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[hoorayiread]

Stupid Piece of Shit

Has Bojack Horseman been analyzes to hell and back? Yes. But I'm still throwing my hat into the ring because I just noticed something from this particular episode.

"Stupid piece of shit. You're a real stupid piece of shit; you know that?" Bojack's inner monologue is iconic in this episode but there's this moment I notice at the end. He mentions the time he almost got in bed with 17-year-old Penny. But he does this by saying "That's why Charlotte will never forgive you." Not Penny, Charlotte. Her mother. That's the forgiveness he wants. And he does mention Penny by name in this monologue, but when he does it is alongside Herb and Sarah Lynn, two people who are dead. He uses these three people as examples of what happens to those who love him, essentially writing off Penny as something ruined that can never be fixed.

But Penny's alive! Sure, nothing will repair the pain Bojack caused her, but she's living a good life. She's so much more than the trauma she lives with, but Bojack doesn't see that. He can't.

But I want to come back to "Charlotte will never forgive you." Why do her feelings matter so much here? Her daughter was the victim, not her. Sure, Charlotte was Bojack's friend and now hates him, but I think there's more going on here. When people argue for an age of consent lower than 18, they say that 17 or 16 year olds are mature enough to make that decision. That they're their own people and understand the consequences. This TV show fundamentally shows that none of that is true. Penny was not ready. But I think it also argues that Bojack himself didn't believe that. He wants forgiveness from Charlotte because she is the adult. The adult is a person and the child is an object. "Charlotte will never forgive you." Its kinda messed up.

[hoorayiread]

An elk mother, cornered, will slash with her hooves and tear with her mouth and even offer the hope of her own hamstrings, and if none of that works, she’ll rise again years and years later, because it’s never over, it’s always just beginning again.

-The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

[hoorayiread]

Books and the deadly countdown.

There are some books where you know somwthing terrible is coming at a set time. Books where you can see it a mile away, and the closer you get the more you dread it. But you have to continue. I Am Malala, the first book I read on here, has this affect due to it being a true story, but fiction can do it too. Right now I'm reading a book that telegraphs these deaths *so hard.*

[hoorayiread]

Books that'll actually get you back into reading

Maybe you saw my April Fool's day post yesterday where I sarcasmed so hard I turned into a republican and thought "wow, I'd actually like to find a list of books that will get me back onto the hobby." Well, here it is. And also, if you're not a big reader, don't feel bad. Everyone has their own thing.

First Cut by Dr. Judy Melinek and TJ Mitchell.

If you love true crime, mysteries, and/or detective stories, this will probably be your thing. It is partly written by an actual doctor, but it is very accessible to laypeople. It's got a fun mystery and I found it quite easy to follow (and I'm not a big mystery person). It can be a bit gross, so keep that in mind. But if you already like murder stories you're probably down for that.

Anything by Yahtzee Croshaw

Yes, that Yahtzee Croshaw. The angry speedtalking british guy who reviews videogames. His books are comedic and clever, and they actually got me back into reading as an adult. I'd recommend Mogworld if you like fantasy, Jam if you like apocalypse stories, and Will Save the Galaxy for Food (and its sequel) if you're into sci-fi. That last one's actually my favorite.

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

Okay, I'm primarily a horror reader these days and we've gotta get some horror on this list. I tore through this book over the span of about four days, and it ain't short. It's a real easy read, fast-paced, and fun as, well, hell. Again, this is assuming you enjoy gross body horror and queer literature.

[hoorayiread]

Books to get you Back into Reading!!!

It's a very common occurrence that people who loved reading as a kid struggle to get through a single page as an adult. But getting back into reading can be easy as pie with these fun, light reads!

House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski

Who among us doesn't love a spooky haunted house story? This was Danielewski's debut novel and it is quite the fun, quick and easy read about a guy that finds a weird door in his house. The mystery is great for beginners to the horror genre in this light and straightforward book. I myself listened to it on Audible.

