Tim's bookshelf: all en-US Wed, 05 Mar 2025 12:57:51 -0800 60 Tim's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Scanlines 57687640
Or so the story goes. In truth, no one has ever seen the supposed Duncan Tape, presumably because it doesn’t exist. It’s a ghost story perpetuated on the forums and chat rooms of the internet, another handful of bytes scattered across the Information Superhighway at blistering 56K modem speeds.

For Robby and his friends, an urban legend is the last thing on their minds when a boring Friday night presents a chance to download porn. But the short clip they watch turns out to be something far more graphic and disturbing, and in the coming days, they’ll learn even the most outlandish urban legends possess a shred of truth…]]> 83 Todd Keisling Tim 3 read-2025, reviewed, horror
The idea of a haunted video based on Budd Dwyer was rather creative (and if you don't know who Budd Dwyer is, the introduction to the book will explain... just please, don't go looking for videos of him). I've never seen the video that is being referenced, but I heard about it as a teen and knew even then it was nothing I wanted to see.

I enjoyed that the ghost is less of an actual ghost and more of a representation of depression. I found that extremely clever and it made me want to like the story all the more.

So, yeah, I do give the author points for an interesting plot... I just wish there had been a bit more of it. As things stand, this felt more like proof of an idea than a finished book to me.]]> 3.67 2020 Scanlines
author: Todd Keisling
name: Tim
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/05
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: read-2025, reviewed, horror
review:
I seem to the in the minority on this one, but I found it a very middle ground horror novella. Nothing about it blew me away, but it was readable and I never felt like I wanted to give up on it. It's entertaining, but I kept feeling like there was a bigger and better story here that didn't quite come out in the book.

The idea of a haunted video based on Budd Dwyer was rather creative (and if you don't know who Budd Dwyer is, the introduction to the book will explain... just please, don't go looking for videos of him). I've never seen the video that is being referenced, but I heard about it as a teen and knew even then it was nothing I wanted to see.

I enjoyed that the ghost is less of an actual ghost and more of a representation of depression. I found that extremely clever and it made me want to like the story all the more.

So, yeah, I do give the author points for an interesting plot... I just wish there had been a bit more of it. As things stand, this felt more like proof of an idea than a finished book to me.
]]> Audition 7280651 191 Ryū Murakami 039333841X Tim 3
Dear reader, please while reading the following paragraph, imagine it in the cheesiest movie trailer voice you can. Thank you.

You’ve laughed at Sleepless in Seattle, you were charmed by When Harry Met Sally and you can’t forget about 10 Things I Hate About You. Now get ready for a new sort of romantic comedy! Meet Aoyama, a widower with a missing place in his heart. One day though, he gets a wacky idea! An audition to find a new wife. Enter Yamasaki Asami, the perfect girl of his dreams� but will a relationship based on a lie work? After a little misunderstanding, will they win each other’s hearts or will she have to do something drastic to make sure HE doesn’t run away? No matter how you look at it� you’ve never seen a romance like Audition.

Yeah, anyone who has seen the movie adaptation, or knows anything about this story knows that I didn’t lie in my description (except maybe in regards to your feelings about the other films mentioned, buy hey, that's advertising), but was horribly misleading (and had a terrible stealth pun). Now that I think about it, is it even a spoiler to discuss the ending of this one? Much like Psycho, the big reveal is pretty much the one thing EVERYONE knows about it.

I saw the movie based on the novel shortly after it was released in the US and found it (to this day) to be one of the more horrific films I’d ever seen. It’s� insidious. If one didn’t know what they were getting into, it would not be surprising if they genuinely thought they were watching or reading a romantic comedy. If it weren’t for the cover of the novel, or the menu of the DVD (which is nightmare fuel in and of itself), it would be so easy to trick someone with this.

The most terrifying aspect is that the foreshadowing is everywhere [spoilers removed] Some of it is overt and some subtle. If you know, it gives it a quiet menace� if you don’t know what’s coming, it will be a horrible sucker punch.

Even knowing what was coming, the last 20 pages or so are quite horrific. It’s seriously hard to get through, as in I stopped reading them twice, watched a lighthearted episode of Doctor Who, then pressed on. Hell, the entire novel is a bit of a challenge. It’s only 190 pages and it took me 5 days because I dreaded reaching the conclusion� and my dread was not unfounded. I’m a pretty hardened horror fan, but this one is still painful. [spoilers removed]

Now, I imagine that a good portion of the people interested in this book have seen the film (as it seems to be more well known than the novel) and are wondering how different they are� honestly, and I rather hate to say this, the movie is better. I’m not trying to insult the book as it certainly accomplished every emotion it was trying to set out in inducting upon me, but the film is one of those rare examples that stays true to its source material, but adds a lot of artful touches that improve upon it. For example, there’s a wonderful hallucinatory element to his search for Asami towards the end of the movie, which is not in the novel (he pretty much stays home listening to music and feeling sorry for himself instead� not joking). Touches like that show that Miike, despite being known for some of the more outrageous films in recent Japanese cinema, is actually a thoughtful and talented filmmaker. The novel is thoughtful as well, but doesn’t ever really feel like there’s much in terms of artistry to it. The prose is fairly simple (though that could be the translation? Always difficult to tell on such works) and while there is a bit of metaphor going throughout the book, it’s not something the reader really has to work to catch as it’s spelled out to them.

If you’ve seen and enjoyed the film, the novel is an interesting curiosity that, while I cannot say is an enjoyable read, is worth your time to see the original telling of the tale. If you’ve not seen the film� honestly, I would suggest you go there rather than starting with the book, unless you’re just a fan of the author.

I give Audition a rather hesitant 3/5 stars, but a recommendation only to people who know what they’re getting into.]]> 3.43 1997 Audition
author: Ryū Murakami
name: Tim
average rating: 3.43
book published: 1997
rating: 3
read at: 2019/02/06
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: 1990s, japanese, horror, reviewed
review:
A brief warning, I will not be discussing the actual events of the novel (at least without a spoiler tag) other than a general plot description, but it is impossible to discuss this book without some spoilers in terms of tone. If you want to know nothing going in, consider yourself warned.

Dear reader, please while reading the following paragraph, imagine it in the cheesiest movie trailer voice you can. Thank you.

You’ve laughed at Sleepless in Seattle, you were charmed by When Harry Met Sally and you can’t forget about 10 Things I Hate About You. Now get ready for a new sort of romantic comedy! Meet Aoyama, a widower with a missing place in his heart. One day though, he gets a wacky idea! An audition to find a new wife. Enter Yamasaki Asami, the perfect girl of his dreams� but will a relationship based on a lie work? After a little misunderstanding, will they win each other’s hearts or will she have to do something drastic to make sure HE doesn’t run away? No matter how you look at it� you’ve never seen a romance like Audition.

Yeah, anyone who has seen the movie adaptation, or knows anything about this story knows that I didn’t lie in my description (except maybe in regards to your feelings about the other films mentioned, buy hey, that's advertising), but was horribly misleading (and had a terrible stealth pun). Now that I think about it, is it even a spoiler to discuss the ending of this one? Much like Psycho, the big reveal is pretty much the one thing EVERYONE knows about it.

I saw the movie based on the novel shortly after it was released in the US and found it (to this day) to be one of the more horrific films I’d ever seen. It’s� insidious. If one didn’t know what they were getting into, it would not be surprising if they genuinely thought they were watching or reading a romantic comedy. If it weren’t for the cover of the novel, or the menu of the DVD (which is nightmare fuel in and of itself), it would be so easy to trick someone with this.

The most terrifying aspect is that the foreshadowing is everywhere [spoilers removed] Some of it is overt and some subtle. If you know, it gives it a quiet menace� if you don’t know what’s coming, it will be a horrible sucker punch.

Even knowing what was coming, the last 20 pages or so are quite horrific. It’s seriously hard to get through, as in I stopped reading them twice, watched a lighthearted episode of Doctor Who, then pressed on. Hell, the entire novel is a bit of a challenge. It’s only 190 pages and it took me 5 days because I dreaded reaching the conclusion� and my dread was not unfounded. I’m a pretty hardened horror fan, but this one is still painful. [spoilers removed]

Now, I imagine that a good portion of the people interested in this book have seen the film (as it seems to be more well known than the novel) and are wondering how different they are� honestly, and I rather hate to say this, the movie is better. I’m not trying to insult the book as it certainly accomplished every emotion it was trying to set out in inducting upon me, but the film is one of those rare examples that stays true to its source material, but adds a lot of artful touches that improve upon it. For example, there’s a wonderful hallucinatory element to his search for Asami towards the end of the movie, which is not in the novel (he pretty much stays home listening to music and feeling sorry for himself instead� not joking). Touches like that show that Miike, despite being known for some of the more outrageous films in recent Japanese cinema, is actually a thoughtful and talented filmmaker. The novel is thoughtful as well, but doesn’t ever really feel like there’s much in terms of artistry to it. The prose is fairly simple (though that could be the translation? Always difficult to tell on such works) and while there is a bit of metaphor going throughout the book, it’s not something the reader really has to work to catch as it’s spelled out to them.

If you’ve seen and enjoyed the film, the novel is an interesting curiosity that, while I cannot say is an enjoyable read, is worth your time to see the original telling of the tale. If you’ve not seen the film� honestly, I would suggest you go there rather than starting with the book, unless you’re just a fan of the author.

I give Audition a rather hesitant 3/5 stars, but a recommendation only to people who know what they’re getting into.
]]> <![CDATA[The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot, #2)]]> 9833240 In Agatha Christie’s class mystery Murder on the Links, Hercule Poirot attempts to unravel the grisly conundrum of not one, but two dead bodies discovered on a French golf course.

An urgent cry for help brings Hercule Poirot to France. But he arrives too late to save his client, whose brutally stabbed body now lies face down in a shallow grave on a golf course.

But why is the dead man wearing an overcoat that is too big for him? And for whom was the impassioned love letter in the pocket? Before Poirot can answer these questions, the case is turned upside down by the discovery of a second, identically murdered corpse.�

ձ> 249 Agatha Christie 0062073869 Tim 3
This is an interesting one as it seems like it should be farther along in the series rather than the second novel. This is mostly because a large portion of the enjoyment I had from the book comes from knowing Poirot’s personality so well. He is meticulous in straightening objects, and while he seems to notice everything, he cares little for the traditional clues (footprints, fingerprints, etc�). In this he meets his opposite, a French detective who cares little about the psychology of the crime and all about those little clues, and can often be found digging through the dirt and mud (something Poirot would never do, for it would assuredly ruin his nice attire) looking for that left behind object. The only thing these two have in common is their arrogance and mustaches. They play off of each other nicely, down to a very amusing scene where they bet who can solve the case first.

This one was so, so close to being 4 stars, and would have succeeded if it weren’t for Hastings. I’ve made no secret that I don’t care for the character in my other Poirot reviews, but in this one his usual obtuse nature is played up so much that I just wanted Poirot to slap him and make him go over the clues again. Seriously, I could only imagine Poirot looking at him like this each time Hastings opened his mouth:


Also, there’s a romantic sub-plot for Hastings that I won’t go into for fear of spoiling bits of the plot, but I will say now that it annoyed me that it was such a focus.

Those events lowered my enjoyment significantly� but the case itself is so damn good, that I couldn’t lower it too much. Half of the case is ingenious and the rest of it is still satisfying. This is one of those mystery novels where you have to examine it as a bigger picture to fully get the case, and Poirot explains it beautifully. While I did figure out the murderer before the end, I was most pleased that I did not figure out the entirety of the events until they were explained� and that is one of things that Christie can sometimes pull off wonderfully.

Recommended despite Hasting’s being particularly annoying in this one.]]> 3.81 1923 The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot, #2)
author: Agatha Christie
name: Tim
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1923
rating: 3
read at: 2018/01/16
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: 1920s, mystery-crime, reviewed
review:
Poirot receives a letter from a man who fears for his life, imploring the great detective to come at once. Poirot arrives the very day of the telegram only to find the man was quite right to be afraid, as he was murder before Poirot could even get there.

This is an interesting one as it seems like it should be farther along in the series rather than the second novel. This is mostly because a large portion of the enjoyment I had from the book comes from knowing Poirot’s personality so well. He is meticulous in straightening objects, and while he seems to notice everything, he cares little for the traditional clues (footprints, fingerprints, etc�). In this he meets his opposite, a French detective who cares little about the psychology of the crime and all about those little clues, and can often be found digging through the dirt and mud (something Poirot would never do, for it would assuredly ruin his nice attire) looking for that left behind object. The only thing these two have in common is their arrogance and mustaches. They play off of each other nicely, down to a very amusing scene where they bet who can solve the case first.

This one was so, so close to being 4 stars, and would have succeeded if it weren’t for Hastings. I’ve made no secret that I don’t care for the character in my other Poirot reviews, but in this one his usual obtuse nature is played up so much that I just wanted Poirot to slap him and make him go over the clues again. Seriously, I could only imagine Poirot looking at him like this each time Hastings opened his mouth:


Also, there’s a romantic sub-plot for Hastings that I won’t go into for fear of spoiling bits of the plot, but I will say now that it annoyed me that it was such a focus.

Those events lowered my enjoyment significantly� but the case itself is so damn good, that I couldn’t lower it too much. Half of the case is ingenious and the rest of it is still satisfying. This is one of those mystery novels where you have to examine it as a bigger picture to fully get the case, and Poirot explains it beautifully. While I did figure out the murderer before the end, I was most pleased that I did not figure out the entirety of the events until they were explained� and that is one of things that Christie can sometimes pull off wonderfully.

Recommended despite Hasting’s being particularly annoying in this one.
]]> <![CDATA[Crooked Little Vein: A Novel (P.S.)]]> 141160669 304 Warren Ellis Tim 2 2000s, read-2025, reviewed
A detective novel involving a secret American constitution, paranoia, a drugged-up Chief-of-Staff, perverts, Godzilla bukkake, tantric bestiality, many a debate on what makes something “mainstream� and the good old fashioned American way.

This is a book I don’t think I can really recommend to anyone. If the weirdness doesn’t get you, then perhaps more perverted sections will. If those don’t get you, how about the way it portrays the US government and everyone involved in... well anything. If that doesn’t bother you, maybe the constant author tracts where Ellis gives you his opinion on any given subject through his characters will (though this leads to the absolutely hilarious line "Now holllld on. A seventy-year-old serial killer is gonna lecture me on the intynets."). Point is, there’s some offensive stuff in this book and Ellis runs through it all with the gleeful enthusiasm of a 13 year old boy who discovered that he’s anonymous when he posts any random thought on the internet.

It’s interesting reading a novel that seems tailor made to offend everyone. It also falls into the “bizzarro� novel category which I’ve made it very clear over the last decade or so of reviews that I do not enjoy... but at least it has enough of a coherent plot, no matter how weird it gets, that I didn’t completely hate it. I also wasn’t offended by it, despite Ellis’s best efforts, but that likely says more about my own jaded nature than anything else.

This is fortunately a quick read, or I likely would not have finished it. Some of its antics are funny, but it’s the sort of thing that wears out its welcome quickly. Its plot changes at a rapid fire pace, which is also fortunate as anytime we’re in one place too long it made me realize how the book doesn’t really work. The weird for weirdness sake aspects only hold so much charm and when you get past that, the book really is just Ellis talking to hear himself speak. Sometimes that’s amusing... sometimes even insightful, but not really enough to hold a full novel. In the back of my copy of the book there’s an interview with Ellis in which he claims that the origin of the novel came about because when he got a Hollywood agent he “inherited� a literary one as well who kept bothering him to write a book. He wrote the first ten thousand words thinking it would make her go away and instead she sold it to Harper Collins. While that may just be a joke, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it was true. It feels like something someone would turn in, laughing the entire time about how it would make someone stop asking them for something only for them to sell it and the writer to go “oh shit... now I have to finish it.� ]]> 3.78 2007 Crooked Little Vein: A Novel (P.S.)
author: Warren Ellis
name: Tim
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2007
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/13
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: 2000s, read-2025, reviewed
review:
“What a crooked little vein you travel. All the way to the heart of America.�

A detective novel involving a secret American constitution, paranoia, a drugged-up Chief-of-Staff, perverts, Godzilla bukkake, tantric bestiality, many a debate on what makes something “mainstream� and the good old fashioned American way.

This is a book I don’t think I can really recommend to anyone. If the weirdness doesn’t get you, then perhaps more perverted sections will. If those don’t get you, how about the way it portrays the US government and everyone involved in... well anything. If that doesn’t bother you, maybe the constant author tracts where Ellis gives you his opinion on any given subject through his characters will (though this leads to the absolutely hilarious line "Now holllld on. A seventy-year-old serial killer is gonna lecture me on the intynets."). Point is, there’s some offensive stuff in this book and Ellis runs through it all with the gleeful enthusiasm of a 13 year old boy who discovered that he’s anonymous when he posts any random thought on the internet.

It’s interesting reading a novel that seems tailor made to offend everyone. It also falls into the “bizzarro� novel category which I’ve made it very clear over the last decade or so of reviews that I do not enjoy... but at least it has enough of a coherent plot, no matter how weird it gets, that I didn’t completely hate it. I also wasn’t offended by it, despite Ellis’s best efforts, but that likely says more about my own jaded nature than anything else.

This is fortunately a quick read, or I likely would not have finished it. Some of its antics are funny, but it’s the sort of thing that wears out its welcome quickly. Its plot changes at a rapid fire pace, which is also fortunate as anytime we’re in one place too long it made me realize how the book doesn’t really work. The weird for weirdness sake aspects only hold so much charm and when you get past that, the book really is just Ellis talking to hear himself speak. Sometimes that’s amusing... sometimes even insightful, but not really enough to hold a full novel. In the back of my copy of the book there’s an interview with Ellis in which he claims that the origin of the novel came about because when he got a Hollywood agent he “inherited� a literary one as well who kept bothering him to write a book. He wrote the first ten thousand words thinking it would make her go away and instead she sold it to Harper Collins. While that may just be a joke, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it was true. It feels like something someone would turn in, laughing the entire time about how it would make someone stop asking them for something only for them to sell it and the writer to go “oh shit... now I have to finish it.�
]]> <![CDATA[The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #1)]]> 154488299 The Kamogawa Food Detectives is the first book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese series for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

What’s the one dish you’d do anything to taste just one more time?

Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner serves up deliciously extravagant meals. But that’s not the main reason customers stop by . . .

The father-daughter duo are ‘food detectives�. Through ingenious investigations, they are able to recreate dishes from a person’s treasured memories � dishes that may well hold the keys to their forgotten past and future happiness. The restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to vanished moments, creating a present full of possibility.

A bestseller in Japan, The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a celebration of good company and the power of a delicious meal.]]> 201 Hisashi Kashiwai 0593717716 Tim 3
Quick answer: the flu.

Longer answer: still the flu, but man it knocked me out. I felt terrible. I was miserable and frankly didn’t feel like reading a book in which other people were miserable as well. I’ll be back to that one, but I needed a break and a Japanese slice-of-life novel sounded like a sound choice.

The book is an interesting idea. It follows a father and daughter at a restaurant that specializes in finding foods that people remember. The father is both a chef and former detective and will go out to great lengths to find the specific flavor you remember. Each chapter is basically a short story case named after the food they’re searching for.

It’s a charming idea and for the most part quite fun. It does have many problems though. Each chapter is structured pretty much the same:

Introduce someone. They have a meal there before finally asking for help. The meal is delicious. They walk down a hall and look at pictures of food the chef has made at some point. Food is described tie to nostalgic memory. They’re told to come back later. Chef has found it and explains how as they eat it.

Again, this is fine for the most part and there are some variations in the formula. The problem is that we are given no real time with the characters. They’re all part of the set piece for the “case.� We also are told the investigation, so we are never given time with the detective/chef as he actually investigates, hearing his actions instead much like the clients. It feels almost as if these are ideas for episodes of a TV show rather than fully formed stories/character.

In closing: It’s a quick fun read (especially if you like Japanese food). It is not great by any means, and I can completely see where someone would get bored quickly if they aren’t charmed by the idea. That said, for me, it was the perfect quick read while I was suffering from the flu. It killed time and I had fun, so that’s worth something. 3/5]]> 3.70 2013 The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #1)
author: Hisashi Kashiwai
name: Tim
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/09
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: japanese, read-2025, reviewed, 2010s
review:
So, anyone who follows my reviews or my book updates may be sitting here going “Hey! Tim, this is decidedly not Christine by Stephen King. Why did you stop the killer car book after making a big statement about how you were finally going to read it for book with a smiling cat and some noodles on the cover?�

Quick answer: the flu.

Longer answer: still the flu, but man it knocked me out. I felt terrible. I was miserable and frankly didn’t feel like reading a book in which other people were miserable as well. I’ll be back to that one, but I needed a break and a Japanese slice-of-life novel sounded like a sound choice.

The book is an interesting idea. It follows a father and daughter at a restaurant that specializes in finding foods that people remember. The father is both a chef and former detective and will go out to great lengths to find the specific flavor you remember. Each chapter is basically a short story case named after the food they’re searching for.

It’s a charming idea and for the most part quite fun. It does have many problems though. Each chapter is structured pretty much the same:

Introduce someone. They have a meal there before finally asking for help. The meal is delicious. They walk down a hall and look at pictures of food the chef has made at some point. Food is described tie to nostalgic memory. They’re told to come back later. Chef has found it and explains how as they eat it.

Again, this is fine for the most part and there are some variations in the formula. The problem is that we are given no real time with the characters. They’re all part of the set piece for the “case.� We also are told the investigation, so we are never given time with the detective/chef as he actually investigates, hearing his actions instead much like the clients. It feels almost as if these are ideas for episodes of a TV show rather than fully formed stories/character.

In closing: It’s a quick fun read (especially if you like Japanese food). It is not great by any means, and I can completely see where someone would get bored quickly if they aren’t charmed by the idea. That said, for me, it was the perfect quick read while I was suffering from the flu. It killed time and I had fun, so that’s worth something. 3/5
]]> Christine 210317911 Just Another Lovers� Triangle,Right?

It was love at first sight. From the moment seventeen-year-old Arnie Cunningham saw Christine, he knew he would do anything to possess her.

Arnie’s best friend, Dennis, distrusts her—immediately.

Arnie’s teen-queen girlfriend, Leigh, fears her the moment she senses her power.

Arnie’s parents, teachers, and enemies soon learn what happens when you cross her.

Because Christine is no lady. She is Stephen King’s ultimate, blackly evil vehicle of terror�
ձ> 656 Stephen King 1668075784 Tim 0 currently-reading, horror 4.13 1983 Christine
author: Stephen King
name: Tim
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1983
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves: currently-reading, horror
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #1)]]> 62047992 The moving international sensation about new beginnings, human connection, and the joy of reading.

Hidden in Jimbocho, Tokyo, is a booklover's paradise. On a quiet corner in an old wooden building lies a shop filled with hundreds of second-hand books.

Twenty-five-year-old Takako has never liked reading, although the Morisaki bookshop has been in her family for three generations. It is the pride and joy of her uncle Satoru, who has devoted his life to the bookshop since his wife Momoko left him five years earlier.

When Takako's boyfriend reveals he's marrying someone else, she reluctantly accepts her eccentric uncle's offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above the shop. Hoping to nurse her broken heart in peace, Takako is surprised to encounter new worlds within the stacks of books lining the Morisaki bookshop.

As summer fades to autumn, Satoru and Takako discover they have more in common than they first thought. The Morisaki bookshop has something to teach them both about life, love, and the healing power of books.]]> 150 Satoshi Yagisawa 0063278677 Tim 4 japanese, reviewed
“Yes, yes,� say the people who don’t followed me. “That’s all well and good, but this is a book review, not your facebook page or blog, kindly review the book or GTFO.�

Sorry, but this is my spotlight for a moment. I mention this for a reason beyond being an update. I mention it because there’s a scene in this book where someone describes the love of reading, that upon getting to it, filled my heart with nostalgia for something I didn’t even realize I missed. I’ve missed reading. I’ve missed reading the reviews of others. I’ve missed you all.

(“Again, not a speech Mr. Reviewer. Kindly get on with it.�)

This is not a perfect book by any means. It fits in nicely as one of those short Japanese novels that are mostly dialogue, light on plot, and have a lot of confused narrators going “what the hell am I doing with my life?�

God, I needed that. It may not be perfect, but it’s the perfect book for this specific time in my life. It’s a cozy read. Like being placed under a literary warm blanket. It’s what I needed. If I had to say anything negative about it, I would say that the second section of the book doesn't work quite as well as the first, and given that it's supposed to be the emotional heart of the book, that's a touch disappointing. Still, it doesn't hurt it much at all.

May it bring any other readers the same comfort it gave me.

Thank you for your time.

(“Decent finish, but terrible review. Blocked.�)]]> 3.67 2010 Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #1)
author: Satoshi Yagisawa
name: Tim
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/12
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: japanese, reviewed
review:
Hello again ŷ. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Over a year. It’s interesting thinking about it... not only is this my first review in over a year, but the first novel I’ve completed in that time. Sure, I’ve picked up books and started them thinking “I need to get back into this� and within fifty pages I’ve put it down and gone along my not so merry way. I won’t bore you with the details of my life since then, but enough people expressed concern that I’ll say I’m better now. I still have bad days, but my snark and snide humor still resides (he said foreshadowingly...)

“Yes, yes,� say the people who don’t followed me. “That’s all well and good, but this is a book review, not your facebook page or blog, kindly review the book or GTFO.�

Sorry, but this is my spotlight for a moment. I mention this for a reason beyond being an update. I mention it because there’s a scene in this book where someone describes the love of reading, that upon getting to it, filled my heart with nostalgia for something I didn’t even realize I missed. I’ve missed reading. I’ve missed reading the reviews of others. I’ve missed you all.

(“Again, not a speech Mr. Reviewer. Kindly get on with it.�)

This is not a perfect book by any means. It fits in nicely as one of those short Japanese novels that are mostly dialogue, light on plot, and have a lot of confused narrators going “what the hell am I doing with my life?�

God, I needed that. It may not be perfect, but it’s the perfect book for this specific time in my life. It’s a cozy read. Like being placed under a literary warm blanket. It’s what I needed. If I had to say anything negative about it, I would say that the second section of the book doesn't work quite as well as the first, and given that it's supposed to be the emotional heart of the book, that's a touch disappointing. Still, it doesn't hurt it much at all.

May it bring any other readers the same comfort it gave me.

Thank you for your time.

(“Decent finish, but terrible review. Blocked.�)
]]> <![CDATA[I Ran Away to Evil (I Ran Away to Evil, #1)]]> 209533176 A reluctant heroine finds unexpected love when she’s sent to assassinate a lonely dark lord in the first book of this cozy romantasy series.

Henrietta Doryn has never enjoyed fighting. She’d rather be in the kitchen baking cookies. But it’s her duty as Warrior Princess to face off against the forces of evil. As such, she’s unceremoniously shooed from her kingdom to go eliminate the all-powerful Dark Lord next door.

Keith Monfort has never enjoyed ruling with an iron fist. He’d prefer to be in his workroom tinkering with practical magic. But it’s his duty to lead the Dark Enchanted Forest and the forces of evil. So when Henrietta shows up at his door, he’s only too happy to invite her in for tea to talk it out instead.

Can this unlikely pair prevent war between their two kingdoms? Where do their true loyalties lie? And when will they finally confess their growing feelings for each other?

Blending the best of love stories, fairy tales, and whimsy—with just a dash of mystery provided by the soothsaying Madame Potts’s enigmatic announcements—I Ran Away to Evil is a deliciously delightful start to a charming romantic-comedy LitRPG series.

The first volume of the hit LitRPG romantasy series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible! ]]> 436 Mystic Neptune 1039454224 Tim 4
This one is highly entertaining. I love the idea of someone going off to slay a dark lord only for said dark lord to be a pretty cool guy who worries that anyone going after him may have a hidden death wish and is happy to offer his psychiatrist to them. It’s just a great concept and it plays it off with the right amount of humor.

There are a couple of things I should note to possible readers:

1st: this is a lit-RPG. It’s a genre I don’t typically have any interest in (not dismissing it though to all you fans). If you don’t want to see character stats and things, it may come off as annoying. Frankly the fact that I didn’t have to read combat dice rolls made it fine in my opinion. As a DND player, I truly can’t think of anything worse than having to have to read roll by roll combat.

2nd: Some are calling this a “Romantasy.� If that is what you are looking for, you again might be disappointed. While there is a romance, and yes, it is a central plot point, but the book seems more concerned with the actual fantasy goings on, the psychological aspects of our lead and the idea of baking (which frankly is charming as all hell in my opinion).

If you’re here for just a cozy read, something comparable to Legends and Lattes, you’ve come to the right place. The book does have its flaws (most notable and one I would be remiss not to mention, chapter 81 switches from first person to third for the last couple of paragraphs and that frankly did annoy me), but nothing that isn’t forgivable due to the charm of the book itself.]]> 4.15 2024 I Ran Away to Evil (I Ran Away to Evil, #1)
author: Mystic Neptune
name: Tim
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: 2020s, fantasy, humor, read-2025, reviewed
review:
So, I have discovered that cozy fantasy is completely my jam. This may sound funny coming from a pretty die-hard horror and grimdark fan, but there’s something about these fantasy novels where not much happens, most everyone is a pretty decent person and the biggest concerns typically are about paring food with tea or coffee. It just... makes me happy.

This one is highly entertaining. I love the idea of someone going off to slay a dark lord only for said dark lord to be a pretty cool guy who worries that anyone going after him may have a hidden death wish and is happy to offer his psychiatrist to them. It’s just a great concept and it plays it off with the right amount of humor.

There are a couple of things I should note to possible readers:

1st: this is a lit-RPG. It’s a genre I don’t typically have any interest in (not dismissing it though to all you fans). If you don’t want to see character stats and things, it may come off as annoying. Frankly the fact that I didn’t have to read combat dice rolls made it fine in my opinion. As a DND player, I truly can’t think of anything worse than having to have to read roll by roll combat.

2nd: Some are calling this a “Romantasy.� If that is what you are looking for, you again might be disappointed. While there is a romance, and yes, it is a central plot point, but the book seems more concerned with the actual fantasy goings on, the psychological aspects of our lead and the idea of baking (which frankly is charming as all hell in my opinion).

If you’re here for just a cozy read, something comparable to Legends and Lattes, you’ve come to the right place. The book does have its flaws (most notable and one I would be remiss not to mention, chapter 81 switches from first person to third for the last couple of paragraphs and that frankly did annoy me), but nothing that isn’t forgivable due to the charm of the book itself.
]]> <![CDATA[Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1)]]> 211721806
You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.

Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.

Includes part one of the exclusive bonus story “Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret.�]]> 450 Matt Dinniman 059382024X Tim 5 Achievement unlocked:
You've Finished Dungeon Crawler Carl
Reward: What do you want? A pat on the back? Sure that may sound nice, but finishing the book was it's own reward. You want more? Write a review and see if people like it... nerd.

Alright, from a realistic standpoint, I should not give this book 5 stars. I really should give it 4... but I honestly haven't laughed this hard while reading a book since I picked up The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy when I was 11 years old. This book is an absolute delight from start to finish. The humor is perfection, yet it also contains a good story with a solid enough emotional impact, that while never becoming too much of a downer or going into too grim of a territory, elevates it just beyond a silly story.

Also, Prince Donut is one of the greatest characters in all of literature. Sure Elizabeth Bennet may go to more parties than Doughnut, but Donut's wit and snark defeats Elizabeth... and if the snark didn't, the magic missiles sure would.]]> 4.49 2020 Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1)
author: Matt Dinniman
name: Tim
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: 2020s, fantasy, read-2025, science-fiction, reviewed
review:
Achievement unlocked:
You've Finished Dungeon Crawler Carl
Reward: What do you want? A pat on the back? Sure that may sound nice, but finishing the book was it's own reward. You want more? Write a review and see if people like it... nerd.

Alright, from a realistic standpoint, I should not give this book 5 stars. I really should give it 4... but I honestly haven't laughed this hard while reading a book since I picked up The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy when I was 11 years old. This book is an absolute delight from start to finish. The humor is perfection, yet it also contains a good story with a solid enough emotional impact, that while never becoming too much of a downer or going into too grim of a territory, elevates it just beyond a silly story.

Also, Prince Donut is one of the greatest characters in all of literature. Sure Elizabeth Bennet may go to more parties than Doughnut, but Donut's wit and snark defeats Elizabeth... and if the snark didn't, the magic missiles sure would.
]]> A Magical Girl Retires 197448796 A millennial turned magical girl must combat climate change and credit card debt in this delightful, witty, and wildly imaginative ode to magical girl manga.

Twenty-nine, depressed, and drowning in credit card debt after losing her job during the pandemic, a millennial woman decides to end her troubles by jumping off Seoul’s Mapo Bridge.

But her suicide attempt is interrupted by a girl dressed all in white—her guardian angel. Ah Roa is a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time. And our protagonist just may be that special someone.

But the young woman’s initial excitement turns to frustration when she learns being a magical girl in real life is much different than how it’s portrayed in stories. It isn’t just destiny—it’s work. Magical girls go to job fairs, join trade unions, attend classes. And for this magical girl there are no special powers and no great perks, and despite being magical, she still battles with low self-esteem. Her magic wand . . . is a credit card—which she must use to defeat a terrifying threat that isn’t a monster or an intergalactic war. It’s global climate change. Because magical girls need to think about sustainability, too.

Park Seolyeon reimagines classic fantasy tropes in a novel that explores real-world challenges that are both deeply personal and universal: the search for meaning and the desire to do good in a world that feels like it’s ending. A fun, fast-paced, and enchanting narrative that sparkles thanks to award-nominated translator Anton Hur, A Magical Girl Retires reminds us that we are all magical girls—that fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight can be anyone's game.

Translated from the Korean by Anton Hur.]]> 160 Park Seolyeon 0063373262 Tim 2
Man, I hate beginning any review like that. Of course I wish I liked it more. Frankly even when I like a book and give it four stars, I obviously wish I liked it more so it could have gotten that fifth star. It's such a ridiculous way to start a review. Let's try this again:

*Resets time*

This is a book I... wish... had been better.

No, that's the same thing.

*Resets time again*

Wait... I don't have the power to reset time? Oh, disappointing. Much like this book (hey-o, now that's a better start!).

All jokes aside, this is a book that was filled with so much potential. The book takes place in an alternate Korea where the concept of the magic girl cartoons basically happen. Young women find out they have a certain power and use it to try to save the world. Here's the thing though, if you're spending a full time job putting yourself at risk, using magic to alter reality and dealing with criminal elements while trying to at least somewhat hide your identity, well, what insurance company is going to let you sign on? This and several other aspects led to a union for magic girls.

That concept right there, honestly kind of brilliant. I read that description and decided I had to check this out. When it plays with these sort of real world issues, I found it great fun.

It just doesn't play with them much. Instead we follow a 29 year old woman who is feeling suicidal, until she suddenly finds out that she has powers (the magic girl of time maybe?!?!?). She ends up learning from a clairvoyant magic girl though that she has an important future ahead and... honestly not much happens. The book is only 150 pages, and while it was clearly written for adults, it feels like a YA short story. We get about 50 pages of interesting real world outlook on magic girls, 50 pages of the main character trying to learn her power, 40 pages of conflict and then a quick wrap up.

In the end it felt very unsatisfying. It was overly simplistic, didn't deliver on the "real world" aspects and the main conflict was so quick that it also just felt... dull. There were so many good ideas here, I wish it would have taken its time and been a bit longer, then it could have been good fun, but as things stand it feels more like a proof of concept than a full story.]]> 3.57 2022 A Magical Girl Retires
author: Park Seolyeon
name: Tim
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: 2020s, read-2025, reviewed, korean
review:
This a book I really wish I liked more...

Man, I hate beginning any review like that. Of course I wish I liked it more. Frankly even when I like a book and give it four stars, I obviously wish I liked it more so it could have gotten that fifth star. It's such a ridiculous way to start a review. Let's try this again:

*Resets time*

This is a book I... wish... had been better.

No, that's the same thing.

*Resets time again*

Wait... I don't have the power to reset time? Oh, disappointing. Much like this book (hey-o, now that's a better start!).

All jokes aside, this is a book that was filled with so much potential. The book takes place in an alternate Korea where the concept of the magic girl cartoons basically happen. Young women find out they have a certain power and use it to try to save the world. Here's the thing though, if you're spending a full time job putting yourself at risk, using magic to alter reality and dealing with criminal elements while trying to at least somewhat hide your identity, well, what insurance company is going to let you sign on? This and several other aspects led to a union for magic girls.

That concept right there, honestly kind of brilliant. I read that description and decided I had to check this out. When it plays with these sort of real world issues, I found it great fun.

It just doesn't play with them much. Instead we follow a 29 year old woman who is feeling suicidal, until she suddenly finds out that she has powers (the magic girl of time maybe?!?!?). She ends up learning from a clairvoyant magic girl though that she has an important future ahead and... honestly not much happens. The book is only 150 pages, and while it was clearly written for adults, it feels like a YA short story. We get about 50 pages of interesting real world outlook on magic girls, 50 pages of the main character trying to learn her power, 40 pages of conflict and then a quick wrap up.

In the end it felt very unsatisfying. It was overly simplistic, didn't deliver on the "real world" aspects and the main conflict was so quick that it also just felt... dull. There were so many good ideas here, I wish it would have taken its time and been a bit longer, then it could have been good fun, but as things stand it feels more like a proof of concept than a full story.
]]> Strange Pictures 216670080
A pregnant woman’s sketches on a seemingly innocuous blog conceal a chilling warning.

A child’s picture of his home contains a dark secret message.

A sketch made by a murder victim in his final moments leads an amateur sleuth down a rabbit hole that will reveal a horrifying reality.

Structured around these nine childlike drawings, every one holding a disturbing clue, this novel invites readers to piece together the harrowing truth behind each and the overarching backstory that connects them all. Strange Pictures is the bestselling international debut from mystery-horror YouTube sensation Uketsu—an enigmatic masked figure who has become one of Japan's most talked about contemporary authors.]]> 236 Uketsu 0063433087 Tim 4 The Decagon House Murders. I had enjoyed the book overall, but one aspect of it really stood out to me. Sōji Shimada had an introduction in my edition where he discussed the concept of Honkaku genre, which is a style of mystery/detective novel. In English we would usually refer to them as "fair play" mysteries, the sort the reader can solve if they pay attention... yet at the same time, in Japan this genre is consider almost a game rather than literature. It's a challenge by the author to you the reader, and games have rules, so the author needs to play fair. As soon as I started this book, I realized that no matter how the English publisher tried to present this as a "Mystery-Horror Sensation", what I was looking at was a well constructed game.

I delighted in this challenge.

Are you familiar with the animation concept of layering? Hand drawn animation was typically made with stacked layers of animation that allow animators to edit and add elements to an animation without affecting the entire sequence. For example: the background could be one layer, the second could be a person and the third could be something the person was holding. If they needed to change any one of these three things, they could work on one of those two layers without altering the rest of the final picture.

Why do I bring this up?

This is a book filled with pictures, the pictures hold almost all the clues when analyzed... many of those clues are on the very cover of the book... but the very structure of the novel is paying homage to the idea of layering. The book consists of what seems like three short stories and a final chapter. This is not a short story collection. This is a novel. Consider those three chapters layers and that final chapter a picture. I assure you, it works well with that thought process.

Now, as I always do when finishing this type of novel: did I solve it?

Yes and no. I did not solve the first chapter until it was explained. I solved the second. I did not solve the third... but I got the full layered picture before I even started that final chapter.

