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The Disappearing Act By Catherine Steadman

Once a year, actors from across the globe descend on the smog and sunshine of Los Angeles for pilot season. Every cable network and studio looking to fill the rosters of their new shows enticing a fresh batch of young hopefuls, anxious, desperate and willing to do whatever it takes to make it. Careers will be made, dreams will be realized, stars will be born. And some will be snuffed out. British star Mia Eliot has landed leading roles in costume dramas in her native country, but now it's time for Hollywood to take her to the next level. Mia flies across the Atlantic to join the hoard of talent scrambling for their big breaks. She's a fish out of water in the ruthlessly competitive and faceless world of back-to-back auditioning. Then one day she meets Emily, another actress from out of town and a kindred spirit. Emily is friendly and genuine and reassuringly doesn't seem to be taking any of it too seriously. She stands out in a conveyor-belt world of fellow auditionees. B...

The Myrtle Hardcastle series by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle has a passion for justice and a Highly Unconventional obsession with criminal science. Armed with her father’s law books and her mum’s microscope, Myrtle studies toxicology, keeps abreast of the latest developments in crime scene analysis, and Observes her neighbors in the quiet village of Swinburne, England. When her next-door neighbor, a wealthy spinster and eccentric breeder of rare flowers, dies under Mysterious Circumstances, Myrtle seizes her chance. With her unflappable governess, Miss Ada Judson, by her side, Myrtle takes it upon herself to prove Miss Wodehouse was murdered and find the killer, even if nobody else believes her — not even her father, the town prosecutor. Hey guys! The Myrtle Hardcastle series is a sweet and witty detective collection, both of which are now available to purchase. This middle grade series is full of twists and turns, and absolutely delightful for readers of all ages. However, since it is middle grade, enjoy this g...

Sexist Double Standards Take Center Stage at Super Bowl Half Time Show

Over the past few days, I’ve found myself double-tapping a lot of Weeknd memes . While I definitely got a good laugh out of the lackluster effort put into the Super Bowl LV Halftime Show, I can’t seem to shake my uneasiness surrounding the entire situation. With a budget of around $20 million , $7 million of which The Weeknd contributed out of pocket, this year’s Super Bowl Halftime show felt rather anticlimactic. Whether it was the hazy camerawork , tired costume , or confusing choreography , the Weeknd’s performance lacked the zing that has animated the Half Time Show stage in prior years. The Weeknd’s performance fell a little short of the halftime standards established by stars like Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Katy Perry, and Beyonce. These artists all used their performances to showcase their unique aesthetics and talents, as the Weeknd did with the recurring themes of face bandages and his radio-ready vocals. However, these f...

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Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao

"How are we supposed to be a part of the community after what you did? We're ostriched, Jing-Jing!" "Ostracized," I said quietly. "No, ostriched! So shamed we have to stick our heads in the sand!" Chloe Wang is nervous to introduce her parents to her boyfriend, because the truth is, she hasn’t met him yet either. She hired him from Rent for Your ’Rents, a company specializing in providing fake boyfriends trained to impress even the most traditional Asian parents. Drew Chan’s passion is art, but after his parents cut him off for dropping out of college to pursue his dreams, he became a Rent for Your ’Rents employee to keep a roof over his head. Luckily, learning protocols like “Type C parents prefer quiet, kind, zero-PDA gestures” comes naturally to him. When Chloe rents Drew, the mission is simple: convince her parents fake Drew is worthy of their approval so they’ll stop pressuring her to accept a proposal from Hongbo, the wealthiest (and slimi...

Celebrities and Corporations Have Found the Solution to COVID-19, but They’re Not Sharing

The Kardashians are not known for being role models; after all, courting controversy is how they remain relevant. But this past week alone, two separate members of the Kardashian-Jenner clan have come under fire for their conduct during the pandemic. Kim Kardashian’s 40th birthday celebration on a private island with her friends and family — complete with multiple rounds of testing and quarantining for all the guests — was heavily criticized as being tone deaf. Many pointed out that the money spent on the trip could have been put to better use helping those who were struggling financially, while others responded with how they spent their pandemic birthdays alone. Just days later, Kendall Jenner threw a Halloween party that also doubled as a celebration for her 25th birthday — with many A-list stars in attendance, including Justin Bieber, Doja Cat, and The Weeknd . Despite Kendall’s reported “no social media” rule , clips of maskless gu...

My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma

Winnie Mehta was never really convinced that Raj was her soul mate, but their love was written in the stars. Literally, a pandit predicted Winnie would find the love of her life before her eighteenth birthday, and Raj meets all the qualifications. Which is why Winnie is shocked when she returns from her summer at film camp to find her boyfriend of three years hooking up with Jenny Dickens. As a self-proclaimed Bollywood expert, Winnie knows this is not how her perfect ending is scripted. Then there's Dev, a fellow film geek and one of the few people Winnie can count on. Dev is smart and charming, and he challenges Winnie to look beyond her horoscope and find someone she'd pick for herself. But does falling for Dev mean giving up on her prophecy and her chance to live happily ever after? To find her perfect ending, Winnie will need a little bit of help from fate, family, and of course, a Bollywood movie star. Honestly, this book’s plot development is rather weak. The premis...