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

You can't always judge a book by its cover but Earthlings is as cute and wholesome as the little stuffed hedgehog on the front. This book is about Natsuki, a little girl who's misunderstood by everyone in her family except for her cousin, Yuu. It's a wonderful story about the love of familial relationships and imagination. Talk about life-affirming!

Evicted by Matthew Desmond

This inspiring true story about poor families moving into new homes after eviction is exactly what you need to read to restore your faith in good ol' American capitalism. It will also prove to you that racism doesn't exist because it says that both white and black people can be poor! Plus we had a black president once! Hashtag racismisover. Hashtag gowokegobroke. Hashtag G-d bless the USA, except for California, the liberal hippi state. HASHTAG JESUS WOULD LOVE CAPITALISM TOO IF HE WERE ALIVE TODAY! HASHTAG BILLIONAIRE$ ARE ALL ALPHA MEN. HASHTAG--

... oh god I think I blacked out and typed this list. Happy April Fool's, everyone. These are all great books, but maybe not good to start with.

[hoorayiread]

The Yugioh Manga is Batshit Insane

I need to periodically remind people that I am not a sophisticated person. So here it is: I'm a fan of Yugioh.

More specifically, I am a fan of the manga, because that is where things go truely off the rails. To prove it, here are 5 things in the manga that never made it on the show. Not even in the infamous "Season 0."

1. Yami yells "welcome to my maze of fire" while lighting multiple teenagers on fire.

2. Joey fights Leatherface.

3. An evil clown tries to turn Yugi into an old man with dark magic (and fails).

4. The aforementioned evil clown is Duke Devlin's father. Live with that piece of knowledge, fangirls.

5. A man dies because a baby poops on him.

There are sure to be more, but I only have so much time to read.

[hoorayiread]

And with that, my reading adventure has delivered me out of the terrifying romance genre and right back into my familiar comfort zone of horror.

[hoorayiread]

This Is How You Lose the Time War, a book review

Romance and I have never particularly gotten along, and I find that to be a damn shame. I look out, and I see this community of romance readers. There are these groups of women talking about and embracing the joy of the genre, and something about them seems amazing. Badass, even. And part of me will always want to be a part of that. But I really struggle with this genre.

This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, is not like most romance novels. This is a sapphic love story about two time travellers on either side of a war. Their relationship begins with a single letter. Blue teasing Red from afar. Telling her it's hopeless. She'll lose. This begins a correspondence, with each of them encoding letters in strange objects, until they find they can't live without each others' words.

I can tell when a book is good, and this book is real damn good. That being said, I really struggled with this. It's beautiful, poetic, flowery, a touch pretentious (in a good way), but it wasn't for me. I want to feel what this book holds out for me to touch, but it's as if my heart pets it through a glove (okay, maybe the prose rubbed off a little on me).

It's a very abstract book, too. It's not alwaus 100% clear what's going on, but it's clear this isn't a novel you're supposed to take literally. I think this book is trying to capture what romantic love feels like. I couldn't tell you. I'm aromantic.

I'm glad I read it. But I don't know how helpful this review is.

[hoorayiread]

"... to read your letters is to gather flowers from within myself, pluck a blossom here, a fern there, arrange and rearrange them in ways to suit a sunny room."

-Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, This Is How You Lose the Time War

[hoorayiread]

My Year of Rest and Relaxation, a Book Review

When I was younger, I would go through bouts of unemployment. During these periods, time became a blur, my sleep schedule became erratic, and looking back, there's very little I remember outside of playing way too much Kingdom Hearts. If you've experienced this, you'll find this book relatable.

Ottessa Moshfegh's My Year of Rest and Relaxation is about a nameless protagonist who's dissatisfied with her life and decides to hibernate for a year under the watchful eye of the shittiest psychiatrist in New York City. It's a fairly short book, under 200 pages, due to the fact that the protagonist spends most of her time unconsious.

I found this book to be absolutely fascinating. It fits into the niche I like to call "sad woman literature" along the likes of Bunny, Earthlings, and There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job. It really felt like it was in the spirit of Bunny, though. It has this excellent portrayal of toxic female friendships and the loneliness of a woman spiraling out of control. This character also kind of reminds me of a female Bojack Horseman, as she comes from extreme privilege and hurts those who are around her.

