This is a very tough to read novella. It's inspired and heavily influenced by the author's own experience of being kidnapped and assaulted by two men This is a very tough to read novella. It's inspired and heavily influenced by the author's own experience of being kidnapped and assaulted by two men for several days. This is her retelling and her taking back her power and her helping her younger self through occult and tarot. There are explicit descriptions of sexual assault and rape in this, so please be aware of you choose to read it....more
An excellent short novel about a band telling the story of their summer spent in an ancient manor to record an album, and the disappearance of one of An excellent short novel about a band telling the story of their summer spent in an ancient manor to record an album, and the disappearance of one of their own.
This story is told in a kind of VHS: Behind the Music where each member of the band a those who knew them tell parts of the story as it progresses. I've seen some reviews calling this a ghost story but I would argue it's not a ghost story. It's more akin to a slow-burn folk horror than anything else.
I really enjoyed the little hints of horror and the strangeness of the house, the occult themes, and the perspectives of so many characters. It encourages the reader to make their own connections and the book is short enough it doesn't overstay its welcome in this regard. I really enjoyed this and I'm surprised I hadn't heard about it sooner....more
I went into this book blind, just knowing some booktubers I liked really enjoyed it. I would absolutely recommend going into this book without knowingI went into this book blind, just knowing some booktubers I liked really enjoyed it. I would absolutely recommend going into this book without knowing anything about it. I had so many theories and was looking so closely at clues and going back at dialog and it was all worth it!
In general, this story is about Piranesi, who lives in a lovely, beautiful House full of Statues. The Statues hold meaning and Piranesi spends his days in study and admiration. This book is about solitude, loneliness, and finding meaning in your life. It was a little difficult to get into at first because I was confused, but I loved discovering the story. Definitely one of my favorites for the year.
I've seen this book on lists of great juvenile books, or just great books in general. I somehow missed it when I was a kid and I devoured books at a cI've seen this book on lists of great juvenile books, or just great books in general. I somehow missed it when I was a kid and I devoured books at a constant rate.
This book is about Lewis Barnavelt, a young boy who goes to live with his magician uncle in his eclectic mansion after his parents died. Lewis struggles to learn about his new town, try to make friends, and discover the strangeness of his new home. Namely, the mansion was once owned by an evil wizard and there's some kind of clock hidden within it that may have a nefarious purpose.
I enjoyed this book a lot! Lewis is a great main character because he's not a perfect kid. He's shy and sensitive and not good at sports and a total nerd. But he grows and becomes a more brave person throughout the course of the book. He makes some mistakes, trusts the wrong people--but you see him learn his lesson. It's a great book for kids.
Also, this book does a great job at being creepy. The descriptions are so good at setting the atmosphere when weird things happen, while still leaving it vague enough to not be graphic for children (though you could argue that that leaves room for their imagination to fill in the gaps). I also really liked how the book sneaks in little weird educational bits, as well as dangling carrots of things for kids to research on their own. It's a very Series of Unfortunate Events kind of thing.
This book reminds me of another novel I read years ago called Shadowland - which is kind of like the adult version of this story. I also highly recommend it....more
This is an interesting comic about high finance and black magic and how the two are intertwined. Throw in a murder mystery and a hard-boiled detectiveThis is an interesting comic about high finance and black magic and how the two are intertwined. Throw in a murder mystery and a hard-boiled detective and it makes for a pretty cool story. The art is really cool, and I'm excited to see where they mystery of the world ends....more
I wish Grant Morrison had intervened before I read this graphic novel. I wanted him to be there, to take it out of my hands, and give m3/5, 2occult4me
I wish Grant Morrison had intervened before I read this graphic novel. I wanted him to be there, to take it out of my hands, and give me some qabbala/occult/Ligotti/Lovecraft required reading first. Then maybe I would understand this graphic novel, because I don't really understand it and I felt kind of dumb after I finished it.
Nameless starts off about the main character, called Nameless, stealing a mystical key in...another dimension? A dream realm? I'm not sure. Then he's chased by some fish-mask-wearing people, taken to a veiled woman who commands them, escapes, gets rescued by a Richard Branson character who needs him and some others to pull an Armageddon and stop a giant asteroid that is headed for Earth...said asteroid bears occult symbols on it and is named after the Mayan underworld for the dead. After that, it gets confusing.
