The much-loved queer snapshot of pre-AIDS San Francisco is a time capsule of its time. Originally a serialised collection of stories, all based aroundThe much-loved queer snapshot of pre-AIDS San Francisco is a time capsule of its time. Originally a serialised collection of stories, all based around a group of residents and their friends/colleagues, this beloved series has stood the test of time.
The trick to reading this, I think, is to treat it as it was intended to be read. Pick it up, read the tiny, 3-page chapter, then put the book down. Come back to it after completing a task, then go back to it. Reading the chapters back to back means there isn't any time to digest what has occurred....more
There is something so telling about books that have been written post-pandemic. There's a creeping sense of loneliness and a whiplash sense of how quiThere is something so telling about books that have been written post-pandemic. There's a creeping sense of loneliness and a whiplash sense of how quickly the abnormal becomes normal. Moraine's book encapsulates this idea terrifically.
My partner explained this as a sliver of a wider tale, and that is very apt. This is more novella than novel, with Riley feeling like a side character in a story that was exploring Ellis' life in this strange world.
While the virus is the centrepoint of this story (a disease is carried via eye contact and causes individuals to brutally murder one another), the real exploration is how loneliness can affect people physically. Riley has been alone for years and it has begun to dramatically destroy her life. She's starting to make bizarre choices, she's beginning to sleepwalk and most of all she's beginning to lose her grip on reality. This is all so frighteningly relatable to my own experience during the covid lockdowns way back in 2020/2021 (especially the sleepwalking, hoo boy).
How much faith can you have in others when you don't even know if you can have faith in yourself?
This is barely 200 pages and the chapters are sometimes two pages max. Highly reocmmend....more
An easy, if meandering, piece of Victorian literature that exemplifies the gothic horror genre.
The titular hotel doesn't appear until late in the novAn easy, if meandering, piece of Victorian literature that exemplifies the gothic horror genre.
The titular hotel doesn't appear until late in the novel, and the blurb feels a bit out of place (the two female leads really don't interaction all that much, while the blurb implies they're teaming up to solve a mystery), but that's some of the fun with classic literature.
I can see this being made as a film with a very Crimson Peak-esque bend. Although the characters think the haunting is supernatural in origin, there are some very real bodily threats at play. ...more
This book isn't typically the sort of thing I'd read if it weren't for it being a bookclub book. It's a debut novel by an author from said bookclub, sThis book isn't typically the sort of thing I'd read if it weren't for it being a bookclub book. It's a debut novel by an author from said bookclub, so it doesn't feel right critiqueing it, oop....more
I'm interested to see where this story goes- I already plan to buy the next volume. I hope it doesn't miAn extra star because of pure nostalgia value.
I'm interested to see where this story goes- I already plan to buy the next volume. I hope it doesn't mimic the original Battle Royale where two students manage to escape.
I found the art wasn't as wholly fleshed out as the first manga series, and several students look similar enough that I had to keep flicking to the squad guide. Without a full novel to explain the setup and the relationships between each student, I do find it a little difficult to grow attached to any of them.
The premise is unique enough to keep my interest, and while it can absolutely be compared to the film sequel, it's not enough to be a bad thing....more
That was... a book. An incredibly grim black comedy that becomes increasingly depressing. I think I need some Infermiterol to accurately digest the boThat was... a book. An incredibly grim black comedy that becomes increasingly depressing. I think I need some Infermiterol to accurately digest the book and everything that happened within it....more
The male love interest in this book has a piercing in his ding dong. I did not anticipate this.
I've admittedly not read the first book in this series,The male love interest in this book has a piercing in his ding dong. I did not anticipate this.
I've admittedly not read the first book in this series, Collide, so there's a bunch of characters and pre-existing relationships I didn't know going in. At times it probably would have been helpful to have that background, but I really don't think it was hurdle. Sage is brand new to this series and Elias works pretty well as a main character.
In terms of storyline, I liked Elias'. He's painted by the media as a playboy, which couldn't be farther from the truth. He's been celibate for four years, which... pretty dope. I can't recall the last time I've seen a fictional character be celibate for that long. Often there's a character bemoaning their lack of sex life, and it turns out it might have been six months or less. Having a non-asexual character remain celibate for so long and be actually pretty damn fine with it is honestly refreshing. So, y'know what, Khabra, I'm giving you an extra star just for this!
I know very little about hockey, so I can't say if Elias' journey on the ice is at all realistic. But from my lack of ice hockey background, it seemed reasonable enough. Elias can't hit a goal to save his life (or, well, stay on the team), but having the media change their tune on him and Sage's support helps him find his confidence once again.
Sage on the other hand... look, I appreciate the aesthetics of having a ballet dancer contrast with a hockey player, but her career trajectory made no sense to me. Khabra has written Sage's dance career as though she's a commercial freelancer, which can definitely occur in the ballet world. But she's auditioning for principal roles in pre-existing companies, which doesn't make sense. Principal roles are earned. Dancers start from the corps (or even an apprentice/young dancer) and earn their keep. Yes, principals can absolutely be hired, but this is rare and often the dancer already has a long, well-established career behind them. Sage doesn't have that.
