The Book Shire

Book reviews

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

A bookstore piled high with indecipherable volumes. A high-tech animated boob designer obsessed with fantasy. A Googler obsessed with immortality. A [...]

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fan Fiction is a tricky subject. There are authors who vehemently oppose it - stating that it's a breach of copyright, that it violates an author's ownership [...]

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

"Brains love poetry. It's sticky stuff." This beautiful quote exemplifies what makesΒ Eleanor & ParkΒ one of the best books I read this year. Rainbow [...]

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

It's true that "pain demands to be felt." It's also true that a great novel demands to be read. Such is the way of John Green's incredible YA novel, [...]

Every Day by David Levithan

It's always refreshing when I read a book that's compelling, original, off-the-beaten-path. The kind of book that sucks me in so that I'm inhaling the story [...]

Bossypants by Tina Fey

We need more women like Tina Fey in the spotlight. In fact, as she aptly points out again and again - we need more women in the spotlight PERIOD. I've read [...]

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

Irreverent and {sometimes} irrelevant, Allie Brosh's clear, self-deprecating debut story collection cuts down to the core of human emotion. What I love about [...]

One More Thing by B.J. Novak

What do a hare bent on revenge, a missed connection, a warlord, sugary cereals, and "the world's biggest rip-off" have in common? Not much unless you [...]

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

There's a difference between a true story and a work of fiction, and I feel like I have to acknowledge that difference before I can begin explaining my [...]