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 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....more
“I could just remember how my father used to say that the reason for living was to get ready to stay dead a long time.”
I've mentioned before in my re“I could just remember how my father used to say that the reason for living was to get ready to stay dead a long time.”
I've mentioned before in my reviews that I majored in English in college, and I always found it funny how much my particular university seemed to hate classics. With the exception of The Great Gatsby and a few Victorian novels that were in one specific class focusing on the subject, I don't think we read a single novel written before the 1960s. As such I sometimes look at my list of classics that I've read and feel a bit disappointed in myself. For example, we never read anything by William Faulkner. Well, I decided to finally correct that.
I chose this book for two reasons. First because I've seen it on several lists of the greatest English language novels. The second reason is that wonderful title. Well, what did I think of it going into it mostly blind as I knew nothing of the plot?
Well, I found Faulkner's style stunning and frustrating in equal parts. The stream of conscious writing style makes some characters very difficult to understand and I found myself rereading some scenes trying to figure out exactly what happened. I usually figured it out by the next chapter as Faulkner seemed to recognize this and intend that effect in some chapters. As such, frequently the next chapter reexplain things a little more clearly from another character’s point of view.
The plot is simple enough, a family travels to a nearby town to bury their recently deceased mother/wife. Weather, injury and seemingly God himself all seem determined that they will not succeed in this… but they will keep going, "not begrudging it none." It's simple and doesn't sound that fascinating, but it is an excellent character study. Every one of those characters feels like a real person, and seeing their stream of conscious thoughts makes them feel real despite never getting detailed descriptions of them. The ending is also one of the cleverest I've ever read, making the entire thing feel like an even darker comedy than I realized at first.
This is a wonderful novel, something truly unique and close to perfection. It may have frustrated me at times, but that's not a criticism though I'm sure it is a deal breaker for some readers. I delighted in its language and trying to understand these characters. A rare 5/5 stars....more
In the state of Alabama sits three houses. They have a lovely view, one can walk along the sand and dip their toes in the cool water. Two famil[image]
In the state of Alabama sits three houses. They have a lovely view, one can walk along the sand and dip their toes in the cool water. Two families come to this little slice of paradise called Beldame, the Savages and the McCrays, who've been escaping to this lovely place whenever life gets rough. For some reason no one they've taken outside of their families seems to like the place, but they love it. After the funeral for one the Savages, the two families reunite and visit this lovely place; a place where they seem to repress the unpleasant events that happened there, like that time the hired help's daughter drowned there, or the time one of them visited the third house… the house that seems to be filling with sand.
Why did no one tell me about Michael McDowell? I mean, yes, I've heard of him in some horror circles as an underrated author, but why did no one tell me that his work was THIS good? I'll be blunt; I think this is one of the best horror novels to come out of the 80s… no, I'll go ahead and say it, I think this is my favorite horror novel to come out of the 80s. This is so good I don't even really know how to review it.
Let's get this out of the way; this book is genuinely unnerving. I love the genre, but I can't personally say that about too many horror novels. This book is unsettling. The idea of the title creatures… spirits… things… whatever they are, is unnerving because we never quite understand them. They seem to break rules that we think they are supposed to follow, and part of the brilliant aspect of this book is that it doesn't feel like the author is cheating with this. This is something completely unknowable and any rules it plays by are its own.
This book is filled with so much mystery, so many things that are not quite explained, but never feel as if they need to be. Much of it I wouldn't want to be explained. The mystery adds to it. It makes sense in its own weird way and I can't imagine that it would be improved with the blanks filled in.
