Lia
I don't remember what book gave me this recommendation, but I do like Bojack Horseman so I thought I'd give it a shot. Not really my type of thing anymore, definitely a 20 something's set of stories but some were good despite not being directed at me, and thus relatable. Not to say a book has to be relatable to be good but sometimes they're written just for a certain audience and that's ok. That certainly seems to be the focus here. For anyone else, it's a good collection but nothing too memorable after a week.
This is the sort of book that could only exist in the same world as social media. We need little blips of light in this chaotic world, but without social media having dragged us down this far, it wouldn't have been needed in this way. Very interesting read.
When this book came out I was crazy about Ali Wong but after hearing about her marriage fall apart, this book is cringey at best to read. All her pride about how well their marriage works and how they're different than other couples... well, as a love letter to her girls there's definitely a few lessons to be learned.
I'm so very glad this book finally came out and things seem to be looking up for Brosh. Her unique perspective on life as a millennial was sorely missed. This was also very much worth the wait (and weight, what heft). I am also amused at the feeling of accomplishment I have for having finished it in one sitting– not at all unusual for me with webcomic anthologies, but none I have gone through were this long or had quite as many written words outside of the comic itself. Nothing was lost with the length, though, and I still crave more from her mind. This is viscerally funny, keeping it moving while not glossing over the complete chaos and darker moments of life. At times she's harsher on her mind than she needs to be– sometimes we are all out of logic, and as creatives sometimes that's where the best stuff comes from, but all in all I'm glad we have her contributions to the written – and doodled – word.
The other books in this series are formulaic and crude (I know, a kids book but I think it's more about the sort of comedy it is) and maybe I just got used to it, but this one had a fun twist with the Princess and the fantasy setting that elevated them.
A very cool, cute, deep explanation of the basics of astrology without getting too new age-y or serious. Treats astrology like a mythology course which is an interesting but respectable way of seeing it.
A nice lengthy read of Southern/Appalachia magic. I expected it to break apart at times for recipes and workings but most of those were put at the back, which was a perfect way to read them. I know it's a well respected book in the witchcraft community, and I see why. The care and love the author has for his community and background is evident in the writing, not common in the rushed trendy books coming out these days. This is a real handbook of a particular sect of magic, the real thing.
I listened to the audiobook, so as others have said it's different than the actual book. I love Leslie Jones so I would listen to her ramble for 20 years. It's a great memoir despite the difference between audio and text. The best thing is now I get to read the book and relive this memoir in all its glory. If you expect humourous essays and jokes, this is not the book for you. If you want probably one of the realest, honest, brutal memoirs... this is the one.
Really strange to listen to the voices the narrator chooses for Roger and Eddie after growing up with the movie. I really like this as an alternate universe look at these characters (apparently this one gets retconned in the next book), and it was an enjoyable quirky noir that was maybe too predictable.
The technique sounds amazing but... I'm not sure if it was the edition the audiobook was done with, but it felt more like a sequel, collecting fanmail and responses from people who read the first book instead of actually discussing the technique itself. I will google for more info when I am done (I am halfway through the audiobook currently), but I was hoping the book would explain the Emotion Code itself.
Certainly the most depth given to any of the plotlines in the games, but they could have fleshed out more of the non-game character backstories with all that space.
I enjoyed the show so much that I thought I'd like the book, but the writing is more romance light than I expected from the topics. None of the best parts in the show hit the same in the book but I guess I'm grateful that this existed first, if only so the show exists.
One of the first “reverse pov of a classic” books I ever read and still holds up. I never liked Beowulf anyways.
Much more an actual memoir about Kelly's life than a memoir about the Carlin household, yet Carlin does feature often since they come across as a very tight knit family. Very emotional and raw at times and absolutely refreshing next to other memoirs I have read.
A cool concept but it wasn't really for me, although past me who was way into mermaids would have LOVED this. So there's definitely an audience this is for.
When I was younger I used to love novelizations of movies because “you get to see what everyone's thinking in the different scenes”. The problem with doing a novelization of the Bible is that no one person is the expert for knowing what anyone who wrote or is characterized in the Bible was thinking or even saying. For most of my life people have been bickering over what every verse in the Bible actually meant through tons of translation.
I enjoyed this regardless, but a lot of the words were pronounced oddly in the audiobook, Philistines in particular, and it really made me question how well the narrator knows these characters and concepts, enough to, as I understand the narrator is the author, write this book.
Reminded me a lot of the intro to basics witchcraft book. Not at all truly practical unless you already know where to get most of these ingredients. The informative parts beyond the spells themselves were nice but I felt a lot of them were lacking much needed depth to truly understand the reasoning behind certain aspects of witchcraft.
World War Z is pretty entertaining, I had no idea how it was written and the full cast version I listened to was amazing. I was hesitant about Zombie Survival Guide since I recall so many people taking it as bible in case such an attack happened in real life, but the way it is written it is clear this type of zombie is reanimated from a virus, not supernatural means and therefore, while more realistic, is, for lack of a better phrase “not all zombies”. The last part about historical attacks throws the timeline out of whack in my opinion (how was this one instance if there are attacks throughout history) but a good read nonetheless.
Definitely the beginner witch book I will be recommending to others. I've read so many alleged beginner's guides and all of them felt unfinished or too heavy on one part of the craft. This one goes into all the areas pretty basically. Some of it veers into assuming the reader is a cis woman but otherwise it's a great read.