Sign in with Facebook
7,877 books
—
49,834 voters
Brandon Beck PhD
https://www.goodreads.com/blbeck
“Zohra's voice comes loudly from her camel: "Shut the fuck up! Enjoy the fucking sunset on your fucking camels! Jesus!"
It is , after all, almost a miracle they are here. Not because they've survived the booze, the hashish, the migraines. Not that at all. It's that they've survived everything in life, humiliations and disappointments and heartaches and missed opportunities, bad dads and bad jobs and bad sex and bad drugs, all the trips and mistakes and face-plants of life, to have made it to fifty and to have made it here: to this frosted-cake landscape, these mountains of gold, the little table they can now see sitting on the dune, set with olives and pita and glasses and wine chilling on ice, with the sun waiting more patiently than any camel for their arrival. So, yes. As with almost every sunset, but with this one in particular: shut the fuck up.”
― Less
It is , after all, almost a miracle they are here. Not because they've survived the booze, the hashish, the migraines. Not that at all. It's that they've survived everything in life, humiliations and disappointments and heartaches and missed opportunities, bad dads and bad jobs and bad sex and bad drugs, all the trips and mistakes and face-plants of life, to have made it to fifty and to have made it here: to this frosted-cake landscape, these mountains of gold, the little table they can now see sitting on the dune, set with olives and pita and glasses and wine chilling on ice, with the sun waiting more patiently than any camel for their arrival. So, yes. As with almost every sunset, but with this one in particular: shut the fuck up.”
― Less
“Here, all this time, Less thought he was merely a bad writer. A bad lover, a bad friend, a bad son. Apparently the condition is worse; he is bad at being himself.”
― Less
― Less
“Arthur Less has left the room while remaining in it.”
― Less
― Less
“Prizes aren’t love. Because people who never met you can’t love you.”
― Less
― Less
“And the clubs everywhere, only just getting started, where even middle-aged married folk are sniffing lines of ketamine off black bathroom tile, and teenagers are dosing each other’s drinks. In the club, as he later recalls, a woman gets onto the dance floor and really lets go during a Madonna song, really takes over the floor, and people are clapping, hooting, she’s losing her mind out there, and her friends are calling her name: “Peter Pan! Peter Pan!” Actually, it isn’t a woman; it’s Arthur Less. Yes, even old American writers are dancing like it is still the eighties in San Francisco, like the sexual revolution has been won, like the war is over and Berlin has been liberated, one’s own self has been liberated; and what the Bavarian in his arms is whispering is true, and everyone, everyone—even Arthur Less—is loved.”
― Less
― Less
Apocalypse Whenever
— 14004 members
— last activity 1 hour, 47 min ago
The most active group for apocalyptic and dystopian stories! Join a monthly book discussion, get recommendations, or just tell us if you like canned p ...more
Book Nook Cafe
— 6174 members
— last activity 1 hour, 41 min ago
Book Nook Cafe is the place to be if you love to discuss books. We also chat about films, TV, music, health, theater, and more. Participation is en ...more
If You Are Willing to Take On the Meaning of Life
— 7 members
— last activity Apr 20, 2017 05:26PM
This is a book club dedicated to anyone who is willing to explore some of life's most pressing questions within beautiful pieces of literature. ...more
Scott Kimak's Dungeons, Dragons, Spaceships, and Anything Inbetween
— 499 members
— last activity Jan 13, 2026 02:16AM
A friendly group that talks about anything dealing with Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror.
Brandon’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Brandon’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
197 books
|
50 friends
1,162 books
|
131 friends
68 books
|
369 friends
1,718 books
|
192 friends
584 books
|
173 friends
2,919 books
|
106 friends
126 books
|
6 friends
7 books
|
16 friends
More friends…
Polls voted on by Brandon
Lists liked by Brandon
