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tiedyedude's reviews
1067 reviews
Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Damn, Seanan, the ending on this one was just brutal! I think I'm due for a re-read of this series; I forgot that Nadya was in an earlier entry. Brilliant, vivid world building, as always. Follows the recent trend of dropping major hints about the doors, but still not giving any details. What is your game here, Seanan?!
The Shining by Stephen King
4.5
King famously disliked the film adaptation of The Shining. Having seen the movie several times, I guess I can see his dissatisfaction, but I think Kubrick did a good job. The book is different enough that I got well caught up in the suspense. Usually, King really flushes out the community that the book is taking place in, but this has such a narrow scope that the few characters and the hotel itself get much more attention. Very good.
Batman by Craig Shaw Gardner
3.75
Roddy McDowall provides excellent narration of the novelization of the 1989 Batman movie. Fans of the animated series will know him as the voice of the Mad Hatter, and you can just tell he is having a blast when he gets to cut loose with the Joker scenes! The novelization is fine; a few scenes omitted, not much added. Definitely worth a listen in audio, though.
Lost Buildings by Tim Samuelson, Chris Ware, Ira Glass
informative
reflective
3.5
A friend bought me this set years ago. Titled "Lost Buildings" (not in database) it contains a DVD of a live recording of This American Life discussing the architect Louis Sullivan and the demolition of his buildings in Chicago. The book is a companion to the video, detailed photographic records of the buildings discussed. I don't have many thoughts on architecture, but this project makes it easy to see what was so special about these buildings.
The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
4.5
My first read of 2025! I love the Powell/Loy movies, and I think the first film does an excellent job at adapting this book. If you are not familiar with the title, this is a well done detective novel with fun, sassy characters and an intriguing mystery. But if you've seen the movie, it doesn't really offer much additional story or insight. Still, since it has been a while since I've watched the movie, I had a blast revisiting Nick and Nora.
Where The Body Was by Ed Brubaker
3.75
This is one of those titles where the story doesn't match the cover. There is a body, but it is not the central story. It is more of a slice of life of a small town street in 1984, and the different colorful characters. The writing reminded me of Stephen King.
Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
4.25
Not only my favorite cover of the books I've read this year, but one of my top reads! Wonderfully sweet until it's not 😈 It's hard to know how much to talk about; the tag line lets you know it is going to turn dark, but the romance really is nicely portrayed, and the main character's internal thoughts are is so well described. At just under 200 pages, it could absolutely be a one-sitting read. I did three, but it was hard to put down in between. I haven't read a book in a while where the villain wins, which was a fun twist.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks
informative
reflective
medium-paced
2.75
I have mixed feelings about this book. The author admits in the new preface that many terms used are no longer generally accepted and many patient descriptors are far from nuanced. While his attempts to humanize individuals who society and medicine tend to disregard are admirable, most profiles are simply a collection of observations and anecdotes, rarely providing any professional or psychological analysis or interpretation. Maybe that is due to the lack of terms and diagnoses of the time, but, while I'm sure the intent was to show that individuals with mental differences are no less human than the general population, and he often succeeds in this portrayal, it also sometimes leads to a feeling of exploitation, IMO. He also makes constant references to other texts, both of others and his own, with little explanation, as though he just assumes everyone reading his book is a scholar of the topic. Interesting and historically significant writing, but I'm sure there are more modern and less problematic books out there .