demonxore's reviews
52 reviews
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff
dark
informative
slow-paced
3.25
This was a very moving set of accounts from survivors of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11th, 2001. It was very long, but powerful and important. For the length, I wish there had been more about the political fallout and later effects.
Seven Surrenders by Ada Palmer
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
This series is pretty thought-provoking. I rarely read series, but since this was originally planned as a quartet with a fully developed arc, I am making an exception for Terra Ignota. I wish I knew more about philosophy so I could really understand the references to historical thinkers, but the story is still great even if I can't fully appreciate the depth of research.
King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild
dark
informative
medium-paced
3.5
This book was a good introduction to the atrocities of colonial Congo, but I feel like it is incomplete with regard to how historical events set the stage for perpetuated strife in the region. The ending feels rushed and loosely strung together. Hopefully there is another book out there that picks up where this leaves off.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Child death, Death, Police brutality, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual violence, Violence, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Racism, and Racial slurs
Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction by J.D. Salinger
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Reading "Seymour: An Introduction" admittedly feels like work, but " Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters" is a brilliantly architected and beautifully constructed short story. I love the intro dedication* (it feels very personal, especially during the several intentional dialogues Buddy Glass initiates with the reader in "Seymour"), and it was a large factor in helping me stay the course through to the (ultimately satisfying) end of "Seymour."
Although I still don't see what all the fuss is about with The Catcher in the Rye (what a phoney that Caulfield guy is, eh?), I still adore the rest of the Salinger oevre and look forward to the set of posthumous works his surviving family will be publishing in the coming decade.
*DEDICATION: "If there is an amateur reader still left in the world—or anybody who just reads and runs—I ask him or her, with untellable affection and gratitude, to split the dedication of this book four ways with my wife and children." - J. D. Salinger, dedication from “Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters" and "Seymour: An Introduction"
Although I still don't see what all the fuss is about with The Catcher in the Rye (what a phoney that Caulfield guy is, eh?), I still adore the rest of the Salinger oevre and look forward to the set of posthumous works his surviving family will be publishing in the coming decade.
*DEDICATION: "If there is an amateur reader still left in the world—or anybody who just reads and runs—I ask him or her, with untellable affection and gratitude, to split the dedication of this book four ways with my wife and children." - J. D. Salinger, dedication from “Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters" and "Seymour: An Introduction"
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Knowing nothing about the book when I started, I didn't expect it to be something of a 1930s Jane Austen novel. The most pleasant surprises were the elements of witchcraft/paganism sprinkled throughout, like a mild and sweet version of We Have Always Lived in the Castle. There were many frustrating moments though, and I feel so bad for poor Stephen. He deserves the world and I would gladly love him! Overall a decent book and very well narrated on Audible by Jenny Agutter.
Child of God by Cormac McCarthy
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I won't call this a hopeful book by a long shot, but maybe you should read it if you think people are more evil nowadays than they have been in the past. Child of God is a gritty piece of literature and is a bit painful to read at times (especially since I grew up partly in East Tennessee and can picture these characters in living shoes), but there are some real nuggets of truth buried in the grime.
Also THIS BOOK IS HELLA TRIGGERING for me since I grew up in an environment similar to the place depicted in Child of God. Read with caution wrt sexual abuse, physical abuse, incestuous rape, murder, desecration of corpses, child abuse, animal cruelty.
Also THIS BOOK IS HELLA TRIGGERING for me since I grew up in an environment similar to the place depicted in Child of God. Read with caution wrt sexual abuse, physical abuse, incestuous rape, murder, desecration of corpses, child abuse, animal cruelty.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Gore, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Gun violence, Animal death, Sexism, Rape, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Incest, Excrement, Child death, Child abuse, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Racism, Racial slurs, and Mental illness
Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin
dark
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Seven Empty Houses is a collection of primo domestic horror a la Shirley Jackson. My favorites are "None of That" and "Breath from the Depths." "My Parents and My Children" was a bit of a different speed and had me laughing at the end. After reading this set of stories and her novel Fever Dream, I can say that Schweblin is now firmly on my list of favorite contemporary authors.
Veniss Underground by Jeff VanderMeer
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
3.5
Imagine that visit-to-the-magic-shop installment of Goosebumps but make it scary for adults. Veniss Underground is patent VanderMeer stuff - a piece of pure gory bio-cyberpunk. The kitten with the compound eyes and the cadaver cathedral scenes were stomach-turning. This genre isn't exactly my type of book, but the author did a good job with it.
The Wasp That Brainwashed the Caterpillar: Evolution's Most Unbelievable Solutions to Life's Biggest Problems by Matt Simon
informative
fast-paced
2.0
The Wasp That Brainwashed the Caterpillar:
Evolution's Most Unbelievable Solutions to Life's Biggest Problems - a superficial survey into the world's weirdest critters.
Matt Simon has a hard-on for anuses and Charles Darwin. There's nothing wrong with that! But the book only scratches the surface of all these weird anus-dwelling animals and amounts to essentially a teaser trailer for interesting evolutionary patterns. If you want to learn more about the bizarre ways life has evolved, you'll have to dig through Wikipedia and research articles go beyond the few "didja-knows" listed in this book.
Evolution's Most Unbelievable Solutions to Life's Biggest Problems - a superficial survey into the world's weirdest critters.
Matt Simon has a hard-on for anuses and Charles Darwin. There's nothing wrong with that! But the book only scratches the surface of all these weird anus-dwelling animals and amounts to essentially a teaser trailer for interesting evolutionary patterns. If you want to learn more about the bizarre ways life has evolved, you'll have to dig through Wikipedia and research articles go beyond the few "didja-knows" listed in this book.
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany
slow-paced
2.5
This was written very beautifully, but unfortunately I found it quite boring. Maybe I'll catch some obscure references to this story in books I read in the future.