The Book Was Better Episode 88: Frozen! (with guest host Lizzy Unpronounceable!)

Do you want to build a snowman? Huh? Do you punk? This week wonderful guest host, Lizzy Unpronounceable, and I ask that very question as we frolic in the wintery wonderland of the junior novelization of Disney's Frozen. What's left when you strip back all the songs? You're about to find out. (But not if you're a kid! This episode is not for teh childrenz). GRAB IT!

You can download it right now from the official site!

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FPcast! The Fruitless Pursuits Podcast for May 26th! Back to the Days of Future Past!

This week review X-Men Days of Future Past, plus Richard Ayoade's The Double, Proclaimers themed musical Sunshine on Leith, and National Theatre Live's Romeo and Juliet! Plus we talk about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Star Wars Episode VII and beyond, and Edgar Wright getting the heave ho from Ant Man, plus our weekly instalment of F*ck Yeah Game of Thrones!. Put this into the holes on either side of your head!

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The Book Was Better Podcast Episode 87: Godzilla (1998) with guest host Suzanne!

This week we celebrate the 2014 good Godzilla by reading the junior novelization of 1998's wretched, embarrassing, pregnant Godzilla (aka GINO, or Godzilla In Name Only!). Why is this Godzilla so weird looking? Why isn't he the heroic King of the Monsters? Who got him pregnant - Hank Azaria or Matthew Broderick? Guest host Suzanne and I are about to find out!

You can download it right now from the official site!

Or why not subscribe to us on iTunes and join the discussion in our friendly Facebook group!

FPcast! The Fruitless Pursuits Podcast for May 19th 2014! Godzilla vs Princess Grace!

This week we review the unlikely pairing Godzilla 2014 and Grace of Monaco, recap Eurovision, talk about Batfleck and Channing Tatum Gambit, plus we dissect the 6th episode of season four of Game of Thrones! Put it in your listen holes!

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The Book Was Better Podcast Episode 86: Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (with guest host Jacinta!)

This week we journey into Sherwood Forest where we get-not-so merry with the massive novelisation of Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. I'm joined by Jacinta who actually unironically loves this film, although I'm going to take a lot more convincing. Who will prevail in this battle of wills?

You can download it right now from the official site.

Or why not subscribe to us on iTunes and join the discussion in our friendly Facebook group!

Fiction Recap: Solid Recent Reads

A lot of good, new stuff has come out recently in genre fiction. Here are some highlights to help you navigate through, so head behind the jump for a look at a modern space opera, an author compilation, science fiction for a young adult audience, and a biography of one of America's most important publishers.

FPcast! The Fruitless Pursuits Podcast for May 12th 2014! Guilty Pleasures!

This week a taste of Eurovision leads us to a thorough discussion of our television guilty pleasures! Plus we review John Favreau's Chef, report back on the May the 4th Star Wars Marathon, and get stuck into the last episode of Game of Thrones! Shove it in yo' face!

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Game of Thrones Season 4 Book Comparison and Review – Episode 5

After episode 4’s dismal display, episode 5 brought some of the best scenes in the show thus far, although it ended less well than it could have.

Follow me under the jump for a look at this week’s episode.

The Dresden Readthrough: White Night

We continue our readthrough of Jim Butcher's uber-popular urban fantasy series The Dresden Files today with book nine, White Night. The continuing plan is to do a book a month on the first Tuesday of each month, and with 16 books on the publication schedule between now and when our readthrough is over, our reading list should be pretty full for the foreseeable future.

We're now officially past the publication halfway point, and while I'm not sure whether this was my favorite entry in the series so far, it has given me a much broader appreciation for what Jim Butcher is accomplishing.

First and foremost, I appreciate that Butcher, time and time again, wastes no time jumping into the overall plot. Within the first few pages, we're right in the thick of it with some good action and a quick reminder as to where we're at. Yes, White Night like the book before it is absolutely another supernatural murder mystery (now with more serial killing), but we are getting somewhere with this in part as a result of the prior books as opposed to what felt like a diversion in the previous entry.

We get a lot of the old faves, from Harry's brother to a healthy helping of Murphy, and some of the most compelling scenes, for me, were with Harry's new ward, Molly. Both an annoying young girl and a precocious individual, she brought a lot of extras to the story both from a plot standpoint and as a way to fill in gaps in the story and setting organically as opposed to how the traditional stories went about it with Harry's random asides.

Also great? Butcher knows how to write the last quarter of a book. Without giving anything away, the final act of this book felt a lot bigger, broader, and badder than anything that's come before it, and while we've been conditioned at this point to know that Harry will somehow pull it off, that sense of danger has simply been transferred to his friends and collaborators now. It's a deft change of pace.

There really hasn't been a bad book in the series yet, but I really feel like the story is hitting its stride in a significant way. We've got a broad cast of characters that are being used for specific reasons, being introduced as meaningful and then having roles to play in harm's way, and there's no feeling of dangling plotlines or missing information as things come in and out of Dresden's world fairly regularly. There are a few things from the early books that I'm waiting on a payoff for, and I don't doubt I'll get them. That's good writing. Is the series along the lines of more epic fare? Of course not, but it also (and perhaps most importantly) isn't trying to be. It's a great sale with a lot behind it.

I am outright forcing myself to pace the reading of these a bit rather than dive right in on the next book. That's how good things have gotten. Ah well, months go by rather quickly, I suppose...

A fun note: if you're looking to five into the series, Dead Beat, the first novel, is under $3 for Kindle right now. Worth checking out!

FPcast! The Fruitless Pursuits Podcast for May 5th 2014! Free Comic Book Day vs Star Wars Day!

This week we celebrate both Free Comic Book Day and Star Wars Day! We review our favourite (and not-so-favourite) free comics, plus we talk about the casting of Episode Seven. We also review the Art of Winter Soldier, and catch up on Game of Thrones. Seriously! This is all the stuff you like! Shove it in your head holes!

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