Since it’s inception, those involved with wizard rock have made it a point to promote literacy. We decided to do the same in creating khittie’s khorner, a weekly book review column written by one of our staff members!

Questions, concerns, and book suggestions can be sent to khittie@wizrocklopedia.com.

Installments

khittie’s khorner #7: Our very first guest review! Ari Matthews reviews The Godfather by Mario Puzo

khittie’s Literary Month in Review: January
You may have noticed something has been missing from the site recently. That’s right; khittie’s khorner has been on an unofficial sabbatical. There have been a lot of unforeseen complications in my life, plus I’ve been very busy with other things. One of those things was live coverage of wrock events in New York and Pennsylvania this past weekend, and Lizz and I will be covering more shows this weekend. Because of these combined events there will be no official khittie’s khorner this week. I was going to write a scathing review of a certain book, but in doing a little research, I found that I mistakenly read it, believing it was the first novel in a series, only to discover it is the second novel in a series. This makes most of my thoughts and observations of the book null and void. Don’t worry, I’m still going to talk about books and provide a couple of mini-reviews. (read more)

khittie’s khorner #6: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
What can I say about this book that hasn’t already been said? I first picked it up during my own teen years, while lost in the jungle of angst that is high school. I found it just as moving and profound then as I do now. Unlike Esther Greenwood of The Bell Jar, Charlie is real and so are his bouts with depression. He is accessible and true to life. He is a character that resonates with me because I spent far too much of my life as an “observer” and not a “participator.” (read more)

khittie’s khorner #5: The Bobby Gold Stories by Anthony Bourdain
From the executive chef, TV personality, and author of Kitchen Confidential comes this quick and dirty romp through the dark underside of the nightclub and restaurant business in New York mob circles. I finished The Bobby Gold Stories in a single sitting, and found it quite enjoyable. (read more)

khittie’s khoner #4: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
The back cover lies to you. I did not find Esther beautiful, brilliant, or talented. I was not drawn masterfully into her breakdown with any level of intensity. Her insanity was not real or rational or remotely accessible. I didn’t feel there was a coherent story here at all. (read more)

khittie’s khorner #3: Storm Front by Jim Butcher
“Essentially, Harry Dresden is a practicing wizard in a world that doesn’t quite believe in magic. He barely makes a living and gets more crank calls than actual cases. Storm Front follows him as he is hired on two separate cases that end up competing for his time and ultimately, his life.” (read more)

khittie’s khorner #2: The Fermata by Nicholson Baker
“This is one of my all time favorite books. Nicholson Baker writes in a train of thought style that resembles the way my own mind works. The book also has a high perv quotient, an extraordinary sense of character development, and a premise which fascinates and endears my twisted little heart.” (read more)

khittie’s khorner #1: The Complete Hitchhiker’s Guide: Five Complete Novels and One Story by Douglas Adams
“I’m not normally a fan of science fiction, but these books are so smart and ridiculously random that you can’t help but enjoy them. If you’ve seen and enjoyed the movie, but haven’t read the book, then you must get started on this collection immediately!” (read more)