This book is so adorable! The weird little girl who still lives inside my head delighted in following Millie Fleur's adventures in gardening the cutesThis book is so adorable! The weird little girl who still lives inside my head delighted in following Millie Fleur's adventures in gardening the cutest creepy plants! I think I am living proof that this book will enchant people of any age if they are fans of the Addams family, but it is sure to make little girls and boys giggle and hopefully, interested in gardening... lethal or non-lethal plants...
Stay weird, kids: you will find your tribe eventually!...more
I got my hands on a copy of this book after seeing it featured on Heather O’Neill’s Instagram; I’d be lying if I said that the beautiful and messy covI got my hands on a copy of this book after seeing it featured on Heather O’Neill’s Instagram; I’d be lying if I said that the beautiful and messy cover illustration didn’t also help.
As I read this book, I chuckled at the familiarity of some aspects of Maggie’s story, and snorted in bafflement at other things she says and does, as she navigates her new reality as a 29 year old divorcée. I went through a major break up at that age, and it wrecks you, like any break up does, but the fact that your 30th birthday is around the corner adds a very specific sort of stress for women, even if you have spent most of your adult life railing against ageist stereotypes. It was a long time ago, but I do remember doing some pretty crazy shit, so I had a decent amount of compassion for Maggie.
Nevertheless, this book doesn’t really reinvent the wheel: it is funny, sometimes painfully familiar and often cringey as hell, but it’s about that cycle most adults go through of one relationship ending, the struggle to get one’s brain back on track, the often rocky healing process and the eventual realization that they’ll be OK. I don’t know if predictable is quite the right word for “Really Good, Actually”, but it does sound like a story you may have heard before.
I would have rated this book 3 stars, but one line caught my eye, and I felt it rather strongly as one of the most relatable thing I’d read in a while:
“I looked at my body in the mirror and thought, ‘you know what, fine’.”
For that bittersweet line alone, it got rounded up to 4 stars. Light, sweet, silly but not without it’s moments of truth....more
Reaching the end of this series was a bittersweet moment: the “Johannes Cabal” novels have been a holiday tradition for me over the past five years, aReaching the end of this series was a bittersweet moment: the “Johannes Cabal” novels have been a holiday tradition for me over the past five years, and I guess now I need a new tradition, because Howard makes it clear in his foreword that this is the end for my favorite necromancer… Though he did leave us on a rather open ending, so a girl can dream of more stories involving the determined Mr. Cabal, his wonderful brother Horst and their always entertaining friends and adventures…
When we last saw the Cabal brothers, they had managed to get themselves out of a tricky situation, but the looming threat of Orfilia Ninunka is not gone for good, and they know it. However, Johannes is not about to give up his quest to find a cure for death, and when he comes across some clues that could lead him to the Fountain of Youth, he enrolls Horst, the plucky Miss Barrow and the wonderfully unhinged demon Zarenyia to help him in his travels. But nothing is ever quite that simple, especially for Johannes, who will walk into a complicated trap that will lead him far from where he thought he was going!
I am really going to miss these books: their irreverent tone, take-the-piss humor and unique characters were always a pleasure to spend time with. Howard’s love of Lovecraftiana, Victoriana and steampunk, blended with his dry wit, gives a wonderful prose that never fails to make me smile, snort and giggle in my book – which is a delightful treat.
If you enjoyed the other books of this series, this is a fantastic conclusion. I hadn’t realized their were little novellas set between the books and I will now have to go dig these up to give myself the illusion that there is still more Cabal to come.
As per my tradition, I devoured a Johannes Cabal book over the holidays. The misanthropic necromancer is a favorite comfort character of mine, and thiAs per my tradition, I devoured a Johannes Cabal book over the holidays. The misanthropic necromancer is a favorite comfort character of mine, and this fourth volume of his adventures didn’t disappoint!
Johannes is actually not the focus of the first half of “The Brothers Cabal”: that honor goes to Horst, who we met in the first book of the series, and who might be the most affable vampire in fantasy and horror literature, an absolute anti-Lestat. The story begins with Horst being rather surprised at being brought back to life (long story, read the first book) and courted by an occult organization with plans to create an army of supernatural creatures such as vampires, werebeasts and zombies. That whole idea doesn’t sit too well with Horst, who is really just a nice guy with the bad luck of being a vampire, so when things start going south, he runs for it and seeks out his brother, who may or may not be able to help with the rather peculiar situation Horst has found himself in.