I've rarely read a book I enjoyed this much from start to finish. It managed to be funny at times, terrifying at other and for much of it, such a well told southern gothic that I forgot about the horror aspects, just engrossed in the dynamics of these two families. When the horror crept back in, it was a welcome and terrifying surprise. A rare 5/5 stars....more
"For a star, being seen is everything. But the powers that be are well aware that being seen is no more than a symptom of the gaze. They know that the"For a star, being seen is everything. But the powers that be are well aware that being seen is no more than a symptom of the gaze. They know that the reality everyone thinks they see and feel draws from the spring of artifice that you and I are guarding. To keep the public pacified, the spring must always be shielded from the world of masks. And these masks are worn by stars.
But the real world is always waiting for its stars to die. If you never cycle out the masks, you run the risk of poisoning the well. The demand for new masks is insatiable."
This is an absolutely fascinating shorter work from Mishima. It follows a young actor who is filming a yakuza film. There's not much of a plot, more like an examination of what it means to be a celebrity, how people view him/how he views others and how the film industry worked in Japan at the time. This is all the more fascinating as Mishima himself wrote it right after acting in a film titled "Afraid to Die" in which he played, you guessed it, a yakuza. It makes for an interesting parallel with his own life and several of the topics that seemed to dominate it.
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think this may be my favorite book by Mishima. I said in my review of The Sailor Who Fell From the Grace of the Sea a few months back that it was my current favorite, I will now revise that opinion to the best written of his books that I've read. I do believe the other is a "better" book, but there's something about Star that really worked for me. As I said, there's little in terms of plot, and it's extremely short, but there's an urgency to it… as if he needs to express something and can't quite put it to words that I find fascinating. A rare 5/5 stars...more
Given the publishing industry's recent obsession with YA, I can't help but wonder how this book would be marketed if published today. Would they hype Given the publishing industry's recent obsession with YA, I can't help but wonder how this book would be marketed if published today. Would they hype up the teenager angle? Would it be advertised as "Lord of the Flies" meets "The Hunger Games" even though there is nothing Hunger Games like about it really, but advertisers do love a good buzz title.
Speaking of titles, this one may have my favorite title ever: The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea. I remember first seeing this title as a kid in a video rental shop and seeing a VHS of the film adaptation. I've never seen the movie, but man, that title stuck with me. Even as a kid it sent my mind wandering… perhaps fitting given that the title seems to be from the point of view of one of our teenage characters in the book.
The plot is simple: Noboru is a teenager. He belongs to something of a club of fellow like-minded nihilistic teenagers, who take your usual teenage angst and dreams of better things (while knowing that the world sucks and probably isn't worth it… come on, you remember being a teenager, right?) and ramp it up to eleven as they decide to act on their philosophies and ignore the rules of society (bit of a warning here, those who can’t stand to read about anything bad happening to animals, may want to give this one a skip).
One night his mother brings home a sailor. At first Noboru is enamored with him. He is after all everything Noboru dreams of being. He's your classic "man's man," separating himself away from society and living on the sea. He goes where the ship takes him, he works, he dreams of glory.
He's also tired. Very, very tired. It's about time for him to settle down… but will this betrayal of all that Noboru's beliefs stand?
Nay.
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Alright, so, this is not a cheery book. Just a heads up, it is depressing as hell… and it is wonderful.
This is a book that really seems so simple when you're reading it, but there's just so many things to unpack (far more than I'll even attempt to tackle in this review). This is a book about post-American occupation of Japan, this is a book about looking back at what Japan lost with WWII, this about the atrocities people commit and justify, this is about moral codes… and what happens when you force those codes upon others. The book is only 182 pages and yet it packs so much into everything.
I noticed when looking on here that the majority of my friends don't care for it too much ( a lot of three stars or lower), though of course some do love it. I understand both points of view. In some ways I think this is a very hard book to like. It's… mean and unpleasant. Honestly though? I loved it. I debated about the star rating for some time. On one hand I knew it was easily my favorite Mishima book I've read thus far… but was it really deserving of five stars? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that yes, to me it is.
