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shanehawk's reviews
421 reviews
NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was my first foray into the work and mind of Joe Hill. I've heard his name for years. I'm glad to have finally checked out his work.
What a whopper of a novel! It clocks in at just under 800 pages. I rarely read long novels as they usually lose their steam somewhere around the second act. Gave it a go solely because it was the first read of 2021 picked by my book club, the HOWL Society (howlsociety.com). We usually read novels within a week, but I'm glad we afforded ourselves two weeks to finish this bad boy. Sadly, I wasn't able to take part much in our discussions as the timing coincides with when I'm at my day job.
Okay, now for the novel itself:
Hill's writing is reminiscent of his father's. This can be good or bad depending on one's tastes. As I have read no other Hill works, I'll assume the others are like King's writing as well. NOS4A2 was kind of fascinating. I had a great time in the mini world Hill created. It enticed me to check out his other novels and stories. My next Hill read may be Full Throttle as that's the only other Hill currently on my shelf. My only complaint is he could have improved the pacing of such a large novel.
I'd like to add that I switched between the audiobook and paperback. Within my book club, I heard so many members praise the narrator. Lo-and-behold, she's a known actress, Kate Mulgrew, from television series like Star Trek: Voyager and Orange is the New Black. Her narration was simply fantastic and made me want to leave the paperback behind.
What a whopper of a novel! It clocks in at just under 800 pages. I rarely read long novels as they usually lose their steam somewhere around the second act. Gave it a go solely because it was the first read of 2021 picked by my book club, the HOWL Society (howlsociety.com). We usually read novels within a week, but I'm glad we afforded ourselves two weeks to finish this bad boy. Sadly, I wasn't able to take part much in our discussions as the timing coincides with when I'm at my day job.
Okay, now for the novel itself:
Hill's writing is reminiscent of his father's. This can be good or bad depending on one's tastes. As I have read no other Hill works, I'll assume the others are like King's writing as well. NOS4A2 was kind of fascinating. I had a great time in the mini world Hill created. It enticed me to check out his other novels and stories. My next Hill read may be Full Throttle as that's the only other Hill currently on my shelf. My only complaint is he could have improved the pacing of such a large novel.
I'd like to add that I switched between the audiobook and paperback. Within my book club, I heard so many members praise the narrator. Lo-and-behold, she's a known actress, Kate Mulgrew, from television series like Star Trek: Voyager and Orange is the New Black. Her narration was simply fantastic and made me want to leave the paperback behind.
Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I started this book a week before I went to Arizona to see my great aunt and subsequently right behind COVID-19 tore through my family and got to me. My long read dates are no indication of a poor book. Life got in the way! And in a way, so did Mr. Death.
Not sure what I can say here that hasn’t been shared by many others. Shawn’s got a fantastic writing voice. From the first few chapters, I knew I’d want to meet this man someday. Bug is such a great character.
This book renewed my interest in the crime/noir genres. Thank you, Shawn, for this amazing ride. Can’t wait to read Razorblade Tears, brother.
P.S. I listened to the Audible version. Shawn or his publisher made an excellent choice in narrator. His voice acting was Grade A. Great stuff.
Not sure what I can say here that hasn’t been shared by many others. Shawn’s got a fantastic writing voice. From the first few chapters, I knew I’d want to meet this man someday. Bug is such a great character.
This book renewed my interest in the crime/noir genres. Thank you, Shawn, for this amazing ride. Can’t wait to read Razorblade Tears, brother.
P.S. I listened to the Audible version. Shawn or his publisher made an excellent choice in narrator. His voice acting was Grade A. Great stuff.
The Revelation by Bentley Little
dark
funny
mysterious
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I listened to half of this book via Scribd but the audiobook stopped working, and they no longer granted me access to finish it, so I cancelled my membership.
Read the rest via ebook rather slowly since September 2020. Life got busy with my debut book.
