torchlab's reviews
129 reviews

4.0

One thing i really admire about this book is how it manages to feel insular and expansive at the same time — on one level it’s about the secrets of an isolated and quirky small town but also it is about the legacy of japanese imperialism and the rot it left behind at the core of japanese society

The Book of the Most Precious Substance by Sara Gran

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3.0

I really liked the premise and characters in this but sometimes the plot was like. Okay this is the fifth rich asshole you’ve talked to and he’s exactly like all the other rich assholes can we get some other types of guy in here please

Come Closer by Sara Gran

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3.0

Not as scary as i wanted it to be but still fun

Dark Entries by Robert Aickman

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4.5

Probably my favorite Aickman collection I’ve read so far. The first and last stories in this are brilliant, and brilliantly placed — they parallel each other perfectly. Aickman is so good at writing horror because he understands that on some level what we are most afraid of is what we most desire.

The Devil's Best Trick by Randall Sullivan

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2.5

Imagine if Daniel Molloy (TV version) was real and Catholic and obsessed with the devil instead of vampires

Does get a little racist & sexist with it at times. Weird section of apologia for Spanish colonization of Latin America which then makes sense once you realize the author is deeply catholic and believes the aztec empire literally worshipped satan, who is real. Ok whatever man

Dayswork by Chris Bachelder, Jennifer Habel

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4.0

Before reading dayswork: herman melville seems like he was crazy and gay
After reading dayswork: herman melville was definitely crazy and gay

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

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4.0

What if there was a weird guy ….. and he proposed to you

Terminal Maladies by Okwudili Nebeolisa

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5.0

So beautiful, so clear, so moving. A triumph of a debut.