For the most part, stories take the hero's point of view. This may seem obvious, we are after all supposed to follow them along their tale… and in mosFor the most part, stories take the hero's point of view. This may seem obvious, we are after all supposed to follow them along their tale… and in most cases we are supposed to sympathize with them. What of the villain's though? Does one need to have "sympathy for the devil" as the Rolling Stones might have said. What of their tales? What, for example, is the Big Bad Wolf's take on those damnable pigs?
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This was my favorite picture book when I was a kid. While checking out a used bookstore today I saw a copy and picked it up. Upon getting home I immediately went up to my daughter and said "STORY TIME!" This was a delightful change of pace for her. Usually story time was reserved for before bed… then it occurred; was this a trap? Was she going to bed early for some reason? Had dad lost his perception of time?
Fear not, if this was a trap for anyone, it was me. I've never been nervous about reading a story to my daughter before. I know going into every single one that she's going to at least have fun, but this was different. This book is important. What if she didn't like it? MY CHILDHOOD WAS AT STAKE.
I need not have feared. Every time the wolf sneezed she howled with laughter. Peace and order was restored to my little area of the world and I once again got to relive my childhood favorite, this time with the eyes of a dad watching the child discover for the first time what really happened and how that poor wolf was framed.
The injustice is shocking… really.
If you have not read this one, do yourself a favor and check it out. It's actually an extremely funny picture book, fun if you're 3 or 33 or 103. 5/5 stars....more
Note: This is not really a review. It's more me just gushing about something I love... sorry. That's all I have to offer on this one.
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I'm not one Note: This is not really a review. It's more me just gushing about something I love... sorry. That's all I have to offer on this one.
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I'm not one who usually buys into TV show hype and has to read the book. Sure, I read the first couple of Song of Ice and Fire books, but I did it before the TV show. Same with Haunting of Hill House. I enjoyed Mindhunter, but never felt a strong desire to read the book. Just because I enjoy one version does not mean I will care for it in another
I completely admit that I have bought into the hype for The Queen's Gambit. I wasn't even interested in the show at first. I kept hearing people talk about it at work though and on one of the forums I frequently visit and kept seeing the damn thing every time I turned on Netflix until I finally said "I give!" and tried it.
...
I loved it. Honestly one of the best shows I've seen in some time. Flash forward to be beginning of this week when I was walking around Barnes and Noble on Sunday and saw a copy of this on display. I usually dislike media tie-in covers (again, see that first paragraph), but seeing Anya Taylor-Joy's eyes staring me down over that chess board, seemingly intimidating the player in front of her... I decided yes, I'd give the book a shot as well.
Yes, it was just as good. In fact, it was exactly what I needed. Since the year had started I've already finished three books, all of which I gave three stars. They were fun enough, but nothing that wowed me. This was perfection and is already a contender for favorite book of the year... and we're only two weeks into it.
I won't go over the plot. It's been discussed and now with the show pretty much everyone knows the basic idea, but the book is well told. Structurally it leads the reader into all its themes and ideas bit by bit. It's about genius, it's about addiction and while the drama is told remarkably well, chess is of course where it stands out and manages to somehow, through describing the moves, create more suspense than any thriller I've ever read.
This book is simply a joy from start to finish. A wonderful read and one I cannot recommend enough. 5/5 stars....more
Hey everyone, this is my 250th book review on Goodreads!!!
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I didn't even realize that until after the review was posted. While purely unintentiHey everyone, this is my 250th book review on Goodreads!!!
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I didn't even realize that until after the review was posted. While purely unintentional, I'm glad this book was on one of the landmark numbers.
There is a line in this book that spoke to me in a way that I've never been able to put into words before. In the scene a scholar reads a line from her favorite book, hoping that the reading can pay a tiger to let her have access to proceed (read the story to understand that, I'll not explain it here). After reading we receive the following line: "They were Dieu's favorite lines, and she was almost afraid to look up to see how the tiger took them. When you love a thing too much, it is a special kind of pain to show it to others and to see that it is lacking." That's wonderful, it gets across my own concerns as I start my review... will others see in this what I did?
