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Mike
Mike is on page 242 of 512 of The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11
Lulu by Thomas Tessier: 4/5 I have no idea what this story was doing in a horror anthology, but it's actually pretty evocative and well-written.
Jan 30, 2016 12:29PM Add a comment
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11

Mike
Mike is on page 204 of 512 of The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11
Just Like Eddy by Kim Newman: 2/5 I guess it was a pretty good idea, but the joke wore thin on me pretty quick, and the plot wasn't very engaging afterwards.

The Long Hall on the Top Floor by Caitlin R. Kiernan: 3/5 Not at all well-written, but I actually liked the characterization and the atmosphere a lot.
Jan 29, 2016 09:47PM Add a comment
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11

Mike
Mike is on page 174 of 512 of The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11
The Stunted House by Terry Lamsley: 1/5 I didn't hate this one exactly, there's just a strong lack of things that work. It's not scary, the writing is hella awkward, and the main character isn't well-developed. There's no reason to like this story.
Jan 28, 2016 07:28PM Add a comment
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11

Mike
Mike is on page 150 of 320 of Initiation (Canterwood Crest, #13)
I can't imagine that Lauren is a very relatable character for the vast majority of Burkhart's audience. She's just so freaking rich and privileged, and struggles with absolutely none of the problems that a middle or lower-class twelve year-old girl would have. Burkhart only makes a minimal attempt to downplay this - it's obvious to anyone paying attention.
Jan 27, 2016 07:29PM Add a comment
Initiation (Canterwood Crest, #13)

Mike
Mike is on page 149 of 256 of Crenshaw
The storytelling here is just... baffling. Applegate is such a better writer than this. She knows we don't want a story told entirely in narrative summary. She knows that's not engaging. Animorphs and Remnants were always careful to keep narrative summary to a minimum and focus on things happening. Even The One and Only Ivan wasn't this flashback-heavy. I know Applegate knows better than this.
Jan 27, 2016 01:00PM Add a comment
Crenshaw

Mike
Mike is on page 120 of 320 of Initiation (Canterwood Crest, #13)
Some thoughts:

- Burkhart is trying to pretend Lauren isn't ridiculously privileged. This goes beyond unconvincing.

- Random, out-of-place anti-bullying message, okay.

- How is Lauren still obsessing over her accident? It was months ago, she was completely unhurt, and nobody but her cares anymore. I guess because she has such a good life, the accident was the only bad thing that's happened to her.
Jan 26, 2016 06:17PM Add a comment
Initiation (Canterwood Crest, #13)

Mike
Mike is on page 90 of 320 of Initiation (Canterwood Crest, #13)
This book is so bad in so many ways. It doesn't even have a plot - we're a third of the way in, and Lauren is still being introduced to her friends. She hasn't even started classes yet! It would be boring, if it wasn't so painfully cheesy and badly-written. This is really and truly one of the worst things ever.
Jan 25, 2016 07:23PM Add a comment
Initiation (Canterwood Crest, #13)

Mike
Mike is on page 109 of 256 of Crenshaw
I don't want to say this is awful, because it isn't. But it's definitely one of the weakest Katherine Applegate books I've read. We're almost halfway through, and it's mostly been narrative summary and flashbacks so far. Applegate focuses so much on Jackson's life when he was in first grade - it makes me wonder why she doesn't just tell that story.
Jan 25, 2016 06:36PM Add a comment
Crenshaw

Mike
Mike is on page 60 of 320 of Initiation (Canterwood Crest, #13)
Some thoughts:

- The only POC so far is a villain. Great.

- This dialogue is SO TERRIBLE. I'm not even talking about the slang - Burkhart just has no understanding of how conversations flow. It's like her only glimpse into human interactions was watching Glee.

- Into the Woods doesn't even have a lead. It's an ensemble piece. How was this mistake even made?
Jan 25, 2016 05:11PM Add a comment
Initiation (Canterwood Crest, #13)

Mike
Mike is on page 80 of 256 of Crenshaw
I'm very glad Jackson and his family are poor, because that's basically the only thing that makes this book stand out for me, so far.
Jan 24, 2016 07:11PM Add a comment
Crenshaw

Mike
Mike added a status update
Fun fact: Before Suzanne Collins wrote The Hunger Games, she was a writer for several Nickelodeon shows in the nineties.

Another fun fact: On my blog, I reviewed the very first thing she ever received a writing credit for: an episode of Clarissa Explains It All. If anybody's curious, the review is here: http://thelowercasegimmick.tumblr.com...
Jan 24, 2016 08:17AM Add a comment

Mike
Mike is on page 30 of 104 of The Glass Menagerie
This is okay, I guess. I dunno, I liked that Cat on a Hot Tin Roof gave us an actual opening before the 'everybody yelling at each other' phase of the play started. This one just throws us right into the yelling, and it doesn't work as well - the play feels less subtle.
Jan 24, 2016 08:08AM Add a comment
The Glass Menagerie

Mike
Mike is starting The Glass Menagerie
I wasn't the hugest fan of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof when I first read it, but in retrospect, it's probably the best play I've ever read. So I'm excited for this one.
Jan 23, 2016 10:14PM Add a comment
The Glass Menagerie

Mike
Mike is 36% done with Jane Eyre
I wish I had time to be reading faster. The story is slow enough as it is without me reading at a slow pace.
Jan 23, 2016 10:08PM Add a comment
Jane Eyre

Mike
Mike is on page 30 of 320 of Initiation (Canterwood Crest, #13)
EUGHHHHH. I forgot just how physically painful this series is to read. Burkhart is such a terrible writer, on so many levels.
Jan 23, 2016 06:06PM Add a comment
Initiation (Canterwood Crest, #13)

Mike
Mike is on page 40 of 256 of Crenshaw
I can't decide if this works, or if it's just a sad attempt to be Calvin and Hobbes.
Jan 23, 2016 03:14PM Add a comment
Crenshaw

Mike
Mike is on page 161 of 512 of The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11
The Entertainment by Ramsey Campbell: 3/5 Another confusing one, although at least this one had some atmosphere and weirdness.

