nomadreader

The backstory: Dick Wolf, perhaps most famous for creating all of the Law & Order  series, as well as my beloved Chicago Fire . The Intercept  is his first novel, presumably of a series, given the subtitle: a Jeremy Fisk novel. The basics: Jeremy Fisk is an NYPD officer who works in the Intelligence Division to combat terrorism. When a terror attempt on a commercial flight is disrupted days before July 4, when One World Trade Center is set to be dedicated, Fisk and partner Krina Gersten work to figure out who was behind the attack and what they might be planning next. My thoughts: As much as I adore all things Law & Order (and Chicago Fire ), I was somewhat skeptical about this novel. Does Wolf have novel-writing chops? Having brilliant ideas for television shows isn't easy, but it's also not necessarily the same skill set as writing a well-crafted terrorism thriller. My fears were soon put to rest, as Wolf skillfully developed characters and mixed it with a compel...

When we moved into our new house, Mr. Nomadreader and I made the choice to get rid of our satellite television package. I love television, but the rising prices became untenable for me, particularly as more and more is available streaming for free or very reasonable subscription fees. There are certainly things I'll miss, but I'm actually enjoying the change. Binge watching is like binge reading I adore binge watching shows, just as I adore binge reading entire series of books in a short amount of time. Even with satellite tv, I frequently let 3-5 (or more) episodes record and then watched them in spurts. I love devouring entire seasons of shows in a few days. Given that I prefer to watch shows in large doses, it made sense to abandon an increasingly dated television system. Although I broke up with Grey's Anatomy  years ago, I began watching it from the beginning the week before we moved. I started season 3 last night, and that's in two weeks I've been packing...

The backstory: After adoring French Milk , Lucy Knisley's graphic memoir about traveling to France with her mother in 2004, I was eager to read her newest graphic memoir. The basics: Relish  is a memoir of Knisley's life told through food. As the daughter of foodies, Knisley traces her relationship with food from childhood to today. My thoughts: Lucy Knisley has a wonderful ability to share the emotions she felt with her readers. It's not simply a matter of her signature art, although her visual aesthetic certainly contributes to it, particularly the way she uses space. At the heart of what I love about her work is her raw honesty. She doesn't hide, and that inhibition draws me right in. Knisley isn't just showing and telling her story, she's inviting her readers to share it. Relish  is obviously perfect for foodies. The images of Knisley tasting her first foie gras at a dinner party as a child and proceeding to ask every grown up at the table if they ha...

The backstory: I read Elizabeth Strout's last book, Olive Kitteridge , for book club a few years ago. I liked it, but I didn't love it , mostly because I wanted more of a novel than interconnected stories. I was curious to see how I would far with her latest novel, The Burgess Boys. Update: It was also longlisted for the 2014 Baileys Prize . The basics: The Burgess Boys  is about three adult siblings from Maine. Jim and Bob now live in Brooklyn, but Susan remains in the town where they grew up. When Susan's son Zack gets in trouble, she turns to her brothers for help. My thoughts: What I liked most about Olive Kitteridge  was Olive herself. Strout has a way of developing characters beautifully, and The Burgess Boys  begin with detailed glimpses into each of the Burgesses, plus Jim's wife. The set up was glorious. I devoured Strout's writing and character building and could not bear to put this novel down. After all this set up, I was ultimately disappointed. The...

Hi, y'all! I feel like I haven't seen you in ages. I've missed you and your comments. I've missed blogging. I've missed our Twitter conversations. I've missed reading other blogs. I've missed reading (or finishing) actual books. Here's what I've been up to in these far-too-quiet last few months: Remember when I said Mr. Nomadreader and I bought a house ? Well everything came through, we closed, and moved. FOR THE LAST TIME. EVER. (That tiny red triangle in the top right corner says SOLD!) I've moved six times in the six years I've been blogging. I've moved nine times since I graduated from college (just over ten years ago.) Sheesh. And as much as I love our house, and still find myself wandering from room to room marveling that it's ours, part of me is ready to resume 'normal' reading, blogging, Tweeting and blog reading. Hello, lazy days of summer, I'm so glad you're here! Once the last of the major things to do a...