Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Re-Read.

It's Poirot. When reading Poirot, we all must use those little grey cells.

If you don't, then perhaps you ought to be one of those that go missing. You know... as a trick. Well, our treat, but mostly a trick.

Happy Halloween!




Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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Ghost Stories: Stephen Fry's Definitive Collection by Stephen Fry


The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Easily one of my favorite stories of the spooky tradition. And yes, it IS superior to the movies, with the minor exception of a certain dog named Snoopy.



Lost Hearts by M.R. James

No matter the age, the old always seem to want to consume the young. :)



Was It an Illusion? By Amelia B. Edwards

I know this is a classic, having read it many times in many anthologies, but it still holds up for the most part. The whole seeing visions, uncovering secrets, is seriously old-school. Just like this tale.



The Body Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson

This is an old-time favorite for me. Robert Louis Stevenson really rocks a good story, novel, anything. Of course, when it comes to this particular profession, I LOVE the turnabout. :)


The Empty House by Algernon Blackwood

Little old ladies challenging a grown damn man to a battle of nerves. :) Muahahahaha



William Wilson by Edgar Allan Poe

I'm a big fan of the doppelganger story, so this was a (repeated) treat for me. No spoilers, but if you haven't heard of Poe yet... shame on you.


The Open Door by Charlotte Riddell

The mystery takes the front row seat on this one. It has decent atmosphere, even if it doesn't reach the heights of the others in this collection, but I have to admit that Poltergeist spoiled me.


The Judge’s House by Bram Stoker

Fantastically creepy. Don't be fooled with Bram Stoker. He ain't no one-hit wonder. That rope... so delicious. Don't -- or can't -- sleep on this one. :)



I admit it, I re-read all of these primarily because Fry read them to me. But after getting through them all again, I'm just as happy to revisit all these classics. Totally worth it.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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The Witchstone by Henry H. Neff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful.

I didn't quite know where to place this, considering that it has considerable humor, but only to UF levels, or that it feels like a horror that could easily go the full-out, everyone-gets-hurt, path.

But in reality? Laslo the demon is a rogue with a heart of gold, and the two kids he goes on a road trip around the world with are pretty cool peeps. Breaking a curse was never so much fun.

There are lots of cool demons, adjacents, and normal people populating these pages -- and even a cool priest. The hearts (literal and figurative) are the best parts.

I think this is a pretty great, light, fun read. I may have teared up a bit at the end.

See? Demons really ARE the victims of a bad PR campaign. Or not. Whatever. Individuals are individuals. :)



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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The Night Parade by Ronald Malfi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

For the most part, I didn't mind this book. It had a very familiar feel, you know, like all father (or father-like) figures traveling with a young girl through a wasteland books, movies, or... video games.

It wasn't bad in any sense of the word. It was exactly what it set out to be.

However, it also wasn't very original. It was actually kind of bland.

I've read a lot of dystopias and this came across as a simple mix of most. Fine if that's all you want, but that's it.

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Beware of Chicken 3 by CasualFarmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have always been and perhaps will always be a sucker for tournament stuff.

Spirit animals straight off the farm go to the big city to participate in a big tournament.

What might go wrong?

I think I liked this one more than the previous two, combined. Very fun progression fantasy--at last.




On a personal note:
I'm looking for readers. I have a huge backlog of my own SF... so, you happy readers, please feel free to DM me for a free copy.

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Insomnia by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Re-Read.

Okay, so who knows? I may be the only one that was THRILLED by this novel.

I mean, sure, it FEELS like it's just a novel about an old, old man who, after losing his wife, starts seeing auras and shit and gets embroiled in plots to save innocents from anti-life pro-lifers.

BUT.

Muahahahahahaha I'll just say this: if you're a Dark Tower fan, or specifically, a SK worldbuilding fan, complete with a huge wall with pushpins and string and a wild, wild look in your eyes, then this particular 1994 book is a TRIP.

I think I could easily call this a sequel to IT. So many characters and references to IT show up, not to mention that this takes place in Derry 8 years after the main flood. There's no return of Pennywise, mind you, and while Derry shows up in a number of SK's novels, this place takes the throne for nasty-ass-places-to-live in any universe.

