Piranesi looked into the house and so became... Piranesi!
Piranesi looked into the house and this is what he saw: great statues and greater floods, birPiranesi looked into the house and so became... Piranesi!
Piranesi looked into the house and this is what he saw: great statues and greater floods, birds and fish, clouds and bones, science and - from the start - magic.
Piranesi looked into the house and found a purpose, a home, and a way to live a life: as if everything is new and of value.
Piranesi looked into the house and discovered a friend, or so he imagined, and then he discovered many more. This place is full of friends and fun! thought Piranesi.
Piranesi looked into the house and wondered again at the beauty of it all, a child in a man's body, child-like but never child-ish. Curious Piranesi always had many questions.
Piranesi looked away from his house and quivered for the first time in fear, a man in a child's mind, lost but not forgotten. Poor Piranesi was provided many answers.
Piranesi looked away from his house and found an enemy, or so he imagined, and then he discovered another. That place is full of enemies and danger! thought Piranesi.
Piranesi looked away from his house and lost his sense of self, his home, his path in life: as if nothing could be truly seen or known.
Piranesi looked away from his house and this is what he saw: dark streets and darker motives, trash and debris, people and more people, mystery and - in the end - understanding.
Piranesi looked away from his house and so became himself, at last... alas?...more
page turner, page turner! I read this in bits & pieces, then life got in the way and so a long pause, and finally I blasted through it all in a rush, page turner, page turner! I read this in bits & pieces, then life got in the way and so a long pause, and finally I blasted through it all in a rush, one long night. normally this is a book I'd like to finish over one weekend, because these pages practically turned themselves.
synopsis: a rather sweet but also rather disaffected necromancer has problems. because of his negligence, a man has been murdered and some russians want payback. and by "some russians" I mean Baba Yaga, the deadly old baby-snatching witch of ancient lore, complete with her chicken-legged hut. fortunately, this particular necromancer has some accomplished friends and happens to live in a horrifying death-trap of a house.
with its breezy tone and sometimes snarky dialogue, its nonchalant description of various magic powers, a range of supernatural characters including a rusalka and a demon, and the feel of a normal world blissfully unaware of the secret magical history that impacts everything around them, this felt like an Urban Fantasy novel transported to the woods and a small town. that said - and I'm no expert in that subgenre - Buehlman's story also feels darker, deeper. there is a melancholy to this tale, one that respects the ongoing sadness that comes with loneliness, addiction, injustice, and especially loss. and when this book gets dark, it also gets very strange, nightmarish. the author can definitely pull off bleak and disturbing. and so the moments of lightness, the displays of tolerance and kindness, the goal the author has in empathizing with pretty much all of his characters, are thrown in bold relief. I liked the darkness and I liked even better the empathy and the feeling that Buehlman is trying to be fair to everyone in his story. especially the dog! we all should be fair to dogs.
the book is full of exciting set pieces where magical powers are front and center. one of my favorites was a flashback to a bizarre and bloody assault on the protag by what appears to be russian peasants having a lark in a pleasantly rustic setting. another was a creepy attack by a muderous young witch who begins climbing through a computer screen, Ring-style, to destroy a rival - and she's one of our heroes.
bonus points for embracing diversity without giving me an annoyed feeling that the author is checking off boxes on an identity checklist. the diversity here is respectful, organic to the plot, and felt genuinely American. ...more
synopsis: various Englishmen, an Englishwoman, and a lively Englishboy are embroiled in a murder mystery, a sort of treasure hunt, the nefarious goalssynopsis: various Englishmen, an Englishwoman, and a lively Englishboy are embroiled in a murder mystery, a sort of treasure hunt, the nefarious goals of various occultists, and a diverse array of paranormal happenings; unsurprisingly, they barely bother to acknowledge let alone comment on the spiritual and supernatural aspects intruding violently upon their lives, no doubt because they are English and such immoderate declarations of the obvious would certainly be considered a trifle unseemly.
I love how this offbeat novel espouses that there is a kind of mythic transcendentalism within the nature of Anglican Christianity - quite a new perspective to me. Never would I have imagined adding the Church of England to my list of Favorite Christian Faiths - but make room Quakers, Religious Scientists, and Swedenborgians! There's a new faith that will now be sharing your space in my head.
Charles Williams was of course one of the Inklings, that storied crew of literary enthusiasts and visionary Christians that included J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. I guess he was the odd one out, or - as I'd like to imagine - the eccentric brother who they had little in common with but still admired because of that eccentricity. Despite his idiosyncracies, Williams was no Iconoclast: the Christian vision within him was strong, and this story features one of the most important Christian icons of all: the Holy Grail. Indeed, it is the iconoclastic villains in this novel that seek to misuse or destroy this holy item.
One of the things I appreciated most about Williams' storytelling, and his take on the Anglican value system, is that he is not strident about his religion. The author does not make a big fuss about anything, including matters of faith. There may be a beautifully dreamlike and transcendent miracle that happens in a church at the climax, but the author is never pushy with his faith. The protagonists include a range of nice but uninteresting individuals with varying levels of spirituality, and there is no dull speechifying about what constitutes Right or Wrong Behavior. The evil villains are fascinatingly malicious and spiteful, urbane and erudite and amusing, callous and cruel just to be cruel, and they feature deadly magicians and a cynical, mean-spirited author... but their wickedness comes from who they actually are, their personalities and intentions, their outlook on life - and not from their specific ideology, or lack thereof. They are not villains because they move against Christianity, they are villains because they are heartless assholes. The rot came from within.
Another thing I appreciated: the inclusion of the legendary Prester John as an in-person deus ex machina. This Prester John, despite being a force for ultimate good is... scary. A smiling, ruthless, you simple-minded terrestrial villains are but interesting little insects to me, barely worth my time kind of scary. Yay for scary good guys! There's too few of them.