This is my first Bentley Little novel, and The Revelation was his first novel too. I liked it, but wish he would flesh out his characters better. Not a fan of his prolixity whereby a better writer, like Stephen King, could get the meaning across in half the word count. Some plot points were just ridiculous too.
With that being said, I’m not deterred from trying another Bentley Little book. I’d really like to try The Mailman or The Store. I also own a paperback of The Collection. We’ll see.
Read the rest via ebook rather slowly since September 2020. Life got busy with my debut book.
This is my first Bentley Little novel, and The Revelation was his first novel too. I liked it, but wish he would flesh out his characters better. Not a fan of his prolixity whereby a better writer, like Stephen King, could get the meaning across in half the word count. Some plot points were just ridiculous too.
With that being said, I’m not deterred from trying another Bentley Little book. I’d really like to try The Mailman or The Store. I also own a paperback of The Collection. We’ll see.
Into The Forest And All The Way Through by Cynthia Pelayo
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
5.0
Cina broke my heart and scattered it around like the title in the cover design. Ouch!
Am I a diehard true crime fan? No.
Do I watch Netflix's true crime offerings? No.
Did I find this poetry collection to be top notch? Yes.
I struggled with the content within these pages, for they hold lots of grief, pain, sorrow, and unforgettable loss. Horror is my favorite genre. Love monsters, love blood, love creepiness. But true crime is another monster. It's real. These things have happened to real people. I cannot separate myself from a true crime documentary the way I can from a horror movie.
I'm no poetry connoisseur, but I know heartfelt and intelligent prose when I see it. Cina painted these pages with beautiful words about beautiful lost women and girls. I dedicated my debut book to my girlfriend, but also all missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. It's such a terrible issue in my community, but Cina has broadened her scope to include all females, not just those in tribes.
Once I found out about her primary mission with this collection, I had to buy a paperback copy and support her. Cina's got my support moving forward, and I highly anticipate her release of Children of Chicago.
Am I a diehard true crime fan? No.
Do I watch Netflix's true crime offerings? No.
Did I find this poetry collection to be top notch? Yes.
I struggled with the content within these pages, for they hold lots of grief, pain, sorrow, and unforgettable loss. Horror is my favorite genre. Love monsters, love blood, love creepiness. But true crime is another monster. It's real. These things have happened to real people. I cannot separate myself from a true crime documentary the way I can from a horror movie.
I'm no poetry connoisseur, but I know heartfelt and intelligent prose when I see it. Cina painted these pages with beautiful words about beautiful lost women and girls. I dedicated my debut book to my girlfriend, but also all missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. It's such a terrible issue in my community, but Cina has broadened her scope to include all females, not just those in tribes.
Once I found out about her primary mission with this collection, I had to buy a paperback copy and support her. Cina's got my support moving forward, and I highly anticipate her release of Children of Chicago.
Hunger Pangs by Scott J. Moses
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Holy Moses! What a debut.
Scott's literary prose and his focus on creating spirited characters were the highlights of this horror collection. These stories will bite your leg and not let go. You'll care for the characters as they are not mere cardboard cutouts but fully fleshed individuals with lively personalities, voices, wants, and needs. He ends on such a high note with the titular story involving an exceptional vampire.
As with every collection or anthology, particular stories stand out more than others based on taste, experience, interest, etc. Here are mine:
Nowhere, Louisiana
Hunger Pangs
Adelaide
Blues Exorcist
I look forward to more from Scott J. Moses. He's a name to put on your dark fiction watch list. And I'm humbled to share the same month as him for a debut book (October 2020).
P.S. I switched between the audiobook and the Kindle edition. Moses commissioned a fantastic female narrator. Loved it.
Scott's literary prose and his focus on creating spirited characters were the highlights of this horror collection. These stories will bite your leg and not let go. You'll care for the characters as they are not mere cardboard cutouts but fully fleshed individuals with lively personalities, voices, wants, and needs. He ends on such a high note with the titular story involving an exceptional vampire.