Themes: ¿
There's a lot going on here. The art and story are packed with all kinds of symbolism that made me realize how little I know about certain subjects (mythology, philosophy, and occultism being big ones).
The Good: A really interesting story, with an interesting message behind it (when you finally understand the message). It's clear Morrison put a lot of himself into this story. It was thought out beginning to end. There's a lot more going on in this world than what Morrison shows us, but that doesn't always work in his favor with this.
The Bad: The art is packed with some great imagery, but it has a bluntness to it that didn't translate to faces very well for me. Some characters looked so alike that I had to rely on hair/clothing to tell them apart.
The story is confusing. I still enjoyed it, and I understood it more thanks to Morrison's helpful breakdown at the back of the book. I think if I studied the themes and authors he mentions in the back, then come back to this later, I would understand it better. Although if you have no interest in this kind of stuff, this is probably not the story for you....more
Sooo...Alan Moore is a perv. But if you know Alan Moore, you already know that.
I didn't know much about this graphic novel, but I had recently read PrSooo...Alan Moore is a perv. But if you know Alan Moore, you already know that.
I didn't know much about this graphic novel, but I had recently read Providence Act 1 and noticed that Neonomicon takes place within the same universe/shares some locations. I love Lovecraftian stories, why not read this one as well?
This graphic novel starts in 2004, with an FBI agent with a resemblance to H.P. Lovecraft himself, on an undercover operation. The agent also happens to share some of HPL's uglier outlooks on people of other races and lower classes. He lives in a run-down apartment building, investigating a pattern of ritualistic murders. Something Goes Wrong and he becomes a crazed murderer himself. The last 3/4s of the graphic novel follow a pair of FBI agents trying to figure out what happened to the previous agent. Things get Lovecraftian, Alan Moore style. So, Pervy Lovecraftian.
Themes: Lovecraftian Horror, Unnameable Fears, Rape, Madness, HPL Himself
If you've looked at any other reviews for this book, you'll quickly find out there is rape. Explicit rape. Gang-rape and monster-on-woman rape (I think monster-on-woman is an Alan Moore thing). The woman being raped eventually accepts it and starts to feel some sort of kindness toward the monster--which may be Stockholm Syndrome, could be something affecting her mind, could be the drugs they gave her. Who knows? She is also a recovering sex addict, which is brought up and explained through multiple panels, which may be how Moore is trying to justify her acceptance? A lot of reviewers were offended by this being an explanation, but I wonder if this is to make her into a Sacred Whore figure, who has a pretty important ultimate destiny at the end of this story.
Despite the rape and the weird sex stuff, I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It has an interesting and new outlook on the Cthulhu mythos, interesting characters, and an ending that isn't the typical "and then everyone went crazy. The end."
If you like weird stuff...really weird stuff...and won't get extremely upset at violence and rape, I think you should check out this graphic novel....more
Real talk: This book caught my attention because of the cover. The cover is so beautiful and interesting and does a fantastic job at catching your eyeReal talk: This book caught my attention because of the cover. The cover is so beautiful and interesting and does a fantastic job at catching your eye with minimal detail. Once you notice the title you get an idea of what you're in for.
This book follows Alex Mar exploring and interacting with a few occult groups in America: primarily a Wiccan group called the Feri (in northern California), and an OTO group (think Aleister Crowley) in New Orleans. She participates in rituals, learns about spells, studies their religious texts, etc. She also sprinkles in history of how Wicca came to America, how different groups branched off, how Crowley came to be, and so on. It's very old-school anthropology; diving in to the group and going native. It was a very fun read that got me invested in the subject matter.
This is a surprisingly short book, under 300 pages, but it took me some time to read it because I went so slowly to try to absorb it all. Although a few chapters are a bit annoying, as they fall into a pattern: 1) Start of the chapter, Mar is skeptical of the "magic" she's seen and links it to psychology and self-help. 2) Mid-chapter Mar sees/feels/senses something she can't explain, perhaps magic is real???? 3) End chapter, Mar goes back to being skeptical.
Also, I have to wonder, Mar becomes so interested and invested in these groups, but she reveals a lot about their rituals, spells, group makeup, etc. I'd be curious to know how those groups felt after they read her book. And if she continues her work with any of these groups! I'd love to see a sequel in a few years.
