Nina > Recent Status Updates

Siblings having to go back to their creepy small town, back to their childhood home haunted by not just ghosts but the ghosts of bad parenting? How relatable.

Wow. A story taking place in a library that actually reads like it was written by someone who works in a library.

I may be losing my will to continue. There has been an absurdly long, seemingly irrelevant, digressions on the construction of the bridges that cross Lake Washington to and from Seattle and Mercer Island. The author has referred to people as hillbillies. And then there is this: “If you are one of those people who think rock is a solid: think again. It burns.” You know what else burns? The stupid here.

Hmm. Just started this and I’m already questioning its veracity. The author claims as fact that 14 year-old Ted Bundy kidnapped an 8 year-old child from her bedroom and killed her. Bundy had lived in the general area but there’s no evidence he was involved in this crime. Not an encouraging start to this book.

Ugh. This book is the most shameful copaganda, - disguised as a true crime story - I’ve ever wet come across. Which makes the fact that is, as far as I know, the only full-fledged account of the Wonderland murders even more frustrating. I guess, if I’m feeling generous, it can be seen as offering insight into the way cops think and justify their bad actions to themselves.

Wildly anti-Ricardian.

“Honestly, I wish I weren’t so moved by this Puritan quandary. I wish I did not identify with their essential questions: What if my country is destroying itself? Could I leave? Should I? And if so, what time’s the next train to Montreal?”
Hard relate.

Only a couple chapters in and I’m loving it. What I want to know, tho, is what on earth did Pitbull do to this author to be savaged so thoroughly in this book?

Page 106 and there have been 2 more mentions of coyotes. The book is very well-written except for this insistence on the presence of an animal that wasn’t seen in Maine until the 1930s.

Uh oh. A character referring to what a coyote sounds like? In Maine, in 1789? I sure hope the rest of this is better researched.

I am a sucker for portal fantasy so let’s see where this one takes me.

Having read many books about the Borden murders I found that this book has little, if anything, new to add. I find it odd that anyone would write about Lizzie without taking a stand on her guilt or innocence or offer any analysis on her or the murders. Probably best for those who have never read about the Fall River Murders.

“Wikipedia is a perfectly good starting point as long as you look at the citations.”
I think I love this book.

Is fact checking and/or editing content not a thing anymore? “Beverly made a dish of mushrooms stuffed with duxelles…”. Duxelles is a mixture of mushrooms, onions, and herbs. So Beverly is making mushroom stuffed mushrooms?

Could not bring myself to care about this young woman of wealth and privilege (and daddy issues) moping around Rome after her married lover dumps her.

Weird that a book about uncovering the truth behind the most-famous hoax diary in history literally has no citations listed in it. The author’s note justifying this essentially comes down to “you can do your own research”. Not a great look.

Uh oh. It’s 1924 and on page 4 someone is going by Ms?

I’m so excited to spend more time with the gang!

Holy cats, there better be a metric ton of growth and improvement for the main character by the end because I freaking loath her whininess and self-absorption so far.

Ok, first quibble. Confidentiality of patient records does not mean staff can’t read the charts. That’s insane. Staff members frequently have to refer to patient charts to go their jobs. Confidentiality means you cannot share that information with others without express written consent.

Did this start out as Firefly fanfic?

“And I now feel compelled to add that I’d gladly trade this life of being a “real writer” to resume the privileged burden of making his hotel reservations and scheduling his dishwasher maintenance if it meant that Tony could still be here among us.”
Tears commencing at the introduction.

Sacré-Cœur didn’t exist in 1724. Does fact-checking not happen with fiction?

I’m enjoying the story again all these years after first reading it but, holy cats, the additional 5000 pages add nothing but a certain cringe factor. They very clearly mark this book as early King, rather than the magnum opus I once thought it was.

Don't judge. I'm dealing with packing to move, the last bits of selling my house, and colonoscopy prep. I need something midless.

Really, this should have been subtitled "Bill Bryson is just a cranky old fuck"