I don't know what to think or how to feel. I am in desperate need of some TikTok or YT video titled "Blood on the Tracks Ending EXPLAINED!"
(view spoilI don't know what to think or how to feel. I am in desperate need of some TikTok or YT video titled "Blood on the Tracks Ending EXPLAINED!"
(view spoiler)[I reeeeeeally thought when you see Seichii at the library, picking a book, checking it out, walking out with it, walking through town, sitting at a bench and reading it, that the book would turn out to be Blood on the Tracks. Imagine how sick that would've been??! It would've tied it all together so perfectly for the people that got it. And for those that didn't, it would've made them rethink everything and have to go back to the beginning to see what they missed.
But, instead, it's a nameless book. That we spend an entire chapter on?? Felt unnecessary. But I could be missing it's value.
A conspiracy theory I have is that we don't see Seichii's face the entire last chapter until the final page. Even then, it's only part of it. My question is - Is that Shuzo Oshimi? Is it a depiction of him? Meant to let us in on the fact that this has been largely autobiographical the entire time?
The author's note was absurdly tame compared to every other volume. He just says "Sorry to the real people who're in this" and then THANKS his mom????????????? You've got me ALL the way fucked up for that. What do you meeeean??
If we're meant to take away from this final volume that Seichii found peace and happiness and never thinks about his mother and forgot what she even looked like..........um, no. Just no. Well and truly not. The last thing I wanted or expected was a Hallmark ending.
Again, I hope that I'm mistaken about my interpretation of the ending and will be holding my opinion/rating until I get more information. But, as it stands, I didn't like it unfortunately. (hide spoiler)]...more
I did this awesome booktuber-collab/buddy-read with Gavin & Gabby for this book. We all read it & updated every 5 to 8 chapters. All of those clips weI did this awesome booktuber-collab/buddy-read with Gavin & Gabby for this book. We all read it & updated every 5 to 8 chapters. All of those clips were seamlessly edited together by Gabby to make one giant spoiler-filled reading vlog for you all to enjoy.
what do you m e a n there's only ONE MORE VOLUME?!?!?!
I am unwell. The mangaka is undoubtedly unwell. Certifiably unwell. You know it'Reading Vlog
what do you m e a n there's only ONE MORE VOLUME?!?!?!
I am unwell. The mangaka is undoubtedly unwell. Certifiably unwell. You know it's bad when the author's note's are the scariest thing in each volume. ...more
Honestly, the only suitable ending I can imagine is double-murder/suicide. Nothing else would be able to garner the validation and venReading Vlog
Honestly, the only suitable ending I can imagine is double-murder/suicide. Nothing else would be able to garner the validation and vengeance and closure that we've been desperately seeking for 15 volumes and 30-odd years of Seichi's life.
I'm readying myself for disappointment with the finale but what a wonderful, disturbing, beautiful and tragic journey it's been. ...more
SYLVIA SHERWOOD HAS ME BY THE THROAT/HEART/BRAIN/CHAIN/MEMBRANE & all other humanly parts.
This was such a breath of fresh air to a series I had previoSYLVIA SHERWOOD HAS ME BY THE THROAT/HEART/BRAIN/CHAIN/MEMBRANE & all other humanly parts.
This was such a breath of fresh air to a series I had previously second-guessed. I thought an episodic cutesy manga series couldn't possibly draw me in past 6 volumes. But this one made me question that.
It's so cute and fun and badass in the weirdest ways. That being said, I've reinvested myself in this series and will update you as I go along as to whether or not it remains worthwhile (in a monetary sense as well as an entertainment sense)....more
I was nervous going into this because I've read plenty of Rainbow Rowell books in the past and enjoyed or adored almost all of them. But those were eiI was nervous going into this because I've read plenty of Rainbow Rowell books in the past and enjoyed or adored almost all of them. But those were either young adult or I was a young adult when I read them. If I reread them today would I have the same rating a less experienced/critical/cynical Katie would have?
