Josh Hayes
Really surprised by how effective and excellent Suzanne Collins continues to be with her Hunger Games series. Every book feels essential, and with SUNRISE ON THE REAPING, a majority of the major ideas come to a beautiful full circle. The characters are rich and likable, and even if we know what's to come for Haymitch, it still manages to maintain a propulsive momentum.
So excited to see how this plays out as a movie. Long live Haymitch.
I loved the other FINAL DESTINATION book I had read years back, DEAD MAN'S HAND. With BLOODLINES coming out, I decided to visit some of the other novels for the first time. After hearing a lot of buzz about this particular installment, starting here seemed like a good choice. And wow, I was not expecting to be this engaged.
END OF THE LINE was on another level entirely from what we saw before—memorable and engaging characters, an NYC-set storyline, bonkers twists and turns, and of course incredibly creative and engaging deaths. It was also quite sexually charged, a feature that was an added plus as it organically ties into the story and its ensemble.
The chainsaw-scaffolding and hornet/chain/umbrella craziness felt very inspired. However, it was the incredibly clever twist that really sold it for me. I never saw it coming at all, and it kind of fits perfectly. END OF THE LINE really understands what works about FINAL DESTINATION, giving us chain reactions and gory deaths in equal measure. Chilling, fun, and disturbing. Highly recommended for any fan of the series.
Honestly one of the best queer books I have ever read. My gateway into the book was the movie, which I have watched front to back more times than I can count. In this case, that only helped—I could hear Alex and Henry's voices in my head as clear as day. Perfect casting, just as described here.
I really appreciated the depth and care paid to the relationship, and to the political sphere within the novel itself too. A definite page turner in the best way. I would be curious to check out McQuiston's other works.
As I count down the days to Red, White and Royal Blue 2, I will no doubt revisit this novel again—a deliciously decadent rom-com masterpiece.
A quick and easy read that plays out so much better in one sitting than in tiny bursts over several months.
I'm not a big comic book reader but the gorgeous artwork and creativity immediately caught me. Loved the extra added touch of quotes about death that came all throughout the five issues.
Carly makes for a solid protagonist, but I do wish her two love interests didn't look so nearly identical. Also though there are signs, there didn't seem to be any way to intervene or skip anything with death's design. Great setting and some solid kills! The addition of a creepy old lady freaked me out.
Long live FINAL DESTINATION, one of my favorite horror franchises.
I absolutely adored the film HALLOWEEN ENDS, so it was pretty much a no-brainer to check out this novelization. I was impressed by Paul Brad Logan's writing style, and especially by the expansion of detail and characters.
Corey continues to be one of the most fascinating in the Halloween franchise. Not only does this novel dive deep on his characterization, it also gives Michael a hell of a lot more to do in the first half. Laurie's arc becomes clear and concise.
Evil doesn't die. It changes shape.
An absolutely amazing, mesmerizing read from start to finish. Seeing the movie first and then reading the book is something new to me for sure—I have to say that they did a phenomenal job in adapting this for the big screen. How refreshing to see two loving families openly embrace their queer children. I can't wait to read the sequel.
The cutest, most adorably heartwarming book ever. I was so happy with nearly every aspect and I can't wait to see the movie. Simon is a character I felt very attached to, and all the pop culture references felt very real and necessary. I loved the mystery elements, and the romantic aspect was handled miraculously well. Love love loved it.
A powerful story about fear and survival, Cujo is one messed up book. I challenge you to find me a more depressing, downbeat ending of any novel. That said, this book is dozens of pages too long thanks to the unneeded subplots. If the fat was trimmed, this could be a great and intense quick read. Instead, it's something of a slog in parts. I couldn't bring myself to care about Cujo's family, or really even Donna's husband and his ad campaign. All of my issues with this book are put to the wayside, though, when King delivers a powerful finale that really messes with your emotional well-being.
This book reminded me so much of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? and I think that was the point. It's Palahniuk's overdone decadent version, with dark humor and incessant name-dropping. I have to say that I absolutely loved it. The simplicity of the plot and the film-like structure certainly won't be for everyone, but I personally found it to be a lot of fun and very different for Palahniuk. The trademark humor and prose are still very much here, just in a different kind of way.
Due to the unusual structure, it's a bit harder to get fully-formed characters here but they eventually do emerge, with the relationship between Kathie and Hazie being particularly strong. The twists and turns make Tell-All easy to recommend, with the very best taking place in act 3. Someone needs to make this one into a movie, it's practically begging for it.
Chuck Palahniuk is one of my favorite authors... I was expecting a hard-boiled mystery novel with an anxious reporter trying to get to the bottom of a sprawling mystery. I should've known by now to expect the unexpected from Palahniuk.
Lullaby isn't my favorite from Palahniuk, but it's still a fascinating read full of some really creative bizarre imagery. There's a bit of a twist toward the end that had me going WTF. This book is mostly a grim road trip from hell with jet black humor, which is both good and bad.
My biggest gripe is that I didn't feel like I was ready to say goodbye to these characters. By the end you fully get a grasp on each of them, and I wanted more. There's a climax here, but it was a little too quick for my liking and left things feeling almost unfinished. Still, I'm glad I read this and it's overall another great intriguing notch on the author's belt.
I've read maybe 10 other books by Stephen King; while over 1,000 pages seemed to be an enormous undertaking, the rich characters and structured storyline coupled with intense horror and an interesting mix of past and present kept me anxious to know what would happen next. My only previous knowledge of the source material was the 1990 TV miniseries, which doesn't even cast a small light on the enormous shadow of this epic novel. What King set out to do with this book was to make the ultimate horror novel, one where the evil becomes whatever you fear the most. It could be described as the most evil creature in existence, almost God-like, and the description of Its “deadlights” gave me chills.
