Book Review: Double Shadow

Rome, 2019. Time-traveling, Smithsonian archaeologist Rabbit Ward is back in the present, but not for long. Helen, his former adversary and growing ally, is in trouble with the law after being framed for a murder she didn’t commit. Stuck in hiding and running out of other options, she turns to Rabbit for help. "Help" in this case involves a trip to first century Jerusalem to track down a mysterious man named Einar Eshek.

But Rabbit won't have to do this mission alone; as soon as he arrives in 68 CE, he meets a younger version of Helen, one who has never met him before. Together, they work to track down Eshek, who turns out to be not only a time-traveling thief, but a murderous psychopath.

Book Review: Prince's Minneapolis

When nineteen-year-old Prince took the stage to perform “I Wanna Be Your Lover” on American Bandstand, those who watched couldn’t reconcile how Prince’s funky disco-pop sounds had hailed from a place like Minneapolis. But the Minneapolis Sound, Prince’s signature pop-musical fusion of funk, R&B, rock, punk, and new wave, did not emerge from a vacuum. The place and space of Minneapolis shaped the musical ecosystem that made Prince famous. And in turn, a complex array of social forces shaped the city’s soundscape.

Book Review: You've Lost That Livin' Feelin'

Adam Parrall’s wild days as a drummer in a rock band are far behind him. Now semi-retired and running a record store in the sleepy town of Cordoba on the mid-California coast, life is considerably calmer, with pleasant surprises such as winning a lifetime achievement award (which Adam learns, depressingly, is intended for deceased artists).

There’s plenty of life left in Adam yet, though sadly the same can’t be said of Righteous Brother tribute artist Barry Haddon, whose dead body is discovered by Adam outside a nightclub. Suddenly Adam discovers an exciting new hobby—sleuthing! Is a knife-wielding robber terrorizing the locals responsible for Barry’s murder? As panic and confusion sweep through the town, Adam can’t rule anything—or anyone—out. Unfortunately, his meddling may mean that he’ll qualify for that lifetime achievement award sooner than he thought!

Book Review: Gilmore Girls Pop Culture Reference

Over the course of seven seasons and 153 episodes from 2000 to 2007, followed by a four-part revival series in 2016, Gilmore Girls has become a cultural touchstone with an extraordinarily devoted fan base. In every episode, its fast-paced style of dialogue offered biting observations and timeless humor about issues such as dating, sex, marriage, divorce, race, gender equality, gay rights, and more, while its characters offered rapid-fire pop culture references with seemingly every breath. Every episode is laced with jokes about people, places, and events that have been blurred, or even forgotten, by time, from the Bangles to the Mothman Prophecies to the works of Shakespeare to the long-forgotten Glitter. Meticulously researched episode by episode, Gilmore Girls Pop Culture Reference Guide is an eye-opening, illuminating encyclopedia of thousands of topical jokes that will help both new and longtime fans experience their favorite show in a whole new light.

Book Review: Disney Adults

Disney Adults are grown-ups who derive singular, almost obsessive, joy from all things Disney. They devote countless hours and millions of dollars to Disney offerings, whether or not they have children. They’re avid fans of the films, devotees of the Disney theme parks, collectors of the vast world of Disney merchandise, cosplayers who dress in clothing inspired by Disney characters.

Their ranks are so large and their cultural impact so distinct that they have their own moniker and are an economic force unto themselves. They’re often maligned in the larger culture and put on a particularly high pedestal of cringe. But in truth, their obsessive fandom hints at a universal desire for pleasure and joy, for magic and escape.

Book Review: The Viper

Andrew Fechmeier is a master at hiding. He'd better be—he’s spent decades concealing a secret that could get him killed. So when he’s diagnosed with a terminal disease, he heads for the local funeral home carrying the blue suit he eventually wants to be buried in. But what no one knows is that Fechmeier secretly tucked something inside, turning the suit into a final, untraceable hiding spot.

It's a perfect plan. Until Fetch is brutally murdered by a mysterious killer who will stop at nothing to find the priceless object hidden in the suit.