Take a photo of a barcode or cover
pineconek's Reviews (816)
So the Netflix series got me to read a manga all the way through for the very first time. The first third of the manga is adapted in the first season of the Netflix show, and the rest is a wild ride. I could barely put it down, hence the 5 stars.
I went into this knowing that I really enjoy (if that's the right word) "games of death" as a genre because of how the exploration of humanity, altruism, purpose, etc... This hit all the right notes for me and exceeded my expectations. The plot was incredibly engaging and the ever-present darkness served an actual purpose.
Recommended if youre into exploring big questions, such as "who has the right to live and at what price", and don't mind a lot of violence/death. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some spinoffs/sequels to get my hands on...
I went into this knowing that I really enjoy (if that's the right word) "games of death" as a genre because of how the exploration of humanity, altruism, purpose, etc... This hit all the right notes for me and exceeded my expectations. The plot was incredibly engaging and the ever-present darkness served an actual purpose.
Recommended if youre into exploring big questions, such as "who has the right to live and at what price", and don't mind a lot of violence/death. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some spinoffs/sequels to get my hands on...
I kept having to pause while reading this book because it kept taking my breath away and making me want to cry.
Firstly: the writing is beautiful. We're talking lyrical, evocative, annotateable, and so delicate that you hold back from blinking to not break the spell.
Secondly, the characters are astounding. The book follows teenage Benny and his mother Annabelle after the sudden death of Kenji, Benny's father and Annabelle's husband. Their grief and distress is absolutely palpable throughout the book and left me wrecked. Benny develops symptoms suggesting schizoaffective disorder while Annabelle copes with looming unemployment, eviction, and hoarding tendencies. Their loneliness and isolation, including from each other, is heartbreaking.
A few things stood out as weird but didn't diminish my enjoyment of the novel. Thing like the clear "Marie Kondo" as well as the author herself appearing in the book were a bit too much for me, but these elements were minor compared to the stellar major ones.
I appreciated this book so much and am so glad I read it slowly. It's a book to take your time with and I recommend it widely, especially if you're into concepts of wabi sabi, enjoy reading about imperfect characters going through grief (which seems to be my thing??), and don't mind overlooking a few things that may be over the top.
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/Wj9tTFqo-BM
And also here: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
Firstly: the writing is beautiful. We're talking lyrical, evocative, annotateable, and so delicate that you hold back from blinking to not break the spell.
Secondly, the characters are astounding. The book follows teenage Benny and his mother Annabelle after the sudden death of Kenji, Benny's father and Annabelle's husband. Their grief and distress is absolutely palpable throughout the book and left me wrecked. Benny develops symptoms suggesting schizoaffective disorder while Annabelle copes with looming unemployment, eviction, and hoarding tendencies. Their loneliness and isolation, including from each other, is heartbreaking.
A few things stood out as weird but didn't diminish my enjoyment of the novel. Thing like the clear "Marie Kondo" as well as the author herself appearing in the book were a bit too much for me, but these elements were minor compared to the stellar major ones.
I appreciated this book so much and am so glad I read it slowly. It's a book to take your time with and I recommend it widely, especially if you're into concepts of wabi sabi, enjoy reading about imperfect characters going through grief (which seems to be my thing??), and don't mind overlooking a few things that may be over the top.
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/Wj9tTFqo-BM
And also here: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
Ok I'm confused but I think I loved this.
This book is 100% not for everyone. It has an unreliable narrator, shifting realities, strange gore and body horror, and an atmosphere of dread.
But those are things I like (what does that say about me??). I feel like this is the book captures the vibes I was looking for when I read Cult Classic and My Year of Rest and Relaxation. While those fell flat or went off the rails for me, Bunny left me unsettled but satisfied.
Our main character Samantha is in her final year of a rigorous creative writing program and has been dealing with writers block and social isolation. The other girls in her program, who all call each other "bunny", are quite clique-y but extend a friendly hand to Samantha early into the book. And then things get really weird.
Our cast eventually consists of rabbits, swans, deer, lions, and people, and we (through Samantha's eyes) don't quite know who is who and who is real. And among this chaos, themes of wanting to be loved, accepted, to fit in, to find home, to find yourself, are all explored in fresh ways.
I'm going to be digesting this book for a while.
Recommended if you think Heathers (and scenes like the croquet scene) is awesome, like not knowing what is truly going on, and have a bad habit of laughing at things that probably shouldn't be laughed at.
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/vMa3vzClYkA
And also here: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
This book is 100% not for everyone. It has an unreliable narrator, shifting realities, strange gore and body horror, and an atmosphere of dread.
But those are things I like (what does that say about me??). I feel like this is the book captures the vibes I was looking for when I read Cult Classic and My Year of Rest and Relaxation. While those fell flat or went off the rails for me, Bunny left me unsettled but satisfied.