[spoilers removed]

4 stars and a very big recommendation for all fans of mysteries where the fun is more in the challenge than the characters.]]> 4.05 2022 Strange Pictures
author: Uketsu
name: Tim
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: 2020s, japanese, mystery-crime, read-2025, reviewed
review:
Years ago I read a book called The Decagon House Murders. I had enjoyed the book overall, but one aspect of it really stood out to me. Sōji Shimada had an introduction in my edition where he discussed the concept of Honkaku genre, which is a style of mystery/detective novel. In English we would usually refer to them as "fair play" mysteries, the sort the reader can solve if they pay attention... yet at the same time, in Japan this genre is consider almost a game rather than literature. It's a challenge by the author to you the reader, and games have rules, so the author needs to play fair. As soon as I started this book, I realized that no matter how the English publisher tried to present this as a "Mystery-Horror Sensation", what I was looking at was a well constructed game.

I delighted in this challenge.

Are you familiar with the animation concept of layering? Hand drawn animation was typically made with stacked layers of animation that allow animators to edit and add elements to an animation without affecting the entire sequence. For example: the background could be one layer, the second could be a person and the third could be something the person was holding. If they needed to change any one of these three things, they could work on one of those two layers without altering the rest of the final picture.

Why do I bring this up?

This is a book filled with pictures, the pictures hold almost all the clues when analyzed... many of those clues are on the very cover of the book... but the very structure of the novel is paying homage to the idea of layering. The book consists of what seems like three short stories and a final chapter. This is not a short story collection. This is a novel. Consider those three chapters layers and that final chapter a picture. I assure you, it works well with that thought process.

Now, as I always do when finishing this type of novel: did I solve it?

Yes and no. I did not solve the first chapter until it was explained. I solved the second. I did not solve the third... but I got the full layered picture before I even started that final chapter.

[spoilers removed]

4 stars and a very big recommendation for all fans of mysteries where the fun is more in the challenge than the characters.
]]> Polybius 214152047 Stranger Things meets The Walking Dead in this shivery novel based on a terrifying urban legend about a small seaside town descending into chaos when an unusual video game is unveiled at the local arcade.

Having recently moved to the gentrifying seaside town of Tasker Bay with her mother, the only thing on high schooler Andi’s mind is saving up enough money for her escape to Silicon Valley. Though it’s owned by the shadiest resident in town, she takes a job at the dingy arcade Home Video World.

Pining over Andi is Ro, the son of Tasker Bay’s sheriff. With his friend’s matchmaking help, he begins spending more time at the arcade and soon, Andi finds herself opening up to Ro. But when the store gets an unusual new game of unknown origin, the floor is suddenly overwhelmed with players fighting to get some time on the machine. Seemingly overnight, a virus-like epidemic sweeps through the town while a major coastal storm rolls in, further isolating them from the outside world. Time is of the essence as residents collectively experience anger, paranoia, hallucinations, and even catatonia. And when one heinous act of violence goes unsolved, the town descends into utter chaos. Realizing no one is coming to their rescue, Andi and Ro take matters into their own hands to get to the bottom of the spiraling madness…until it begins affecting them, too.]]> 352 Collin Armstrong 1668044978 Tim 0 to-read 3.89 2025 Polybius
author: Collin Armstrong
name: Tim
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Casino Royale: A James Bond Novel (James Bond, 1)]]> 61319777 224 Ian Fleming 006329852X Tim 3 1950s, reviewed, read-2025
The book's Bond is a bit different. He's not immediately assigned the job because he's a super cool secret agent... no he's assigned the job because he's a good gambler. While he does have the classic license to kill, he's apparently only killed two people and only one of them was an up-close fight. Hell, he's still figuring out his martini, and while shaken not stirred is mentioned, I think he only drinks one or two, which means he drinks more wine/champagne in the book instead.

Alright, let's stop comparing. How does the book work on its own?

Honest opinion: it's alright. It's fairly entertaining. Fits pretty firmly in the classic "adventure" fiction. Not my usual big thing, but I can't say I didn't enjoy myself while reading. That said, the misogyny was a big turn off. Yes, yes, I know, it's Bond, I should expect some of that... and indeed I did. I just wasn't expecting his inner monologue and quite frequent outer dialogue for him to refer to the female lead as a "bitch" seemingly half the time he mentions her. That aspect did lower the rating for me as it went beyond "oh, it was a different time" and much more into "wow, either the character is a complete ass or the writer is" territory. ]]> 3.68 1953 Casino Royale: A James Bond Novel (James Bond, 1)
author: Ian Fleming
name: Tim
average rating: 3.68
book published: 1953
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/16
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves: 1950s, reviewed, read-2025
review:
James Bond, 007, international icon. It's always fascinating to me picking up a book like this, the first in a series that has far outgrown what the author created, and seeing the original intent. In some ways it's hard to separate the cultural impact of Bond as the icon when reading the book. Tell me honestly, while even thinking of the character, did you immediately jump to Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan or Craig? I know I thought of my favorite interpretation.

The book's Bond is a bit different. He's not immediately assigned the job because he's a super cool secret agent... no he's assigned the job because he's a good gambler. While he does have the classic license to kill, he's apparently only killed two people and only one of them was an up-close fight. Hell, he's still figuring out his martini, and while shaken not stirred is mentioned, I think he only drinks one or two, which means he drinks more wine/champagne in the book instead.

Alright, let's stop comparing. How does the book work on its own?

Honest opinion: it's alright. It's fairly entertaining. Fits pretty firmly in the classic "adventure" fiction. Not my usual big thing, but I can't say I didn't enjoy myself while reading. That said, the misogyny was a big turn off. Yes, yes, I know, it's Bond, I should expect some of that... and indeed I did. I just wasn't expecting his inner monologue and quite frequent outer dialogue for him to refer to the female lead as a "bitch" seemingly half the time he mentions her. That aspect did lower the rating for me as it went beyond "oh, it was a different time" and much more into "wow, either the character is a complete ass or the writer is" territory.
]]> <![CDATA[Ultimate X-Men, Vol. 1: Fears and Hates]]> 204642455 Visionary creator Peach Momoko (DEMON DAYS) crafts a new generation of X-Men for an all-new universe!

Hisako Ichiki is a teenage girl who just wants to live a normal life � go to school, hang out with her friends, and ignore the political strife boiling over after the events of ULTIMATE INVASION. But life has other plans for her. In Japan, urban legends have sprung to life…and brought some unusual new powers with them. Meet Armor, Maystorm and a brand-group of new Ultimate X-Men � the likes of which you’ve never seen before!

COLLECTING: Ultimate X-Men (2024) 1-4]]> 160 Peach Momoko 1302957317 Tim 4
Well, I read it and yeah, he knows what I like.

This is a new interpretation of X-Men. I'm sure some comic fans hate the use of that title given that this reinterpretation is pretty much all teen girls. It takes place in Japan, and uses a great deal of Japanese myths and pop-culture with this lens (for example, when dealing with the shadow based mutant, it comes off very J-Horror in presentation). It's in my opinion, a very interesting take with some beautiful artwork. I was familiar with some of Peach Momoko's art before, but it's really stunning seeing the work in this collection.

I know some people really dislike one aspect of this series, but it's also one I will praise. While it is a part of the "Ultimate" universe, it seems to pretty much ignore the other comics. It takes place as mentioned in Japan, these characters aren't interacting with the others, so it's a very stand alone series. As someone who outright hates Spider-man and has no interest in the new Black Panther series, I find this wonderful as I can sit down and read this series without feeling like I have to read characters I don't like just to understand the plot.

So, in conclusion, this is a damn fun read. Pacing seems a touch off in places, it honestly moves to fast for my liking (which is funny as another complaint is that some find it too slow), but overall I really enjoy it and would like to see some of the side-characters fleshed out a bit more in upcoming volumes. ]]> 3.81 2024 Ultimate X-Men, Vol. 1: Fears and Hates
author: Peach Momoko
name: Tim
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/19
shelves:
review:
I'm not a huge X-Men fan at the best of times and I don't keep track of Marvel (let alone the new Ultimate Universe) but a friend of mine gave me this as an early Christmas present with the assurance that it would be up my alley. Now this is a friend who reads a lot of American comics. I mean, the sort of person who is at the comic shop weekly picking up his individual issues of every series he has even the most minor interest in. I say this with respect. I honestly can listen to him talk comics as much as he wants as he knows a lot about them and is passionate about the subject. As such, when someone gives me such a gift based on their own interest, I take notice.

Well, I read it and yeah, he knows what I like.

This is a new interpretation of X-Men. I'm sure some comic fans hate the use of that title given that this reinterpretation is pretty much all teen girls. It takes place in Japan, and uses a great deal of Japanese myths and pop-culture with this lens (for example, when dealing with the shadow based mutant, it comes off very J-Horror in presentation). It's in my opinion, a very interesting take with some beautiful artwork. I was familiar with some of Peach Momoko's art before, but it's really stunning seeing the work in this collection.

I know some people really dislike one aspect of this series, but it's also one I will praise. While it is a part of the "Ultimate" universe, it seems to pretty much ignore the other comics. It takes place as mentioned in Japan, these characters aren't interacting with the others, so it's a very stand alone series. As someone who outright hates Spider-man and has no interest in the new Black Panther series, I find this wonderful as I can sit down and read this series without feeling like I have to read characters I don't like just to understand the plot.

So, in conclusion, this is a damn fun read. Pacing seems a touch off in places, it honestly moves to fast for my liking (which is funny as another complaint is that some find it too slow), but overall I really enjoy it and would like to see some of the side-characters fleshed out a bit more in upcoming volumes.
]]> Police in a Pod, Vol. 1 58200891 156 Miko Yasu 1636991432 Tim 2 reviewed, manga
Could it improve in a second volume? Sure, that's possible. Do I care to find out? Not really. 2/5

My thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Merged review:

Well, this one is most certainly not for me. I don't care for the art. The plot while interesting in description is rather a dull affair when reading. It's not funny and the characters are all bland. It just doesn't stand out in any positive way (and the areas where it is notable are all� less than favorable). It overall is a major disappointment for what could have been. It is readable and not truly terrible which saves it from a dreaded one star... but it's just not that interesting.

Could it improve in a second volume? Sure, that's possible. Do I care to find out? Not really. 2/5

My thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.]]> 2.59 2018 Police in a Pod, Vol. 1
author: Miko Yasu
name: Tim
average rating: 2.59
book published: 2018
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/09/25
shelves: reviewed, manga
review:
Well, this one is most certainly not for me. I don't care for the art. The plot while interesting in description is rather a dull affair when reading. It's not funny and the characters are all bland. It just doesn't stand out in any positive way (and the areas where it is notable are all� less than favorable). It overall is a major disappointment for what could have been. It is readable and not truly terrible which saves it from a dreaded one star... but it's just not that interesting.

Could it improve in a second volume? Sure, that's possible. Do I care to find out? Not really. 2/5

My thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Merged review:

Well, this one is most certainly not for me. I don't care for the art. The plot while interesting in description is rather a dull affair when reading. It's not funny and the characters are all bland. It just doesn't stand out in any positive way (and the areas where it is notable are all� less than favorable). It overall is a major disappointment for what could have been. It is readable and not truly terrible which saves it from a dreaded one star... but it's just not that interesting.

Could it improve in a second volume? Sure, that's possible. Do I care to find out? Not really. 2/5

My thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
]]> Blue Lock, Vol. 1 57429357 216 Muneyuki Kaneshiro 1636990037 Tim 3 manga, reviewed
I'm going to be completely honest, I accidentally requested this one on Netgalley. It was a button slip on my phone and then it was accepted. I felt a bit bad about that and went ahead and gave it a proper read though, as I didn't want to be that guy who just requests anything and lets it sit.

I'm not a sports fan. That's immediately going to set me at a disadvantage here, as is the fact that I think sports manga in particular are hilarious (not in a positive way) as they are treated in such life or death terms and with a passion higher than any sane person would hold for any topic (YOU MUST TRAIN AT OUR FACILITY AND YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO RETURN HOME. Response: "But we cannot abandon our precious teams!")

This time� it worked. Why? Because that's just the start of the over the top extremes. It's going to go so much further, that this little moment at the start mentioned above honestly seems quite reserved.

Honestly, this is not a bad thing. It somehow manages to combine the "survival game" style of manga with a sports one, which is an odd choice, but certainly unique enough to make it stand out and generally pulls it off. It makes this over the top nature more fitting as the people involved in this project are literally going to ruin 299 lives for the sake of one and the book seems to alternate between "wow, that's horrible" and "what a great idea." It's ridiculous to the extent that it actually makes this usually unintentionally comic aspect, turns it up to 11, and makes it entertaining for me.

Was this enough to change my opinion on sports manga? Not really. Was it a solid enough read that I would suggest it for fans of such manga? Absolutely, especially if they like the survival game style of manga its colliding with. It's strengths are well done from an objective standpoint and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least entertained for my read (some times extremely so). While I can't say I'm a huge fan, it was a fun read. I never thought I would say this, but I'm actually genuinely intrigued where a sport's manga is going. If it stays this over the top, I think I may continue along with it. 3/5 star

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.]]> 4.24 2018 Blue Lock, Vol. 1
author: Muneyuki Kaneshiro
name: Tim
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: manga, reviewed
review:
300 kids under the age of 18 are gathered to a secret facility. They are all considered the best candidates to be the next ace striker for Japan, as it has been decided that the country needs to rework its soccer game if it's ever going to win the world cup. We get to know these characters, their strengths and their faults as they try to rise up to be great players.

I'm going to be completely honest, I accidentally requested this one on Netgalley. It was a button slip on my phone and then it was accepted. I felt a bit bad about that and went ahead and gave it a proper read though, as I didn't want to be that guy who just requests anything and lets it sit.

I'm not a sports fan. That's immediately going to set me at a disadvantage here, as is the fact that I think sports manga in particular are hilarious (not in a positive way) as they are treated in such life or death terms and with a passion higher than any sane person would hold for any topic (YOU MUST TRAIN AT OUR FACILITY AND YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO RETURN HOME. Response: "But we cannot abandon our precious teams!")

This time� it worked. Why? Because that's just the start of the over the top extremes. It's going to go so much further, that this little moment at the start mentioned above honestly seems quite reserved.

Honestly, this is not a bad thing. It somehow manages to combine the "survival game" style of manga with a sports one, which is an odd choice, but certainly unique enough to make it stand out and generally pulls it off. It makes this over the top nature more fitting as the people involved in this project are literally going to ruin 299 lives for the sake of one and the book seems to alternate between "wow, that's horrible" and "what a great idea." It's ridiculous to the extent that it actually makes this usually unintentionally comic aspect, turns it up to 11, and makes it entertaining for me.

Was this enough to change my opinion on sports manga? Not really. Was it a solid enough read that I would suggest it for fans of such manga? Absolutely, especially if they like the survival game style of manga its colliding with. It's strengths are well done from an objective standpoint and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least entertained for my read (some times extremely so). While I can't say I'm a huge fan, it was a fun read. I never thought I would say this, but I'm actually genuinely intrigued where a sport's manga is going. If it stays this over the top, I think I may continue along with it. 3/5 star

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
]]> <![CDATA[H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction]]> 8320840 The Complete Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft collects the author's novel, four novellas, and fifty-three short stories. Written between the years 1917 and 1935, this collection features Lovecraft's trademark fantastical creatures and supernatural thrills, as well as many horrific and cautionary science-fiction themes, that have influenced some of today's writers and filmmakers, including Stephen King, Alan Moore, F. Paul Wilson, Guillermo del Toro, and Neil Gaiman. Included in this volume are The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, "The Call of Cthulhu," "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath," "At the Mountains of Madness," "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," "The Color Out of Space," "The Dunwich Horror," and many more hair-raising tales.]]> 1098 H.P. Lovecraft 1435122968 Tim 5 horror, favorites 4.37 H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction
author: H.P. Lovecraft
name: Tim
average rating: 4.37
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: horror, favorites
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot, #18)]]> 9858200
Hercule Poirot recalled an earlier outburst by a fellow passenger: "I'd like to put my dear little pistol against her head and just press the trigger." Yet in this exotic setting nothing is ever quite what it seems.]]> 333 Agatha Christie 0062073559 Tim 4
My first experience with Agatha Christie was actually watching the film adaptation of Death on the Nile from 1978 staring Peter Ustinov. While I do not think of Ustinov as the definitive Poirot by any means, for the longest time his take was how I viewed the character. While this is not a review of the film, I will say that it is a lovely film and well worth a watch.

I bring this up though because this one has a special place for me. This was, while not the first Poirot novel I read, it was my first Poirot story. When I finally did read the book, I remembered exactly who did it, and I still loved it.

That I think is the sign of a really good mystery novel. Even knowing who did it, why and pretty much exactly what was going to happen over the course of the novel (the film was a very faithful adaptation for the most part) I still enjoyed it from start to finish. I can't think of a better way of recommending it than that. 4/5 stars.
]]> 4.12 1937 Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot, #18)
author: Agatha Christie
name: Tim
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1937
rating: 4
read at: 2017/05/21
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves: classic, mystery-crime, 1930s, reviewed
review:
“Love can be a very frightening thing. That is why most great love stories are tragedies"

My first experience with Agatha Christie was actually watching the film adaptation of Death on the Nile from 1978 staring Peter Ustinov. While I do not think of Ustinov as the definitive Poirot by any means, for the longest time his take was how I viewed the character. While this is not a review of the film, I will say that it is a lovely film and well worth a watch.

I bring this up though because this one has a special place for me. This was, while not the first Poirot novel I read, it was my first Poirot story. When I finally did read the book, I remembered exactly who did it, and I still loved it.

That I think is the sign of a really good mystery novel. Even knowing who did it, why and pretty much exactly what was going to happen over the course of the novel (the film was a very faithful adaptation for the most part) I still enjoyed it from start to finish. I can't think of a better way of recommending it than that. 4/5 stars.

]]> <![CDATA[Steel of the Celestial Shadows, Vol. 1]]> 176443839 200 Daruma Matsuura 1974742741 Tim 0 to-read 3.90 2020 Steel of the Celestial Shadows, Vol. 1
author: Daruma Matsuura
name: Tim
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Crazy Time: A Bizarre Battle with Darkness and the Divine]]> 60094194 346 L. Andrew Cooper 1977250432 Tim 5 2020s, horror, reviewed
Alright, I always try to do two things in my reviews. I try to keep it relatively spoiler free, which is why in terms of a plot description, I can't give much more than the above. This really is one of those books you should go into blind and just let everything come at you as you try to piece it all together.

Second thing I try to do is keep my reviews honest, which is why I'm stressing this now: This book is one of the best horror novels I've read in quite some time, but it will likely make you uncomfortable. For me, that's fun! I love it when horror makes me thing, makes me feel or gets under my skin. This book did all three of those things and I praise it to no end for that! That said, consider yourself warned� this one gets psychologically rough in a few places.

That said, it's also surprisingly funny. For a book that made me this uncomfortable, it managed to get several genuine laughs out of me. I fully confess that humor is one of those aspects that always makes me more inclined to like a book no matter what genre, and the sense of humor here just worked for me.

The prose is clever. At times simple, at others slightly complex. I would call it literary horror for the most part� but there's more than a touch of the fantasy genre about it as well. If I was to compare it to another author, my instant reaction is Clive Barker, though nowhere near as long (and I would say much more carefully plotted) than most of his novels.

Overall I cannot recommend this book enough. I debated between four or five stars, but in the end, enjoyment gains it that extra star. A rare 5/5 stars]]> 4.00 Crazy Time: A Bizarre Battle with Darkness and the Divine
author: L. Andrew Cooper
name: Tim
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/10/08
shelves: 2020s, horror, reviewed
review:
Have you ever wondered if God or Satan was just out to get you some days? Lily Henshaw has, and she has a damn good reason to wonder about that. Lily has been suffering quite a few traumas of late, and as things grow worse and worse, something of a pattern begins to emerge with a suspiciously "Book of Job" feel to it. What follows is an adventure between good, evil and all of us somewhere in-between.

Alright, I always try to do two things in my reviews. I try to keep it relatively spoiler free, which is why in terms of a plot description, I can't give much more than the above. This really is one of those books you should go into blind and just let everything come at you as you try to piece it all together.

Second thing I try to do is keep my reviews honest, which is why I'm stressing this now: This book is one of the best horror novels I've read in quite some time, but it will likely make you uncomfortable. For me, that's fun! I love it when horror makes me thing, makes me feel or gets under my skin. This book did all three of those things and I praise it to no end for that! That said, consider yourself warned� this one gets psychologically rough in a few places.

That said, it's also surprisingly funny. For a book that made me this uncomfortable, it managed to get several genuine laughs out of me. I fully confess that humor is one of those aspects that always makes me more inclined to like a book no matter what genre, and the sense of humor here just worked for me.

The prose is clever. At times simple, at others slightly complex. I would call it literary horror for the most part� but there's more than a touch of the fantasy genre about it as well. If I was to compare it to another author, my instant reaction is Clive Barker, though nowhere near as long (and I would say much more carefully plotted) than most of his novels.

Overall I cannot recommend this book enough. I debated between four or five stars, but in the end, enjoyment gains it that extra star. A rare 5/5 stars
]]> <![CDATA[Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?]]> 5599692 Neil Gaiman (The Sandman) joins a murderer's row of talented artists in lending his unique touch to the Batman mythos for this Deluxe Edition hardcover! Spotlighting the story "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" from Batman #686 and Detective Comics #852 in which Gaiman joins artist Andy Kubert and inker Scott Williams for a story that shines a new light on the Batman mythos. Also collects Gaiman stories from Secret Origins #36, Secret Origins Special #1 and Batman Black and White #2. This collection is not to be missed!]]> 128 Neil Gaiman 1401223036 Tim 4 reviewed
Well, it's an impossible task. The book does not fully succeed, nor could it ever, but what we get certainly gets the point across.

Here we are given a funeral for Batman. Friends, foes and several characters somewhere in-between gather together and tell the story of how he died. They are all extremely inconsistent, but all feel like an ending that could have fit a different era of Batman. It's a fascinating read with beautiful artwork and as good of a send off to a beloved character as could possibly be done... not perfect, but wonderful. 4/5 ]]> 3.99 2009 Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Tim
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/08/25
shelves: reviewed
review:
How does one write a eulogy for Batman? That's the question DC pretty much gave Neil Gaiman, telling him to write a final story for the initial run of Detective Comics. Sure Batman would continue, but how would he make a story that sums up everything that Batman is and was?

Well, it's an impossible task. The book does not fully succeed, nor could it ever, but what we get certainly gets the point across.

Here we are given a funeral for Batman. Friends, foes and several characters somewhere in-between gather together and tell the story of how he died. They are all extremely inconsistent, but all feel like an ending that could have fit a different era of Batman. It's a fascinating read with beautiful artwork and as good of a send off to a beloved character as could possibly be done... not perfect, but wonderful. 4/5
]]> <![CDATA[A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes, #1)]]> 22056752 In the debut of literature's most famous sleuth, a dead man is discovered in a bloodstained room in Brixton. The only clues are a wedding ring, a gold watch, a pocket edition of Boccaccio's Decameron, and a word scrawled in blood on the wall. With this investigation begins the partnership of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Their search for the murderer uncovers a story of love and revenge-and heralds a franchise of detective mysteries starring the formidable Holmes.

]]> 144 Arthur Conan Doyle 0140439080 Tim 3
Do you want to hear Doyle rant about Mormons for a good third of the book? If that is the case, you my dear friend are in luck! For everyone else, the mystery of this book is fairly interesting, but the long section where we break away from our leads is more of a sad story with more than a touch of the author standing up and ranting.

The most entertaining aspect about the novel for me was, as someone who has read many of the stories prior to the novel, is how the characters changed after the initial book. I always think of Watson as something of the man of action, and here he talks about being lazy and being in such poor health that he feels it unlikely that he will fully recover. Seems quite a different Watson from the one most people I think generally know.

Overall I found the book entertaining, but I think Doyle greatly improved as he went on. Particularly in terms of his short stories plotting. 3/5 stars]]> 3.78 1887 A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes, #1)
author: Arthur Conan Doyle
name: Tim
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1887
rating: 3
read at: 2018/06/12
date added: 2023/06/22
shelves: classic, mystery-crime, 19th-century, reviewed
review:
Ah, the first Sherlock novel. The one that introduced us to the world's greatest detective. The one he seemingly hands over to another narrator for a third of the book�

Do you want to hear Doyle rant about Mormons for a good third of the book? If that is the case, you my dear friend are in luck! For everyone else, the mystery of this book is fairly interesting, but the long section where we break away from our leads is more of a sad story with more than a touch of the author standing up and ranting.

The most entertaining aspect about the novel for me was, as someone who has read many of the stories prior to the novel, is how the characters changed after the initial book. I always think of Watson as something of the man of action, and here he talks about being lazy and being in such poor health that he feels it unlikely that he will fully recover. Seems quite a different Watson from the one most people I think generally know.

Overall I found the book entertaining, but I think Doyle greatly improved as he went on. Particularly in terms of his short stories plotting. 3/5 stars
]]> Kokoro 7094813 Kokoro, his most famous novel and the last he completed before his death in 1916. Published here in the first new translation in more than fifty years, Kokoro—meaning "heart"—is the story of a subtle and poignant friendship between two unnamed characters, a young man and an enigmatic elder whom he calls "Sensei". Haunted by tragic secrets that have cast a long shadow over his life, Sensei slowly opens up to his young disciple, confessing indiscretions from his own student days that have left him reeling with guilt, and revealing, in the seemingly unbridgeable chasm between his moral anguish and his student's struggle to understand it, the profound cultural shift from one generation to the next that characterized Japan in the early twentieth century.]]> 238 Natsume Sōseki 0143106031 Tim 5
I've read three of Soseki's books and I've had a weird "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" reaction to them. First was Botchan which I really liked but had some major issues with the translation (this chair was too hard). Second was Kusamakura which has one of the most perfect translations I've ever read, with every chapter being beautiful, but I simply disliked the book (this chair was too soft). Then there is Kokoro which is just right in every way.

The book is deceptively simple. It follows a young man who meets an older gentleman who he refers to as Sensei the entire time. He looks up to Sensei though can't quite seem to express why. Sensei is a cynical man who holds no position. He simply stays home with his wife and reads. What happened in Sensei's past? Well that's something our narrator intends to find out.

Let me say now, during the first third of this book I kept asking myself why I was continuing on with it. The narrator is not a particularly likable fellow and Sensei honestly isn't really either. I was annoyed at these two people (and at least one of our narrator's actions actively angered me... which is unusual as I'm not the sort to get mad at fictional characters) and frankly when we started getting Sensei's past I thought it was pretty obvious where it was going... but at some point something clicked for me. It's hard to fully explain but I became engrossed not with the actual events, but the reactions of the characters. When we get inside Sensei's head and hear some of his descriptions of events I was caught up in his practically paranoid outlook and found the way he unfolded his tale to be fascinating.

There's something about this book that is practically insidious. The story itself is interesting, but not exactly groundbreaking... but it's told in a perfect manner. It got under my skin in a way that I couldn't stop thinking about it. I would be at work and a part of it would pop into my head. I would be driving and start thinking about Sensei's words. It's the sort of book that feels, while not really a perfect story, a perfectly told version of the story.

Again, I don't even know if what I'm saying makes sense, but at this point it's really the best I can do. The book is a masterpiece and one that will no doubt be staying with me for quite some time. 5/5 stars. ]]> 4.04 1914 Kokoro
author: Natsume Sōseki
name: Tim
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1914
rating: 5
read at: 2023/05/12
date added: 2023/05/12
shelves: 1910s, classic, japanese, read-2023, reviewed
review:
I am not a good enough reviewer to properly express why this is a five star book. I cannot do it justice with my meager words. My only hope is to possibly express just a touch of why this book works.

I've read three of Soseki's books and I've had a weird "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" reaction to them. First was Botchan which I really liked but had some major issues with the translation (this chair was too hard). Second was Kusamakura which has one of the most perfect translations I've ever read, with every chapter being beautiful, but I simply disliked the book (this chair was too soft). Then there is Kokoro which is just right in every way.

The book is deceptively simple. It follows a young man who meets an older gentleman who he refers to as Sensei the entire time. He looks up to Sensei though can't quite seem to express why. Sensei is a cynical man who holds no position. He simply stays home with his wife and reads. What happened in Sensei's past? Well that's something our narrator intends to find out.

Let me say now, during the first third of this book I kept asking myself why I was continuing on with it. The narrator is not a particularly likable fellow and Sensei honestly isn't really either. I was annoyed at these two people (and at least one of our narrator's actions actively angered me... which is unusual as I'm not the sort to get mad at fictional characters) and frankly when we started getting Sensei's past I thought it was pretty obvious where it was going... but at some point something clicked for me. It's hard to fully explain but I became engrossed not with the actual events, but the reactions of the characters. When we get inside Sensei's head and hear some of his descriptions of events I was caught up in his practically paranoid outlook and found the way he unfolded his tale to be fascinating.

There's something about this book that is practically insidious. The story itself is interesting, but not exactly groundbreaking... but it's told in a perfect manner. It got under my skin in a way that I couldn't stop thinking about it. I would be at work and a part of it would pop into my head. I would be driving and start thinking about Sensei's words. It's the sort of book that feels, while not really a perfect story, a perfectly told version of the story.

Again, I don't even know if what I'm saying makes sense, but at this point it's really the best I can do. The book is a masterpiece and one that will no doubt be staying with me for quite some time. 5/5 stars.
]]> The Flowers of Buffoonery 61340205 The Flowers of Buffoonery opens in a seaside sanitarium where Yozo Oba � the narrator of No Longer Human � is convalescing after a failed suicide attempt. Friends and family visit him, and nurses and police drift in and out of his room. Against this dispiriting backdrop, Yozo and his visitors try to maintain a lighthearted, even clownish atmosphere: playing cards, smoking cigarettes, vying for attention, cracking jokes, and trying to make each other laugh. Dazai is known for delving into the darkest corners of human consciousness, but in The Flowers of Buffoonery he pokes fun at these same emotions: the follies and hardships of youth, of love, and of self-hatred and depression. A glimpse into the lives of a group of outsiders in prewar Japan, The Flowers of Buffoonery is a fresh and darkly humorous addition to Osamu Dazai’s masterful and intoxicating oeuvre.]]> 96 Osamu Dazai 0811234541 Tim 4
Did you know it had a prequel?

The Flowers of Buffoonery was written around a decade earlier and focuses on Oba Yozo as he stays in a sanitarium after one of his failed suicide attempts. About half of the book is taken up in conversations with his friends who come to visit him, or with his brother who is trying to, if not cover up the situation, at least make it tidy. Much like No Longer Human, it is a character study... but not on the character himself. It is on the author.

This book is short at only 96 pages, but what little bit of genuine story there is would make for only a very short and unmemorable tale. What makes this story both longer and actually work as a book is Dazai's interruptions.

"I guess I'll never be a great writer. I'm a softy. I'll admit it. At least we've figured that much out. A softy through and through. But in my softness I find peace, however fleeting. Ah, it doesn't matter anymore. Forget I said anything. It would seem the flowers of buffoonery have shriveled up at last. And shriveled up into a mean, disgusting, dirty mess while we're at it."

There is no criticism of this book that can truly be offered without Dazai at least trying to beat us to the punch. He will tell us the story only to interject that a line sounds childish or overly poetic and not fitting the scene. He will make note that it sounds like an amateur trying to sound like a professional.

""I blame that newfangled philosophy. Marxisim."
A fabulously silly line of dialogue. Superb."

I didn't add that second line. He genuinely writes that into the book, as if making his own editor notations.

Where No Longer Human was a diary of suffering, this one is almost a comedic look at insecurity. He will praise himself one moment only to find himself loosing control of the book the next. He introduces a character that seems to be moving what little plot there is along only to interject on the next paragraph that he regrets doing so as he does not feel tonally appropriate.

The entire book is a tightrope walk, balancing the melancholy feeling of No Longer Human with a jovial air of buffoonery. His characters laugh whenever they say something serious to try to hide that they actually said something so real, and the author does that as well. He's mocking himself as this is almost a trial run for the later book... it's expressing so many of the same things, but he keeps laughing and self mockery to not fully show it. It's not the masterpiece that No Longer Human is, but it's a much more enjoyable read for that very reason. I think that those who like this will likely be people who've read the later book and want to see something of a first attempt at it, but from someone trying to laugh and still maybe hopes that things will work out alright rather than the author who will commit suicide promptly after finishing his work. 4/5 stars.

"Once a writer loses his affection for his subject, his sentences display a marked decline in quality. Actually, I take it back. That last one there was snazzy."]]> 3.83 1935 The Flowers of Buffoonery
author: Osamu Dazai
name: Tim
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1935
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/08
date added: 2023/05/08
shelves: 1930s, humor, read-2023, reviewed, japanese
review:
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai is the most painful book I've ever read. I found it a masterpiece, but it's not a book I could ever say that I "enjoyed" as it felt like a diary of pain and despair. A work, more like a suicide note and confession than actual novel.

Did you know it had a prequel?

The Flowers of Buffoonery was written around a decade earlier and focuses on Oba Yozo as he stays in a sanitarium after one of his failed suicide attempts. About half of the book is taken up in conversations with his friends who come to visit him, or with his brother who is trying to, if not cover up the situation, at least make it tidy. Much like No Longer Human, it is a character study... but not on the character himself. It is on the author.

This book is short at only 96 pages, but what little bit of genuine story there is would make for only a very short and unmemorable tale. What makes this story both longer and actually work as a book is Dazai's interruptions.

"I guess I'll never be a great writer. I'm a softy. I'll admit it. At least we've figured that much out. A softy through and through. But in my softness I find peace, however fleeting. Ah, it doesn't matter anymore. Forget I said anything. It would seem the flowers of buffoonery have shriveled up at last. And shriveled up into a mean, disgusting, dirty mess while we're at it."

There is no criticism of this book that can truly be offered without Dazai at least trying to beat us to the punch. He will tell us the story only to interject that a line sounds childish or overly poetic and not fitting the scene. He will make note that it sounds like an amateur trying to sound like a professional.

""I blame that newfangled philosophy. Marxisim."
A fabulously silly line of dialogue. Superb."

I didn't add that second line. He genuinely writes that into the book, as if making his own editor notations.

Where No Longer Human was a diary of suffering, this one is almost a comedic look at insecurity. He will praise himself one moment only to find himself loosing control of the book the next. He introduces a character that seems to be moving what little plot there is along only to interject on the next paragraph that he regrets doing so as he does not feel tonally appropriate.

The entire book is a tightrope walk, balancing the melancholy feeling of No Longer Human with a jovial air of buffoonery. His characters laugh whenever they say something serious to try to hide that they actually said something so real, and the author does that as well. He's mocking himself as this is almost a trial run for the later book... it's expressing so many of the same things, but he keeps laughing and self mockery to not fully show it. It's not the masterpiece that No Longer Human is, but it's a much more enjoyable read for that very reason. I think that those who like this will likely be people who've read the later book and want to see something of a first attempt at it, but from someone trying to laugh and still maybe hopes that things will work out alright rather than the author who will commit suicide promptly after finishing his work. 4/5 stars.

"Once a writer loses his affection for his subject, his sentences display a marked decline in quality. Actually, I take it back. That last one there was snazzy."
]]> <![CDATA[Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: Director's Cut]]> 96908 168 Jhonen Vásquez 0943151163 Tim 3 reviewed The amount of glee that I felt at finding a copy of this in a used bookstore cannot be properly expressed, but let me try to.

Back when I was a teenager, I desperately wanted to find a copy of this book. It was spoken of with a sort of reverence in some of the circles I traveled in as a sort of dark humor holy grail... but there was no way to find it. It wasn't in any of my local comic shops or bookstores. Amazon wasn't much of an option back then for me... it just wasn't to be. I kept my eyes out in book shops for years though hoping to find it.

Well, time went on. Literally decades have passed. It, like so many things one desires as a teenager, kind of fell by the wayside. Though not entirely forgotten, at least no longer that important. Had I been actively searching I could have no doubt bought it a dozen times over. Hell, I could have on a whim bought it on Amazon years ago and just never did. Still, as I was walking through a used bookstore and saw that big "Z?" on the cover my brain still reacted on impulse, holding it with almost reverence thinking "No way... it can't be." An almost childish nostalgia ran through me as I flipped through gory black and white page of dark comedic nihilism.

It was finally mine.

Oh, how very much I wish I would have found this twenty years ago though. While I still smiled at the sick sense of humor it presented, I found myself not devouring it in one sitting as I would have back then. While it would no doubt have been a favorite of mine had I found it when I actively wanted (nay, NEEDED) a copy, now it was just amusing. My tastes have changed and the more random moments came off as only mildly amusing (dare I say occasionally annoying). Nny's rants grew tiring, the jokes a touch repetitive. Don't get me wrong, there were a few moments I genuinely laughed and the nostalgic joy never fully left me while reading it, but it sadly was no longer the grail that it could have been.

There is no moral to my little tale above. There is no way to properly review it. I enjoyed it for what it was, but know that there was a time I would have loved it. Sadly for the book (though thankfully for me as those were not the best of times) it is no longer that time. Still, this little piece of nostalgia will remain on my shelf now, and likely there will come a time when I will pull it down and grin a macabre little smile to myself.

...

Also, call me a bad parent if you will, but if my daughter ends up having the same darker sense of humor that I did as a teen, I will give her my copy and hope that she experiences half as much amusement as I would have then. 3/5 stars. ]]> 4.33 1997 Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: Director's Cut
author: Jhonen Vásquez
name: Tim
average rating: 4.33
book published: 1997
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2023/05/07
shelves: reviewed
review:

The amount of glee that I felt at finding a copy of this in a used bookstore cannot be properly expressed, but let me try to.

Back when I was a teenager, I desperately wanted to find a copy of this book. It was spoken of with a sort of reverence in some of the circles I traveled in as a sort of dark humor holy grail... but there was no way to find it. It wasn't in any of my local comic shops or bookstores. Amazon wasn't much of an option back then for me... it just wasn't to be. I kept my eyes out in book shops for years though hoping to find it.

Well, time went on. Literally decades have passed. It, like so many things one desires as a teenager, kind of fell by the wayside. Though not entirely forgotten, at least no longer that important. Had I been actively searching I could have no doubt bought it a dozen times over. Hell, I could have on a whim bought it on Amazon years ago and just never did. Still, as I was walking through a used bookstore and saw that big "Z?" on the cover my brain still reacted on impulse, holding it with almost reverence thinking "No way... it can't be." An almost childish nostalgia ran through me as I flipped through gory black and white page of dark comedic nihilism.

It was finally mine.

Oh, how very much I wish I would have found this twenty years ago though. While I still smiled at the sick sense of humor it presented, I found myself not devouring it in one sitting as I would have back then. While it would no doubt have been a favorite of mine had I found it when I actively wanted (nay, NEEDED) a copy, now it was just amusing. My tastes have changed and the more random moments came off as only mildly amusing (dare I say occasionally annoying). Nny's rants grew tiring, the jokes a touch repetitive. Don't get me wrong, there were a few moments I genuinely laughed and the nostalgic joy never fully left me while reading it, but it sadly was no longer the grail that it could have been.

There is no moral to my little tale above. There is no way to properly review it. I enjoyed it for what it was, but know that there was a time I would have loved it. Sadly for the book (though thankfully for me as those were not the best of times) it is no longer that time. Still, this little piece of nostalgia will remain on my shelf now, and likely there will come a time when I will pull it down and grin a macabre little smile to myself.

...