And as for the DT references, no other SK novel goes quite this far to step into Mid World, or traveling the KA, or even seeing SK's greatest evil, than Insomnia.

Sure, it goes OUT THERE, but I appreciate it for exactly what it is: a pure Dark Fantasy with horror elements.

Eat up, DT fans.

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Time Travelers Never Die by Jack McDevitt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An okay time travel novel. Standard situations, normal famous-meets through time. It's not the worst I've read, but it is far from the best, too. It hearkens back to the golden and silver age SF and gives the readers a chance to re-familiarize themselves with big names (if we ever forgot them).


Honestly? Go for Jodi Taylor. That's where the fun hides out.

Still, this isn't bad -- it's simply not standout.




On a personal note:
I'm looking for readers for my own SF. You happy readers -- DM me for a free copy.

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Octavia Gone by Jack McDevitt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't get to read many SF like this anymore. It just doesn't get published as far as I can see.

What kind of SF?

A richly imagined future populated by archeology-driven crews, devoted to exploration, knowledge, and uncovering sometimes slow mysteries.

In this particularly fine book, it's about exploring every nook and cranny to discover what happened to the Octavia space station.

Let me just point out something particularly special about these books: practically all the characters are level-headed.

Let me repeat that.

Practically all the characters are level-headed.

That's not to say that those who are investigated are level-headed, or that the alien societies are. Heck, this novel continues the conversation about AIs in a particularly fine way, too. But let me just point out, once again, that this, or these, are quite comforting reads. As in, it helps me restore a bit of faith in humanity.

I think we should all be a bit thankful for that.





Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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Beware of Chicken 2 by CasualFarmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Continuation of this cozy cultivator novel. Spirit farm animals, one-ness with the earth, farming, and happy home life.

Honestly, it's as advertised. Some fighting, prep and cultivation, some breakthroughs, but really, it's all about just having a happy home life. The chicken barely had a part to play in it.

(But his legend lives on.)

It's quite relaxing when you don't expect all too much.

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Death Game Quality Assurance by Andrew Rowe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So, yeah. I don't like to be one of those readers that say that complain about authors who try truly niche fiction -- yeah, this coming form an author that writes pretty good LitRPG, which is quite niche -- but yeah, there is a niche too far.

In this case, it's video game quality assurance -- you know, game-breakers -- sitting in their shoes and enjoying tons of in-jokes, but honestly, it should have been more grounded and less short. Maybe. Or more relatable. -- and this, coming from a guy who loves playing video games.

It's okay, not great, but okay. It's not Sword Art Online.

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Changing Faces by Sarah Lin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Two things: if you like the early Elric fantasy series, together with its pacing and feel, you'll like this particular LitRPG. Sure, it just takes on the first ten levels of adventuring, but the feel is everything.

Other than that, it's pretty average. Quests, team-ups, low level fights.

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The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Honestly, I've been a fairly big fan of the Korean Revenge Fantasy thing for a while, starting with older movies, then more recently, with wicked reading. I kinda hoped this would meet my craving.

However, it didn't quite come across as good as I'd hoped. The nuance isn't really here. The hate for blue-eyed devils, whether justified or not, just came across as pure revenge fantasy with motives that are either (view spoiler)[explained away as a brain tumor (hide spoiler)] or (view spoiler)[a-ok because lecherous, misogynistic asian-fetishism should always be met with the gouging out of eyeballs and eating them (hide spoiler)].

If that's all we want out of a tale of (view spoiler)[revenge-porn cannibalism (hide spoiler)] then have at it! But after reading Vegetarian and a few other like-minded feminist Korean horrors, I can't say this reaches the top of scale. Perhaps it's because it's a one-way mirror, focused only on justifications for her increasingly erratic behavior.

Of course, as a horror, this is to be expected. But also, as a horror, I do expect somewhat more. If I ignore the part where the novel tired me out and drained me, I could say it's an average horror entry lacking in anything but fantasy-level motivations. If others want to subtext it, they're welcome to it. It is revenge porn--of a type. Feminist revenge porn can be very fun. This one, however? Mileage may vary.

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All's Well by Mona Awad
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my second read of Awad after Bunny and I honestly had no idea what to expect except one thing: engaging writing, maybe a fever dream or two, and wonderfully clear voice.

