tiedyedude's reviews
1070 reviews

Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

emotional inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

A based-on-true-events picture book about the author's grandparents meeting at an interment camp. A sweet story set in an awful location, the author focuses on hope, language, and love, leaving the horrors as vague concepts.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This has all the creepy vibes! Noemi (I love that name!) is tasked by her father to travel to High House to check on her cousin, who, after a rushed marriage to a less-than-desirable societal match, has been sending cryptic and concerning communications. The house and its inhabitant seem trapped in the past, and Noemi finds herself trapped at first by duty to her family, and soon by the house itself. 

Tales From Development Hell): The Greatest Movies Never Made? by David Hughes

informative medium-paced

3.5

 I have been picking through this book for a while. It is great for reading a chapter here and there. A good mix of screenplays that were never produced, and screenplays that went through so many revision they became unrecognizable compared to the original iteration. Thoroughly researched and well written, it is a fun read for anyone interested in film development or behind-the-scenes Hollywood stories. 

Pounded in the Butt by My Own Butt by Chuck Tingle

Hahaha, erotica, even humorous erotica, is definitely not for me, but having Cecil Baldwin narrate took off the edge enough for me to listen through. Definitely a unique author, but I'll stick to his ace-positive work and I'm interested in his more "mainstream" novels.

Absolutely No Thoughts Of Pounding During My Fun Day With This Kind T-Rex Because I'm Aromantic And Asexual And That's A Wonderfully Valid Way Of Proving Love Is Real by Chuck Tingle

funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.75

After reading about Chuck Tingle for about 15 minutes online this morning, I decided to give one of his asexual writings a try, and it was a delight! Gleefully meta, you can't help but smile at the blunt affirmations and blatant cracks at the expense of our culture of compulsory sexuality. I'm not sure his erotica would interest me much, but I'll definitely be checking out more of his plutonic fiction and his more recent novels.

The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight by Andrew Leland

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

This was a really interesting look at the experiences and politics of the blind community from someone who has a degenerative condition. I appreciated learning from the perspective of someone who will soon no longer be an outsider and who is trying to figure out his place in a complicated social structure, while presenting the information in an unbiased way. 

Baltimore Omnibus Volume 1 by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

 An excellent take on vampire lore by gothic extraordinaire Mike Mignola. Lord Baltimore travels Europe on the hunt for the vampire that killed his family; the vampire he awakened during a battle at the height of WWI. Fueled by guilt and revenge, Baltimore's hunt is complicated by the rising of ancient evil throughout the continent. 

Sentient by Jeff Lemire

dark emotional tense fast-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

4.5

The Talk by Darrin Bell

challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

5.0

An absolutely essential book that probably won't be read by the people who need to experience it. Bell documents his 50 years in America as a black man, reflecting on all the shit you can probably guess he's been through, as well as the impact of major social events. I was tempted to post the page where he has "the talk" with his son, but while beautifully written, it is the culmination of the whole story, so it didn't feel right. You just need to read it to get the full impact. 

My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-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

3.5

I am glad I read this, and I'll continue the series, but this was tough to get into. There was something in the writing that made the flow a struggle. I had to re-read sentences often. Jade is very private and withdrawn, which comes through well, but also makes the story hard to follow at times, like there's always a detail missing or a thought unfinished. It really picks up after page 200, which is probably past the bail point for many, but if you can find a groove and push through, it is a very rewarding tale. I am interested in seeing how the story continues.