The Disappearing Act By Catherine Steadman

Once a year, actors from across the globe descend on the smog and sunshine of Los Angeles for pilot season. Every cable network and studio looking to fill the rosters of their new shows enticing a fresh batch of young hopefuls, anxious, desperate and willing to do whatever it takes to make it. Careers will be made, dreams will be realized, stars will be born. And some will be snuffed out. British star Mia Eliot has landed leading roles in costume dramas in her native country, but now it's time for Hollywood to take her to the next level. Mia flies across the Atlantic to join the hoard of talent scrambling for their big breaks. She's a fish out of water in the ruthlessly competitive and faceless world of back-to-back auditioning. Then one day she meets Emily, another actress from out of town and a kindred spirit. Emily is friendly and genuine and reassuringly doesn't seem to be taking any of it too seriously. She stands out in a conveyor-belt world of fellow auditionees. B...

The Myrtle Hardcastle series by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle has a passion for justice and a Highly Unconventional obsession with criminal science. Armed with her father’s law books and her mum’s microscope, Myrtle studies toxicology, keeps abreast of the latest developments in crime scene analysis, and Observes her neighbors in the quiet village of Swinburne, England. When her next-door neighbor, a wealthy spinster and eccentric breeder of rare flowers, dies under Mysterious Circumstances, Myrtle seizes her chance. With her unflappable governess, Miss Ada Judson, by her side, Myrtle takes it upon herself to prove Miss Wodehouse was murdered and find the killer, even if nobody else believes her — not even her father, the town prosecutor. Hey guys! The Myrtle Hardcastle series is a sweet and witty detective collection, both of which are now available to purchase. This middle grade series is full of twists and turns, and absolutely delightful for readers of all ages. However, since it is middle grade, enjoy this g...

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

“It’s funny … Why can’t I find evidence to support you claims of innocence?” “Are you asking me to comment on your own perceived incompetence?” Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe – witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden. Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked-princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems… I think it’s impossible to avoid comparing Kingdom of The Wicked to Stalking Jack the Ripper , but I’m pleased to share that Ki...

Escaping From Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco

Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly. But privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The strange and disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow more and more bizarre. It's up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation before more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer's horrifying finale? Honestly, I’m sad. This book ruined my favorite part of the Ripper Series: Cressworth. In my opinion, Stalking Jack t...

The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) by Alyssa Sheinmel

“You scared me. I’d never seen that much blood.” “People get too freaked out by blood. What’s the big deal? We all have it.” “Yeah, but most of us try to keep as much of it as possible inside of us.” When Moira Dreyfuss's parents announce that they're sending her to boarding school, Moira isn't fooled. She knows her parents are punishing her; she's been too much trouble since her best friend Nathan died―and for a while before that. At the Castle School, isolated from the rest of the world, Moira will be expected to pour her heart out to the strange headmaster, Dr. Prince. But she isn't interested in getting over Nathan's death, or befriending her fellow students. On her first night there, Moira hears distant music. On her second, she discovers the lock on her window is broken. On her third, she and her roommate venture outside...and learn that they're not so isolated after all. There's another, very different, Castle School nearby―this one filled with bo...

The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

“I do think I have more value alive than dead, but I assume most people feel the same about themselves.” Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom's borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution--send in Guinevere to be Arthur's wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young king's idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevere's real name--and her true identity--is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot. To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old--including Arthur's own family--demand things continue as they have been, and the new--those drawn by the dream of Camelot--fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land. Arthur's knights believe they are strong enough to face any threat, but Guinevere ...

The Conways’ American Idol Stunt is Newest Incident of Political Reality TV

I think it’s fair to say that I was surprised when I first saw American Idol’s YouTube video titled “ Claudia Conway sings Adele Song and Shocks the World to earn a Golden Ticket ”. There was already a lot to unpack with Claudia apparently being a secret singer, but it was definitely her family theatrics that took the spotlight. From the awkward fist bump between Claudia and her father, to Katy Perry asking if Claudia’s mother hugs her, the entire audition was horribly, horribly awkward. And while it might seem bizarre and maybe even funny, it’s worth noting just how twisted and sick this entire situation is. For the uninitiated, Claudia Conway is the daughter of former President Donald Trump’s advisor Kellyanne Conway and right-wing “Never Trump” lawyer George Conway . She made a name for herself starting in June 2020 by posting incriminating videos of her mother, urging voters to vote blue, supporting Black Lives Matter, and even l...