Book on Mr. Pointing

Mistborn

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It seems like I read Sanderson’s works in the wrong order. So much of the ideas within this book seep into the Stormlight Archive, so much so it’s clear certain characters were frameworks for later characters. I don’t see that as a detriment, but it was difficult not to compare when the similarities are so glaring.

The story was good for the most part. While Kelsier takes on a lot of the bulk of the interesting and driving parts of the narrative, eventually the other main character, Vin, does grow into her own. Again, extremely difficult not to compare them directly to Kaladin and Shallan, when so much of their development and even story actions are similar if not the exact same. Honestly the more I write about it the more it bothers me, but during reading it didn’t too much so I’ll refrain from lowering the score more than I currently have it.

Let the Right One In

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0000

It’s difficult to explain how to feel about content that disturbs you. Parts of this book where inherently disturbing and disgusting, aside from it being a book about Vampires. I even found it hard to recommend to people after admitting I was enjoying the read. After getting to certain events and characters, it became slightly embarrassing to admit I was having a good time with the story. My biggest takeaways outshine the dark, dreary, and sometimes inappropriate undertones of the entire story, especially for the Vampire genre.

Fantastic Land

Tue, 11 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

This one really stunk. It’s unfortunate that a lot of bookstagram loves this and recommends it every time someone is discussing disturbing fiction. Sold as a cross between Lord of the Flies and Battle Royale, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for it by the end, since it will never live up to either’s acclaim. I could dissect why we love disturbing fiction in the first place, but that’s for another day. I could even get into why people liked this book, but honestly that’s an even greater mystery than anything this work has to offer.

The Idiot

Fri, 01 Jan 1869 00:00:00 +0000

One of the first books I had to write about before finishing it. I’m on the last 50 pages, but it’s taken me almost two months to finish it. I will finish it today, but can’t say I’m in a rush. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, so much to say that even the boring parts were great. I’ve never cared so much about petty melodrama than before. The way Dostoyevsky writes makes the buffoonery these characters exemplify worth the endeavor.

It

Mon, 15 Sep 1986 00:00:00 +0000

I really do think Stephen King is a great author is a lot of ways. He sets a scene better than a lot of his contemporaries, so much so you feel it when reading a majority of his work. I have a lot of questions coming out of this, but most of all I’m pretty disappointed but did enjoy parts of it.

Pennywise was the first character to ever give me nightmares; I remember my mother having the television adaptation of the novel on TV one night and seeing It coming out of a drain, stretching it open and taunting his victims stayed with me until this day. I’m currently 28, and I was maybe 5 or 6 years old. I watched the later movie adaptations and enjoyed them, so I really did think the book should be even better. In some ways it was, and in a lot of ways it was not.

The Man in the High Castle

Mon, 01 Oct 1962 00:00:00 +0000

Another killer Philip K. Dick piece, and although not my favorite from him, a quick and compelling read. What I got most out of this “new” America was the constant fear about the self-the fear of losing your identity, or the fear of your identity aligning with your perceived identity. Majority of the characters come face to face with outward-adversity, but only briefly. For most of the book the characters are just trying to exist in a society where identity is everything and means absolutely nothing.

Kokoro

Thu, 01 Jan 1914 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve really been killing it recently with the beautifully written tragic stories. This time, Meiji-era Japan as our theme and Natsume Soseki as our conductor. I really enjoyed Kokoro, and at many moments fueled with a tender inner-flame that kept me attached to the narrator. Even when it transitioned to Sensei’s story, I continued to read it from the narrators perspective.

I have a lot of thoughts and opinions about this one, so I’ll try to be brief. While I enjoyed the book a lot, and I’m surely not the first person to notice this, but sooooooo much of the events of this book become trivial when you consider how easy it would have been had these characters grew up in a setting where openly communicating your feelings was normal. This story could only work in the time and place the settings in, and for that I appreciate it for what it is. That being said, so many times I thought of how silly these characters are behaving.

Perfume

Tue, 01 Jan 1985 00:00:00 +0000

I’m super torn about this one. A beautifully written book about an man who commits horrible, atrocious acts that are unredeemable from a moral standpoint. It’s difficult to even dissect without getting right into it, so let’s just do that.

First of all, again, the way this author writes is right up my alley. It was engaging, kept me coming back even when I wasn’t sure if I wanted too. The world he draws you into feels so palpable, especially considering the main sense this book tries to make you feel is scent. It was enthralling hearing the ways he would describe the world and activities the main character participated in. Most of the book is like this, and a good amount of the exposition doesn’t even really come off as horror, and more classical. I thought I’d be more upset by that considering I only started reading this for the horror aspect, but I actually ended up loving it for that.