The book is dry, the humor so low-key it nears invisible, the pacing veers back and forth between being too quick and choppy to being too gently meandering, and it often doesn't bother explaining itself very clearly. It is a metaphysical book but the feel for the most part is mundane, corporeal, rooted in the day-to-day of office and family life, work conversations and polite, passive-aggressive banter. Open drama is kept to a mininum, as is the expression of blatant emotion. When the fantastic elements intrude and the mystical visions take over, it felt like I had turned the page and entered another book entirely, so based in reality is the majority of the story. This is a hard book to recommend. But I loved it, including all of its idiosyncracies; it is an excellent gateway into Charles Williams' unusual world view. I look forward to reading more of his strange adventures....more
3 stars because every book starts out as 3 stars to me. I'm prepared to like but not necessarily to love.
4 stars for a ripping opening! I wasn't sure 3 stars because every book starts out as 3 stars to me. I'm prepared to like but not necessarily to love.
4 stars for a ripping opening! I wasn't sure what was happening nor who the male protagonist was going to be. although I probably should have realized that the shirtless cover dude will probably be the protagonist. anyway, slaughter in an alley!
3 stars for urban fantasy world building that was familiar but did not get on my nerves
2 stars for typical YA snark and typical Urban Fantasy snark. snark, snark, snark. too much snark.
1 star because THESE CHARACTERS SUCK
4 stars for naming the lead villain "Valentine". that's great!
4 stars for preferring adorable werewolves over played-out vampires. dogs > bats
1 star because LOVE TRIANGLES SUCK
4 stars for an interesting surprise turncoat
3 stars for a reasonably exciting finale
? stars for SURPRISE INCEST. wait does making out even count as incest? eh, let's say yes, because that's a good way to stop an annoying love triangle. but my money is on this being temporary incest because c'mon, this is clearly the series' couple. ain't no YA Lannisters happening here.
the book is a fascinating experience full of mystery, emotion, memorable scenes, and real world relevance. the book is a disappointing experience thatthe book is a fascinating experience full of mystery, emotion, memorable scenes, and real world relevance. the book is a disappointing experience that has somehow lost the magic of its predecessor, let alone the original trilogy. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
while remaining true to his basic belief system that organized religion - Christianity, in prior books - is at the root of much of the evils of the world, in Secret Commonwealth the author widens his net to catch the fanatical side of Islam as well. I appreciated that because I think all major religions have done and continue to do majorly problematic things. and also I didn't appreciate it. mainly because it is actually fun for me to read about the villainous intrigues and politicking of the Magisterium while it was distinctly un-fun for me to read about the bloodthirsty soldiers who come down from their mountain to rant incoherently, slaughter families, decimate villages, and create a refugee crisis all across the world with their vicious deeds. not sure why I can find enjoyment in one but only weariness and palpable repulsion in the other. I mean, both sorts of religions have no problem murdering people, right? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
there is another evil abroad in the world: young people are losing their imagination! "Young people don't believe in the secret commonwealth ... It's all chemistry and measuring things, as far as they're concerned. They got an explanation for everything, and they're all wrong." this is mainly due to the pernicious influence of a philosopher turned bestselling author and a gadfly turned darling of the ivory tower - two very intriguing new villains to the series who parallel each other in interesting ways. and yet this was also unconvincing. there is now an existential threat to the minds and creative spirits of young people... due to two bestselling books? really? well I suppose this is definitely a fantasy series! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD, sorry. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
there were other things I found unconvincing, or frustrating. or just annoying. and I don't think I've felt annoyed by any other Pullman book. first of all, I hated the whole logic behind Pan leaving Lyra. I know that it inspires Lyra's entire journey, internally and externally... but the reasons behind it are so irritating. he leaves her because she's now a bitch with no imagination and so he takes off in search of... her imagination? for real? does Pan not realize how corny he's being? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ second on my list of annoyances: apparently this happens to other people in the world now - people and daemons just separate from each other because reasons? Pullman supplies many reasons, but none of them really landed with me in a way that felt genuine. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ third: Mal falling in love with Lyra was ugh. fourth: this new villain Olivier Bonneville is laughable - especially compared to his genuinely creepy and threatening father from the last book. and fifth on the annoyance list: those gay priest characters were over the top in a way that felt like a cheap potshot on the Catholic Church and some of its issues with predatory priests. so that's five big annoyances. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
fortunately there were things that I really enjoyed in the book as well. I did like the whirlwind tour of a Europe that felt somehow under siege by forces beyond anyone's understanding. the visit to an iconoclastic author's house was fascinating and very disconcerting. the visit to an ancient aristocrat's mansion was also fascinating - she was a fabulous character! the machinations of new villain Marcel Delamare were absorbing. my jury is still out on his family backstory, and why it was necessary to link him that way to Lyra, but his mother was a great one-scene villain. and as much as Lyra bothered me in this book, what she is going through is reflective of what a lot of people her age actually go through, so kudos to Pullman for successfully making the transition from the children's world of the prior books to the young adult world of this book. so yeah, despite my complaints, there were still many things that I enjoyed about this book sitting side by side with the things that gave me no enjoyment. and the first couple hundred pages were riveting. Pullman is an often amazing writer and storyteller. I just wish he had written another perfect book. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯...more
the book is different things: episodic horror-road trip; dark urban fantasy that uses Greek mythology as a corpse light; and psychological portrreview
the book is different things: episodic horror-road trip; dark urban fantasy that uses Greek mythology as a corpse light; and psychological portrait of how we process pain. it all blends well together and is surprisingly smooth going down. the episodes vary from weird to gross to ominous to ruminative, and each of the episodes are well-accomplished. there was a bit too much angst for me at times, and it dithered a bit here and there, but overall this is an emotionally resonant tale with polished prose and a very original threat at its heart. tense but not particularly scary; overall an absorbing read that gave me food for thought.