One thing that did hang over this book was the setting. As I mentioned, this book is set in New York City. Well, this book is also set during the years of 2000-2001. So That hung over the book during the entire read time. It was kind of exciting, as I perpetually wondered if The Thing would happen before the end of the book and how It would be portrayed. I won't tell you wether or not It did. Read it yourself.

[hoorayiread]

"I don’t care what the FDA has to say: a nightmare is just an invitation to rewire your neurocircuits."

-Ottessa Moshfegh, My Year of Rest and Relaxation

Fuck it. This is my review.

I'm kidding. I'll do a proper review

[hoorayiread]

3 Un-Sexiest Sex Scenes in Books

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! As your neighborhood Aroace, I intend to ruin it with the power of liturature. After all, my favorite thing about books is that they can somehow manage to get away with the most unhinged shit and still be called masterpieces. Let's talk about the icky and sticky!

3. Tender is the Flesh by Augustina Bazterrica

I may not be familiar with the food safety laws in Argentina, but I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to fuck people on your prep table. It's symbolic and well written, but a bit awkward to read while you're having lunch at work. It went on for pages. Very detailed pages.

2. Cabal by Clive Barker

I have The Hellbound Heart on my to-read list, so I doubt this'll be the last weird scene I read from him. That being said, if you're breaking your monster boyfriend out of prison, maybe don't stop to bang him in the jail cell? Seems like an inopportune moment, is all. Also unsanitary.

1. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Okay, monsterfuckers. Stay with me. I need you to hear this: Having sex with a love goddess might seem like a good time, but think about it. They are a literal god and are incredibly powerful. They can kill you. This one eats a man with her... you know what? Never mind. You freaks are probably into that. Sally forth.

I poke fun, but I did enjoy these books. And I'm sure as the year continues I'll have new and more questionable scenes to add here next year. Reading these things is fun in its own way.

[hoorayiread]

Unlikable

I hear people talk about likability a lot these days. In terms of media criticism and consumption, it's been touted as a very important trait to have. I think that's pretty shallow.

Some of my recent reads are excellent examples of this. Most of Junji Ito's characters barely have a personality, even in his longer form works. Exempli gratia: Tomie is less of a person and more of a curse with legs. Tender is the Flesh didn't contain a single character I actually liked, and a protagonist I actively disliked the longer it continued, and I thoroughly enjoyed that book.

But this is another one of those moments where my current book is prompting these thoughts. I just started Otessa Moshfeg's My Year of Rest and Relaxation, and less than 20 pages in I already can tell this protagonist is not a good person. She's not likable, but I wouldn't say she's necessarily unlikable. But she's interesting. It's not a horror novel like Tender or Ito's works, and the protagonist is most definitely a well-defined character. If anything this book appears to be a character study. I'll save my conclusions for my full review.

Also I did drop a latin phrase in this post just to be a pretentious dick. I can be unlikable, too!

[hoorayiread]

Book Rec for Black History Month

I read this book a few years ago, so it's not fresh in my mind, but I remember Trevor Noah's book Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood as being an excellent read. And yes, it is by the same Trevor Noah who used to host The Daily Show. The book not only tells his personal anecdotes but also covers the persistent systems of opression he continued to live under after Apartheid ended as well as cover the history. It also has a great sense of humor.

I need to read more books by Black authors, and I have been adding them to my list.

[hoorayiread]

Smashed, A Book Review

The reason I love horror as a genre is because so much of it is steeped with themes and symbolism. There's a lot to analyze and think about. Stuff to decode and understand. I care about what a text means and how to interpret it more than I care about characters, plot, or worldbuilding. You may have noticed this trend in the way I review books. What I love about Junji Ito's works are his concepts and themeing, and Smashed certainly has this going for it. Also, having gorgeous and andmospheric artwork helps.