Apart from the extreme violence, beautifully described in only a way that Stephen King could get away with, the biggest thing I loved about this book was the bond between the characters. You feel for them and their journey every step of the way, and even the character with the least to do as an adult (Stan) gets a pretty meaty role in the childhood portion of events. I loved almost every character and they are even better due to their imperfections. All of them are flawed, but their friendship bond, and possibly something stronger, tethers them together. My favorite characters were [Big] Bill and [Haystack] Ben.
The ending itself has somewhat of a somber tone to it, and kind of broke my heart. It was very well-done, but it's both happy and sad at the same time. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's a fan of horror or just wants to check out a novel with a very large scope. Derry is made into this very real place, a place where only the universe's greatest evil could take up shop. I can't wait to revisit this novel somewhere along the line, and I'm praying to The Turtle that the new movie adaptation is at least better than the 1990 miniseries.
Great book with high stakes and memorable characters. The twist in the final chapter really caught me by surprise, and the cliffhanger ending made me want to tackle the final book immediately. As in the first book, the photos are endlessly engaging and provide a sense of realism to the increasingly more bizarre proceedings.
That said, I felt there could have been a bit more of what the title suggested, Hollow City. I wanted a city full of hollows and a constant sense of dread, which is only partially delivered upon. Despite the title subverting my expectations, there is an awful lot going on here with the characters and story so it can be easily forgiven. A shockingly dark moment towards the middle with the titular book character character is really well done, as is just about every moment with the wights.
Eye-opening and very effective, 13 Reasons Why is a quick read but one that really stays with you. I've never contemplated taking my own life before, but it's kind of fascinating to get into the headspace of someone who did. I know it's only fiction, but it felt so real. From the characters to the depth in dialogue and morose humor, I found this to be a really stunning book. It also has a sort of surreal mystery type vibe for most of the book, which works well in its favor.
Better than the first book in pretty much every way, Fifty Shades Darker is an entertaining erotic thriller with tons more character development and a rich love story. Much of the drama this time around involves Christian's past and his exes, and it definitely ups the stakes considerably. It's still not perfect - there's still a lot of “Oh My” and lots of “lascivious” looks - but this one has more fun in store for the reader and I really enjoyed it.
The Miserable Mill is the fourth book in A Series of Unfortunate Events, and in this installment, Lemony Snicket treats us to even more of the dark and zany humor we have come to love from the series. There's hypnosis, a terrible guardian whose face is never revealed and always shrouded in a cloud of smoke, and best of all, there is a swordfight between Sunny's teeth and an antagonist's sword.
Like The Wide Window, Snicket delves much more into “setting” and “mood” and beautifully animated the town of Paltryville, if you can call it beautiful in any sense. The best word to describe the town is probably “dreary”, a word which here means incredibly run-down and full of stacks of newspapers rather than trees.
Klaus's glasses are central to the plot, as is his hypnosis in general. One of the most fascinating parts of TMM is how each of the three orphans is forced to do something out of the norm, which is a nice departure from the previous 3 tales. I also loved Count Olaf's completely over-the-top disguise this time around.
The Wide Window is the third book in a row to kill off the Baudelaire's guardian by the end, but thankfully Aunt Josephine is far less kind than Uncle Monty. The outcome is still very sad, for although Josephine's last words are an attempt for Captain Sham to let her live and for him to keep the children, her life was still faced with just as much sadness and misfortune as the Baudelaire.
One thing I really enjoyed about the third book is how the whole town really comes to life and Lake Lachrymose really obtains a personality this way. It's the first time in the series where the setting is extremely essential in the events that occur. You feel the terror when the Lachrymose Leeches come out because of how much they've been built up throughout the rest of the book.
The mythology of the series is still slowly being shaped so there isn't much development on that front here, although there is certainly the mysterious accusation by Count Olaf at the end of being guilty of arson. Mr. Poe and all of the adults are just as dumb as ever, but that's kind of the point. The ending is also quite hopeful, as we get a real sense that this series is unified by the love of the three orphans.
As a follow-up to Bad Beginning, Reptile Room is simply superb. It takes the series into an even darker direction and is the first to utilize one of Olaf's disguises. The story carries a much greater emotional depth and the finale is a page-turner. The mythology is still starting to take shape and at this point we just get more of Count-Olaf-wants-their-fortune, which is totally not a problem. I could read a million books with that continuing story thread and never get bored. As it stands, The Reptile Room is a great sequel to Bad Beginning and begins putting the pieces together in a highly satisfying way.
The first book in ASOUE is a great beginning to all the various mysteries that grow more and more fascinating as the series goes on. This was my first time reading The Bad Beginning in a very very long time and yet all of it still remained incredibly vivid in my mind. The writing style is as poignant as ever, never afraid of going to very dark and disturbing places. I would recommend this for anyone who likes a good book, especially what I would consider a flawless piece of gothic literature.
My second time reading, and I still enjoy 50 Shades even though it isn't the best written book from a pure writer's standpoint. If graphic sex, an obscenely attractive man, and a heroine who constantly exclaims “oh my” are your thing, you could certainly do much worse than this first installment in the series.
I love the characters of Christian and Anastasia, because they feel pretty realistic. But at times the realism of Anna makes her a bit boring. The ending leaves you wanting more.
This book took me by surprise, and even if it's a bit of a slow read, it all comes together in the end in a way that is incredibly meaningful and heart-wrenching. I just recently lost someone very close to me to cancer, so this hit home in more ways than one. Highly recommended, especially if you're grieving. It makes the pain feel substantially less final.