Reviews and Comments

David Swinstead

swinstead@bookwyrm.social

Joined 1 year, 6 months ago

I read short fiction books slowly

Big fan of Gaiman, Vonnegut, Bukowski. Yes that's right I am basic af.

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Content warning If ya didn't read the book don't read my review. The tldr is I really fucking hated it.

Charles Bukowski: Pulp (1994, Black Sparrtow Press) 4 stars

Different Bukowski but still Bukowski

4 stars

It's interesting reading Buk take on such a radical change in genre and subject compared to what I've read of his before.

It's so different and yet still unmistakable him through and through.

I enjoyed this. I burned through this in a few days rather than talk to my family over Christmas. Hey ho. And so it goes.

Charles Bukowski: Pulp (1994, Black Sparrtow Press) 4 stars

Burned straight through the first 30% in one sitting. I just wanted to read a chapter to check it out but I couldn't put it down.

About ten years ago I read a few Bukowski in a row but I haven't picked up one from him since then. It feels good to be back with Buk's writing. I missed it.

Paulo Coelho: The Alchemist (Paperback, 2002, Harper San Francisco) 3 stars

"My Heart Is Afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy told the alchemist …

I liked it. I didn't *love* it but I liked it.

3 stars

Content warning Spoilers yes. Don't click if you haven't read.

Gabrielle Zevin: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (Hardcover, 2022, Knopf) 4 stars

In this exhilarating novel, two friends--often in love, but never lovers--come together as creative partners …

It's as good as they all said

5 stars

Feel like everyone I know read this book last year - so I'm a little behind the curve - but finally I got around to see what all the hype is about.

I really enjoyed it. Having been a big gamer as a kid a still somewhat now, it all felt super real to me.

The characters were beautifully drawn, fully realised, deep and complex people.

There were a couple or irks I had (someone got word-of-the-day toilet paper for Christmas eh?) but nothing that stopped me having a great time with this book.

Madeline Miller: Circe (Hardcover, 2018, Little Brown and Company) 4 stars

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a …

Thoroughly enjoyed

5 stars

I really enjoyed this book.

I picked it up to read during a week holiday in Greece, I thought it would be fun to learn about some Greek mythology while I was there.

It was - but this book was fun so far beyond just learning about ancient mythology, this was a well-drawn portrait of a deep and complex evolving character.

This book doesn't just tell us about Circe, it takes us along with her on her journey.

H. Jon Benjamin: Failure Is an Option (2019, Dutton) 3 stars

"H. Jon Benjamin--the lead voice behind Archer and Bob's Burgers--helps us all feel a little …

I like the guy and I could listen to his voice all day long. I liked the book. I liked it but I didn't love it.

There were some funny stories in there. But parts also seemed haphazard and scattershot.

I definitely took something away from the main theme: failure is an option. I've been thinking about it a lot. I haven't truly failed anything important in a long time. Maybe I'm not aiming high enough