When I read the author's previous book, The Empress of Salt and Fortune, I said the following in my review "This is without a doubt my favorite read of 2020, and while I know there is still over a month for that to change, I find it extraordinarily unlikely. This is as close to perfection as a read can get for me. A rare 5/5 stars" I was proven wrong. It was not my favorite, that honor goes to it's companion book (I hesitate to call it a sequel, as though one main character returns, it is very much a stand-alone as well). When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain is not only my favorite book I've read this year, it could be one of my top ten I've ever read. It's short (as one expects from Tor.com's novella), but it does not use a single unneeded word, and therefore does not need any added.
The plot this time follows Cleric Chih who has gotten into a rather dangerous situation along with their guide. This time three tigers have chased them into a barn where they must hope that someone will come to save them in the morning. In order to pass the night, and keep the tigers from attacking, they tell the story of Ho Thi Thao, a tiger who fell in love with a woman and tried to woo her. As they tell this tale though, the tigers begin to correct them, as they too know this story, but their version is often quite different.
As with the previous book, a main theme of these books is how we tell stories. In the first one it was about the details left out of history. This time it is about the nature of narrative, and how it can change from culture to culture. As Chih tells the story, the tigers will frequently interrupt and retell the same portion in a very different way. While the stories are essentially the same in terms of plot, we are shown how different cultures could highlight different aspects of the tale or rework something they find unacceptable to be more tolerable (a non-spoiler example would be that humans would not necessarily want a higher tiger kill count unless the people had done horrible deeds in the past, whereas in the tiger version it would be boring if the tiger didn't eat a person or two to show their "heroic" nature).
As with the previous book, Chih's section offers some great world building, but the heart of the book is the story being told. The narratives (both variations of it) are frequently amusing and both have their own level of heartwarming elements. Some of the best scenes are when characters comment on the other's version of the tale, and a human finds merit in the tiger's version and vice versa. It makes you wonder, if the story is true, which version has the more accurate elements and if the truth is somewhere in-between. In the end though, does it matter? It's about narrating to your audience, and understanding from a story teller perspective, what the group you're speaking to is fascinated by.
I truly hope Vo continues writing this series. I hope there are many more tales for the clerics of Singing Hills to collect. If there was ever a book tailor made for me as a reader it would be this. While I highly recommend both books (I remind you that the first one did receive five stars, and I'm not one who just hands them out frequently), this one is simply stunning. The prose is beautiful, the stories are the perfect blend of fairy tale and reality, the world presented stunning... there is simply nothing I am not impressed with. I said the other book was "as close to perfection as a read can get," well, this one isn't close. To me this was the perfect read... and those were words I never thought I would type. A perfect 5/5 and my highest possible recommendation....more
On the back of the book, there is praise by Seanan McGuire. I won't quote her entire praise, just the last sentence. "I didn't know I needed to read tOn the back of the book, there is praise by Seanan McGuire. I won't quote her entire praise, just the last sentence. "I didn't know I needed to read this until I did." That sums up my entire opinion as well. 5/5 stars.
Longer version of the review: The first plot follows a traveling cleric named Chih, whose duty is to record history in all its forms. The cleric meets and older woman called Rabbit, who gives a history unrecorded about the empress of the title. Her name In-yo, she came from the far north seemingly little more than prize for the current emperor of the time. Her story is that of a women kept in a luxurious prison, and how she was able to gain a name of herself.
Both stories work well. Chih's is a world builders dream, giving you aspects of the setting that are unique, vague but telling. My mind wondered about the world itself and I wanted more of it early on, and when it was over I can honestly say I would read a dozen tales set in this world without a second thought. Rabbit's tale is slow moving, and much of what she doesn't says is important. It's like a puzzle box in a way, beautifully designed but holding more than she's seemingly saying. Once it all clicks, it makes the entire thing better as a whole.
