Love the One You’re (Eating) With: a Review of ‘Poor Man’s Feast’

By Amanda Bloom Originally published in The Mercurial. Elissa Altman’s first book, Poor Man’s Feast, reads like a good, hearty meal – by the time the last page is turned, you feel as though you know Altman intimately, that you’ve sat at her table countless times, filling up with fine food and colorful stories.  Feast,… Continue reading Love the One You’re (Eating) With: a Review of ‘Poor Man’s Feast’

Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story of Pantera by Rex Brown & Mark Eglinton

I grabbed this book the second it hit the shelf because I wanted to know the story of Pantera from the perspective of its quietest member, former bass player Rex Brown.  All I knew about Pantera were assumptions formed by a series of band interviews and tour videos from over the years.  Official Truth, 101… Continue reading Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story of Pantera by Rex Brown & Mark Eglinton

Sometimes the Wheel Stops: Finishing A Memory of Light

Nine-hundred and nine pages later, I’m done with A Memory of Light.  Done with the Wheel of Time series.  Forever. I was sad as I read the last chapter.  This is it!  I would never again read the adventures of Rand, Mat, Perrin, Rand’s harem of women, or the countless other characters that made up… Continue reading Sometimes the Wheel Stops: Finishing A Memory of Light

Mosh Potatoes: One Rockin’ Cookbook

A couple months ago, I got an awesome housewarming present from Vegetarian Metalhead: Mosh Potatoes, a cookbook of recipes by metal musicians.  Compiled by Steve Seabury, each dish in the collection begins with an anecdote from the artist/cook, and there are lots of funny pictures of the bands “rocking out” in their kitchens. But can… Continue reading Mosh Potatoes: One Rockin’ Cookbook

Review: I Want My MTV

For those of you that have forgotten or are too young to remember, MTV (formerly Music Television; they changed it to MTV a few years ago) was a network consisting almost solely of music videos, music-related programming, and not much else. As the many, many articles and documentaries about MTV have shown, people liked this… Continue reading Review: I Want My MTV

I Like Them Hard and Old (It’s A Book Rant, Stupid!)

So, I’m officially playing the part of a Victorian housewife here, reviewing a set of books that came out at least 140 years ago. I’m also going to play the part of a tunic-wearing Ancient Greek politician, reviewing books that came out when the world was run by inanimate objects personified by other tunic-wearing individuals…with… Continue reading I Like Them Hard and Old (It’s A Book Rant, Stupid!)

Guitar, Drums, and Quill? A Book Review of Clockwork Angels

Being a complete Rush fanatic, it’s no wonder why a novel written directly off of the concept of Rush’s new album Clockwork Angels went straight to the top of my reading wish list. The novel Clockwork Angels was written as a collaboration between Kevin J. Anderson and Neil Peart. I’m not too familiar with Kevin… Continue reading Guitar, Drums, and Quill? A Book Review of Clockwork Angels