musings on Muse
this novella provided some interesting insights into how the author - a writer of fiction and true crime investigations (and my Goodreads friend) - views the creative process:
"A growing compulsion inside me shuts out my other senses and overwhelms me. The compulsion to translate this act of horror into a story for... consumption by other human beings. Isn't that it? Isn't that what drives the monster and us and makes us her kindred? We go into the world and gather events, gather experiences, gather information and then we tell others our stories, the stories of our lives so that we can come to some understanding. Eating life and spitting out, shitting out meaning. And in the end is it anything more than shit? Why do we we want to share that awfulness? Why make other people feel what we feel? Isn't that a kind of perversion? It is, Bill. It is perverse. We wallow in our own filth and we have this need to pull others into it just so we can look into their eyes and ask, How does it feel?"
yikes! well I guess each of us has our own kind of muse. but reading this book and recalling my experiences of the other two books I've read by Renner, as well as my knowledge of his nonfiction and the things that have driven him as a writer, investigator, and human being... it makes perfect sense. for many writers, the act of writing itself is a dark thing, an exorcism and an excoriation. I've felt that myself, sometimes, in my own writing process. (view spoiler)[although honestly I think I am both sunnier and more shallow than Renner, so for me the process of writing is mainly one that comes from a place of positive excitement and often done with a feeling of delight - less "shitting" I guess, and more "making a delicious meal that I'd like to share with friends" (hide spoiler)] and I have seen it literalized in all three works that I've read by the author. writing seems like an absolutely necessary activity for him to purge himself of his demons. all writers share who they are in their writing, on some level, maybe on a subconscious level, or as subtext. there is no such secrecy with this writer. who Renner is, how he feels about the creative process, how he feels about the effects created by writers and how their work impacts readers... he lays it all out, in the open. there is something admirable about that nakedness, his willingness to show vulnerability as an author and as a human, whether or not I agree with his perspective. Renner's honesty about himself may be disagreeable, but it is brave as well. and fascinating!
synopsis
there is a monster in a box. it takes your memories and turns them into stories. we each have our own little monster in a box, of course. but unfortunately for the characters in Muse, their little monster is a really, really, really hungry one....more
R is for Replacement, The. An okay book with interesting ideas by a skilled author but overall an uninvolving experience.
E (#1) is for Entropy. This bR is for Replacement, The. An okay book with interesting ideas by a skilled author but overall an uninvolving experience.
E (#1) is for Entropy. This book is full of it; the protagonist and the town he lives in and the supernatural creatures he is dealing with all battle against it.
P is for Prejudice. I liked this novel’s engagement with prejudice and how it literalizes othering. Always an important topic, especially so with young adult novels.
L is for Limp. This is a good description for the final confrontation. Quite disappointing.
A is for Atmosphere. The author knows how to create a strange and often bleak atmosphere when it comes to slag heaps and when it comes to dark, gothic underground lairs. Unfortunately, skills at creating atmosphere aren’t much there in bringing the town where these places are set to life.
C is for Creepy. The author also knows how to create creepy images and even creepier supporting characters. Kudos!
E (#2) is for Energy. Or in this case, a striking lack of energy. It’s hard to put in words, but there is an oddly lifeless quality to the narrative and characterization. This was the opposite of an exciting reading experience.
M is for Music. A key part of the book, and the most interesting thing happening in the story. Music enthralls; those responsible for that music live off of that enthrallment. Temporary as that spellbinding may be.
E (#3) is for Escape. I’m not sure why the obvious solution to living in a town where faerie regularly kidnap children was not more forcefully examined: get the hell out of there! It was mentioned but dropped pretty quickly. That bugged.
N is for Nice Try. I like what the author was trying to go for here: kitchen sink realism wedded to dark tales of changelings and faerie. Unfortunately, the result was half-baked as the supernatural elements and the realism of what makes this town a special place were unconvincing.
T is for Time To End This So-Called Review....more
At first I wasn't too sure about this one. Was this really going to be all about three kids who run around granting various wishes to different peopleAt first I wasn't too sure about this one. Was this really going to be all about three kids who run around granting various wishes to different people? I wasn't too down with that. Also wasn't very excited about a book that features a bunch of warts. But the novel turned out to be interestingly layered, and I was happily surprised by it. Many things eventually absorbed me.
- An understanding of people and wishes: what wishes could actually mean, the transient desires and hidden emotional needs that often create wishes, how most wishes should never come true
- The image of ghostly dream snakes writhing from people's chests was unexpected and a perfect analogy for wishes
- A sidekick for a hero and a character who would perhaps normally be the hero being... well, something else, something a lot more complicated
- Annoying girl character turns out to be the cleverest and most resourceful of all, yay!
- Increasingly excellent prose. Hardinge has a way with words: by turns clever, thoughtful, or jarring, depending on the scene, and often describing thoughts and situations in unexpected ways
- A surprising darkness at the heart of one of the antagonists, an elderly woman with a tragic backstory
- A bizarre attack in a home and a very strange flood were really gripping sequences
- Realistic parents
- A smart and clear explanation of how gods turn into saints and what those saints eventually turn into: namely, a barely-understood name whose history has been forgotten
- A certain lack of closure for one of the leads, a character who remains complex and whose fate remains ambiguous - I love how the author didn't back away from that because sometimes life isn't too kind to kids
- Those horrible little warts turn into SPOILER amazing little eyes! I'm still quite sure I don't want them growing on my hand, but they did turn out to be pretty handy...more
Are you feeling emotionally blocked and bound up? Are your personal pleasures compromised by feelings of loneliness, dissatisfaction, murderous wrath?Are you feeling emotionally blocked and bound up? Are your personal pleasures compromised by feelings of loneliness, dissatisfaction, murderous wrath? Is your sex life arid extra dry?