Also, call me a bad parent if you will, but if my daughter ends up having the same darker sense of humor that I did as a teen, I will give her my copy and hope that she experiences half as much amusement as I would have then. 3/5 stars.
]]> Tress of the Emerald Sea 60531406 #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson expands his Cosmere universe shared by The Stormlight Archive and Mistborn with a new standalone novel for everyone who loved The Princess Bride.

The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?]]> 443 Brandon Sanderson Tim 4
Tress is one of those novels. Now first I’m going to state that I’m not super familiar with Sanderson’s works. So, if you’re like me and don’t have his works memorized inside and out, fear not, this is a wonderful stand-alone. There are references to his other works (and I gather our narrator is kind of a big deal to say the least) but you in no way need the information to follow along with the story. In fact, this may be a good go to if you’re interested in the author and don’t know where to start.

This is a pure fun read. This is not a book about the fate of the universe being in peril, but rather a Princess Bride meets Pirates of the Caribbean style adventure. The book has an absolutely wonderful sense of humor to it as well, with a narrator that found a way to delight me in every chapter (I particularly love a running joke in which he informs us that there are more characters than he can remember, so unimportant ones will all be called Doug as it’s the only name that exists in every world he’s been to).

I’ve seen some say that the book has a YA feel to it. I honestly don’t fully see it. While the book has nothing objectionable for younger ages, and does indeed have a few tropes that YA loves, it feels more like an 80s fantasy novel that would have inspired such works rather than being a part of them. Maybe I’m just too jaded with the term YA, but I just don’t fully see it here.

Tress is a wonderful adventure novel filled with humor and heart. One I recommend to every fantasy fan... and yes, this may be the one that finally convinces me to check out other Sanderson novels. 4/5 stars. ]]> 4.35 2023 Tress of the Emerald Sea
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Tim
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/15
date added: 2023/04/15
shelves: 2020s, fantasy, read-2023, reviewed
review:
If one were to ask me what my favorite genre was, depending on my mood I would answer either fantasy or horror. It used to always be fantasy, but sometimes I get jaded with the genre and its frequently reused tropes. When this happens, I find that I pretty much all but abandon the genre for a bit... until something comes along and reminds me why I loved the genre so much in the first place.

Tress is one of those novels. Now first I’m going to state that I’m not super familiar with Sanderson’s works. So, if you’re like me and don’t have his works memorized inside and out, fear not, this is a wonderful stand-alone. There are references to his other works (and I gather our narrator is kind of a big deal to say the least) but you in no way need the information to follow along with the story. In fact, this may be a good go to if you’re interested in the author and don’t know where to start.

This is a pure fun read. This is not a book about the fate of the universe being in peril, but rather a Princess Bride meets Pirates of the Caribbean style adventure. The book has an absolutely wonderful sense of humor to it as well, with a narrator that found a way to delight me in every chapter (I particularly love a running joke in which he informs us that there are more characters than he can remember, so unimportant ones will all be called Doug as it’s the only name that exists in every world he’s been to).

I’ve seen some say that the book has a YA feel to it. I honestly don’t fully see it. While the book has nothing objectionable for younger ages, and does indeed have a few tropes that YA loves, it feels more like an 80s fantasy novel that would have inspired such works rather than being a part of them. Maybe I’m just too jaded with the term YA, but I just don’t fully see it here.

Tress is a wonderful adventure novel filled with humor and heart. One I recommend to every fantasy fan... and yes, this may be the one that finally convinces me to check out other Sanderson novels. 4/5 stars.
]]> The 13 Clocks 31579503 A giant of American humor makes his Penguin Classics debut with “probably the best book in the world� (Neil Gaiman, from the Introduction), in a stunning Deluxe Edition featuring the original, full-color illustrations

The hands of all thirteen clocks stand still in the gloomy castle on a lonely hill where a wicked Duke lives with his niece, the beautiful Princess Saralinda. The Duke fancies he has frozen time, for he is afraid that one day a Prince may come and win away the hand of the Princess—the only warm hand in the castle. To thwart that fate, he sets impossible tasks for Saralinda’s suitors. But when the bold Prince Zorn of Zorna arrives, disguised as a wandering minstrel, and helped by the enigmatic Golux, the cold Duke may at last have met his match.

Since it was first published in 1950, James Thurber’s sublimely whimsical fairy tale of love forestalled but ultimately fulfilled has delighted readers of all ages. It is published here with Marc Simont’s enchanting, full-color illustrations from the first edition.
]]> 120 James Thurber 110166634X Tim 5
Neal Gaiman in his introduction calls this “possibly the best book in the world.� I don’t know if I fully agree with that, but I found it an absolute delight. The plot is simple. There is an evil Duke with a princess. There is a prince who wishes to marry her. He is given an impossible task to win her hand, and we just follow along. It’s a fairy tale from start to finish, operating under fairy tale logic, and while the story may be simple, the writing is not. If there was ever a book that begged to be read aloud, it is this. It works in a way that is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. The language of this book is what elevates it and what I’ve come here to praise. Take this dialogue exchange:

“Half the places I have been to, never were. I make things up. Half the things I say are there cannot be found. When I was young I told a tale of buried gold, and men from leagues around dug in the woods. I dug myself."

"But why?"

"I thought the tale of treasure might be true."

"You said you made it up."

"I know I did, but then I didn't know I had. I forget things, too.�

Phrases move with a poetic flow, beautiful, funny, clever, nonsensical... It’s almost like Dr. Seuss for an older age, but that’s not right either. It is simply what it is, and as the book says, “it’s the only one there ever was.� Will this be a book for everyone? Certainly not. That said, it was a charming read from start to finish and one I see myself revisiting. A rare 5/5 stars. ]]> 4.14 1950 The 13 Clocks
author: James Thurber
name: Tim
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1950
rating: 5
read at: 2023/04/07
date added: 2023/04/07
shelves: read-2023, reviewed, humor, fantasy, 1950s
review:
“The clocks were dead, and in the end, brooding on it, the Duke decided he had murdered time, slain it with his sword, and wiped his bloody blade upon its beard and left it lying there, bleeding hours and minutes...�

Neal Gaiman in his introduction calls this “possibly the best book in the world.� I don’t know if I fully agree with that, but I found it an absolute delight. The plot is simple. There is an evil Duke with a princess. There is a prince who wishes to marry her. He is given an impossible task to win her hand, and we just follow along. It’s a fairy tale from start to finish, operating under fairy tale logic, and while the story may be simple, the writing is not. If there was ever a book that begged to be read aloud, it is this. It works in a way that is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. The language of this book is what elevates it and what I’ve come here to praise. Take this dialogue exchange:

“Half the places I have been to, never were. I make things up. Half the things I say are there cannot be found. When I was young I told a tale of buried gold, and men from leagues around dug in the woods. I dug myself."

"But why?"

"I thought the tale of treasure might be true."

"You said you made it up."

"I know I did, but then I didn't know I had. I forget things, too.�

Phrases move with a poetic flow, beautiful, funny, clever, nonsensical... It’s almost like Dr. Seuss for an older age, but that’s not right either. It is simply what it is, and as the book says, “it’s the only one there ever was.� Will this be a book for everyone? Certainly not. That said, it was a charming read from start to finish and one I see myself revisiting. A rare 5/5 stars.
]]> 2023 on ŷ 62316199 2023 on ŷ should make an interesting and varied catalogue of books to inspire other readers in 2024.

For those of you who don't like to add titles you haven't actually 'read', you can place 2023 on ŷ on an 'exclusive' shelf. Exclusive shelves don't have to be listed under 'to read', 'currently reading' or 'read'. To create one, go to 'edit bookshelves' on your 'My Books' page, create a shelf name such as 'review-of-the year' and tick the 'exclusive' box. Your previous and future 'reviews of the year' can be collected together on this dedicated shelf.

Concept created by Fionnuala Lirsdottir.
Description: Fionnuala Lirsdottir
Cover art: Paul Cézanne, Bibémus Quarry, c.1895
Cover choice and graphics by Jayson]]> Various Tim 0
Wilkie Collins:
Charles Dickens: Hard Times
Fyodor Dostoevsky:
George Eliot:
Elizabeth Gaskell:
Thomas Hardy:
Henry James:
Anthony Trollope:

Any suggestions on which book to read by the authors or another author to add to the list would be appreciated. I should note now that I don't necessarily intend to read the most popular book by each of them (though I'm not necessarily against it), as sometimes I like reading a lesser known book by a popular author first as I think it's interesting to have something to compare the more popular books to when I get around to reading them.

Now with all this said, I'm not intending to read only classics this year and will update this page with all books I read, classic or otherwise, this is just my project for the year.

Happy 2023 everyone. May it be better than the last.

January:

1. Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco
2. Hard Times by Charles Dickens
3. Alice Isn't Dead by Joseph Fink

February:

Nothing... because apparently my brain shut down for a month and I couldn't handle even the process of reading.

March:

4. Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie
5. Critical Role: The Mighty Nein—The Nine Eyes of Lucien by Madeleine Roux
6. People from My Neighborhood by Hiromi Kawakami]]> 4.10 2023 2023 on ŷ
author: Various
name: Tim
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/21
shelves:
review:
Last year was a bit of a reading failure for me. I would like to improve again this year. Rather than setting a reading goal of number of books, I've instead decided I would like to focus on reading classics again. I've mentioned in a few of my reviews that I majored in English, but my professors (with one exception) all seemed to have a vendetta against classic literature and consistently taught books from the 1960s and forward. While I read many interesting novel during my time at university, I always felt a bit cheated. As such, this is the year I want to knock out more classics. My goal is to read at least one book by the following authors (will update this page to show when I've read one of their books) though likely I will miss a few:

Wilkie Collins:
Charles Dickens: Hard Times
Fyodor Dostoevsky:
George Eliot:
Elizabeth Gaskell:
Thomas Hardy:
Henry James:
Anthony Trollope:

Any suggestions on which book to read by the authors or another author to add to the list would be appreciated. I should note now that I don't necessarily intend to read the most popular book by each of them (though I'm not necessarily against it), as sometimes I like reading a lesser known book by a popular author first as I think it's interesting to have something to compare the more popular books to when I get around to reading them.

Now with all this said, I'm not intending to read only classics this year and will update this page with all books I read, classic or otherwise, this is just my project for the year.

Happy 2023 everyone. May it be better than the last.

January:

1. Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco
2. Hard Times by Charles Dickens
3. Alice Isn't Dead by Joseph Fink

February:

Nothing... because apparently my brain shut down for a month and I couldn't handle even the process of reading.

March:

4. Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie
5. Critical Role: The Mighty Nein—The Nine Eyes of Lucien by Madeleine Roux
6. People from My Neighborhood by Hiromi Kawakami
]]> People from My Neighborhood 57251431 From the author of the internationally bestselling Strange Weather in Tokyo, a collection of interlinking stories that masterfully blend the mundane and the mythical—“fairy tales in the best Brothers Grimm tradition: naif, magical, and frequently veering into the macabre� (Financial Times).

A bossy child who lives under a white cloth near a t­ree; a schoolgirl who keeps doll’s brains in a desk drawer; an old man with two shadows, one docile and one rebellious; a diplomat no one has ever seen who goes fishing at an artificial lake no one has ever heard of. These are some of the inhabitants of People From My Neighborhood. In their lives, details of the local and everyday—the lunch menu at a tiny drinking place called the Love, the color and shape of the roof of the tax office—slip into accounts of duels, prophetic dreams, revolutions, and visitations from ghosts and gods. In twenty-six “palm of the hand� stories—fictions small enough to fit in the palm of one’s hand—Hiromi Kawakami creates a universe ruled by mystery and transformation.]]> 159 Hiromi Kawakami 1593767110 Tim 3 The Nakano Thrift Shop) but this... this is something different.

The book is a collection of very short stories (most only three pages, a few towards the end a little longer). They have recurring characters and places, as the title implies they all take place in the same neighborhood. They are all surreal. Some are funny, some a touch eerie (though never what I would call frightening) and some are a bit sad. All though are very strange.

As with almost all short story collections, some worked better for me than others, but all of them carried this strange little neighborhood to new places. I can't say that it's a great collection, but for those who like a touch of surrealism, you could do far worse. Personally it was a bit too "weird stuff happens because weird is interesting" feeling for me (something I haven't personally cared for since I was a teenager) but I still overall enjoyed it. 3/5 stars.]]> 3.55 2020 People from My Neighborhood
author: Hiromi Kawakami
name: Tim
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2023/03/21
date added: 2023/03/21
shelves: 2020s, japanese, reviewed, read-2023
review:
I have read and enjoyed some of Hiromi Kawakami's works in the past (particularly The Nakano Thrift Shop) but this... this is something different.

The book is a collection of very short stories (most only three pages, a few towards the end a little longer). They have recurring characters and places, as the title implies they all take place in the same neighborhood. They are all surreal. Some are funny, some a touch eerie (though never what I would call frightening) and some are a bit sad. All though are very strange.

As with almost all short story collections, some worked better for me than others, but all of them carried this strange little neighborhood to new places. I can't say that it's a great collection, but for those who like a touch of surrealism, you could do far worse. Personally it was a bit too "weird stuff happens because weird is interesting" feeling for me (something I haven't personally cared for since I was a teenager) but I still overall enjoyed it. 3/5 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[Critical Role: The Mighty Nein—The Nine Eyes of Lucien]]> 60706855 Delve into the mind of Critical Role’s most charming villain in this original novel that chronicles Lucien’s early life and his fateful meeting with the Mighty Nein.

Lucien has always been able to spin a bad situation to his advantage. From his childhood on the dangerous streets of Shadycreek Run to his years living off the grid and learning blood magic from the Claret Orders, the charismatic blood hunter will find a way to get the upper hand.

When Lucien is on a job in the frozen wastelands of Eiselcross with his fellow mercenaries, a rough-and-tumble crew called the Tombtakers, fate leads him to a mysterious journal in the ruins of an ancient city. The book speaks of the Somnovem, nine beings who can grant Lucien power beyond imagining—if he is able to find them and free them from captivity.

Intrigued by this opportunity, Lucien pores over the journal—but the more he reads, the stranger things become. The nine whisper to him in dreams and waking visions. Time slips away, along with Lucien’s grasp on reality. And tattoos of red eyes begin appearing on his skin. . . .

With the ability to reshape the world within his grasp, Lucien ignores all warning signs. He has always bent fortune to his will, and nothing—not even death—will stop him now.

Written by New York Times bestselling author Madeleine Roux, Critical Role: The Mighty Nein—The Nine Eyes of Lucien explores the meteoric rise and fall of one of Critical Role’s most notorious and tragic figures.]]> 320 Madeleine Roux 0593496736 Tim 3
Alright, before we start this review I need to explain something. I’ve been a long time Critical Role fan. I was watching it back in the Vox Machina days and am still keeping up with it now. I saw it grow from a “bunch of nerdy-ass voice actors� to the borderline event it has become each time a new episode hits... and I still delight in this.

I also need to state now the rather unpopular opinion in some circles that The Mighty Nein are a far more enjoyable group of characters than Vox Machina ever was (and I love the original group). So, when the first Critical Role novel came out and had the subtitle “Vox Machina� before the title, it was my great hope that a second book would have The Mighty Nein in front. It did and I rejoiced. Even more so because it starred Lucien/Molly who I think is one of the most interesting characters in all of Critical Role.

So, did it live up to expectations?

Let us break out my old friends, pros and cons.

Pros:

Lucien remains a wonderful villain and seeing what he was like prior to the series was a delight. I also loved seeing his dynamic with his original group and how different (yet similar in some ways) he is to the version we saw as Molly.

There’s an interesting spin in that a good portion of the book is a prequel, but we get a bit more beyond that seeing a bit more of the story than we saw in the show.

There are some interesting “House of Leaves� style meta tricks (the author cites it and “The King in Yellow� as major inspirations and you can see them). While this would feel out of place in most stories about the Critical Role characters, here it is quite fitting.

Cons:

If you’re not already a fan of Critical Role, do not pick this up. You will be confused as all hell as it assumes you’ve seen it. Gaps in narration are left, some scenes are seemingly skipped over, and aspects fly through so fast if you haven’t literally devoted yourself to the 100+ 4 hour episodes of campaign two, you’ll just be wondering what you missed. Some likely will not find this a con, I find though some of these decisions made for poor pacing as while yes, I know some of the things that happened, they felt off being left out.

Some of the scenes that are recreated lose a lot of their power in the translation from show to novel. In particular, one of my all-time favorite moments (the tarot reading) loses a lot.

In closing: overall, I’d still say this is a satisfying read, that is if you’re already a fan of the series. It was a book obviously written for Critters who wanted to see more of a fan favorite character. I’m sure some would have preferred doing an origin story for one of the main player characters (after all, Lucien isn’t really the same character as Molly... and perhaps Molly’s story would have been a more “satisfying� read). That said, it’s entertaining, the meta touches are a blast and I loved spending more time in the world of The Mighty Nein. A solid 3/5 stars and a recommendation to those who are already fans.]]> 4.00 2022 Critical Role: The Mighty Nein—The Nine Eyes of Lucien
author: Madeleine Roux
name: Tim
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/03/14
date added: 2023/03/14
shelves: fantasy, 2020s, read-2023, reviewed
review:
Warning: There are some minor spoilers in this review. If you’ve seen the Critical Role show, you’ll know them already. If you have not, I’d honestly advise skipping this review (and book) until you have finished campaign two.

Alright, before we start this review I need to explain something. I’ve been a long time Critical Role fan. I was watching it back in the Vox Machina days and am still keeping up with it now. I saw it grow from a “bunch of nerdy-ass voice actors� to the borderline event it has become each time a new episode hits... and I still delight in this.

I also need to state now the rather unpopular opinion in some circles that The Mighty Nein are a far more enjoyable group of characters than Vox Machina ever was (and I love the original group). So, when the first Critical Role novel came out and had the subtitle “Vox Machina� before the title, it was my great hope that a second book would have The Mighty Nein in front. It did and I rejoiced. Even more so because it starred Lucien/Molly who I think is one of the most interesting characters in all of Critical Role.

So, did it live up to expectations?

Let us break out my old friends, pros and cons.

Pros:

Lucien remains a wonderful villain and seeing what he was like prior to the series was a delight. I also loved seeing his dynamic with his original group and how different (yet similar in some ways) he is to the version we saw as Molly.

There’s an interesting spin in that a good portion of the book is a prequel, but we get a bit more beyond that seeing a bit more of the story than we saw in the show.

There are some interesting “House of Leaves� style meta tricks (the author cites it and “The King in Yellow� as major inspirations and you can see them). While this would feel out of place in most stories about the Critical Role characters, here it is quite fitting.

Cons:

If you’re not already a fan of Critical Role, do not pick this up. You will be confused as all hell as it assumes you’ve seen it. Gaps in narration are left, some scenes are seemingly skipped over, and aspects fly through so fast if you haven’t literally devoted yourself to the 100+ 4 hour episodes of campaign two, you’ll just be wondering what you missed. Some likely will not find this a con, I find though some of these decisions made for poor pacing as while yes, I know some of the things that happened, they felt off being left out.

Some of the scenes that are recreated lose a lot of their power in the translation from show to novel. In particular, one of my all-time favorite moments (the tarot reading) loses a lot.

In closing: overall, I’d still say this is a satisfying read, that is if you’re already a fan of the series. It was a book obviously written for Critters who wanted to see more of a fan favorite character. I’m sure some would have preferred doing an origin story for one of the main player characters (after all, Lucien isn’t really the same character as Molly... and perhaps Molly’s story would have been a more “satisfying� read). That said, it’s entertaining, the meta touches are a blast and I loved spending more time in the world of The Mighty Nein. A solid 3/5 stars and a recommendation to those who are already fans.
]]> Episode Thirteen 61030527 From the macabre mind of Bram Stoker Award nominated author Craig DiLouie, Episode Thirteen is a heart pounding novel of horror and psychological suspense that takes a ghost hunting reality TV crew into a world they could never have imagined possible. A beautiful Russian doll of a story... Episode Thirteen hooks you, creeps you out, and then it overwhelms you. It's House of Leaves meets Haunting of Hill House, in all the best possible ways. -- Peter Clines, NYT bestselling author of The Broken Room


Fade to Black is the newest hit ghost hunting reality TV show. Led by husband and wife team Matt and Claire Kirklin, it delivers weekly hauntings investigated by a dedicated team of ghost hunting experts. Episode Thirteen takes them to every ghost hunter's holy grail: the Paranormal Research Foundation. This brooding, derelict mansion holds secrets and clues about bizarre experiments that took place there in the 1970s. It's also famously haunted, and the team hopes their scientific techniques and high tech gear will prove it. But as the house begins to reveal itself to them, proof of an afterlife might not be everything Matt dreamed of. A story told in broken pieces, in tapes, journals, and correspondence, this is the story of Episode Thirteen -- and how everything went terribly, horribly wrong.


An epistolary descent into a living nightmare . . . well-written and genuinely unsettling. Fans of paranormal documentaries, ghost-hunting shows, and found-footage horror will lose their minds over this one. - Kealan Patrick Burke, Bram Stoker Award winning author of Kin]]> 433 Craig DiLouie 0316443107 Tim 3
Oh man, how do I even review this one? Fun little opening advertisement for the show aside, this is actually a tricky one for me to talk about as I devoured all 433 pages quickly having to know more, but found myself frustrated with it as well.

First off, let me compliment the author as he pulled off something quite tricky. This is a found footage horror novel. Yes, a sub-genre of horror that should be exclusively for film, and he pulled it off as a novel. It’s written in an epistolary fashion, using a lot of journal entries, emails and text messages, but also a good portion of it reads like a script, with descriptions of what is being shown as if we are reading a transcript of the episode. It all works and makes for a fast-paced and fun book.

The characters are also really well done. I believed every single one of them and the direction they go in. Using the journal entries from multiple characters we see how they see themselves and the others around them, so while one may see his or herself in a certain way, we don’t question a seemingly out of character action (from their point of view) because others show us another side of them. It makes for a wonderful character study and shows different ways people react to both fear and obsession.

Which brings me to the reason I can’t give it more than three stars even though I had a lot of fun with it. Frankly the ending hurts it for me. Not because of where each character ends up at the conclusion (all fitting) but because the very nature of the structure makes aspects feel unfinished. There are questions brought up about characters pasts that we can interpret in different ways, but because of the structure being only episode thirteen, we are given no clear answers. For some this will likely add to the allure, for me I found it unsatisfying (particularly in regard to the characters of Matt and Kevin in which they allude to some things pre-show which I would have like to see much more of).

I’m also not a big fan of the final nature of the haunting, but that likely will be something a lot of readers like. So, I can’t say it hurts the novel, just my personal enjoyment of it.

In closing: Is the book good? Yes. Do I recommend it to my fellow haunted house fans? Again, yes. Overall, it’s a very satisfactory novel and I can’t even say that my negatives will be something that bothers anyone else. Give it a shot... but for me it’s an enjoyable 3/5 stars. ]]> 3.46 2023 Episode Thirteen
author: Craig DiLouie
name: Tim
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/03/07
date added: 2023/03/07
shelves: 2020s, horror, read-2023, reviewed
review:
In tonight’s thirteenth episode of Fade to Black, we will be investigating the Foundation House and its many mysteries. A group of scientists decided to combine the occult and modern science, forming something of a hippie commune to conduct their experiments. They all disappeared. Did they find what they were searching for or did something else find them? Our intrepid crew of paranormal investigators will spend seventy-two hours inside this house and what they find will shock you to your core. Stay tuned as we FADE TO BLACK.

Oh man, how do I even review this one? Fun little opening advertisement for the show aside, this is actually a tricky one for me to talk about as I devoured all 433 pages quickly having to know more, but found myself frustrated with it as well.

First off, let me compliment the author as he pulled off something quite tricky. This is a found footage horror novel. Yes, a sub-genre of horror that should be exclusively for film, and he pulled it off as a novel. It’s written in an epistolary fashion, using a lot of journal entries, emails and text messages, but also a good portion of it reads like a script, with descriptions of what is being shown as if we are reading a transcript of the episode. It all works and makes for a fast-paced and fun book.

The characters are also really well done. I believed every single one of them and the direction they go in. Using the journal entries from multiple characters we see how they see themselves and the others around them, so while one may see his or herself in a certain way, we don’t question a seemingly out of character action (from their point of view) because others show us another side of them. It makes for a wonderful character study and shows different ways people react to both fear and obsession.

Which brings me to the reason I can’t give it more than three stars even though I had a lot of fun with it. Frankly the ending hurts it for me. Not because of where each character ends up at the conclusion (all fitting) but because the very nature of the structure makes aspects feel unfinished. There are questions brought up about characters pasts that we can interpret in different ways, but because of the structure being only episode thirteen, we are given no clear answers. For some this will likely add to the allure, for me I found it unsatisfying (particularly in regard to the characters of Matt and Kevin in which they allude to some things pre-show which I would have like to see much more of).

I’m also not a big fan of the final nature of the haunting, but that likely will be something a lot of readers like. So, I can’t say it hurts the novel, just my personal enjoyment of it.

In closing: Is the book good? Yes. Do I recommend it to my fellow haunted house fans? Again, yes. Overall, it’s a very satisfactory novel and I can’t even say that my negatives will be something that bothers anyone else. Give it a shot... but for me it’s an enjoyable 3/5 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible, Vol. 1]]> 59366029
His goal is to make the most of his high school years, but that pesky invisibility gets in the way…until Nagisa Kubo notices him! Kubo’s playful teasing kicks Shiraishi out of his comfort zone and begins a friendship—or maybe something more?

When Kubo sits next to Shiraishi in their first year of high school, Shiraishi’s nonexistent social skills get a boost. Speaking up in class is only the beginning for Shiraishi—soon Kubo forces him to be noticed at school, at the bookstore, and all around town. Shiraishi’s once-lackluster life isn’t so dull anymore!]]> 176 Nene Yukimori 1974729680 Tim 4 manga, reviewed
This is a fairly entertaining slice of life comedic manga. Almost what would happen if you mixed Komi Can't Communicate with Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro (though not quite as cutie of designs as the first and without the mean spirited nature of the second). It has a gentle nature to it and is frequently quite funny. It also manages to take its main concept, continue using it, yet not feel too repetitive.

Overall this is a solid start to this series and was entertaining enough to make me want to pick up a second volume. 4/5 stars.
]]> 3.79 2020 Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible, Vol. 1
author: Nene Yukimori
name: Tim
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/02/28
shelves: manga, reviewed
review:
Junta is a side character if ever there was one. He blends in with his surroundings, his teachers often forget he's in class unless he makes sure they notice him, and if he sneezes everyone is alarmed that he "snuck up" up on them. That said, there is one of his fellow students who notices him. Kubo sees him and has taken quite the interest...

This is a fairly entertaining slice of life comedic manga. Almost what would happen if you mixed Komi Can't Communicate with Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro (though not quite as cutie of designs as the first and without the mean spirited nature of the second). It has a gentle nature to it and is frequently quite funny. It also manages to take its main concept, continue using it, yet not feel too repetitive.

Overall this is a solid start to this series and was entertaining enough to make me want to pick up a second volume. 4/5 stars.

]]> Alice Isn't Dead 36421253 It Devours!andWelcome to Night Valecomesa fast-paced thriller about a truck driver searching across America for the wife she had long assumed to be dead.

“This isn’t a story. It’s a road trip."

KeishaTaylor lived a quiet life with her wife, Alice, until the day that Alice disappeared. After months of searching, presuming she was dead, Keisha held a funeral, mourned, and gradually tried to get on with her life. But that was before Keisha started to see her wife, again and again, in the background of news reports from all over America. Alice isn’t dead, and she is showing up at every major tragedy and accident in the country.

Following a line of clues, Keisha takes a jobas a long-haul truck driver and begins searching for Alice.She eventually stumbles on an otherworldly conflict being waged in the quiet corners of our nation’s highway system—uncovering a conspiracy that goes way beyond one missing woman.]]> 323 Joseph Fink Tim 3
Written by Joseph Fink, one of the two creators of the popular Welcome to Nightvale series. Alice Isn’t Dead feels like it could very well take place in the same universe... except that Nightvale is funny, whereas Alice is dead serious. Bad things happen here. There’s a fairly high body count and some of those deaths are rather gruesome. It’s not explicit like an extreme horror novel, but it’s very clear what is happening to the people who have the misfortune of meeting one of the things along the road.

This book owes a great debt to David Lynch. Much more so than Nightvale even. In Nightvale the unexplained weirdness is so over the top and comical, where here it is threatening and just close enough to reality to make it uncomfortable. The Thistle Officer who changes her name every conversation reminds me rather unnervingly of the "Mysterious Man" from Lost Highway. I mean that in a complimentary fashion as he’s my favorite character in any Lynch film... but it adds to the overall uncomfortableness of the book

Let’s talk a moment about anxiety. Keisha suffers from it, and let me tell you, if you do too be prepared for a potential panic attack because Fink gets it like few other authors do. I felt myself starting to experience it quite frequently not during the monster encounters, but when Fink would describe the feeling of anxiety.

“It is often said that bad experiences are like nightmares. But what Keisha noticed most was how real it was, how she couldn’t escape its reality, how she would never be able to convince herself she had remembered any part of that evening incorrectly.”�

That... that feels too real.

Overall I really enjoyed this one. I wish I could say I liked it more but I have two very big issues with it. First, frankly, the villains toyed with the characters too much for things that have managed to work in the shadows/survive so long. There were so many times where I felt it just seemed off that Keisha wasn’t flat out murdered. Also, the ending... no spoilers, but I’m not a fan of the approach Fink takes. It almost feels like the ending to a much different book.

In closing: I enjoyed it for what it was. I wish I had loved it. Still, I’ll take enjoyable. 3/5 stars.ձ> 3.58 2018 Alice Isn't Dead
author: Joseph Fink
name: Tim
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2023/01/17
date added: 2023/01/17
shelves: 2010s, horror, read-2023, reviewed
review:
Alice has been dead, or at least presumed dead, for quite some time. Her wife Keisha has mourned her. She has attended therapy. She has tried to control her anxiety, but it’s just too much... especially as she starts to see Alice in the news. Not as a feature of the broadcast, or as a newscaster, but as just a person in the background crowds always staring straight at the screen. Keisha decides to go on a road trip, as she’s now sure that Alice isn’t dead.

Written by Joseph Fink, one of the two creators of the popular Welcome to Nightvale series. Alice Isn’t Dead feels like it could very well take place in the same universe... except that Nightvale is funny, whereas Alice is dead serious. Bad things happen here. There’s a fairly high body count and some of those deaths are rather gruesome. It’s not explicit like an extreme horror novel, but it’s very clear what is happening to the people who have the misfortune of meeting one of the things along the road.

This book owes a great debt to David Lynch. Much more so than Nightvale even. In Nightvale the unexplained weirdness is so over the top and comical, where here it is threatening and just close enough to reality to make it uncomfortable. The Thistle Officer who changes her name every conversation reminds me rather unnervingly of the "Mysterious Man" from Lost Highway. I mean that in a complimentary fashion as he’s my favorite character in any Lynch film... but it adds to the overall uncomfortableness of the book

Let’s talk a moment about anxiety. Keisha suffers from it, and let me tell you, if you do too be prepared for a potential panic attack because Fink gets it like few other authors do. I felt myself starting to experience it quite frequently not during the monster encounters, but when Fink would describe the feeling of anxiety.

“It is often said that bad experiences are like nightmares. But what Keisha noticed most was how real it was, how she couldn’t escape its reality, how she would never be able to convince herself she had remembered any part of that evening incorrectly.”�

That... that feels too real.

Overall I really enjoyed this one. I wish I could say I liked it more but I have two very big issues with it. First, frankly, the villains toyed with the characters too much for things that have managed to work in the shadows/survive so long. There were so many times where I felt it just seemed off that Keisha wasn’t flat out murdered. Also, the ending... no spoilers, but I’m not a fan of the approach Fink takes. It almost feels like the ending to a much different book.

In closing: I enjoyed it for what it was. I wish I had loved it. Still, I’ll take enjoyable. 3/5 stars.
]]> Hard Times 1793093
By 1854, when Hard Times was published, Charles Dickens' magisterial progress as a writer had come to incorporate a many-sided, coherent vision of English society, both as it was and as he wished it to be. Hard Times , a classic Dickensian story of redemption set in a North of England town beset by industrialism, everywhere benefits from this vision - in the trenchancy of its satire, in its sweeping indignation at social injustice, and in the persistent humanity with which its author enlivens his largest and smallest incidents.]]> 336 Charles Dickens 0679413235 Tim 3
So begins Charles Dickens� Hard Times. He creates a thesis for a character who believes that facts and a rationalism philosophy can conquer all, and for the next 280 pages will break down this philosophy.

It is well known that Dickens is a rather emotional writer. He wants to make people feel, so such a philosophy as the above must have been quite irritating to him. Imagine if you will that Dickens� point in this novel is a watermelon. I know this sound peculiar, but bear with me. How to make sure that all his readers understand his point?

By doing the following:



This is the most blunt and blatant book imaginable. I’m not faulting him for that. Dickens wanted to make sure his readers got his point, and he was the most popular author amongst general readers, including many lesser educated. He wanted to make sure they got it, and by God, he would do his best to make sure they did. That said, the lack of subtlety hurt it from a modern perspective... still, he cannot really be faulted for that.

I’ve now read four Dickens books and of the four this is my least favorite. It doesn’t have the emotional impact of A Tale of Two Cities, the good humor of Oliver Twist or the perfect delivery of his moral that A Christmas Carol has. That’s not to say this is a bad book, it was quite a comfortable read with moments of the genius I’ve come to expect from him, it just didn’t quite match up to what I’ve enjoyed in the past. I’ve noticed that I tend to prefer Dickens when he’s in a more comedic mode, and while there is humor here, it is overall a much more serious book. At one point, prior to starting to read Dickens, I almost chose this to be my first one on account of it being so short compared to his other books. I'm glad I didn't as I'm not sure I would have felt the need to immediately jump to another of his works. Still, I’m glad I read it and will be continuing making my way through his works. 3/5 stars.]]> 3.63 1854 Hard Times
author: Charles Dickens
name: Tim
average rating: 3.63
book published: 1854
rating: 3
read at: 2023/01/09
date added: 2023/01/09
shelves: 19th-century, classic, read-2023, reviewed
review:
“Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else.�

So begins Charles Dickens� Hard Times. He creates a thesis for a character who believes that facts and a rationalism philosophy can conquer all, and for the next 280 pages will break down this philosophy.

It is well known that Dickens is a rather emotional writer. He wants to make people feel, so such a philosophy as the above must have been quite irritating to him. Imagine if you will that Dickens� point in this novel is a watermelon. I know this sound peculiar, but bear with me. How to make sure that all his readers understand his point?

By doing the following:



This is the most blunt and blatant book imaginable. I’m not faulting him for that. Dickens wanted to make sure his readers got his point, and he was the most popular author amongst general readers, including many lesser educated. He wanted to make sure they got it, and by God, he would do his best to make sure they did. That said, the lack of subtlety hurt it from a modern perspective... still, he cannot really be faulted for that.

I’ve now read four Dickens books and of the four this is my least favorite. It doesn’t have the emotional impact of A Tale of Two Cities, the good humor of Oliver Twist or the perfect delivery of his moral that A Christmas Carol has. That’s not to say this is a bad book, it was quite a comfortable read with moments of the genius I’ve come to expect from him, it just didn’t quite match up to what I’ve enjoyed in the past. I’ve noticed that I tend to prefer Dickens when he’s in a more comedic mode, and while there is humor here, it is overall a much more serious book. At one point, prior to starting to read Dickens, I almost chose this to be my first one on account of it being so short compared to his other books. I'm glad I didn't as I'm not sure I would have felt the need to immediately jump to another of his works. Still, I’m glad I read it and will be continuing making my way through his works. 3/5 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[Silver Under Nightfall (Reaper, #1)]]> 60321513
When a terrifying new breed of vampire is sighted outside of the city, Remy prepares to investigate alone. But then he encounters the shockingly warmhearted vampire heiress Xiaodan Song and her infuriatingly arrogant fiancé, vampire lord Zidan Malekh, who may hold the key to defeating the creatures—though he knows associating with them won’t do his reputation any favors. When he’s offered a spot alongside them to find the truth about the mutating virus Rot that’s plaguing the kingdom, Remy faces a choice.

It’s one he’s certain he’ll regret.

But as the three face dangerous hardships during their journey, Remy develops fond and complicated feelings for the couple. He begins to question what he holds true about vampires, as well as the story behind his own family legacy. As the Rot continues to spread across the kingdom, Remy must decide where his loyalties lie: with his father and the kingdom he’s been trained all his life to defend or the vampires who might just be the death of him.]]> 512 Rin Chupeco 1982195711 Tim 4
Well, this is Castlevania fan-fic with name changes. No, I don’t mean that as an insult, it’s practically spelled out in the advertising and one can’t help but notice if one is familiar with it... well, I happen to like Castlevania so that didn’t particularly bother me. What I got along with it was a pleasant surprise as there’s a lot of fantasy politics (something I prefer to action scenes) and a very interesting world. I was particularly interested in the vampire court system and how they operated on different levels (I do hope to see more of that in the second book as I believe the author has stated it will be a duology).

The world is interesting. Most of the characters are likeable... and I’m glad in regard to the mystery aspect that we didn’t have that classic “I’ll be stupidly suspicious of the outsiders because I usually hunt them� moment I expected from our vampire hunter, as while he is very flawed, he’s not stupid and thus quickly works with the two court vampires in regards to the situation.

Alright mostly positive but I do have issues with the book. My biggest is aspects of the author’s writing. There are several abrupt transitions. Say they’re in the middle of a conversation and then BAM attack next paragraph, no transition. First time it happened I thought it was an interesting way to jar the reader into feeling like something could happen at any time. It happened multiple times though and after a bit felt less like an interesting creative choice and more like an editor took out a paragraph of description in between to keep things faster paced. It wasn’t even always a fight, sometimes someone would just enter the scene without any notice, or we’d just move onto a new topic without any transition. It was never jarring enough to make me want to quit or anything, but it was frustrating enough that I noticed it repeatedly.

I’m also not an overly big fan of Remy as a character. He improves as it goes on, but dear sweet Dracula, he annoyed the hell out of me at the start. Had it not been for the interesting world and other characters (which is to say, literally everything about the book other than Remy) I would have DNF it.

As said though, Remy does improve, so overall my complaints are minor. It’s a fun read and pretty breezy for 500+ pages. Recommended to fantasy fans who happen to like vampires. 4/5 stars]]> 3.94 2022 Silver Under Nightfall (Reaper, #1)
author: Rin Chupeco
name: Tim
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/02
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: 2020s, fantasy, reviewed, read-2023
review:
Remy Pendergast, the only son of the Duke of Valenbonne, is a vampire hunter with a bit of an unpleasant reputation. His mother was the subject of gossip even before she ran off with a vampire, giving rise to the many rumors that Remy is himself half-vampire, and at least a few high ups had an old feud with his father and thus decide to take it out on Remy. Opportunities are few and far between for him, but with two diplomats arriving from two separate vampire courts in order to make a peace treaty, and a murder following shortly after, Remy has a bit of work to do... especially as he is the main suspect.

Well, this is Castlevania fan-fic with name changes. No, I don’t mean that as an insult, it’s practically spelled out in the advertising and one can’t help but notice if one is familiar with it... well, I happen to like Castlevania so that didn’t particularly bother me. What I got along with it was a pleasant surprise as there’s a lot of fantasy politics (something I prefer to action scenes) and a very interesting world. I was particularly interested in the vampire court system and how they operated on different levels (I do hope to see more of that in the second book as I believe the author has stated it will be a duology).