Harlequin Valentine by Neil Gaiman: 4/5 Excellent story with a fascinating main character. My only problem with it is that it's too short.
Jan 23, 2016 10:07AM Add a comment
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11

Mike
Mike is on page 131 of 512 of The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11
Unhasped by David J. Schow: 3/5 I like how this story began, but the ending ruined it. The twist was incredibly cheap, and it felt like a disappointment compared to the buildup of tension.

The Emperor's Old Bones by Gemma Files: 2/5 This was just confusing, no way around it.
Jan 22, 2016 09:54PM Add a comment
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11

Mike
Mike is on page 93 of 512 of The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11
Halloween Street by Steve Rasnic Tem: 2/5 Cliched and boring

Others by James Herbert: 2/5 Less cliched, still boring

Growing Things by T.E.D. Klien: 3/5 Anti-climatic, but well-written
Jan 21, 2016 07:52PM Add a comment
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11

Mike
Mike is on page 30 of 512 of The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11
This introduction is SO TEDIOUS. Discuss the trends in horror in 1999, name a few of your favorite and least favorite novels that came out, or whatever. Nobody wants to read a list of every horror work that came out in that year.
Jan 20, 2016 01:33PM Add a comment
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11

Mike
Mike is starting The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11
I can't say this is something I've ever been curious about. Like, I've never thought, "I wonder what the best horror was of the year I was born." But I've been reading a ton of these anthologies lately, and Neil Gaiman is in this one, so I guess I'll give it a shot.
Jan 19, 2016 05:48PM Add a comment
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11

Mike
Mike is 33% done with Jane Eyre
Eugh, I hate the dialogue. It's either very bland and simplistic, or huge boring monologues.
Jan 18, 2016 07:30PM Add a comment
Jane Eyre

Mike
Mike is on page 240 of 304 of Sex & Violence
THIS IS SO GOOD. This book makes me feel like I'm still in middle school, just starting to get into YA.
Jan 18, 2016 07:52AM Add a comment
Sex & Violence

Mike
Mike added a status update
I really need to change the name of my 'to read very soon' shelf. There are books on that shelf that have literally been there since July.
Jan 17, 2016 02:54PM Add a comment

Mike
Mike is 30% done with Jane Eyre
Say what you want about the dialogue, but there's some beautiful prose here.
Jan 16, 2016 09:49PM Add a comment
Jane Eyre

Mike
Mike is on page 192 of 247 of Bones of Faerie (Bones of Faerie, #1)
Eugh. This is the least interesting anti-war message ever. I've liked these messages, in The Hunger Games and Chaos Walking, but both Suzanne Collins and Patrick Ness had good ideas of why wars happen, how they effect people and societies. I have no evidence that Simner knows any of that - wars are bad because they destroy things, simple as that. We don't even know why this war happened.
Jan 16, 2016 01:49PM Add a comment
Bones of Faerie (Bones of Faerie, #1)

Mike
Mike is on page 162 of 247 of Bones of Faerie (Bones of Faerie, #1)
The writing in this novel started out pretty good, but it's getting kinda awkward and repetitive. Like they wanted to leave a good first impression, but they didn't care about the rest. Actually, that sums up everything about this novel - very good opening, but everything else is lackluster.
Jan 15, 2016 07:26PM Add a comment
Bones of Faerie (Bones of Faerie, #1)

Mike
Mike is on page 132 of 247 of Bones of Faerie (Bones of Faerie, #1)
This is so boring. Allie is the only character who's even mildly interesting, and there's no reason to care about any of this. I've liked Simner's short stories, but maybe that's just what she's better at, because this sucks.
Jan 14, 2016 05:42PM Add a comment
Bones of Faerie (Bones of Faerie, #1)

Mike
Mike is on page 90 of 247 of Bones of Faerie (Bones of Faerie, #1)
Eugh, Simner just introduced like eight different characters at once, and none of them are interesting, and they're so difficult to keep track of. I really can't be compelled to care about the story, or Liz. And while the worldbuilding in Liz's town was nice, Simner makes the huge mistake of having Liz immediately leave that town for a far more boring one.
Jan 13, 2016 05:54PM Add a comment
Bones of Faerie (Bones of Faerie, #1)

Mike
Mike is on page 60 of 247 of Bones of Faerie (Bones of Faerie, #1)
Yeah, I'm not too into this so far. The worldbuilding is still decent, the pacing is still rushed, and Liz just doesn't seem like a very interesting character so far. Plus, the tone is so gloomy and humorless. It reminds me of an Amelia Atwater-Rhodes novel, except that she used it intentionally as a stylistic choice to enhance her themes and world. This just feels like Simner has no sense of humor.
Jan 12, 2016 08:20PM Add a comment
Bones of Faerie (Bones of Faerie, #1)

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