I definitely got these. But more importantly, I was deeply impressed with the topic it tackled: chronic pain and medical gaslighting. To me, that was a lot more interesting than the whole stage adaptation kerfuffle between the Scottish Play and All's Well That Ends Well. Maybe these two plays worked really well as a tragicomedy in context with the core subject of pain and delusion and witchery and self-medication -- or maybe not.

Either way, it made the novel INTERESTING.

You know, more than anything, it reminded me of The Substance. (Or rather, the other way around, but not in my reading/viewing order.) They really belong in the same category, though, and more power to the readers who want either! :)

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Impact Winter by Travis Beacham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A light popcorn read with a full cast featuring a world of night after a comet hits, when all the vampires come out.

The melodrama, vampire hunting, everything, is obviously dialogue-heavy, thanks to the rather BBC radio-drama-type style.

I had a fun time with it, but with one caveat: I love my descriptions in my books, and this was all fit together as, simply, a radio drama. So, I ask myself, where are the vamp fights? Where's all the blood, not just the implications of blood?

Well, manage your expectations and enjoy the social aspects of vampirism. lol

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Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of the most solid witchery books I've ever read, straddling that fence between realism and historical accuracy (until we get to a very satisfying break from it) and gloriously supernatural witchery.

Basically, it pulls off a great hat-trick. As a horror, it has great timing and build-up, giving us humor in all the right places, and an emotionally satisfying end. Read: bloody.

Of course, these old New England types REALLY had it coming to them. So let's rejoice and praise God! Gods. Whatever. This was some quality stuff, either way.

Happy Spooktober!

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文豪ストレイドッグス 4 [Bungō Stray Dogs 4] by Kafka Asagiri
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 rounded up. We get an intro to the Guild and deal with Montgomery's powers, but so far I'm not really feeling these new characters all that much. It almost feels like an entirely different series. I can't quite tell if it's supposed to be serious or goofy, but perhaps that's the trick.

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文豪ストレイドッグス 3 [Bungō Stray Dogs 3] by Kafka Asagiri
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We finally get the first real fight of the series here. Or rather, the first real dichotomy. And a bit of reveal for the mafia AND the detective agency.

There's really one thing I DO love about this manga, however. The characters are all named for classic, well-known authors. Japanese ones take up half the list, but also Christie, Dostoevsky, and Faulkner. And that's just so far. Later on, we get many more. And best of all? They all get powers based on references to a specific title the real ones wrote. It's a nice twist on superhero stuff.

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Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 217, October 2024 by Neil Clarke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Abby Nicole Yee ("A Space O/pera") -- (5*) Nicely fascinating, blending a post-fake society with a wedding, a space dog, and an emotional mystery. I really liked this one.


Nigel Brown ("The Buried People") -- (4*) Odd frontier SF, but it's the questions--to me--that drives this story.


Fiona Moore ("The Children of Flame") -- (2*) Nomads and subtle post-apoc communities are a special breed for me--either I love them, get eerie'd out, fascinated, or... I don't. This one didn't really catch me at all.


Arula Ratnakar ("Fractal Karma") -- (5*) This full novella takes its lovely time getting to some seriously hard core SFnal (wonderfully math heavy) ideas. Topography as applied to consciousness. Solid dark ending. This kind of story is one very dear to my heart. And so far, it's easily the best story of the month.


Louis Inglis Hall ("Fishing the Intergalactic Stream") -- (4*) This clipped, imaginative tour of alien fisheries was somewhat relaxing. Just sit back and fish. Of course, the twist was pretty obvious, but nice for all that.


Mike Robinson ("Midnight Patron") -- (4*) Anyone want an artistic crow's vision of our future? Ah, it's the implications that I liked best.


Damián Neri ("The Face of A Documentary") -- (5*) Brilliantly irreverent and I'm all about remembering James Morrow. This one is a very nice documentary-like nod, with some slight alterations. And now I kinda wish we had THIS story instead of the one we got in the movie Deep Impact. Alas.

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Carrie by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Re-Read.

I remember reading this way back in 1989, shortly after reading Pet Sematary. As a young kid, I totally got into the whole revenge factor for being picked on, but back then, I thought it was a lesser work of SK because I was stacking it against the other and IT.

