Customer Comments

alchymyst has commented on (17) products.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

alchymyst, August 5, 2012

I love this short yet intensely creepy novel. It is narrated by Mary Katherine "Merricat" Blackwood, who lives in a large house on the outskirts of the village with her sister Constance and uncle Julian. The family is ostracized due to the family history and the villagers' perception that Constance had poisoned the Blackwood parents with arsenic. As the deceptively innocent tone of the narrative lures you in further and further, you realize that this is perhaps the most unsettling and disturbing book you will ever read in your life (and yes, that's what makes it amazing).

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The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

alchymyst, August 4, 2012

Simply a fantastic book, probably the best one I've read this year so far. It is a coming-of-age story and also a love story. I loved the writing style and basically swallowed it in just a couple of sittings. It will make you want to go read (or reread) the Iliad and Greek mythology, but you don't need to be a Greek scholar to appreciate this terrific novel.

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Among Others by Jo Walton

alchymyst, January 1, 2012

This is probably the best book I've read in 2011. Definitely a must-read for anybody who reads sci-fi and fantasy or grew up reading sci-fi classics. Re-read it again if only to make a to-read (or to-reread) list!

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In the Woods by Tana French

alchymyst, December 4, 2011

I am usually not a big mystery reader, but every time I come across a mystery novel like In the Woods, I think 'why don't I read more mysteries'?? Loved it, loved the psychological aspect, loved the writing. Definitely goes onto the favorites shelf.

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Snowdrops by A. D. Miller

alchymyst, November 19, 2011

I thought it was a really good read. Where A. D. Miller succeeds beautifully is in creating atmosphere and setting. When he describes the winter, you can almost feel your limbs going numb from cold. It was perhaps not the most gripping story, but it was an interesting snapshot of corruption in post-Soviet Russia.

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