eren666's reviews
78 reviews

Cabal by Clive Barker

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Hypothetically Barker should be right up my alley. I love dark fantasy and surreal horror, and as a queer person I was excited to see what a gay horror legend had to offer. I wanted to like this book SO much. Unfortunately, I found Barker’s characters flat and uninteresting, his writing boring, his plot more like a cheap action movie than the kind of horror I usually like. 

If I had to say something positive I really enjoyed Part One, if I had ended there it probably would have been 5 stars.

Did not read the included short stories as Cabal was so bad it has soured me from any further reading from this author :(

All in all, Cabal just felt cheap and surface level 

My Name's Yours, What's Alaska?: A Memoir by Alaska Thunderfuck 5000

4.0

A little short but super interesting 

Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Devon Price

5.0

Pretty much life changing lol

Ring by Kōji Suzuki
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.

I was so surprised at how dull and meaningless this book was. 

Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.

Going to come back to this

The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

SICK AS FUCK

Has the Gay Movement Failed? by Martin Duberman

informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

Veniss Underground by Jeff VanderMeer

4.5

Secret Life by Jeff VanderMeer

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Though I found this collection to contain a lot of less fully formed stories than Vandermeer’s usual output, it was equally full of GREAT short stories that every Vandermeer fan should read. 

I recommend this to those already very familiar with the author’s work and his various worlds.

Favorites:
- Secret Life
- Flight Is for Those Who Have Not Yet Crossed Over
- The Bone Carver’s Tale
- Ghost Dancing with Manco Tupac
- Detectives and Cadavers
- The Emperor’s Reply
- Balzac’s War ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- A Heart For Lucretia
- London Burning
- Corpse Mouth and Spore Nose
- The City

A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka

challenging dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Loved A Hunger Artist and A Little Woman, the others sadly really went over my head.