TREATMENT: Treatment for TTS addresses the psychosis or delusional symptoms exhibited by lady demon-slayers. This often involves a combination of therapy and medication. Your incubus doctor may guide you through counseling, psychotherapy, or role play before a diagnosis.
COMPLICATIONS: TTS causes sufferers to engage in risky, aggressive behavior. In some cases, this behavior can include the stalking or slaughter of poor innocent demons who are minding their own business. In rare cases, TTS can result in being taken to a secret demon hospital, sedated and strapped down, and then gently roused and aroused by a sexy incubus doctor who really fills out his scrubs and who is tenting those loose pants of his in obvious appreciation of your assets, so no need to get uptight about that, it's a natural reaction for humans and incubus doctors alike. Untreated TTS is often associated with pointless threats, "running hot & cold", pretending you're just not that into him, and strident whinese.
OUTLOOK: TTS may only last for a few hours or days, but it can continue for months or years or forever. If you are a lady demon-slayer and notice symptoms of TTS, seek medical help right away. Getting treated for Torpid Trench Syndrome is crucial in maintaining a sexy lifestyle both above ground and within the Stygian depths below.
USES: This medication is used to stoke and enhance uncontrollable sexy movements and/or outbursts of words/sounds. Seminus Incubus is a medication that works by increasing the activity of a natural substance (dopamine) in the brain and by increasing other sorts of activities as well. Take this medication by mouth, or any orifice, with or without food, usually once a day, or twice, or thrice, or however many times you can handle it, in the morning or at bedtime, or anytime, as directed by your incubus doctor.
SIDE EFFECTS: Seminus Incubus may cause muscle/nervous system changes. Tell your incubus doctor right away if you notice any of the following side effects: relaxed muscles and attitude, sexy spasms, arching back, shaking, restlessness, dirty talk, bow-legged walk, drooling, a bed soaked with sweat and other fluids, and/or eyes rolling upwards in a cathartic ecstasy you never imagined was even possible. Your incubus doctor may prescribe increased dosages.
PRECAUTIONS: Before ingesting Seminus Incubus, tell your incubus doctor your medical and personal history, seriously tell him everything, especially in relation to: blood problems (e.g. drinking blood, bathing in blood, having half-human/ half-demon blood), rage, depression, weird mother, creepy father, overwhelming self-pity, ability to see in the dark, traumatic past (including irregular flashbacks), shitty apartment, weasel as pet, innate fighting skills (and that's hot), enrollment in a laughably loser-ish club of so-called "demon slayers", inability to have lasting relationships with wimpy human beta-males (can't blame you for that), and/or a completely unreasonable antipathy towards perfectly nice and sexy incubus doctors with superabundant magical semen that you shouldn't knock until you try it.
if you like the lightly hard-boiled UF horror of Sandman Slim, then this is probably a 4 star book for you. the subgenre is just not my jam, which is if you like the lightly hard-boiled UF horror of Sandman Slim, then this is probably a 4 star book for you. the subgenre is just not my jam, which is not a reflection on the author's skills or the book itself.
the central concept of "The Black Lands" was fun and full of potential: since the end of WWII, portals have been opening up across the world leading into and out of a dimension of Always Dark, complete with giant moon, unusually colored grass, bloodthirsty trees, and various fan favorites including those of the lycanthropic and vampiric persuasion. the world as the characters know it is one fraught with danger, monsters, disappearances, "influences", and a lot of ignoring the possibility of death coming easily to anyone, anywhere. juicy stuff, and by "juicy" I mean "bloody".
Rogers' writing style is crisp, calm, and smooth. dialogue and our protagonist's internal thought processes combine the classic noir style with post-Buffy snark - not my favorite in tone or delivery, but certainly not problematic either. there is no whiff of the sort of amateurishness that would sometimes explain why a book as polished as this one is so under-read. it's strange. a book like Hounded (ugh) is rated by over 65,000 people; this one is currently rated by under 40. is popularity a roll of the dice? is it the stupid title?
three of the stories were okay. central concepts and characters including our hero - private investigator Felix Renn - are introduced, vicious creatures and humans do their thing and are eventually dispatched, booze is drunk, and on we go. two pieces stood out for me. the first of them, "Black-Eyed Kids", gives us a couple eerie tykes stalking humans who have the nerve to make Black Land business their own business. the kids' goals and modus operandi for settling up were surprising.
the second stand-out, the novella "The Brick", was a great experience. this thoroughly absorbing tale concerns a haunted house in England, a grandmother and granddaughter somehow linked to the Black Lands, a search for a missing person, a horrifying monster stalking its prey and attempting to pass into our world, an island refuge, and a possessed brick. a possessed brick. this brick was fantastic, a real clutch performer, and I want one. the novella features a brief and scary trip into the Black Lands. I would like more of that. my hope for more incursions into this dimension of creepiness may tempt me to read the follow-up novel that will apparently be coming soon. and speaking of scary, reading this novella late at night actually gave me some goosebumps. a rare occurrence! I've read a lot of horror throughout my life and so anything that causes me to wonder nervously what it would be like to be stalked by some red-eyed being that taps on windows, groans and growls and shows me its shadow, intent on breaking through into my own comfy dimension to rip me to shreds... well, kudos for that. I like being scared....more
page turner, page turner! supernatural and super-scientific terrorist attacks are rocking London! as always! the super powered super secret agent clubpage turner, page turner! supernatural and super-scientific terrorist attacks are rocking London! as always! the super powered super secret agent club called The Checquy that protects UK interests sure do have their hands full! it's a good thing nearly all their agents have super powers like vanishing and spouting green fire and microscopic vision and turning air hard and looking through walls and reversing their aging process so they can be the Amazonian goddess they were back in yesteryear! go, Checquy, go! save England, you can do it!