I FINALLY got around to re-reading it now, and I really got into it a lot more than before. The interviews were something else. So was the assumption of vast changes in the world afterward. It just had a feel to it that was raw and so much more than the YA revenge fantasy that it actually is.

So now I get it, so late into my fanboying over SK's work, why this struck such a nerve in 1974, why it got SK all over the map. Just think about it. Girl gets her period, grows up under massive religious straitjackets and ignorance, has TK, is bullied to hell. Its a real powder-keg and aside from the TK, it could happen anywhere.


Here's to the girl that snapped.

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The Devil's Evidence by Simon Kurt Unsworth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Noir -- damned-soul, turned Head Information Officer in Hell--Mr. Fool is doing well for himself.

Not only is he solving murders and being a hero in hell, but now his services are requested in Heaven.

Muahahahahahahaha. Right. I'll just put out here that this isn't a tired or cliche rendition of Dante, but a smart, interesting Noir Mystery that treats Fool like the Fool he is. The scope and scale of these novels are also rather great, leading up to some rather primo Lovecraftian scenes, adventure, and entertainment.

I've read a pretty hefty amount of books LIKE these, but this has all the right balance and entertainment value. Very grounded--and if you realize we're talking about both heaven and hell here, you know that's going to be a very loaded statement.

I loved how this turned out. I can't wait for the next.

Honestly--these should be a lot more popular than they seem to be. The quality oozes off the page.

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The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, my angel of music....

So yeah, I'm re-reading this fantastic novel from 1910 and am enchanted, even greatly relieved to realize it is equally as good, if not obviously deeper, more fascinating, than the musical by ALW.

All the things that were merely hinted at, to be thought-through from the musical, are laid out bare in the novel. This SHOULD be a rather obvious statement, of course, but I'm repeating it because I am an idiot.

Well, not an idiot, maybe, and others might disagree, but I had a phase back in my early teens, when I was 14, when I became OBSESSED with the Phantom's music. I had never seen it on stage, and never even got to see it in any form until the 2004 movie. But I had listened to the music about 60 times during a summer until it was permanently re-playable in my mind.

So, uh, Brad, what does any of this have to do with THIS book?

Hold on, hold on, I'm getting there. So, I got the Gaston Leroux book as the completionist that I am, but I loaned it out like an idiot and that was the last time I had read it. I, sadly, just let it go. I had to rely on MEMORY, that fickle musical ghost, to remember the original tale.

Fast forward to today.

Upon re-reading it, I think the story is absolutely SUPERIOR. Sure, the musical's music is also brilliant, but the original TALE is as well.

I don't know what I was thinking, assuming it could in any way be lesser than what came after. Indeed, it's right up there, in full honesty, with the great horror/thriller/romances. You know, like Frankenstein or Dracula.

And before any of ya'll start looking at me like I had just crawled out from a 114 year old rock, let me just say... "I know!!!"

Sigh.

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The Devil's Detective by Simon Kurt Unsworth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think I thought this was going to be a simple Noir in hell, with all the normal trappings of hard boiled detective work, albeit with a bit more LA than LA.

Boy, was I surprised. It definitely has the other LA, but better than that, it's more hard-boiled, less conflicted about being hard-boiled, and positively lovecraftian with its demons, damned souls, and angels.

The worldbuilding might sound pretty average for the setting, but it's more. It's alive, interesting, and fascinating in a way I haven't seen in a long time for such a hellscape.

That's the good bit, isn't it? The writing. It draws you in and entertains you all the way. And this does.

I'm quite happy.

Happy spooktober!

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文豪ストレイドッグス 2 [Bungō Stray Dogs 2] by Kafka Asagiri
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not nearly as streamlined or coherent as the first volume, it nevertheless widens the scope considerably. A little extra action, more emotion, and new characterizations.

It's still just a strong, if disjointed start, but it's still strong.



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文豪ストレイドッグス 1 [Bungō Stray Dogs 1] by Kafka Asagiri
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Watched the anime first. Got into it because my girl insisted.

But really? It's an okay start--but that is nothing compared to what will come.