The Communist Manifesto

Mon, 21 Feb 1848 00:00:00 +0000

Not much to say about this one that hasn’t already been said; regardless, a great insight into the past and what it means to unite with your fellow human peers. The forward clues you into the perspective of the world’s reaction to it. It’s hard to believe, since now banding together against a stronger and more materially wealthy minority is such a common theme that persists through countless forms of media.

Moby Dick

Sat, 18 Oct 1851 00:00:00 +0000

What is the reason we write? I’m not sure if that’s the right way to start this review, but it was something that bothered me the entire time reading Moby Dick. What was the reason for all of this lexical analysis? Was there any benefit to my experience knowing the nitty gritty details of how whales are killed, dissected, and harvested for materials?

At first I thought it was meaningless; fluff to drive out the length of the novel. Fortunately, after finishing it and doing some more research, Herman’s expansive diatribes are somewhat useful. At the time of publishing (1851) the knowledge of whales and their general species was largely misinformed. You don’t have to go research to find that out, Ishmael literally tells you in great detail all of the faults of his modern-day understanding of the great leviathans. Part adventure story of course, but also part learning experience. I started to enjoy the longer chapters a little more when put into that perspective.

The Glass Castle

Tue, 01 Mar 2005 00:00:00 +0000

What began as a search for a birthday gift for my mother, became a dive deep into the life of Jeannette Walls. In true Richie fashion, I picked the biggest downer I could’ve picked for a happy birthday. Knowing nothing about the book, I had saw it a few times show up as a “BookTok” recommendation, and even appear on my mom’s “Want to Read” list on her Goodreads account. Knowing that there was a book in common the both of us wanted to read, I didn’t even bother reading the back before purchasing and gifting it to her.

The Satanic Verses

Mon, 26 Sep 1988 00:00:00 +0000

What makes you unique from your contemporaries? How does the culmination of all of your past experiences affect your present choices, and what does that mean about the choices you end up making? Are you destined to fall back into the cycle of what has been, or can you throw everything away and start over, and be able to tell the tale of it all?

These are the questions I gathered Mr. Rushdie is trying to ask with the Satanic Verses, among other things (should everything that’s said from those you trust be taken face value without question?). What sets a Salman Rushdie book apart from the rest, other than me having to heavily reference a dictionary, is it’s beautiful presentation.

In The Distance

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

While browsing a Strand affiliated pop-up next to central park one spring day not so many weeks ago, a good friend picked this book up and told me it was one of their favorite books. I of course took their opinion seriously, given I’ll read, watch, or play just about anything a friend recommends out of principle. It’s situations like this very one that makes that principle worth while; this book was amazing.

The Secret History

Tue, 01 Sep 1992 00:00:00 +0000

What a beautifully written book. Of all the events that transpire, it’s the writing that keeps me recommending The Secret History. The story is presented as a mix of a tragedy, a comedy, and a reflection of what powerful influence looks like on impressionable young people. The allure of Julian Morrow sets up a rock that rolls into a boulder, crushing those both caught in the trajectory and the ones behind the push.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Mon, 01 Jan 1883 00:00:00 +0000

A philosophical endeavor to say the least, Thus Spoke Zarathustra was a tough read and an enlightening one. To start, this is a book I’ve owned for many years. As a teenager, I had only a cursory understanding of who Nietzsche was, and was angsty/thought he had all the answers to my questions. It was exactly the opposite; I thought I knew what he was talking about, but I had not even a hint of a clue.

Wind and Truth

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Previously: Rhythm of War

I’m really torn on this one. Part of my loved this book, and part of me hated it. I gave it a 4 out of 5, so I must’ve liked it more than disliked; I still cannot get over the fact that it’s actually done. To be honest, a lot of the reason I gave it a 4 instead of anything lower is that there couldn’t possibly be the ending I know my heart wants. I want all of my favorite characters to come out not just good, but better, stronger (maybe even Kaladin/Shallan finally happening). Unfortunately, I am a realist.

Fateful Triangle

Fri, 01 Jan 1999 00:00:00 +0000

After deep reflection, I still lack the ability to properly give my feedback while remaining professional. This was an incredibly difficult read. Not only was it incredibly lengthy and full of citations and footnotes, it was dense with historical information and new vocabulary. I found myself looking up definitions, synopsis’ of political parties and events, and having to watch numerous supplemental material to actually follow along. Was this a good thing? I like to think so; it drove me to research a lot on my own, and after 50 or so pages the prose and vocabulary became more tolerable. If only it didn’t take another 600 pages/3 months to finish it.

