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dozens

dozens@bookwyrm.tilde.zone

Joined 2 years, 1 month ago

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Wizards RPG Team: Strixhaven (Hardcover, 2021, Wizards of the Coast) 4 stars

Review of 'Strixhaven' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Why I Picked It Up ##

I'm running a campaign for my friends!

It's D&D Hogwarts!

## What I Liked About It ##

It introduced a bunch of social mechanics that I really liked, and that my players enjoyed.

It's very playful and lighthearted.

It did a pretty good job at encouraging the players to be fantastic heroes, but also high school students with jobs and extracurricular activities and relationships to maintain. I dig that "slice of life" kind of writing.

## What I Didn't Like ##

The pacing gets really off towards the end. Year 4 is basically "drop out of school to fight the big bad guy." Kind of like how the last Harry Potter book was all camping.

It also got a little formulaic. Each trimester of each school year followed the same outline: 1) Wacky social encounter, 2) Combat!, 3) Exams. Which worked okay, I guess. …

Karen Thompson Walker: The Dreamers (Hardcover, 2019, Random House) 2 stars

In an isolated college town in the hills of Southern California, a freshman girl stumbles …

Review of 'The Dreamers' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Why I Picked It Up ##

I was going for a run on a beautiful trail on the Mystic River outside of Boston and needed a book. This was available, was on some 'best of' fantasy lists, and the summary looked good. Also I definitely do judge a book by its cover. All the time.

## What I Liked About It ##

It was kind of dreamy? It was slow and meandering and just really steady: there was no real tension or build-up. Which I'm going to complain about in the next session. But it also made the experience of reading it very consistent and reliable. It was a good running companion for that reason. Not to distracting or engrossing.

## What I Didn't Like About It ##

Well, there was no tension or rising action. No character development to speak of. I probably wouldn't be able to read a …

David R. Slayton: White Trash Warlock (Paperback, 2020, Blackstone Publishing) 4 stars

Review of 'White Trash Warlock' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This was damn fun.

Super bonus points for taking place in my city. And also for some reason not actually naming the landmarks. But it was fun recognizing Lakeside, the clocktower, and Casa Bonita among others. I wonder how much of my enjoyment was from this alone.

Bonus points for good queer representation.

Quick, fun read. Good enough that I immediately ordered the next in the series.

Susanna Clarke: Piranesi (Paperback, 2021, BLOOMSBURY) 5 stars

WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE 2021

Review of 'Piranesi' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Why I Picked It Up ##

Because Susanna Clarke. She has earned my undying affection with Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

## What I Liked About It ##

Dreamy spaces. The mystery. One of my favorite parts was actually Piranesi's journals. I adore a good information system.

## What I Didn't Like About It ##

Nothing? Maybe the ending didn't quite satisfy my lust for vengeance? But in the end, the beloved child of the house didn't thirst for vengeance, and so I suppose I mustn't.

## Who I'd Recommend It To ##

Everybody. It's short. The payoff is good.

Alan Garner: The Owl Service (2006, Odyssey Classics) 4 stars

Brilliant. Not at all clear that it's a children's book. An extraordinary re-creation of a …

Review of 'The Owl Service' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

very short book, very quick read, very haunting and beautiful.

it was difficult to read at times because the language was so foreign to me. the whole thing had this dreamy otherworldly quality to it.

I loved the bits of Welsh mythology.

The ending was simultaneously beautiful and perfect, and way too abrupt and unresolved.

I'd recommend it to everybody!

Todd Grimson: Brand New Cherry Flavor (Paperback, 2011, Schaffner Press, Inc.) 4 stars

Review of 'Brand New Cherry Flavor' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Why I Picked It Up ##

Watched and loved the TV show. Wanted to read the book it was based on.

## What I Liked About It ##

Interesting blend of noir, mystery, survival zombie horror, and Hollywood showbiz.

It meandered here and there, in a good way: I like it when the author pauses to describe somebody's outfit, or what they're eating, or that they spent the morning swimming.

## What I Didn't Like About It ##

It seemed really long for what it was. Maybe that's my fault though: I took my sweet, sweet time reading it.

There were way too many characters. There could have been one detective instead of like five cops. There could have been maybe 2 producers/hollywood types instead 3 - 5.

Edit: The ending! Forgot to mention the ending. The final confrontation was classic slasher film twist content, and I liked it quite …

Neil Gaiman, American Gods By Neil Gaiman, 978-0062572233, 0062572237, 9780062572233, Neverwhere By Neil Gaiman, 978-0062459084, 0062459082, 9780062459084, Stardust By Neil Gaiman, 978-0061689246, 0061689246, 9780061689246, Anansi Boys By Neil Gaiman, 978-0061342394, 0061342394, 9780061342394: American Gods (Paperback, 2005, Headline Review) 4 stars

Review of 'American Gods' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Why I Picked It Up ##

Bookclub! Last month bookclub read a sad book. So this month the theme was "a book that was turned into an easy-going movie", so we read Stardust, and later we're apparently going to watch the movie together.

## What I Liked About It ##

Simply a varietally correct fairy tale. Quick read. Tristan remained pretty insufferable right up till the end. His change of heart was swift and abrupt, but like I've said elsewhere, love doesn't really have to make sense in fairy tales. It just happens.

I really liked the stormlords as tertiary characters, and the witches too. Pleased with how everybody's stories came to a conclusion at the end.

## What I Didn't Like About It ##

Can't really think of anything. I guess the women in the story don't have much agency. Except for the witches. Witches do whatever the hell …

"Sydney appears to be a normal, rudderless, suburban 15-year-old freshman. But she harbors a secret …

Review of 'I am not okay with this' on 'Goodreads'

1 star

Why I Picked It Up ##

Watched the show, wanted to see what the book was like.

## What I Didn't Like About It ##

Glorifying suicide.

## Who I'd Recommend It To ##

Nobody, ever. This book is probably actively harmful.

Carlo Rovelli, Erica Segre, Simon Carnell, Carlo Rovelli: Helgoland (2021, Penguin Books) 3 stars

In June 1925, twenty-three-year-old Werner Heisenberg, suffering from hay fever, had retreated to the treeless, …

Review of 'Helgoland' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Author: "I'm a physicist, not a philosopher."

Also author: proceeds to spend half the book pondering the nature of meaning, knowledge, experience, and existence

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The first half of the book is an interesting history of quantum physics.

The second half of the book is a treatise on "quantum physics and the meaning of life" that remains beyond my ability to understand after a casual reading.

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Short, interesting, thought provoking. No reason not to read it if you have a free afternoon.

John Boehner: On the House (Hardcover, 2021, St. Martin's Press) 4 stars

John Boehner's largely political autobigraphy of his time in the U.S. Congress from 1991 to …

Review of 'On the House' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

It was good.

## Why I Picked It Up ##

Mel had checked it out and finished it up, so I decided to read it real quick before it was due.

## What I Liked About It ##

I didn't really know anything about Boehner before reading this besides that he was speaker of the house.

I like that hatred for Ted Cruz is apparently universal and without end. It's the one thing you can really count on to bring up all together.

## What I want to remember ##

I didn't know about his anti-corruption crusade upon joining the house. That was neat.

He alleges he got his start in politics by serving on his Home Owners Association. And then.. poof! Speaker of the House!

## What I didn't like about it ##

The whole chapter about high school sports. Nobody cares that you played football in high school, …