Sandi Heinz > Recent Status Updates

So interesting and very well written. Although very academic, it used every day language and had a wonderful flow. I learned so many new things! It did lose half a star because so much of it was not specifically about cats. I understand it was building a background of how cats developed in each chapter, it was just a little too in-depth & away from cats for me.

4.5 ⭐️ one I will be purchasing!

Such a beautifully written look at the end of life and dying with respect. The flashback sections afforded empathy towards someone we would write off as bitter, miserable, and hateful. The characters were well developed and I felt real emotion at several parts.

BEAUTIFUL book. This is one to enjoy slowly and sit with the weight of the words.

The mountain is where I go when I need power, healing, and restitution, and my life has felt mostly uphill. My hope is that there will be a wonderful, spry trek downhill someday, of mostly soft valley and beauty. I can’t say.

I take comfort in the fact that this process of self-discovery has been felt by millions before me, and that there is nothing original in finding consolation and inspiration in nature. It is there for all of us, perhaps our one true shared heritage and source of hope for regeneration in our own, hard-pressed lives.

What a destructive, cruel being man is, how many living beings and plants he annihilates to maintain his own life. —Leo Tolstoy

I wondered how much of the nature of animals is obscured from us simply because of the limitations of our senses and powers of observation.

Through the leveret, I had rediscovered the pleasure of attachment to a place and the contentment that can be derived from exploring it fully, rather than constantly seeking ways to leave it and believing that satisfaction can only lie in novel experiences.

Idk what I was expecting, but not necessarily this. Again, because of cat. 3.8 ⭐️ rounded to four. It was quite funny and had some twists I didn’t see coming. It was short and sweet and I appreciate no extra fluff.

3.5 ⭐️ Oh how I wanted this to be another Richard Osman… The plot was creatively wonderful and unique. The writing overly was filled with similes and analogies making it seem like she was trying way too hard. Which is a total shame because the mediocre humor mixed with too much repetition made this less than it could have been.

3.5 ⭐️
Such an interesting concept- I enjoyed the sci-fi twist. Even though it matched the time period the language took a bit to get used to and interrupted the flow. I appreciate the length- short and to the point without unnecessary inflation.

The most disturbing book I’ve ever read. I appreciate the glimmer of hope at the end.

Reading for a Goodreads challenge but OMGGGG what have I picked? Absolutely graphic… GRAPHIC book of a 15 yr old being groomed by her 45 yr old teacher.

EXCELLENT writing with a good flow despite the heavy topics.

“…but his words break my chest wide open and leave me helpless. There’s nothing stopping him from reaching in and grabbing whatever he wants. I’m special. I’m special. I’m special.”

Loved the humor mixed with sincerity and heavy topics. Lost 1/2 a star for being a little too easy, but I liked the characters (except for Matt and Mia) and the flow of the story.

Very well researched but waaaaay too heavy. Too much information made it a slog to get through and I gave up. Excellent source for research or study, but too much for me just as an everyday read. Even though I did not finish I’ll give it a 3.

Nobody was ever really watching, except Phoebe. Phoebe was the only person waiting in the dark to condemn herself for every single thing when the day was over. “Can you take a different approach?” her therapist asked her. “Can you sometimes just try to “love what you hate about yourself?”

Interesting memoir, loved the cat twist. Some good insight on our societal lack of human to human empathy surrounding several social issues. I liked how she paralleled cat experiences with her life. Some of her passages were too short though. You would get into the story and once the moment started it would switch to the parallel.

Chose it for the cover… I could never imagine moving into a house with 30 cats. I wouldn’t be able to handle it just like her… my ❤️

Complaints about her “political views” BUT comparing the cat’s starvation to the food distribution was eye-opening. At our core we have animal instincts & sometimes it’s easier to find understanding and empathy for other humans by observing the animals we love.

Another excellent Thursday Murder club. The writing incorporates excellent humor with deep, meaningful insights. Osman always keeps it unpredictable and nicely ties in all of the loose ends. Everything has a purpose- no filler writing.

He has what passes for pride in men who grew up with pride denied to them.

They can’t tell you, says Elizabeth. That’s the thing about your own grief. No one can ever know it but you.

“Always alone, and never alone: that was grief.”

“‘What are you thinking?’ Joanna asks. Not a question you usually ask a man. By and large if a man is thinking anything halfway acceptable, he’ll say it, and, if not, he’ll just carry on thinking it instead.”

Yes!! The excellence of the Thursday Murder Club is back!

What an incredible story; everyone should read. Makes immigrants and “illegals” human again. LOVED his writing style and brought tears to my eyes. Included so much emotion- happiness, sadness, fear, heartache.

3.5 ⭐️ easy read, good flow, and quick pace. Should have been shorter with less alliteration.

Zoe was incredibly selfish, but I could see why. Her character was believably developed. The passing comment on autism was a too brusque seeing as that was the backbone of the book. Cherry was despicable. Worse than her mother with no redemption.

The “creepiness“ of Bix was just odd and the plot forced. Needless.

Excellent research, but not every last bit needed to be added! The story is very interesting and important to learn. We should understand our economic history and abuse of Mexico. It just feels like she had to include every last tidbit and the story gets convoluted. It’s feeling like a slog to get through, but I’m reading a chapter here and there along with other books (Malinalli & Solito).

I enjoyed the storyline, but felt the book was overwritten. Too much repetition and unnecessary attention to detail. Towards the end I was skimming just to finish. I did appreciate the realistic imperfect ending.

Such an important book exposing hidden history. What a web of hate the white man spun around the Osage. Excellent writing, never dry and the picture were a great touch.

“The government… just as it always seemed to turn its gospel of enlightenment into a hammer of coercion…”

More American history conveniently erased. I had no idea about the Osage and their oil wealth. Probably one of the only times government displacement paid dividends. Full of hostility yet engaging and well written.

4.8 ⭐️
Beautiful blend of indigenous mythology and present day life. Such a quick engaging read despite its length. Mockingbird popped in at the best times. The story wrapped up well and the characters were charming.

Such a heavy book and I admire her ability to write it. I paused to rate it because this is part of her process in living with the loss of her son. Not being a mother. I can’t relate, but there were some excellent points on dealing with loss.

Inevitably there were people who wrote that they understood our pain because… they had lost a parent or a beloved pet. … These messages are not compassionate; they are clueless, even egotistic. … It’s not quite all right when you make yourself the center of the message: no need to remember your own losses, and no need to provide advice about how to overcome grief from your own triumphant experience.

“There is no real salvation from one’s own life; books, however, offer the approximation of it. … Writing, too, offers the approximation of salvation.”

“And who among the writers I’ve loved has summoned up the abyss in the precise way that I’ve experienced it?” -She seems so self-actualized and talks about radical acceptance. But what went so wrong?? The missing link is Christ 💜