As with every collection or anthology, particular stories stand out more than others based on taste, experience, interest, etc. Here are mine:
Nowhere, Louisiana
Hunger Pangs
Adelaide
Blues Exorcist
I look forward to more from Scott J. Moses. He's a name to put on your dark fiction watch list. And I'm humbled to share the same month as him for a debut book (October 2020).
P.S. I switched between the audiobook and the Kindle edition. Moses commissioned a fantastic female narrator. Loved it.
Myths about Ayn Rand: Popular Errors and the Insights They Conceal by Laurie Rice, William R. Thomas, David Kelley, Alexander R. Cohen
4.0
An Objective(ist) Look at Ayn Rand Strawmans
I entirely understand the valid criticisms of Ayn Rand, her philosophy and her politics. However, I’ve encountered numerous misrepresentations of her texts or views after telling people I’ve read “Anthem” and “The Fountainhead.” She’s a provocative figure in literature of the 20th century and I can understand why. Related: She uses the phrase “selfishness” in an unconventional way and at face value people scoff and disregard her further.
These short essays address the most egregious mistakes people make when presenting her views to refute them in an argument—one being she was a conservative or right-wing which is funny but understandable coming from someone unfamiliar. It’s worth a quick read for people who enjoy her literature and want to understand other viewpoints and see why those may be misguided and wrong. It could also be read by people who claim to hate her and her novels and allow them to re-evaluate their arguments and come from different, more objective angles.
I entirely understand the valid criticisms of Ayn Rand, her philosophy and her politics. However, I’ve encountered numerous misrepresentations of her texts or views after telling people I’ve read “Anthem” and “The Fountainhead.” She’s a provocative figure in literature of the 20th century and I can understand why. Related: She uses the phrase “selfishness” in an unconventional way and at face value people scoff and disregard her further.
These short essays address the most egregious mistakes people make when presenting her views to refute them in an argument—one being she was a conservative or right-wing which is funny but understandable coming from someone unfamiliar. It’s worth a quick read for people who enjoy her literature and want to understand other viewpoints and see why those may be misguided and wrong. It could also be read by people who claim to hate her and her novels and allow them to re-evaluate their arguments and come from different, more objective angles.
The Elephant in the Room: A Journey into the Trump Campaign and the Alt-Right by Jon Ronson
3.0
[a:Jon Ronson|1218|Jon Ronson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1428023511p2/1218.jpg] came into my radar once he was on the Joe Rogan Experience this year. I had not heard of him despite being responsible for [b:The Men Who Stare at Goats|1824|The Men Who Stare at Goats|Jon Ronson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1437183381s/1824.jpg|819599]. He's somewhat of a gonzo journalist and relies on emotion and personality to tell his narrative instead of hard facts. His writing here is relatively informal and easy to read. It's only about 45 digital pages and worth a read if you're unfamiliar with events surrounding the alt-right movement.
I've closely followed politics for the past two years and even more so since Trump got elected. This Kindle single was published more than a month before Election Day 2016 so it does not have the benefit of being aware that Trump and his team actually won the presidency. Near the end of the book he was a tad alarmist like a typical journalist, but it's forgivable because most, if not all, journalists have no idea how to handle the reality of Trump.
Throughout this short piece Ronson gives background on Alex Jones and Roger Stone most of all. He retells his personal experience with both of these men in the earliest reaches of the 2016 election cycle. What surprised me was him sharing his involvement with Alex Jones in the late 90s when they went to Bohemian Grove to try and expose the rituals held there by elitists.
Overall, I did not gain much of anything from this read because I am fairly cognizant when it comes to modern politics. I wouldn't exactly recommend it to anyone I know, but they're free to give it a spin. Won't hurt much with it being less than fifty pages.