The world is interesting. Most of the characters are likeable... and I’m glad in regard to the mystery aspect that we didn’t have that classic “I’ll be stupidly suspicious of the outsiders because I usually hunt them� moment I expected from our vampire hunter, as while he is very flawed, he’s not stupid and thus quickly works with the two court vampires in regards to the situation.

Alright mostly positive but I do have issues with the book. My biggest is aspects of the author’s writing. There are several abrupt transitions. Say they’re in the middle of a conversation and then BAM attack next paragraph, no transition. First time it happened I thought it was an interesting way to jar the reader into feeling like something could happen at any time. It happened multiple times though and after a bit felt less like an interesting creative choice and more like an editor took out a paragraph of description in between to keep things faster paced. It wasn’t even always a fight, sometimes someone would just enter the scene without any notice, or we’d just move onto a new topic without any transition. It was never jarring enough to make me want to quit or anything, but it was frustrating enough that I noticed it repeatedly.

I’m also not an overly big fan of Remy as a character. He improves as it goes on, but dear sweet Dracula, he annoyed the hell out of me at the start. Had it not been for the interesting world and other characters (which is to say, literally everything about the book other than Remy) I would have DNF it.

As said though, Remy does improve, so overall my complaints are minor. It’s a fun read and pretty breezy for 500+ pages. Recommended to fantasy fans who happen to like vampires. 4/5 stars
]]> 2022 on ŷ 58628750
For those of you who don't like to add titles, you haven't actually 'read', you can place 2022 on ŷ on an 'exclusive' shelf. Exclusive shelves don't have to be listed under 'to read', 'currently reading', or 'read'. To create one, go to 'edit bookshelves' on your 'My Books' page, create a shelf name such as 'review-of-the year' and tick the 'exclusive' box. Your previous and future 'reviews of the year' can be collected together on this dedicated shelf.

Concept created by Fionnuala Lirsdottir in 2014
Description: Fionnuala Lirsdottir
Initial choice of Paul Cézanne as cover artist for the entire series by Kalliope
Cover art for 2022: Paul Cézanne, Tulips and Apples, 1894
Cover choice and graphics for 2022 by Jayson]]> Various Tim 0
Now enough about me, let's talk about me for a while... I mean, my books. Here are my top 10 reads of 2022 (Friendly note though: this is about personal reference though and not likely the best in terms of quality and such):

10. Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke
9. Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo
8. The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
7. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
6. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
5. My Annihilation by Fuminori Nakamura
4. Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
3. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
2. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
1. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickes

No commentary this year, too tired, plus I reviewed each of these books so if you really want to know my opinion you can always look it up or ask.

Happy new year everyone! May 2023 be a kinder one.]]> 4.07 2022 2022 on ŷ
author: Various
name: Tim
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/12/31
shelves:
review:
Well, I never give these years in review a rating, but if I was going to, this would likely be a 1/5. I only read 29 books, was sick a good portion of the year (like really sick, as in I was knocked out of commission and didn't even really show up online). All in all, a spectacular failure. On the positive, it's almost over.

Now enough about me, let's talk about me for a while... I mean, my books. Here are my top 10 reads of 2022 (Friendly note though: this is about personal reference though and not likely the best in terms of quality and such):

10. Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke
9. Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo
8. The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
7. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
6. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
5. My Annihilation by Fuminori Nakamura
4. Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
3. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
2. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
1. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickes

No commentary this year, too tired, plus I reviewed each of these books so if you really want to know my opinion you can always look it up or ask.

Happy new year everyone! May 2023 be a kinder one.
]]> <![CDATA[Mr. Boddington's Studio: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas]]> 56749675
A perennial bestseller and timeless gift in the holiday season, multiple adaptations exist of this classic holiday tale, almost exclusively illustrated in bold classic colors. Mr. Boddington's Studio provides a fresh take by using the same poem and updating the style with a sophisticated and modern color palette. Children and parents alike will delight in revisiting this classic holiday tale with the iconic and fresh Mr. Boddington's style.]]> 32 Mr. Boddington's Studio 0593384075 Tim 2 reviewed, my-daughter-s-books
There's also little comments from the helpers on a few page that if read aloud disrupt the flow of the poem.

Other reviewers seem to really like this, and it seems to work for them, so by all means, give it a try... you may just want to look through it first because it may not be your cup of tea.

The poem itself is the same as always, it is a lovely work and I don't have anything to add. 2/5 stars.]]> 4.36 Mr. Boddington's Studio: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
author: Mr. Boddington's Studio
name: Tim
average rating: 4.36
book published:
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2022/12/24
shelves: reviewed, my-daughter-s-books
review:
I read this to my daughter tonight (for obvious reasons) and I must say, I seem to be in the minority on my feelings for this specific edition as I simply do not like it. I do not care for the illustrations, I do not find them lovely or even overly fitting. There is the inclusion of many elves (or at least helpers of some sort) that are featured prominently in this edition that, because it uses the words from the original poem, the narrator seems desperately trying to ignore. I guess this adds some humor as he's focused on Santa and doing his best to pretend these workers aren't his house or laying on his furniture, but it just seems so weird.

There's also little comments from the helpers on a few page that if read aloud disrupt the flow of the poem.

Other reviewers seem to really like this, and it seems to work for them, so by all means, give it a try... you may just want to look through it first because it may not be your cup of tea.

The poem itself is the same as always, it is a lovely work and I don't have anything to add. 2/5 stars.
]]> Creepy Crayon! 57636300
From the team behind the New York Times bestselling Creepy Carrots! and Creepy Pair of Underwear! comes the third in this hilariously spooky series about a young rabbit and his peculiar encounters—featuring a sinister crayon!

Jasper Rabbit has a he is NOT doing well in school. His spelling tests? Disasters. His math quizzes? Frightening to behold. But one day, he finds a crayon lying in the gutter. Purple. Pointy. Perfect. Somehow…it looked happy to see him. And it wants to help.

At first, Jasper is excited. Everything is going great. His spelling is fantastic . His math is stupendous . And best of all, he doesn’t have to do ANY work! But then the crayon starts acting weird. It’s everywhere, and it wants to do everything. And Jasper must find a way to get rid of it before it takes over his life. The only problem? The creepy crayon will not leave.]]> 42 Aaron Reynolds 153446588X Tim 4 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
Third in the series of kid’s books about this poor rabbit and his supernatural encounters. Again the art is wonderful, full of black, white and grays emulating old Universal monster movies (with frames that feel very much like they are from horror movies), with a dash of whatever the theme color is (in this case purple for the crayon).

My daughter loves all three, personally I rank this above the first (Creepy Carrots) and below the second (Creepy Pair of Underwear). In terms of the creepy factor though, I should warn that this is the most likely to scare children as the crayon, while presented quite friendly at first, comes off far more intimidating than the antagonists of the other books. 4/5 stars ]]> 4.30 2022 Creepy Crayon!
author: Aaron Reynolds
name: Tim
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/12/23
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
Harold’s crayon is CREEPY. In fact, it’s more than CREEPY, it may be evil. It seems pleasant enough at first, helping him ace his test, answer all questions right without studying, and allowing for more video game time... but then it won’t let him do anything for himself. No art time, no enjoyment, not unless the crayon allows it. Will Harold escape this CREEPY crayon?

Third in the series of kid’s books about this poor rabbit and his supernatural encounters. Again the art is wonderful, full of black, white and grays emulating old Universal monster movies (with frames that feel very much like they are from horror movies), with a dash of whatever the theme color is (in this case purple for the crayon).

My daughter loves all three, personally I rank this above the first (Creepy Carrots) and below the second (Creepy Pair of Underwear). In terms of the creepy factor though, I should warn that this is the most likely to scare children as the crayon, while presented quite friendly at first, comes off far more intimidating than the antagonists of the other books. 4/5 stars
]]> Tell Me I'm Worthless 60784414
Memories of that night torment Alice, but when Ila asks her to return to the House, to go past the KEEP OUT sign and over the sick earth where teenagers dare each other to venture, Alice knows she must go.

Together, Alice and Ila must face the horrors that happened there, must pull themselves apart from the inside out, put their differences aside, and try to rescue Hannah, whom the House has chosen to make its own.]]> 263 Alison Rumfitt 1250866235 Tim 0 to-read 3.36 2021 Tell Me I'm Worthless
author: Alison Rumfitt
name: Tim
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/12/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Sister, Maiden, Monster 60784461 Sister, Maiden, Monster is a visceral story set in the aftermath of our planet’s disastrous transformation and told through the eyes of three women trying to survive the nightmare, from Bram Stoker Award-winning author Lucy A. Snyder.

To survive they must evolve.

A virus tears across the globe, transforming its victims in nightmarish ways. As the world collapses, dark forces pull a small group of women together.

Erin, once quiet and closeted, acquires an appetite for a woman and her brain. Why does forbidden fruit taste so good?

Savannah, a professional BDSM switch, discovers a new turn-on: committing brutal murders for her eldritch masters.

Mareva, plagued with chronic tumors, is too horrified to acknowledge her divine role in the coming apocalypse, and as her growths multiply, so too does her desperation.

Inspired by her Bram Stoker Award-winning story “Magdala Amygdala,� Lucy A. Snyder delivers a cosmic tale about the planet’s disastrous transformation ... and what we become after.]]> 265 Lucy A. Snyder 1250825652 Tim 0 to-read 3.55 2023 Sister, Maiden, Monster
author: Lucy A. Snyder
name: Tim
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/12/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Mary 58724622
But lately, things have been changing inside Mary. Along with the hot flashes and body aches, she can’t look in a mirror without passing out, and the voices in her head have been urging her to do unspeakable things.

Fired from her job in New York, she moves back to her hometown, hoping to reconnect with her past and inner self. Instead, visions of terrifying, mutilated specters overwhelm her with increasing regularity and she begins auto-writing strange thoughts and phrases. Mary discovers that these experiences are echoes of an infamous serial killer.

Then the killings begin again.

Mary’s definitely going to find herself.]]> 405 Nat Cassidy 1250265231 Tim 0 to-read 3.78 2022 Mary
author: Nat Cassidy
name: Tim
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/12/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Into the Riverlands (The Singing Hills Cycle, #3)]]> 59807976
Accompanied by Almost Brilliant, a talking bird with an indelible memory, Chih confronts old legends and new dangers alike as they learn that every story—beautiful, ugly, kind, or cruel—bears more than one face.]]> 100 Nghi Vo 1250851424 Tim 4
Well, now I’ve read it. All is right with the world again and I can give an assessment. So, is it another perfect masterpiece?

�

I’m sorry to report back that no, in my opinion it is not. Now hold on a moment though, that’s not to say it isn’t good! It is. Very good. In fact, it’s a delight from start to finish and kept me smiling throughout. There’s just something about this one that doesn’t quite hit me like the first two books did. I think this has to do with the nature of the structure of this one. You see, this one feels a little more... “rambling� is the wrong word, but so is “less structured.� It’s a very well plotted tale, and much like the first two books it examines how we narrate stories and reexamines what isn’t said. In this one though, it feels a lot looser with its structure. In the first two we know exactly how the stories are structured and we see the variation on the narratives as the stories are going. Here one could be forgiven for missing some of the ideas it is pointing out because it cleverly doesn’t ever fully explain them to you. Now, I love it when an author assumes intelligence for their reader and I liked the structure here... but at the same time, I missed how the first one told the reader “Here is what you should know and here is what they never told you.� I missed how the second had characters correcting each other telling the same story but showing how it could be changed to fit different cultures. Here it plays again with the details not said, and how things connect, but it doesn’t seem quite as playful in the telling.

I know I’m sounding very critical, but that is not my intention. I’m trying to explain why it is not a perfect 5/5 like the others, that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it or didn’t like what was done with it. It’s a wonderful read, and seeing the return of cleric Chih was a delight. I fully do recommend it and was content the entire time.

The Singing Hills Cycle may genuinely be one of my favorite book series that I’ve ever read. Each one has left me delighted and feeling the need to revisit it. All three have been marvelous examinations of how stories function and examine the details behind what we think we know. While I did not enjoy this quite as much as the first two (the second of which is in my opinion a masterpiece) this is still another solid entry and only increases my love for the series. 4/5 stars ]]> 4.01 2022 Into the Riverlands (The Singing Hills Cycle, #3)
author: Nghi Vo
name: Tim
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/21
date added: 2022/12/20
shelves: 2020s, fantasy, read-2022, reviewed
review:
I can’t believe I missed that this had come out. I saw a friend had reviewed it and I literally stopped what I was doing and drove to a bookstore to track it down. I gave the first two books 5/5 stars and declared them both amazing reads and the fact that I missed reading this the day it came out was a massive disappointment (in myself, not the book).

Well, now I’ve read it. All is right with the world again and I can give an assessment. So, is it another perfect masterpiece?

�

I’m sorry to report back that no, in my opinion it is not. Now hold on a moment though, that’s not to say it isn’t good! It is. Very good. In fact, it’s a delight from start to finish and kept me smiling throughout. There’s just something about this one that doesn’t quite hit me like the first two books did. I think this has to do with the nature of the structure of this one. You see, this one feels a little more... “rambling� is the wrong word, but so is “less structured.� It’s a very well plotted tale, and much like the first two books it examines how we narrate stories and reexamines what isn’t said. In this one though, it feels a lot looser with its structure. In the first two we know exactly how the stories are structured and we see the variation on the narratives as the stories are going. Here one could be forgiven for missing some of the ideas it is pointing out because it cleverly doesn’t ever fully explain them to you. Now, I love it when an author assumes intelligence for their reader and I liked the structure here... but at the same time, I missed how the first one told the reader “Here is what you should know and here is what they never told you.� I missed how the second had characters correcting each other telling the same story but showing how it could be changed to fit different cultures. Here it plays again with the details not said, and how things connect, but it doesn’t seem quite as playful in the telling.

I know I’m sounding very critical, but that is not my intention. I’m trying to explain why it is not a perfect 5/5 like the others, that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it or didn’t like what was done with it. It’s a wonderful read, and seeing the return of cleric Chih was a delight. I fully do recommend it and was content the entire time.

The Singing Hills Cycle may genuinely be one of my favorite book series that I’ve ever read. Each one has left me delighted and feeling the need to revisit it. All three have been marvelous examinations of how stories function and examine the details behind what we think we know. While I did not enjoy this quite as much as the first two (the second of which is in my opinion a masterpiece) this is still another solid entry and only increases my love for the series. 4/5 stars
]]> A Christmas Carol 1828974 A Christmas Carol debuted in 1843 and has touched millions of hearts since. Cruel miser Ebeneezer Scrooge has never met a shilling he doesn't like...and hardly a man he does. And he hates Christmas most of all. When Scrooge is visited by his old partner, Jacob Marley, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come, he learns eternal lessons of charity, kindness, and goodwill. Experience a true Victorian Christmas!

In this unabridged version of the original 1843 edition, the classic tale is illustrated with full-color paintings and black-and-white drawings that brilliantly recapture an era and bring Dickens’s characters vividly to life.]]> 144 Charles Dickens 0140071202 Tim 5
I won’t go into the plot. You all know it. We’ve seen hundreds of adaptations, they follow the same storyline, they all have practically the same dialogue. In fact, if you can think of a notable scene that you don’t see in EVERY adaptation, it’s likely because it was not in the original. It actually was remarkably interesting reading this and practically knowing every response in dialogue as I’d seen so many of the adaptations every year since childhood.

So is the book worth a read? You already know it is. It’s a classic for good reason. It’s a wonderful story and it is one of Dicken’s shortest works, but it packs more of an impact in its short page count than many a longer book could ever hope to. It receives a full 5/5 stars from me...

But no, I will never do the Tiny Tim line, as I’m sure most other Tims would refuse to do as well. ]]> 4.07 1843 A Christmas Carol
author: Charles Dickens
name: Tim
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1843
rating: 5
read at: 2022/12/17
date added: 2022/12/17
shelves: classic, 19th-century, read-2022, reviewed
review:
2022 has been a rough year for me personally, but one highlight is that it has been the year I finally got into the works of Charles Dickens. Dickens has been one of those authors who I’ve felt like I needed to read for quite some time (I majored in English and not a professor assigned him all those years ago). I started with A Tale of Two Cities and moved on directly after it to Oliver Twist. Now we’re at my third Dickens work and what better book to read at this time of the year than A Christmas Carol?

I won’t go into the plot. You all know it. We’ve seen hundreds of adaptations, they follow the same storyline, they all have practically the same dialogue. In fact, if you can think of a notable scene that you don’t see in EVERY adaptation, it’s likely because it was not in the original. It actually was remarkably interesting reading this and practically knowing every response in dialogue as I’d seen so many of the adaptations every year since childhood.

So is the book worth a read? You already know it is. It’s a classic for good reason. It’s a wonderful story and it is one of Dicken’s shortest works, but it packs more of an impact in its short page count than many a longer book could ever hope to. It receives a full 5/5 stars from me...

But no, I will never do the Tiny Tim line, as I’m sure most other Tims would refuse to do as well.
]]> <![CDATA[Creepy Pair of Underwear! (Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales!)]]> 31491773 underwear. But when the lights go out, suddenly his new big rabbit underwear glows in the dark. A ghoulish, greenish glow. If Jasper didn’t know any better he’d say his undies were a little, well, creepy. Jasper’s not scared obviously, he’s just done with creepy underwear. But after trying everything to get rid of them, they keep coming back!]]> 48 Aaron Reynolds 1442402989 Tim 4 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
This one is honestly more fun of a story than the first (slightly less creepy which could be a pro or con depending on the child) and the artwork is a blast with the black, white, grays and glowing green color. Fans of the first will likely be excited by the slight cameo by the carrots from the first.

This is another one well worth a look if you have little horror fans in your life. 4/5 stars]]> 4.32 2017 Creepy Pair of Underwear! (Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales!)
author: Aaron Reynolds
name: Tim
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/10/03
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
An even better follow up to Creepy Carrots. This time Jasper the rabbit, being a big rabbit now, goes to get big rabbit underwear. He thinks a certain pair looks cool� but it ends up being CREEPY with its ghoulish greenish glow.

This one is honestly more fun of a story than the first (slightly less creepy which could be a pro or con depending on the child) and the artwork is a blast with the black, white, grays and glowing green color. Fans of the first will likely be excited by the slight cameo by the carrots from the first.

This is another one well worth a look if you have little horror fans in your life. 4/5 stars
]]> <![CDATA[Creepy Carrots! (Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales!)]]> 13259987 The Twilight Zone comes to the carrot patch in this clever picture book parable about a rabbit who fears his favorite treats are out to get him. Jasper Rabbit loves carrots—especially Crackenhopper Field carrots.

He eats them on the way to school.

He eats them going to Little League.

He eats them walking home.

Until the day the carrots start following him...or are they?

Celebrated artist Peter Brown’s stylish illustrations pair perfectly with Aaron Reynold’s text in this hilarious eBook with audio that shows it’s all fun and games…until you get too greedy.]]> 32 Aaron Reynolds 1442402970 Tim 4 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
The artwork for this book is fantastic, especially as it uses a lot of black, white and grays to look like a classic Universal Monster movie (though with orange for the carrots). The humor is effective and overall this is a nice little read. Slight warning though, some of the images may be a tiny bit scary to little ones, so in my case I had to play up how silly it was on the first read. 4/5 stars
]]> 4.22 2012 Creepy Carrots! (Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales!)
author: Aaron Reynolds
name: Tim
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/09/30
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
My daughter has recently been in the mood to read "spooky books" something that as a horror fan I encourage, but I also don't want to terrify her. Creepy Carrots is the perfect read for a kid who wants something along those lines as it plays up horror tropes, it uses shadows in the art to create menace� but let's face it, the creepy things are carrots torments a bunny rabbit and that's pretty funny.

The artwork for this book is fantastic, especially as it uses a lot of black, white and grays to look like a classic Universal Monster movie (though with orange for the carrots). The humor is effective and overall this is a nice little read. Slight warning though, some of the images may be a tiny bit scary to little ones, so in my case I had to play up how silly it was on the first read. 4/5 stars

]]> The Bat (Harry Hole, #1) 17345209 369 Jo Nesbø 034580709X Tim 3
So, I’ve been meaning to check out this series for a while, but I hesitated because I’d heard the first two books were, and I quote, “Yeah� a little below average, maybe?� Well, last year I read the author’s “Blood on Snow� and named it one of my top ten reads of the year, so it was time to give this one a shot as well. Well, if this is the worst, then I see great potential, as even though it is not a great book, it is a fairly entertaining one.

The plot introduces Harry Hole of the Oslo Crime Squad as he is dispatched to Australia to observe a murder case. The victim is a minor Norwegian celebrity, and her death is causing a bit of a stir� especially when the police start noticing similarities to some other crimes.

The book is a fairly good example of a modern noir, with a former alcoholic detective, who is quick thinking but makes mistakes. The plot goes some fairly dark and cynical places, which seems very fitting, but with the notation that if you’re already feeling in a bad mood, this is one unlikely to improve it.

While it is overall a very entertaining book, I do have a few issues with it. I felt like Harry was a little vague as a character. We get him talking about his past, but he doesn’t feel fully developed yet. In fact a good portion of the side characters felt better developed than our lead.

Also, it feels very strange that the first book in the series is one involving our lead investigating away from home. That seems more appropriate to a later book after we’ve gotten to know his actions at home� but that’s more of a peculiarity than anything.

Now one thing that the book does exceedingly well is manipulating scenes. It can go from funny to startling in a page. My favorite example is the following:

“A sudden, uncontrollable fury rose in him, and he cast around for something to smash. He snatched the whiskey bottle from the table and was about to launch it at the wall, but changed his mind at the last moment.

Lifelong training in self-control, he thought, opening the bottle and putting it to his mouth.�

Without context, that line is pretty funny. While I’ll not spoil the scene, I’ll say my reaction was not to laugh in the slightest. If anything it made the scene even more depressing.

All in all, this is a solid read. An entertaining start that I hear gets better. I’ll certainly be continuing on at some point, 3/5 stars.
]]> 3.43 1997 The Bat (Harry Hole, #1)
author: Jo Nesbø
name: Tim
average rating: 3.43
book published: 1997
rating: 3
read at: 2019/01/05
date added: 2022/09/16
shelves: 1990s, reviewed, mystery-crime
review:
I remember when Christopher Nolan’s Batman films came out, one of the (few) consistent criticisms was that it seemed like characters had a speech prepared for every situation. “Oh, you need to brush your teeth? One time, when I was in Burma…� Frankly it didn’t bother me in the films, but it did become something of a joke between me and my friends. I feel that joke could apply here, because whenever there’s a big development, someone is going to tell a story from their past, a story from a relative or a story from mythology... and I do mean every time, as it seems like the book can’t go 30 pages without doing this. Now it doesn’t really knock off any points here, but it feels like one could (rather appropriately or inappropriately depending on your view of a certain plot point) make a drinking game out of it� it also really makes me wish Nolan would do an adaptation of this series.

So, I’ve been meaning to check out this series for a while, but I hesitated because I’d heard the first two books were, and I quote, “Yeah� a little below average, maybe?� Well, last year I read the author’s “Blood on Snow� and named it one of my top ten reads of the year, so it was time to give this one a shot as well. Well, if this is the worst, then I see great potential, as even though it is not a great book, it is a fairly entertaining one.

The plot introduces Harry Hole of the Oslo Crime Squad as he is dispatched to Australia to observe a murder case. The victim is a minor Norwegian celebrity, and her death is causing a bit of a stir� especially when the police start noticing similarities to some other crimes.

The book is a fairly good example of a modern noir, with a former alcoholic detective, who is quick thinking but makes mistakes. The plot goes some fairly dark and cynical places, which seems very fitting, but with the notation that if you’re already feeling in a bad mood, this is one unlikely to improve it.

While it is overall a very entertaining book, I do have a few issues with it. I felt like Harry was a little vague as a character. We get him talking about his past, but he doesn’t feel fully developed yet. In fact a good portion of the side characters felt better developed than our lead.

Also, it feels very strange that the first book in the series is one involving our lead investigating away from home. That seems more appropriate to a later book after we’ve gotten to know his actions at home� but that’s more of a peculiarity than anything.

Now one thing that the book does exceedingly well is manipulating scenes. It can go from funny to startling in a page. My favorite example is the following:

“A sudden, uncontrollable fury rose in him, and he cast around for something to smash. He snatched the whiskey bottle from the table and was about to launch it at the wall, but changed his mind at the last moment.

Lifelong training in self-control, he thought, opening the bottle and putting it to his mouth.�

Without context, that line is pretty funny. While I’ll not spoil the scene, I’ll say my reaction was not to laugh in the slightest. If anything it made the scene even more depressing.

All in all, this is a solid read. An entertaining start that I hear gets better. I’ll certainly be continuing on at some point, 3/5 stars.

]]> Several People Are Typing 56292989 A work-from-home, comic tour-de-force that takes place entirely in a PR firm's Slack channels--a strange digital landscape where an employee claims to be literally trapped inside. For fans of Office Space, Then We Came to the End and Severance. And anyone who has ever struggled with an emoticon.

Gerald, a mid-level employee of a New York-based public relations firm, has been uploaded into the company's internal Slack channels--at least his consciousness has. His colleagues assume it's just an elaborate ploy to exploit their lax work-from-home policy, but now that his productivity is through the roof, they are only too happy to indulge him.
Disembodied and alarmed by the looming abyss of an eternity on-line, Gerald enlists his co-worker Pradeep to find out what happened to his body and help him escape. As Gerald plunges deeper into the surprisingly expansive Slack landscape, he finds an unlikely ally in Slackbot, Slack's AI assistant, who helps him navigate his new digital reality.
Meanwhile, the team's real-world problems are in danger of snowballing out of control. Top client Bjärk dog food might be poisoning Pomeranians across the country; someone is sabotaging the boss's office furniture; Tripp and Beverly are breaking the unspoken rule against office romances; and the incessant howling of wild dogs is starting to drive Lydia insane. Also: Why is Slackbot so interested in Gerald? And what in the hell does the :dusty-stick: emoji mean?
Hilarious, irreverent, and wholly original, Calvin Kasulke's Several People Are Typing is a satire of both corporate and contemporary life, and a perfect antidote to the way we live now.]]> 248 Calvin Kasulke 0385547226 Tim 4

What the hell did I just read?

Gerald is having a very bad time. He's been working from home, but his productivity is up so his boss isn't really bothered. Some of the staff is annoyed that he keeps sending them messages asking them to check on his body at home, due to him somehow being uploaded into the companies internal Slack channel. I mean he's taking this joke a bit too far, what with always being online, keeping the joke going for way too long and even somehow having his body lying at home unconscious as he's still typing away� oh, wait, he's serious.

"Several People Are Typing" is an extremely bizarre little book. It's an office comedy, it's a horror story and it's all written in the form of group chats from the various work channels. While Gerald's story is the focus, there's a lot more weird supernatural goings on in these chats, including a possible office worker who doesn't exist, people being infected by some sort of emoticon virus where they have trouble speaking in anything else (and that the hell is a "dusty-stick" emoticon? FINE OUT HERE!) and various other less dangerous shenanigans.

This is an extremely amusing little book, though it probably helps that I work with a program like Slack on a regular basis, so both the humor and supernatural aspects worked well for me. I'm sure some will be frustrated by it being written like a chat log, but I personally found that part of the fun. My biggest issue is some of the unexplained bits [spoilers removed] still, all in all a very fun read. Not one I can suggest for everyone, but I had a blast with it. 4/5 stars

"I can help by answering simple questions about how Slack works. I'm just a bot, though!"]]> 3.66 2021 Several People Are Typing
author: Calvin Kasulke
name: Tim
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/06/24
date added: 2022/06/24
shelves: 2020s, horror, humor, read-2022, reviewed
review:


What the hell did I just read?

Gerald is having a very bad time. He's been working from home, but his productivity is up so his boss isn't really bothered. Some of the staff is annoyed that he keeps sending them messages asking them to check on his body at home, due to him somehow being uploaded into the companies internal Slack channel. I mean he's taking this joke a bit too far, what with always being online, keeping the joke going for way too long and even somehow having his body lying at home unconscious as he's still typing away� oh, wait, he's serious.

"Several People Are Typing" is an extremely bizarre little book. It's an office comedy, it's a horror story and it's all written in the form of group chats from the various work channels. While Gerald's story is the focus, there's a lot more weird supernatural goings on in these chats, including a possible office worker who doesn't exist, people being infected by some sort of emoticon virus where they have trouble speaking in anything else (and that the hell is a "dusty-stick" emoticon? FINE OUT HERE!) and various other less dangerous shenanigans.

This is an extremely amusing little book, though it probably helps that I work with a program like Slack on a regular basis, so both the humor and supernatural aspects worked well for me. I'm sure some will be frustrated by it being written like a chat log, but I personally found that part of the fun. My biggest issue is some of the unexplained bits [spoilers removed] still, all in all a very fun read. Not one I can suggest for everyone, but I had a blast with it. 4/5 stars

"I can help by answering simple questions about how Slack works. I'm just a bot, though!"
]]> <![CDATA[I'm a Mermaid (Little Golden Book)]]> 59446987
I have a shimmering tail and long long hair—down to there!... I'm a mermaid!

So begins a magical introduction to a magical creature. Young children will fall in love with this Little Golden Book starring a playful mermaid and her mer-friends who ride sea horses, sing songs, and babysit dolphins! A terrific follow-up to the Little Golden Books I'm a Unicorn, I'm a Dragon, and I'm a Narwhal .]]> 24 Mallory Loehr 0593308891 Tim 3 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
The book shows you the daily life of mermaids. Some of the things they like to do, how they have fun and how kids can play with them in their dreams. The art is charming and it's all very good natured. That said, there's really not much too this one, and it's not as unique as some of the other Little Golden Books about mythical creatures.

This is something of a sister story to another Little Golden Book I'm a Unicorn. It even features a cameo from one of the unicorns from the other book. Of the two I think the unicorn book is the more charming. It managed to do the same thing, but was a bit more fun. This isn't a bad little read, and if a child loves mermaids than they are almost guaranteed to love it. 3/5 stars.]]> 3.91 I'm a Mermaid (Little Golden Book)
author: Mallory Loehr
name: Tim
average rating: 3.91
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2022/06/23
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
Every year for her birthday, I always review one of my daughter's books of her choice. This year she has become slightly obsessed with mermaids and this was her immediate choice without any thought.

The book shows you the daily life of mermaids. Some of the things they like to do, how they have fun and how kids can play with them in their dreams. The art is charming and it's all very good natured. That said, there's really not much too this one, and it's not as unique as some of the other Little Golden Books about mythical creatures.

This is something of a sister story to another Little Golden Book I'm a Unicorn. It even features a cameo from one of the unicorns from the other book. Of the two I think the unicorn book is the more charming. It managed to do the same thing, but was a bit more fun. This isn't a bad little read, and if a child loves mermaids than they are almost guaranteed to love it. 3/5 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[A Mirror Mended (Fractured Fables, #2)]]> 58724595 A Mirror Mended is the next installment in USA Today bestselling author Alix E. Harrow's Fractured Fables series.

Zinnia Gray, professional fairy-tale fixer and lapsed Sleeping Beauty, is over rescuing snoring princesses. Once you’ve rescued a dozen damsels and burned fifty spindles, once you’ve gotten drunk with twenty good fairies and made out with one too many members of the royal family, you start to wish some of these girls would just get a grip and try solving their own narrative issues.

Just when Zinnia’s beginning to think she can't handle one more princess, she glances into a mirror and sees another face looking back at her: the shockingly gorgeous face of evil, asking for her help. Because there’s more than one person trapped in a story they didn’t choose. Snow White's Evil Queen has found out how her story ends, and she's desperate for a better ending. She wants Zinnia to help her before it’s too late for everyone. Will Zinnia accept the Queen's poisonous request and save them both from the hot-iron shoes that wait for them, or will she try another path?]]> 128 Alix E. Harrow 1250766648 Tim 4
I didn't honestly even know there was going to be a sequel until I stumbled upon it in a bookstore� there was no hesitation there, bought it immediately and read it in two sittings.

I loved it. I mean, I expected that as I loved the first, but honestly, I liked this one better. This time it takes on the Snow White story, but instead of focusing on the classic protagonist, Zinnia is pulled in by the Wicked Queen hoping to escape her fate.

This is a wonderful spin on what the first presented as the queen's story and Zinnia's parallels each other so well, despite their very different statuses in their own tales. Harrow plays with these narratives (and several familiar tropes) in such clever and playful ways. Also, the fact that Zinnia views herself as a "cross between Doctor Who and a good editor" just delights the hell out of me.

Will there be a third installment? I honestly don't know (again, I didn't even know there would be a second). The story feels properly closed though there is a hint that more could happen. That said, it ends in a fitting way that if this is the end, it's been a wonderful time. A solid 4/5 stars.]]> 3.72 2022 A Mirror Mended (Fractured Fables, #2)
author: Alix E. Harrow
name: Tim
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/06/20
date added: 2022/06/20
shelves: 2020s, fantasy, read-2022, reviewed
review:
The first book I read this year was "A Spindle Splintered" which was also the first book by Harrow I've read. I picked it up not based on her reputation (which I gather her work is fairly well received) but because of the idea of a fairy tale multiverse. I have a weakness for retellings of fairy tales having put a great deal of study into pre-Grimm variations on many tales. The book delighted me with its humor and very clearly well researched knowledge of variations of the Sleeping Beauty story.

I didn't honestly even know there was going to be a sequel until I stumbled upon it in a bookstore� there was no hesitation there, bought it immediately and read it in two sittings.

I loved it. I mean, I expected that as I loved the first, but honestly, I liked this one better. This time it takes on the Snow White story, but instead of focusing on the classic protagonist, Zinnia is pulled in by the Wicked Queen hoping to escape her fate.

This is a wonderful spin on what the first presented as the queen's story and Zinnia's parallels each other so well, despite their very different statuses in their own tales. Harrow plays with these narratives (and several familiar tropes) in such clever and playful ways. Also, the fact that Zinnia views herself as a "cross between Doctor Who and a good editor" just delights the hell out of me.

Will there be a third installment? I honestly don't know (again, I didn't even know there would be a second). The story feels properly closed though there is a hint that more could happen. That said, it ends in a fitting way that if this is the end, it's been a wonderful time. A solid 4/5 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[Why a Daughter Needs a Dad: Celebrate Your Father Daughter Bond with this Special Picture Book! (Always in My Heart)]]> 40914163 32 Gregory E. Lang 1492667838 Tim 3 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
The book is less of a "why" as the title proposes and more of fatherly advice for little girls. The pictures in it are sweet, with a daddy animal and a daughter animal interacting in some way. The book unfortunately falls in a category of children's literature that I'm not particularly a fan of: the book that is written obviously to make the parent emotional. This is the sort of book that I'm the obvious target audience and the child is the excuse to read it. I'm not particularly a fan of the style as there's a disingenuous aspect to it in my mind. That said, the gesture was nice and to my daughter I told her it was the perfect book.

All in all though, the book is cute enough and there's some solid lessons for a child here. 3/5 stars.]]> 4.56 Why a Daughter Needs a Dad: Celebrate Your Father Daughter Bond with this Special Picture Book! (Always in My Heart)
author: Gregory E. Lang
name: Tim
average rating: 4.56
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2022/06/19
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
Happy father's day everyone! I decided to review this as my daughter gave it to me (most likely chosen by my wife, but still) today.

The book is less of a "why" as the title proposes and more of fatherly advice for little girls. The pictures in it are sweet, with a daddy animal and a daughter animal interacting in some way. The book unfortunately falls in a category of children's literature that I'm not particularly a fan of: the book that is written obviously to make the parent emotional. This is the sort of book that I'm the obvious target audience and the child is the excuse to read it. I'm not particularly a fan of the style as there's a disingenuous aspect to it in my mind. That said, the gesture was nice and to my daughter I told her it was the perfect book.

All in all though, the book is cute enough and there's some solid lessons for a child here. 3/5 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[The Soulforge (Dragonlance: Raistlin Chronicles, #1)]]> 28524
Raistlin Majere is six years old when he is introduced to an archmage who enrolls him in a school for the study of magic. There the gifted - but tormented boy comes to secretly, for they see shadows darkening over Raistlin even as the same shadows lengthen over all of Ansalon.

As Raistlin draws near his goal of becoming a wizard, he must first take the Dread Test in the Tower of High Sorcery. It will change his life forever.]]> 408 Margaret Weis 0786913142 Tim 5
Acting as a prequel to the original Dragonlance trilogy, The Soulforge tells the tale of Raistlin's youth. How he became who he was when we first met him sitting in a dark side of a tavern, rasping out harsh words and coughing up blood. One of the inherent downsides of prequels is that we know what's going to happen and where it's going to end. Here though the journey is so fascinating to see him change.

Raistlin is honestly, to my mind, the most interesting character Dragonlance ever produced. In so many ways he's the goddamn edgelord of this DND group. If it was a real table game, he's the guy you'd want to tell he's trying too hard� but you don't because he's so committed to the role, and somehow manages to make it work by giving him just enough quirks and personality flaws that you somehow find yourself instead wanting to interact with him more just to see what he comes up with. It was clear from the start of the series that he was one of the creators' favorite character (we all by this point know it was Weis), but here she gets to really sit down with him and focus on him for the entire page count, and damn if it isn't wonderful.

I've always placed the Dragonlance series as something of a guilty pleasure series for me. I loved it when I was a teenager and always snatched up the new books whenever they came out. Soulforge though is really in a realm of its own. It's the best novel in the series, and though there is a sequel, it operates as a wonderful standalone. Even if one hadn't read the original trilogy, it operates as a wonderful book. As said, the series may be a guilty pleasure, but this specific one isn't. It's somehow, despite all odds, a perfect 5/5 stars]]> 4.18 1997 The Soulforge (Dragonlance: Raistlin Chronicles, #1)
author: Margaret Weis
name: Tim
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1997
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/06/18
shelves: fantasy, 1990s, favorites, reviewed
review:
Before I ever read Harry Potter (though apparently it was published one year after the first book) I read about a different young boy going to a wizard school� that said, Raistlin's schooling felt more like a traditional school, though his adventures were a lot more disturbing.

Acting as a prequel to the original Dragonlance trilogy, The Soulforge tells the tale of Raistlin's youth. How he became who he was when we first met him sitting in a dark side of a tavern, rasping out harsh words and coughing up blood. One of the inherent downsides of prequels is that we know what's going to happen and where it's going to end. Here though the journey is so fascinating to see him change.

Raistlin is honestly, to my mind, the most interesting character Dragonlance ever produced. In so many ways he's the goddamn edgelord of this DND group. If it was a real table game, he's the guy you'd want to tell he's trying too hard� but you don't because he's so committed to the role, and somehow manages to make it work by giving him just enough quirks and personality flaws that you somehow find yourself instead wanting to interact with him more just to see what he comes up with. It was clear from the start of the series that he was one of the creators' favorite character (we all by this point know it was Weis), but here she gets to really sit down with him and focus on him for the entire page count, and damn if it isn't wonderful.

I've always placed the Dragonlance series as something of a guilty pleasure series for me. I loved it when I was a teenager and always snatched up the new books whenever they came out. Soulforge though is really in a realm of its own. It's the best novel in the series, and though there is a sequel, it operates as a wonderful standalone. Even if one hadn't read the original trilogy, it operates as a wonderful book. As said, the series may be a guilty pleasure, but this specific one isn't. It's somehow, despite all odds, a perfect 5/5 stars
]]> C'est la Vie 44560985 Tough, bloody stuff, but put together with a cunning intelligence� Sunday Times

'Happiness for those unused to it is like food for the starving � a little too much can be fatal.�

Writer Jeff Colombier is not accustomed to success. Twice divorced with a grown-up son he barely sees, he drinks too much and his books don’t sell.

