Heather > Recent Status Updates

I really can't see myself sticking with this.

This is a run-of-the-mill, no-surprises Ann Patchett novel -- definitely not the banger I was promised by all the reviews. If you liked Tom Lake, you'll like this, too. If you didn't, you won't.

This writing style might not be for me.

This writing is way more challenging than I anticipated. Might not finish this.

Anyone who plays video games or lives with someone who plays video games will immediately recognize the terms, tone, and pacing of this book. That being said, there's a reason my eyes gloss over around Minute 4 every time Adam explains some Quick, Really Simple But Important Rules to Remember of a new game... it's just... it's a lot.

Why did Amazon recommend a novel about a 42-yead-old woman getting fatally lost in the woods while backpacking and being supported by her loving husband?! 🤔

This book is awful.

Uh oh. This book is losing me. It wasn't particularly pulse-pounding to begin with, but now it's straight-dope boring.

Hopefully, this gets more engaging soon.

I have this on Kindle and am listening intermittently on Spotify; surprisingly, I recommend reading and skipping Christina's narrative. I don't know if they deny these famous readers enough preparation time or what, but she puts the completely wrong emphasis on strange parts, rushes through certain sentences for no reason, and generally seems to be reading HER OWN BOOK for the very 1st time.

Picked this up in a Santa Fe book store. This is not Hannah's best work; this was before she really hined her voice. Plus, it's from 2010 and feels it deeply. She just unironically wrote a Pretty Woman homage scene and a radio host's (not podcaster's!) extramarital affair from 2 decades before is in heavy rotation on major news networks. Were we ever so young?!

Y'know how depression sucks the color out of everyday life and leaves you bored, exhausted, yet also sort of frustrated? Yeah, this writing makes me feel exactly like that.

Why do I keep randomly picking up books about clinically depressed European women? Is this all they're publishing these days, or is Fate trying to tell me something?

The moment I realized that the summary on the back cover was written by AI was the moment I became very cynical about this book. Guys... do better.

To be honest, I have had this on my To Read list for years but hesitated because of the cheap-looking cover. (I know, I know: "Don't judge a book..."). I'm glad it finally went on sale on Kindle. It's actually quite pleasant! A bit too in love with itself, but a fun read now that Covid is not-too-distantly in the rearview.

SLOG.

Seriously, how is this so boring? Why do I keep falling for Pulitzer winners?