pineconek's Reviews (816)

Average rating is a solid three stars - I enjoyed it and would recommend it if you like Stephen King.
Two of these books feature games of death, which is my favourite horror sub-genre. These alone were worth making it through the subpar stories. In general, this is a "popcorn" read. Take that as you will.

Notes on each story:

Rage: a solid three stars as well. I understand why this book is out of print - empathizing with a school shooter isn't exactly a welcome perspective nowadays. I did enjoy this story quite a lot though and found it a tad campy (think Heathers).

The Long Walk: four stars for this excellent game of death. The main character was memorable (by SK standards) and the novel touched on the common but excellent theme of games of death: even the winner doesn't really win. I read this a few months ago and took a hiatus on the book after that because it was such an enjoyable story and I knew the third wasn't regarded as very strong.

Roadwork: two stars, since I didn't like it and found it a chore to read. I enjoy King's descent into madness stories but this one was very bloated. I made it through because I was looking forward to...

The Running man: five stars for this game of death. What excellent world building, suspense, and genuine horror. What stellar social commentary that stood the test of time. The story is set in the 2020s but written in the 80s. This was a great page turner and is my top recommendation out of these stories.

Kinda glad I didn't have time to finish this before my bookclub met/couldn't make it to that meeting cause this book reaaaally didn't do it for me.
I loved part 1 and zoomed through it in a day. The rest didn't resonate with me at all. I think I was the wrong audience for this. I don't really read fantasy anymore and in general don't find war tactics (and frustrations) very interesting to read about. I found myself very distracted while reading so it's possible that I missed the point of the book. I kept trying to get back into it but eventually conceded it jut wasn't for me. Recommended if you're into historical fiction detailing strategies and struggles for power.

Ayaan is an extremely controversial figure and an incredible writer.

I consider this a five star book regardless of whether or not you agree with her ideas or conclusions. The writing is gripping, extremely detailed, and provides a striking unsanitized insight into culturally-specific horrors western audiences usually aren't privy to. Content warning for everything, including ideas that are difficult to reconcile with those you may already hold. Widely recommended.

This was ridiculously good feminist sci fi on par (at least for me) with LeGuin Atwood and Butler. It's so difficult to find this book, let alone the sequels, but it's so worth it.
The book explores themes of language, including how the language available to us shapes our perception and abilities. It also explores the role of women in society, and especially when women don't have full rights, and how those evolve as we age. Moral of the story: never underestimate a barren quiet old lady, a teenage girl, or your sexy nurse sidepiece (yes, these are all relevant examples).
Recommended widely to those of you that enjoy speculative fiction that explores social themes.

I was so sad when it ended because I got so into it. It's not been that long since I read (and loved) the stand, and this graphic novel adaptation lives up to it. I don't have the rest of the volumes but I'll keep an eye on them. Recommended if you like survival stories and graphic novels/comics with sort-of-realistic-but-gory drawings.

This is a difficult novel to rate given how vulnerable and engrossing the subject matter and narration is. It's a very heavy and intimate book that doesn't hold back, which is usually something that appeals to me, but the balance just didn't feel right for me. The exploration of grief is what I was most looking forward to and what I feel was skirted around (although I very much enjoyed the ending of the book). My main frustrations towards this book are that some sections were written as if for shock value and felt like a direct challenge posed to the reader.

I recommend this book if you're interested in a fictional depiction of growing up and being two-spirit and don't mind a first person narrator that doesn't hold back.

This short story collection reminded me most of Alice Monroe, who I love. This is a collection of slice of life stories: some of them extremely subtle, others painful and shocking in the most surprising ways. Together, they paint a portrait of being a modern Nigerian. Recommended widely.

This book is really silly and really good. I listened to the audiobook which is brilliantly read by Will Wheaton and it was excellent. The answers are well explained, easy to follow, and highly entertaining. Recommended to nerds who enjoy physics humor (I am one of you).

I really don't like giving ratings this low to books but this book and I just didn't click. There were so many inconsistencies, strange narrative choices, and things that felt so off that I couldn't suspend disbelief. I was always conscious that I was reading a book and found myself profoundly dissatisfied and annoyed. My bar for emotional near future dystopias is quite high and this didn't hit it for me.

I'm a little bit obsessed with the way that Nina LaCour writes grief and longing. I love the way her novels are constructed along two parallel timelines and deal with painful secrets. This was wonderful and so sad and I can't wait to read more. Recommended if you don't mind reading about people making food a lot (this is a joke in the acknowledgement section) and want to see a teenage girl's inner grief and loneliness.