I picked this up because it sounded fairly intriguing. I like Asian inspired fantasy settings, I like stories within story narratives and with very few exceptions, I typically really enjoy Tor.com's novellas. So, I pick it up and give it a quick read. A few hours later I realize I finished the book and am trying to find words to express what I just read.
It's been a day. I still don't have proper words. I know this isn't much of a review,and for that I apologize, but I can only try to explain something that is hard to fully express. The story while short, feels like if you've known someone for years (a friend, a parent, a grandparent imagine anyone you feel you know extremely well) and then over a series of conversations you find a revelation, you find they did something that just seems astounding to you. Something personal, something wonderful and now you have a new insight into the world.
That... doesn't make sense. I know that doesn't make sense, but that is the closest I can come to explaining how the book made me feel. This is without a doubt my favorite read of 2020, and while I know there is still over a month for that to change, I find it extraordinarily unlikely. This is as close to perfection as a read can get for me. A rare perfect 5/5 stars....more
I don't know how to review this book. I cannot fairly review it as my own notion of the book is so altered by my own experiences, that I'm not[image]
I don't know how to review this book. I cannot fairly review it as my own notion of the book is so altered by my own experiences, that I'm not sure anyone reading it would see what I see. Hell, to a certain extent, I know they can't... not quite the same at least.
Instead I will try to express how this book made me feel.
This book took me way too long to read. Not because it was bad, life just kept getting in my way even when I would much rather have been reading, that said, I was happy to take my time. This book transported me back to a different place. I've been to Vietnam multiple times, it's where my wife is from and it's one of the most beautiful countries I've ever seen. I don't like traveling much personally, and the flight there is long (over 24 hours counting layovers), but I always find it worth it when we go back.
This book took me back there at a much cheaper price. Vietnam has changed a lot in the 65 years since Greene wrote this book... but in so many way it is still the same. Reading it, I was reminded of hot nights in Saigon (where the temperature was almost always 90+ degrees and the occasional bursts of rain were always a relief despite how heavy the downpours got). I was reminded of the architecture, the clothing, the traffic and smells.
The plot is interesting, and one might be surprised to know it was written before America really got into the Vietnam war (Greene's insight into how America operated is sadly only too true), and the book comes off melancholic for multiple reasons which Greene did not necessarily intend at the time. This is one of those books that was no doubt very good when published, but honestly time has made better. It becomes both a good story and a sad warning about mistakes that were made, and how one should avoid them.
The prose is beautiful and much of the dialogue quite amusing. We have a delightfully sarcastic narrator, and many of the people he meets takes a similar cynical tone. My favorite bit of dialogue is when someone questions a reporter about a news briefing in Hanoi:
"There's a rumor that the Vietminh have broken into Phat Diem, burned the Cathedral, chased out the Bishop."
"They wouldn't tell us about that in Hanoi. That's not a victory."
Do I suggest the book? Absolutely. Even without the personal experiences, this is an extremely good book. For me though... it's going on my favorites shelf. 5/5 stars....more
Hey everyone, it's my 100th review on goodreads!!!!!!
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No, wait, this is a dark and brooding noir. Can't be that happy. Think mean thoughts. TakHey everyone, it's my 100th review on goodreads!!!!!!
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No, wait, this is a dark and brooding noir. Can't be that happy. Think mean thoughts. Take a shot glass of despair, with a nihilistic chaser and a cheap cigarette.
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There we go.
Spanning from 1950 to 58, L.A. Confidential stands as easily the most ambitious book in Ellroy’s series thus far.
It’s Christmas time and that does not mean heart-warming cups of good cheer and old Scrooge being visited by three ghosts in Ellroy’s work. “Bud looked out the window. A Salvation Army Santa palmed coins from his kettle, an eye on the liquor store across the street.” That’s our Christmas spirit… Ho. goddamn Ho. We go into an event that will be dubbed “Bloody Christmas” and things get worse from there as we move onto another case referred to as "The Nite Owl Massacre.” Yeah… this one’s just filled with good cheer.
