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howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)
"Whisper to me soft,
sing a song of homecoming,
hum me back to you."
I've been following Tyler on social media for years, and purchased this book when it first released a few years ago, but for some bizarre reason, it's been sitting, unopened, just looking pretty on my shelf until now. I love poetry collections, and Tyler's voice in particular is so beautiful and full of haunting that it never gets old. I only knocked a star off because a handful of the haikus are a bit repetitive, but this is a gorgeous collection that would be a fantastic addition to any poetry shelf.
sing a song of homecoming,
hum me back to you."
I've been following Tyler on social media for years, and purchased this book when it first released a few years ago, but for some bizarre reason, it's been sitting, unopened, just looking pretty on my shelf until now. I love poetry collections, and Tyler's voice in particular is so beautiful and full of haunting that it never gets old. I only knocked a star off because a handful of the haikus are a bit repetitive, but this is a gorgeous collection that would be a fantastic addition to any poetry shelf.
"You should see what Miles did to the babysitter he didn't like. It's one of the reasons we don't have money. Medical bills."
I got this book as a free little addition to my first Book of the Month club box at the beginning of the year, and totally forgot it existed until a couple of weeks ago, so I thought I'd throw it on to my October TBR for a fun little spooky read.
Our nameless narrator isn't a particularly honest woman when it comes to career choices, and finds herself shamming as a psychic when she gets roped into helping a woman whose stepson seems to have become possessed by the evil lurking in their new home.
The short story is rough, crude, eerie, bizarre, and super fun. I haven't been a huge fan of Gillian's thrillers in the past, but would pay good money for an anthology of short little horror reads like this from her.
I got this book as a free little addition to my first Book of the Month club box at the beginning of the year, and totally forgot it existed until a couple of weeks ago, so I thought I'd throw it on to my October TBR for a fun little spooky read.
Our nameless narrator isn't a particularly honest woman when it comes to career choices, and finds herself shamming as a psychic when she gets roped into helping a woman whose stepson seems to have become possessed by the evil lurking in their new home.
The short story is rough, crude, eerie, bizarre, and super fun. I haven't been a huge fan of Gillian's thrillers in the past, but would pay good money for an anthology of short little horror reads like this from her.
Ancient Chinese custom demands that each unwed man to pass away, must be found a wife - preferably also deceased - to be buried alongside him. After all, eternity is a big place, and no man should be forced to enter it alone.
When Deshi Li accidentally causes the death of his own brother, his family places the weight upon him to find a beautiful bride. In a world ruled by tradition, merchants can be hired to assist one in exhuming graves to seek out lovely women, but when Deshi Li meets Lily Chen, he decides she's the one - too bad she isn't dead yet.
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1 STAR
Let me preface this review by admitting that my disappointment was, in part, due to the artwork. I really try hard to focus on the story in a graphic novel, allowing the artwork to be icing on the proverbial cake, but the cover for this novel is stunning. I insisted on pointing it out to everyone - the librarian, my boyfriend, my mother... this thing is a damn work of art.
On the outside.
The inside does not match the cover at all. I positively hated the artwork inside. There is still some watercolor usage, but it doesn't save the novel from the fact that the art is hideous, inconsistent, and just... I'm sorry, I couldn't stand it.
That would've only been enough to knock this review down to 4 stars, if it weren't for the fact that the characters were SO. FUCKING. HORRIBLE. There is not a single likable character in the entire goddamn novel. No, scratch that, Deshi Li's brother was probably a decent guy, but considering HE'S DEAD, I get to err on the side of believing that every single character is awful. Deshi Li is a piece of shit, his parents don't deserve to have a family, Lily Chen is a whining, entitled, rude brat, and every side character highlighted throughout the duration of the story is just gruesomely selfish, pathetic, and terrible. I seriously cannot say enough negative things about the character creation and/or development (lol jk, what development?) in this story.
As far as the plot goes, it made no sense. Deshi Li constantly alternates between wanting to fuck Lily Chen and wanting to murder her in her sleep, and she has no interest in him whatsoever. I didn't feel like the story ever actually went anywhere noteworthy, and by the time I reached the back cover, I literally just dumped the book on the floor, saying, "The fuck?"
I would not recommend this book to anyone, except maybe some poor sap who wants to waste precious time that they could spend reading something better, as in almost ANYTHING ELSE.
When Deshi Li accidentally causes the death of his own brother, his family places the weight upon him to find a beautiful bride. In a world ruled by tradition, merchants can be hired to assist one in exhuming graves to seek out lovely women, but when Deshi Li meets Lily Chen, he decides she's the one - too bad she isn't dead yet.
---
1 STAR
Let me preface this review by admitting that my disappointment was, in part, due to the artwork. I really try hard to focus on the story in a graphic novel, allowing the artwork to be icing on the proverbial cake, but the cover for this novel is stunning. I insisted on pointing it out to everyone - the librarian, my boyfriend, my mother... this thing is a damn work of art.
On the outside.