Rhythm of War

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Previous: Dawnshard

Wow. Completely floored that I was so captivated by this entry. I began as a book 4 hater; it felt like so much had been accomplished in the first three, what else could possibly happen to our cast of characters? Well, it turns out, a lot can happen and change, which is a recurring theme not only throughout this series, but especially in this one. Almost all of our main characters are going through internal and external factors that push them to make decisions, some life-altering, others not so much. What this installation does perfectly I think, is the pain and confusion that comes along with change.

Dawnshard

Thu, 05 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Previous: Oathbringer

I’m not sure who keeps telling Brando Sando to keep making Novellas, but whoever it is needs to actually read them. I really can’t justify this being it’s own story. Even more than the first, this felt like a different type of filler. Filler with the audacity to be a hardcover.

My issues don’t come with the story at all really. I actually enjoyed Rysn, and thought every time she was on the page she felt real. She had valid concerns about being treated as a disabled person in a world not built for one. I loved these parts, and had never even considered before how impossible something like a wheelchair would be in a place without smooth paved roads. I even thought her ability to naturally lead her crew even though she was constantly anxious about it actually made sense. My issues come with how easily digestible this story is, and how it could’ve been condensed to take place in the interludes of Rhythm of War.

Ring

Tue, 01 Jan 1991 00:00:00 +0000

One that’s been on my reading list since I was a kid and saw the dynamic spiral cover, Ring is the original book that inspired the prolific and perfectly-spoofed movie of the same name. Hearing this was a series made me nervous this wouldn’t be great, but I ended up enjoying it at some parts.

It went by really fast. The main character was the worst dude. Hated how much he clearly did not care about his wife and kids until he put them in danger. Spoiler alert, this guy has the worst gut instincts of all time. He of course becomes friends with the other worst character of all time, and unfortunately make a dynamic duo.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

Mon, 01 Jan 1968 00:00:00 +0000

Not remembering much from my initial watch of Blade Runner, I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one. I did really enjoy A Scanner Darkly by Dick, so I expected to like this one despite not knowing much. I was not disappointed, and after blowing through this in 2 days I can say I really enjoyed it.

The philosophical questions presented combined with the loose answers they provide were interesting and engaging enough for me to think about throughout the read. Trying to find the meaning for the actions and motivations of the characters, just to be given a major thematic question of “Should we assign meaning to meaningless things” halfway through got me good.

Edgedancer

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Previous: Words of Radiance

Definitely a novella that took me too long to finish, and not really because I was enjoying it. More so because I didn’t love Lift as a character. I was actually going to say I didn’t hate their childish behavior, but typing that out I had a gut feeling I wasn’t being honest with myself.

I really didn’t like how childish Lift was. Maybe that was her point, but I didn’t seem to grasp onto the story. Wendel, her spren, being a Squidward-type that doesn’t want to go anywhere or do anything was a nice contrast, but I couldn’t help feel sorry that we find out the character Wendel could have been with died in one of the earlier books, and was a more interesting character.

Oathbringer

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Holy Moly. What a ride. This book took FOREVER to finish. Exactly 3 months and a day to be exact. But it was so worth it.

A true continuation from Words of Radiance, this book follows the logical progression from where that book left off and really begins to open up the world. There are still lots of secrets left to unfold (Who is Wit? Who is the Cremling God that Lift meets in Edgedancer? What’s going to happen with Renarin? How is Odium going to exploit Taravangian? WHY DOESN’T KALADIN AND SHALLAN GET TOGETHER???) which has me very excited for the next two books.

The Road

Sun, 14 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Modified: July 14 2024

I finished The Road a few days ago and I’ve reflected fondly on the experience. Slow burn isn’t the word I’d use; perhaps a slow agonizing death. Because by the end, I was emotionally exhausted. It asks a lot of you. Sit through the gray, dim world that the story takes place in. Hope to some God the end is worth it. In my opinion, I think it was.

Words of Radiance

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Modified: July 02 2024

I finished Words of Radiance two days ago, and it initially got a 4 out of 5. I loved the book. I really did, and was invested from start to finish.

It took me about 3 weeks (3 weeks and 3 days says Goodreads) and it really flew by. I enjoyed tackling such a huge tome of a novel.

The characters were awesome, even if I felt like the interlude characters could have been longer to make them a bit more memorable. I only remember maybe one of them, and it was Lift cause they had a really cool attitude and wanted to just eat some good food.