Then he wins a big literary prize and his life changes for ever. Overwhelmed by his newfound wealth and happiness, he feels the need to escape and recapture his lost youth, taking his son, Damien, with him. And if strange encounters lead them down dangerous paths � well, c’est la vie.]]> 112 Pascal Garnier 1910477761 Tim 3
Plot description from the publisher: "Writer Jeff Colombier is not accustomed to success. Twice divorced with a grown-up son he barely sees, he drinks too much and his books don’t sell.

Then he wins a big literary prize and his life changes for ever. Overwhelmed by his newfound wealth and happiness, he feels the need to escape and recapture his lost youth, taking his son, Damien, with him. And if strange encounters lead them down dangerous paths � well, c’est la vie."

I put the full description there because I want to stress this: if you though you were going to get into some dark noir roadtrip, you're looking for the wrong book. In fact, the plot description is both highly accurate and misleading all at once. Those aspects all happen, but most of them are very minor in terms of page count� and this is already a short book at 115 pages.

The first 2/3 of the book one may feel confused if they bought the wrong book. After all, it's said to be a noir! What we instead get is something of a philosophical comedy of errors in which an author finally makes it big (winning a prize for his writing), gets married and promptly goes through a midlife crisis because of his newfound success.

It's done in a very silly way at times and isn't bad, but far from a noir.

Then the last third of the book downs a whisky, watches a David Lynch marathon and decides to go all out on you.

Maybe this is just a me problem, but the genre shift feels too abrupt and too tonally different. Yes, things are introduced early on which become important later, so it was obviously thought out before hand, but the jarring nature of the change just feels awkward to me. Neither portion is bad, but I feel had it been done in a more tonally consistent way it would have made for a much better book. As things stand I'm going with a 3/5 stars. Not bad, but I don't quite get the praise. That said, I'll likely give the author another shot.]]> 3.56 2001 C'est la Vie
author: Pascal Garnier
name: Tim
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2022/06/15
date added: 2022/06/15
shelves: 2000s, french, humor, mystery-crime, read-2022, reviewed
review:
While not the most talked about author, Pascal Garnier has a wonderful reputation amongst noir fans for writing short, fast paced and rather comedic works. I've been meaning to try him for some time now and happened upon this one.

Plot description from the publisher: "Writer Jeff Colombier is not accustomed to success. Twice divorced with a grown-up son he barely sees, he drinks too much and his books don’t sell.

Then he wins a big literary prize and his life changes for ever. Overwhelmed by his newfound wealth and happiness, he feels the need to escape and recapture his lost youth, taking his son, Damien, with him. And if strange encounters lead them down dangerous paths � well, c’est la vie."

I put the full description there because I want to stress this: if you though you were going to get into some dark noir roadtrip, you're looking for the wrong book. In fact, the plot description is both highly accurate and misleading all at once. Those aspects all happen, but most of them are very minor in terms of page count� and this is already a short book at 115 pages.

The first 2/3 of the book one may feel confused if they bought the wrong book. After all, it's said to be a noir! What we instead get is something of a philosophical comedy of errors in which an author finally makes it big (winning a prize for his writing), gets married and promptly goes through a midlife crisis because of his newfound success.

It's done in a very silly way at times and isn't bad, but far from a noir.

Then the last third of the book downs a whisky, watches a David Lynch marathon and decides to go all out on you.

Maybe this is just a me problem, but the genre shift feels too abrupt and too tonally different. Yes, things are introduced early on which become important later, so it was obviously thought out before hand, but the jarring nature of the change just feels awkward to me. Neither portion is bad, but I feel had it been done in a more tonally consistent way it would have made for a much better book. As things stand I'm going with a 3/5 stars. Not bad, but I don't quite get the praise. That said, I'll likely give the author another shot.
]]> Slaughterhouse-Five 4981 Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world’s great antiwar books. Centering on the infamous World War II firebombing of Dresden, the novel is the result of what Kurt Vonnegut described as a twenty-three-year struggle to write a book about what he had witnessed as an American prisoner of war. It combines historical fiction, science fiction, autobiography, and satire in an account of the life of Billy Pilgrim, a barber’s son turned draftee turned optometrist turned alien abductee. As Vonnegut had, Billy experiences the destruction of Dresden as a POW. Unlike Vonnegut, he experiences time travel, or coming “unstuck in time.�

An instant bestseller, Slaughterhouse-Five made Kurt Vonnegut a cult hero in American literature, a reputation that only strengthened over time, despite his being banned and censored by some libraries and schools for content and language. But it was precisely those elements of Vonnegut’s writing—the political edginess, the genre-bending inventiveness, the frank violence, the transgressive wit—that have inspired generations of readers not just to look differently at the world around them but to find the confidence to say something about it.

Fifty years after its initial publication at the height of the Vietnam War, Vonnegut's portrayal of political disillusionment, PTSD, and postwar anxiety feels as relevant, darkly humorous, and profoundly affecting as ever, an enduring beacon through our own era’s uncertainties.]]> 275 Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Tim 5
Welcome everyone, to my 450th review!



I debated for quite a while what I wanted to choose for my 450th review and I decided to go with one of my favorite novels.

Slaughterhouse-Five is a short novel. The sentences are often short, simple and to the point. It seems like it should be an easy read. It is� and it isn't. This is a book that defies explanation, it requires you to think about it for quite a while and the more you do, the more you see.

The book doesn't fit into any category easily. It's a science fiction because there's aliens and aspects of time travel. It's an anti-war novel, as few books show the atrocities of was quite as well as this one does. It's a comedy because it's darkly funny, but it's also a tragedy because when you live through a moment so absolutely horrific, your brain can become "unstuck in time" as you'll always be in that moment even as you try to escape it.

This novel is frequently listed on the "greatest of all time" lists, and I fully agree that it belongs there. It's a fascinating read, insightful both in terms of Vonnegut's own perspective and how he presents it to the world. It's a book that practically demands to be revisited, and each time I'd give it a perfect 5/5 stars.

And thus we end review 450.

"And so it goes�"]]> 4.10 1969 Slaughterhouse-Five
author: Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
name: Tim
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1969
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/06/13
shelves: classic, science-fiction, 1960s, favorites, reviewed
review:
Listen:

Welcome everyone, to my 450th review!



I debated for quite a while what I wanted to choose for my 450th review and I decided to go with one of my favorite novels.

Slaughterhouse-Five is a short novel. The sentences are often short, simple and to the point. It seems like it should be an easy read. It is� and it isn't. This is a book that defies explanation, it requires you to think about it for quite a while and the more you do, the more you see.

The book doesn't fit into any category easily. It's a science fiction because there's aliens and aspects of time travel. It's an anti-war novel, as few books show the atrocities of was quite as well as this one does. It's a comedy because it's darkly funny, but it's also a tragedy because when you live through a moment so absolutely horrific, your brain can become "unstuck in time" as you'll always be in that moment even as you try to escape it.

This novel is frequently listed on the "greatest of all time" lists, and I fully agree that it belongs there. It's a fascinating read, insightful both in terms of Vonnegut's own perspective and how he presents it to the world. It's a book that practically demands to be revisited, and each time I'd give it a perfect 5/5 stars.

And thus we end review 450.

"And so it goes�"
]]> How to Catch a Dragon 43998060 From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling How to Catch series--do you have what it takes to snag a dragon?

The How to Catch kids are off again, this time trying to catch a dragon as they chase him through Chinese New Year celebrations! Set in China during the Spring Festival, otherwise known as Chinese New Year, the wily dragon will have to avoid trap after trap as the kids run through paper lanterns, red envelopes, fireworks, and more! Bonus Mandarin translation included in the back!

Dragons are a clever bunch,
They're difficult to catch.
You'll have to set the ultimate trap--
But have you met your match?]]> 40 Adam Wallace 1492693693 Tim 3 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
Slight annoyance aside, this is one of my daughter's favorites in the series. It's technically the Chinese New Year one (it's clearly one of those books that was intended to be read during the holiday), but it's definitely one of the more fun books in the series. It's got a lovely nod to Dragons Love Tacos as well, which is one of the greatest children's books ever written so that's nice.

Those of you wanting to use it for educational purposes may like that it has several Chinese words in the back with definition and that it explains some of the holiday. While we've read this, we tend to skip it now in favor of just the story section.

All around a fun little read especially if you like the series. 3/5 stars.]]> 3.71 2019 How to Catch a Dragon
author: Adam Wallace
name: Tim
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2022/06/12
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
My daughter loves these "How to Catch a�" books, but I find it rather annoying based on the titles that one never actually catches these creatures. They always escape and we follow the same formula.

Slight annoyance aside, this is one of my daughter's favorites in the series. It's technically the Chinese New Year one (it's clearly one of those books that was intended to be read during the holiday), but it's definitely one of the more fun books in the series. It's got a lovely nod to Dragons Love Tacos as well, which is one of the greatest children's books ever written so that's nice.

Those of you wanting to use it for educational purposes may like that it has several Chinese words in the back with definition and that it explains some of the holiday. While we've read this, we tend to skip it now in favor of just the story section.

All around a fun little read especially if you like the series. 3/5 stars.
]]> Twelfth Night 1625 Twelfth Night plays with love and power. The Countess Olivia, a woman with her own household, attracts Duke (or Count) Orsino. Two other would-be suitors are her pretentious steward, Malvolio, and Sir Andrew Aguecheek.

Onto this scene arrive the twins Viola and Sebastian; caught in a shipwreck, each thinks the other has drowned. Viola disguises herself as a male page and enters Orsino’s service. Orsino sends her as his envoy to Olivia—only to have Olivia fall in love with the messenger. The play complicates, then wonderfully untangles, these relationships.]]> 272 William Shakespeare 0743482778 Tim 5 classic, humor, reviewed
Why does this one work so well for me? First off, I think it's downright the funniest work he ever wrote. Some of the lines/scenes are laugh out loud funny. In particular I'm rather fond of the following:

Viola: Save thee, friend, and thy music: dost thou live by thy tabour?

Feste: No, sir, I live by the church.

Viola: Art thou a churchman?

Feste: No such matter, sir: I do live by the church; for I do live at my house, and my house doth stand by the church.

Twelfth Night is a screwball comedy from the 30s that just happened to be written in the 1600s.

On a more serious note; I love the quote "I was adored once too" said Andrew Aguecheek. I love this line so much, as in an otherwise comedic play, it adds a depth and melancholy to one of the more foolish characters. It's not the most well known line in the play, but it's one that when delivered properly just kind of stops the show as it makes the viewer almost uncomfortable about having mocked this character.

It also it a lovely meta-comedy as in Shakespeare's time, it would have been all male actors. So, we have a lead, played by a male, whose character is female, and pretending to be a male. I imagine at that point that Shakespeare just delighted messing with his audience a bit.

Is it his greatest work? No, of course not. It was intended as a silly comedy... it just happens that this specific silly comedy just works for me. A full 5/5 stars.]]> 3.97 1602 Twelfth Night
author: William Shakespeare
name: Tim
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1602
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/06/11
shelves: classic, humor, reviewed
review:
When I was in college a professor once told me this was one of Shakespeare's least interesting and a "skip-able" play. That statement boggled my mind. I know this is an extremely unpopular opinion, but it's honestly my favorite of his plays.

Why does this one work so well for me? First off, I think it's downright the funniest work he ever wrote. Some of the lines/scenes are laugh out loud funny. In particular I'm rather fond of the following:

Viola: Save thee, friend, and thy music: dost thou live by thy tabour?

Feste: No, sir, I live by the church.

Viola: Art thou a churchman?

Feste: No such matter, sir: I do live by the church; for I do live at my house, and my house doth stand by the church.

Twelfth Night is a screwball comedy from the 30s that just happened to be written in the 1600s.

On a more serious note; I love the quote "I was adored once too" said Andrew Aguecheek. I love this line so much, as in an otherwise comedic play, it adds a depth and melancholy to one of the more foolish characters. It's not the most well known line in the play, but it's one that when delivered properly just kind of stops the show as it makes the viewer almost uncomfortable about having mocked this character.

It also it a lovely meta-comedy as in Shakespeare's time, it would have been all male actors. So, we have a lead, played by a male, whose character is female, and pretending to be a male. I imagine at that point that Shakespeare just delighted messing with his audience a bit.

Is it his greatest work? No, of course not. It was intended as a silly comedy... it just happens that this specific silly comedy just works for me. A full 5/5 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[Wonder Woman (DC Super Heroes: Wonder Woman) (Little Golden Book)]]> 53574179 Wonder Woman(TM), the most iconic female super hero of all time, flies high in her very own Little Golden Book!Wonder Woman(TM) is a warrior princess! Girls and boys ages 2 to 5 will learn how she uses her amazing powers to protect our planet! This Little Golden Book is the perfect way to introduce young readers to the Amazon princess, who has been an iconic super hero for more than 70 years!]]> 24 Laura Hitchcock 1984895044 Tim 3 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
The art is nice, the "fight scenes" in it are not intimidatingly or violent for young readers, yet still get across the idea the Wonder Woman stops the "bad guys. Overall it seems like the sort of thing comic fans could use to introduce a character, but don't go into it expecting an actual story proper. It's alright for what it is, but not particularly a must buy. 3/5 stars]]> 4.35 Wonder Woman (DC Super Heroes: Wonder Woman) (Little Golden Book)
author: Laura Hitchcock
name: Tim
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2022/06/09
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
A little golden book with the purpose of introducing Wonder Woman to young readers. My daughter has recently become a fan of Wonder Woman in thanks to the DC Super Hero Girls show on Cartoon Network and wanted to see more of her adventures. Sadly there is not much of a plot here; the book really is just an introduction to the character (explaining quickly who she is, where she came from and what she does).

The art is nice, the "fight scenes" in it are not intimidatingly or violent for young readers, yet still get across the idea the Wonder Woman stops the "bad guys. Overall it seems like the sort of thing comic fans could use to introduce a character, but don't go into it expecting an actual story proper. It's alright for what it is, but not particularly a must buy. 3/5 stars
]]> The Great Gatsby 4671 The only edition of the beloved classic that is authorized by Fitzgerald’s family and from his lifelong publisher.

This edition is the enduring original text, updated with the author’s own revisions, a foreword by his granddaughter, and with a new introduction by National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward.

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. First published by Scribner in 1925, this quintessential novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the mysteriously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.]]> 180 F. Scott Fitzgerald 0743273567 Tim 1 classic, 1920s, reviewed
I don't like it though. I really don't. In fact, I downright dislike this book.

I hate every character in it. I hate the supposedly brilliant prose. I hate the supposedly clever symbolism. There is not a single thing in this damn book that I enjoy.

But Tim, it's a metaphor for the American Dream and� I get it, of course I get it. The symbolism is so blatant, how could I not get it?

Maybe I should reread it? How many times do I need to read it to enjoy it? I read it in Highschool. I read it in college (twice) and read it again years later to give it one last shot. I'm done with it. May I never touch this blasted thing again. 1/5 stars and a hatred that burns with the passion and fire of a thousand stars.

�

Unless of course Gatsby is actually a Green Lantern, who is staring off into that distant green light as symbolism for his secret identity� he is also defeated by something yellow (a weakness of all green lanterns). Maybe when he's off at the parties he's actually off saving the world with super powers! Brilliant! 5/5 stars!

�

No, it's not that fun. Back to the 1/5.]]> 3.93 1925 The Great Gatsby
author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
name: Tim
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1925
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/06/05
shelves: classic, 1920s, reviewed
review:
I'm supposed to love this book. It's a classic. It's the great American novel� as an English major I'm supposed to just worship every sentence of the book and praise its brilliance.

I don't like it though. I really don't. In fact, I downright dislike this book.

I hate every character in it. I hate the supposedly brilliant prose. I hate the supposedly clever symbolism. There is not a single thing in this damn book that I enjoy.

But Tim, it's a metaphor for the American Dream and� I get it, of course I get it. The symbolism is so blatant, how could I not get it?

Maybe I should reread it? How many times do I need to read it to enjoy it? I read it in Highschool. I read it in college (twice) and read it again years later to give it one last shot. I'm done with it. May I never touch this blasted thing again. 1/5 stars and a hatred that burns with the passion and fire of a thousand stars.

�

Unless of course Gatsby is actually a Green Lantern, who is staring off into that distant green light as symbolism for his secret identity� he is also defeated by something yellow (a weakness of all green lanterns). Maybe when he's off at the parties he's actually off saving the world with super powers! Brilliant! 5/5 stars!

�

No, it's not that fun. Back to the 1/5.
]]> The Gruffalo's Child 670133
One night, the Gruffalo’s child wanders into the woods to search for the Big Bad Mouse. But instead, she comes upon a small mouse in the woods . . . and decides to eat him! But wait, what is that? A shadow of a very large, scary creature falls on the ground. Could it be the Big Bad Mouse after all?]]> 32 Julia Donaldson 0142407542 Tim 3 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
Sadly I'm not much of a fan of this one. Don't get me wrong, it's cute, but it's so much of a rehash of the first book (just with a baby Gruffalo) that it feels repetitive and slightly unnecessary.

Now my daughter, who is a far more lenient critic than myself, did enjoy it and she loved seeing the child Gruffalo as the main character. In fact she liked the little Gruffalo so much that instead of cheering for the mouse's cleverness as she did in the first book, she kept hoping the little one would see through his lies. So yes, while she liked it, it does not reach the level of the first even for her. 3/5 stars
]]> 4.57 2004 The Gruffalo's Child
author: Julia Donaldson
name: Tim
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2022/05/30
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
It's rare to see a children's picture book that receives a sequel with continuity. In fact, I would go so far as to say that if one hasn't read The Gruffalo, one would not get anywhere near as much out of this one. So, congratulations to the creators as that is fairly unique. I also give points as (much like the other two books I've read by them) the rhymes are fun and the art is charming.

Sadly I'm not much of a fan of this one. Don't get me wrong, it's cute, but it's so much of a rehash of the first book (just with a baby Gruffalo) that it feels repetitive and slightly unnecessary.

Now my daughter, who is a far more lenient critic than myself, did enjoy it and she loved seeing the child Gruffalo as the main character. In fact she liked the little Gruffalo so much that instead of cheering for the mouse's cleverness as she did in the first book, she kept hoping the little one would see through his lies. So yes, while she liked it, it does not reach the level of the first even for her. 3/5 stars

]]> The Old Man and the Sea 11617647 The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway’s most enduring works. Told in language of great simplicity and power, it is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, down on his luck, and his supreme ordeal—a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Here Hemingway recasts, in strikingly contemporary style, the classic theme of courage in the face of defeat, of personal triumph won from loss. Written in 1952, this hugely successful novella confirmed his power and presence in the literary world and played a large part in his winning the 1954 Nobel Prize for Literature.]]> 128 Ernest Hemingway Tim 5 classic, 1950s, reviewed
He's one of those authors who I think in real life I couldn't stand, in terms of his writing it often frustrates me, but here it is perfect. How does one write essentially a 100 page story about an old man trying to catch one single fish (yes, yes I know I'm drastically understating what is done here)? I don't know. Hell, I've read this book three times and I still don't know.

Seriously, why the hell does this book work? IT SHOULDN'T AND IT KIND OF ANNOYS ME THAT IT DOES.

When we get right down to it, it works by being a story that can be read on multiple levels; analyzed endlessly and yet leave so much unsaid that every reader can read into it their own ideas. This is one of those books I can return to again and again. It's short enough to read in one sitting, and yet I always notice something new each time. A perfect 5/5]]> 3.86 1952 The Old Man and the Sea
author: Ernest Hemingway
name: Tim
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1952
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/05/29
shelves: classic, 1950s, reviewed
review:
I read this in Highschool (as no doubt many people were forced to as well) and amazingly I loved it. I've read some of Hemingway's other work, and they've all been very hit or miss for me� but this one, this one is something special.

He's one of those authors who I think in real life I couldn't stand, in terms of his writing it often frustrates me, but here it is perfect. How does one write essentially a 100 page story about an old man trying to catch one single fish (yes, yes I know I'm drastically understating what is done here)? I don't know. Hell, I've read this book three times and I still don't know.

Seriously, why the hell does this book work? IT SHOULDN'T AND IT KIND OF ANNOYS ME THAT IT DOES.

When we get right down to it, it works by being a story that can be read on multiple levels; analyzed endlessly and yet leave so much unsaid that every reader can read into it their own ideas. This is one of those books I can return to again and again. It's short enough to read in one sitting, and yet I always notice something new each time. A perfect 5/5
]]> <![CDATA[What Do You Do With a Problem?]]> 28863341 What Do You Do With an Idea? comes a new book to encourage you to look closely at problems and discover the possibilities they can hold.

What do you do with a problem? Especially one that follows you around and doesn't seem to be going away? Do you worry about it? Ignore it? Do you run and hide from it?

This is the story of a persistent problem and the child who isn't so sure what to make of it. The longer the problem is avoided, the bigger it seems to get. But when the child finally musters up the courage to face it, the problem turns out to be something quite different than it appeared.

This is a story for anyone, at any age, who has ever had a problem that they wished would go away. It's a story to inspire you to look closely at that problem and to find out why it's here. Because you might discover something amazing about your problem� and yourself.

What are problems for? They challenge us, shape us, push us, and help us to discover just how strong and brave and capable we really are. Even though we don't always want them, problems have a way of bringing unexpected gifts.

So, what will you do with your problem? Now that's up to you.]]> 36 Kobi Yamada 1943200009 Tim 4 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed - Winston Churchill

If I was to sum up this book in one quote, it would undoubtedly be the above. This is a book that tries to teach children that with every problem, there is an opportunity to go along with it. Facing problems can be hard, or scary� but there's potential beyond them.

This concept is explained in story form and with beautiful illustrations� and when I say beautiful, I mean it.



Interesting use of darkness and grays, until a solution starts to change the style. Very nice.

Overall I liked this book, but I think it is one that will be hard for a child to fully grasp. My daughter enjoyed it, but it really feels like one of those children's books written more for the adults than the kids. Still, a nice read, and one that hopefully will linger in a child's mind when a problem does arise. 4/5 stars]]> 4.40 2016 What Do You Do With a Problem?
author: Kobi Yamada
name: Tim
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/05/28
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Winston Churchill

If I was to sum up this book in one quote, it would undoubtedly be the above. This is a book that tries to teach children that with every problem, there is an opportunity to go along with it. Facing problems can be hard, or scary� but there's potential beyond them.

This concept is explained in story form and with beautiful illustrations� and when I say beautiful, I mean it.



Interesting use of darkness and grays, until a solution starts to change the style. Very nice.

Overall I liked this book, but I think it is one that will be hard for a child to fully grasp. My daughter enjoyed it, but it really feels like one of those children's books written more for the adults than the kids. Still, a nice read, and one that hopefully will linger in a child's mind when a problem does arise. 4/5 stars
]]> <![CDATA[My Androgynous Boyfriend, Vol. 1]]> 49882224 His makeup is flawless!

Wako and her androgynous boyfriend don't exactly have the most traditional of relationships. She spends her days working hard in the world of publishing, while he spends his time obsessing over fashion and makeup--all with the goal of making himself beautiful just for her. This romantic slice-of-life story is about love, relationships, and breaking with tradition!]]> 168 Tamekou 1645051986 Tim 4 reviewed, manga
Is it perfect? No far from it. As I said, the first chapter led me to really fear it would fall into one of those styles mentioned above (before showing that it actually is a rather harming series). Also, and while this is always a your "mileage may vary" situation, I found much of the humor very hit or miss.

Art is attractive though, the characters are pleasant, and some of the jokes really do work. Well worth a look. Overall a pleasant surprise. 4/5 stars.]]> 3.90 2018 My Androgynous Boyfriend, Vol. 1
author: Tamekou
name: Tim
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/05/27
shelves: reviewed, manga
review:
Started this, almost didn't finish the first volume and overall am glad I stuck with it. The first chapter was a bit rough around the edges in my opinion. While it presented its premise (fairly normal girl dating androgynous guy, what shenanigans will ensue?), I was honestly a bit afraid it was going to turn into pandering/cringe manga where the comedy comes from "haha, she's normal looking" or possibly even worse, the sort of thing where he's just constant fanservice and the manga becomes a "look at him, he's so pretty" sort of thing. Much to my surprise, the series is actually a fairly good relationship based comedy with the two of them in a healthy and supportive relationship. There are moments of the title character being too "perfect" if you will, but for the most part the relationship seems built on two people supporting each other and helping the other achieve their goals through support. They both have flaws, and they are occasionally shown, but also shows them working through said flaws. So many manga show what frankly are uncomfortable or toxic relationships that it's refreshing to see ones like this sometimes.

Is it perfect? No far from it. As I said, the first chapter led me to really fear it would fall into one of those styles mentioned above (before showing that it actually is a rather harming series). Also, and while this is always a your "mileage may vary" situation, I found much of the humor very hit or miss.

Art is attractive though, the characters are pleasant, and some of the jokes really do work. Well worth a look. Overall a pleasant surprise. 4/5 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[Yakuza Reincarnation Vol. 1 (Yakuza Reincarnation, #1)]]> 57878080 An isekai like no other! When a tough old gangster wakes up in the body of a fantasy world princess, he decides to teach this new world the meaning of yakuza honor!

Ryu may be getting on in his years, but the aging gangster is still hellbent on defending his turf when some young toughs ambush him and he wakes up in a fantasy world! Not only that, he’s in the body of this world’s princess! Is he the one that the ancient prophecy spoke of? Ryu might be out of place in this fantasy realm, but he may also be the only one who can save it!]]> 192 Hiroki Miyashita 164827840X Tim 3 reviewed, manga
I wish I was more of a fan of this one. I actually kind of like the idea as it's not the same generic young adult protagonist found in this genre of manga. I honestly usually find Isekais to be annoying because they are all so similar and don’t usually come up with something new to really make it worth my time. This is at least interesting enough for a read, but frankly I wasn't a big fan of the artstyle and again the fantasy world isn't overly interesting.

I give it points for the protagonist who is an old school yakuza who still believes in honor (and how he resolves everything in a still very yakuza fashion), but overall still not super impressed. Worth a look, fairly entertaining but not sure if I will continue. 3/5 stars]]> 3.73 2020 Yakuza Reincarnation Vol. 1 (Yakuza Reincarnation, #1)
author: Hiroki Miyashita
name: Tim
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2022/05/26
shelves: reviewed, manga
review:
An elderly yakuza is murdered and wakes up in the body of a princess in a fantasy world� well, that sure has to be one of the more original Isekai plot-lines I've ever heard.

I wish I was more of a fan of this one. I actually kind of like the idea as it's not the same generic young adult protagonist found in this genre of manga. I honestly usually find Isekais to be annoying because they are all so similar and don’t usually come up with something new to really make it worth my time. This is at least interesting enough for a read, but frankly I wasn't a big fan of the artstyle and again the fantasy world isn't overly interesting.

I give it points for the protagonist who is an old school yakuza who still believes in honor (and how he resolves everything in a still very yakuza fashion), but overall still not super impressed. Worth a look, fairly entertaining but not sure if I will continue. 3/5 stars
]]> Carmilla 55648601 Carmilla is the original vampire story, steeped in the sexual tension between two young women and gothic romance.

In an isolated castle deep in the Austrian forest, teenaged Laura leads a solitary life with only her father, attendant and tutor for company. Until one moonlit night, a horse-drawn carriage crashes into view, carrying an unexpected guest—the beautiful Carmilla.

So begins a feverish friendship between Laura and her entrancing new companion, one defined by mysterious happenings and infused with an implicit but undeniable eroticism. As Carmilla becomes increasingly strange and volatile, prone to eerie nocturnal wanderings, Laura finds herself tormented by nightmares and growing weaker by the day...]]> 156 J. Sheridan Le Fanu 1782275843 Tim 5 - Description taken from the Pushkin Press edition of the novel.



Carmilla was published more than twenty years before Dracula. I feel like I should stress that as everyone tries to treat the good count as if he was the proper introduction to vampires (let's not even get into The Vampyre by John Polidori which is another conversation entirely).

If I'm to be completely honest, the fact that Dracula gets all the love over Carmilla is more than slightly frustrating, as in my opinion, Carmilla is actually a better vampire story and manages to pull it off in almost 1/4 the page count. That's not to discredit Dracula as I gave it five stars as well. Both are excellent stories, I just feel Carmilla is the more exciting of the two.

Carmilla is just such an interesting little tale. While Dracula had moments of homoerotic subtext, Carmilla is flat out blatant with it. Zero subtlety here, Carmilla is obviously trying to seduce our lead. Carmilla also uses a rather interesting tactic to get close to her victims which makes for and interesting tale� it's also rather fascinating that she's very much featured throughout the book whereas Dracula has very few pages in his own book.

This is such a delightful little book. One I can see myself revisiting again in the future. Well worth a read to all fans of classics and/or horror. 5/5 stars.]]> 3.90 1872 Carmilla
author: J. Sheridan Le Fanu
name: Tim
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1872
rating: 5
read at: 2022/05/20
date added: 2022/05/20
shelves: classic, horror, read-2022, 19th-century, reviewed
review:
"In an isolated castle deep in the Austrian forest, teenaged Laura leads a solitary life with only her father, attendant and tutor for company. Until one moonlit night, a horse-drawn carriage crashes into view, carrying an unexpected guest -- the beautiful Carmilla."
- Description taken from the Pushkin Press edition of the novel.



Carmilla was published more than twenty years before Dracula. I feel like I should stress that as everyone tries to treat the good count as if he was the proper introduction to vampires (let's not even get into The Vampyre by John Polidori which is another conversation entirely).

If I'm to be completely honest, the fact that Dracula gets all the love over Carmilla is more than slightly frustrating, as in my opinion, Carmilla is actually a better vampire story and manages to pull it off in almost 1/4 the page count. That's not to discredit Dracula as I gave it five stars as well. Both are excellent stories, I just feel Carmilla is the more exciting of the two.

Carmilla is just such an interesting little tale. While Dracula had moments of homoerotic subtext, Carmilla is flat out blatant with it. Zero subtlety here, Carmilla is obviously trying to seduce our lead. Carmilla also uses a rather interesting tactic to get close to her victims which makes for and interesting tale� it's also rather fascinating that she's very much featured throughout the book whereas Dracula has very few pages in his own book.

This is such a delightful little book. One I can see myself revisiting again in the future. Well worth a read to all fans of classics and/or horror. 5/5 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[Kamusari Tales Told at Night (Forest, #2)]]> 58609724 From Shion Miura, award-winning author of The Easy Life in Kamusari, comes a spirit-lifting novel about tradition, first love, and ancient lore in a Japanese mountain village.

It’s been a year since Yuki Hirano left home―or more precisely, was booted from it―to study forestry in the remote mountain village of Kamusari. Being a woodsman is not the future he imagined, but his name means “courage,� and Yuki hopes to live up to it. He’s adapting to his job and learning constantly. In between, he records local legends―tales pulsing with life, passion, and wondrous gods. Kamusari has other charms as well. One of them is Nao.

Yuki’s crush on the only other young single person in the village isn’t a secret. Yet how impressed can she be with someone at least five years younger who makes less money and doesn’t even own a car? More daunting, she’s in love with another man. Finally finding his place among the villagers, a feeling deepened by his crush, Yuki seems headed for a dream life of adventure and camaraderie―and Nao could be the missing piece of that dream.]]> 190 Shion Miura 1542039193 Tim 4
Well, much to my surprise I find the sequel superior to the first in almost every way. This one has a different structure, with a theme to each chapters (save one) being not only a continuation of Yuki's life, but also about him hearing a story about the Kamusari in some way. In one chapter it may be a myth, in another a story about how a couple got together, but all of theme stick with the theme of Kamusari and how the village functions. I said in my review of the first book that the village was just as much the main character as Yuki was and I'd say even more so here.

It's an enjoyable read altogether and my complaints are very minor. The only one that really bugged me was the constant repetition of the same joke every chapter where Yuki starts off thanking his imaginary readers (he doesn't intend to show it to anyone but writes better if he pretends there is an audience) and then says something along the lines of "� but you don't exist!" It was amusing the first time� it got old fast.

While I didn't initially thing the story needed a continuation, I found this to be a pleasant second visit to Kamusari. Much like the first book, it's not a great read, but it's overall fun and as said, I personally prefer this one due to my interest in the village over our lead. A solid 4/5 stars.]]> 3.91 2012 Kamusari Tales Told at Night (Forest, #2)
author: Shion Miura
name: Tim
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2022/05/18
date added: 2022/05/18
shelves: 2010s, japanese, read-2022, reviewed
review:
Last week I finished "The Easy Life in Kamusari" and coincidentally (because I sure didn't realize it while I was reading) the second book came out in English the day before I finished it. As I have a trial of Kindle Unlimited I decided to go ahead and give the second one a shot. After all, the first was a nice slow paced relaxing read. That said, it wasn't exactly a book that called for a sequel, so I still had some reservations.

Well, much to my surprise I find the sequel superior to the first in almost every way. This one has a different structure, with a theme to each chapters (save one) being not only a continuation of Yuki's life, but also about him hearing a story about the Kamusari in some way. In one chapter it may be a myth, in another a story about how a couple got together, but all of theme stick with the theme of Kamusari and how the village functions. I said in my review of the first book that the village was just as much the main character as Yuki was and I'd say even more so here.

It's an enjoyable read altogether and my complaints are very minor. The only one that really bugged me was the constant repetition of the same joke every chapter where Yuki starts off thanking his imaginary readers (he doesn't intend to show it to anyone but writes better if he pretends there is an audience) and then says something along the lines of "� but you don't exist!" It was amusing the first time� it got old fast.

While I didn't initially thing the story needed a continuation, I found this to be a pleasant second visit to Kamusari. Much like the first book, it's not a great read, but it's overall fun and as said, I personally prefer this one due to my interest in the village over our lead. A solid 4/5 stars.
]]> The Gruffalo 43553985 --penguinrandomhouse.com]]> 32 Julia Donaldson 0142403873 Tim 4 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed “Silly old fox, doesn’t he know?
There’s no such thing as a gruffalo!�

A clever mouse travels through the woods, encountering many animals that would normally prey upon it, but keeps them all at bay by threat of a scary monster known as the gruffalo. This is all well and good, but what will the mouse do when he actually encounters a gruffalo for real?

This is another charming kid's book from the duo behind Room on the Broom (another excellent kid's read). It's filled with fun rhymes, funny moments and delightful artwork. Again, had this been around when I was a kid, this would no doubt have been one of my favorites. Instead, it is wonderful to share it with my daughter, hear her laughs and pointing out how clever the mouse is every time. Another 4/5 stars from the Donaldson/Scheffler duo. I have the feeling we will end up adding most of their books to our home library soon enough…]]> 4.69 1999 The Gruffalo
author: Julia Donaldson
name: Tim
average rating: 4.69
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/05/16
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
“Silly old fox, doesn’t he know?
There’s no such thing as a gruffalo!�

A clever mouse travels through the woods, encountering many animals that would normally prey upon it, but keeps them all at bay by threat of a scary monster known as the gruffalo. This is all well and good, but what will the mouse do when he actually encounters a gruffalo for real?

This is another charming kid's book from the duo behind Room on the Broom (another excellent kid's read). It's filled with fun rhymes, funny moments and delightful artwork. Again, had this been around when I was a kid, this would no doubt have been one of my favorites. Instead, it is wonderful to share it with my daughter, hear her laughs and pointing out how clever the mouse is every time. Another 4/5 stars from the Donaldson/Scheffler duo. I have the feeling we will end up adding most of their books to our home library soon enough�
]]> We Are All Completely Fine 20344877
Stan became a minor celebrity after being partially eaten by cannibals. Barbara is haunted by the messages carved upon her bones. Greta may or may not be a mass-murdering arsonist. And for some reason, Martin never takes off his sunglasses.

Unsurprisingly, no one believes their horrific tales until they are sought out by psychotherapist Dr. Jan Sayer. What happens when these likely-insane outcasts join a support group? Together they must discover which monsters they face are within and which are lurking in plain sight.
]]> 182 Daryl Gregory 1616961716 Tim 4 2010s, horror, reviewed "We were a team of professional insomniacs. Once you know there are monsters under the bed, closing your eyes becomes a foolhardy act. So, we paced. We stared into the dark. We listened for the creak of the opening door."

This is an excellent little book. A wonderful examination of the “lone survivor� trope found throughout horror fiction and a realistic look at what would happen to the people who made it out.

The book focuses on the group therapy sessions run by Dr. Jan Sayer who has brought together a group of people who have survived supernatural events. We get the group dynamic wonderfully, as we slowly come to learn their pasts, but only when they feel like opening up. Some talk their first session, others remain an enigma only opening when confronted. Gregory captures this group dynamic wonderfully and gives a great set of characters that feel well developed especially considering the short page count (only around 180 pages).

The backgrounds are well constructed, and just about any of them would have made a wonderful novel on their own (and indeed one of them has since gone on to be a novel, leaving me hopeful that the author will continue to revisit this world). My favorite involved the Scrimshander, a killer who apparently really wants to keep his victims alive so that they can appreciate his art, which he carves into their very bones.

The book has potential to frustrate many readers. We only get the information that the characters are comfortable with sharing, thus their stories are never fully told and there are a lot of vague details. This is not a series of survival stories; it’s the aftermath at the heart of this tale, and so some things will never be known.

[spoilers removed]

This is well worth a read to any horror fan, managing to be thoughtful, disturbing and also genuinely touching. A terrific Halloween read and a solid 4/5 stars.]]> 3.74 2014 We Are All Completely Fine
author: Daryl Gregory
name: Tim
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2018/10/02
date added: 2022/05/15
shelves: 2010s, horror, reviewed
review:
"We were a team of professional insomniacs. Once you know there are monsters under the bed, closing your eyes becomes a foolhardy act. So, we paced. We stared into the dark. We listened for the creak of the opening door."

This is an excellent little book. A wonderful examination of the “lone survivor� trope found throughout horror fiction and a realistic look at what would happen to the people who made it out.

The book focuses on the group therapy sessions run by Dr. Jan Sayer who has brought together a group of people who have survived supernatural events. We get the group dynamic wonderfully, as we slowly come to learn their pasts, but only when they feel like opening up. Some talk their first session, others remain an enigma only opening when confronted. Gregory captures this group dynamic wonderfully and gives a great set of characters that feel well developed especially considering the short page count (only around 180 pages).

The backgrounds are well constructed, and just about any of them would have made a wonderful novel on their own (and indeed one of them has since gone on to be a novel, leaving me hopeful that the author will continue to revisit this world). My favorite involved the Scrimshander, a killer who apparently really wants to keep his victims alive so that they can appreciate his art, which he carves into their very bones.

The book has potential to frustrate many readers. We only get the information that the characters are comfortable with sharing, thus their stories are never fully told and there are a lot of vague details. This is not a series of survival stories; it’s the aftermath at the heart of this tale, and so some things will never be known.

[spoilers removed]

This is well worth a read to any horror fan, managing to be thoughtful, disturbing and also genuinely touching. A terrific Halloween read and a solid 4/5 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[The Bad Guys (The Bad Guys, #1)]]> 28128845
They sound like bad guys, they look like bad guys . . . and they even smell like bad guys. But Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Shark are about to change all of that . . .