Our main character Samantha is in her final year of a rigorous creative writing program and has been dealing with writers block and social isolation. The other girls in her program, who all call each other "bunny", are quite clique-y but extend a friendly hand to Samantha early into the book. And then things get really weird.
Our cast eventually consists of rabbits, swans, deer, lions, and people, and we (through Samantha's eyes) don't quite know who is who and who is real. And among this chaos, themes of wanting to be loved, accepted, to fit in, to find home, to find yourself, are all explored in fresh ways.
I'm going to be digesting this book for a while.
Recommended if you think Heathers (and scenes like the croquet scene) is awesome, like not knowing what is truly going on, and have a bad habit of laughing at things that probably shouldn't be laughed at.
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/vMa3vzClYkA
And also here: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
Good Morning to one of my new favourites.
What a stellar (literally) book. The prose is spectacular, the pacing is wonderful, and the themes...the themes!!! I'm a softie for work that explores loneliness, grief, "what could have been", and fleeting human connections, and this had it all.
The alternating chapters follow a handful of human suddenly isolated from the rest of the world - some are in the Arctic, some are in space, and no radio signals are coming through. The rest of the earth has gone completely quiet. The haunting isolation of the arctic tundra and the vastness of space are gorgeously written and I won't say more since it's a "best to go in blind" kind of book.
Can someone let me know what very-specific-sub-genre this, Sea of Tranquility, and How High We Go In the Dark all belong to? I'm settling for "literary speculative light sci-fi featuring an apocalypse and sad humans doing their best" and it may well bey favourite genre.
Highly recommended if you like being sad (in space!) and love character driven stories.
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/N3d0uvty-uQ
And also here: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
What a stellar (literally) book. The prose is spectacular, the pacing is wonderful, and the themes...the themes!!! I'm a softie for work that explores loneliness, grief, "what could have been", and fleeting human connections, and this had it all.
The alternating chapters follow a handful of human suddenly isolated from the rest of the world - some are in the Arctic, some are in space, and no radio signals are coming through. The rest of the earth has gone completely quiet. The haunting isolation of the arctic tundra and the vastness of space are gorgeously written and I won't say more since it's a "best to go in blind" kind of book.
Can someone let me know what very-specific-sub-genre this, Sea of Tranquility, and How High We Go In the Dark all belong to? I'm settling for "literary speculative light sci-fi featuring an apocalypse and sad humans doing their best" and it may well bey favourite genre.
Highly recommended if you like being sad (in space!) and love character driven stories.
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/N3d0uvty-uQ
And also here: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
Not to be dramatic but I think this book was specifically written for me.
Folks, we've got it all: crippling anxiety, dissociation, existential overwhelm, a love for animals coupled with the terror of losing them, leading double lives ft one laced with Catholicism, families repressing emotions, and the bleakness of the medical system. Anyway I'm a mess after reading this in the best of ways and feel very seen.
Recommended if you enjoy books like Anxious People, a Man Called Ove, and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (what genre of book is this and how do I find more??).
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
Folks, we've got it all: crippling anxiety, dissociation, existential overwhelm, a love for animals coupled with the terror of losing them, leading double lives ft one laced with Catholicism, families repressing emotions, and the bleakness of the medical system. Anyway I'm a mess after reading this in the best of ways and feel very seen.
Recommended if you enjoy books like Anxious People, a Man Called Ove, and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (what genre of book is this and how do I find more??).
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
So this book straight up made me a better and happier person.
That's not an exaggeration. One thing I love about Bregman's writing is that it presents conflicting data and ideas, supporting dialectics as well as synthesis. The central thesis of this book isn't just "most humans are actually decent" but also "most humans are actually decent, but also do awful things - why?". The author clearly has his own ideas and agenda but encourages independent thought. I never feel preached to; instead, I feel invited to examine the evidence, question why I think a certain way, and see if that changes after I examine things from different angles. In short, he's a delight to read.
Humankind leaves the reader with a more hopeful outlook on our lives and I genuinely think it made me happier. It's a book that encourages connection and dialogue and I recommend it widely.
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
That's not an exaggeration. One thing I love about Bregman's writing is that it presents conflicting data and ideas, supporting dialectics as well as synthesis. The central thesis of this book isn't just "most humans are actually decent" but also "most humans are actually decent, but also do awful things - why?". The author clearly has his own ideas and agenda but encourages independent thought. I never feel preached to; instead, I feel invited to examine the evidence, question why I think a certain way, and see if that changes after I examine things from different angles. In short, he's a delight to read.
Humankind leaves the reader with a more hopeful outlook on our lives and I genuinely think it made me happier. It's a book that encourages connection and dialogue and I recommend it widely.
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
I knew that this would be a five-star read for me from about halfway through the first chapter.
