Stephen King said something along the lines of “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time to write.” I’m doing my best to follow that advice. I’ll keep this page updated with what I’m currently reading, what I’ve read, and any brief thoughts. Got a recommendation for me? Contact me.
January 2021
Dead Astronauts by Jeff Vandermeer
Status: Reading
Thoughts: The Southern Reach trilogy is one of my favorite series of all time. Borne, less so. That said, I’m always interested to see what biological horror Vandermeer comes up with. The prose is very poetic, which makes it somewhat difficult to get into, but I’ll keep trucking along to see how it unfolds.
Verdict: Coming Soon
September 2020
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Status: Read
Thoughts: Clarke’s first book in sixteen years made me want to see what she had been up to. So far it’s an intimate story veiled in mystery. Let’s see how things pan out.
Verdict: Check out my review: https://youtu.be/Bs3N_8EKvNw
I’m Thinking Of Ending Things by Iain Reid
Status: Read
Thoughts: The movie got me interested in checking out the novel, but more so was the genre classification on Wikipedia and Amazon: psychological horror/thriller. Whaaaa?
Verdict: One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Check out my video review here: https://youtu.be/Hi5ldZXPAq8
August 2020
Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay
Status: Read
Thoughts: Paul is one of my favorite horror/thriller writers. He takes chances, writes with a fluidity that gets you lost in the pages, and I’m looking forward to diving into this one.
Verdict: Not his best, but not his worst. Check out my video review here: https://youtu.be/vrY3BK2bLqI
King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Status: Read
Thoughts: Revisiting this series after nearly ten years. I loved it when I first read it. I still like it quite a bit, but there are a few “Mary Sue” flaws.
Verdict: An enjoyable read, unlike any fantasy I’ve read. I’m going to take a break to read the new Paul Tremblay but will read the final installment, Emperor of Thorns, after that most likely. I’ll probably do a series review on YouTube, so keep an eye out.
October 2018
The Silent Girls by Eric Rickstad
Status: Incomplete
Thoughts: Only a couple of chapters in so far. This isn’t something I’d normally read, but someone recommended it to me a while back. A little cliche but written very well. We’ll see where it goes …
Verdict: Had to stop. Turned into a Lifetime movie. Shallow and predictable. Unfortunate because I’d heard a lot of good things. It might be passable in the genre for people who are looking for more of the same, but I think it failed at providing a believable setting, characters, and atmosphere. Note to anyone who is reading something they aren’t in love with: You can stop. There are too many books to read.
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
Status: Complete
Thoughts: Started off interesting but is underwhelming at the moment. I found a subreddit with someone looking for post-apocalyptic fiction akin to The Road by Cormac McCarthy. So far, this is not it. I should finish in a day or two.
Verdict: These monks have no mercy for my attention span. What began with a small, interesting story quickly unraveled into a test of patience. The book is broken up into three chunks (different time periods, which go into the future at six-hundred year blocks) that seemed to progressively get worse. A few good scenes here and there, but overall I was never captivated by the narrative, often confused–but that could have been due to my eyes glazing over.
September 2018
The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
Status: Complete
Thoughts: Tremblay is such a visual writer. I love it. So much immediacy. Exposition seems to be done for effect, breaking up active scenes. Works well for suspense. Quick read. We’ll see how it ends.
Verdict: Great novel. I’ve read all his other two standalone novels (Head Full of Ghosts and Disappearance at Devil’s Rock), just haven’t tried his Narcoleptic Detective series yet. As with his other two novels, he plays with reader expectations, expertly walking the line of supernatural/logical explanation territory. Mixed reviews on Amazon, but I get it. Those readers were reading for surface material, not really what the book was about. Look for a full review soon.
Suicide Club by Rachel Heng
Status: Complete
Thoughts: I won’t lie. I picked this one up partly because I’ve had an idea brewing for a while that explores similar themes and technology–the other part being that I saw Jeff Vandermeer praising it. So far, we’re easing into the plot I read in the description. It’s paced very much like literary fiction, which is great. I don’t think all sci-fi needs to be aliens and action. Actually, my favorite sci-fi is neither. Fluid prose you can glide through. Liking the world so far, although understated. Not sure about the characters yet.
Verdict: A mixed bag. The tech was interesting, and it felt like it did most of the right things: Encourage the reader to explore what it would be like to live in a world like this, in which you can be immortal. The main characters weren’t particularly interesting. I never felt for them very deeply. However, Lea’s father I did. He was the best part of the book by far. Might be worth checking out if you’re curious, but it’s not a must read. It was good enough that I’ll look for Heng’s next release though.