cristian_m's reviews
598 reviews

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

emotional funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

2.75

• + absurdist deadpan humor
• + great characters with gripping backstories and reveals
• - the meta commentary undercuts the emotional investment
• - the choice of nonlinear storytelling also undercuts the emotional investment
• - the commentary itself is at the level of a high schooler that read three psychology books

Last Call by Tim Powers

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

• great ideas drawing on alchemy, Tarot, hermeticism
• fun romping plot
• thin characters
• too many characters
• plot stagnates in a lot of places, as the motivations and intentions of the characters are not clear

Songs of a Dead Dreamer by Thomas Ligotti

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

We: Understanding the Psychology of Romantic Love by Robert A. Johnson

challenging emotional informative mysterious reflective slow-paced

3.5

American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

The book has a lot of interesting ideas and a funny tone. however it mars itself towards the end when the plot becomes overly complicated

Unknown Armies: Book One: Play by Greg Stolze

dark funny informative slow-paced

4.0

Unknown Armies: Book Two: Run by Chad Underkoffler, Colleen Riley, Sophie Lagacé, Ryan Macklin, John Tynes, Chris Lites, Tim Dedopulos, Monica Valentinelli, W.J. MacGuffin, Filamena Young, Cam Banks, Shoshana Kessock, Greg Stolze

dark funny informative inspiring mysterious slow-paced

4.25

Tales from the Gas Station: Volume One by Jack Townsend

adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

Interesting ideas and funny at times, but the plot is incoherent and the pacing is awful 

Poisoner in Chief: Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA Search for Mind Control by Stephen Kinzer

dark informative slow-paced

3.75

The book is surprisingly comprehensive and informative given that the topic has been covered up in both secrecy and speculations. Extensive passages outline the many arms of the MKUltra family of projects, all of them with ruinous consequences.

Favorite random facts: 

• Project Acoustic Kitty (look it up on Wikipedia)
• Sydney Gottlieb was really into folk dances
• During senate hearings in his late life, as the skeleton were being dragged out of the CIA closet, Gottlieb denied knowing ANYTHING about the projects
• Sydney Gottlieb most likely committed suicide, due to the immense amount of stress caused by the investigations in

American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology by D.W. Pasulka

adventurous dark informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.0

Thoughtful analysis of religious thought patterns in new age belief systems around UFO, technology, and futurism.