I haven't loved a history book as much as I loved this one in a long time. Great storytelling of the Revolutionary Era, at the hyper-local level. JustI haven't loved a history book as much as I loved this one in a long time. Great storytelling of the Revolutionary Era, at the hyper-local level. Just brilliantly done....more
Probably the best book on conservatism and conservative politics/beliefs I've read in over a decade. Deserves to be in the overall canon alongside GolProbably the best book on conservatism and conservative politics/beliefs I've read in over a decade. Deserves to be in the overall canon alongside Goldwater's Conscience of a Conservative and Sowell's The Vision of the Anointed as a great resource about what conservatism is in light of how Trump's last four years have cast a shadow over the movement....more
This series is like a zany British college sitcom and I love it. Every volume I read has been better than the one before, and I'm just hearts-with-eyeThis series is like a zany British college sitcom and I love it. Every volume I read has been better than the one before, and I'm just hearts-with-eyes emojis over the whole thing. Quickly becoming an all-time favorite series....more
I absolutely adored reading this book. I started listening to a lot of indie music shortly before the Strokes hit it big, and this book is effectivelyI absolutely adored reading this book. I started listening to a lot of indie music shortly before the Strokes hit it big, and this book is effectively an oral history of the scene I was spending so much time with in college and beyond. It was a complete nostalgia hit, and a great insight into a New York way of life that I only really got to view from afar.
I don’t have a ton to say, but the amount of detail and interviews and collaborations that went into making this book happen is just impressive in and of itself....more
With Twin Peaks done, I’ve began searching in earnest for books and shows to fill that void. Strangehaven is a comic series that came up more than a fWith Twin Peaks done, I’ve began searching in earnest for books and shows to fill that void. Strangehaven is a comic series that came up more than a few times, and the series is delivering so far. This first volume introduces this quiet little town tucked away in an area that doesn’t appear to show up correctly on maps, with a weird cult in town, and with enough strange happenings throughout that keep you guessing as to what’s relevant and what’s not. The strange aspects of this have not materialized outside of a few small but important scenes, but I will say that I was absolutely riveted by this and had to stop myself from just going straight into the second volume.
Very solid read, and I can’t wait to see what comes next....more
This book is like the best drunken bar conversation you've ever had.
You know exactly what I mean by that, because we've all had it. On our third (or eThis book is like the best drunken bar conversation you've ever had.
You know exactly what I mean by that, because we've all had it. On our third (or eighth) beer, we start waxing philosophical about books or movies or what we ate for dinner, and it feels profound in the moment even though it's not at all. And those conversations are the best! Why? They get you thinking outside the box a little bit, and every so often you get that pearl of wisdom that you hang onto.
Chuck Klosterman has always been great at putting forth really solid, thought-provoking discussions and arguments about the culture around us. But What If We're Wrong, though, feels like a step further, where it becomes more a discussion about the place of culture and how we're responding to it, and it feels both ridiculous and deep, essential and arbitrary, and ultimately, a book I didn't feel like I wanted to put down at any point. And only Klosterman could really pull this off, as well, because there's just so much here that requires us to accept his authority as what it is.
I can't overstate how much I loved this. Maybe I'm putting too much meaning into it, but every time I finished a section or chapter, I felt like I got a better appreciation for the topic whether I agreed or not. And nonfiction should be like that. It should make us think a little more, especially when the topic is one of modern and present culture, and especially when the common consensus in so many circles is how disposable it is. I call this a must read for everyone, but we can say that about a lot of Klosterman's work. Ultimately, though, this is a really timely read that's worth the investment. Hopefully, you won't think I'm wrong......more
I think I thought I loved this book about fifty pages in.
I knew I loved this book about one hundred pages in.
I think I knew it was going down as one oI think I thought I loved this book about fifty pages in.
I knew I loved this book about one hundred pages in.
I think I knew it was going down as one of my favorites about two hundred pages in, and then I still had four hundred to go.
I didn't want it to end, but it did, and it's easily one of the weirdest, strangest, most straightforward weird/horror books I've read. It's a little ahead of its time, too - if this had come out in 2015 it would be heralded as the book that could propel the New Weird into mainstream acceptance, but instead it's a little/not little 2013 title that won some horror awards and has otherwise not shown up on my radar, and that's a shame, because this is an absolute gem of a book.
The story follows Mona. She has inherited a house in a small town called Wink in New Mexico, and it's become a hassle to even find this town, never mind get information on her mother and what's part of the inheritance. As she makes her way through town, nothing seems quite right. As a police officer, her senses are tingling a bit, the woman at the town hall is strange, and the guy who runs to motel perhaps a little too friendly for a place that doesn't ever seem to have customers.