I'll leave you with the hilariously ironic ending (spoiler alert):
I've closely followed politics for the past two years and even more so since Trump got elected. This Kindle single was published more than a month before Election Day 2016 so it does not have the benefit of being aware that Trump and his team actually won the presidency. Near the end of the book he was a tad alarmist like a typical journalist, but it's forgivable because most, if not all, journalists have no idea how to handle the reality of Trump.
Throughout this short piece Ronson gives background on Alex Jones and Roger Stone most of all. He retells his personal experience with both of these men in the earliest reaches of the 2016 election cycle. What surprised me was him sharing his involvement with Alex Jones in the late 90s when they went to Bohemian Grove to try and expose the rituals held there by elitists.
Overall, I did not gain much of anything from this read because I am fairly cognizant when it comes to modern politics. I wouldn't exactly recommend it to anyone I know, but they're free to give it a spin. Won't hurt much with it being less than fifty pages.
I'll leave you with the hilariously ironic ending (spoiler alert):
"The idea of Donald Trump and Alex Jones and Roger Stone and Stephen Bannon having power over us--that is terrifying."
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
4.0
Written over a hundred years ago in 1902 we gain a perspective of this time period in regards to the circumstances of men. In Allen’s line of thinking we see he is an ardent believer in the power of thought.
“As A Man Thinketh” is an approximative self-help book for men of the 1900’s in search of pathways to betterment. Some aspects Allen believes men can become better through positive thought are circumstance, health, and attaining goals. Over the span of seven short chapters a man can gain some philosophical sense about their life and how to progress to a more “Godlike character.”
A myriad of self-help authors themselves refer to this book as most inspirational for their field of work. If it’s good enough for them I’d say it’s a good enough read for any man starting on the path to manhood.
“As A Man Thinketh” is an approximative self-help book for men of the 1900’s in search of pathways to betterment. Some aspects Allen believes men can become better through positive thought are circumstance, health, and attaining goals. Over the span of seven short chapters a man can gain some philosophical sense about their life and how to progress to a more “Godlike character.”
A myriad of self-help authors themselves refer to this book as most inspirational for their field of work. If it’s good enough for them I’d say it’s a good enough read for any man starting on the path to manhood.
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
5.0
Bryson went all out in this expansive book to cover the history of the universe, stars, planets and just about every science there is in addition to the progression of humans acquiring this knowledge.
It was a bit voluminous and abrasive for me to read as my mind isn’t acclimated to science and I’m more inclined to read Bryson’s adventure books. Nevertheless, this is a fantastic read chock-full of information written in a style less dull than textbooks I had growing up. Side note: some information is naturally outdated as new discoveries have been made in the 14 years after its first publication.
This is a great book for anyone interested in the sciences and wanting to delve into their histories. Bryson is a thorough fella.
Bryson doesn’t shirk his brand of humor and it complements throughout. I’ll leave you with, in my opinion, the book’s funniest footnote:
“The indigestible parts of giant squid, in particular their beaks, accumulate in sperm whales’ stomachs into the substance known as ambergris, which is used as a fixative in perfumes. The next time you spray on Chanel No. 5 (assuming you do), you may wish to reflect that you are dousing yourself in distillate of unseen sea monster.”
It was a bit voluminous and abrasive for me to read as my mind isn’t acclimated to science and I’m more inclined to read Bryson’s adventure books. Nevertheless, this is a fantastic read chock-full of information written in a style less dull than textbooks I had growing up. Side note: some information is naturally outdated as new discoveries have been made in the 14 years after its first publication.
This is a great book for anyone interested in the sciences and wanting to delve into their histories. Bryson is a thorough fella.
Bryson doesn’t shirk his brand of humor and it complements throughout. I’ll leave you with, in my opinion, the book’s funniest footnote:
“The indigestible parts of giant squid, in particular their beaks, accumulate in sperm whales’ stomachs into the substance known as ambergris, which is used as a fixative in perfumes. The next time you spray on Chanel No. 5 (assuming you do), you may wish to reflect that you are dousing yourself in distillate of unseen sea monster.”