Chris Blocker > Recent Status Updates

This is one I probably would've never picked up had it not been longlisted for the Booker. So far, I'm really enjoying it.

The overwriting is strong with this one. The beginning was really tough to get past, but the skeleton of a good story is starting to show. I remain skeptical whether it will rise above the slew of descriptive prose. We shall see...

My heart hasn't been in writing reviews for some time now. I've gotten really behind. I'm currently trying to catch up on my past reads, but I'm not investing the hours that I used to. I'm sorry if you're disappointed with the three-minute reviews I'll be turning out for the time being. I may return to more detailed reviews. I may not. Either way, I'll still be reading and updating.

the fact that the next update I make for this book will be to say that I have finally finished it, the fact that one week from now, I'll know if it was really worth it,

the fact that all it takes is fifteen pages a day and I'll be done with this novel by the end of April,

the fact that it took a pandemic to get me reading this book again, Coronavirus, Corona, COVID-19, Come On, Aileen

The fact that I'm back at this book, the fact that this time I'm hoping to finish it

Received word that I won my first Goodreads giveaway in five years. I thought maybe I'd been permanently barred from winning. I won like 15 books in the first several years, so I'm not complaining... then again, it's been 5 years with nothing, so maybe I am complaining. Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading this one. Thanks, William Morrow.

the fact that I get almost none of these movie references, the fact that this sort of alienates me as a reader

the fact that I'm returning to this book, the fact that I took a brief hiatus to get through another book, the fact that this deviation was in no way a judgement of this book, the fact that I'm now on page 132

A weekly podcast all about books? Yes, please.

Check out Episode 1 of The Bookmark: http://traffic.libsyn.com/topekalibra...

New episodes Monday mornings.

the fact that I'm on page 76

Goodreads decided to retire the Most Read Authors list. Easily, this was one of my top five Goodreads resources and I don't understand why it needed to go. If you used this feature, you might express your dissatisfaction with its removal. I doubt it'll change things, but I've been wrong before. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'm amazed how some people can read when they're sick. Maybe it just depends on the nature of the illness, but when I'm sick, I cannot wrap my brain around what I'm reading. I spent the last four days at home, and I read maybe five pages. Five pages in four days. That makes me sad.

The second book in this trilogy, The Manticore, is certainly not the most riveting of the books. Largely, it is a lawyer discussing his life with a therapist. It adds some depth to the larger story, but not enough to justify the length. Hopefully, this third novel will bring it all back home in a way that's logical AND entertaining.