pineconek's Reviews (816)

This book is really clever, and it knows it's clever, but it doesn't rub the cleverness in your face but rather invites you in to enjoy the cleverness. This was an awesome and informative read. I didn't know what to expect from this book so, if you're wondering: brief portraits/stories/biographical sketches of a dozen loosely related individuals coping with the aftermaths of systemic and intergenerational trauma.
My least favorite part was the ending since in these types of books I'm more interested in character development than big dramatic plot points. That said, I very much enjoyed this stellar novel.

More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/mWv_X7hblGk

This book made me sad in a good way. It ticked all the boxes for me when it came to coming of age "novels" (this is really a collection of loosely tied short stories) centered on womanhood. It's slow and atmospheric/not much happens but I think that allows for a better exploration of the themes. It's definitely made me want to read more Alice Munro.

More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/mWv_X7hblGk

Well, this is probably my favourite non fiction book ever and probably in my top 5 books ever written.
Van der kolk writes beautifully and addresses his audience with intelligence and compassion. I feel understood and hopeful after finishing this book. I picked it up right after dropping out of cognitive based trauma treatment which was making me far worse than better and reading it really helped me cultivate the things that help me heal the most - connection, competency, caring for my body, regular yoga, etc... I'm so grateful for this book.

More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/mWv_X7hblGk

Pros: easy to read in one sitting, breathtaking artwork, an important lesson in not getting lost in another person

Cons: somewhat simplistic and a little too "on the nose" regarding the lessons it's trying to teach

Recommended if you need a reminder to let go of someone who doesn't treat you well, want a quick sapphic read, and love beautiful art.

A refreshing collection of short horror stories featuring the woods, uncanny Valley and/or things that are not quite human, and a big sense of "but if you're here, who was it that shouted my name from downstairs?". The illustrations are beyond gorgeous and the stories feel familiar in a good fairytale way. Recommended widely.

Please let me remember to review this great book properly tomorrow.

If I'll say one thing for now it'll be this: I really appreciate all the little ways in which the author allows us to infer bits of the mystery through subtle narrative coincidences (rather than spell things out to us).
Recommended if you want to see how a seemingly simple cold case ripples out over twenty years.

I'm shook by how good this was.
I really enjoyed the variety in the creepiness level, the length of the stories, and the general themes. This is the perfect "I want to be creeped out enough that it comes back to me in weird moments but not so much that I can't sleep for weeks" kind of manga. This is my second Junji Ito, and this collection knocked it out of the park.

Recommended if you enjoy multiple genres of horror and don't mind having to push certain images out of your mind when you're eating.

Reading these before eating was probably a mistake. That said, these short stories were excellent, memorable, and served as a great introduction to Junji Ito. Im particularly struck by how well he balances giving us just enough info for the story to be horrific while also upping the ante by leaving us in the dark about many details. I don't think I'll get these out of my head anytime soon and I'm excited to pick up more of his work.

Recommended if you're looking for horror that will disgust and unsettle you.

A super sweet coming out story set in Canada and framed like a fairy tale. Recommended for a quick, wholesome read.

I don't think I was the target audience for this book. The balance between Rosa's life vs her ideas felt off for me. I was hoping for a biography that would delve into her life a bit more, which I got in the beginning, and less into her writings and speeches (which is what the latter half of the book largely showed). That said, I feel like I learned a lot and would recommend it to anyone interested in socialist history.