Unpopular opinion . . .

I felt like I was reading this for four years. I was so bored. There was so much going on that I didn't get enough depth on any one area (plot, character, world building) and so I didn't care. Tarisai wasn't an interesting enough hero for me to want to continue the series.

I made it 48 pages. The dialogue was so robotic and weird that if I met any of these characters in person I would run screaming in the other direction.

Tarot of the Divine is my favorite deck to use for reading for my friends, so it was lovely to see all of the artwork and the stories that inspired them.

A fun little book that compiles the notes of a dead journalist who goes to find the creature that has been slaughtering cattle, and finds himself turning into a werewolf. As he struggles with his lack of belief in such creatures, he researches them at the libraries he passes through while working with a traveling circus. Unfortunately, I was familiar with most of the stories from his research, so it lacked excitement. I wish it had focused more on his transformation. The ending was great.

I loved that it was set in Ohio, my home state (which I have since fled for warmer climes).

Whitaker is by turns angry at the patriarchal culture that is so heavily focused on drinking, and gentle with the reader who is presumably trying to at least understand their alcohol intake if not cease it entirely. It makes for some whiplash-y chapters, but where she really shines is her approach to quitting. What I love is that her advice is great whether you have an alcohol addiction, a sugar addiction, or even just a bad breakup. Her message is about building a life that you love, because then you won't be trying to escape it (and yourself). She has definitely made me reconsider the way I think about drinking.

This really should have been a pamphlet with the nine insights, or maybe a series of blog posts. It definitely doesn't work as a novel, and it is a far cry from an adventure.

All that being said, I enjoyed thinking about the insights and energy and how we affect and interact with each other.

All I can really say is Oof.

Painfully dated and super cringey. I probably would have enjoyed it if I'd read it when I was sixteen but as an adult it's pretty damn bad. The romance was icky, the friendship between the main character and her bestie was consistently mean, the humor was off color at best and the references were not PC (things like the main character wears a loose skirt and her friend comments it's a "gypsy look" ugh). Also, no one is going to sacrifice their life for someone they've known for four days because they love them. Gross, no, ew, grow up.

A fast read, which is good because I don't think my heart could have taken any more, haha. I loved that this was bone-deep horror, the kind that makes you question your own thoughts. It's crisp and detailed and scary, and the pacing is perfect. There are no jump scares, only the slow build of horror.

Picked this up on the adamant recommendation of the excellent Ghosts in the Burbs podcast.

So much lore and so much gorgeous art. Makes me want to replay all the games again (though I do that pretty often anyway).