Jonathan Howard is the type of satirist who clearly adores the material he pokes fun at, and you can tell that this man has lived on Gothic and horror novels and movies, as he peppers lovely references and Easter eggs for his fellow nerds to unearth within the pages of his hilarious novels. I was also really pleased to see Horst return, as he was quite a standout character in the previous novel, and his interaction with his irascible sibling is a delight.
If you enjoy this series, this is probably the best installment since the first book, and I loved every page.
Joannes Cabal books have somehow become a Holiday tradition for me: Book-Santa (aka my husband) gives me a new one every year, and every year, I drop Joannes Cabal books have somehow become a Holiday tradition for me: Book-Santa (aka my husband) gives me a new one every year, and every year, I drop all other books and read the necromancer's latest adventure while stuffing my face with cut-out sugar cookies.
This latest romp see the misanthropic necromancer hired by the Fear Institute, a society devoted to the idea of finding the essence of fear itself, and destroying it, as they see fear to be the biggest hindrance to humanity reaching their optimal potential. Cabal does not really agree with them, but this gig would give him a chance to explore the Dreamlands, a world where the laws of science and physics do not apply the same way, a land populated by bizarre creatures created by people's dreams, and where strange gods reside. How can a man such as Cabal possibly resist the idea of going in there to take a peek?
Jonathan L. Howard has a great love for Lovecraftian creatures and lore, and he clearly has a ball of a time playing with good old H.P.'s ideas and rearranging them in stories that are both macabre and hilarious. In fairness, there wouldn't be anything of note to these stories were it not for the unique and unforgettable voice of Johannes Cabal, who manages to be detestable, erudite, ruthless and lovable all at once. The extremely dry and often absurd humour elevates this little horror/adventure tale to a wonderful other level. I am already looking forward to next year's! ...more
A famous (and insufferable) mathematician solves the Riemann hypothesis, a leap in knowledge guaranteed to change eveDammit. I hate when this happens…
A famous (and insufferable) mathematician solves the Riemann hypothesis, a leap in knowledge guaranteed to change everything for humanity, but a distant alien species is of the opinion think that humanity, being rather a primitive and violent species, wouldn't use that fresh knowledge well, so they send an agent to infiltrate the mathematician’s life, by killing and impersonating him, to snip this whole situation in the bud. But things quickly don’t go as planned because the alien’s perspective on humans changes as he interacts with a very dysfunctional family and a friendly dog.
The writing is not bad, and there are very funny observation about a lot of human absurdities, but I found the premise quite predictable, and I got inexplicably annoyed at the alien’s immediate mastery of British semantics… You know, I agree with the aliens’ opinion that humanity is not “mature” enough to use a lot its scientific discoveries smartly. We could make lives better and easier for ourselves, but instead we make weapons and destroy our own environment. Other sci-fi writers have tackled this before, from the more serious (Octavia Butler) to the whimsical (Catherynne Valente) perspective, and maybe I am cynical and crabby, but this attempt at the cute and uplifting perspective didn’t enchant me as much as I was hoping it would. That said, I appreciate that he refers to dogs as small domestic deities, because that's totally what pets are when you think about it, and I now refer to my cat's elaborate cat-tree as her shrine.
A lot of people love this book, and now I feel like a cranky old granny giving it 3 stars, which is sill not a bad rating at all. I think that perhaps my expectations affected my enjoyment of a light, sweet and optimistic little book....more
In fairness, this book is probably more of a two and half, but I rounded it up because it was a silly, fluffy little read, which was enjoyable, and itIn fairness, this book is probably more of a two and half, but I rounded it up because it was a silly, fluffy little read, which was enjoyable, and it was also exactly what I expected it to be. It’s been compared to “Bridget Jones”, and I can sort of see it: the two main characters are hot messes who struggle with adulting and communicating their needs.
Roxy is in her mid-twenties, works at the deli counter of her local Whole Foods and she is letting an ex-boyfriend, Everett, rent the guest room in her house to help her pay the mortgage and look after her pets. But she has a hard time reaching Everett, so she begins to leave him these notes on the kitchen counter. Eventually, the notes almost become a journal that she needs for more than simply asking him for rent or to give the dog his insulin shot: the notes become a way for her to make sense of events that unfold over the course of a few months during which she makes a new friend, shakes up her dating life and decides to take down “the man” – which in this case is a Lululemon franchise.
