Book Review: God's Junk Drawer

Forty years ago, the Gather family—James, his daughter Beau, and his son Billy—vanished during a whitewater rafting trip and were presumed dead. Five years later, Billy reappeared on the far side of the world, telling an impossible tale of a primordial valley populated by dinosaurs, aliens, Neanderthals, and androids. Little Billy became the punchline of so very many jokes, until he finally faded from the public eye.

Now, a group of graduate astronomy students follow their professor, Noah Barnes, up a mountain for what they believe is a simple stargazing trip. But they’re about to travel a lot farther than they planned. Noah (the now grown Billy Gather) has finally figured out how to get back to the valley. Accidentally bringing his students along with him, he’s confident he can get everyone back home, safe and sound. But the valley is a puzzle—one it turns out Noah hasn’t figured out, and they’ll need to solve it together if there’s any chance of making it out alive.

Book Review: Superhero

A-list actor Peter Compton and producing partner Marci Levy exist in the rarefied air of Hollywood’s elite. Their status as a married power couple is unmatched, their presence in any room transformative and god-like. But as their private jet lands in Atlanta to begin production on a tentpole superhero movie, even their privileged position will come under threat by the massive pressures of such an undertaking.

Compton, a self-educated recovering addict, sees the role of Sparta comics superhero Major Machina as the opportunity to transcend his already stratospheric platform. As director Joel Slavkin, Oscar-winning DP Javier Benavidez, and a crew of hundreds arrive in Atlanta to begin shooting, it doesn’t take long for the production to be embroiled in the tension and egos that drive the film. But when video of Peter’s disastrous on-set behavior goes viral, Peter and Marci’s partnership will be challenged as it never has before. As the stakes grow ever higher, it may just take a superhero to save them.

Book Review: Across the Universe

From Wordle to Spelling Bee, we live in a time of word game mania. Crosswords in particular gained renewed popularity during the COVID-19 lockdown, when games became another kind of refuge. Today, 36 million Americans solve crosswords once a week or more, and nearly 23 million solve them daily. Yet, as longtime New Yorker crossword contributor Natan Last will tell you, the seemingly apolitical puzzle has never been more controversial—or more interesting.

Book Review: 100 Rules for Living to 100

Dick Van Dyke danced his way into our hearts with iconic roles in Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. Now, as he’s about to turn 100 years old, Dick is still dancing and approaching life with the twinkle in his eye that we’ve come to know and love. In 100 Rules for Living to 100, he reveals his secrets for maintaining your joie de vivre and making the most out of the life you’ve been given.

Through stories of his pivotal childhood, moments on film sets, his expansive family, and finding love late in life, Dick reflects on both the joyful times and the challenges that shaped him. His indefatigable spirit and positive attitude will surely inspire readers to count the blessings in their own lives, persevere through the hard times, and appreciate the beauty and complexity of being human.

Book Review: Uncharted Territory

Did you know that hit songs in the late 1950s were regularly about gruesome death? That a US vice president wrote a number one hit? That while TikTok has spawned countless hits, it's made artists more anonymous than ever before? That pop songs have shaped race relations in the United States? That the key change died around 2003? And that's just the beginning.

Coupling hard data with engaging anecdotes, Uncharted Territory is both a takedown and celebration of popular music and provides new ways to think about your favorite songs, genres, and artists from the last six decades using unexpected statistics and playful visualizations. This entertaining history is filled with the most popular musicians of all time from The Beatles and The Bee Gees to Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, and beyond. Whether you danced the twist or the dougie at your senior prom, you're sure to never listen to music again in the same way.

Book Review: Write a Dystopian Novel

Write a Dystopian Novel guides writers of all experience levels through the tropes and themes that exist within the dystopian setting, then provides prompts that will not only engage the writer’s creativity but will also beat writer’s block and offer a fresh perspective on outdated tropes.

First writers will find an interesting scenario for their characters, then they’re given brainstorming and writing instructions, and may also find some interesting twists with extra asks about adding additional elements (like a joke or a lie), giving things an extra dystopian spin, or working in a callback. For anyone looking to expand their dystopian writing, this book is a must-have to help complete their story ideas, deepen their worldbuilding, and craft unforgettable, thought-provoking narratives that will captivate readers.

Book Review: How Walt Disney Changed Animation Forever

Most biographies of Walt Disney cover the full span of his life and the full history of his studio, from its start in 1923 until his death in 1966. However, these books, while broad, often give very little detail in the way of the production of its famous films, the operation of its studio, or its major accomplishments. How Walt Disney Changed Animation Forever instead focuses on a key period of the growth, innovation, and eclipsing popularity of the Walt Disney Studio, intertwining its narrative history with the historical context of the 1920s-1950s and the daily life of its founder. Based upon years of historical research including recollections by prominent Disney artists and on-the-ground, in-person experiences at key locations from Disney history, How Walt Disney Changed Animation Forever describes the global impact the studio had on how films were produced for decades to come.