Our protagonists this time (certainly not heroes as they’re even more crooked than any of the other leads in the previous books) are three very different cops. Jack Vincennes is a Hollywood cop through and through. He is the consultant for a TV show called "Badge of Honor," gets big publicity in the papers, and secretly works with one magazine to find out lower ranking stars doing drugs and sets up busts to get his picture in papers. Bud White is a police officer thug, a classic “ticking time bomb” sort, but with good connections. He’s the protégé of one Dudley Smith, who has uses for the violent sort. Finally we come to Ed Exley, who believes in perfect justice. He has a ruthless sort of efficiency, but in a very by the book sort of way. He’s only too happy to make enemies if it means moving up, and he’s quite good at knowing the right thing to say at the right time. Together these three make up Ellroy’s most interesting cast thus far.
So onto my opinions on the book itself… I actually find myself at a bit of a loss on this one. Not because it’s not good. It is. In fact, it’s damn near perfect. This is seriously the sort of book that I feel I can’t pick apart because they would be nitpicks only, yet I can’t fully praise without giving everything away. I could say for instance that there are so many characters that I felt like I needed a notepad of suspects (some of which show up for two or three pages and are not heard from again for 300 and it’s just assumed you’ll remember them), but that’s not a full complaint as it fits the scenario (after all, the book takes place over eight years).
From a structural standpoint, it is much more a direct sequel to The Big Nowhere. In fact, this one starts with a prologue that acts as an epilogue of the previous novel. I’m actually a bit conflicted on my feelings about this. (view spoiler)[On one hand I like the sense of closure, but on the other, if one hadn’t read the previous book (and this series operates fairly well as stand alone novels thus far) it doesn’t have the impact as it requires you to care about Meeks. It also spoils for those who didn’t know that Dudley Smith is as close to a main antagonist as this series is going to get, whereas if we didn’t have that prologue, newcomers could easily be taken in by his good nature and the friendship he seems to be forming with Bud. To a certain extent I wish it would have been the ACTUAL epilogue to the previous novel as we were certain Smith was a right asshole then, and though it would have been a bit of a downer ending, it would have been a nice way of cementing that Smith gets the solution he wants no matter what. (hide spoiler)]
Beyond this scene though, there's other aspects of the previous novel that come into play. A lot more returning side-characters, and political events discussed in the previous book come back in a big way here. While much like The Black Dahlia and The Big Nowhere, you could easily read this as a stand-alone novel, but you would be missing out on so many of the wonderful details Ellroy has set up and continues to set up.
From a stylistic standpoint, it continue the themes of corruption from the previous books. It continues in a big way. In The Big Nowhere we saw it infiltrating into all areas, in L.A. Confidential we see it firmly in place and infecting even those who started with good intentions. We see that to fight back against this corruption, you have to jump into it a bit yourself. In the previous books the characters may have been crooked, but you got a sense there were lines they wouldn't cross for anything. Here those lines are blurred, and you wonder if there even is a line or if they only exist until the proper set of circumstances arises.
Ellroy continues building his world in a fantastic way. Using real historic events and making up his own. We see freeways constructed and an obvious stand-in for Disney Land built up. The use of real events cements us in the world, and these touches of fiction allows for him to play with it in ways that he couldn't using the real places. It's a wonderful combo, with occasional points where I went online to wiki something to see if it was real. I continue to be impressed with the story he's telling and how he builds up and plays off of a real place.