much like its predecessor, Stiletto's narrative is propulsive. this is an exciting book and I had a fun time reading it. O'Malley doesn't necessarily expand his world; instead he just lets the reader live in it - this time we get to see it both from the inside and the outside, rather than being slowly introduced to it by an amnesiac protagonist. he's a confident writer who clearly had a great time writing this, and he wants his readers to have the same great time. the sheer enthusiastic bravado on display often helped me rush past the novel's flaws: haphazard storytelling that is often (frustratingly) episodic despite the tension of the overarching narrative; an unappealing lack of interest in the deaths of many brave supporting characters; weak motivation for its villains; a lot of repetitiousness; a strident snarkiness that is dialed a bit back from The Rook but is still worthy of a few cringes. I liked this book quite a lot although sadly its bloat really displayed its flaws. it should have been trimmed to at least two-thirds its current length.
but... page turner, page turner! these terrible terrorist attacks couldn't have come at a worse time! The Checquy are right at the start of an international merge with their former foes, villains of the last novel, and now new best friends... The Grafters! The Grafters see Checquy as creepy violently-powered monsters who love killing Grafters! The Checquy see Grafters as secretive cyborg super-scientists who love killing Checquy! they're both correct!
one of the best things about Stiletto - besides the wonderfully hyperactive imagination on display - is that its two heroines have nothing on their minds but work and working with each other and what to wear and what not to wear. no annoying boys get in the way of their characterization or their budding bramance. Bechdel Test passed, with flying colors. it sure is great when romance isn't shoehorned into a plot that doesn't need it, and when a woman is not defined in relationship to a man she likes/who likes her. kudos to O'Malley for that, and for the second time. (he also brings back The Rook's lead Myfanwy rhymes with Tiffany in a central role, plus a nifty cameo from her deadly American bestie.) the only issue I had with this relationship was that O'Malley - far from a subtle writer - telegraphs each slow movement towards friendship with a very heavy hand. we get it, O'Malley! they are beginning to like each other, to see the human being in one another, etc! no need for such grinding obviousness that practically makes each point in all-caps.
but... page turner, page turner! on my way to Italy to meet my high school friends for our soon-to-be-wonderful vacation, I was stuck for 10 hours in Schipol airport, and this book helped me keep my sanity! Schipol is a humid, sweaty place and the smoking lounge is like a little slice of hell but being glued to this book made the experience not so horrible! this is a good book to take you right out of your head and into a whole new place! when I got to Italy, I described it to one of my friends and a hungry look came into her eyes the likes I haven't seen since prom night - I surrendered it to her immediately!...more
page turner, page turner! supernatural and super-scientific terrorist attacks are rocking London! as always! the super powered super secret agent clubpage turner, page turner! supernatural and super-scientific terrorist attacks are rocking London! as always! the super powered super secret agent club called The Checquy that protects UK interests sure do have their hands full! it's a good thing nearly all their agents have super powers like vanishing and spouting green fire and microscopic vision and turning air hard and looking through walls and reversing their aging process so they can be the Amazonian goddess they were back in yesteryear! go, Checquy, go! save England, you can do it!
much like its predecessor, Stiletto's narrative is propulsive. this is an exciting book and I had a fun time reading it. O'Malley doesn't necessarily expand his world; instead he just lets the reader live in it - this time we get to see it both from the inside and the outside, rather than being slowly introduced to it by an amnesiac protagonist. he's a confident writer who clearly had a great time writing this, and he wants his readers to have the same great time. the sheer enthusiastic bravado on display often helped me rush past the novel's flaws: haphazard storytelling that is often (frustratingly) episodic despite the tension of the overarching narrative; an unappealing lack of interest in the deaths of many brave supporting characters; weak motivation for its villains; a lot of repetitiousness; a strident snarkiness that is dialed a bit back from The Rook but is still worthy of a few cringes. I liked this book quite a bit although sadly its bloat really displayed its flaws. it should have been trimmed to at least two-thirds its current length.
but... page turner, page turner! these terrible terrorist attacks couldn't have come at a worse time! The Checquy are right at the start of an international merge with their former foes, villains of the last novel, and now new best friends... The Grafters! The Grafters see Checquy as creepy violently-powered monsters who love killing Grafters! The Checquy see Grafters as secretive cyborg super-scientists who love killing Checquy! they're both correct!
one of the best things about Stiletto - besides the wonderfully hyperactive imagination on display - is that its two heroines have nothing on their minds but work and working with each other and what to wear and what not to wear. no annoying boys get in the way of their characterization or their budding bramance. Bechdel Test passed, with flying colors. it sure is great when romance isn't shoehorned into a plot that doesn't need it, and when a woman is not defined in relationship to a man she likes/who likes her. kudos to O'Malley for that, and for the second time. (he also brings back The Rook's lead Myfanwy rhymes with Tiffany in a central role, plus a nifty cameo from her deadly American bestie.) the only issue I had with this relationship was that O'Malley - far from a subtle writer - telegraphs each slow movement towards friendship with a very heavy hand. we get it, O'Malley! they are beginning to like each other, to see the human being in one another, etc! no need for such grinding obviousness that practically makes each point in all-caps.
