House of Leaves

Casey

Few books feel like an experience the way House of Leaves does. From the moment I opened it, I knew I wasn’t reading a typical novel. Mark Z. Danielewski’s cult classic is part found footage horror story, part academic study, and part psychological spiral. It’s a novel told through multiple layers of narration — Zampanò, an aging blind scholar dissecting a mysterious film called The Navidson Record; Johnny Truant, a tattoo-shop worker who discovers Zampanò’s manuscript after his death; and a set of unnamed editors who compile it all. Each voice blurs fact and fiction, sanity and obsession, until the book itself becomes a kind of labyrinth.

Read More

Hard Crash (Star Trek: S.C.E. #3)

Casey

This book is a fine entry in the series, but unfortunately, it suffers from placement more than content. Coming immediately after Fatal Error, the story feels a bit too familiar — another planetary emergency involving malfunctioning technology and a race against time to save the day. While that’s classic Star Trek, the similarity in structure and stakes made this novella feel repetitive rather than fresh.

Read More

Fatal Error (Star Trek: S.C.E. #2)

Casey

This book continues to develop the da Vinci crew as the series finds its footing. Like a traditional Trek episode, we start to see certain characters steep into the spotlight, though at times it feels like too many are vying for attention. The story is classic Star Trek, full of problem-solving and moral dilemmas, but I found myself not especially invested in the planet’s inhabitants.

Read More

The Belly of the Beast (Star Trek: S.C.E. #1)

Casey

This book is a fantastic kickoff to the Starfleet Corps of Engineers series. I loved how it introduced the da Vinci crew while weaving in familiar faces like Geordi La Forge and Scotty to anchor the story in the broader Trek universe. The balance between new and established characters felt seamless, making me care about the da Vinci crew right from the start.

Read More