tobin_elliott's reviews
540 reviews

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

informative fast-paced

5.0

Wow.

I know a lot of reviewers are slagging the hell out of this book, but here's what I'll say...

This book, while thick, has very brief slices of all aspects of the creative process and, to me, no one has ever better captured precisely how I work when I create. Honestly, at times it felt as though Rubin was in my head and had observed the stages and aspects of my creative process, then translated it into this book.

As well, I can say that I had a fairly severe crisis of creativity, literally questioning whether I should keep going, about a month ago.

And this book, Rubin's observations and illustrations and explanations? Yeah, it went a long way in bringing me back to faith in myself and how I do things.

Does he hit a couple of sour notes along the way? Yes. But is that also part of the creative process too. I choose to ignore those, and focus on the other 99% of this book, because what he offers is wonderful.

Maeve Fly by CJ Leede

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.25

I enjoyed this one, and how it unapologetically borrowed from—and in my opinion, vastly improved upon—AMERICAN PSYCHO, a book that I'm on record for absolutely loathing. I have my reasons, and I can't be bothered going through them yet again. 

But this one? I enjoyed Maeve's journey to finding herself, to breaking free of the conventions, I loved the backstory, I loved all of it. Even when it got gorey, though Leede looks away as much as she stares down the gore.

However, when comparing it with her next novel, AMERICAN RAPTURE, I can see how she'd grown from this to that. Less reliance on other novels and music to make her point.

A good book, and worth the read. I'm looking forward to what she comes up with next.

The Book of Elsewhere by China Miéville, Keanu Reeves
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.

Yeah, this one's a hard no. 

Now, I've read every single issue of the BRZRKR comic series that this book is based on, and I catch the references. And no, no one will ever mistake any issue of that series as Important Literature. But the comic has two things going for it that are completely missing here.

The first is, the series tells a story and for the most part, it's clear and understandable. The second is, the series is written well. Not overwritten, not underwritten. Not fantastic, but not terrible.

This book though? I have no idea how much—if any—input Reeves had in it, and I do get the impression they wanted to both broaden and deepen the mythos of Unute (aka B) which isn't a bad thing. But—and again, I'm guessing here, but I'm guessing China Miéville is the sole writer—the various narrative voices in this book, because we're literally bouncing from narrator to narrator, is both confusing as hell, as well as terribly written. 

I tried, because I'm a fan of the comic. I really tried. 

But with every book that ultimately ends up a DNF, there's a point where I stop reading and just ask myself, "do I care what happens next? Have I cared at any point in this story?" And if the answers are "no" to both, as they were with this book, I stop reading.

But you know what? Typically, I still usually keep the book, or donate it. This one? This one's getting returned for a refund.

No rating, because of the DNF.

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

Well...crap.

This was one I was REALLY looking forward to (though, I guess when a certain reviewer says it's the scariest thing they've read, I should know better...I rarely agree with them). Anyway, this is the story of one stupid decision after another, and that's a story I have no patience for.

But then, about two-thirds of the way through, Kliewer did something miraculous and put a shed out in the middle of nowhere for Eve to find...and I felt the horror starting to open up, to blossom, to get real...

...and then she left the shed and we never heard about any of that ever again (okay, there was one small mention that was useless)...

So, for a few pages, this is a really cool horror novel. For the rest of it, it's about a woman regretting everything she just did, but just keeps right on doing it.

Two stars for those ten or so good pages.

DMZ, Vol. 9: M.I.A. by Brian Wood, Riccardo Burchielli

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Honestly, the longer this series goes on, the more I like it. Wood and Burchielli just keep finding new avenues to explore and the art and storylines just get more and more engaging.

And this? This was like feeling the foundation settle a bit. Let's see where we go from here.

Dead Beat by Jim Butcher

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

4.25

Okay folks, this is it. This is the one.

This is the one that, instead of me thinking it was kind of fun, kind of okay, with some really good parts, but also some stuff I could do without?

Yeah, this one I truly ENJOYED. It was FUN. Stuff HAPPENED. Things that happened in previous novels were brought back and paid off. More things are set up to happen going forward.

This one felt like Butcher finally hit his stride.

Planet of the Apes: Fall of Man by David F. Walker

emotional informative tense medium-paced

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

2.75

This was, by no means, awful, but it wasn't fantastic. Found it a little repetitious. Yes, we get it, the apes didn't cause the pandemic, but they're blamed for it. Yes, they're our only hope for a cure.

It's a good set up, but we'll see where it leads, I guess. Art was serviceable, if not spectacular.

So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison

adventurous dark emotional funny tense 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? Yes

4.5

So, while I found SUCH SHARP TEETH fun but (pardon the pun) somewhat toothless, and had decided that perhaps her writing wasn't for me, I happened to end up sitting on a horror authors' panel with Harrison, and I was truly enthralled with her theories both on why authors write horror and why readers read it.

So, I thought, okay, I've read an earlier novel, lets read one of her newest.

I'm really glad I did. The things I enjoyed about SHARP TEETH—the dialogue, the cast of characters, the main character, and the overall theme—were still there. But this time, there was a lot more depth and the themes hit harder. 

I'd still like to see some of the dangling plot lines (there was absolutely no fallout from her separation, or Naomi's for that matter?), but overall, I really enjoyed this very contemporary take on vampires. 

And I have to say, the elements that some are complaining about (the quick, sudden attraction to Henry, her transition from bored housewife to vampire, all of it) that others felt were either too cliché or not developed well enough? I'll just say I disagree.

Good book. 

Beast: Werewolves, Serial Killers, and Man-Eaters: The Mystery of the Monsters of the Gévaudan by S.R. Schwalb, Gustavo Sánchez Romero

adventurous informative slow-paced

2.0

Well, while there was some interesting stuff in the first half, I wasn't happy about how some of it had been written to give it more action and drama. Felt like a way to get a cheap thrill.

Regardless, all that went out the window in the second half. Dry, dry, dry. Where the first half occasionally eschewed straight facts for excitement, the second half eliminated everything but facts, and they often restated the same points over and over again.

I learned some stuff, and for that, I'll give it two stars, but I was also bludgeoned over the head with far too many facts about hyenas, and wolves, and large felines.

Helen of Wyndhorn by Tom King

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

This was...stunning. 

I'm going to state right up front that I've never really noticed Bilquis Evely's art before now, but this? This should elevate her to the top of the industry. She draws like Bernie Wrightson, but more angular. There's some other influences in there, but Wrightson's detailed, gorgeous art was the biggest reminder for me. But it's all absolutely her own style and it didn't just make this story...it elevated it.

And Tom King's story was everything I wanted it to be, and more. 

This was easily my favourite fantasy read of the entire year. Simply amazing, start to finish.