This novel is a series of interconnected short stories, all narrated in first person, that give us glimpses into a world ravaged by climate change and an ancient plague. The tender explorations of grief, medical ethics, and humanity are unparalleled. I feel both sad and hopeful, which is my favourite way to feel when I finish a book. Highly recommended.
Out of all 141 books I read in 2022, this was my favourite. Here's why: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
This novel is a series of interconnected short stories, all narrated in first person, that give us glimpses into a world ravaged by climate change and an ancient plague. The tender explorations of grief, medical ethics, and humanity are unparalleled. I feel both sad and hopeful, which is my favourite way to feel when I finish a book. Highly recommended.
Out of all 141 books I read in 2022, this was my favourite. Here's why: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
My brain is buzzing. I really loved this.
This book felt like watching a really good episode of Riverdale. Bear with me.
Were the characters pretentious? Of course. Were they privileged and flawed? Yes. Was suspension of disbelief necessary? Yep. Were the "unrehearsed" scenes extremely elaborate and the steamy scenes omnipresent? You betcha. Do we reach a point where the story doesn't matter but I couldn't stop reading? Yep!!!
This was such a fun sad gripping ride. "Thriller" is not the word for it as the "mystery" is pretty obvious. I feel like I've said all the things that may make the book not good, so here's some good things: the characters were memorable, the writing was beautiful, the scenes were evocative and larger than life, the love for Shakespeare seeped through every page, and themes like obsession, found family, casting yourself in a role, and guilt were all explored wonderfully.
Highly recommended if you're literary (and have a few Shakespeare plays under your belt, enjoy ~drama~, and are willing to overlook human behaviour that is so ridiculous that you can't look away. Have some shiny five stars.
(Guess I need to read more dark academia?)
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
This book felt like watching a really good episode of Riverdale. Bear with me.
Were the characters pretentious? Of course. Were they privileged and flawed? Yes. Was suspension of disbelief necessary? Yep. Were the "unrehearsed" scenes extremely elaborate and the steamy scenes omnipresent? You betcha. Do we reach a point where the story doesn't matter but I couldn't stop reading? Yep!!!
This was such a fun sad gripping ride. "Thriller" is not the word for it as the "mystery" is pretty obvious. I feel like I've said all the things that may make the book not good, so here's some good things: the characters were memorable, the writing was beautiful, the scenes were evocative and larger than life, the love for Shakespeare seeped through every page, and themes like obsession, found family, casting yourself in a role, and guilt were all explored wonderfully.
Highly recommended if you're literary (and have a few Shakespeare plays under your belt, enjoy ~drama~, and are willing to overlook human behaviour that is so ridiculous that you can't look away. Have some shiny five stars.
(Guess I need to read more dark academia?)
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
Let's get the obvious out of the way: the author's name fits the subject matter to a T, and the fact that he decomposed the book with some fungi and documented it makes this a very chef's kiss project.
Entangle Life is a really enjoyable listen as read by the author. I found myself thinking "who needs aliens when fungi are real". I'm not creeped out by much, but things like parasites, swarms, and living things that "think" without brains... I don't like those. I did bounce between fear and awe while reading this book, which was a fun experience.
I widely recommend this if you're into the natural world and especially if you want to learn more about topics that aren't often talked about. One of the author's most compelling points is that fungal studies fall under plant science in universities - we don't think of fungi as this broad category of living creatures with their own properties. Perhaps we should.
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
Entangle Life is a really enjoyable listen as read by the author. I found myself thinking "who needs aliens when fungi are real". I'm not creeped out by much, but things like parasites, swarms, and living things that "think" without brains... I don't like those. I did bounce between fear and awe while reading this book, which was a fun experience.
I widely recommend this if you're into the natural world and especially if you want to learn more about topics that aren't often talked about. One of the author's most compelling points is that fungal studies fall under plant science in universities - we don't think of fungi as this broad category of living creatures with their own properties. Perhaps we should.
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
Full disclosure: I've never read a book that could be considered economics, so I'm coming from an inexperienced place. Now that that's out of the way: I loved this book.
There's a lot that Bregman does right when outlining these ideas. He provides data alongside moral arguments, engages with criticism, and remains that he may not be completely right. The writing is punchy, direct, and accessible which made this a very fast and enjoyable read. I feel like I learned a lot about economic history and am able to further refine some of my own utopian ideals.
In all, a very enjoyable read. I'd recommend it if you're at all interested in an alternate economic landscape and believe that society should serve all people (and not the other way around). Five resounding stars.
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18
There's a lot that Bregman does right when outlining these ideas. He provides data alongside moral arguments, engages with criticism, and remains that he may not be completely right. The writing is punchy, direct, and accessible which made this a very fast and enjoyable read. I feel like I learned a lot about economic history and am able to further refine some of my own utopian ideals.
In all, a very enjoyable read. I'd recommend it if you're at all interested in an alternate economic landscape and believe that society should serve all people (and not the other way around). Five resounding stars.
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/ph6RGiTwc18