Some observations: 1) The stereotype of pagans being very sexual/poly is SO TRUE in my own experience. And I've met a few pagan couples in my time. 2) Jonathan is the funniest name for a necromancer. I imagined him as a young Trent Reznor. 3) Enter the Swamp and Sympathy for the Necromancer were my favorite chapters. 4) I thought Mar was very brave to go and meet these random people (even spending several days in the swamp with some of them!), and being alone with them. Perhaps I'm a coward, but I would be afraid of being attacked, assaulted, etc.
If you're at all interested in spirituality, mystery cults, magic, etc you should read this book! I had no idea people could be all in for this kind of stuff in our modern age. Mar goes in with a great attitude and isn't afraid to join in the group and describe how it made her feel....more
Wow, what a volume! This graphic novel is obviously a love-letter to HP Lovecraft and his tales. If you enjoy Lovecraft and his fiction at least as muWow, what a volume! This graphic novel is obviously a love-letter to HP Lovecraft and his tales. If you enjoy Lovecraft and his fiction at least as much as I do, you should do yourself a favor and get your hands on this graphic novel.
Providence is the tale of Robert Black, a journalist in 1919 (I think..), who, haunted by the suicide of a past lover, decides to leave his job to start his novel. What is his novel about? He isn't sure yet. But he knows what he wants it to really be about. Research/inspiration for his novel comes in the form of traveling across America and interviewing interesting people steeped in the occult. He's also on the search for a certain esoteric book, written long ago by a strange Arab man. (Sound familiar?)
Black's travels bring him to Lovecraftian locales to meet Lovecraftian characters. Alan Moore doesn't limit him to just one location, character, or story; Black is touring across multiple Lovecraftian tales. If you're familiar with Lovecraft's stories, it's so satisfying to recognize which ones Moore is alluding to. Black himself is the typical Lovecraft protagonist: unknowingly walking into otherworldy horror and denying the warning signs he stumbles into. I fully expect him to descend into gibbering madness by the end of this tale.
Themes: Anything Lovecraftian, Secrets, LGBT
I'm so excited to read the next volume in this series! My only complaint is that the journal entries can be wordy, BUT they contain useful plot information so I suggest you read them!...more
Not what I was expecting, based on the anime. In fact, I had no idea this book even existed until recently! There are plot differences between the twoNot what I was expecting, based on the anime. In fact, I had no idea this book even existed until recently! There are plot differences between the two, and I honestly feel like the anime cleaned it up to be better understood.
Paprika is a Japanese novel set in a world where psychologists and other mental health professionals are able to observe and even enter a patient's dreams to help cure people of their mental illnesses. The novel focuses on the young doctor Atsuko Chiba, who is one of the leading experts in this field. Chiba has a "dream detective" persona called Paprika, whom she takes form as when she enters patients' dreams. Chiba's brilliant partner Tokita ends up inventing the DC Mini, which is a powerful and wireless device used to observe and enter dreams. The DC Minis are stolen and the potency of the devices causes widespread damage and insanity. It's up to Chiba/Paprika and her friends to get them back!
Themes: Feminism, How Far Should Science Go, What Is Reality
The Good: This book covers such a cool concept and the author, Yasiyaka Tsutsui, has an amazing imagination. The scenes in dreams, dream-logic, and the blending of the dream world and reality was done very well! Chiba is a very complex woman, and isn't just a "brilliant and beautiful lady-scientist", she's got some personal issues.
The Bad: Sexism. Homophobia. Fatphobia. Being that this book was originally written in Japanese in the early 90s, I have no idea if these are a reflection of the culture, or the author's own personal viewpoints. I don't think I'm being oversensitive about these things either. (view spoiler)[At one point Chiba decides to let a man rape her and then gets turned on during it, and then starts to fall in LOVE with the man. The homosexual lovers are the villains and are seen as weird pagan freaks. The fat character is often described as drooling, he lives with his mother, and is basically a giant man-baby. (hide spoiler)]
Overall: If you're not super-sensitive about sexism, (non-graphic) rape, homophobia, and fatphobia, I recommend reading this book since it is a really cool concept. I don't feel like it was a waste of time, even though some ideas the author voiced made me cringe. If you have any friends who like weird fiction or strange science what-if scenarios, they may enjoy Paprika!...more
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