Mr. Wolf has a daring plan for the Bad Guys' first good mission. They are going to break two hundred dogs out of the Maximum Security City Dog Pound. Will Operation Dog Pound go smoothly? Will the Bad Guys become the Good Guys? And will Mr. Snake please stop swallowing Mr. Piranha?!]]> 139 Aaron Blabey 0545912407 Tim 4 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed

That's right, and Mr. Wolf is sick of being a bad guy. He's through with it, and he's taking you, along with a few of his buddies (Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark and Mr. Piranha) along with him on the path of goodness. Sure, they may be scary, but they'll be nice guys whether you like it or not.



I recently took my daughter to see the movie The Bad Guys and she absolutely loved it. Now, my daughter is four and as anyone who has ever interacted with a child of that age can vouch for me, if they love something, they obsess over it. They'll randomly start talking about it, pretend to be one of the characters at random and expect you to follow along and overall just want more of it.

Seeing a copy of the first book I decided to give it a shot and see if this helped ease some of the desire to watch the movie every five minutes.

Now the book is a little different from the film as it has less of the characters (possibly introduced in a latter book?), different designs and starts with them already on the path to goodness. Still, many of the jokes are the same and it very much has the same sense of humor. The book is cute and a great read for younger children, seeing these obvious "bad guys" trying so hard to be good.

Plus, the book/movie have some obvious nods to things like Reservoir Dogs and heist movies, and as someone who loves the crime genre in cinema, I personally find that great. 4/5 stars]]> 4.15 2015 The Bad Guys (The Bad Guys, #1)
author: Aaron Blabey
name: Tim
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/05/14
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:


That's right, and Mr. Wolf is sick of being a bad guy. He's through with it, and he's taking you, along with a few of his buddies (Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark and Mr. Piranha) along with him on the path of goodness. Sure, they may be scary, but they'll be nice guys whether you like it or not.



I recently took my daughter to see the movie The Bad Guys and she absolutely loved it. Now, my daughter is four and as anyone who has ever interacted with a child of that age can vouch for me, if they love something, they obsess over it. They'll randomly start talking about it, pretend to be one of the characters at random and expect you to follow along and overall just want more of it.

Seeing a copy of the first book I decided to give it a shot and see if this helped ease some of the desire to watch the movie every five minutes.

Now the book is a little different from the film as it has less of the characters (possibly introduced in a latter book?), different designs and starts with them already on the path to goodness. Still, many of the jokes are the same and it very much has the same sense of humor. The book is cute and a great read for younger children, seeing these obvious "bad guys" trying so hard to be good.

Plus, the book/movie have some obvious nods to things like Reservoir Dogs and heist movies, and as someone who loves the crime genre in cinema, I personally find that great. 4/5 stars
]]> <![CDATA[The Easy Life in Kamusari (Forest, #1)]]> 58755262 From Shion Miura, the award-winning author of The Great Passage, comes a rapturous novel where the contemporary and the traditional meet amid the splendor of Japan’s mountain way of life.

Yuki Hirano is just out of high school when his parents enroll him, against his will, in a forestry training program in the remote mountain village of Kamusari. No phone, no internet, no shopping. Just a small, inviting community where the most common expression is “take it easy.�

At first, Yuki is exhausted, fumbles with the tools, asks silly questions, and feels like an outcast. Kamusari is the last place a city boy from Yokohama wants to spend a year of his life. But as resistant as he might be, the scent of the cedars and the staggering beauty of the region have a pull.

Yuki learns to fell trees and plant saplings. He begins to embrace local festivals, he’s mesmerized by legends of the mountain, and he might be falling in love. In learning to respect the forest on Mt. Kamusari for its majestic qualities and its inexplicable secrets, Yuki starts to appreciate Kamusari’s harmony with nature and its ancient traditions.

In this warm and lively coming-of-age story, Miura transports us from the trappings of city life to the trials, mysteries, and delights of a mythical mountain forest.]]> 205 Shion Miura 1542027144 Tim 4 The Great Passage, and loved it. It somehow made the seemingly mundane job of writing a dictionary fascinating. I loved the main characters and seeing their dynamics evolve. All around that book was a major success. Here she takes another less glamorous job (forestry) and makes a charming slice of life novel about it (though this time with a touch of magical realism).

The novel follows Yuki who leaves (more like kicked out) of his family's home and takes a job in forestry (Somewhat taken hostage? Whose to say�). He chronicles his year of training and the various going ons of the village of Kamusari.

While Yuki is clearly our lead character, I would argue that the book is really more about the Kamusari itself than him, and that he is just our eyes to this strange little village. Kamusari uses modern technology (well, somewhat) but seems very stuck in the past. Some of its traditions are honestly a bit� well, unpleasant, but for the most part the book plays in a very relaxed and, well, easy going pace.

Overall I found this an enjoyable read. It's not a truly great read, but it's rather comedic, relaxing and fun. Fun, but not quite as good as The Great Passage. I debated between three and four stars, but decided to go the higher rating as fun wins me over quite frequently. 4/5 stars]]> 3.95 2009 The Easy Life in Kamusari (Forest, #1)
author: Shion Miura
name: Tim
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2022/05/12
date added: 2022/05/12
shelves: 2000s, japanese, read-2022, reviewed
review:
Years ago I read the author's book translated into English, The Great Passage, and loved it. It somehow made the seemingly mundane job of writing a dictionary fascinating. I loved the main characters and seeing their dynamics evolve. All around that book was a major success. Here she takes another less glamorous job (forestry) and makes a charming slice of life novel about it (though this time with a touch of magical realism).

The novel follows Yuki who leaves (more like kicked out) of his family's home and takes a job in forestry (Somewhat taken hostage? Whose to say�). He chronicles his year of training and the various going ons of the village of Kamusari.

While Yuki is clearly our lead character, I would argue that the book is really more about the Kamusari itself than him, and that he is just our eyes to this strange little village. Kamusari uses modern technology (well, somewhat) but seems very stuck in the past. Some of its traditions are honestly a bit� well, unpleasant, but for the most part the book plays in a very relaxed and, well, easy going pace.

Overall I found this an enjoyable read. It's not a truly great read, but it's rather comedic, relaxing and fun. Fun, but not quite as good as The Great Passage. I debated between three and four stars, but decided to go the higher rating as fun wins me over quite frequently. 4/5 stars
]]> <![CDATA[And Another Thing... (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #6)]]> 6359434 AN ENGLISHMAN'S CONTINUING SEARCH THROUGH SPACE AND TIME FOR A DECENT CUP OF TEA...

Arthur Dent's accidental association with that wholly remarkable book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has not been entirely without incident.

Arthur has traveled the length, breadth, and depth of known, and unknown, space. He has stumbled forward and backward through time. He has been blown up, reassembled, cruelly imprisoned, horribly released, and colorfully insulted more than is strictly necessary. And of course Arthur Dent has comprehensively failed to grasp the meaning of life, the universe, and everything.

Arthur has finally made it home to Earth, but that does not mean he has escaped his fate.

Arthur's chances of getting his hands on a decent cuppa have evaporated rapidly, along with all the world's oceans. For no sooner has he touched down on the planet Earth than he finds out that it is about to be blown up...again.

And Another Thing...is the rather unexpected, but very welcome, sixth installment of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. It features a pantheon of unemployed gods, everyone's favorite renegade Galactic President, a lovestruck green alien, an irritating computer, and at least one very large slab of cheese.]]> 275 Eoin Colfer 1401323588 Tim 1
The book wasn't funny, it wasn't clever and it dull from start to finish. When I was a kid I used to think that the ending of Mostly Harmless was the worst thing that ever could happen to the series, I was wrong obviously, and that ending is much more fitting than one page of this bad fan-fiction excuse for an addition.

I'd give it 1/5 stars, but but using the Infinite Improbability Drive, I have somehow improbably found a way to give it -5 stars.
]]> 3.58 2009 And Another Thing... (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #6)
author: Eoin Colfer
name: Tim
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2009
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/05/12
shelves: humor, science-fiction, 2000s, reviewed
review:
The existence of this book is still an annoyance to me. I read it when it first came out and promptly got rid of it and never touched a copy of it again. Whenever I see it occasionally show up on my feed I still feel a wave of nausea that Colfer thought he could continue what Douglas Adams started.

The book wasn't funny, it wasn't clever and it dull from start to finish. When I was a kid I used to think that the ending of Mostly Harmless was the worst thing that ever could happen to the series, I was wrong obviously, and that ending is much more fitting than one page of this bad fan-fiction excuse for an addition.

I'd give it 1/5 stars, but but using the Infinite Improbability Drive, I have somehow improbably found a way to give it -5 stars.

]]> Room on the Broom 177246
The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch's hat, then her bow, and then her wand! Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom. But is there room on the broom for so many friends? And when disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?

Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler are the creators of many beloved picture books including The Gruffalo , The Gruffalo's Child , The Snail and the Whale ,and The Spiffiest Giant in Town .


"A surefire read-aloud hit." - School Library Journal]]> 32 Julia Donaldson 0142501123 Tim 4 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
This is a charming children's book, filled with fun rhymes, funny pictures and an overall charming atmosphere. Had it been around when I was a kid, it would have no doubt been one of my favorites. As things stand it is a blast to read with my daughter and much to my delight she really enjoys it as well.

4/5 star and fully recommended. I will certainly look for the author/artist duo's other books.
]]> 4.45 2001 Room on the Broom
author: Julia Donaldson
name: Tim
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/05/11
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
A witch and her cat are traveling one night on her broom when the wind picks up and blows away her hat, then her bow and then her wand. Some little animal friends will help her retrieve them along the way, but will there be enough room on her broom for them all to fly together after helping?

This is a charming children's book, filled with fun rhymes, funny pictures and an overall charming atmosphere. Had it been around when I was a kid, it would have no doubt been one of my favorites. As things stand it is a blast to read with my daughter and much to my delight she really enjoys it as well.

4/5 star and fully recommended. I will certainly look for the author/artist duo's other books.

]]> The Prince & the Sea 28387459 <i>Fairy tale, Horror.</i> 12 Emily Carroll Tim 4 reviewed
Oh! It's a fairy tale comic!

Oh! It's a romance!

Oh! It's a horror story!

This is a charmingly illustrated short comic that tells of a prince who meets a mermaid. They want to be together of course, as is the case in all fairy tales, but it takes a decidedly dark turn. To say more would ruin the story.

4/5 stars for the feel terrible romance fairy tale I'm sure we all wanted.

You can read it for free on the author's website� maybe don't read if easily disturbed, but hey, I enjoyed it.

]]> 4.25 2011 The Prince & the Sea
author: Emily Carroll
name: Tim
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/05/08
shelves: reviewed
review:
"There once was a prince as kind as can be, who often went sitting 'neath a green willow tree, by a dark pool with cool water that led out to the sea."

Oh! It's a fairy tale comic!

Oh! It's a romance!

Oh! It's a horror story!

This is a charmingly illustrated short comic that tells of a prince who meets a mermaid. They want to be together of course, as is the case in all fairy tales, but it takes a decidedly dark turn. To say more would ruin the story.

4/5 stars for the feel terrible romance fairy tale I'm sure we all wanted.

You can read it for free on the author's website� maybe don't read if easily disturbed, but hey, I enjoyed it.


]]> Fireheart Tiger 53317495 Award-winning author Aliette de Bodard returns with a powerful romantic fantasy that reads likeThe Goblin EmperormeetsHowl’s Moving Castlein a pre-colonial Vietnamese-esque world.

Fire burns bright and has a long memory�.

Quiet, thoughtful princess Thanh was sent away as a hostage to the powerful faraway country of Ephteria as a child. Now she’s returned to her mother’s imperial court, haunted not only by memories of her first romance, but by worrying magical echoes of a fire that devastated Ephteria’s royal palace.

Thanh’s new role as a diplomat places her once again in the path of her first love, the powerful and magnetic Eldris of Ephteria, who knows exactly what she wants: romance from Thanh and much more from Thanh’s home. Eldris won’t take no for an answer, on either front. But the fire that burned down one palace is tempting Thanh with the possibility of making her own dangerous decisions.

Can Thanh find the freedom to shape her country’s fate—and her own?]]> 103 Aliette de Bodard 1250793262 Tim 2
Thus is great disappointment to report back that I didn't care for this one much. I was taken in by the unique setting (fantasy Vietnam? Awesome! Need immediately) but the story simply feels unfinished. It's a book that at its heart is our lead's relationship with two characters. Eldris, a princess of a foreign nation that she was held captive in for years and Giang who I won't say much about as it is potentially a spoiler. The Eldris relationship makes sense for the most part� the Giang relationship seems very underdeveloped for the path the story goes.

Here's the problem with both relationships; they are simply told to you and never properly shown. The dynamic with Eldris works better because there are at least hints of her full personality throughout, but so much of it is essentially the narrator saying "this must be the case" while explaining actions rather than letting us process the actions and I don't feel like the relationships were ever genuine.

Honestly I think there was a good book in here. Had it been a novel rather than a novella, had the relationships been given more time and the world expanded upon with more details of the stakes not just for the main country but its neighbors, I think this could have been excellent. Now though it feels like an unfinished rough draft that was sold instead of shelved. Overall its okay, but very disappointing. 2/5 stars]]> 3.33 2021 Fireheart Tiger
author: Aliette de Bodard
name: Tim
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2022/05/07
date added: 2022/05/07
shelves: fantasy, read-2022, reviewed, 2020s
review:
I find tor.com as a publisher ridiculously consistent. They publish some of the best science fiction, fantasy and horror on the market right now and certainly some of my favorite books in recent years. I can honestly could the number of their books I've read and disliked on one hand. As a whole I trust them to find good authors, interesting stories and something worth my time.

Thus is great disappointment to report back that I didn't care for this one much. I was taken in by the unique setting (fantasy Vietnam? Awesome! Need immediately) but the story simply feels unfinished. It's a book that at its heart is our lead's relationship with two characters. Eldris, a princess of a foreign nation that she was held captive in for years and Giang who I won't say much about as it is potentially a spoiler. The Eldris relationship makes sense for the most part� the Giang relationship seems very underdeveloped for the path the story goes.

Here's the problem with both relationships; they are simply told to you and never properly shown. The dynamic with Eldris works better because there are at least hints of her full personality throughout, but so much of it is essentially the narrator saying "this must be the case" while explaining actions rather than letting us process the actions and I don't feel like the relationships were ever genuine.

Honestly I think there was a good book in here. Had it been a novel rather than a novella, had the relationships been given more time and the world expanded upon with more details of the stakes not just for the main country but its neighbors, I think this could have been excellent. Now though it feels like an unfinished rough draft that was sold instead of shelved. Overall its okay, but very disappointing. 2/5 stars
]]> The Rats 21535115 A special 40th anniversary edition of the classic, bestselling novel that novel that launched James Herbert's career

It was only when the bones of the first devoured victims were discovered that the true nature and power of these swarming black creatures � with their razor sharp teeth and the taste for human blood � began to be realized by a panic-stricken city. For millions of years, man and rat had been natural enemies. But now for the first time � suddenly, shockingly, horribly � the balance of power had shifted...]]> 208 James Herbert 1447264509 Tim 3 1970s, horror, reviewed
If you’re doing the same at home, please imagine every time you read the word “rats� that it is delivered as it is in that song. It will make the review significantly more entertaining.

So, James Herbert was an awesome horror author. I feel I cannot stress that enough before I begin this review, because “The Rats� proves that was not always the case. Now do not get me wrong, this book is actually quite entertaining, and don’t let that initial reaction put you off. If you just want to read a book about rats causing havoc in London� well, then this is the book for you! That said, as someone who started reading Herbert with some of his later work, it is shocking to see that the writing quality is nowhere near what he would become.

It suffers very much from “first novel syndrome�. We have a rather dull everyman lead (who may be the least interesting character in the entire book, save for some unnamed tourists... and the tourists are possibly debatable). The book is structured almost like a series of short stories, with most chapters being random citizens chased/devoured by rats in a new and creative way, while our lead just happens to tie together everything together in a few interconnected chapters.

Also, with the exception of the last chapter, there’s very little in terms of tension building. Instead Herbert seems content to replace suspense with “shocking� moment. Some of these moments work, [spoilers removed] some sadly just come off as a tad silly.

With all complaints aside, it is a very entertaining read, which is really all I can ask for from a book about killer rats. I mean, I didn't expect to gain some great new insight to the human psyche, I wanted rats ripping off people's body parts... and that I received. It has some utterly ridiculous moments, but all in good fun, like a creature feature played late at night on cable. It can’t be taken too seriously, but for those looking for rodent terror, there are certainly worse places to look. I give it 3 giant killer rats out of 5.]]> 3.79 1974 The Rats
author: James Herbert
name: Tim
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1974
rating: 3
read at: 2018/10/05
date added: 2022/05/06
shelves: 1970s, horror, reviewed
review:
*Pulls up Spotify and plays “Rats� by Ghost for the remainder of the review*

If you’re doing the same at home, please imagine every time you read the word “rats� that it is delivered as it is in that song. It will make the review significantly more entertaining.

So, James Herbert was an awesome horror author. I feel I cannot stress that enough before I begin this review, because “The Rats� proves that was not always the case. Now do not get me wrong, this book is actually quite entertaining, and don’t let that initial reaction put you off. If you just want to read a book about rats causing havoc in London� well, then this is the book for you! That said, as someone who started reading Herbert with some of his later work, it is shocking to see that the writing quality is nowhere near what he would become.

It suffers very much from “first novel syndrome�. We have a rather dull everyman lead (who may be the least interesting character in the entire book, save for some unnamed tourists... and the tourists are possibly debatable). The book is structured almost like a series of short stories, with most chapters being random citizens chased/devoured by rats in a new and creative way, while our lead just happens to tie together everything together in a few interconnected chapters.

Also, with the exception of the last chapter, there’s very little in terms of tension building. Instead Herbert seems content to replace suspense with “shocking� moment. Some of these moments work, [spoilers removed] some sadly just come off as a tad silly.

With all complaints aside, it is a very entertaining read, which is really all I can ask for from a book about killer rats. I mean, I didn't expect to gain some great new insight to the human psyche, I wanted rats ripping off people's body parts... and that I received. It has some utterly ridiculous moments, but all in good fun, like a creature feature played late at night on cable. It can’t be taken too seriously, but for those looking for rodent terror, there are certainly worse places to look. I give it 3 giant killer rats out of 5.
]]> <![CDATA[Perfectly Pegasus (Not Quite Narwhal and Friends)]]> 57553019 A lonely pegasus looks for the perfect friend in this sweet and adorable picture book companion to the bestselling Not Quite Narwhal!

Nimbus has always lived among the clouds. She’s a pegasus, after all, and the sky is where she belongs. She is one of a kind. And when she wants a friend, all she has to do is look up—and talk to the stars.

Only...they don’t really talk back. The clouds don’t, either. And sometimes, being the only pegasus can be a little...lonely? So she decides to find a fallen star to make a wish on—and wishes for friends who are just like her. Along the way she meets a Unicorn named Kelp, and a host of other creatures...who might just open her eyes to something other than what’s up in the sky.]]> 42 Jessie Sima 153449717X Tim 4 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
Yes, from the plot description you already know where this one is going. It's a wonderful little book though, with lovely illustrations and some fun moments. A definite win for my daughter, although I think we both prefer the Narwhal book. 4/5 stars.
]]> 4.23 2022 Perfectly Pegasus (Not Quite Narwhal and Friends)
author: Jessie Sima
name: Tim
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/05/05
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
Perfectly Pegasus is a companion book to Sima's amazing Not Quite Narwhal (if you have not read that one, pick it up as it is one of the most delightful children's books). This time it focuses on a Pegasus who is perfectly content with her life except for the fact that she has no friends. She decides to track down a fallen star in the hope that it will grant a wish for them and along the way she meets several individuals willing to help her�

Yes, from the plot description you already know where this one is going. It's a wonderful little book though, with lovely illustrations and some fun moments. A definite win for my daughter, although I think we both prefer the Narwhal book. 4/5 stars.

]]> <![CDATA[Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes, #1)]]> 60222807 A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes.

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success—not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.]]> 296 Travis Baldree Tim 5
It not reasonable to even think I'll find something I like better. This is the book I've literally wanted my entire adult life. A slice of life fantasy novel, no adventure, no wars, just the everyday lives of people in a high fantasy setting doing stuff while adventures do their own thing and mostly leave them alone. It's the relaxing nature of Becky Chamber's science fiction novels but as a fantasy.

The plot is just about an orc setting up a coffee shop, and the coworkers/friends she makes in the process of getting the business going.

The tagline of the book is that it's a "High Fantasy with Low Stakes" and I love that. I know this won't be a book for everyone, I can already hear some fantasy fans sneering at the concept, but I love this more than I can possibly say.

This is the most feel good book I've ever read. While there is humor, it is not taking a Pratchett comedic tone to the entire thing. It's just� well, life in a fantasy world. It's� charming to the extreme. I read it on my kindle because I had a trial of Kindle Unlimited, but I'm buying a physical copy as ell because I need it in my home library. This is a book I see myself revisiting whenever I need a pick me up. Whenever the world seems gloomy� this is a book to relax and enjoy with a nice cup of coffee.

It may not be for you, but I give it a full 5/5 stars and my strongest recommendation.

Oh, and I do truly hope were get a sequel or that the author at least writes another book in this same world along the same slice of life feel (even if its different protagonists doing a different type of job). I can honestly say if it does continue, it would be my favorite fantasy series.]]> 4.33 2022 Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes, #1)
author: Travis Baldree
name: Tim
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/05/01
date added: 2022/05/01
shelves: 2020s, fantasy, read-2022, reviewed, favorites
review:
I'm about to make a statement that many will find the most preposterous thing I've ever written in a review. This will likely be deemed so ridiculous because it is (a) only May 1st and (b) a year where I've already read several books by authors like Dickens, Steinbeck and Faulkner� but I'm declaring this my favorite read of 2022.

It not reasonable to even think I'll find something I like better. This is the book I've literally wanted my entire adult life. A slice of life fantasy novel, no adventure, no wars, just the everyday lives of people in a high fantasy setting doing stuff while adventures do their own thing and mostly leave them alone. It's the relaxing nature of Becky Chamber's science fiction novels but as a fantasy.

The plot is just about an orc setting up a coffee shop, and the coworkers/friends she makes in the process of getting the business going.

The tagline of the book is that it's a "High Fantasy with Low Stakes" and I love that. I know this won't be a book for everyone, I can already hear some fantasy fans sneering at the concept, but I love this more than I can possibly say.

This is the most feel good book I've ever read. While there is humor, it is not taking a Pratchett comedic tone to the entire thing. It's just� well, life in a fantasy world. It's� charming to the extreme. I read it on my kindle because I had a trial of Kindle Unlimited, but I'm buying a physical copy as ell because I need it in my home library. This is a book I see myself revisiting whenever I need a pick me up. Whenever the world seems gloomy� this is a book to relax and enjoy with a nice cup of coffee.

It may not be for you, but I give it a full 5/5 stars and my strongest recommendation.

Oh, and I do truly hope were get a sequel or that the author at least writes another book in this same world along the same slice of life feel (even if its different protagonists doing a different type of job). I can honestly say if it does continue, it would be my favorite fantasy series.
]]> The Eyes of the Dragon 655707
The passage through the castle is dim, sensed by few and walked by only one. Flagg knows the way well. In four hundred years, he has walked it many times, in many guises, but now the passage serves its true purpose. Through the spyhole it conceals, the court magician observes King Roland--old, weak, yet still a king. Roland's time is nearly over, though, and young Prince Peter, tall and handsome, the measure of a king in all ways, stands to inherit the realm.

Yet a tiny mouse is enough to bring him down, a mouse that chances upon a grain of Dragon Sand behind Peter's shelves and dies crying tears of fire and belching gray smoke. A mouse that dies as King Roland does. Flagg saw it all and smiled, for now Prince Thomas, a young boy easily swayed to Flagg's own purposes, would rule the kingdom. But Thomas has a secret that has turned his days into nightmares and his nights into prayed-for oblivion. The last bastion of hope lies at the top of the Needle, the royal prison where Peter plans a daring escape...]]> 326 Stephen King 067081458X Tim 4 1980s, fantasy, reviewed
King initially wrote this book for his daughter, because she didn't like his "scary" books. As such, this is honestly the easiest to read King novel, it's a short fantasy and it's written in a way that may have some adult material, but is fairly easy for a younger audience to process� in other words, it's a fairy tale.

When initially published, this was not received well by many fans. In fact, I read an interview once where King said how fitting it was that this and Misery (a book where a fan loses her mind at the idea of her favorite author trying something different) came out the same year.

Honestly as fan of fairy tales, fantasy and King, I loved it. It very much is a young adult book, in fact I would honestly say middle grade if not for a few scenes. That said it's not condescending, and is very readable still as an adult. While I can't say it is my favorite of his books, this is definitely not anywhere the worst of King's writing and it would also be my suggestion as a good introduction book to King if you have a younger reader who wants to try him (or for someone intimated by horror but wants to give him a shot)

Also, Dark Tower fans, you need to read this one for a couple of the references. Trust me. 4/5 stars.]]> 3.91 1984 The Eyes of the Dragon
author: Stephen King
name: Tim
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1984
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/04/30
shelves: 1980s, fantasy, reviewed
review:
Stephen King has been the king of horror for so long, that people always seem surprised when he tries something else. A time travel story? "Can he do it?!?" A crime trilogy? "WHAT?!?!?!" Whenever he tries something different people seem surprised, and it's been that way throughout his career.

King initially wrote this book for his daughter, because she didn't like his "scary" books. As such, this is honestly the easiest to read King novel, it's a short fantasy and it's written in a way that may have some adult material, but is fairly easy for a younger audience to process� in other words, it's a fairy tale.

When initially published, this was not received well by many fans. In fact, I read an interview once where King said how fitting it was that this and Misery (a book where a fan loses her mind at the idea of her favorite author trying something different) came out the same year.

Honestly as fan of fairy tales, fantasy and King, I loved it. It very much is a young adult book, in fact I would honestly say middle grade if not for a few scenes. That said it's not condescending, and is very readable still as an adult. While I can't say it is my favorite of his books, this is definitely not anywhere the worst of King's writing and it would also be my suggestion as a good introduction book to King if you have a younger reader who wants to try him (or for someone intimated by horror but wants to give him a shot)

Also, Dark Tower fans, you need to read this one for a couple of the references. Trust me. 4/5 stars.
]]> Stolen Tongues 35758494 306 Felix Blackwell Tim 3
This book has been coming highly recommended from multiple sources and frankly, I was all about it. It started off a "Creepy Pasta" on the No Sleep Reddit board, and I do have a love for those internet horror stories. Whenever one becomes a full fledged novel, I feel a little bit of joy (the Patient and Pen Pal for example)� and I must say, I understand why this one gets some love.

This has, without a doubt, one of the most chilling openings I've ever read. I'm a pretty seasoned horror reader, but I had goosebumps and was looking at the pages just going "oh shit." Had it just been that as a short story I would have called it an all time great.

It was not a short a story though, and as things stand it is still an enjoyable novel, but sadly not the masterpiece of terror that it started with.

The biggest problem with this book is that it feels so repetitive. We keep going through the same motions. Fall asleep, weird things in the night, tall figure running away� keep repeating with some variation on the same thing. As a reader, after a while, what was frightening became overdone and a touch boring. I was more than halfway through the book at the beginning of the month, but set it down and read several other books because I was tired of the repetition and needed something else for a bit. It really hurt the story for me, and honestly I think the book would have been better had it been cut down to more of a novella length.

Complaints aside, it's a fairly enjoyable read, and given the overwhelmingly high ratings among my friends, this likely doesn't bother many readers as much as it did me. I absolutely suggest horror fans give it a shot, and I do hope it works well for you. As for me, it's an enjoyable read, but I wished it would have hit me more consistently. 3/5 stars]]> 3.88 2017 Stolen Tongues
author: Felix Blackwell
name: Tim
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2022/04/28
date added: 2022/04/29
shelves: 2010s, horror, read-2022, reviewed
review:
A romantic weekend in a cabin on Pale Peak sounds like a wonderful opportunity for Felix and Faye to celebrate their engagement. Unfortunately things do not go as planned. Something in the snow is watching them, listening to their very dreams and takes a great interest in the pair� something that wants to know everything there is to know about them.

This book has been coming highly recommended from multiple sources and frankly, I was all about it. It started off a "Creepy Pasta" on the No Sleep Reddit board, and I do have a love for those internet horror stories. Whenever one becomes a full fledged novel, I feel a little bit of joy (the Patient and Pen Pal for example)� and I must say, I understand why this one gets some love.

This has, without a doubt, one of the most chilling openings I've ever read. I'm a pretty seasoned horror reader, but I had goosebumps and was looking at the pages just going "oh shit." Had it just been that as a short story I would have called it an all time great.

It was not a short a story though, and as things stand it is still an enjoyable novel, but sadly not the masterpiece of terror that it started with.

The biggest problem with this book is that it feels so repetitive. We keep going through the same motions. Fall asleep, weird things in the night, tall figure running away� keep repeating with some variation on the same thing. As a reader, after a while, what was frightening became overdone and a touch boring. I was more than halfway through the book at the beginning of the month, but set it down and read several other books because I was tired of the repetition and needed something else for a bit. It really hurt the story for me, and honestly I think the book would have been better had it been cut down to more of a novella length.

Complaints aside, it's a fairly enjoyable read, and given the overwhelmingly high ratings among my friends, this likely doesn't bother many readers as much as it did me. I absolutely suggest horror fans give it a shot, and I do hope it works well for you. As for me, it's an enjoyable read, but I wished it would have hit me more consistently. 3/5 stars
]]> The Very Quiet Cricket 125423 A VERY classic from Eric Carle, creator of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' (1969)!

One day a tiny cricket is born and meets a big cricket who chirps his welcome. The tiny cricket tries to respond, but there is no sound. The quiet cricket then makes his way into the world, meeting one insect after another, each of whom greets the little cricket with a cheery hello—the hum of a bee, the whirr of a dragonfly, the whisper of a praying mantis. The cricket rubs his wings together each time, but nothing happens, not a sound. Until the day he meets another cricket, a female, and something different happens...

As children turn the page on this wonderful moment, they are greeted with a surprise—an actual chirp!

Full of Eric Carle's (1929�2021) gorgeous and lush collage art, a gentle rhythmic text for read-alouds, and a wonder-inducing surprise at the end, The Very Quiet Cricket remains an all-time favorite from one of the true masters of picture-book making.

Includes Audible Electronics with a Replaceable Battery
Edition MSRP: $23⁹⁹ US / $25⁰⁰ CAN (ISBN 978-0-399-21885-9)
Manufactured in China]]> 32 Eric Carle 0399218858 Tim 1 reviewed, my-daughter-s-books *Standing on a walkway in a secret volcano lair hidden inside Skullcrusher Mountain.*

"Ah, Mr. Carle, we meet yet again. Truly you are a nemesis worth having. I confess I'm surprised that you made it past the half pony, half monkey monsters guarding the lair� what? You don't like monstrous hybrids? Shocking given your blocky art style.

"I thought we were through. I was happy in my retirement from being considered *evil* for not liking your books. 'Oh, his work is so precious! It reminds me of childhood! The art is beautiful.' Bah! Makes me sick Mr. Carle. Tis better to be the villain and denounce your supposed genius.

"I've been forced into your work again Mr. Carle. This time the Very Quiet Cricket. Silence is golden, so it's a shame your book was full of LIES. A machine that makes noise on the last page? That was your gimmick this time Mr. Carle? Well, gimmicks will not save you this time. This volcano is set to explode. Now excuse me as I board a ridiculously slow moving platform that you can easily catch up with to make my escape.

*Laughs diabolically*

"What? I make a terrible Bond villain.

"Well you sir made a terrible book� and at least Bond villain are sometimes interesting."

1/5 stars
]]> 4.06 1990 The Very Quiet Cricket
author: Eric Carle
name: Tim
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1990
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/04/26
shelves: reviewed, my-daughter-s-books
review:

*Standing on a walkway in a secret volcano lair hidden inside Skullcrusher Mountain.*

"Ah, Mr. Carle, we meet yet again. Truly you are a nemesis worth having. I confess I'm surprised that you made it past the half pony, half monkey monsters guarding the lair� what? You don't like monstrous hybrids? Shocking given your blocky art style.

"I thought we were through. I was happy in my retirement from being considered *evil* for not liking your books. 'Oh, his work is so precious! It reminds me of childhood! The art is beautiful.' Bah! Makes me sick Mr. Carle. Tis better to be the villain and denounce your supposed genius.

"I've been forced into your work again Mr. Carle. This time the Very Quiet Cricket. Silence is golden, so it's a shame your book was full of LIES. A machine that makes noise on the last page? That was your gimmick this time Mr. Carle? Well, gimmicks will not save you this time. This volcano is set to explode. Now excuse me as I board a ridiculously slow moving platform that you can easily catch up with to make my escape.

*Laughs diabolically*

"What? I make a terrible Bond villain.

"Well you sir made a terrible book� and at least Bond villain are sometimes interesting."

1/5 stars

]]> Red Station 55887427
For four stagecoach passengers... a doctor in search of a missing father and daughter... a newlywed couple on the way to their homestead... and a lady in red with a bag filled with secrets... Their night at the Station has only just begun.]]> 146 Kenzie Jennings 1950259358 Tim 4
Well now, this one was fun! Four stagecoach passengers, a doctor, a newlywed couple and a lady in a red dress are on their way out west. They stop at a station for the night to get some rest, food and a little bit of relaxation before reaching their destination the next day. They do get the food, but rest and relaxation are not what is in store for them, and many people will die that night.

This one is a fun little work of horror. While I've found almost all of the Splatter Western series fun, this one is pretty great in how it plays off expectations. Some of it plays out the way you would expect, but there's enough twist and turns here to keep the reader guessing and also surprise you with how capable on the characters really is.

The book is short, but its surprisingly a slow burn. About the first half of the book is conversations, getting to know the characters and setting up plot lines which admittedly become a bit irreverent when things finally go down. The second half is nonstop gruesome violence and while all of the books in this series have been fairly brutal, this one surprised me in how intense it was. Let me clarify, in terms of gore and such, this is actually one of the tamer books in the series, it's not as graphic as any of the other books that I've read in the lineup� but it is more intense and honestly one of the most suspenseful.

This, along with The Magpie Coffin, stand as a really good introduction to this sub-genre of Western Horror. Both tell a good stand alone tale that leave you hoping the author's will write a sequel, and both are well worth a horror fan's time. 4/5 stars]]> 3.94 2020 Red Station
author: Kenzie Jennings
name: Tim
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2022/04/24
date added: 2022/04/24
shelves: 2020s, horror, read-2022, reviewed
review:
“It was the hour of fresh blood, and the land was ravenous.�

Well now, this one was fun! Four stagecoach passengers, a doctor, a newlywed couple and a lady in a red dress are on their way out west. They stop at a station for the night to get some rest, food and a little bit of relaxation before reaching their destination the next day. They do get the food, but rest and relaxation are not what is in store for them, and many people will die that night.

This one is a fun little work of horror. While I've found almost all of the Splatter Western series fun, this one is pretty great in how it plays off expectations. Some of it plays out the way you would expect, but there's enough twist and turns here to keep the reader guessing and also surprise you with how capable on the characters really is.

The book is short, but its surprisingly a slow burn. About the first half of the book is conversations, getting to know the characters and setting up plot lines which admittedly become a bit irreverent when things finally go down. The second half is nonstop gruesome violence and while all of the books in this series have been fairly brutal, this one surprised me in how intense it was. Let me clarify, in terms of gore and such, this is actually one of the tamer books in the series, it's not as graphic as any of the other books that I've read in the lineup� but it is more intense and honestly one of the most suspenseful.

This, along with The Magpie Coffin, stand as a really good introduction to this sub-genre of Western Horror. Both tell a good stand alone tale that leave you hoping the author's will write a sequel, and both are well worth a horror fan's time. 4/5 stars
]]> <![CDATA[There Is a Bird on Your Head! (Elephant & Piggie, #4)]]> 515904 Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.

Gerald and Piggie are best friends.

In There Is a Bird On My Head!, Gerald discovers that there is something worse than a bird on your head-two birds on your head! Can Piggie help her best friend?


]]> 64 Mo Willems 1423106865 Tim 3 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
All these books are designed to make children laugh, but this one is easily the silliest of the books. It goes to increasingly absurd levels which makes my daughter laugh every time. No doubt this is one is a winner for most children who want a silly story.

It's not personally one of my favorites in the series, as I generally prefer the ones focusing on the friendship of the two characters (I find those ones to be genuinely sweet and surprisingly good at getting complex feelings across to young children), but there is certainly an appeal to the weirdness of this one. 3/5 stars
]]> 4.39 2007 There Is a Bird on Your Head! (Elephant & Piggie, #4)
author: Mo Willems
name: Tim
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2022/04/23
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
Without a doubt the most absurd of all the Elephant and Piggie books. A bird lands on Gerald's head. He, for obvious reasons, does not want a bird on his head. Things get worse for Gerald as rather than ridding himself of the bird, it seems to decide to start a family.

All these books are designed to make children laugh, but this one is easily the silliest of the books. It goes to increasingly absurd levels which makes my daughter laugh every time. No doubt this is one is a winner for most children who want a silly story.

It's not personally one of my favorites in the series, as I generally prefer the ones focusing on the friendship of the two characters (I find those ones to be genuinely sweet and surprisingly good at getting complex feelings across to young children), but there is certainly an appeal to the weirdness of this one. 3/5 stars

]]> The Ghost and Mrs. Muir 20758134
Burdened by debt after her husband's death, Lucy Muir insists on moving into the very cheap Gull Cottage in the quaint seaside village of Whitecliff, despite multiple warnings that the house is haunted. Upon discovering the rumors to be true, the young widow ends up forming a special companionship with the ghost of handsome former sea captain Daniel Gregg. Through the struggles of supporting her children, seeking out romance from the wrong places, and working to publish the captain's story as a book, Blood and Swash , Lucy finds in her secret relationship with Captain Gregg a comfort and blossoming love she never could have predicted.

Originally published in 1945, made into a movie in 1947, and later adapted into a television sitcom in 1968, this romantic tale explores how love can develop without boundaries, both in this life and beyond.

Vintage Movie Classics spotlights classic films that have stood the test of time, now rediscovered through the publication of the novels on which they were based.]]> 192 R.A. Dick 0804173486 Tim 4
A couple of years ago I found a copy of the novel in a used book store and immediately picked it up. It has remained on my shelf for years, being something I knew at some point I would want to read but never having any real desire to pick it up quite yet�

Until now.

The plot: Mrs. Muir is a young widow. She longs to escape from her overbearing sister-in-law who determines how her life should be lived. One day, she decides just to escape. She visits a cozy seaside town and falls in love with a little house by the sea. A house which happens to be haunted by an old sea captain who is very bitter that a relative he doesn't even like owns the place and is renting it out and is even more annoyed that his death was considered a suicide when it was very much an accident. Rather than the traditional ghost story where the ghost tries to kick his new residents out, what we get is a rather humorous book about two individuals who while very different, very much work towards each other's goals and build a relationship (that while sometimes is antagonistic) is very much based around things working out for the best.

I rarely use the word "charming" in reviews, but I can think of no better one. This is not the best written book, it's not extraordinarily plotted or with prose to make the reader see the world in a new light� it is a simple book, but one I really didn't want to end. It's short. It's only 170 something pages, and I reached the end with some dread as I could have continued on for another couple hundred pages. It's a cozy book. I don't know what else to say.

