Jules > Recent Status Updates

I really like that the author has included a map and a drawing of the house- it’s that level of world building that can bring a story to another level.
I also appreciate that each chapter is named after a particular dish, which is woven into story. It gives the book a stronger structure.

This feels like a collection of notes he made - notes that are often seriously lacking in detail- that have hardly been edited. It feels like he could’ve done more preparation for this books

I can’t help but feel he got a book deal with a time limit because this book feels a bit rushed. I have to say it’s a bit all over the place as well. I really enjoy when books about food are connected by a theme or a season. This book lacks that. There aren’t many recipes in here either so far. A lot of name dropping of celebrities and restaurants I’m not interested in.

2nd book is turning out to be just as enjoyable as the first

Really enjoying this so far- I can see how it would appeal to both men and women

I like the authors voice but I’m not crazy about the pacing. It’s quite slow and almost boring. A bit too negative right now to be a cozy read which is too bad because that is what I thought it was

This is a short easy read- not scary. It is wonderfully gothic. The ending happened all too quick. I can see how the story of Dracula came from this novel.

Enjoying the writing style

Kind of wish he’d put off giving a physical description of the monster longer- maybe not likened it to a specific animal. It just lessens the suspense/horror

Really enjoyed this person’s memoir bio. I liked the way she intertwined the Quoran. I learned new things about the Quoran and it has given me new insights about the stories in the bible as well. 5/5 stars.

Wow, I can’t believe I didn’t see that ending coming. I suppose that’s a case of the unreliable narrator. Perhaps. I had a suspicion it might turn out this way but I’m surprised it actually did. I actually think I like this ending. It solidifies the idea that anyone complicit is a bad person in the end. It really took you on a journey just to slap you in the face at the end.

… “but he can’t bear her words, which are like tiny tadpoles dragging themselves along, leaving behind a sticky trail, slithering until they pile up, one on top of the other, and rot, vitiating the air with their rancid smell.” I like how the author, she, describes the effect words have on the MC- often negative, from his sister, the flaying man, the hunter man etc

Well, it’s definitely a creepy gross concept for a book.

The fact that this book is made up of a collection of essays, lectures etc means that it jumps around quite a bit and doesn’t feel quite as fleshed out as a single book might. There wasn’t really a flow and some points felt disjointed/ or not fully fleshed out. I wouldn’t recommend the audio book. I still really want to read her other work.

Chap 7: I understand where she’s coming from wanting to get rid of police weapons and imprisonment as the main form of punishment in America. But can she pull in successful examples and statistics of alternatives? What are the alternative solutions?

This author has definitely read Perfume the Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind. The nod to it in the beginning of the book was funny. I’m curious to see if there are more connections than the obvious ties to perfume. And murder. I wonder if these 2 books would work as good companion books, read side by side or one after the other.

Asiyah- I loved the revisionist ending the author gives to the story of asiyah the wife of pharaoh (step mother to Moses). That she left him and found happiness (paradise) on earth at the end of her life, not unlike the paradise that god promised her in death, is a beautiful alternative ending. I wouldn’t mind a book like that- similar to the Palace of Illusions I read earlier this year.

I appreciate the author sharing the different nuances/tensions within the queer community. I also appreciate her sharing the different responses she received when coming out to straight friends- the good the bad and the ugly, but also the subtle micro aggressive homophobia rampant in the “liberal” straights.

Right now the only country she mentions by name is the US and NYC. It’s strange to me that she’s omitted these countries. Even if the author is still in the closet, why mention nyc by name then? And allude to so many other indicators of where she was originally born. It seems inconsistent to me.

Chapter Jinn. I wonder why the author chose not the reveal the name of the country she is from, and where she moved to. Also, why she hasn’t shared the year. I’m curious how close her time in college was to 9/11. Recommended reading (bell hooks, Angela Davis, Audrey Lorde of course) and Decolonising the Mind by Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, The Wretched of the Earth.

Honestly this book wasn’t nearly as well written as the 2nd. Ithans plot was a mess. So much of it was a “coincidence” “fate” and things just magically falling into place which really wasn’t believable. It was largely action packed. Meh, I give it a 4.

Ithan’s plot line is just stupid. The new fae joining them in the caves also seems like a stretch. Bryce’s whole Aragorn struggle is getting old. Her brother and the hind noticing that their 2 friends weren’t around and not being suspicious or worried also unrealistic.

Okay/good graphic novel. YA for sure. Things spin all over the place- too much plot and not enough novel. Could’ve used more fleshing out. Ending was nice

Okay, one stupid plot line (her/her father) turned out to be part of a bigger picture plan. The werewolf side plot is still random and contrived. A new forced marriage situation was also so weird. That entire new character intro was so annoying. Hope there’s some point to her otherwise I think the author should not have included it.

Here’s where the plot is losing me. The whole ithan murdering Xperson was forced- they needed to drum up some stupid side plot. The POV switching every couple of paragraphs also felt like a tool to drum up nerves/excitement but it actually just annoyed me and made those scenes choppy / less impact then if they really kept you in the story. MC stuck at dads doing jack is also not realistic

Surprised- so far this book is turning out to be better than the first. It’s definitely written to translate well to the screen. Theres also a lot of filler text at times- this book is definitely way longer than it needs to be. The mystery element is what really keeps the viewer reading. The pacing is good so far at the halfway mark.

Prison/continues violence vs reform/ rehabilitation. Need to approach larger framework: racism, education, and mental health.

I’ve enjoyed this book. I think it was easy to read even as someone not too familiar with soccer terminology. I hope other sports athlete biographies/ memoirs are just as pleasant to read/listen to.