And then things get strange.
The pleasure I derived from this book comes more from the little reveals along the way, from the small vignettes of townspeople and the happenings to how it all comes together only to unravel again as the story goes on. While the ideas perhaps fail to break any new ground from a storytelling standpoint, it's ultimately how Bennett ties them all together in an off-putting, uncomfortable way that makes this book so much more special than your typical horror/weird tale. And I didn't see the end coming, which was nice. Or, for that matter, the middle. Or much of anything - it's familiar enough to not feel absurd while still being completely strange nearly from page one.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's not a difficult read even though it's a long one, and I just absolutely love the ideas and concepts behind it. This is now two masterful books I've read by Robert Jackson Bennett, and he's fast becoming someone I'm going to have to seek out when his next books come out right away. Find a copy of this book and read it, you absolutely won't be let down....more
So Scott McCloud is sort of legendary in graphic circles, and for good reason. I heard great things about this one, but I really honestMan, this book.
So Scott McCloud is sort of legendary in graphic circles, and for good reason. I heard great things about this one, but I really honestly didn't expect this sort of great story. It's sort of a love letter to art and creation and such, but also really grasps what trying to be an artist can be like.
We follow David Smith, who is a sculptor who can't seem to get any traction. He meets a man who offers him a deal he can't refuse: 200 days to be able to sculpt anything with his hands, but he dies when his time is up. What follows is a trajectory that's unpredictable and maddening.
I get it. I haven't been as creative as I used to be as of late for a myriad of reasons, but the sort of craziness that can sometimes inhabit you comes across in full force here. I feel like this hits upon a lot of the artists I know, along with the personality quirks that go with it. The book handles mental illness in a pretty real way as well, which is a nice change of pace even if the "mentally disturbed artist" trope has a tendency to be overdone. What's best, though, are the surprises. Even though this has a Faustian angle to it, I kept being surprised as the book went on, and that's always a good thing. And the artwork is gorgeous, and is definitely in the more traditional comic medium without sacrificing the clarity and beauty of it all - it's a different kind of gorgeous than what modern graphic novels with amazing art tend to be.
Still, this is a great example of the best graphic novels have to offer. Really should be up there in terms of required reading for those who love the medium or want to see what it's about. I know I would have fallen in love with graphic novels much earlier if I had seen this a decade ago. Simply a must read, amazingly done....more
I liked The Three-Body Problem even though I wasn't totally connected with it. I love a first contact story, and there were some cultural touchstones I liked The Three-Body Problem even though I wasn't totally connected with it. I love a first contact story, and there were some cultural touchstones I had missed that probably kept me from loving it, but I still wanted to dive into the sequel and see where it was going.
The Dark Forest may now be one of my favorite science fiction books of all time.
Taking place shortly after the first book, we immediately get an idea as to what's happening with the impending invasion (with one of the coldest final statements to humanity in the first few pages I've read), and then a long tale about how the world reacts. The way it's set up and progresses is a very unique response to a very unique situation set up in the first book (I'm trying not to give too much away, but imagine humanity fighting against omniscience), and the way it results is equally riveting and maddening.
I also have to say that I thought the translation in the first book was fine, but what we see with the translation this time feels a lot more natural and fits the themes and the story better. I found this to be a much more enjoyable read prose-wise than Three Body, for what it's worth. The Cultural Revolution parallels are also a little less central to the plot, meaning that the gateways to the story aren't as difficult. This ultimately ends up being a much more accessible read with a traditional trope turned on its head a bit.
I truly loved reading this. I can't wait for the English translation of the final book this fall because I have no idea what's coming next, and that's awesome. If it's even close to as good as this was, this might end up being an all-time series....more
I feel like it's been ages since I read a truly epic, fulfilling science fiction novel. Anathem is one of my favorite reads, so Stephenson is still anI feel like it's been ages since I read a truly epic, fulfilling science fiction novel. Anathem is one of my favorite reads, so Stephenson is still an auto-buy, but I really honestly didn't expect to love this one the way I did.
The plot is deceptively simple - on the first page, the moon explodes. We don't know why or how, but we do learn very quickly that it spells extinction-level-event for the people of Earth, and the book follows the way the human race deals with this new reality.
What I loved about this book is that it was straightforward without losing its complexity. It's hard sci-fi in a lot of ways, and the amount of science and theory Stephenson jams in here is pretty great. Why this worked for me, though, is that the politics and social activities that surround the disaster and beyond felt extremely real. While it's hard to give away crucial plotpoints in what is a nearly 900 page book, the fact that the book kept me so engaged on a lot of those issues ended up being a really pleasant surprise.