The writing is also much improved here. There's something of a legend that Ellroy’s original manuscript was originally over 80o pages. Apparently a senior editor at his publisher told Ellroy that the book was too long and needed to be shortened for the sake of publishing costs. Ellroy decided that the narrative was too intricately and precisely plotted to remove any actual scenes from the book and his solution was to go through the manuscript page by page to remove extraneous words. By doing this he managed to reduce the length of the manuscript without losing a single scene... and the book is brilliant because of this. While I enjoyed The Big Nowhere, I found it often overly descriptive. While Ellroy is a great writer, his descriptions were not stunning enough to justify the length he went on, and I often found myself wishing he'd just get to the point. There is none of that here. There is not a single unneeded word. Sentences are often short, only as long as they need to be to get the point. They go off like a shotgun at close range, and Ellroy never misfires once.
In closing: this one is amazing. You don't often hear the word "epic" attached to noir, but Ellroy has constructed a truly epic noir. This is a big book, sitting at around 500 pages. It's got a metric ton of characters and one might need a graph to place all the connections that the cases go though, but trust me it's worth the investment. A full 5 stars and my highest possible recommendation.
Remember, dear reader, you heard it first here – off the record, on the Q.T. and very Hush-Hush....more
This is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable of the Poirot novels. Christie takes the usual formula and puts a bit of a different spin on it, creThis is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable of the Poirot novels. Christie takes the usual formula and puts a bit of a different spin on it, creating one of her most compelling stories as well as one of the most unique.
Prior to this novel, all of Poirot’s cases have been of a more “intimate” nature (Poirot’s own words). They’ve all been classic locked room mysteries where we had all our suspects lined in a row. It was all a mater of finding motive and opportunity. Here Poirot is dealing with a serial killer sending him taunting letters and killing unconnected people in alphabetical order. This time the killer could be anyone, and Poirot’s only method it to approach the psychology of the killer. Find out the reason “why.” Why send the letters to Poirot? Is it for fame? To cause chaos? Did Poirot one time foil him (intentionally or unintentionally) and it is a matter of revenge? These become the questions rather than solving alibis.
This approach is refreshingly different for the Poirot series. While the serial killer is a common antagonist for mysteries, they are typically police procedurals rather than private detective stories… yet, this new approach fits Poirot and his love of psychology. It is different, but not a jarring change.
The letters Poirot receives are well done, with both a taunting air and a bit of childishness in their insults. They create a tension that many books in this series do not have. Poirot fits into the classic cozy mystery, there may be a few murders, but tensions do not typically run this high in the series. The solution is rather brilliant as well, and ranks up with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd in terms of clever solutions.
In fact, now that I've mentioned The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, I’ll go ahead and make the bold statement that this is my second favorite Poirot novel only after the Ackroyd case. The ABC Murders receives a full 5 stars and my highest recommendation to all mystery fans....more
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 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....more
Well, that was an adventure. That was pure entertainment… that was the most delightful book I’ve read in some time. While it is theoretically possibleWell, that was an adventure. That was pure entertainment… that was the most delightful book I’ve read in some time. While it is theoretically possible that I could have enjoyed the book more than I did, it would have somehow involved the book procuring me sushi and/or pizza, and as books are not known for ordering sushi and/or pizza (or even coming with a coupon for said taste sensations) it is extremely unlikely for me to be more pleased with this book.
The story follows Richard Mayhew, a young Scottish businessman, recently moved to London. He’s an average person, neither a hero nor anti-hero, just a normal (if tad more forgetful than average) businessman. Unfortunately for him, due to an act of kindness, he’s fallen through the cracks of society and is seemingly invisible to the other normal inhabitants of London. Only to the residents of London Below, is Richard visible; to those who like himself have fallen under the cracks of society or those born there.
The book is a wonderful fantasy story; with an almost Alice in Wonderland sense of whimsy. Gaiman is writing in borderline Pratchett comedy mode (which makes sense, given this was the book written after Good Omens, which they wrote together) with such a barrage of wit that it is hard to go a page without a smile being forced upon the reader.