It's a rather funny/cringey and predictable story of “girl stuck in a rut discovers happiness and love after some shenanigans rock her boat”. Roxy is an insufferable character, but I knew that going in. She has zero self-awareness for a very long time, and while she is frank and candid, she is also thoughtless and selfish. But when she begins to work on herself and grow, and especially when she starts paying attention to how her actions impact those around her, I went from wanting to punch her to simply rolling my eyes fondly. There’s a good heart in that silly New Agey lunatic, and when she stops being self-centered, it really glows.
Cute, quick read. I appreciate the main character’s commitment to childlessness just because she doesn’t want children (as opposed to some dramatic justification of that choice), because I’d love to see that being normalized in pop culture....more
I knew I would love this book, because few things have made me laugh as hard as Ali Wong’s Netflix specials: she is honest and, somehow, sweet and groI knew I would love this book, because few things have made me laugh as hard as Ali Wong’s Netflix specials: she is honest and, somehow, sweet and gross at the same time, and I found her endearing and relatable, so I got “Dear Girls” on Audible for our traditional Holiday “roadtrip”.
For those who, like me, knew her mostly through her stand up work, this will definitely hit the spot, because her sense of self-deprecating and over-sharing humour is present throughout, but what really impressed me is how much of her heart she clearly put into this book. Written as a collection of letters to her young daughters, Ali meant this as a way for her girls to know her better, and also as a way to give them advice on many aspects of life – should she not be there when they need said advice. Her thoughts on love, career, cultural identity and family are rooted in deep common sense and she opens up on touchy subjects with a nice mix of toughness and vulnerability.
While there is a strong element of autobiography in there, it doesn’t come off as narcissistic or self-involved: she is all too aware of her previous mistakes to sound snobby, she always keeps her family’s welfare in mind when taking career decisions and she knows that the best way to bounce back from fucking up is to learn to laugh about it. This makes “Dear Girls” surprisingly touching and inspiring. While some people may find her lack on inhibition off-putting, I found myself wishing more people were like her: that kind of honesty might sometimes cross the line of polite conversation, but Heaven knows most future moms should hear what she has to say about labor! She also doesn’t shy away from talking about how much hard work goes into both her work and in being a mom. I am in awe of her dedication, and I really wanted to give her a hug when she mentions often feeling that she’s half-assing it by trying to do both at the same time.
The epilogue, written by her husband, is a wonderful conclusion because it really shows how strong a bond they have and how great a team they make. Those two little girls have got nothing to worry about with strong and loving parents like the ones they have....more
A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to find a pristine copy of Peter Dickinson’s “The Flight of Dragons” in a tiny used bookstore in Ottawa: theA couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to find a pristine copy of Peter Dickinson’s “The Flight of Dragons” in a tiny used bookstore in Ottawa: the book brought back a ton of childhood memories, as it was one of the inspirations for a gorgeous animated movie, made by the same people who made “The Last Unicorn”. And let me tell you: I watched those two movies (on VHS, of course) so much when I was a kid that I can still quote most of the dialogues from memory. While the so-called “science” parts of the movie were based upon Dickinson’s book, the actual tale of a professor turned into a dragon was (loosely) based on this relatively unknown fantasy novel, “The Dragon and the George”.
Jim was a teaching assistant at a small Minnesota college, and while his life might not have been simple, he was happy playing volleyball, studying medieval history and making life plans with his girlfriend Angie. But when Angie is accidentally transported to a strange land via an astral projection experiment gone awry, everything changes. He insists on submitting himself to the same experiment in order to rescue her but somehow ends up projecting his consciousness inside the body of a young dragon named Gorbash. He is unable to prevent Angie from getting kidnapped by an evil dragon name Bryagh, and quickly realizes that according to the Laws of this strange world he is now in, Jim/Gorbash must enlist some companions with whom to rescue his girlfriend.
Some elements are hopelessly dated (the book was originally published in 1976, hence the astral projection and hairspray), but I was a bit surprised to see that some of the problems Jim and Angie struggle with in the “real world” are still issues we have to deal with now. The tenuous economic situation of working in academia but not being a tenured professor, for instance, has unfortunately not evolved all that much since the 70s – if anything, it’s gotten much, much worse! It’s also nice to see Jim lose a few illusions about the Medieval period along his way: that time period is very romanticised but there were plenty of unpleasant things to deal with back then as well, fleas being only a minor one.