Another benefit of the story is how things came around toward the end, and how so many quality payoffs occur. One specific incident toward the end had me pounding the book in excitement, which never happens, and really brought the whole thing around for me.
I guess, if I have a warning, it's that this book won't lend itself to falling for specific characters. Just don't do it. You'll be better off. Instead, enjoy the long-term ride that this provides - it's a different book than Anathem, concerned less with philosophy than with technology and science, but still balancing things out in a good way. It might even be a better book than Anathem, even though Anathem appealed to a lot more of my base interests.
If an almost 900 page epic science fiction tale isn't daunting to you, get your hands on a copy of this immediately. This is, without a doubt, the best book I'e read in 2015 so far, and it's not even close. Highly recommended, a great ride from start to finish....more
Well, this just jumped way up on my "favorite comics list."
Alex is lonely, and the future world he lives in is full of androids. His grandmother, haviWell, this just jumped way up on my "favorite comics list."
Alex is lonely, and the future world he lives in is full of androids. His grandmother, having gotten an android herself in her later years, decides to buy one for Alex. The android is about as creepy as you'd imagine, in part due to some reactionary laws following an earlier violent incident, and Alex isn't initially into it, until he learns about some of the workarounds.
Where this goes, I don't want to spoil. The real heart and soul of this is really what matters, and it toes the line between emotional and funny really well. In terms of basic, modern "robots and humans living together" tropes, however, I'm not sure I've read a better story about robot/human interliving overall, and it's one that lends itself well to the graphic novel format (which isn't always the case) as well.
I think the Lunas are quickly becoming some of my favorite comics writers. I rushed out and ordered the next volume (as well as a copy of this one for my own collection) almost immediately, and hope to get to it soon, it was that good.
Absolutely something anyone who loves comics should read. Really and truly great....more
I try my best to read the books movies are based on before seeing the movie. It was pretty difficult to get my hands on a version of this from the libI try my best to read the books movies are based on before seeing the movie. It was pretty difficult to get my hands on a version of this from the library before seeing Edge of Tomorrow, but given that I really enjoyed EoT, I still stuck with getting the book.
In a word, though? Wow.
The concept, like the film, is pretty simply on its face - humanity is at war with an alien race, and our soldier at the center of the story has somehow gotten the ability to replay the same day repeatedly following his own death, sort of like a video game. He thinks it might be linked to one of the aliens he killed, but as time progresses and more information comes about, the complexities of the war and his situation come around.
The book is ridiculously fast-paced, and where it diverges from the movie are things that I really loved about it and probably would have hated in the film had my consumption of the two had been reversed. The confusion, the reveals, the overall fun of what the book offers changes it from a story similar to Run Lola Run or Groundhog Day into something a lot more.
This book can't exist without the current sort of video game cultural touchstones that it uses to push its narrative. That it's nearly 10 years old and feels new and fresh is also interesting, and the specific American translation feels really natural, which was welcome. Overall, it's absolutely a book that I enjoyed a lot more than I expected to and really think every science fiction fan should read....more
I'm not generally one to really react to a book in general. A funny book for me might elicit a chuckle, but I'm typically a silent reader. With this bI'm not generally one to really react to a book in general. A funny book for me might elicit a chuckle, but I'm typically a silent reader. With this book, however, I'm pretty sure that the old ladies at the Dunkin Donuts where I was reading this was wondering why this grown man, beard and all, looked about ready to sob all over the place.
Yes, Thirteen Reasons Why is that good.
The plot is fairly straightforward in that we get to listen along with a teenage boy as he listens to the audio records of the girl who killed herself a few weeks earlier. She recorded the tapes with the intention of those who were involved in her making the choice she did knowing exactly why it happened.
It's gut-wrenching. It's heart-breaking.
A common problem with the teen "issues" books is that they can really do a lot in trivializing the emotional core of teen life. It's easy for us, as adults, to look back at what we spent our emotional energy on years earlier and forget how tough it was (heck, that's part of the reason why YA books are so popular with adults currently), but it also runs the risk of diminishing the real feelings involved along the way. If depression and emotional angst are a series of crushing weights (and, for many, they are), Thirteen Reasons Why just marches us right along as we watch that slow decline.
As someone who struggles with depression to this day, this book really hit home for me. I always tell people about how Stargirl is the best book I can think of for teens to read about acceptance and treating people right, and this book has lodged itself directly next to it as something not only important because of the message it sends, but also important because of how genuine and sincere it is. It's a narrative about how the small things become big, and maybe reading this book might just make some people treat their peers a little better, because it might be all it takes.
