Tommy

Probably the best of all the wrestling books I've read. Chris Jericho's voice translates from the microphone to the page perfectly, resulting in a memoir that's both engaging and humorous. Nothing to complain about here - the book is exactly what you want it to be.

This was such a gripping read! It took everything I could muster not to devour this book in a single sitting. The narrative keeps you guessing in a way that's absolutely engrossing and the characters feel hauntingly real, making for a story whose stakes are of paramount importance. And one that, more than once, I found to be truly terrifying.

The whole experience is a bit of a gut punch and I can totally see why this one might not be to every reader's taste, but this horror fan was floored. I've gotta check out more of this guy's work - and soon!

Another day, another volume! This one started off on a bit of a misstep for me, but the ending was the strongest issue yet. Needless to say, I'm still hooked!

There's some great writing buried in here but the monster feels a little weak and the story never quite reaches its full potential as a result. Still, I was impressed enough with the better parts of this book that I could see myself trying more of Brian Keene's stuff down the line.

Just as disturbing and horrific the second time around as it was the first. Stephen King at his darkest.

I loved this franchise as a kid and have wondered for years now how the books hold up. Late last night I made the leap and reread book one for the first time since the '90s. I'm glad I did! It was a really fun, breezy read that made me want to continue onward through the entire series. Maybe I will.

It's been a few months since I read Revival and I still find myself thinking about it. This is the kind of book that crawls into your mind and finds a home there, rearing its wonderfully ugly head on occasion to remind you of the horrors contained within its pages. Most of my favorite King books are from his “heyday” in the '70s and '80s, but I think this one might just be lying in wait, ready to dethrone It as my all time favorite. Absolutely required reading for any horror fan.

I'm devouring these books! This is my third volume in three days. I'm really beginning to love the characters and the lore. Even the art style, which I initially found a little off putting, has grown on me. Looking forward to knocking out the rest of the books in this series sooner rather than later.

It's not bad, but you can definitely see how much Cesare has grown as a writer in his newer books.

An excellent comic book companion to Joe Hill's NOS4A2. It's a prequel, fully fleshing out Charlie Manx's backstory and introducing us to a few of his victims. The writing is great and the artwork is excellent, with both conspiring to make you feel like you yourself have travelled the long and icy road to Christmasland. This was so good that I kind of wish I would've started here and then read the novel, because the whole thing feels like an excellent cold open.

I'm happy to report that I've finished my second reading of IT! This is still my favorite King thing (of the 20 odd King things I've read so far) and likely my favorite novel period, but this reread took me ages. I started on Stephen King's birthday in late September, devoured the first half in a week or so, and then life decided to drag my mental health deep into the gutters to visit Pennywise for a good, long stay. Not quite 27 years, but there were days when it felt like it would be! Through it all, I chipped away at this very slow and painfully unsteady reread for months; it's now early April and I've been feeling much better lately, allowing me to finally lurch across the finish line. I'm glad I got there.

I honestly think that I fell back into this story at a time when my brain somehow knew I would need it the most? The first time around I found the Losers Club and their brutal, seemingly endless heroes' journey to be super inspirational. I felt that it really changed me for the better as a reader and even just as a person on some levels? I needed to feel those feelings again and I was immensely grateful that when I slipped so far down into the depths of my mind I already had the Losers waiting around in there to help me keep on keeping on when I really, truly needed it.

Beep beep, Richie.

This is the first Grady Hendrix book I didn't love. The characters just aren't as vibrant as they are in his other works, and the story feels like it takes forever to actually start. It's not a BAD book - it picks up in the second half - but it's the first of his titles that I could never see myself rereading.

Solid. I liked this book; I just wish I loved it. The premise is fantastic - I do adore a nice, creepy ritual, and there's one here that's to die for. This story has a great set up, but one that never quite delivers what you want it to. There's so much potential here but, sadly, some of that potential goes unrealized. It's not a failure - it just isn't a complete success.

Its really the tale of two books. The chapters set in the past are eerie and captivating horror. I loved them! The ones set in the present, however, are a mixed bag. At times they're tight, tense mystery; others they just feel a bit tedious, and leave you dying to get back to the more interesting past.

Overall I had a decent experience with this one, and I look forward to seeing what else this author has to offer. I just feel like this book was a little to the left of what I wanted it to be.

A worthy follow up to a strong debut, teeming with creative ideas, lovable characters, and little slices of horror that cut like a knife. There's still room for this series to get even better, but I think I've already begun to fall under its spell.

I already knew the Sam Raimi film adaptation was a banger but this was an absolutely incredible read! Just harrowing from start to finish.

This would be a five star read if the story had a little more time to breathe and develop. The art is fantastic and the core plot is very interesting but I definitely found myself wanting more.