So really, I know I need to be patient. There are a TON of literary references. Most of the characters are either Japanese classic authors or worldwide classic authors. And their powers all have something to do with the literature. :)

It doesn't quite show off quite this early, but the action and mafia magic is pretty cool right off the bat.

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The Hedge Wizard by Alex Maher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I kinda expected a more LitRPG read out of this, but that being said, it's still a pretty middle-of-the-road fantasy.

YA wizard, setting out on his own, then with an iffy group of adventurers, all the way to a whole Kobold adventure. (Yes, dragons are eventually involved.)


Honestly? It was fine for what it is. Fantasy, almost D&D down-to-earth. A light adventure, as grounded as you please. And this is good. For exactly what it is.



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The Overnight by Ramsey Campbell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So. I really wanted to get back in to reading Ramsey Campbell after vaguely remembering I'd loved reading Ancient Images many years ago, and my buddy reader and I thought this particular book might be right up our alley because it deals with spookiness and perhaps deaths in a bookstore.

Yeah, well. Let's put it this way: if you consider a huge chain bookstore with harried workers and the very idea of service industry being HORROR, then I think you and this book would get along quite well for the first 2/3rds.

For me, at least, I just wanted to see some deaths, not just errant apostrophes. Alas, I was hoping for a cozy, book-centric, overnight caretaker kind of story, but it wasn't to be.

If you can get to the last third of the book, however, the supernatural stuff gets pretty fun. Getting that far, however, was something of a burden.

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H.P. Lovecraft's Nyarlathotep by H.P. Lovecraft
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's one thing to read Lovecraft during Spooktober.

It's another thing to read Lovecraft to your meh'd daughter whilst hamming it up to beyond-purple levels of voice-acting, getting into the madness, the vocal terror, the rising, shrill insanity, and howling about the green-lit snow and the extra-dimensional gods.

Oh, yeah, I cackled. I cackled as I read it to her. I cackled that meh right out of her.

Muahahahahahahahahaha

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The Regulators by Richard Bachman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow, when it comes to straight character descriptions done quick and dirty, only to have those characters done dirty and quick, Stephen King excels. Or rather, Bachman reaches pure SK levels. *wink*

The whole setup and increasingly crazy add-ons past the drive-by kept me glued to the pages. Fun to see the connections to Desperation, too.



So why didn't I give this a full 5 stars? Mostly because the supernatural twists were almost un-needed. Sure, I LOVE the connections to everything else, but in this case? The shootings were STRONG and fascinating all by themselves. So, I just don't know. It's a feeling.

Either way, the book was absolutely delicious.

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Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

For as much as I love Emma Newman's SF books and trust her talent at writing in general, I didn't quite click with this more traditional mostly-fae political UF. That's not to say I actually disliked it, but I was a bit ... bored with the subject material.

It just reminded me a bit of Maas in the feel of it. For those who love that, I'm sure they'd love this.

The quality is there, but I simply couldn't click. Alas.

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FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a story that will stay with me. That's high praise, by the way.

Oh, to think about working at Disneyland FantasticLand when something goes really wrong.

I mean, emergency preparation people will be fine, right? And the kids, they'll be okay just as long as they keep a cool head, right? But yeah, we've all read Lord of the Flies, right? These things DO end up well, right?

Right?

Muahahahahahahaha, yeah. Over a month stranded in this place and we've got a mix between Covid stir-crazy and Lord of the Flies on crack, plus our little darlings go all deadpool and pirates on us, with a little Westeros thrown in.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

Oh, and I love how this book was written as a series of interviews. It gave us all the best foreshadowings and the characters were all at their most self-serving best.

Delicious.

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Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

On one hand, I like that the author attempted something rather big -- tackling communes and modern political, ecological, and just all-around savvy takes on all of the above in a way that goes a bit deeper than the surface. Indeed, the way she pulls it off, by way of archeological thinking, really should have sparked all my interest. The IDEA of it is pretty great.

On the other hand, it was a bit dry, inauthentic-seeming, slightly-agendized, and ... boring.
Nothing much happens, and when I enjoyed the commentary about how the neanderthals were done dirty, the sex scenes were anything but dirty.

