shidoburrito's Reviews (1.54k)

While this is a Junji Ito graphic novel, he was illustrating Osamu Dazai's autobiographical book, something I only realized about halfway through when I was like, "Where's all the spoops?" While not (very) supernaturally spooky, this is one of those books where everyone is depressed and sad and not a very redeemable human. Like Gone Girl! That's a book everyone likes, but while I was reading it, and reading this, I couldn't continue, needing some sort of light or hope for the characters to hold on to when there was none.

4.5 stars because this was the first book in a while I couldn't put down and tore through because I was enjoying it so much. I can always count on Stephen King's suspense, intrigue and writing style to greet me like an old friend and usher me through some pretty horrific terror but leave me satisfied in the end.
I was super happy to have a short story with my favorite character of his, Holly Gibney. Seriously, I love her character so much!
And "The Life of Chuck" made me think back to the book Elevation by King. For a horror writer, he has some of the most serene and unfrightening takes on death and passing on that I have ever read.

Ah, there we go! I love these short, scary stories by Junji Ito. They kind of have an abrupt end, but still, I love them.

A proper little book about ghosts (good and bad) and hauntings and scary houses. The characters were a little too black and white (honestly, the MC Daniel was too much of a goody two-shoes sometimes) but a fun read nonetheless. Perfect for the Halloween season! May have been shelved as an adult fiction, but honestly it is innocent enough to be teen. Heck, I'd say for readers aged 14+.

Alright, so I'm new to the Star Trek fandom. This is my first Star Trek book based off the first ST series I've ever watched. And OF COURSE I immediately took a liking to the character Garak. And OF COURSE I started reading some Garashir fanfiction. This book was recommended to G/B fans and I'll admit it was pretty good! Even if you're not a hopeless simp, but really enjoyed DS9 and would like a peek into what happens after the series to Cardassia or the life of our enigmatic tailor, or just a good sci-fi novel, then this is an excellent choice!

P.S. There are some super sweet and sad letters from Garak to Bashir to keep the thirsty fans reading and their hearts breaking.

Not quite a writing style I can easily fall into, plus life didn't let me read this in one sitting, this book was a good and different vampire-read. No sparkling vamps here.

I love these short story collections. His horror does best in short, intense, scary, gruesome bursts. This one contains the classic Amigara Fault but other really good and gross ones!

4.5 stars! A great horror book that, while it has many similar elements to more popular horror (haunted house, cursed land, possession, etc) it still has a very original voice and wonderful characters. It's also wonderful to have a horror novel written by a female, African American novel. We need more black horror authors!

-1 star and trigger warning because dog violence and death. I am a lover of horror but I am SO TIRED of these poor dogs (and other pets and beloved animals) being killed! Heck, even Lewis takes note that the dog was killed because it could recognize the supernatural danger that was present. It's become a common horror trope to kill off man's best friend. Yet there is almost an entire chapter where this poor dog's suffering and death goes into great detail and I almost stopped reading. So, yeah, big TW on that and minus one star.

I'm the kind of person that takes a bit to get into stream-of-consciousness writing. Sentences that are written almost like thoughts. Sometimes halting. Sometimes long-winded. Some starting with odd fragments. Not the kind of thing you can pick up, put down (like me, because I'm reading this on lunch breaks, or on the sly while at the desk at work). This book is best read in as few sessions as possible; one fell swoop if you can.

Then maybe you can get into the thoughts of the characters as they spiral downward, and further still as an otherworldly spirit slowly takes its vengeance for what happened to it 10 years ago by the hands of these four men.

Not a book for me, but I did enjoy the last couple chapters as things built up to a head.

Since I watch at least 3 versions of this at Christmastime, I felt it was time to actually read the source material. Let me preface this by saying I loathe Dickens. As a man who was paid by the word he is very wordy indeed and just seriously needs to get to the point. UGH.

Needless to say, if you watch the Muppet Christmas Carol and the CG version from 2009 with Jim Carrey (the scariest version) you will have the most accurately quoted and best representations of a Christmas Carol and not have to read this brief yet wordy Dickens classic! Unless you like Dickens, then go for it and enjoy!