but... page turner, page turner! on my way to Italy to meet my high school friends for our soon-to-be-wonderful vacation, I was stuck for 10 hours in Schipol airport, and this book helped me keep my sanity! Schipol is a humid, sweaty place and the smoking lounge is like a little slice of hell but being glued to this book made the experience not so horrible! this is a good book to take you right out of your head and into a whole new place! when I got to Italy, I described it to one of my friends and a hungry look came into her eyes the likes I haven't seen since prom night - I surrendered it to her immediately!...more
I'm not a fast food kind of guy. It's not because I'm a snob about it - I have really trashy tastes and I love the cheap, salty, greasy flavor. But myI'm not a fast food kind of guy. It's not because I'm a snob about it - I have really trashy tastes and I love the cheap, salty, greasy flavor. But my body has much classier tastes and prefers good food. A couple hours (or minutes) after I eat fast food, I feel vaguely nauseous and lethargic, and the next day sort of hungover. It's just not worth it; sad to say, I'm an insufferable, fine dining, organic food sorta guy. If I want "fast" food, it's taquerias and noodle houses, not restaurant chains. So I save fast food for the semi-annual drives down to visit my family. Like little poison treats. Over the years, I've learned to differentiate and even have favorites.
- In-N-Out is hands down the best, 4 stars.
- Carl's Jr. is likable, especially that chicken sandwich with the green chili on it, 3 stars.
- Jack in the Box has an admirably bizarre and off-putting menu but makes me gassy, 2 stars.
- Everything else is 1 star and must avoid.
- Oh and Arby's is literally hell on earth and sucks your soul out with a plastic straw, but I love the combo of "roast beef" and "horseradish sauce", so 2.5 stars I guess? I think I'll round up. not a bad place to eat, once every year or two.
I'm not an erotica kind of guy. It's not because I'm a snob about it - I have really trashy tastes and I love reading about sex. But my mind has much classier tastes and prefers things that are well-written and have interesting themes and/or deep characterization. After an hour or so of reading most erotica, I feel vaguely nauseous yet also sleepy, in a bored, well I guess it's time for bed I have to get up early sort of way. It's just not worth it; sad to say, I insufferably prefer books that aim higher than getting a response from my crotch. If I want cheap reading thrills, I will go for horror paperbacks or pulp scifi and fantasy because at least the stories absorb me and sometimes the writing is surprisingly stylish. So these days I save erotica for the end of various weird, pointless reading challenges, e.g. "Read 100 books by the end of 2017" or, in this case, "Read 1 romance novel a month in 2018". Like little erotic hail marys. Despite years of fitfully reading erotica, I'm still not sure what I think of the genre or what I actually like.
- Santa Steps Out was incredible, 4 stars, but was that really erotica?
- The Virgin Proxy was fun and actually hot at times and The Flesh Fables was very well-written but more horrific than erotic, 3 stars for both.
- Lord of the Deep was cute and upbeat but also embarrassing, 2 stars.
- Most everything else have been 1 star experiences and will not be reread and certainly have not been added to any spank bank except maybe at a deep subconscious level, I mean who knows, right?
- Oh and then there's this book, Nicholas, which has a Tuscan setting and I'm renting a villa there this summer with friends so that's a fun coincidence and it also has hirsute satyr men despite the hairless cover model and faerie wings being pulled out by a self-hating half-breed and magical brain-numbing nipple rings and dildos made from the sex organs of animals that "died naturally and so throb forever" and evil maenads and death by orgasm and (sorta-)incest of course and sexy pagan lesbianism, that was a happy surprise, and three brothers sharing a wife for magical protection reasons, sure? and mindless sex slaves made from mist so no need to feel guilty 'cause they're not even real and I guess I'm down with that? and weirdly cold, clinically described, very un-erotic sex scenes for the most part and an awkward, rather uncomfortable for me to read but still rather sweetly loving sex-while-pregnant scene followed by an awkward, rather uncomfortable for me to read but still rather sweetly loving NURSING SCENE and surprisingly not-bad prose that didn't make me cringe, oh and A MAGICAL SECOND PENIS THAT POPS OUT FROM OUR HERO'S PELVIS ONCE A MONTH WHICH MY MIND STILL REFUSES TO PICTURE, so 2.5 stars I guess? I think I'll round down. not a bad sort of book to read, maybe once every year or two....more
mean magician Sandman Slim returns from Hell to smash, slash, burn, beat, maim, and kill. it appears his time spent in the lower depth's gladiator aremean magician Sandman Slim returns from Hell to smash, slash, burn, beat, maim, and kill. it appears his time spent in the lower depth's gladiator arenas has only served to sharpen his skills rather than to mellow his temper. fortunately, he's not a bad guy and he's exercising his violent capabilities in Los Angeles, where there is plenty of room (and need) for such endeavors. he's an endearing sort - a man on a mission with a heart of gold. well maybe not gold, but certainly high quality silver at least.
the book is endearing as well. Kadrey tries to come across all hard-boiled but the book reads as if the author was just as addicted to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel as I was. straightforward writing with snarky, snappy dialogue that is often so on the nose that it made me wince, but also often a lot of breezy fun. there's much rushing back and forth and appearing in places suddenly (yay, magic) and swift reversals of fortune and just as swift reclamations of fortune; Kadrey keeps the pace popping but makes sure the story remains clear and the mysteries remain intriguing and engaging. I particularly enjoyed our hero's angst and irritation over his limited clothing options because I often feel similarly, although not usually because my clothes have been bloodied and burnt due to slaughtering various enemies (only sometimes). I also quite liked that talking head named Kasabian; possibly because I also like the band Kasabian. overall the book is a light delight and quite easy going down. fans of Urban Fantasy probably have already read this; if not, they should be reading this series as soon as possible....more
here's my mentality for bands and for books: if you can't be bothered to come up with a good band name or a good book title, then why should I even bohere's my mentality for bands and for books: if you can't be bothered to come up with a good band name or a good book title, then why should I even bother? I bought this book a while ago based on intriguing reviews, but there it sat on my desk for ages, an object of scorn and sneers whenever I glanced its way. that title is some dumbass unimaginative shit for real. I also won't be listening to any Slightly Stoopid either anytime soon.
