Nataliya > Recent Status Updates

This is the slowest, most leisurely book ever.

Like all naval aviators, Schirra received hazard pay for combat flying or any other mission that could present a high risk of death. In Schirra’s case, the flight atop the Atlas, inside the Mercury, making a record-breaking six full circuits around the earth, earned him bonus pay of $35.31, more than any other astronaut to date.

Appreciate the necessary clarification on pronunciation of Gemini space space program. Unlike astrological “Gemin-eye”, NASA was clear that its official names committee insisted on “the properly named Geminee”. Love it!

Well, Alice, I cracked the obvious meaning of Peter’s “If Alice…” right away. Keep up, it’s obvious. Sheesh.

Initial thoughts:
- I don’t like Alice. There’s a lot of jealous resentment there.
- Is Kuang deliberately shoving enemies-to-lovers at us with all the subtlety of kids mashing their dolls together to force them to kiss?
- I’m assuming whatever falling out Alice and Peter had before was over some misunderstanding.

But she didn’t want to transfer elsewhere, she wanted a Cambridge degree. And she didn’t want any advisor, she wanted Professor Jacob Grimes, department chair, Nobel Prize laureate, and twice-elected president of the Royal Academy of Magick. She wanted the golden recommendation letter that opened every door. She wanted to be at the top of every pile. This meant Alice had to go to Hell, and she had to go today.

I assume Beth either dies from the consequences of rheumatic heart disease or a common Victorian affliction of being a virtuous saint of female persuasion.

Meanwhile, Jo’s annoyingly abrasive free spirit falls victim to pious sanctimonious moralization, purposefully orchestrated to induce my eye rolling, and I want to read her sensationalist “immoral” stories.

Meanwhile still, Amy gets her princess life 🙄

This is quite difficult to get into. I’ve been reading in short spurts for weeks and I never feel sad putting it down.

Maybe I’ll give it a break and restart later.

Maybe there will come a moment when Amy stops annoying the living daylights out of me. Maybe, although I doubt it.

Just like younger me, I’m still appalled reading that Amy burned Jo’s book as a revenge for not being taken to see a play with older kids. Adolescents did not want to babysit an immature 12-year-old who acts all of 9 or 10. Amy’s actions are petty and vindictive at the age when it shows your character pretty well. I’m on Jo’s side here, and Amy is a little jerk.

Here we go. Hello, buddy read! Let’s see whether I loathe this book again or whether with age comes wisdom 🤔

“No Nastia for Anastasia, Khrystyna for Ekaterina, Ksyusha for Oksana.”

But. But but but, but Khrystyna is NOT a nickname for Ekaterina unlike the other two are for the full names. This is “Christine” and “Catherine”, it’s not the version of the same name.

Koala chlamydia? 😆 Me and this book may get along just fine.

Actually having a good time with this book :)

Kingfisher pumps put books even more frequently than Tchaikovsky. Let’s see what this one is. Since my library was polite enough to give a 7-day audio loan as opposed to usual 3 weeks I feel like I’d better hurry up and read it. Especially since I tend yo have a soft spot for Kingfisher’s soft humor and odd focus on plants :)

A quarter in and I could not care less about anything in this story, and I fail to see why I even should care.