Sherlock novel. As you can see, Moriarty was written by

The Hike

Dan and Danielle on The Hike by Drew Magary

Dan On ... I didn't know what to expect from this book. The cover blurb sounded pretty interesting. The cover art was sort of kitschy-weird and mildly off-putting. But, the book had popped up a handful of times in my Facebook ad feed and it was constantly popping up on Amazon

literacy

Danielle on the Joy of Rereading

Hey there, Book People! I hope that you are reading something awesome, and that the book you are currently spending time with is treating you well. I was a fiend last week and read six different novels, all in very different genres: three crime dramas, a memoir [https://www.afterwords.

Magic

Dan on Strange Sweet Song by Adi Rule

This book was referred to me by a friend who is, in turn, friends with the author. I'm so glad that she did. This is a truly special book and I'm glad to have had the chance to read it. In the first chapter, we witness a musical performance as

Magic

Dan and Danielle on A City Dreaming by Daniel Polansky

Dan on... Well. This book. It's fucking weird is what it is. And I know weird. I'm weird from back in the day. That isn't to say that I didn't like A City Dreaming. I did like it. At points though, it started to grate on my nerves a bit.

Vampire Academy

Dan on Frostbite by Richelle Mead

I'm slowly working my way through the Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series (see my review of the first book, Vampire Academy [https://www.afterwords.io/dan-on-vampire-academy-by-richelle-mead/], if you haven't read it yet). I'm still struggling with feeling like a creepy stalker dude reading this series. I'm loving it, but it

Trigger warning

Danielle on Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded by Hannah Hart

Trigger Warnings: self-harm, mental illness, child neglect I don't know if you've ever read a book that impacted you so profoundly that you weren't even sure how to speak about it. You opened the cover expecting one thing, and what you experienced was something altogether, life-changingly different. This was one

Top 5 lists

Dan on Five Comics I'm Reading Right Now

These days I read most of my comics on the Comixology [https://www.comixology.com/] app on my iPad Pro. The electronic reading experience for graphic novels has finally matched that of reading on paper, and I love having the ability to subscribe and know that I'm never going to

Top 5 lists

Danielle on Five Books You Can Read for Inspiration: The Memoir Edition

I love a good memoir. I have toyed with the notion of writing one, but I always get started and then decide that my life isn't that interesting, so it would be better if I just, you know, READ another memoir. Or two. Or seventeen. In honor of Hannah Hart's

Urban Fantasy

Dan on Summerlong by Peter S. Beagle

Peter Beagle has long held a special place in my heart as the creator of The Last Unicorn. I mean a very special place. For years I had a stuffed unicorn that was the unicorn from The Last Unicorn for me. I've maintained my love for The Last Unicorn such

The Black

Dan on The Black by Paul E. Cooley

So. This is messed up. I'm not an author, not at all. Apparently even though I'm not an author, I can still have wicked writer's block. I've been busily reading, but when it comes time to write an actual review I freeze up. I can't think of anything compelling to

Top 5 lists

Danielle on Five Books You Can Read for Halloween

I do not love scary movies. In fact, I have a really difficult time with them. There are a few reasons for this, but the major one is that most horror movies get fairly gory, and I don't love being grossed out. It ruins the atmosphere if I start gagging,