Maddy > Recent Status Updates

I feel like there's a lot of depth missing. But maybe the missing and erased history is the point. Part of the story. The pacing is just a bit difficult for me.

They really gloss over the treatment of American Indians in school. It's so sick. The current narrator, Jude Star, is (understandably) apathetic to his situation. He reminds me a bit of Chief Bromden, but that's probably just because he's mute, and therefore more introspective, with some similar traumas.

So far this is interesting. Narrator's literary presence is slightly annoying to me, but not bad. Just feels pretentious and fake deep. The premise of the cables is exciting to me, so I wonder how talked about that will be.

Car ride home from PA. This story is insanely interesting, I'll have to ask Tom and Mary if they remember anything about this. The WaPo covered it, at least somewhat, so there's a nonzero chance.

Horrible timing picking this book up while I'm spending time in the DMV. It's fascinating, though. I can't even fathom what the people involved were feeling. What a gruesome death. Also neat that the stories of both Marburg and the two Ebola strands are being told together.

Yucky. Maybe not good bedtime reading material, but in engrossed... and grossed out. Book just took us to Thurmont, MD which is where tomorrow's wedding festivities take place. Kismet.

That was fucking horrific. What a way to describe this illness. Goddamn.

I finished it on the flight but haven't decided my rating yet, so pausing updates here.

I can't tell if this is too predictable or if I'm enjoying the antics. It's an interesting concept but it feels rushed and half-baked.

Checking in at the end of chapter 1 to say I am PISSED OFF that someone living in Colorado had the nerve to write a book about Chicago and call it (in the mind of the Chicagoan main character) the fucking WILLIS TOWER. No one who is not a transplant says that shit. Tried to make up for it with the "Pulaski" pull but... that shit is unforgivable.

So harrowing and so sad. I can't imagine seeing this televised when it happened. So gut-wrenching. It's also quite clear which astronaut families decline to share their perspectives, which is both understandable but also makes me sad that their full stories are not told. I don't blame them for hiding from the press, but it makes it seem as if their crew member didn't have loved ones as well. Or maybe I'm crazy.

My jaw is perpetually clenched in the lead-up to launch. I know what's going to happen. The Thiokol engineers know what can happen. But, alas, "go fever" is festering. I do appreciate how much storytelling this book does, but I miss the level of technical detail I remember McDonald's book having. So far I feel like Adam's Chernobyl book was significantly better - but maybe that's because I'm not a nuclear engineer.

Introduced to Christa and shown the process of how she applied and eventually "won" her seat. Walking through an abort to orbit and, damn, I've got chills. Hindsight makes this closer to a suspenseful horror book, I swear.

Things are building towards the mission, we're getting a deeper background on the crew. Challenger was deeply shameful for NASA so it's hard to come by a comprehensive story - I'd only ever read one from the Thiokol side - so this is a great history deep dive.

No one ever wants to listen to the engineers. It's interesting hearing more of the Marshall side - the McDonald book was mostly Thiokol. It's very spooky reading all of this... like watching a car crash and you can't do anything to stop it.

I forgot how much I love space and NASA and the Shuttle (especially Discovery). I think not ending up at JPL, or even just NASA, led to me developing a protective indifference of sorts. Not sure I ever properly mourned that. Also, life is stressful and hard and I often find it hard to indulge in "dreamer interests" like this. Now's my chance for redemption.

The early achievements of spaceflight are bittersweet. They're quite exciting and incredible feats of science and engineering. They cut out women and non-Whites, using them as pawns to gain public favor when convenient and then denying them access to "the club". It's disgusting to read what some of these big names said about these applicants from marginalized communities. I'm glad Lovell has always been my favorite.

I forgot how captivating space history books are. Finally getting to this book... Only been about a year since meeting Adam Higginbotham at the Cosmos Club, so that's not too long of a wait. The story of Apollo 1 always gives me chills. Also, Higginbotham does such an incredible job compiling sources into a compelling, human story. I will always wish I could have experienced the dawn of the space age as a young boy.

The storytelling is so good I routinely forget this is a non-fiction book. I'm quite captivated and want to keep reading to learn what the castaways get up to next, but I'm falling asleep!!

Starting to be a lot of names and a lot of ships crossing back and forth in the narrative. I think if I wasn't half asleep reading this I'd have a better grip on things. But alas, my own fault.

Couldn't bring myself to read the Yugoslavia book again, and I'm looking forward to this story. I liked the author's other book that I've read so I have high hopes. Naval stories are so freaky to me, the ocean is a genuinely scary place.

Topola

Author and her husband discuss just how Serbian some things meant for the entirety of Yugoslavia are crafted. She expresses disgust over wreaths at the Mestrovitch monument delivered from fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. Rightfully so, since she identifies they will use Yugoslavians as pawns.

Belgrade 2

Author muses on capitalism and industrialization. Honestly, she makes a lot of observations that are relevant today... and this book was written almost 100 years ago about a nation that no longer exists. Funny how we never learn. Probably because it wouldn't line the pockets of the people in charge.

I wonder if the black-faced bird comes back. Eastman is a wicked bastard. Is stuffing the dead man's mouth with cloth a true whaling tradition? I feel bad for these whales, this is such a cruel industry - especially since they let a majority of the whale sink anyway. Curious to see what's happening with Lovejoy's feelings for the Ashley daughter. Thule is odd. Those poor boys...

This is stacking up to be a quick read. The Ashley family is feeling a bit suspicious and I'm not trusting their motivation for setting up this voyage. Lovejoy's crew does not seem to like Thule. Eastman and other crew members seem primed for high tensions and potential violence. The sea is always such a perfect, moody backdrop for somber and dark narratives.

Finished the book and I have thoughts. Need to write my review. But... that was a thrilling and then so damn abruptly sad book. Also, wondering how much was doctored by the snitch.

A thrilling read, and I'm still trying to force myself to remember it's 1870s Australia and NOT the "Wild West" of the United States. I think there's some gaps in my knowledge as far as understanding some of the sociopolitical commentary, but it's relatively minor compared to most of what's happening.

Now that we're really into Ned's misadventures this is quite engaging. I feel really bad for him, every adult in his life has failed him in some way. He never had a childhood and only ever acted in the interests of his family, often specifically for his mother's interests.

Ned's in gaol and had just spent a couple months with Harry the bushranger. Still need to look up cockatoo fences and a bit of history about Irish people and Australia - wondering if it parallels Irish people in the United States. Things are getting interesting and his writing is becoming easier to understand the more I continue.

So far so good. Ned's poor grammar and spelling are forcing me to read slower, which is fine. Man, his dad was an asshole - but the townsfolk don't seem much better. I honestly hadn't thought much about Irish immigrants in Australia during the mid- to late-1800s, so I'm curious how realistic this portrayal is. I feel like it might be somewhat dramatized, but is certainly based on some truth.