The book is honestly a three star read for most of it. It's fun, it's funny, but not particularly deep� but it gets that extra star for having one of the most perfect endings of any book I have ever read. Honestly it is wonderful, closing just as it was meant to be. 4/5 stars.]]> 4.06 1945 The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
author: R.A. Dick
name: Tim
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1945
rating: 4
read at: 2022/04/21
date added: 2022/04/21
shelves: 1940s, humor, read-2022, reviewed, classic
review:
I've mentioned in a few of my reviews that I grew up in a household that watches a lot of classic movies. TCM and AMC (back when they were commercial free and played movies rather than TV shows)were the two channels of choice in my house and before I was 6 I'd seen more classic films than many of my friends have seen now in my thirties. One of my favorite films as a kid was The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. It's a movie that has always stuck out to me for some reason, and while I would not included it on my top 10 anymore, it's a film I still greatly enjoy. I found it funny as a child, and delighted at Rex Harrison's performance, but saw so much more in than just the humor as I grew older (while still laughing at his performance).

A couple of years ago I found a copy of the novel in a used book store and immediately picked it up. It has remained on my shelf for years, being something I knew at some point I would want to read but never having any real desire to pick it up quite yet�

Until now.

The plot: Mrs. Muir is a young widow. She longs to escape from her overbearing sister-in-law who determines how her life should be lived. One day, she decides just to escape. She visits a cozy seaside town and falls in love with a little house by the sea. A house which happens to be haunted by an old sea captain who is very bitter that a relative he doesn't even like owns the place and is renting it out and is even more annoyed that his death was considered a suicide when it was very much an accident. Rather than the traditional ghost story where the ghost tries to kick his new residents out, what we get is a rather humorous book about two individuals who while very different, very much work towards each other's goals and build a relationship (that while sometimes is antagonistic) is very much based around things working out for the best.

I rarely use the word "charming" in reviews, but I can think of no better one. This is not the best written book, it's not extraordinarily plotted or with prose to make the reader see the world in a new light� it is a simple book, but one I really didn't want to end. It's short. It's only 170 something pages, and I reached the end with some dread as I could have continued on for another couple hundred pages. It's a cozy book. I don't know what else to say.

The book is honestly a three star read for most of it. It's fun, it's funny, but not particularly deep� but it gets that extra star for having one of the most perfect endings of any book I have ever read. Honestly it is wonderful, closing just as it was meant to be. 4/5 stars.
]]> The Star Beast 15803168
Lummox has been the pet of the Stuart family for generations. With eight legs, a thick hide and huge (and growing) size, Lummox is nobody’s idea of man’s best friend. Nevertheless, John Stuart XI, descendant of the starman who originally brought Lummox back to Earth, loves him. But when Lummox eats a neighbor’s car and begins to grow again, the Feds decide enough is enough. John isn’t about to let the authorities take his pet away, and with his best friend friend Betty, determines to save Lummox even if it takes leaving the life he’s known forever.

An all time science fiction coming-of-age classic from seven-time Hugo winner and Dean of Science Fiction, Robert A. Heinlein.

About Robert A.

“Not only America's premier writer of speculative fiction, but the great writer of such fiction in the world.”—Stephen King.

“One of the grand masters of science fiction.”� Wall Street Journal

Comprehensive Teacher's Guide available.]]> 320 Robert A. Heinlein 1451638914 Tim 3
This is a story filled with moral shades of gray. Kiku and Greenberg (our two government bureaucrats) make decisions that are often questionable from a moral standpoint, but looking at a bigger picture it makes sense. This at times seems like Heinlein’s politics start showing through, but unlike some of his later work, they don’t subtract from the story. Here it feels appropriate and adds a sense of desperation, showing that this situation is much bigger than anyone thought at the start and the implication of the final decision from earth’s standpoint could change everything drastically. This is one of those situations where I really can’t expand upon this without going into spoiler territory, but let us just say that the presentation of a boy’s adventures with his pet are� very minimal in the grand scheme of things.

While I appreciated this more thoughtful and more serious tone, it does make the novel feel unbalanced. The opening 20 or so pages feel like a parody of the giant monster films so popular during the 50s, then it goes into a rather comical trial, before becoming a brief adventure story, then something of an intrigue tale. It all makes sense in the context of the story, but it has a hard time balancing all these different tones and styles (some of which are far more successful than others).

All in all, I don’t want to complain too much though as I found myself enjoying the story as a whole. There are many flaws, though it contains very few of my usual issues with Heinlein. Overall a satisfying read if you’re looking for a classic science fiction that doesn’t require too deep of thought.]]> 3.81 1954 The Star Beast
author: Robert A. Heinlein
name: Tim
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1954
rating: 3
read at: 2017/07/23
date added: 2022/04/20
shelves: science-fiction, reviewed, 1950s
review:
Despite its juvenile status, I’m glad I didn’t read this novel as a child. It’s not that there’s anything in it that is particularly objectionable to children, I just really don’t think I would have appreciated it in the slightest. From the basic plot description, one could easily think this was a classic boy and his dog (though replace dog with star beast) style story, filled with heart warming moments of separation, reunion and everyone learning a valuable lesson� and indeed these aspects are a part of the story, but they are far from the whole. While the plot description makes it sound as if the boy and the star beast are the main characters, they share only about half the plot with two government officials who have to make constant calls over the legality of the boy owning an alien, whether the alien could be classified as a “human� race and whether or not the beast has rights. These colder “logical� moments are as much the heart of the story as the emotional aspects between the boy and his pet. I’m not sure kid me would not have appreciated this deeper narrative. Nor would I have likely appreciated the 30 page trial section, with its legal terms and lengthy discussion on rights� though as an adult I found this to be one of the more interesting sections and fairly comical.

This is a story filled with moral shades of gray. Kiku and Greenberg (our two government bureaucrats) make decisions that are often questionable from a moral standpoint, but looking at a bigger picture it makes sense. This at times seems like Heinlein’s politics start showing through, but unlike some of his later work, they don’t subtract from the story. Here it feels appropriate and adds a sense of desperation, showing that this situation is much bigger than anyone thought at the start and the implication of the final decision from earth’s standpoint could change everything drastically. This is one of those situations where I really can’t expand upon this without going into spoiler territory, but let us just say that the presentation of a boy’s adventures with his pet are� very minimal in the grand scheme of things.

While I appreciated this more thoughtful and more serious tone, it does make the novel feel unbalanced. The opening 20 or so pages feel like a parody of the giant monster films so popular during the 50s, then it goes into a rather comical trial, before becoming a brief adventure story, then something of an intrigue tale. It all makes sense in the context of the story, but it has a hard time balancing all these different tones and styles (some of which are far more successful than others).

All in all, I don’t want to complain too much though as I found myself enjoying the story as a whole. There are many flaws, though it contains very few of my usual issues with Heinlein. Overall a satisfying read if you’re looking for a classic science fiction that doesn’t require too deep of thought.
]]> Creepy Cat, Vol. 1 58292307
Flora moves into a mysterious mansion and finds it inhabited by a strange creature—Creepy Cat! Thus begins her strange and sometimes dangerous life with a feline roommate. This Gothic comedy brings the chuckles...and the chills!]]> 128 Cotton Valent 164827787X Tim 3 manga, reviewed
Also a ghost lives in the house! But he's unimportant. It's all about the cat.

This is a pretty funny little comic. The art is appealing in a mix of classic manga style mixed with Tim Burton's illustrations. The jokes are mostly successful and cat is a wonderful combination of creepy/cute. The pages are fully colored for the series, and makes wonderful use of blacks and reds.

It's not the greatest series in the world, but it's appealing all around and worth a look. 3/5 stars]]> 3.85 2019 Creepy Cat, Vol. 1
author: Cotton Valent
name: Tim
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2022/04/19
shelves: manga, reviewed
review:
This is a comic about a young woman who inherits a creepy old mansion and with it a creepy cat. The cat looks innocent enough, but then it floats, it stretches, it multiplies, it brings lovely presents of dead animals (okay, that one is fairly normal for a cat), but overall, it is very unusual.

Also a ghost lives in the house! But he's unimportant. It's all about the cat.

This is a pretty funny little comic. The art is appealing in a mix of classic manga style mixed with Tim Burton's illustrations. The jokes are mostly successful and cat is a wonderful combination of creepy/cute. The pages are fully colored for the series, and makes wonderful use of blacks and reds.

It's not the greatest series in the world, but it's appealing all around and worth a look. 3/5 stars
]]> Razor Wire Pubic Hair 15899096
In a dark future where males have become extinct, humans are forced to breed with factory-manufactured living fuck-toys that possess an abundance of both male and female sex organs. One such creature is adopted by a warrior dominatrix named Celsia, who is trying to have a baby. But once she takes her new merchandise home, things don't quite go as planned. Wild tribes of rapists, women with multiple vaginas covering their bodies, sex tournaments, erotic mutilation, and a giant vagina possessing the secrets of the universe, this is one ugly perverted hell of a world.

Told in Mellick's early schizophrenic prose style, Razor Wire Pubic Hair is like postmodern minimalistic art mixed with Japanese "guro" porn.]]> 92 Carlton Mellick III 1621050351 Tim 1 my friend Anne. She is entirely to blame for this. :)

Tim's log 4/17/2022

I can feel the madness starting to take hold. I will try to document this before it is too late.

It all started innocently enough. In 2020 I was on a huge horror kick and saw a book titled "Apeshit." It was billed as a homage/parody of over the top slasher movies and sounded like fun so I gave it a shot. It was a mistake. It may not have had any apes, but the second part of the title was accurate enough.

That was my first experience with Carlton Mellick III. I thought it would be my last, but that was not to be.

A week or so back I lost a bet and had to read/review another book by the author, The Haunted Vagina. It was� shockingly not terrible, but I still can't say it was a book I really liked. It was short though, a one sitting read, so no harm done�

Then my friend Anne, the same one made the bet asked me to do a buddy a read of this book� Why did I accept? I guess I thought it could be fun. I didn't care for the other books, but they're short enough so "why not?" I thought. It's been a while since I did a buddy read, and people thought the last review was fun. What harm is there?

I am full of regrets.

This book is what would happen if David Lynch decided to re-make Mad Max as a surreal post apocalyptic porno. The book follows a humanoid sex toy, who is being used by a dominatrix warrior woman in a wasteland to produce a child. They hide in a fortress-like structure from bands of rapists who travel the wastes� and you know what, I'm not describing it anymore.

Unlike the last book I read by the author where I noted that the title may have been shocking, but it was surprisingly less weird than I expected after the first 20 or so pages, that is not the case here. The book is very much pure shock factor and written in the most goddamn bizarre way, that seems like the author decided that William S. Burroughs's Naked Lunch made too much sense. To say this one is weird is like saying Picasso was rather fond of the color blue for a bit.

This book is� I don't even know what to say. The other two at least were supposed to be funny, this one is just meant be shocking� but after a while I just accepted the insanity and read getting almost bored at how it tried so hard every chapter. I just experience the book like this:



This is Tim logging off. My mind can't take thinking about it any more. The horror� the horror� 1/5 stars]]> 3.26 2003 Razor Wire Pubic Hair
author: Carlton Mellick III
name: Tim
average rating: 3.26
book published: 2003
rating: 1
read at: 2022/04/17
date added: 2022/04/17
shelves: 2000s, horror, read-2022, reviewed
review:
A buddy read with my friend Anne. She is entirely to blame for this. :)

Tim's log 4/17/2022

I can feel the madness starting to take hold. I will try to document this before it is too late.

It all started innocently enough. In 2020 I was on a huge horror kick and saw a book titled "Apeshit." It was billed as a homage/parody of over the top slasher movies and sounded like fun so I gave it a shot. It was a mistake. It may not have had any apes, but the second part of the title was accurate enough.

That was my first experience with Carlton Mellick III. I thought it would be my last, but that was not to be.

A week or so back I lost a bet and had to read/review another book by the author, The Haunted Vagina. It was� shockingly not terrible, but I still can't say it was a book I really liked. It was short though, a one sitting read, so no harm done�

Then my friend Anne, the same one made the bet asked me to do a buddy a read of this book� Why did I accept? I guess I thought it could be fun. I didn't care for the other books, but they're short enough so "why not?" I thought. It's been a while since I did a buddy read, and people thought the last review was fun. What harm is there?

I am full of regrets.

This book is what would happen if David Lynch decided to re-make Mad Max as a surreal post apocalyptic porno. The book follows a humanoid sex toy, who is being used by a dominatrix warrior woman in a wasteland to produce a child. They hide in a fortress-like structure from bands of rapists who travel the wastes� and you know what, I'm not describing it anymore.

Unlike the last book I read by the author where I noted that the title may have been shocking, but it was surprisingly less weird than I expected after the first 20 or so pages, that is not the case here. The book is very much pure shock factor and written in the most goddamn bizarre way, that seems like the author decided that William S. Burroughs's Naked Lunch made too much sense. To say this one is weird is like saying Picasso was rather fond of the color blue for a bit.

This book is� I don't even know what to say. The other two at least were supposed to be funny, this one is just meant be shocking� but after a while I just accepted the insanity and read getting almost bored at how it tried so hard every chapter. I just experience the book like this:



This is Tim logging off. My mind can't take thinking about it any more. The horror� the horror� 1/5 stars
]]> <![CDATA[Should I Share My Ice Cream? (Elephant & Piggie, #15)]]> 9661136 Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.

Gerald and Piggie are best friends.

In Should I Share My Ice Cream? Gerald has a big decision to make. But will he make it in time?

Using vocabulary that is perfect for beginning readers (and vetted by an early-learning specialist), Mo Willems has crafted a funny story about the challenges of doing the right thing. Fans of the Geisel Award-winning duo will eagerly eat it up!]]> 64 Mo Willems 1423143434 Tim 3 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
The plot is simple (as all of them are), Gerald buys an ice cream and then debates on whether to share it with his friend Piggie. His inner conflict is voiced until he finally comes to a decision� though with a bit of a twist.

My daughter adores this one and thinks it's hilarious. She particularly likes the pages where Gerald goes "hmmmm" like he's thinking then it turns into just "mmmm" like a yummy noise. It's actually a really nice visual gag as you can see the expression on his face go from thoughtful to hungry.

Not my favorite of the books (while I appreciate the lesson on sharing, I question the appeal of sharing an ice cream bite for bite with a friend), but my daughter loves this one. 3/5 stars.]]> 4.45 2011 Should I Share My Ice Cream? (Elephant & Piggie, #15)
author: Mo Willems
name: Tim
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2022/04/13
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
Another one of the many Elephant and Piggie adventures, though fans of Piggie may be a bit disappointed in this one, as it focuses almost entirely on Gerald the elephant with Piggie only appearing mostly in a few thought bubbles and then at the end.

The plot is simple (as all of them are), Gerald buys an ice cream and then debates on whether to share it with his friend Piggie. His inner conflict is voiced until he finally comes to a decision� though with a bit of a twist.

My daughter adores this one and thinks it's hilarious. She particularly likes the pages where Gerald goes "hmmmm" like he's thinking then it turns into just "mmmm" like a yummy noise. It's actually a really nice visual gag as you can see the expression on his face go from thoughtful to hungry.

Not my favorite of the books (while I appreciate the lesson on sharing, I question the appeal of sharing an ice cream bite for bite with a friend), but my daughter loves this one. 3/5 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio]]> 155054 The Strange Tales of Pu Songling (1640-1715) reveal a world in which nothing is as it seems. Here a Taoist monk conjures up a magical pear tree, a scholar recounts his previous incarnations, a woman out-foxes the fox-spirit that possesses her, a child bride gives birth to a thimble-sized baby, a ghostly city appears out of nowhere and a heartless daughter-in-law is turned into a pig. In his tales of humans coupling with shape-shifting spirits, bizarre phenomena, haunted buildings and enchanted objects, Pu Songling pushes back the boundaries of human experience and enlightens as he entertains.

John Minford's superb translation captures the consummate skill and understated humour of the Strange Tales, while his introduction discusses Pu Songling's sources, literary style and discreet eroticism, and his depiction of spirits and the supernatural. This edition also includes illustrations, further reading, a glossary and notes.]]> 608 Pu Songling 0140447407 Tim 5 - Feng Zhenluan
Early nineteenth century commentator on the Strange Tales

I honestly don’t know how to begin with reviewing a book like this. Normally with short story collections, I try to do a short review for each tale, but with 104 stories, I’m not going that route this time. Perhaps we’ll go with a little historic background?

These tales were written by Pu Songling sometime in the Qing dynasty (from what I can gather, he probably completed the tales by 1679, but could have been adding extra stories up until the early 1700s) and published by his grandson in 1740. The stories range from silly real life problems from the upper classes, to stories dealing with monsters, ghosts and fox spirits. Throughout this collection there is obvious social criticisms; sometimes these are outright preached as a moral at the end, more often they are more subtle or presented as a joke (Ha! Those silly merchants and their greed, that priest sure showed them, eh?). The only major theme tying all the stories together is that they are indeed strange. Sometimes the strangeness comes from the supernatural side, or it can just be the peculiar habits people pick up, but every single tale serves as an oddity that shows human nature in often surprisingly witty fashions.

If I was to do a one word review, the closest word to capturing the feeling of these tales would be sublime. In this collection you will find stories about fox spirits, ghosts, demons and priests. You will find longer tales of the supernatural and short almost slice of life moments of comedy. There is horror, humor and wonder all in about equal measure and it is stunning.

While I do not know if it is the translation or the style it was written in, but the book is very readable. The stories flow well, and never feel their age other than in some of the opinions he expresses which are very much a part of his time. Some American and European readers may be shocked by the amount of sexuality in this book considering its age, but remember, this is 1600/1700 China, with stories often taking place much earlier, not your usual proper English subject matter of the time. Though as a fun historic note, in the introduction to the Penguin edition I read, the translator discusses earlier translations where they tried to hide the more erotic content, with some examples being a fox spirits coming into bed chambers at night and "drinking tea" or "playing Go" instead.

I can’t say that every story in the collection is perfect. Some are duds, but the good far outweighs the bad, and as a look at history its rather fascinating on that ground alone. Well deserving of a full 5 stars and my highest praise.]]> 4.11 1740 Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio
author: Pu Songling
name: Tim
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1740
rating: 5
read at: 2018/05/10
date added: 2022/04/13
shelves: chinese, short-stories, reviewed, classic, 18th-century
review:
"Read these tales properly, and they will make you strong and brave; read them in the wrong way, and they will possess you."
- Feng Zhenluan
Early nineteenth century commentator on the Strange Tales

I honestly don’t know how to begin with reviewing a book like this. Normally with short story collections, I try to do a short review for each tale, but with 104 stories, I’m not going that route this time. Perhaps we’ll go with a little historic background?

These tales were written by Pu Songling sometime in the Qing dynasty (from what I can gather, he probably completed the tales by 1679, but could have been adding extra stories up until the early 1700s) and published by his grandson in 1740. The stories range from silly real life problems from the upper classes, to stories dealing with monsters, ghosts and fox spirits. Throughout this collection there is obvious social criticisms; sometimes these are outright preached as a moral at the end, more often they are more subtle or presented as a joke (Ha! Those silly merchants and their greed, that priest sure showed them, eh?). The only major theme tying all the stories together is that they are indeed strange. Sometimes the strangeness comes from the supernatural side, or it can just be the peculiar habits people pick up, but every single tale serves as an oddity that shows human nature in often surprisingly witty fashions.

If I was to do a one word review, the closest word to capturing the feeling of these tales would be sublime. In this collection you will find stories about fox spirits, ghosts, demons and priests. You will find longer tales of the supernatural and short almost slice of life moments of comedy. There is horror, humor and wonder all in about equal measure and it is stunning.

While I do not know if it is the translation or the style it was written in, but the book is very readable. The stories flow well, and never feel their age other than in some of the opinions he expresses which are very much a part of his time. Some American and European readers may be shocked by the amount of sexuality in this book considering its age, but remember, this is 1600/1700 China, with stories often taking place much earlier, not your usual proper English subject matter of the time. Though as a fun historic note, in the introduction to the Penguin edition I read, the translator discusses earlier translations where they tried to hide the more erotic content, with some examples being a fox spirits coming into bed chambers at night and "drinking tea" or "playing Go" instead.

I can’t say that every story in the collection is perfect. Some are duds, but the good far outweighs the bad, and as a look at history its rather fascinating on that ground alone. Well deserving of a full 5 stars and my highest praise.
]]> You Don't Want a Unicorn! 29068867
When a little boy throws a coin in a well asking for a pet unicorn, he has no idea what kind of trouble he's in for. Unbeknownst to him, unicorns make the absolutely worst pets: they shed, they poke holes in your ceiling, and they make a big mess. With a knowing wink from Ame Dyckman, creator of Wolfie the Bunny and cheerful illustrations from Rory the Dinosaur creator and Tumblr star Liz Climo, this rollicking story shares all of the ways a pet unicorn can ruin your life, and is sure to have readers in stitches.]]> 40 Ame Dyckman Tim 4 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
Despite the book failing at its one job, it's cute and funny. 4/5 stars]]> 4.13 2017 You Don't Want a Unicorn!
author: Ame Dyckman
name: Tim
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/04/11
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
Despite the book's title, and its many reasonable points on why one should not want a unicorn, it did nothing to discourage my daughter who still feels that a unicorn would in fact be superior to a goldfish.

Despite the book failing at its one job, it's cute and funny. 4/5 stars
]]> The Haunted Vagina 25724128 isbn: 0-9762498-8-X isbn 13: 978-0-976249-88-7

It's difficult to love a woman whose vagina is a gateway to the world of the dead...

Steve is madly in love with his eccentric girlfriend, Stacy. Unfortunately, their sex life has been suffering as of late, because Steve is worried about the odd noises that have been coming from Stacy's pubic region. She says that her vagina is haunted. She doesn't think it's that big of a deal. Steve, on the other hand, completely disagrees.

When a living corpse climbs out of her during an awkward night of sex, Stacy learns that her vagina is actually a doorway to another world. She persuades Steve to climb inside of her to explore this strange new place. But once inside, Steve finds it difficult to return... especially once he meets an oddly attractive woman named Fig, who lives within the lonely haunted world between Stacy's legs.]]> 90 Carlton Mellick III Tim 2
One of my friends (who is on here and will no doubt be loving this review soon enough) absolutely delighted in my review of the novel Apeshit (a book which, to say I hated would be putting it lightly). She in contrast really enjoyed it and many of the author's other books and has been asking me to give him another shot because if I liked it "hooray!" if I didn't "at least it should be entertaining."

Well, a bet was formed and I lost so she got to pick the book.

Why did she choose this one? "Come on, it's funny! Plus I want to see it sitting next to the more literary stuff you read when I see your end of year book challenge" Hopefully she's enjoying this.

The book is short. 90 pages with fairly large print. I was able to read it in one sitting.

�

What do you expect from me here? An in depth analysis of the book? The title pretty much sums it up� though it's really more of a gateway to another world filled with skeletons and strange creatures, but I mean, yep, the title tells you what you're getting into.

Honestly though, the book was written clearly as a comedy and those seeing that cover and title looking for an erotic read will likely be disappointed. It's more of a goofy Alice in Wonderland style tale with a sense of the macabre to it. Some of the jokes worked, some just made me roll my eyes. It's very much a "weird shit happens because weird shit is interesting" sort of book, which I'm not personally a fan of (randomness for comedy's sake just isn't my thing). Bizarro lit is just not really my thing. I know that doesn't make for a super entertaining analysis, but that's what I've got.

So� do I recommend it? I really don't know. I mean, it's likely the sort of thing you already know if you're going to enjoy just by reading the plot description. You also probably already know if it's not for you. I will say, it was not absolutely dreadful like Apeshit was, so it gets a much more positive review. Unlike the other book I did chuckle at some of the shenanigans, and despite the obviously shocking title and plot synopsis, the book felt like there was more to it than just shock value unlike the other. In many ways the most shocking thing about the book is how tame it actually was. Maybe I would have liked it more if it had embraced that batshit inanity and run with it? Past experience tells me that is unlikely, but I don't know.

All in all, a very confused 2/5 stars.]]> 3.25 2006 The Haunted Vagina
author: Carlton Mellick III
name: Tim
average rating: 3.25
book published: 2006
rating: 2
read at: 2022/04/09
date added: 2022/04/09
shelves: 2000s, humor, horror, read-2022, reviewed
review:
Have you ever read a book because you lost a bet? Well, I can now say I have. Let's get a little backstory for this:

One of my friends (who is on here and will no doubt be loving this review soon enough) absolutely delighted in my review of the novel Apeshit (a book which, to say I hated would be putting it lightly). She in contrast really enjoyed it and many of the author's other books and has been asking me to give him another shot because if I liked it "hooray!" if I didn't "at least it should be entertaining."

Well, a bet was formed and I lost so she got to pick the book.

Why did she choose this one? "Come on, it's funny! Plus I want to see it sitting next to the more literary stuff you read when I see your end of year book challenge" Hopefully she's enjoying this.

The book is short. 90 pages with fairly large print. I was able to read it in one sitting.

�

What do you expect from me here? An in depth analysis of the book? The title pretty much sums it up� though it's really more of a gateway to another world filled with skeletons and strange creatures, but I mean, yep, the title tells you what you're getting into.

Honestly though, the book was written clearly as a comedy and those seeing that cover and title looking for an erotic read will likely be disappointed. It's more of a goofy Alice in Wonderland style tale with a sense of the macabre to it. Some of the jokes worked, some just made me roll my eyes. It's very much a "weird shit happens because weird shit is interesting" sort of book, which I'm not personally a fan of (randomness for comedy's sake just isn't my thing). Bizarro lit is just not really my thing. I know that doesn't make for a super entertaining analysis, but that's what I've got.

So� do I recommend it? I really don't know. I mean, it's likely the sort of thing you already know if you're going to enjoy just by reading the plot description. You also probably already know if it's not for you. I will say, it was not absolutely dreadful like Apeshit was, so it gets a much more positive review. Unlike the other book I did chuckle at some of the shenanigans, and despite the obviously shocking title and plot synopsis, the book felt like there was more to it than just shock value unlike the other. In many ways the most shocking thing about the book is how tame it actually was. Maybe I would have liked it more if it had embraced that batshit inanity and run with it? Past experience tells me that is unlikely, but I don't know.

All in all, a very confused 2/5 stars.
]]> Almond 55338962 This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster.

One of the monsters is me.

Yunjae was born with a brain condition called Alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He does not have friends—the two almond-shaped neurons located deep in his brain have seen to that—but his devoted mother and grandmother provide him with a safe and content life. Their little home above his mother’s used bookstore is decorated with colorful Post-it notes that remind him when to smile, when to say "thank you," and when to laugh.

Then on Christmas Eve—Yunjae’s sixteenth birthday—everything changes. A shocking act of random violence shatters his world, leaving him alone and on his own. Struggling to cope with his loss, Yunjae retreats into silent isolation, until troubled teenager Gon arrives at his school, and they develop a surprising bond.

As Yunjae begins to open his life to new people—including a girl at school—something slowly changes inside him. And when Gon suddenly finds his life at risk, Yunjae will have the chance to step outside of every comfort zone he has created to perhaps become the hero he never thought he would be.]]> 259 Sohn Won-Pyung 0062961381 Tim 3
This gif sums up the entire novel for me:



It really was so close. I loved getting inside this character's head. I loved seeing his attempts at getting to know others. The friendship he starts to form and how he interacts is quite clever. It was a four, possibly five star read. Really this is a book that's ruined by the last twenty pages.

Warning: Major spoilers.

[spoilers removed]

Had the book ended a few pages earlier or had a different ending this would have been a 4 or 4.5 star read. As things stand sections one through three are still great, but the ending lowered it to a generous 2.5/5 stars, rounded up to 3.]]> 4.21 2017 Almond
author: Sohn Won-Pyung
name: Tim
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2022/04/08
date added: 2022/04/09
shelves: reviewed, read-2022, korean, 2010s
review:
The plot: Yunjae was born with a brain condition called Alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He doesn't really feel happiness, at least not in a strong way, but he is content living with his mother and grandmother� until an incident that leaves his grandmother dead and his mother in a coma. Dealing with the aftermath of this, he tries to cope without anyone to help him make through life faking what he's "supposed" to feel.

This gif sums up the entire novel for me:



It really was so close. I loved getting inside this character's head. I loved seeing his attempts at getting to know others. The friendship he starts to form and how he interacts is quite clever. It was a four, possibly five star read. Really this is a book that's ruined by the last twenty pages.

Warning: Major spoilers.

[spoilers removed]

Had the book ended a few pages earlier or had a different ending this would have been a 4 or 4.5 star read. As things stand sections one through three are still great, but the ending lowered it to a generous 2.5/5 stars, rounded up to 3.
]]> Dracula (Baby's Classics) 59523453
When a mysterious client invites Jonathan Harker to Transylvania, the young realtor doesn't hesitate to travel to Count Dracula's spooky, crumbly castle. But the count has strange habits; he acts like a bat and tries to bite people. Can Jonathan and his fiancée Mina teach the creepy count how to make friends? Trade in horror for the most adorable Count Dracula ever seen in the creature's 125-year history!

With foil on the cover and engaging illustrations throughout, Baby's Classics: Dracula is a delightful addition to baby's first storytime collection! It's never too early to introduce the littlest readers to the greatest stories. Written with baby in mind, this gothic retelling promises to delight parents and kids alike.

From Starry Forest Books, Baby's Classics will delight your little one with the world's best stories. Collect them all!]]> 24 A.H. Hill 1951784081 Tim 3 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
Honestly though, the art is fun, my daughter was thrilled at being able to “read one of daddy’s books� having seen Dracula on my shelf, and there are certainly worse books I’ve encountered. All in all, a fun little children’s book. 3/5 stars]]> 3.97 Dracula (Baby's Classics)
author: A.H. Hill
name: Tim
average rating: 3.97
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2022/04/02
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
Somehow I doubt telling the Count “No biting!� Would have worked very well in the original. Still a cute kid version of the Dracula story that made me chuckle in how faithful the first few pages were to how this version then ended.

Honestly though, the art is fun, my daughter was thrilled at being able to “read one of daddy’s books� having seen Dracula on my shelf, and there are certainly worse books I’ve encountered. All in all, a fun little children’s book. 3/5 stars
]]> Pride and Prejudice 468003 "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

Next to the exhortation at the beginning of Moby-Dick, "Call me Ishmael," the first sentence of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice must be among the most quoted in literature. And certainly what Melville did for whaling Austen does for marriage--tracing the intricacies (not to mention the economics) of 19th-century British mating rituals with a sure hand and an unblinking eye.

As usual, Austen trains her sights on a country village and a few families--in this case, the Bennets, the Philips, and the Lucases. Into their midst comes Mr. Bingley, a single man of good fortune, and his friend, Mr. Darcy, who is even richer. Mrs. Bennet, who married above her station, sees their arrival as an opportunity to marry off at least one of her five daughters. Bingley is complaisant and easily charmed by the eldest Bennet girl, Jane; Darcy, however, is harder to please. Put off by Mrs. Bennet's vulgarity and the untoward behavior of the three younger daughters, he is unable to see the true worth of the older girls, Jane and Elizabeth. His excessive pride offends Lizzy, who is more than willing to believe the worst that other people have to say of him; when George Wickham, a soldier stationed in the village, does indeed have a discreditable tale to tell, his words fall on fertile ground.

Having set up the central misunderstanding of the novel, Austen then brings in her cast of fascinating secondary characters: Mr. Collins, the sycophantic clergyman who aspires to Lizzy's hand but settles for her best friend, Charlotte, instead; Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Darcy's insufferably snobbish aunt; and the Gardiners, Jane and Elizabeth's low-born but noble-hearted aunt and uncle. Some of Austen's best comedy comes from mixing and matching these representatives of different classes and economic strata, demonstrating the hypocrisy at the heart of so many social interactions. And though the novel is rife with romantic misunderstandings, rejected proposals, disastrous elopements, and a requisite happy ending for those who deserve one, Austen never gets so carried away with the romance that she loses sight of the hard economic realities of 19th-century matrimonial maneuvering. Good marriages for penniless girls such as the Bennets are hard to come by, and even Lizzy, who comes to sincerely value Mr. Darcy, remarks when asked when she first began to love him: "It has been coming on so gradually, that I hardly know when it began. But I believe I must date it from my first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley." She may be joking, but there's more than a little truth to her sentiment, as well.

Jane Austen considered Elizabeth Bennet "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print". Readers of Pride and Prejudice would be hard-pressed to disagree. --Alix Wilber

]]> 368 Jane Austen 0679405429 Tim 2
Yes, I dislike Pride and Prejudice. I’ll be honest, the only reasons it gets two stars is because of its historic influence on literature and the fact that it made me laugh on a few occasions, all from dialogue by Mr. Bennet, who while a flawed character was a joy to read. I dare say it would have been a 5 star read had it just been about him sitting in his library, tired of his relations and trying to get out of the story by mocking all of them.

I just don’t get it. Don’t get me wrong, I understand it’s influence, and I respect the people who love it, but I was bored the entire time and don’t get the love for it.

Abridged recap of the book: let’s go to a party. Let’s visit someone’s house. Oh my, now they are visiting us! What fun! Oh no, drama and gossip. Elopement� scandalous. Oh, hooray, a visit. That visit went poorly, hopefully the next will be better. Huzzah, it was!

I guess if I was trying to compliment it further, I should note that it is a rare example of a “pure� character done right. Jane is the annoying “see the good in everyone� but is actually able to see ill, she just doesn’t want to. It hurts. It’s not stupidity but a form of self preservation. This is refreshing, as usually in 19th century literature their purity just shines seemingly from stupidity.

Sorry everyone, I know this is a loved classic, but all I can say is that at least I’ve crossed it off my list of ones to read. It is at this point that I must just assume that Austen is not for me (though I at least did not despise it like I did Northanger Abbey.) 2/5 stars]]> 4.42 1813 Pride and Prejudice
author: Jane Austen
name: Tim
average rating: 4.42
book published: 1813
rating: 2
read at: 2022/04/01
date added: 2022/04/01
shelves: 19th-century, classic, read-2022, reviewed
review:
Welcome back to another edition of Tim has an unpopular opinion: and this is a big one, as Tim is about to state that he frankly dislikes one of the most popular books ever written.

Yes, I dislike Pride and Prejudice. I’ll be honest, the only reasons it gets two stars is because of its historic influence on literature and the fact that it made me laugh on a few occasions, all from dialogue by Mr. Bennet, who while a flawed character was a joy to read. I dare say it would have been a 5 star read had it just been about him sitting in his library, tired of his relations and trying to get out of the story by mocking all of them.

I just don’t get it. Don’t get me wrong, I understand it’s influence, and I respect the people who love it, but I was bored the entire time and don’t get the love for it.

Abridged recap of the book: let’s go to a party. Let’s visit someone’s house. Oh my, now they are visiting us! What fun! Oh no, drama and gossip. Elopement� scandalous. Oh, hooray, a visit. That visit went poorly, hopefully the next will be better. Huzzah, it was!

I guess if I was trying to compliment it further, I should note that it is a rare example of a “pure� character done right. Jane is the annoying “see the good in everyone� but is actually able to see ill, she just doesn’t want to. It hurts. It’s not stupidity but a form of self preservation. This is refreshing, as usually in 19th century literature their purity just shines seemingly from stupidity.

Sorry everyone, I know this is a loved classic, but all I can say is that at least I’ve crossed it off my list of ones to read. It is at this point that I must just assume that Austen is not for me (though I at least did not despise it like I did Northanger Abbey.) 2/5 stars
]]> Woom 59335553
Angel knows a lot about pain. His mother died in this room. He's researched its history. He's come back today to end it, no matter the cost, once and for all.

Prostitute Shyla believes the stories Angel tells her can't be true. Secrets so vile, you won't want to let them inside you.

But the Lonely Motel doesn't forget. It doesn't forgive. And it always claims its victim.
]]> 138 Duncan Ralston Tim 4
I sigh as I turn the page on the book I'm reading. "We're bringing this joke back for a review? Been a while, but I guess some classics never die."

"Don't be a smart ass Tim. This time I'm not going to berate you. I wanted to say I'm proud of you. You've been� well, you've been reading Literature with a capital L again. It's only March, and you've already read two books by Steinbeck, two by Dickens and a book by Faulkner. You've been crossing off classics and it's refreshing after your recent forays into horror."

"Glad to hear you approve." I turn another page.

"Really I can't wait to see what you read next� oh no. This is a joke isn't it? I'm being used to set up some punchline where you reveal a shocking book and� WHAT ARE YOU READING?"

"The fact that this is a review should tell you already�"
________

I had never heard of this book outside of ŷ, but a shocking number of my horror loving friends have reviewed this and almost all give it extremely positive ratings. My curiosity was certainly achieved by this, but I noticed very few actually gave much in terms of plot description. As such I decided not only to give it a shot, but go in pretty much blind to what it was about.

This was honestly the best approach to this work.

There are a couple of things that frankly I've come to expect from a book that has the words "An Extreme Horror Novel" on the front. You can probably guess without me explaining what those things are just from the phrase. There are also some things I've come to expect not to find. First is what one might call quality writing. Now, when I say that I do not mean it as an insult. I've read many an extreme horror and I usually have fun with them, but their not exactly the highest quality of fiction. In a way they're like a good b-horror movie, usually short, fun, but not the sort of thing that's going to the award ceremonies.

Second thing I don't expect is to be genuinely disturbed. This one may come as a surprise to some, but while I find them fun reads, graphic violence doesn't really bother me. It usually is something psychological in my horror that ends up being the thing that makes me put a book down and shudder.

Imagine my surprise when this book managed to have quality writing and a chapter that I genuinely felt myself recoiling from the page. The scene that got to me isn't even the most graphic or horrific scene in the book, but the way it was described my brain just kept on going "nope, we're done here. Put it down" while I continued reading like someone watching a trainwreck unable to avert my gaze. [spoilers removed]

This is actually a well written horror novel. There's a psychological depth to it. There are some absolutely horrific scenes� and there's almost a sense of the poetic to it. Yes, you are getting a book with horrible uses of bodily functions and deaths/mutilations described in loving detail, but you're also getting a book with deeper ideas. What are those ideas?

I really can't say without ruining the book. This is one where knowing what it's even truly about kind of ruins the first experience. I will say it is DEFINITELY not for everyone. It has some truly stomach churning descriptions for many readers and some of the sexual scenes in it will no doubt really bother some, but if you've a strong stomach and would like an extreme horror with a bit of a literary ambition, this one gets a solid recommendation. 4/5 stars.]]> 3.33 2016 Woom
author: Duncan Ralston
name: Tim
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2022/03/27
date added: 2022/03/29
shelves: 2010s, read-2022, reviewed, horror
review:
"Okay self," I say to myself. "We really need to talk."

I sigh as I turn the page on the book I'm reading. "We're bringing this joke back for a review? Been a while, but I guess some classics never die."

"Don't be a smart ass Tim. This time I'm not going to berate you. I wanted to say I'm proud of you. You've been� well, you've been reading Literature with a capital L again. It's only March, and you've already read two books by Steinbeck, two by Dickens and a book by Faulkner. You've been crossing off classics and it's refreshing after your recent forays into horror."

"Glad to hear you approve." I turn another page.

"Really I can't wait to see what you read next� oh no. This is a joke isn't it? I'm being used to set up some punchline where you reveal a shocking book and� WHAT ARE YOU READING?"

"The fact that this is a review should tell you already�"
________

I had never heard of this book outside of ŷ, but a shocking number of my horror loving friends have reviewed this and almost all give it extremely positive ratings. My curiosity was certainly achieved by this, but I noticed very few actually gave much in terms of plot description. As such I decided not only to give it a shot, but go in pretty much blind to what it was about.

