Scan barcode
lisacerezo's reviews
55 reviews
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
5.0
This is the benchmark by which I judge all film adaptations of books. And novelizations of movies. Such a treat to read!
Misery by Stephen King
5.0
This book really took off after the halfway point and I could not put it down. As so often happens, I enjoyed the glimmer of other stories tucked away in little moments. Likewise I could tell the folks behind season two of Castle Rock did their homework — nice parallels in the show.
I can’t help but think of King’s own accident, though it happened years after Misery was published. This feels very autobiographical and somehow precognitive, which makes it all the more viscerally creepy.
I can’t help but think of King’s own accident, though it happened years after Misery was published. This feels very autobiographical and somehow precognitive, which makes it all the more viscerally creepy.
11/22/63 by Stephen King
5.0
I first attempted to read this a few years ago, and it just didn’t hook me. I’ve been known to read a chapter or two at a library or bookstore, and if I still want to know what happens next, I’ll get the book. But for whatever reason, it just didn’t appeal to me the first time around. Then a year or two later, my son gave me a copy as a gift, because he knew it was one of the few King novels I didn’t already own. And when I tried it again, it held my attention. I think at first I wasn’t clued in to the nuances of the setup early enough. But once I caught on to where the story was going, that was enough to keep me reading.
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
5.0
I remember reading Anansi stories for probably the first time when I used to teach preschool. What a glorious way to revisit those stories in such a funny, daring, “grown up” way now. I could nearly hear Neil’s own voice as I read, which was an extra treat. This is proof that fairy tales aren’t just for the very young.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
5.0
Captivating read
It’s been a while since I devoured a book in less than a day, but I could not stop reading this once I had begun. I came to this book knowing very little about it, and I’m glad that’s how it was. Approaching this story with the naïveté of a child definitely serves a reader well. And experiencing this story in first person had tremendous effect for both the fantasy elements and to explore the persistence (or lack thereof) of memory.
It’s been a while since I devoured a book in less than a day, but I could not stop reading this once I had begun. I came to this book knowing very little about it, and I’m glad that’s how it was. Approaching this story with the naïveté of a child definitely serves a reader well. And experiencing this story in first person had tremendous effect for both the fantasy elements and to explore the persistence (or lack thereof) of memory.
Some Things I Still Can't Tell You by Misha Collins
5.0
I can tell that this is a collection I will revisit frequently. My first read was more out of curiosity about the scope of the work, and while a few poems stood out on that first read, I know that there are others that ask me to come back and sit with them for a while. Overall, I found this collection to be incredibly accessible and very down-to-earth.
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
5.0
It’s been a long time since any book made me feel so many emotions, so deeply. Though I am usually content for a book to lead me by the nose, so to speak, there was an incredible sense of joy and wonder at the various realizations of where the story was going—realizations made often barely a few pages before they happened. The hardest moments and the kindest moments (for me, anyway) all happened in the same location.
That the author gave so much exploration of life’s meaning and purpose—and during the height of the pandemic, no less—gives yet more layers to a story that is already very densely populated. That he took time at the end to acknowledge various texts that inspired him made me smile. If I ever finish any massive work like this, I may do the same.
Many have remarked that this is a somewhat difficult book to get into. But once you’re in, it’s an incredible journey. I can’t wait to go again.
That the author gave so much exploration of life’s meaning and purpose—and during the height of the pandemic, no less—gives yet more layers to a story that is already very densely populated. That he took time at the end to acknowledge various texts that inspired him made me smile. If I ever finish any massive work like this, I may do the same.
Many have remarked that this is a somewhat difficult book to get into. But once you’re in, it’s an incredible journey. I can’t wait to go again.