The inside does not match the cover at all. I positively hated the artwork inside. There is still some watercolor usage, but it doesn't save the novel from the fact that the art is hideous, inconsistent, and just... I'm sorry, I couldn't stand it.
That would've only been enough to knock this review down to 4 stars, if it weren't for the fact that the characters were SO. FUCKING. HORRIBLE. There is not a single likable character in the entire goddamn novel. No, scratch that, Deshi Li's brother was probably a decent guy, but considering HE'S DEAD, I get to err on the side of believing that every single character is awful. Deshi Li is a piece of shit, his parents don't deserve to have a family, Lily Chen is a whining, entitled, rude brat, and every side character highlighted throughout the duration of the story is just gruesomely selfish, pathetic, and terrible. I seriously cannot say enough negative things about the character creation and/or development (lol jk, what development?) in this story.
As far as the plot goes, it made no sense. Deshi Li constantly alternates between wanting to fuck Lily Chen and wanting to murder her in her sleep, and she has no interest in him whatsoever
Spoiler
until he whips his dick outI would not recommend this book to anyone, except maybe some poor sap who wants to waste precious time that they could spend reading something better, as in almost ANYTHING ELSE.
"And I found that there were others like me, others who persisted in this half-life. Others who had failed properly to depart."
When Jack enters the old, dark house, he isn't sure what he'll find in these mysterious rooms, this long hallway with a sliver of candlelight beneath just one cold door. Jack is more curious than sensible, though, and allows himself into the meeting of twelve, each surrounding a table, each facing a candle. Each will tell a story, and in time, Jack must tell a tale of his own, too.
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This book is a collection of short ghost stories, which isn't anything particularly unique in and of itself; however, the vehicle that Dave Shelton uses to deliver these ghost stories is what made me enjoy Thirteen Chairs so much. A young boy named Jack finds himself surrounded by strange adults; some kind, some cold, but each has a story to tell him, one by one. Some of the stories are simply dark and gothic in nature, while others are actually fairly haunting. I wouldn't call any of the stories scary, but as a lifelong horror fan, my views on horror may be a little bit different from someone else's, so I won't say that these stories are downright incapable of frightening another reader.
Regardless of the lack of a substantial fear factor, I thoroughly enjoyed the imagery that Dave's writing presented, and I loved how each of the twelve people at the table was a distinct character; they weren't just props for the stories, but actually seemed to match each of their stories. I also loved the snippets between stories where we got to dive into Jack's thoughts a little bit, and sense his gradually increasing unease with his surroundings. Of course, the ending felt predictable to me, but I still liked how the writing slowly built up to the "big reveal".
All in all, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys horror anthologies and ghost stories, but isn't looking for anything to keep them up all night.
When Jack enters the old, dark house, he isn't sure what he'll find in these mysterious rooms, this long hallway with a sliver of candlelight beneath just one cold door. Jack is more curious than sensible, though, and allows himself into the meeting of twelve, each surrounding a table, each facing a candle. Each will tell a story, and in time, Jack must tell a tale of his own, too.
---
This book is a collection of short ghost stories, which isn't anything particularly unique in and of itself; however, the vehicle that Dave Shelton uses to deliver these ghost stories is what made me enjoy Thirteen Chairs so much. A young boy named Jack finds himself surrounded by strange adults; some kind, some cold, but each has a story to tell him, one by one. Some of the stories are simply dark and gothic in nature, while others are actually fairly haunting. I wouldn't call any of the stories scary, but as a lifelong horror fan, my views on horror may be a little bit different from someone else's, so I won't say that these stories are downright incapable of frightening another reader.
Regardless of the lack of a substantial fear factor, I thoroughly enjoyed the imagery that Dave's writing presented, and I loved how each of the twelve people at the table was a distinct character; they weren't just props for the stories, but actually seemed to match each of their stories. I also loved the snippets between stories where we got to dive into Jack's thoughts a little bit, and sense his gradually increasing unease with his surroundings. Of course, the ending felt predictable to me, but I still liked how the writing slowly built up to the "big reveal".
All in all, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys horror anthologies and ghost stories, but isn't looking for anything to keep them up all night.
In this volume of Lumberjanes, the girls find themselves caught up in a mess of dinosaurs, mythological gods and goddesses, a sibling rivalry to shake the earth, and the most harrowing of all: making friendship bracelets!
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5 STARS
What can I say about Lumberjanes that hasn't already been said in my review of volume 1? These graphic novels are absolutely precious. The artwork is adorable, the gals have such fantastic relationships with one another, and the story arcs promote great values for the younger crowd, while still making me laugh out loud here and there. Ripley is hilarious as always, and I swear, the developing Molly/Mal relationship is EVERYTHING.
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5 STARS
What can I say about Lumberjanes that hasn't already been said in my review of volume 1? These graphic novels are absolutely precious. The artwork is adorable, the gals have such fantastic relationships with one another, and the story arcs promote great values for the younger crowd, while still making me laugh out loud here and there. Ripley is hilarious as always, and I swear, the developing Molly/Mal relationship is EVERYTHING.