Since Mark Twain, a lot of people have used the “modern man goes back in time and dazzles backwards Middle Age folks with science” premise, with varying levels of success. Dickson obviously thought the idea was hilarious, and you can tell he’s having a lot of fun comparing the complications of modern life with the incomprehensible intricacies of his fantasy land. The book also takes a poke at the standard epic fantasy tropes: the portal to another world, the wise old wizard, the dashing knight in shining armor, the maiden in distress, the motley group of companions going on a heroic quest… I am personally so over all those clichés, so I really appreciate someone making fun of them. I love the image of a dragon climbing up a small tree to avoid fighting a knight, of a wizard who can send someone in another dimension but has no idea how to cure an ulcer, the noble knight who can’t sway from the chivalrous code of conduct imposed on him even when it makes zero practical sense…
But as much fun as this book can be, it never managed to quite outshine the movie, which is a lot less cheesy and a surprisingly intelligent reflection on balance. The die-hard “The Flight of Dragons” fans ought to check it out, but don’t expect it to be as good as your childhood favorite. The writing is enjoyable, but the prose is not especially impressive and the plot is a little all over the place. For someone in love with the lady he must rescue, Jim gets very easily distracted in his quest… That said, I adore Carolinus in the book, who is basically a grouchy Gandalf who chews his beard and basically wishes people would just leave him alone.
If Lovecraft had a sense of humor and had decided to write an Agatha Christie-style locked room mystery, he would have written a book very much like "If Lovecraft had a sense of humor and had decided to write an Agatha Christie-style locked room mystery, he would have written a book very much like "Johannes Cabal: the Detective".
I read the first book in Jonathan L. Howard's series last year (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), and had so much fun with the deadpan, misanthropic necromancer that I couldn't resist getting the following instalment to see what Mr. Cabal would be up to, after winning his Faustian wager.
Turns out, trouble is what Cabal is in, as usual. In an attempt to escape a civil war he more or less started, the necromancer ends up assuming a false identity to board a dirigible and make his way back to England. Alas, a certain Miss Leonie Barrow is also on board and threatens to reveal his true identity – and as if that wasn’t enough, a passenger is murdered on the first night of the voyage. Needless to say, he’s got his hands full, trying to stay safe and solve a murder – all the while, struggling mightily to understand basic human interactions.
Howard’s style is consistently funny, and despite his quirks, he makes you love his necromancer anti-hero to bits. This series is turning into a welcome and light-hearted distraction for the most stressful month of the year: I’m looking forward to reading the third one next year!...more
I'm having many mixed feelings about this book. So I'm rating it 3 and a half starts, and I might round it up to 4.
Johanna Morrigan is a teenager growI'm having many mixed feelings about this book. So I'm rating it 3 and a half starts, and I might round it up to 4.
Johanna Morrigan is a teenager growing up in the 90's, in a shitty little town in the north of England. Her dad is a failed musician who lives off an old disability pension, her mom is going through post-partum depression and her siblings are running wild. She is awkward, bookish, chubby and completely obsessed with sex - or at least the idea of it. Tired of what she perceives as a mediocre existence, she creates an alter ego for herself: Dolly Wilde! Dolly wears a lot of eyeliner and a top hat, smokes rollies and drinks like a fish. She somehow gets a job as a music critic and off she goes on the road towards adulthood, by way of the world of indie rock.
I understood Johanna much more than I had anticipated: I also grew up in a weird, very messy household with parents who were not always the adults of the house. I also figured out who I was by trial and error, by surviving many moments of excruciating awkwardness and humiliation, observing and emulating the people I thought were cool only to realize that they sucked, faking it until I made it - despite being almost perpetually confused as to what the fuck was going on. Instead of going the music critic route, I ended up in a band. And I didn't have a top hat: I had a bowler hat.
But despite Moran writing a hilarious, very potty-mouthed coming of age story that felt quite familiar, I had a hard time connecting to her writing. I can't quite put my finger on what it was: there's so much good advice in this book for girls trying to figure out what kind of woman they want to be - and most importantly that they have to do things for themselves, and not to please other people. But somehow I felt that there was something lacking. Perhaps because a lot of what goes on in this book was also discussed by Moran in her non-fiction book "How to Be a Woman" (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), in a more organized way? Something just didn't click as much as I wanted it to, hence the rating.
Nevertheless, this is a fun, relatable story about coming of age in the late 90's. For fans of all the weird shoe gaze rock that reminds them of high school and who aren't fazed by excessive use of the C-word....more