But, that fear was put to rest with this book. Her characters are always the focal point of the story. If you're looking for plot, you won't be left sated by her stories. It's there but you aren't supposed to care so much about what's happening. You're meant to care about who it's happening to and how they react and grow. And boy howdy do you care.
I will say that this book was definitely too long. It felt like I was listening to it for a week when it was honestly two or three days. A romance book being over 400 pages is almost always unnecessary. But it's been a while since I've seen an adult romance from her (the only one I can recall is Attachments). So I will give her grace on the page count. She probably had a lot pint up, ha.
All in all, highly enjoyed but it's been two weeks since I read it and I don't remember the characters names. Which automatically means it isn't a 5 star. But I know I had a great time reading it....more
Click HERE! The video is broken into 4 sections: 1. Introduction 2Want to buddy read this with myself, GabbyReads and GavinReadsItAll? We've got you!
Click HERE! The video is broken into 4 sections: 1. Introduction 2. Chapters 1-6 3. Chapters 7-12 4. Chapters 13-19
You can read along with us. Pause every 6 chapters and come back to the video to get all of our thoughts and reactions on those very chapters. Repeat until the book is done. Viola! It's a live-action book club!
I had every anticipation for this to be a 5 star horror. In my top 10 of the year even. But I am very sad to tell you that I don't get the hype with tI had every anticipation for this to be a 5 star horror. In my top 10 of the year even. But I am very sad to tell you that I don't get the hype with this one.
We spend 75% of the book watching the mom cry and be utterly pathetic over men. The other 25% is her daughter's reactions to it, racism and a sprinkling of horror.
It felt very heavy handed in most of it's messaging. I wanted the gore and the freaky weirdness. But it happened far too late for me to be invested in any of it....more
I have nothing bad to say about this book. I simply don't understand poetry. Never have.
For me, the art style is the allure. I gravitate towadnf @50%
I have nothing bad to say about this book. I simply don't understand poetry. Never have.
For me, the art style is the allure. I gravitate toward this 'Lana Del Ray directed by Tim Burton' type sh*t. It feeds my middle school heart.
There were poems in the beginning that I tried and semi-succeeded in understanding. For which I am proud. But as it went on, I followed the rhythm less and less. It became nonsense to me after a while and I don't want to degrade this poet's work by trying to decipher it with my amateur's-gaze.
I'll tell you the quotes that stood out to me...
And when my head is fully gray And I hear them say "She would've been a beautiful bride" I'll smile Cause yeah fucking right There's a really good chance that I'm going to die a child
This spoke to my asexual heart so fking deeply. This quote made me want to invest the time it took to really understand poetry on it's deep level. Unfortunately, it turned out to be too deep for me after all....
The most 'I get it' I was, was with this quote...
If I blossomed in the dark Am I really all that I can be when I'm happy? Am I really me when I'm happy?...more
A group of queer, black, church ladies who won’t take shit from anyone, including God. I’m obsessed. They felt like trueI am so glad this book exists.
A group of queer, black, church ladies who won’t take shit from anyone, including God. I’m obsessed. They felt like true stories.
The fact that this is still happening today. That these women exist in this world by the thousands and are struggling so hard to be ‘good’ godly women but finding the double standards of the church unbearable, is so heart breaking.
This book touched my heart and made me laugh and made me tear up. I love these women. And good on them for getting some p*ssy.
Merged review:
I am so glad this book exists.
A group of queer, black, church ladies who won’t take shit from anyone, including God. I’m obsessed. They felt like true stories.
The fact that this is still happening today. That these women exist in this world by the thousands and are struggling so hard to be ‘good’ godly women but finding the double standards of the church unbearable, is so heart breaking.
This book touched my heart and made me laugh and made me tear up. I love these women. And good on them for getting some p*ssy....more
This book is hard to describe and even harder to explain your passion for (if you have it).
In short, it's about a woman who is obsessed with her husbaThis book is hard to describe and even harder to explain your passion for (if you have it).
In short, it's about a woman who is obsessed with her husband. And I mean obsessed to the point of having almost no other thoughts besides what he's doing, how he'll react, and what his actions, words, or tilt of his head mean (or don’t mean).