Further, Sage's main ballet arc comes right in at the end of the book. The whole plot is squeezed into three short chapters, when it should have been occurring across the whole novel. She could have been hired at the start, and then she could fight against Adam and Ashley's machinations without it being hastily handwaved away.
I also didn't believe her childhood. Distant, uncaring parents don't enrol their children in ballet (cough cough Nina cough), and she would have needed an intense amount of oversight, support and financial stability to make a career of dance. As much as I love ballet, it really is a career that the wealthy tend to hold a majority over. That's not to say it's absolutely impossible, as scholarships do exist, but this isn't Sage's background. She left home, managed to get custody of her younger brother and... enrol him in an elite boarding school?
I know Sage is meant to be a people pleaser and also very proud, but I wish she had simply been taken in by her uncle... or her uncle (who is Elias' team's manager) could have taken her brother in. Sage could still be proud and want to prove she is a fit guardian, but it would have read more realistically.
Elias and Sage's backstories were far too similar for my liking. They don't talk about their shit childhoods early enough for it have been something they bonded over. Is it completely out of the realm of possibility their childhoods could be so similar? Well, no... but it felt way too convenient.
Yet all of this aside... I did find this book very sweet. The epilogue did ruin my enjoyment (see: IcebreakerIcebreakerIcebreaker), but at least Sage didn't wind up tossing away her career. ...more
I feel like I read a different collection of stories when reading some of the reviews here.
This book was fine... but that's it. The writing at times fI feel like I read a different collection of stories when reading some of the reviews here.
This book was fine... but that's it. The writing at times felt deliberately confusing, but in other sections it was beautifully evocative.
The tenuous thread that links the first collection of stories together, Heat, took a bit to get. I had also expected all three collections- Heat, Water and Light- to be all within the same universe. It didn't feel completely absurd that the sandplants that appear in Water are somehow related to Pearl from Heat.
Some of the stories stood out. Sound, from the last collection, is probably the strongest out of all of them.
I'm not surprised this collection has won awards. Van Neerven's writing is beautiful. But there's a disconnect at times, and I had to re-read some passages to try and grasp the potential meaning (such as Pearl in the bathtub and her brother-in-law... doing something...? with her??). ...more
My foreign translation classic of the year, as selected by my partner.
Botchan isn't just a coming of age story; it's a study on the rapid WesternisatMy foreign translation classic of the year, as selected by my partner.
Botchan isn't just a coming of age story; it's a study on the rapid Westernisation of Japan at the turn of the 20th century. Caught between two opposing yet strong ideals, our narrator must make a decision that won't be easily returned from. Should he align himself with the self-serving ideals that mask superficiality, or the physically imposing presence?
I enjoyed this more than I expected I would; however, I did struggle a little with the formatting. Like The Hole, there are long paragraphs with no breaks, even for dialogue. This feature only appears occasionally, though, as other passages are broken up in the standard English format.
Although this novella can be read on its own accord, it's very handy to know the social climate and history of Japan to further appreciate the setting....more
The first hundred or so pages were tough to get through, because I could not figure out what the hell was going on. The three pI mean... it's orright.
The first hundred or so pages were tough to get through, because I could not figure out what the hell was going on. The three perspectives (current timeline, the original filming and the script) just had me rubbing my head and wondering if I wanted to keep making my way through it. The inevitable 'twist' that was meant to happen. The actual everloving point of the movie. I'm still not entirely sure what the full premise was and why the teens decided to torture one of their friends into becoming a demon.
The ending of the book left a sour taste in my mouth. Yes, our narrator, our Thin (Old) Kid is intentionally unreliable and not meant to be considered a source of truth... but c'mon. It felt like a cheap cop-out to end the book/narration with him pretending to have actually become the demon of the original film.
My partner really liked this book, but I'm not sure where I sit beyond 'mmm'. ...more
I love anything to do with fashion and the evolution of somebodys personal style. I love costuming and the idea that all of us wear clothing to put onI love anything to do with fashion and the evolution of somebodys personal style. I love costuming and the idea that all of us wear clothing to put on a character; even the different facets of our unique personality can be considered a costume.
This book is a lovingly collected study on TSwizzle's fashion, from her debut album release to Midnights. Chapelle goes through how each album is reflected in the evolution of TayTay's attire. Not everything is complimentary, which is good; what is considered a good look can be subjective, but that doesn't mean everything is a consistent win.
There is a lot more weight dedicated to the earlier albums; by the time we come to Folklore, the chapters and studied looks are shorter. I'd have loved more time spent exploring how Zoom calls and lockdown measures caused fashion to change. Also, while the earlier albums explored Swiffer's street fashion, Folkmore and Midnights weren't given the same opportunity.
There's a lot of love in this book, that much is evident. I love the gold edging, the focus on Tazza's clothes and not her partners, and even the suggestions for how certain ideas carry through the years....more
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