User Profile

Tomasino

tomasino@bookwyrm.tilde.zone

Joined 1 year, 5 months ago

I love to read and sometimes write. I'm active on fedi mostly as @tomasino@tilde.zone. I've been using Goodreads for the past bajillion years and will try to transition here. I run cosmic.voyage and a bunch of fun projects like @SolarpunkPrompts@podcast.tomasino.org

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Review of 'A Thousand Li : The Second Storm' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This may be my favorite book so far. There are times when it's a little tricky keeping all the characters straight especially as I'm not well practiced at east asian names, but the vibrant characters themselves helped. Cultivation novels are really growing on me.

Beth Kempton: Wabi Sabi (Hardcover, 2018, Harper Design (December 31, 2018), Harper Design) 3 stars

Review of 'Wabi Sabi' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

This was really quite enjoyable. Some have criticized the structure of it, or the fact that it seems self-serving, but I think it's honest to itself. Beth Kempton is a self-help author and this book reads like such. But that doesn't mean she misses the mark on describing wabi sabi or how it integrates into the lessons she imparts. I found her personal anecdotes helpful in bridging that gap. What's left is not a pure sociological view at an element of Japanese culture, nor is it entirely a self-help book in the style of Marie Kondo, nor is it a travel journal, but by weaving elements of all three it is something imperfect and beautiful.

Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same secret wish every day since fourth grade. …

Review of 'Wish' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This is a charming story of young Charlie as she is sent to live with an aunt and uncle she's never met. Through making friends, finding a dog, and a visit from her sister she searches for a sense of belonging and family. It's written with a strong voice, filled with colorful characters, and a heartwarming theme.

John McWhorter: The Story of Human Language Complete Set (Paperback, 2004, Brand: The Teaching Co., The Teaching Co.) 4 stars

Review of 'The Story of Human Language Complete Set' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I really liked this course and feel like I learned so much. Language is endlessly fascinating. I can't say I deeply absorbed even half of what was presented, but I will take away some challenges to long held misunderstandings of how language works, and challenges to my own biases toward the evolution of English. I recommend this to any nerds out there.

Benedict Jacka: Chosen (2013, Penguin Publishing Group) 4 stars

Review of 'Chosen' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This was the best Alex Verus book so far. It's rare to see a book with a hero protagonist put into a situation where there's only bad choices and not have them cheat their way free. There was more character development in the accepting of a bad decision than many series get from their entire run.

Laszlo Krasznahorkai: The Melancholy of Resistance (Paperback, 2016, Tuskar Rock) 3 stars

A powerful, surreal novel, in the tradition of Gogol, about the chaotic events surrounding the …

Review of 'The Melancholy of Resistance' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

What a wonderfully interesting book. It creates such feelings of dread and unease. The storyline is somewhat absurd and allegorical. There's so many layers going on it's quite impressive. I'm not sure how else to review it, though. I should note as a warning to readers that it's incredibly dense with sentences running half the length of a page on average. That may be a turn-off for many.