I don't know. It took me over a week to write up anything on this and I feel like I could spend forever talking about it. It's a beautiful, tragic, amazing, disturbing book in every regard. I'm glad I read it. I hate that I read it. I love that it exists, I hate that it needs to. No one should have to read this, but everyone really should. If you've been holding off, as I have for years and years now, just find a copy and read it now. You'll be really, really glad you did.
In what was really the surprise of the year for me, the Southern Reach trilogy was a quick three book hit this year that was among the best in "weird"In what was really the surprise of the year for me, the Southern Reach trilogy was a quick three book hit this year that was among the best in "weird" fiction I've read in some time. You can look back at my prior reviews of the first two books, but needless to say, the concept behind the strange "topographical anomaly" that is central to the three books remains excellent, and the way the tales are brought together in this third book is mostly masterful.
There's some confusion in that we have some actual names for the first time (as opposed to "The biologist" or "The director") and it creates a little extra issue in terms of how to keep track of everything. That's my only complaint in what ends up being a book that answers a ton of questions while still successfully raising even more. A lot of it had me thinking of The Croning's ending in many regards, and that's definitely a complement, as things are about as bizarre as expected.
Overall, a great series and one I'm sad to see finished. Needless to say, VanderMeer has become a must-read for me on this series alone, and I really look forward to seeing what he comes up with next....more
There's something about these teen romances that always get me. A good one can be tremendous, though, and The Start of Me and You is really one of my There's something about these teen romances that always get me. A good one can be tremendous, though, and The Start of Me and You is really one of my favorites that I've gotten to read as of late. A fun mix of outcasts, coping with loss, and typical high school drama, it just works on all levels and quickly became one of my favorite reads of all time.
The story is about Paige, who sees her first boyfriend drown and has spent the last year struggling to cope. Starting school in her junior year, she's vowing to do things differently and face her fears, and her friends are helping along with her new classmate who she meets through quiz bowl. Paige has plans, but things don't go the way she expected, as we'd think.
This book just has a ton of heart. Paige is believable, her friends and love interests great, the story itself has a lot of fun little nods and references without being too obscure. I pretty much tore through this one as quickly as I could because I really felt the need to know what was coming up and around. It doesn't rely on any real hokey conventions - there aren't any movie stars, nothing is going out of business - it just ends up being a really believable story with a solid message and a lot of fun along the way.
What is the most important thing with this book, though, is how it mixes the basic romance plots with a lot of realistic, little-discussed topics. The death of someone close who was way too young. The family member melting away in front of you when you need them the most. I related a lot to this book, and had more than my share of moments with it, both while reading it and long after.
Highly, highly recommended. I loved this book. I have become, and will continue to be, a crazy evangelist for how great and awesome and important this book is. Everyone - yes, everyone - should read this, it is absolutely and without a doubt some of the best YA has to offer in terms of the total package without using existing tropes or popular trends as a crutch. It may not have the emotional weight of The Fault in Our Stars or the literary value of Ship Breaker, but when we talk about books that teens need (or, well, all of us), this is what I think of.
Epic fantasy is more or less defined by either Brandon Sanderson or George RR Martin these days, and I've been looking for that Next Great Series for Epic fantasy is more or less defined by either Brandon Sanderson or George RR Martin these days, and I've been looking for that Next Great Series for a while. When I saw this book get previewed in a few places a while back, I made sure to check it out when I could. I figured I'd like it, but what I didn't expect was for the book to be one of the best things I've read this year.
The story takes place in a land where the gods are all dead and much of the history of them and their society has gone missing or is lost. In some ways, the city this story takes place in has some modernish flair, but is still very rooted in the basic fantasy ideals. The issue is when our diplomat/officer of sorts enters the city on one task and quickly gets involved in a conspiracy of sorts, one that is equally magical and deadly at the same time.
The appeal for this book is twofold. For one, the setting is outstanding. The city of Bulikov, which is where this book takes place, feels fully formed and immersive. I wanted the book to spend just as much time on this as it did on the rest of the tale, and the little nooks, crannies, architecture, everything about it feels rich and alive in a way that many other places do not. Unlike any other book I've read in recent memory, the city itself is almost completely essential even if it's not at the root of the story.
The better part, though, is the tale itself. It has Lovecraftian elements, some humor, plenty of fantasy tropes, the whole nine yards. There's a warehouse of sorts in particular that was easily my favorite part, and one specific result of that ends up being one of the highlights of the book. Without giving much away, those who like their fantasy a little darker will find plenty to like here, but those who prefer some lighter fare won't be left behind or turned off. It's a pretty perfect mix.