As a sci-fi, it was pretty bland, almost LitSF in blandness. As a mainstream, well, I guess I don't really care. Maybe it would hold up well for readers who forever-profess they'd never read SF, but wind up doing the milquetoast version that all their buddies insist is "real" literature. You know the type. They get raved about in circles to dry to swallow.

Anyway. I'll be looking forward to something else, now.

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Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Re-read 10/6/24:

For Spooktober. You know when you've got that little craving? For a little spot of blood..no..I mean tea. Well, here it is. In all its Go for the Throat Discworld glory.

:)



Original Review:

On this re-read, I'm going to revise my rating a star higher.

Why? Because I really enjoyed it. :)

Really, what else can anyone say about reading Pratchett? That they love the quips and the little funny wisdoms and the bloody-minded humor? Well, sure, all of that is grand, but pitting Granny against vampyres that have a bit of Weatherwax wisdom is a sure-fire way to make the sparks fly. And even mythological birds are still birds. :)

Stand-out scenes for me are the ones where Nanny Ogg becomes the "other" witch and I absolutely loved her flirtations with Igor. :) Oh, and Oats. Oats and Granny were so CUTE together. :)

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Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So.

I have a problem here. I, in my humor, decided to finally read this in full light of J.D.’s vice-presidency candidacy and the elections next month, placing this in October as a funny nod to Spooktober and calling it a horror.

When looking at the current politics, with so many of J.D.'s stances and horrible comments—not to mention how he still espouses crackpot theories and is in bed with Peter Thiel in some rather vast and disturbing ways—I thought I’d find a book full of faults and ideas that point to an easily cynical “social currency” that would also, cynically, propel his person, through this “memoir,” into politics.

Which, if we look at the course of things, DID. Almost as if it were custom-made to grease his way into the public consciousness.

So. With all of the “social currency” that J.D. keeps mentioning throughout this book, about how “social currency” is the only way to lift up the poverty-ridden, trauma-led Hillbillies (of any persuasion, even rednecks like me), I’m reminded of one little fact: Money, itself, is also, at its core, “social currency.” No matter how you stretch the idea, it’s a fact. Those who give money to others do it to propel their vision of what is right and proper, socially. That’s why we have Yale and other Ivy League schools. To build social connections, to open those doors, to create the society that is right and proper for all those with the money to make the world go round. And if you don’t follow the “social” in the “currency,” you don’t get the currency.

J.D.'s final point in this book underscores it. The poors that he escaped are at fault for not getting with the proper social behavior—indeed, because they eat poorly (because they’re poor), because they treat each other abominably (because they’re traumatized by generational poverty and abuse), or even because they’re uneducated and bombarded with overwhelming agendas (often eschewing further education because of the need to WORK—just to survive—because that’s how it’s always been done), it gets them all farther and farther away from the “social currency.”

I’m underlining this point because he underlines it.

Other than that, I generally have few qualms about the actual observations he makes throughout the memoir. I agree that poverty is absolutely horrible, that nobody ought to go through systemic abuse or trauma while growing up or as adults, PERIOD. J.D. brings up all the big issues that seem to be endemic in the poorer parts of America. I say America because, while there are poverty-stricken areas everywhere else, there is a particular flavor here that isn’t quite like the others. Any embellishments J.D. makes in this book are rather insubstantial compared to the recognition of the real problem. Namely, it IS very different from generations past, the poverty has only grown worse, and so has the continued abuse between all those people still living in it. They’re tearing each other apart, one relationship at a time, and I find no reason to fault J.D.’s observations.

Only his conclusions.

I’m going to ignore the blame game here. Republicans or Democrats, the lies or truths told about either. I’m just going to focus on the little problem of poverty. If money is a social construct that serves to give advantages only to those who play the right games, then J.D. is saying that if you’re poor, like he was, YOU need to simply play the game right, like he did. And then, miraculously, you, too, will be on the winning side.

See how it is?

The book is a masterful work of manipulation. It tells a lot of truth, and then, when it gets to the zinger, it also seems to offer a brilliant, hopeful truth.

So, now that we see where J.D.’s wonderful memoir is headed, and now that we see where HE is headed, we also see quite clearly WHY J.D. is headed right to the top—if Trump wins.

He is a pied-piper. And if YOU follow him, YOU, TOO can sing the praises of “social currency,” together, perhaps, with real currency! All you grassroots will get to sprout into actual trees!