Smashed, by Junji Ito, is a collection of short stories that share some common themes between them, such as obsession and the inability to move on from past trauma, but are otherwise unrelated. "Earthbound" tells the story of people who suddenly freeze in place in certain spots around town. They can speak and know why they're there, but refuse to explain. Then there's "Splendid Shadow Song" where a woman hears an angry break up song that gets viscerally stuck in her head for weeks. I particularly like this one because it also evokes how some art is built from trauma and can be damaging to those who are unprepared to emotionally handle it. "Death Row Doorbell" was about two homocide survivors who are stalked by an apparition of their parents' killer and was an interesting tale of revenge and forgiveness.

Now not every story in this collection is his finest work, and I would say that of the 3 Ito books I have read this one comes in 3rd (Uzumaki is my favorite). But Junji Ito is like pizza where even the stuff that isn't so good is still pretty damn great. There's good horror that's fun and good horror that isn't. Ito, at least for me, squarely falls in the fun category. Then again, I also enjoy things that are gross.

Also, the first story in this collection revolves around a woman with an eating disorder, so take that into consideration before you read. Not the trigger warning I was expecting with this book.

[hoorayiread]

After thinking about it awhile, I changed my mind. I like the ending and I feel it fit the story really well. It is thematically good.

Tender is the Flesh, a Book Review

Well..........that was fucked up. What do the folks on AO3 say? "Dead dove, do not eat?"

Tender is the Flesh, by Augustina Bazterrica is a dystopian novel about a world where all animals have been rendered inedible to humans. As a result, humanity has switched to eating bugs and plant protein.

... just kidding. It's people. They eat people. Of course they do. They have a special designation of human cattle, known as "heads" that they raise and kill for meat. Marcos, the protagonist, works in a slaughterhouse. One day, he is given a lavish gift: a "head" with a very good pedigree. As these heads are supposed to be treated as animals, there are things you are and are not supposed to do with them, but Marcos can't help but break these rules and create a whole host of problems.

This book uses cannibalism to explore the dark themes of dehumanization. One of the ways is with language. Everyone in this book knows they're eating human beings, but they use euphemism like "head" and "special meat" to distance themselves from those they are exploiting. It brings to mind a lot of current events. You can tell you're reading a good dysyopia by how well it correlates to the real world and how much it feels like a not-so-far-off future.

The book also goes into so much gruesome detail about how the meat industry in this book works. This stuff was really well researched! There's this span of about 23 pages where Marcos is giving two job applicants a tour of the slaughterhouse's assembly line and it goes through everything. And this book is only about 220 pages, so that is a solid 10%.

I really liked the book, but I do agree with a lot of book reviewers that the ending wasn't great. I felt like the book didn't end so much as stop. It felt like it was building up to more.

[hoorayiread]

Tender is the Flesh, a Book Review

Well..........that was fucked up. What do the folks on AO3 say? "Dead dove, do not eat?"

Tender is the Flesh, by Augustina Bazterrica is a dystopian novel about a world where all animals have been rendered inedible to humans. As a result, humanity has switched to eating bugs and plant protein.

... just kidding. It's people. They eat people. Of course they do. They have a special designation of human cattle, known as "heads" that they raise and kill for meat. Marcos, the protagonist, works in a slaughterhouse. One day, he is given a lavish gift: a "head" with a very good pedigree. As these heads are supposed to be treated as animals, there are things you are and are not supposed to do with them, but Marcos can't help but break these rules and create a whole host of problems.

This book uses cannibalism to explore the dark themes of dehumanization. One of the ways is with language. Everyone in this book knows they're eating human beings, but they use euphemism like "head" and "special meat" to distance themselves from those they are exploiting. It brings to mind a lot of current events. You can tell you're reading a good dysyopia by how well it correlates to the real world and how much it feels like a not-so-far-off future.

The book also goes into so much gruesome detail about how the meat industry in this book works. This stuff was really well researched! There's this span of about 23 pages where Marcos is giving two job applicants a tour of the slaughterhouse's assembly line and it goes through everything. And this book is only about 220 pages, so that is a solid 10%.

I really liked the book, but I do agree with a lot of book reviewers that the ending wasn't great. I felt like the book didn't end so much as stop. It felt like it was building up to more.