Justin Monisit > Recent Status Updates

2) Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut - an interesting short story that is a microcosm of the emptiness of suburbia, but with such an unlikable main character that's a sexist, racist, and an abusive mom. It is an unpleasant read, but it is an interesting one once viewed through a different context. 7/10

It's one of those stories I'm currently going "it's good" all the way through.

A Perfect Day for Bananafish - interesting story, but way too enigmatic and dialogue based for my taste. The story is gross without bringing attention to it - but not sure what it all meant and didn't walk away wanting to. But good story even if it is so purposely vague 7/10

A bit too many philosophical sermons for my taste, but still an effective book so far.

Found out my walking commute is exactly the length of one chapter for an audiobook - which makes my morning commutes that much better.

So considering how overt the homosexual undertones are, not much of a surprise at the banning. A lot of melodramatic speeches - BUT it's so good I just want them to keep talking about their worldview. So far, really enjoying it :)

Truly the first time I've been confused by a book's high rating. Reads like edgelord fantasy fiction with the "Do not do this edgy thing" as the teenage protagonist kills his friends on the first page. And the first person makes this worse as he goes "this world SUCKS" but in a way that seems disingenuous. It has hints of how he came to be, but it already has the trappings of dark cringe. Oh boy!

Good stuff still! Makes me appreciate God of War just a little bit more than I did before.

It is not often that I finish something and immediately say it's a masterpiece and one of the best things I've experienced - but this is a true masterpiece through and through. It's brilliant and beautiful and heartbreaking. I'll reread this again once I live more of my life and get even more out of it. Truly an astounding piece of work

College professor life and the battle over tenure is intense, but it also managed to make me cry nearly tears of joy over the kind of shy romance that people experience. It was beautiful. Also captures in morbidly beautiful words the kind of love that emerges from shyness between two people reluctant to show their feelings. This book is LIFE

Was a bit busy today, but I am so impressed as to how William manages to make the mundane not only interesting, but beautiful in how true it is to life. This book is potentially crawling to my all time favorites even though I'm less than 100 pages in.

Reading this at the perfect age where I can relate to everything that is happening and it almost feels like it's about me. It's obvious why this is considered a contender for the Great American Novel - it is so about the American experience, almost pandering to those involved English academia and celebrating perfect mediocrity. Great book with sprawling syntax that doesn't wear me out.

Currently reading this on Audible as something to listen to aside from music. Gaiman's narration is astoundingly good - bringing life to these myths in a way that makes them charming with a distinctive voice (take that AI narration!). Also these myths are written in a way that makes them very digestible, similar to Greek myths. Also funny in the way that respects its origins.

First paragraph had me hooked with just how mundane it was - and then the entire first chapter was painfully relatable. I have now reached the age where I actually can relate to this book and then some.

It was a standard memoir; the lack of introspection really makes it feel like a series of events rather than a great novel. I don't regret reading it and do not deny its effect on other people, but it just wasn't as impactful as I wanted it to be.

The Woman in the Room - 8/10. Surprisingly realistic horror to end off on. Used the narrative trick of ending off a section mid sentence a bit too much, but it also is intentionally disorienting. A very painful scenario that I'm surprised made it in this collection, as it's not horror but instead a frighteningly realistic situation. Good story.

One For the Road - 7/10. Another story that falls into the "it was good camp". It builds the mystery as to what the secret is (even tho I knew it bc of Salem's Lot's concept) and actually builds interesting foreshadowing around it. It's just the story itself isn't great and the climax isn't long enough to justify it. Still good.

The Man Who Loved Flowers - 6/10. Interesting concept, but a little half baked in execution. Caught me by surprise but just lacked the build up for that ending.

The Last Rung on the Ladder - 7/10. Surprisingly somber and bereft of any supernatural horror, it is probably the most out of place story in this collection. It's melancholic and tragic, but it just doesn't develop the deceased character outside of the tragic incident. It's still a good story nonetheless.

Children of the Corn - 7/10. Evil children can be scary, but the concept runs thin even for a short story. Typical scary cult story, but it is an interestingly macabre idea for it to revolve around Christ like that. Other than that, it's just another typical good story.

I Know What You Need - 6/10. It's good, but lacks that extra stuff that makes this story stand out from the usual fare. The protagonist is too passive and the romance as a result isn't very convincing, which is the point but it doesn't make the ending have that impact it should have had.

Would have made good progress on my reading challenge if it wasn't for me getting sick and my will to live going away for a few days. Reading habits took a nosedive this year due to school, heartbreak, and a really busy summer (also Horizon: Zero Dawn!). So I'll probably adjust 2023's accordingly - it's not about the books you read, it's about the pages!

Could be reading faster but I don't think this book is as great as people make it out to be. There's not much introspection to the events which blunts a lot of the emotional impact. Not to discount what happens to her, but it feels like a series of events rather than something I can connect with.

Unexpectedly one of my favorite books I read this year. So simple, and yet so engaging. I will probably be reading more of Jack London's books - something I never thought I'd be saying due to my extreme disinterest in anything relating to nature.

Making my due with Audible Plus's selection. This is the last book I'd be expecting to read since I'm apathetic towards nature at best, but tbh I am really caring for this dog and feeling every step of the way his struggles. You go Buck. I hope you get out of this one alive

Quitters Inc - 9/10. Best story so far. Don't want to say more than that to preserve the story but this is the one that I am walking away from feeling a bit shaken.

Lawnmower Man - 7/10. I actually don't know what to rate this, but reading this literally minutes after watching some Chainsaw Man actually made this 10x more entertaining. Idk what tone this was going for, but imagining a Lawnmower Man drawn in the way of Chainsaw Man gave me a good laugh.