but a colleague loaned me A Darker Shade of Something by the same author so I figured I should give this a go first, if only to give seniority the respect it so richly deserves, cough, I wish certain colleagues would feel the same. I'm glad I gave it a chance! overall this was lots of fun.
it comes from the gutter genre of superhero adventures in novel format, a genre made a bit more respectable by Austin Grossman and I guess Michael Chabon (but not really). I'm a huge comic book nerd so I'm happy to roll around in that gutter. the book is about a super-powered antihero with the power to cause and take away pain (thumbs up on that power) versus a super-powered villain with the power to heal himself (seen that one many times, but it's great to see it in a villain; kudos, author!)... plus flashbacks paralleling the present narrative that detail the two fellows back when they were college roommates.
as I said, FUN! I'd put this just below Grossman's often sublime Soon I Will Be Invincible. now that title is all that a title should be.
Schwab's an enjoyable writer. she has the genre conventions down and a mordant sense of humor that subverts many of those conventions. the villain managed to be both rather unconvincing in his motivations while still totally compelling as a villain. the "hero" was pretty fantastic. what I loved best was the author's ongoing hints at how transforming into a super-powered being leaves a person with less - emotionally. empathy is one of those things that get replaced by powers. the hints were interwoven throughout the story in interesting and often disturbing ways. my own super-power is super-empathy so this was of great interest to me; I wanted more of that but I was happy with what I did get. unfortunately the actual nuts and bolts of how one acquires a power was on the stupid side, so I tried to ignore those parts. rather hard to do, as getting those powers makes up well over a third of the book. still, all of the parts that didn't have anything to do with attaining those powers were exciting to read. it balanced out.
I don't think this was marketed as a YA novel but it really should have been. not just because of all of the angst and the narrative shortcuts that make this more about a riveting plot than interesting ideas, but mainly because of prose that is extremely straightforward to the point of simplicity. this is not a criticism by any means! I enjoy that kind of writing style from time to time because it gives my brain a bit of a break. the whole book was a nice break in general. but a break from what? fighting do-gooders with my terrifying powers of super-empathy of course. heroes beware!...more
So you want to stop being bullied, you just want some time to yourself, to read, to do what you want to do, to even make a friend maybe? You find a boSo you want to stop being bullied, you just want some time to yourself, to read, to do what you want to do, to even make a friend maybe? You find a book and it tells you how. Your book will take you places. Dealing with bullies after reading this book becomes such a small thing. Being the person you want to be and doing the things you want to do is so much more important!
So you want to learn how to do wizardly things, talk to trees and suchlike, make things happen, meet new beings, maybe find that lost pen? Your book will show you how. It will turn magic into science and you will summon not a demon but a star; your new friend will have his own familiar too, not a beast but a car. A star and a car. They will take you far!
So you want to discover new worlds? How about Hell? Or a twisted version of our world full of horror and hopelessness which may as well be hell. It may not be the adventure you wanted but it is an adventure nonetheless. You and your friend will have to figure things out, and very quickly - it's a good thing you both are smart. You will learn important lessons on this adventure, like sometimes people you love will die. And that's a hard lesson to learn!
So you saw this on kindle unlimited for the remarkable price of free and you thought, hey that's on my list, why not? You also thought that this would be pretty okay, you haven't heard much about it but then there's this surprisingly real slice of life and this surprising bit of diversity (in the 80s!) and then that other bit of diversity (a gay couple? maybe? in an 80s book for kids!) and the surprisingly science-y way of using magic and the surprisingly bleak and hallucinogenic adventure that comes from searching for a lost pen (of all things!) and the surprising lack of adults or aslans to the rescue (but lots of trees and statues!) and then, surprise surprise, you've realized you just started a whole new series that promises a whole lot of pleasure!
So you want to read a kid's book that starts off like any good kid's book but slowly becomes something more resonant than you expected, darker and more tragic and yet still light and life-affirming? I suggest you read this book!...more
effective tale of horror and dark adventure, for the little ones. young Lily and Silas are whisked away from their parents and taken to the estate knoeffective tale of horror and dark adventure, for the little ones. young Lily and Silas are whisked away from their parents and taken to the estate known as Nightfall Gardens, their ancestral home, and a locus for all that is full of malice and dark plans for the human kind. Lily and Silas come from a long line that has established itself as the caretakers and wardens of this treacherous supernatural place, which is locked in some sort of netherworld except for those brief moments when its gates open onto our world.
there are issues with the book. Lily is the worst sort of stereotypical girl protagonist - vain and self-absorbed and quite the little wuss - at least until the last few chapters. her transformation from twit to heroine was... unconvincing. meanwhile, her younger brother Silas is all that is brave and humble and endearing. ugh. also unconvincing was the mythology behind the creation of Nightfall Gardens, which appears to be based on simple-minded misreadings of both the Pandora and Prometheus myths.
ah well. enough of the negatives! 'tis the holiday season! despite its flaws, Nightfall Gardens is no lump of coal. it has a wonderfully creepy atmosphere: a manor full of haunted rooms and unpleasant surprises and inhuman servants and secret passageways; eerie, fogbound grounds surrounding the residence, thoughtfully divided into intriguing sections known as the White Garden, the Shadow Garden, and the Labyrinth. fun supporting characters. so many monsters. terrible mysteries. an adorable baby gargoyle. a brisk, often breathless pace that keeps the page turning; a narrative dashing forward but never rushed, always hinting at countless other untold stories. overall this was lots of fun.