She calculates situations to test his love for her because it's the only way she can feel any sort of clarity in their relationship. These tests range from mundane to downright insane, with a rollercoaster of highs and lows on a day-to-day basis.
That being said, it's very one-note. The narrative is entirely in the head of a single-minded woman who repeats herself a lot. She's unhinged to the nth degree. Her reasoning behind her actions is baffling at best and disturbingly understandable at its most frightening.
And yet, I was obsessed. There was something so intriguing and engaging about it. I found myself, at times, almost understanding where she was coming from—which was terrifying, honestly. Because, no... just no. Like, Katie, seek help. This woman is certifiably unstable.
The epilogue flipped everything on its head for me. It's the kind of epilogue that made me want to go back to page one and read the whole thing again. So, if you're someone who usually skips epilogues, I suggest reading this one.
I believe this is a book you will either rate 2 stars or 5 stars. You'll either find it repetitive and infuriating, or you'll be enamored by these very qualities and become obsessed with a character you'd despise in real life.
*P.S. It's translated from French. Assuming a thing or two was lost in translation, I can't imagine how much better the original French version must be. ...more
Precursor: A few things that had me looking way too critically into this book - (1) I read it for a book club and kept notes Reading Vlog/Review: HERE
Precursor: A few things that had me looking way too critically into this book - (1) I read it for a book club and kept notes of all my thoughts. (2) I vlogged it. (3) I read the damn thing twice.
That being said, this is not the kind of story to take seriously. The plot is flimsy. The characters are problematic and make decisions only based on building the reader's suspense instead of logic. This is a basic mystery that if you close one eye and play music really loudly in the background, you could probably enjoy.
...I was trying to make the 1 star rating less egregious but I fear I've only made it worse somehow ...more
I read this a few weeks ago and can't remember anything except the sibling relationships. Those I could write dissertations about. But the plot? No clI read this a few weeks ago and can't remember anything except the sibling relationships. Those I could write dissertations about. But the plot? No clue. Never heard of her.
What I know: It's two sisters and a brother. The older sister, our MC, gave everything up to provide for her younger siblings and is justifiably bitter about it. The brother left town asap and miraculously got rich and well connected, thus alienating him from their small town mentality. The younger sister was more promising and intelligent than either of her siblings but got caught up in drugs and alcohol and fell swiftly into addiction. She is now bitter and butt hurt because she should be the star, but her brother got all the glory.
I remember all of that but ZERO about the mystery.
I legitimately couldn't tell you a single thing about the supposed 'crime'. Not who, how, when, where or why.
I feel like that probably says everything that needs to be said....more
Let's get to the meat & potatoes - I won't think about this book again. BUT it deserves the highest accolades for being the first book where I actually enjoyed reading the smut ...more
A Reading Experience (Katie’s Version) [From the Vault]
It’s been 6+ months since I read this book… let that sink in. The vlog footage has been rotting A Reading Experience (Katie’s Version) [From the Vault]
It’s been 6+ months since I read this book… let that sink in. The vlog footage has been rotting away in my hard drive for half a year. Will it ever see the light of day? Great question. **No comment**
Do I remember my specific thoughts? Not really. But I do recall really enjoying it and being happy that I vlogged the experience. All signs point to a 4 or 4.5-star rating. If it had been a 5-star read, I feel like the memories would be more vivid. That said, it's been over half a year, so maybe that’s not entirely fair to the book. For now, I’ll give it 4 stars. If I end up editing the reading vlog, I’ll revisit my thoughts and possibly revise my review....more
Why do people like the first book more than this?? I'm genuinely perplexed. I enjoyed this one even more than the first. Maybe it's because I had alreaWhy do people like the first book more than this?? I'm genuinely perplexed. I enjoyed this one even more than the first. Maybe it's because I had already established the characters??
I adore the relationship between Garlic and the Vampire & Garlic and the Witch. Oh and can we give some commotion to Carrot? I'm fully Team-Carrot. The representation and dynamic of these characters is really well done in such a short and simplified fantasy. For what it is, it's expertly done....more