Your cart is currently empty!
Author: Andrea Rittschof
On Swift Horses: Emotionally Compelling
From what I read about the film, I thought the story sounded interesting. And a film about secrets always implicitly promises a certain amount of drama. What On Swift Horses brings is an emotionally compelling plot where there are no easy solutions for the characters, characters that are dynamic together, and all about being true…
Cheddar Luck Next Time by Beth Cato: Cozy Mystery with Cheese
Cheese-obsessed Bird Nichols has just inherited her grandmother’s estate in a quiet, quirky Californian town. But when a body is found on her property, her life begins to get rather loud… Bird Nichols is ready to make a fresh start in a familiar place. Last year, her parents died together in a car crash and…
The Geographer’s Map to Romance by India Holton: Witty and Romantic
Professor Elodie Tarrant is an expert in magic disasters. Nothing fazes her—except her own personal disaster, that is: Professor Gabriel Tarrant, the grumpy, unfriendly man she married for convenience a year ago, whom she secretly loves. Gabriel is also an expert in magic disasters. And nothing fazes him either—except the walking, talking tornado that is…
Don’t Sleep with the Dead by Nghi Vo: Haunting and Queer
Nick Carraway―paper soldier and novelist―has found a life and a living watching the mad magical spectacle of New York high society in the late thirties. He’s good at watching, and he’s even better at pretending: pretending to be straight, pretending to be human, pretending he’s forgotten the events of that summer in 1922. On the…
Drop: Inspired Acting, Predictable Story
Right from the start, I found the premise of Drop interesting. It sounded like a great way to create a different type of thriller. I also thought Meghann Fahy was a great choice to play the main protagonist. The choice of her as Violet was a perfect choice, she along with the rest of the…
Run Away with Me by Brian Selznick: Profoundly Emotional
“I’m going to call you Danny. What are you going to name me?” “Angelo.” Danny is spending his sixteenth summer in Rome. As his mother spends the day at work in a mysterious museum, he wanders the ancient sites and streets. Soon after his arrival, he encounters a shadow… who becomes a voice… who becomes…
Direct Descendant by Tanya Huff: Queer and Fun
Generations ago, the founders of the idyllic town of Lake Argen made a deal with a dark force. In exchange for their service, the town will stay prosperous and successful, and keep outsiders out. And for generations, it’s worked out great. Until a visitor goes missing, and his wealthy family sends a private investigator to…
The Keeper of Lonely Spirits by E.M. Anderson: Heartbreaking and Hopeful
Find an angry spirit. Send it on its way before it causes trouble. Leave before anyone learns his name. After over two hundred years, Peter Shaughnessy is ready to die and end this cycle. But thanks to a youthful encounter with one o’ them folk in his native Ireland, he can’t. Instead, he’s cursed to…
The Penguin Lessons: Lesson in Artful Delivery
When I read the synopsis for The Penguin Lessons, I was very interested in seeing the film. The movie looked like it would be a fantastic comedy. In that regard, I was both correct and incorrect. It is endearingly funny but it is also full of lessons about fascism and responsibility. It is underpinned with…
Black Bag: Sexy and Smart
I was interested in Black Bag as soon as I saw the cast and who was directing the film. With Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender in the starring roles, I knew the acting would be excellent. I also thought the premise sounded interesting. From the very moment I saw the film, I knew I was…