Truly the end of an era. R.I.P. Kentaro Miura.

My personal Berserk odyssey began in late 2018; while I haven't been on this journey for as long as many of you have, I did devour the series at a reading rate that's unprecedented for me. In 2021 alone I've read twenty volumes! Kentaro Miura is now my most read author by far and I'll always wear that like a badge of honor because his body of work is absolutely exceptional. It made me fall in love with manga wholly and completely, and has me desperately seeking out another series to scratch my Berserk itch. Suggestions would be lovely?

Just to quickly weigh in on the whole “will they or won't they” debate about finishing up the series down the line: I, for one, think they should go for it. If it's true that Kentaro Miura left behind notes and trained apprentices in his style, then I think it's clear that that's what he wanted, which is the most important thing here. If he left behind the tools needed to finish such a culturally important story, then his life's work deserves the chance to be completed in a way that honors his legacy. Or maybe I'm just a selfish fanboy, I dunno. I just know that this reader's heart is desperate to see this story through to the very end.

Almost everyone I look to for reviews loved this but sadly it didn't work for me. The dynamic between the two characters feels like it rushes straight from zero to sixty, which makes every (horrible!) thing that follows hard to believe or care about. It's misery for misery's sake and not much else.

This was a fun, fast paced read. I live less than an hour's drive from West Virginia so the setting and the characters really resonated with me. Keene's take on the vampire mythos is great and I'd totally read more.

One of the better pro wrestling books for sure. The nonlinear story structure deters some people - I was concerned myself going in - but it totally suits what Moxley seems to have been going for here. As opposed to hitting the usual wrestling biography beats in the usual wrestling biography ways, MOX is more of a glimpse into the mind of an artist. An eccentric, but demonstrably brilliant, storyteller who excels at nearly every aspect of a highly specific craft, offering a rare look at his process. Sure, sticking to the tested biography formula might have made for a “better” book on paper, but trying to comply to established norms has always caused Mox, the wrestler, to underdeliver. When he's given free reign to tell pro wrestling stories his way, his voice shines through and they're generally incredible. This book is yet more proof of that: he's telling his actual story, his way, and because of that it's gloriously entertaining and at times even genuinely profound, even if it's a little weird and hard to get used to. It's really very on brand for him.

A good read, though admittedly a difficult one in places. The artwork was really striking!

Fantastic cover; passable book. If the Goodreads Gods allowed for it this would be the definition of a 2.5 rating. Still, the concept is pretty cool and I'll probably check out the film adaptation if it ever actually comes out.

This book is wild! It's often described as “Power Rangers meets The Shining”, which may just be the least likely combination of overarching influences ever, but somehow that pairing actually works? It's not perfect - I personally would've leaned on the horror a little harder - but it's a strong first volume that definitely has my interest! I love the characters, the '90s punk rock setting, and the sheer strangeness of the story overall. I'm looking forward to more.

I'm of two minds about this novella. The story wasn't exactly spectacular but it was decent enough and mostly enjoyable. The actual writing, however, left a lot to be desired. I'd be surprised if this was proofread even a single time, because it was littered with grammatical errors, incomplete sentences, confusing prose, and clunky, repetitive language - all of which could have easily been fixed with even the most basic level of editing. While the story wasn't without merit, the actual text was quite trying to read and should have never been allowed into the wild in its current form.

Three stars for the story itself; one for the severe lack of editing. I guess I'll split the difference.

An hour before I started this book, I told a friend that I was afraid to read it because I thought it would be too sad now that Leslie Jordan is no longer with us. I wrestled with this for a bit, but ultimately wound up putting the audiobook on my phone and taking it with me on my evening walk. I didn't make it to the 5% mark (I don't think I even made it past the first chapter?) before I was sobbing great big ugly sobs as I walked. I'm glad I live in the middle of nowhere!

Here's the thing: I was bawling like a child, but I definitely wasn't sad. It was bittersweet, for sure, but “sad” is the wrong word entirely. Leslie Jordan's enormous heart, adorable soul, and inimitable charm live on in both the text of this memoir and its wonderful audiobook narration. It is maybe the most pure, and most hopeful, autobiography I've ever read. It's beautiful. I loved it so much that I had to force myself to slow down so I would have the time to truly process the stories and lessons contained within. And so began my short lived, but very lovely, evening ritual of walking and weeping while I listened to one of the coolest entertainers ever hold court as only he can. I must have shed a million tears in the last week and a half and I regret absolutely none of them.

Some of the stories in this book are sad, but many are deeply joyous - and all are written with style and grace. Even the more mundane bits made me feel like I was sitting under the learning tree of an insightful (and hilarious) person. Rest in peace, Leslie Jordan.