It is also something of a prototype Urban Fantasy. While nowhere near the first of the sub-genre, this is one of those books written before it gained intense popularity among readers (certainly I had heard of the book Neverwhere before I heard of Urban Fantasy as a sub-genre)… and it remains one of the best that said sub-genre has to offer. The book has, while something of a been there done that style of plot, it does it exceptionally well making the ideas all feel fresh again. It is an absolutely charming read with great characters and so many laugh out loud moments that it I really could add it to the humor shelf as well.
I would be doing the book a disservice not to mention the absolute best part of the novel, and that is the two central villains. Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar are the definitive example of a Those Two Bad Guys trope (Indeed, at the moment a quote from them is featured on the front page). They are, unlike most villains, almost co-protagonists, with a large portion of the book from their point of view. They are humorous, charming and by far the most disturbing part of the novel. The way Mr. Croup introduces them over the phone is very fitting and pretty much explains their entire disposition. "Croup and Vandemar, the Old Firm, obstacles obliterated, nuisances eradicated, bothersome limbs removed and tutelary dentistry undertaken." They are two of the funniest characters I have ever read, but as they are happy to note, just because they are funny doesn't mean they aren't dangerous. Anytime I sat there laughing at their antics, and forgot this little fact, they did something dreadful to remind me. They are easily the highlight of the book, and frankly if Gaiman ever decided to revisit them, I would pick up that book in a heartbeat.
So, to conclude things... this is going on the favorites shelf. Highly recommended and now quite possibly my favorite Gaiman novel....more
Oh, how do I even begin to explain this one? A Night in the Lonesome October is, simply put, one of the most charming, humorous, clever and fun books Oh, how do I even begin to explain this one? A Night in the Lonesome October is, simply put, one of the most charming, humorous, clever and fun books I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. It is an extremely simple story, but so masterfully done that it takes a while to fully catch on what’s going on.
And he proceeded to tell me the story of how a number of the proper people are attracted to the proper place in the proper year on a night in the lonesome October when the moon shines full on Halloween...
The narrator of our tale is a dog named Snuff (despite the animal narrator, I cannot in good conscience call this a kid’s book or even a young adult one). He follows his master Jack, who has a magic blade and prowls around the London fog collecting ingredients for a very important job… Yeah, Jack is who you might think he is. Once every few decades when the moon is full on the night of Halloween, a great and deadly game is played, as the fabric of reality thins and doors could potentially be opened between this world and the realm of the Great Old Ones (very much of the H.P. Lovecraft variety). The game will involve Openers (those who intend to let the Old Ones out) and Closer (those who protect reality by keeping them in). Jack, despite his reputation, is a Closer and along with Snuff, one the central heroes of our tale.
I cannot stress how much fun this story is. Not only is it an entertaining tale in itself, it is also a literature fans dream. The Great Old Ones are not the only literary characters to make an appearance in the tale. The book is a mishmash (or one could say a "Monster Mash" *cue crickets at lame joke*) of classic characters. Though most are not called by their proper names, several classic characters join in this game including a certain Transylvanian aristocrat (only called the Count), a scientist and his creation (the Good Doctor) and the Great Detective and his assistant. The way they move into the plot is fairly clever, and Zelazny uses them in ways you may not expect.
The structure of the book is rather delightful, with 31 chapters, each representing a day in October. There are also illustrations (one for each chapter, I believe) by Gahan Wilson. I personally am not a huge fan of the artwork, but those who are fans of the artist will no doubt find quite a bit to enjoy about his interpretation of the characters.
Overall, I can't praise this book enough. It is an ode to all things Halloween, filled nods to classic literature and film. It is hard to even think of any real complaints, the only one I could even mention is that I would have liked an epilogue or at least a bit more of an aftermath... but I'm not sure that would really have improved the story, just resolved a bit of my curiosity.
The book is fairly short, only 280 pages on the edition I read, and that includes the pages with illustrations, but it is a wonderful day's read... or perhaps it would be best enjoyed one chapter at a time, for 31 days in a lonesome October. ...more
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 wizarBefore 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...more
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