This was honestly the best approach to this work.

There are a couple of things that frankly I've come to expect from a book that has the words "An Extreme Horror Novel" on the front. You can probably guess without me explaining what those things are just from the phrase. There are also some things I've come to expect not to find. First is what one might call quality writing. Now, when I say that I do not mean it as an insult. I've read many an extreme horror and I usually have fun with them, but their not exactly the highest quality of fiction. In a way they're like a good b-horror movie, usually short, fun, but not the sort of thing that's going to the award ceremonies.

Second thing I don't expect is to be genuinely disturbed. This one may come as a surprise to some, but while I find them fun reads, graphic violence doesn't really bother me. It usually is something psychological in my horror that ends up being the thing that makes me put a book down and shudder.

Imagine my surprise when this book managed to have quality writing and a chapter that I genuinely felt myself recoiling from the page. The scene that got to me isn't even the most graphic or horrific scene in the book, but the way it was described my brain just kept on going "nope, we're done here. Put it down" while I continued reading like someone watching a trainwreck unable to avert my gaze. [spoilers removed]

This is actually a well written horror novel. There's a psychological depth to it. There are some absolutely horrific scenes� and there's almost a sense of the poetic to it. Yes, you are getting a book with horrible uses of bodily functions and deaths/mutilations described in loving detail, but you're also getting a book with deeper ideas. What are those ideas?

I really can't say without ruining the book. This is one where knowing what it's even truly about kind of ruins the first experience. I will say it is DEFINITELY not for everyone. It has some truly stomach churning descriptions for many readers and some of the sexual scenes in it will no doubt really bother some, but if you've a strong stomach and would like an extreme horror with a bit of a literary ambition, this one gets a solid recommendation. 4/5 stars.
]]> The Pack 52694535
Then the summer dwellers left, abandoning them to the island's harsh winter. Ravenous hunger and violent rage have brought them together under a cunning, ferocious leader.

Man has betrayed his best friend-now the dogs will have their day...

This edition of David Fisher's The Pack (1976) features a new introduction by Will Errickson and the original cover painting by Lydia Rosier.]]> 216 David Fisher Tim 1 1970s, horror, reviewed ____________________

Man, there certainly was a stream of killer animal novels in the 70s and 80s. Rats, slugs, insects, sharks you name it, if it was even a semi-sentient animal, it probably wanted to kill you in some creative fashion. The Pack continues this idea with "man's best friend."

Okay, so let's start off noting that the idea of this book is horrific. Not just the idea about dogs attacking human as a pack, but WHY they are attacking. You see apparently the author heard about people who came from the city, rented houses on islands, bringing an animal to entertain their kids and then when it was time to go back home, would leave the animal on the island to die. That is horrible, and after a prologue where we see just that, I was ready for these assholes to come back to the island the next summer for some comeuppance and doggy revenge.

...

Nope! It takes place in the winter, and focuses on the dogs going after the people who live on the island year round (who did nothing in the prologue and many of them indeed condemned this behavior) and their vising family.



Already we have gotten off on the wrong start. Do we get a death scene with ANY of those people who left their animals behind? No... okay, well this is already thoroughly disappointing. Let's see what else you'll throw at me.

NO! Stay positive. I mean, this is still salvageable. I'll confess, I enjoy a good b-horror killer animal story. Those were my thoughts going into the book, followed by this: "This should be cheesy good fun... why isn't this cheesy good fun?"

Oh, dear sweet naive Tim of a week ago, you know nothing of the world. Forgive me for being cynical (which if you won't, now might be a good time to abandon ship on this review, because I'll be getting worse) but the book is less of an animal attack story and more of a cutting metaphor for reality! It's about you feeling like you're stuck in a world gone mad full of disappointing decisions. This book is like a slap in the face every time you read it, so much so that it's less a book and more of a timely reminder on social distancing (people from the future, please tell me this joke is dated... oh, please, please tell me that).

First the positives. It's fast paced and short. There, I praised the damn thing. Now let's eviscerate it.

Let's get down to the characters. They have names, but I won't bother typing them out. It requires more brain power in terms of memory than the book deserves.

There is lead character guy, I'll talk about him later because I could write an entire essay on why he's the most frustrating protagonist I've read in years.

Annoying wife: she's a big city girl who doesn't understand these outdoorsy ways. She would rather complain about not being in the city, complain about a broken nail, and spend a fortune on jewlery and clothes. You know the cliche, I don't need to continue.

The lead's mom and dad. They live on the island and can't understand their son and his city folk ways. They suspect that he may... *Gasp* want them to move to the city as there is no one to take care of them on the island... AND THEY ARE RIGHT! Will they be able to talk their son out of his fool notions? Do any of us really care? [spoilers removed]

There's the kids. They have no real personality. They are children and only seen briefly. Nothing really to hate here, I mean they're kids... oh, wait, they started talking and are just as annoying as everyone else in the book. That's a relief. To hell with them too.

Finally there is the brother. The brother is a Vietnam war vet, who is lost in a world at peace, and spends his time wandering aimlessly, drinking, sleeping with most likely underage girls, hunting and wanting to prove himself better than that hoity toity college educated brother of his... because of course that had to be his character. Of course you had to make him a bigger asshole than his brother, because his brother is such an insufferable dick. You know what though, I still like him better. He may be an annoying cliche, but he shares my dislike of his brother, so I'll even mention his name is Kenny because at least he's got one thing going for him.



Oh Fight Club references, they do come in useful sometimes...

So, speaking of toxic masculinity (wonderful transition there Tim, that newly invented Pulitzer Prize for ŷ reviews is almost yours), lets talk about our lead. So, he's an insecure asshat who seems to go the entire book "taking back his place," which is to say showing his wife who is the boss. No, I'm not joking, that seems to be the lesson learned from this experience.

At one point I made an update that just said the following "Wow.... I’ve never read one single page filled with so much macho bullshit in all my years of reading. I can’t decide if the book is entertainingly bad now or just bad."

Now it is time to reveal what was on that page. Be ready for a long quote.

"He would kill them, and that would show her.

The thought startled him. Her? Diane? Diane loved him, there was no question of that. Maybe he indulged her too much over the years, maybe he hadn't been as demanding as he should have been. But now he would show her. Now he would reestablish his superiority.

There was more. He tried to shut off his mind, but it pumped out additional truths. The reason surfaced no matter how he denied it. Finally he had to admit to himself that the night's excitement had exhilarated him far beyond anything in recent memory. That he once again felt incredibly alive after so many dead years in the city."

Okay, let's breakdown this paragraph by paragraph.

First one: Yes, killing dogs will sure show them. May as well put on a labcoat and shout into a thunderstorm "I'LL SHOW THEM ALL!!!!!!"

Second paragraph: He should have been more demanding? He needs to... reestablish... his... superiority? I really have nothing to say to that. I really have no words. Please, someone help me out here. Jean-Luc?



Thank you Picard. As always, you are a source of wisdom.

Paragraph three: so... the most exhilarating night of your life was [spoilers removed]

I wish I could say the macho bullshit ended there, but no, of course it doesn't. At one point he is in a life or death situation and debates on calling his wife for help. He decides not to because: “the thought of her knowing he had failed again was abominable.�

Is this a book about killer dogs or the most insecure man in the world? I honestly don’t know anymore.

At one point his wife has the gall to offer a suggestion, namely that they throw out food laced with some of her vallium, so that maybe the dogs will get drowsy. His reaction "The pills again. Her answer to everything." Okay, I dislike his wife as a character, but seriously, to hell with you man. She made a semi-reasonable suggestion and he immediately dismisses her.

Later his wife saves him from another situation and we get the following gem "An now his wife had to act to save his life. The dogs; rotten, disgusting dogs, had humiliated him, made him less of a man."

Want more? His son gets bitten by a dog and his wife fears rabies, he decides to make a run for the car. He considers why should he do this when help will eventually arrive.

"For Diane, he told himself. And, after pausing, admitted silently, for myself."

Not for your son, you selfish bastard? No, again, it always comes down to him, to proving himself the big man. Can't accept anyone's help, has to prove he can do it, take control for himself and show his wife who is boss. To hell with the kids, they exist just to show that he is a dominant male who produced more than one offspring.

To hell with this book.

If I were a diplomat, I would call this book "an admirable attempted at an old story." I am not a diplomat, so I'll call it a "tired cliche, followed by a tired cliche, rounded off with a touch of cliche and some fine wine, because I assure you, you'll need alcohol to finish this off.

In closing: TLDR - book sucks, don't read it. 1/5 stars.]]> 3.36 1976 The Pack
author: David Fisher
name: Tim
average rating: 3.36
book published: 1976
rating: 1
read at: 2020/05/05
date added: 2022/03/29
shelves: 1970s, horror, reviewed
review:
Dear reader, I have been told in the past that my rare 1 star reviews can be "overlong and mean spirited." If you feel that way, I respect that and suggest you look at one of the more positive reviews for the book. They will likely be kinder and shorter.
____________________

Man, there certainly was a stream of killer animal novels in the 70s and 80s. Rats, slugs, insects, sharks you name it, if it was even a semi-sentient animal, it probably wanted to kill you in some creative fashion. The Pack continues this idea with "man's best friend."

Okay, so let's start off noting that the idea of this book is horrific. Not just the idea about dogs attacking human as a pack, but WHY they are attacking. You see apparently the author heard about people who came from the city, rented houses on islands, bringing an animal to entertain their kids and then when it was time to go back home, would leave the animal on the island to die. That is horrible, and after a prologue where we see just that, I was ready for these assholes to come back to the island the next summer for some comeuppance and doggy revenge.

...

Nope! It takes place in the winter, and focuses on the dogs going after the people who live on the island year round (who did nothing in the prologue and many of them indeed condemned this behavior) and their vising family.



Already we have gotten off on the wrong start. Do we get a death scene with ANY of those people who left their animals behind? No... okay, well this is already thoroughly disappointing. Let's see what else you'll throw at me.

NO! Stay positive. I mean, this is still salvageable. I'll confess, I enjoy a good b-horror killer animal story. Those were my thoughts going into the book, followed by this: "This should be cheesy good fun... why isn't this cheesy good fun?"

Oh, dear sweet naive Tim of a week ago, you know nothing of the world. Forgive me for being cynical (which if you won't, now might be a good time to abandon ship on this review, because I'll be getting worse) but the book is less of an animal attack story and more of a cutting metaphor for reality! It's about you feeling like you're stuck in a world gone mad full of disappointing decisions. This book is like a slap in the face every time you read it, so much so that it's less a book and more of a timely reminder on social distancing (people from the future, please tell me this joke is dated... oh, please, please tell me that).

First the positives. It's fast paced and short. There, I praised the damn thing. Now let's eviscerate it.

Let's get down to the characters. They have names, but I won't bother typing them out. It requires more brain power in terms of memory than the book deserves.

There is lead character guy, I'll talk about him later because I could write an entire essay on why he's the most frustrating protagonist I've read in years.

Annoying wife: she's a big city girl who doesn't understand these outdoorsy ways. She would rather complain about not being in the city, complain about a broken nail, and spend a fortune on jewlery and clothes. You know the cliche, I don't need to continue.

The lead's mom and dad. They live on the island and can't understand their son and his city folk ways. They suspect that he may... *Gasp* want them to move to the city as there is no one to take care of them on the island... AND THEY ARE RIGHT! Will they be able to talk their son out of his fool notions? Do any of us really care? [spoilers removed]

There's the kids. They have no real personality. They are children and only seen briefly. Nothing really to hate here, I mean they're kids... oh, wait, they started talking and are just as annoying as everyone else in the book. That's a relief. To hell with them too.

Finally there is the brother. The brother is a Vietnam war vet, who is lost in a world at peace, and spends his time wandering aimlessly, drinking, sleeping with most likely underage girls, hunting and wanting to prove himself better than that hoity toity college educated brother of his... because of course that had to be his character. Of course you had to make him a bigger asshole than his brother, because his brother is such an insufferable dick. You know what though, I still like him better. He may be an annoying cliche, but he shares my dislike of his brother, so I'll even mention his name is Kenny because at least he's got one thing going for him.



Oh Fight Club references, they do come in useful sometimes...

So, speaking of toxic masculinity (wonderful transition there Tim, that newly invented Pulitzer Prize for ŷ reviews is almost yours), lets talk about our lead. So, he's an insecure asshat who seems to go the entire book "taking back his place," which is to say showing his wife who is the boss. No, I'm not joking, that seems to be the lesson learned from this experience.

At one point I made an update that just said the following "Wow.... I’ve never read one single page filled with so much macho bullshit in all my years of reading. I can’t decide if the book is entertainingly bad now or just bad."

Now it is time to reveal what was on that page. Be ready for a long quote.

"He would kill them, and that would show her.

The thought startled him. Her? Diane? Diane loved him, there was no question of that. Maybe he indulged her too much over the years, maybe he hadn't been as demanding as he should have been. But now he would show her. Now he would reestablish his superiority.

There was more. He tried to shut off his mind, but it pumped out additional truths. The reason surfaced no matter how he denied it. Finally he had to admit to himself that the night's excitement had exhilarated him far beyond anything in recent memory. That he once again felt incredibly alive after so many dead years in the city."

Okay, let's breakdown this paragraph by paragraph.

First one: Yes, killing dogs will sure show them. May as well put on a labcoat and shout into a thunderstorm "I'LL SHOW THEM ALL!!!!!!"

Second paragraph: He should have been more demanding? He needs to... reestablish... his... superiority? I really have nothing to say to that. I really have no words. Please, someone help me out here. Jean-Luc?



Thank you Picard. As always, you are a source of wisdom.

Paragraph three: so... the most exhilarating night of your life was [spoilers removed]

I wish I could say the macho bullshit ended there, but no, of course it doesn't. At one point he is in a life or death situation and debates on calling his wife for help. He decides not to because: “the thought of her knowing he had failed again was abominable.�

Is this a book about killer dogs or the most insecure man in the world? I honestly don’t know anymore.

At one point his wife has the gall to offer a suggestion, namely that they throw out food laced with some of her vallium, so that maybe the dogs will get drowsy. His reaction "The pills again. Her answer to everything." Okay, I dislike his wife as a character, but seriously, to hell with you man. She made a semi-reasonable suggestion and he immediately dismisses her.

Later his wife saves him from another situation and we get the following gem "An now his wife had to act to save his life. The dogs; rotten, disgusting dogs, had humiliated him, made him less of a man."

Want more? His son gets bitten by a dog and his wife fears rabies, he decides to make a run for the car. He considers why should he do this when help will eventually arrive.

"For Diane, he told himself. And, after pausing, admitted silently, for myself."

Not for your son, you selfish bastard? No, again, it always comes down to him, to proving himself the big man. Can't accept anyone's help, has to prove he can do it, take control for himself and show his wife who is boss. To hell with the kids, they exist just to show that he is a dominant male who produced more than one offspring.

To hell with this book.

If I were a diplomat, I would call this book "an admirable attempted at an old story." I am not a diplomat, so I'll call it a "tired cliche, followed by a tired cliche, rounded off with a touch of cliche and some fine wine, because I assure you, you'll need alcohol to finish this off.

In closing: TLDR - book sucks, don't read it. 1/5 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[Knight Owl (The Knight Owl, #1)]]> 57007688
A determined Owl builds strength and confidence in this medieval picture book about the real mettle of a wits, humor, and heart.

Since the day he hatched, Owl dreamed of becoming a real knight. He may not be the biggest or the strongest, but his sharp nocturnal instincts can help protect the castle, especially since many knights have recently gone missing. While holding guard during Knight Night Watch, Owl is faced with the ultimate trial—a frightening intruder. It’s a daunting duel by any measure. But what Owl lacks in size, he makes up for in good ideas.

Full of wordplay and optimism, this surprising display of bravery proves that cleverness (and friendship) can rule over brawn.]]> 48 Christopher Denise 031631062X Tim 4 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
This is a cute little kids book, about being courageous. The drawings aren't scary, and they are frequently funny, so it's the perfect book for a child who is a little nervous but is trying to be brave in the dark. My daughter really enjoyed it and it's a frequently requested "again, again" book.

From an adult standpoint, the illustrations are beautiful, and I kind of love the Owl asking "whooooo?" instead of the usual who goes there. 4/5 stars.]]> 4.45 2022 Knight Owl (The Knight Owl, #1)
author: Christopher Denise
name: Tim
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/03/28
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
Owl wants to be a Knight. He's brave, studious and courageous� he's also short, not particularly strong and sleeps all day. That said he's perfect for the Knight's Night Watch, but what happens we he encounters a dragon?

This is a cute little kids book, about being courageous. The drawings aren't scary, and they are frequently funny, so it's the perfect book for a child who is a little nervous but is trying to be brave in the dark. My daughter really enjoyed it and it's a frequently requested "again, again" book.

From an adult standpoint, the illustrations are beautiful, and I kind of love the Owl asking "whooooo?" instead of the usual who goes there. 4/5 stars.
]]> Oliver Twist 830539
One of the most swiftly moving and unified of Charles Dickens’s great novels, Oliver Twist is also famous for its re-creation–through the splendidly realized figures of Fagin, Nancy, the Artful Dodger, and the evil Bill Sikes–of the vast London underworld of pickpockets, thieves, prostitutes, and abandoned children. Victorian critics took Dickens to task for rendering this world in such a compelling, believable way, but readers over the last 150 years have delivered an alternative judgment by making this story of the orphaned Oliver Twist one of its author’s most loved works.]]> 427 Charles Dickens 0679417249 Tim 4
Jokes aside, this is Dickens's second novel (and coincidentally the second novel I've read by him) and it shows. In many ways I had the opposite reaction of what I did to A Tale of Two Cities. I loved the characters here, both main and side, but found the plot a bit of a mess full of coincidences and things that can only be explained away with "well, God was looking out for them" which is an immediate downside for me. Clearly Dickens grows as an author between the two as A Tale of Two Cities is one of the most carefully plotted of books, filled with scenes that mirror earlier ones throughout. That complaint aside, I did enjoy the experience of this one more than the other book.

Oliver Twist is a book seemingly built on its characters and humor. The story of an orphan boy who things keep going to hell for could so easily turn into a misery porn sort of work, but here Dickens tells his tale with sympathy, yes, but with a wink and a smile. Many times I found myself laughing out loud. I found myself loving the side characters again, in particular Fagin (who is admittedly some of an offensive caricature at times, but a delightful villain filled with charm) the Artful Dodger (who is not in the book near enough), Mr. Bumble and Nancy. The book occasionally seemed to loose its way and go off on multiple chapter tangents (like when the two detectives show up to the house) but all of them were delightful vignettes.

Dickens also manages to moralize in this one without coming off as preaching. His descriptions of the work houses and young Oliver's life are terrible, but because of his humor he gets his point across without ever feeling too bleak (yet somehow still capturing the seriousness of the events). It's a fine balancing act performed throughout the novel, and one I can't help but applaud.

While I recognize this is likely not Dickens strongest work, it is an extremely fun novel and one I would highly recommend. I'm giving it the same rating as the other book of his I've read, but with the notation that I find this a far more enjoyable book. 4/5 stars]]> 3.86 1838 Oliver Twist
author: Charles Dickens
name: Tim
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1838
rating: 4
read at: 2022/03/24
date added: 2022/03/25
shelves: 19th-century, classic, read-2022, reviewed
review:
Wait one damn second� there's no singing in this book at all! Pop culture has once again lead me astray!

Jokes aside, this is Dickens's second novel (and coincidentally the second novel I've read by him) and it shows. In many ways I had the opposite reaction of what I did to A Tale of Two Cities. I loved the characters here, both main and side, but found the plot a bit of a mess full of coincidences and things that can only be explained away with "well, God was looking out for them" which is an immediate downside for me. Clearly Dickens grows as an author between the two as A Tale of Two Cities is one of the most carefully plotted of books, filled with scenes that mirror earlier ones throughout. That complaint aside, I did enjoy the experience of this one more than the other book.

Oliver Twist is a book seemingly built on its characters and humor. The story of an orphan boy who things keep going to hell for could so easily turn into a misery porn sort of work, but here Dickens tells his tale with sympathy, yes, but with a wink and a smile. Many times I found myself laughing out loud. I found myself loving the side characters again, in particular Fagin (who is admittedly some of an offensive caricature at times, but a delightful villain filled with charm) the Artful Dodger (who is not in the book near enough), Mr. Bumble and Nancy. The book occasionally seemed to loose its way and go off on multiple chapter tangents (like when the two detectives show up to the house) but all of them were delightful vignettes.

Dickens also manages to moralize in this one without coming off as preaching. His descriptions of the work houses and young Oliver's life are terrible, but because of his humor he gets his point across without ever feeling too bleak (yet somehow still capturing the seriousness of the events). It's a fine balancing act performed throughout the novel, and one I can't help but applaud.

While I recognize this is likely not Dickens strongest work, it is an extremely fun novel and one I would highly recommend. I'm giving it the same rating as the other book of his I've read, but with the notation that I find this a far more enjoyable book. 4/5 stars
]]> <![CDATA[Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (A Five Little Monkeys Story)]]> 13356703 30 Eileen Christelow 0547896913 Tim 3 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed And Then There Were None, but with more monkeys injuring themselves...

My daughter loves the book though and laughs ever time she sees the last page, so I guess that's a plus. Given all the repetition in the book, and how you will no doubt be asked to read it over and over again, I highly suggest reading the doctor's lines with a sense of horror, then acceptance, as if he's been in this groundhog's day loop long enough to have to deliver the same lines, but know it will never work out. 3 existentialist crises out of 5.]]> 4.20 1989 Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (A Five Little Monkeys Story)
author: Eileen Christelow
name: Tim
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1989
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2022/03/23
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
It's like Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, but with more monkeys injuring themselves...

My daughter loves the book though and laughs ever time she sees the last page, so I guess that's a plus. Given all the repetition in the book, and how you will no doubt be asked to read it over and over again, I highly suggest reading the doctor's lines with a sense of horror, then acceptance, as if he's been in this groundhog's day loop long enough to have to deliver the same lines, but know it will never work out. 3 existentialist crises out of 5.
]]> Kill Creek 34065268
When best-selling horror author Sam McGarver is invited to spend Halloween night in one of the country’s most infamous haunted houses, he reluctantly agrees. At least he won’t be alone; joining him are three other masters of the macabre, writers who have helped shape modern horror. But what begins as a simple publicity stunt will become a fight for survival. The entity they have awakened will follow them, torment them, threatening to make them a part of the bloody legacy of Kill Creek.]]> 416 Scott Thomas Tim 5
Fear, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. I begin with this statement because I feel it is important to reinforce that what scares me may not be the same thing that scares you and vice versa. We can pretty much reinforce this statement by looking at any given horror novel and seeing the inevitable “scariest book ever� review that follows the genre. Plenty of times I’ve read those reviews and rolled my eyes, but as I said fear is in the eye of the beholder, so who am I to say that those books aren’t the scariest to that specific reader? Fear is a personal thing, so what I may find ridiculous or boring another may be terrify another.

Well, now it is my turn; Kill Creek is the scariest novel that I have ever read. It was tailor made to play with just about every phobia, every single thing that gives me chill, they make an appearance in this book.

Here is the funny thing though; I’ve read a few reviews here that say that they felt the book started off slow then got scary as it moved along. For me the book started off fine, introducing a cast of interesting characters and suitably playing up different styles of horror writing (appropriate given the plot) but before we even got to the half way point I sat on the edge of my seat and had more than one occasion where I had to put the book down. There was one scene that had me putting down the book for the night and strongly considering giving the book an extended break while I read something a bit more light hearted. The point that many people think the book picks up at, I actually considered a solid breather until the rather intense final.

Now let me explain what I mean by all this; there is a wonderful point in the novel where one of the authors gives his theories on horror and what is most effective in terms of scaring his readers. “This is the key to true horror� if you believe it’s real, then it’s real.� This is practically the thesis of much of this book. Horror comes not from what happens but the possibility of what could happen. For example, there is something of a running joke early on where the authors play with the house’s history and how they would write it. If the power goes out, they play with the possibilities of what COULD be in the room in the dark, not what is. The possibilities make the imagination run wild in both the characters and this reader, and as I’ve said several times, the reason I find books to be a scarier medium for horror than cinema is that my brain can come up with worse possibilities than what will be shown. This is a book that tries to play with the reader’s own imagination, trying to make you think “What could be behind that bricked up room� what is on the other side waiting to get out?� This element of horror worked far more for me than when the actual “scary stuff� happens. This is the sort of thing that induces paranoia, as even the most innocent noise can create a world of terrifying possibilities.

As I said, this won’t affect everyone the same way. That is inevitable and also one of the more enjoyable aspects of the novel, as it plays with the possibilities of the genre. The focus is on four horror authors with four different styles of horror, I would have been disappointed if the book only followed one of those four philosophies� and was pleased that it played with them all.

Before this book, I would have told you the best and most frightening horror novel I had ever read was The Haunting of Hill House. I would still say that Hill House is my personal favorite horror novel, but this takes a solid second place, and it comes in first in terms of being the scariest by a large margin. Recommended to all horror fans. A rare perfect 5 out of 5.]]> 3.73 2017 Kill Creek
author: Scott Thomas
name: Tim
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2018/04/17
date added: 2022/03/22
shelves: reviewed, horror, 2010s, favorites
review:
Four authors come to a supposedly haunted house on Halloween night to put on a publicity stunt. Their styles are all completely different; one writes popular mainstream horror, one writes classic literary horror, another violent and sexual horror, and the final horror for a teenage audience. The only thing they have in common is a love for the genre and a need for the public to look into their fiction a bit more seriously. Unfortunately for them, the house on Kill Creek has a need too, and nothing that they have written comes even close to the horrors they will encounter.

Fear, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. I begin with this statement because I feel it is important to reinforce that what scares me may not be the same thing that scares you and vice versa. We can pretty much reinforce this statement by looking at any given horror novel and seeing the inevitable “scariest book ever� review that follows the genre. Plenty of times I’ve read those reviews and rolled my eyes, but as I said fear is in the eye of the beholder, so who am I to say that those books aren’t the scariest to that specific reader? Fear is a personal thing, so what I may find ridiculous or boring another may be terrify another.

Well, now it is my turn; Kill Creek is the scariest novel that I have ever read. It was tailor made to play with just about every phobia, every single thing that gives me chill, they make an appearance in this book.

Here is the funny thing though; I’ve read a few reviews here that say that they felt the book started off slow then got scary as it moved along. For me the book started off fine, introducing a cast of interesting characters and suitably playing up different styles of horror writing (appropriate given the plot) but before we even got to the half way point I sat on the edge of my seat and had more than one occasion where I had to put the book down. There was one scene that had me putting down the book for the night and strongly considering giving the book an extended break while I read something a bit more light hearted. The point that many people think the book picks up at, I actually considered a solid breather until the rather intense final.

Now let me explain what I mean by all this; there is a wonderful point in the novel where one of the authors gives his theories on horror and what is most effective in terms of scaring his readers. “This is the key to true horror� if you believe it’s real, then it’s real.� This is practically the thesis of much of this book. Horror comes not from what happens but the possibility of what could happen. For example, there is something of a running joke early on where the authors play with the house’s history and how they would write it. If the power goes out, they play with the possibilities of what COULD be in the room in the dark, not what is. The possibilities make the imagination run wild in both the characters and this reader, and as I’ve said several times, the reason I find books to be a scarier medium for horror than cinema is that my brain can come up with worse possibilities than what will be shown. This is a book that tries to play with the reader’s own imagination, trying to make you think “What could be behind that bricked up room� what is on the other side waiting to get out?� This element of horror worked far more for me than when the actual “scary stuff� happens. This is the sort of thing that induces paranoia, as even the most innocent noise can create a world of terrifying possibilities.

As I said, this won’t affect everyone the same way. That is inevitable and also one of the more enjoyable aspects of the novel, as it plays with the possibilities of the genre. The focus is on four horror authors with four different styles of horror, I would have been disappointed if the book only followed one of those four philosophies� and was pleased that it played with them all.

Before this book, I would have told you the best and most frightening horror novel I had ever read was The Haunting of Hill House. I would still say that Hill House is my personal favorite horror novel, but this takes a solid second place, and it comes in first in terms of being the scariest by a large margin. Recommended to all horror fans. A rare perfect 5 out of 5.
]]> <![CDATA[Otogizōshi: The Fairy Tale Book of Dazai Osamu]]> 12218696 The Fairy Tale Book (Otogizōshi) in the last months of the Pacific War. The traditional tales upon which Dazai's retellings are based are well known to every Japanese schoolchild, but this is no children's book. In Dazai's hands such stock characters as the kindhearted Oji-san to Oba-san ("Grandmother and Grandfather"), the mischievous tanuki badger, the fearsome Oni ogres, the greedy old man, the "tongue-cut" sparrow, and of course Urashima Taro (the Japanese Rip van Winkle) become complex individuals facing difficult and nuanced moral dilemmas. The resulting stories are thought-provoking, slyly subversive, and often hilarious.

In spite of the "gloom and doom" atmosphere always cited in reviews of The Setting Sun and the later No Longer Human, though, Dazai's cutting wit and rich humor are evident in the entire body of his work. His literature depicts the human condition in painfully blunt and realistic terms, but, like life itself, is often accompanied by a smile.]]> 125 Osamu Dazai 4902075407 Tim 4
The structure of the stories are rather fascinating for those who like looking at origins and the historic nature of these tales. A line or two of the original text is included in a different font, then the father reinterprets these simple words, turning them more into a traditional narrative and giving origins and personalities to these characters, explaining their actions. When he comes across a line that he finds peculiar, he will examine the historic context and wonder aloud about why an oni may be portrayed as a horrible monster in stories and yet how in critiques an author may be compared to an oni as praise.

This is a self-examining story, looking at Japanese history and culture all through a humorous fairy tale lens. While it is fascinating in regards to Osamu’s own examination of history, it is actually fairly historically important in its own right. While the author’s earlier work is consider much more important, this one has the honor of being one of the first Japanese published longer works (and by that I mean that though it may be a short book at 123 pages, it is not just a single short story) after WWII. In fact, Osamu most likely set it in a bomb shelter, as he probably came up with it in one. As he was writing the book, he and his family had evacuated to the countryside after his home was destroyed in an air raid (and again, his second home would also be destroyed in one). It is not hard to imagine that he was in a similar situation as the father in this book, telling his children stories to calm them, and interjecting his own sense of humor to keep his own spirits up.

The four stories are The Stolen Wen, Urashima-San,Click-Clack Mountain and The Sparrow Who Lost Her Tongue. The first tale is mostly just a humorous introduction to how Dazai will be taking on these stories, without getting into the depth that future stories will. Urashima-San in many ways seems to be Dazai pondering about how one should live a “proper� life. This is also where he begins to really analyze the tales from multiple directions (he makes comparison to this story and both Pandora’s Box and the Garden of Eden), while also comically interjecting reality; like how a tortoise would be very unlikely to show up in the village where he story takes place and tries to find a reasonable reason for its appearance there.

With Click-Clack Mountain he takes the interesting approach of telling you how the story ends in the first couple of paragraphs. It is important to note that these are all well known tales in Japan, so he would obviously think his reader already knew how it ended. He does this though to demonstrate the gruesome history of the tale and why it was altered in the then modern form to be more fitting for children. He analyses the story before even attempting to tell it, as he wants to show that depending on the version read, the lead character is either a monster absolutely deserving of a horrible fate, or someone who in self defense slightly injured an old woman and is met with a ghastly fate way out of proportion with his actions. Through this we see how the moral seems to change depending on how the tale is told (something we could apply to modern reworking of the works of the Brother’s Grimm as well).

Before beginning his final story, he tells us that he originally intended to include the story of Momotaro, but that it felt unfitting. All the works in this book come off as comedic tragedies, but Momotaro is such a distinctly heroic Japanese figure that he couldn’t rework him without coming off as insulting to Japanese history. In his own words, Momotaro is “Japan’s number 1,� how could he mock him without mocking Japan? Considering when this was written, I am unsure if this is a moment of patriotism or fear of censorship, but either way it adds to his examination of these tales in its own way.

The final story is, in my opinion, nowhere near as funny as the others. It doesn’t examine the story as much either� it’s just rather melancholy and yet seems a fitting conclusion. With this book Dazai set out to examine Japanese fairy tales and frequently points out the lack of a true moral to many of them, expressing that they are really just tragic comedies that can be understood by children. Here the comedy seems to fall off as if the project is no longer as amusing as it was, and instead we leave off with a note of sorrow.

This collection comes highly recommended for those with a love of Japanese stories or for anyone interested in the “hows and whys� behind the tales.]]> 4.00 1945 Otogizōshi: The Fairy Tale Book of Dazai Osamu
author: Osamu Dazai
name: Tim
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1945
rating: 4
read at: 2018/05/12
date added: 2022/03/22
shelves: 1940s, classic, japanese, reviewed, short-stories
review:
What an interesting concept this book is! During World War II, a Japanese father takes his young daughter down to the bomb shelter in their yard during an air raid. To relieve the young girl, the father begins telling classic Japanese fairy tales to her. He has the book on hand, but the simple text rather infuriates him as he is an academic and writer himself (the father is unnamed at the time, but rather implied to be the author himself), he decides to elaborate upon these tales.

The structure of the stories are rather fascinating for those who like looking at origins and the historic nature of these tales. A line or two of the original text is included in a different font, then the father reinterprets these simple words, turning them more into a traditional narrative and giving origins and personalities to these characters, explaining their actions. When he comes across a line that he finds peculiar, he will examine the historic context and wonder aloud about why an oni may be portrayed as a horrible monster in stories and yet how in critiques an author may be compared to an oni as praise.

This is a self-examining story, looking at Japanese history and culture all through a humorous fairy tale lens. While it is fascinating in regards to Osamu’s own examination of history, it is actually fairly historically important in its own right. While the author’s earlier work is consider much more important, this one has the honor of being one of the first Japanese published longer works (and by that I mean that though it may be a short book at 123 pages, it is not just a single short story) after WWII. In fact, Osamu most likely set it in a bomb shelter, as he probably came up with it in one. As he was writing the book, he and his family had evacuated to the countryside after his home was destroyed in an air raid (and again, his second home would also be destroyed in one). It is not hard to imagine that he was in a similar situation as the father in this book, telling his children stories to calm them, and interjecting his own sense of humor to keep his own spirits up.

The four stories are The Stolen Wen, Urashima-San,Click-Clack Mountain and The Sparrow Who Lost Her Tongue. The first tale is mostly just a humorous introduction to how Dazai will be taking on these stories, without getting into the depth that future stories will. Urashima-San in many ways seems to be Dazai pondering about how one should live a “proper� life. This is also where he begins to really analyze the tales from multiple directions (he makes comparison to this story and both Pandora’s Box and the Garden of Eden), while also comically interjecting reality; like how a tortoise would be very unlikely to show up in the village where he story takes place and tries to find a reasonable reason for its appearance there.

With Click-Clack Mountain he takes the interesting approach of telling you how the story ends in the first couple of paragraphs. It is important to note that these are all well known tales in Japan, so he would obviously think his reader already knew how it ended. He does this though to demonstrate the gruesome history of the tale and why it was altered in the then modern form to be more fitting for children. He analyses the story before even attempting to tell it, as he wants to show that depending on the version read, the lead character is either a monster absolutely deserving of a horrible fate, or someone who in self defense slightly injured an old woman and is met with a ghastly fate way out of proportion with his actions. Through this we see how the moral seems to change depending on how the tale is told (something we could apply to modern reworking of the works of the Brother’s Grimm as well).

Before beginning his final story, he tells us that he originally intended to include the story of Momotaro, but that it felt unfitting. All the works in this book come off as comedic tragedies, but Momotaro is such a distinctly heroic Japanese figure that he couldn’t rework him without coming off as insulting to Japanese history. In his own words, Momotaro is “Japan’s number 1,� how could he mock him without mocking Japan? Considering when this was written, I am unsure if this is a moment of patriotism or fear of censorship, but either way it adds to his examination of these tales in its own way.

The final story is, in my opinion, nowhere near as funny as the others. It doesn’t examine the story as much either� it’s just rather melancholy and yet seems a fitting conclusion. With this book Dazai set out to examine Japanese fairy tales and frequently points out the lack of a true moral to many of them, expressing that they are really just tragic comedies that can be understood by children. Here the comedy seems to fall off as if the project is no longer as amusing as it was, and instead we leave off with a note of sorrow.

This collection comes highly recommended for those with a love of Japanese stories or for anyone interested in the “hows and whys� behind the tales.
]]> <![CDATA[Snakes and Earrings (Originally published in Japan as Hebi ni Piasu)]]> 922712 120 Hitomi Kanehara 0525948899 Tim 1


That is the entire review in one image. The book is one edgy event after another until it finally ends. It's so dark, and brooding, filled with nihilistic dialogue and EDGY� it's also boring, poorly written and not worth the time (and it's only 120 pages, so it's not like it takes a long time).

Yes, it is that bad and I'll waste no more time writing about it. 1/5 stars.]]> 3.00 2003 Snakes and Earrings (Originally published in Japan as Hebi ni Piasu)
author: Hitomi Kanehara
name: Tim
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2003
rating: 1
read at: 2022/03/20
date added: 2022/03/20
shelves: 2000s, japanese, reviewed, read-2022
review:
“God has to be a sadist to give people life.�



That is the entire review in one image. The book is one edgy event after another until it finally ends. It's so dark, and brooding, filled with nihilistic dialogue and EDGY� it's also boring, poorly written and not worth the time (and it's only 120 pages, so it's not like it takes a long time).

Yes, it is that bad and I'll waste no more time writing about it. 1/5 stars.
]]> Grace and Box 51591647 A little girl and a refrigerator box go on many adventures as they imagine all the things they can be in this debut picture book from Kim Howard and Megan Lotter, Grace and Box...

Grace and Box have become fast friends. Box delivered a refrigerator earlier in the week and by the end of it, Grace and Box had already been to space, gone camping, and explored the depths of the sea together.

But on Sunday, Grace notices something's wrong with her buddy. Box has some rips and crumples that Band-Aids, ice packs, and rest on the couch can't seem to heal. Grace certainly doesn't want these adventures to end, so she is determined to fix Box so that they can continue their play together!

A universal friendship (child and box) has come alive in this imaginative and humorous picture book. The depths of friendships run deep with children, even if they're just boxes to us!]]> 32 Kim Howard 1250262941 Tim 3 my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
This story is just that. Grace gets a box and with it weeks of imaginative fun. It's a cute little book, with many an idea on what to do with a box. It's a good natured book and one with appealing images that my daughter enjoyed. I question some of the images and how the box stayed in as good of shape as it did with some of the designs it's showed in, but we'll just chalk it up to imagination.

Overall a nice book on the power of imagination. It's not the greatest children's book, but it's sweet enough to check out. 3/5 stars.
]]> 4.05 2021 Grace and Box
author: Kim Howard
name: Tim
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2022/03/19
shelves: my-daughter-s-books, reviewed
review:
I'm fairly certain that every kid who had a refrigerator or large appliance brought into their house played with the box. I mean, a large box is the perfect toy. It's a submarine, it's a house, it's a fort� it's whatever your imagination can come up with.

This story is just that. Grace gets a box and with it weeks of imaginative fun. It's a cute little book, with many an idea on what to do with a box. It's a good natured book and one with appealing images that my daughter enjoyed. I question some of the images and how the box stayed in as good of shape as it did with some of the designs it's showed in, but we'll just chalk it up to imagination.

Overall a nice book on the power of imagination. It's not the greatest children's book, but it's sweet enough to check out. 3/5 stars.

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