Travis West
The best book I have read in years. I read it after seeing the movie trailer, but now I don't want to see the movie because it cannot possibly live up.
Would have been 4 stars but the train went flying off the rails in the last 20%. Still, I'm a sucker for an unreliable narrator.
Hard boiled detective story in an alternate reality.
Update: came back 3 years later to give it an additional star. I think about this book all the time. We've gotten pretty close to having two societies that have so little in common that they don't even see each other.
A touching story of love and loss framed by the author's memories of music. Stunning. Best memoir I've read in years.
Can we just agree that audiobooks set on the west coast of England should be narrated by someone with a British accent?
When I read books about movie criticism, I expect insights from someone who is smarter than me. This is not that kind of book.
It breaks my heart to rate this so low. I loved The Night Circus so much. It's not a case of elevated expectations. I tried so hard to love this book... or even like it. Rather than reciting a litany, I'll just link to a review that I agree with completely.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2913818259
This was a good book to read on a camping weekend, where all of your activity is geared toward being able to do nothing. It's not a simple “life hack” how-to self help book. I'd put it in a category of philosophical book like “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” or “Paddle Your Own Canoe.”
A fun creature feature combined with small-town politics. Completely predictable and utterly forgettable, but in a good way, like a horror beach read.
Much like the author, this book is an oddball, but it was fun to listen to while setting up the bar in the new house. Bonus: because it was audio, I now know how to pronounce “spanakopita” and “phyllo.”
Besides the misleading title, I have no idea how this book got onto my radar. I don't listen to their podcast, so I didn't need to know anything about their formative years, which frankly weren't as fascinating as they think.
Post-modern philosophical horror. Completely different from but with a vibe similar to Under the Skin.
“Sometimes a thought is closer to truth, to reality, than an action. You can say anything, you can do anything, but you can't fake a thought.”
Starts off very strong, but almost collapses in the middle. Mostly redeems itself at the finish. All the elements of a great Victorian gothic, but in a jumble.
Loved the premise and the first half. It was downhill from there. It has to be difficult to follow up Underground Airlines. I'll still read whatever Winters writes next.