Overall, knowing that the sequel is in the works is good to know, but I'm going to be impatient for the next volume for a while. This is absolutely one of my favorite reads of this year, and should really start being discussed as one of the best releases in the genre as of late. You must read this book. Highly, highly recommended....more
I talked before about how great Annihilation was, and I'm not going to say Authority is better, because it's hard to compare the two. I found Authority to be engaging not only because of how it built on the mysteries first presented in Annihilation, but also about how it made the overall banality of normal drudgery equally weird and creepy. Authority takes place almost entirely within the confines of whatever offices or home bases the Area X project is centered out of, dealing with debriefing interviews and mystery solving projects and what have you. The madness comes into play as we delve deeper and see exactly how far some of the worst aspects of the power plays reach.
It's great because it's a shift in how the story is told. It's less matter-of-fact and detailed about the area and instead lets experiences take center stage. A lot of the bizarre things happen when we start getting a greater understanding of how deep everything runs, and it becomes clear very quickly how much the trust in what we know and see melts away.
I feel like I have to dance around a lot of what goes on here because, as a middle book, it creates as many new questions as it answers and thus makes it difficult to really go into detail as to what is going on without a lot of giveaways. This series is successful because of how deft the reveals are along the way, and how the story just sucks you in and forces you to accept what's going on in front of you, throwing enough minor curveballs along the way as to get you to not trust your own perception, much like everyone else in the book. It's been a long time since I've read something that's even come close to that before this series came along.
Long and short, this book, while different, has pushed this series out of "must read if you like weird fiction/horror" and into "everyone should just read this because it's a unique and addictive experience." Waiting until September for the final installment of this story is just terrible....more
If all comics were as good as the Fraction/Aja Hawkeye, I'd probably read nothing but comics.
The series continues with the pseudo-noirish artsy illusIf all comics were as good as the Fraction/Aja Hawkeye, I'd probably read nothing but comics.
The series continues with the pseudo-noirish artsy illustrations combined with some really great writing. Clint as a character is complicated without being overbearing, the stories fun while also having some seriousness to go with them. If there's a flaw in this trade, I definitely didn't find it.
And Pizza Dog. Love Pizza Dog.
This is very quickly becoming my favorite Marvel title. When does volume 3 come out?...more
I got through 20 pages when I first picked this up, and I was already in love with it. The night following my starting this book had some of the oddesI got through 20 pages when I first picked this up, and I was already in love with it. The night following my starting this book had some of the oddest, most vivid dreams I can recall in some time.
I'll opt to believe the two are related.
I've really gotten into a deepish dive into so-called "weird fiction" as of late, and Jeff VanderMeer is a leading editor in the genre. I enjoy Lovecraft, I tolerated Chalmers, I'm a big Laird Barron fan, but (and even occasionally with Barron), the one issue I have with "weird fiction" is that much of the idea of causing a creepy, disconcerting atmosphere is done via lengthy, overwrought narrative structures that do little to actually advance a plot along. This is very Lovecraftian in nature, and I'm sure it's deliberate because it's a constant trope. It's not like science fiction or fantasy worldbuilding (although, to be sure, there are some sci-fi/fantasy books that are guilty of indulgence), but more that so many weird tales are short pieces that end up being short on plot and long on anticipatory exposition.
VanderMeer is enormously successful with Annihilation because he strikes that perfect balance. There is a lot of lush, vivid setting to chew on as a reader, for sure. The setting, really, is a (if not the) key character in the tale which is at least partially why I'm able to tolerate it so much. But this tale, ostensibly about an expedition crew of four nameless women into an unknown, uncharted area, does not spend so much time on the place as to make the story secondary. The plot is clear almost from the start, the mysteries about the expedition come fast and furious, the plot moves briskly even when spending a significant amount of time talking about walls or plants. It's a very solid, complete tale that gives just enough back without sacrificing the desire to get to the next book sooner rather than later because of the way the tale ends up being structured, as well as the depictions of the blurred lines of reality and unreality, of good and bad, of sanity itself in a way.
I won't pretend this book is perfect. Much of what I liked, others might find pretentious or off-putting or just dull. As someone who has been longing for a modern, cohesive weird tale, though, this is the best thing I've read in the genre since Laird Barron's The Croning a couple years ago. If you enjoy big ideas and interesting storytelling, at least give this a shot. If you've been disappointed in the "weird" stuff that's been about as of late, you might not find the same joy I did, though....more
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