Few things satisfy that need for escapism during the cold winter months like 1980s fantasy movies—shout-out to Labyrinth and Legend—so here’s a list of awesome fantasy/mystery novels from—or almost from, or inspired by, or spiritually connected to—the 80s. So curl up in your favorite reading spot with a cup of hot chocolate, and get ready […]

While being stuck in the 1990s often trips up the titular heroine of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, sometimes her time-capsule-esque knowledge comes in handy. One of the best moments in the Netflix series comes when Kimmy uses her love of the Baby-Sitters Club to undermine her employer’s stepdaughter, sullen teen Xanthippe. While trying to fit in with her hard-partying friends, Xanthippe […]

The Long Way Home, by Louise Penny, is the 10th volume in the best-selling mystery series featuring Armand Gamache, the (now former) head homicide inspector with the Sûreté du Québec. Penny’s mysteries offer up an addictive blend of literary prose and classic mystery tropes. The style will appeal to fans of P.D. James, the Grand Dame […]

Dragons have been a storytelling staple for ages, and it’s easy to see why we keep coming back to them. Regal yet terrifying, these mystical creatures create instant conflict, what with all their fire-breathing and treasure-hoarding. Plus, there is something  compelling about having an enormous winged and scaled beast as your loyal friend and protector; […]

Thanks to Charlie Kaufman, we all know what the process of adapting a book is like for the screenwriter—it starts with a depressive funk and ends with your imaginary twin brother getting eaten by an alligator—but what’s the experience for the writer whose work is being adapted? What does it feel like to see characters […]