and for the little ones, there is also plenty of gross. scabs and ooze and postules popping and pus running and rotting flesh and horrible smells. all of that. not my favorite sort of thing to read about, but hey I'm not exactly the target audience so my opinion on all of the gross and all of the yuck is sort of besides the point. kids, dive in! plenty of disgusting things for your amusement....more
so it took over 400 pages before I finally gave up. should I congratulate myself for making such a colossal effort or should I be ashamed at the colosso it took over 400 pages before I finally gave up. should I congratulate myself for making such a colossal effort or should I be ashamed at the colossal waste of time? I think shame is the appropriate emotion. it feels like I've watched Clive Barker jacking off for over 400 minutes, finding myself occasionally interested but mainly bored and annoyed, and then just walked away before Clive climaxed. for shame, mark, for shame! shame on you for wasting so much time and shame on you again for writing such a disagreeable analogy. now I have an image of Barker jerking away, on and on and on, and that image will probably haunt my dreams tonight. thanks a lot, Clive Barker mark!
imagine someone telling you about an amazing mansion in Louisiana, in the middle of a swamp, populated by supernatural presences and immortal aristocrats and hyenas on the lawn and porcupines up the stairs. now imagine eagerly going into that mansion, only to find that it's actually some shitty apartment building that is completely empty of both atmosphere and mystery. ugh!
imagine hearing about a fascinating celebrity couple, or a mysterious matriarch, or this compelling person or that intriguing personality. imagine meeting them and realizing they are completely flat and boring - and that they have nothing of interest to say. not only do they have no depth whatsoever, whenever they open their mouths all that comes out are the most banal and crass comments imaginable. ugh!
several scenes take place in a Trump Tower penthouse. after some careful reflection (about 2 minutes worth plus a couple swigs of my whiskey & ginger ale), I've realized that is a perfect location for this book. much like Trump himself, the book is a hollow, bloated monstrosity that wants to have something to say but can only speak in crass banalities. ugh!
the book is about the history of two families, one immortal and supernatural, the other a lot like the Kennedys (I suppose). it did have potential, I will give it that....more
thoroughly amiable and engaging urban fantasy involving a vampire detective with the appearance of a teenage girl, juggling a case involving golems anthoroughly amiable and engaging urban fantasy involving a vampire detective with the appearance of a teenage girl, juggling a case involving golems and a slain student and potential romances with a charming sasquatch and an equally charming teenage seminary student. I quite liked this one, in particular:
- golems! surely one of the most underrated of the ancient monsters, the golem has long been overdue for a comeback. the golems in this novel are often endearing, at times sinister, and always completely fascinating.
- Jewishness! this is one of the most Jewish novels I've read in a while, and I loved that. it is not a culture that often finds itself front and center in many fantasy novels. especially interesting (and moving) were the brief moments that World War II and the Holocaust were referenced. I sort of wish I could travel back in time to give this book to my high school friends but I wonder if they would have even liked it; they were busy redefining themselves as Reformed and this book is all about being Orthodox. of course, now that they are all in their mid-40s, they have pretty much taken the Conservative path. except for the gay one.
but anyway, back to what I liked:
- the mythology! that was excellent. the idea of various ancient monsters finally stepping out of the shadows and coming together as some sort of Monster Justice League to fight off the evils from beyond, and then sticking around as some sort of Monster World Council was fascinating and fun. and it is merely the backdrop. if I stick around for this series, it will be entirely due to the mythology.
but if I liked it - the mythology and the book - why the if I stick around for the series?
well, I've realized that Urban Fantasy is not one of my favorite genres. sad to say, but true. I guess I just don't find the humor in many of these books too appealing. it's not just this book, it's nearly all of the books I've read that are marketed as UF: snarky, cheeky jokes and banter that is very light - modern in a tv sort of way - are par for the course, and that's not my particular cup of humor. (American Gods comes to mind as one of the ones without that special UF brand of humor.) it's not something I hold against the genre, or this book of course, but some things are not for everyone. and I'll admit that I did occasionally crack a smile.
humor aside, my only caveat is that workplace romance in this novel is not just accepted, it is openly encouraged. I guess that's why this is a fantasy!
I was surprised to realize that this book is self-published. some publishing house is certainly losing money by not publishing it. the writing is smooth, smart, and completely professional, the subject matter is a popular one, and there is a lot of potential for growth if looking at this as the start of a series. I'd definitely recommend it to UF fans; for them, I'd assume this is a 4 star book....more
a complex, fast-paced, scifi-tinged thriller that often feels like a lighthearted romp despite the heI almost forgot to write this review! ba-dum-bum.
a complex, fast-paced, scifi-tinged thriller that often feels like a lighthearted romp despite the heavy themes and upsetting deaths on display. great artists will continually revisit their pet subjects and themes; Renner - clearly a great writer - does the same in this second novel which deals again with how humans process grief, loss, and trauma. often by.... wait for it... forgetting. but also by rewriting histories, both personal and large-scale. in his ingenious and mind-boggling first novel, the canvas was relatively small and the focus was intimate: Renner was exorcising personal demons and obsessions, and also penning a sad but warm love letter to his home state Ohio. in The Great Forgetting, the canvas is wider: writ large, it encompasses the Holocaust (and, in a way, Holocaust denial), 9/11, and all sorts of conspiracy theories; writ small, it subtly probes how people deal with painful emotions and things gone awry in life. there's so much going on in this novel that I frequently had to cling to those recognizable Renner themes to keep my bearings - at times it felt as if he threw everything he was currently interested in at his writer's wall and kept not just what stuck, but what slid off as well. as a result, the book is often chaotic in an enjoyably berserk way, but just as often felt like it could have used a bit more mapping out before finger met keyboard. several highly intriguing and sympathetic characters are unfortunately lost in the breathlessly paced mix. despite my issues, this is certainly a worthy accomplishment and an enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to reading more by him....more
Loading...
