Status Updates From In Life, in Death (Saga of ...

Okay, I'm going in for the kill now. Oops, what a very unfortunate choice of words. 😱 But I WILL finish this in one final sitting, even if it wrecks me. I swear it's been the longest 110-page book in the history of books -- it has the emotional heft of something three times that length.

This book --

This book --

I can't even explain what this book is doing to me. It's no exaggeration to say it's causing me actual physical pain. Supposedly it's only 110 pages, but I feel like there's a whole world packed in here. I'm progressing so slowly because I need downtime for processing & recovery. And I can't do my usual thing of swapping back & forth between books because this has my complete attention.

This book is killing me. I can't read it, I can't not read it, and I can't read anything else while I'm reading/not-reading it.

I'm telling myself I just have to be strong and power through.... It's wrecking me all out of proportion to its 110 page length.

I keep thinking I'll power through in one sitting and that nothing can stop me. Then the brother makes another on-page appearance and I have to set the book aside until my rage level drops back down into the survivable zone. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Ai-yi-yi, what was I thinking, starting this book at midnight, especially when I need to get up early tomorrow (today now). Sleep deprivation here I come...