Well. Who knows. Maybe I’m utterly wrong on this.

Maybe J.D. really did go through systematic abuse throughout his young life and came through it all extremely well-adjusted and blessed, always on the lookout to not perpetuate more abuses. Maybe he isn’t on the dole of a massive amount of “social currency” from Peter Thiel and the RNC. Maybe he isn’t cynically cashing in on a massive load of kingmakers who see him as someone who can be level-headed AND controlled. Maybe.

Well, anyway, after reading this book, I feel like I could have a nice conversation about the ills we’ve encountered, discuss possible solutions, and in the end, be proud to call someone who has gone through so much and even now seems to have his head screwed on right, a friend. I could disagree with his conclusions, but likely never his observations. We would part as possible allies.

At least, I could with the man he wrote himself to be back when this book came out.

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Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Re-Read 10/5/24:

This is something like my third time reading this book.
Obviously, I have found something worthwhile in reading them.

This time, it's really Cheery Littlebottom that did it for me. So, she isn't a novelty candle--but not for lack of trying. :)

Great stuff. Period.


Original Review:

I really enjoy the City Watch novels because every character is a hoot. Vimes is off the hooch, Nobby is about to be crowned king, and there are truly mysterious murders going on. And attempted murders. Of Vetinari, no less.

This is one of those super-solid Discworld novels. Pratchett has his thing going on, full tilt. Discrimination is explored on a much broader basis than ever before and just imagine... GOLEMS! So everywhere that NO ONE NOTICES them. Solution?

Revolution. Of a sort. If you're going to demand your freedom, make damn sure you ask for a receipt. :)

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The Great When by Alan Moore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

All books require a reader to supply the rest of the imagination to any work of fiction. This is an old chestnut. But then, there are certain books that require a reader to actively perform a magical incantation that will utterly transform their lives and turn THEMSELVES into magicians of the highest caliber.

And this book is one of those.

Now, don't get me wrong. I've read Moore's Jerusalem. The Long London project is all within it, too, but the Great When is probably a bit less intimidating (if just for length). The LANGUAGE, however, in both, is utterly lush, gorgeous, and on a whole, its words are a sight more brilliant than me, also as a whole.

And yes, I am admitting that I am astonished at the deft density of imagination and the words used to describe it all.

Moore is absolutely a one-off genius or a magician, himself.

And speaking of which, I want to make a quick little supposition about Dennis, the MC. With all the talk of High Arcana in Long London, I just want to point out that Dennis fits the bill of the Fool.

As we know, Fools walk blindfolded on the edges of cliffs and generally never fall off of said cliffs. They are blessed. They're also amusing as hell.

I wish everyone a very, very good time with this, and future, Moore books. He lands at the very top of my "omg omg omg this is seriously kicking my ass" list. Feel free to take my advice or not, but I recommend a hard-copy, a pen, and either tiny handwriting, a bunch of post-its, a dictionary, and a willingness to look up thousands of true-historical characters online for the sake of the novel's true depth and weave.

And yes, I did just imply writing in the margins of the book. This would be for my benefit. If someone (and you know who you are) complains that I'm DEFACING a book, I'll reply that I am merely ENHANCING it with my own observations, for future reader's edifications.

The fact is, these are modern classics that absolutely need devoted followers following with vast conversations. It's worth it. Oh, and I've officially put this on my unofficial 6th star list. Bon appetite!




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Beware of Chicken by CasualFarmer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Half let's-have-a-wholesome-farm-life and half power-hungry-chicken story.

To be fair, it is TWO stories, and alas, this isn't precisely a Cultivation novel that just circles around a rooster getting extremely powerful. That, I think, might have been really fun and funny.

But instead, we get small-town life with a bit of Animal Farm on the side, and that's OK.

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Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book certainly went above and beyond the whole vacation/ghost story trope. It wasn't even the basic concept behind it that captured me, but the writing itself.

It REALLY HELPS that the writing is pretty good and the PoV character is likable. Indeed, I liked her long before some certain hot-dog art. But I think it was the whole uncertainty factor that really got me going.

Don't know what I mean? Read it and find out. It is really rather delicious and a fantastic start to Spooktober!

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