Nina Ive > Recent Status Updates

A very different version of Daisy Jones and the Six, although told in the same style of interviewing band members and "witnesses" to the main characters.

A hundred pages to go. We've had the full backstory and a twist I didn't see coming. Wonder how it will end.

I feel guilty about all the stuff I'm not doing because I'm addicted to this book.

First time I felt a welling up of my eyes at page 103. It's a positive feeling though, of kindness. Still learning about each of the four characters and their backstories.

I'm very nervous of what's to come, apparently around page 300 it's going to be ugly crying...

Mr Panks is up to something, can't wait to see what it is and how little Dorritt will emerge at the end.

I'm in love with this book. Ulysses, Cress, Pete and Claude...and I want to move to Florence - adesso!

I want the mouse plague to be over...

Mischief with the Duke and Duchess

There is a new character called cousin, who takes Don Quixote and Sancho to the caves. Every time cousin is mentioned, I think of The Bear!

Into Part two now, Don Quixote and Sancho are about to leave on their third Sally.

Fully engrossed in this now. Lots of stories colliding.

Loving this part - the crazy man in the sierra

I wonder what Mr Pickwick will do in the second half of this book...

I'm so angry after the scene in the gas station with the woman I want to punch something! How can I reach into the book to help a character? Damon's life is so unfair

This is an incredible parallel story to Nancy Mitford. They were in the same social class around the same time, yet one was drawn into the political arena and the other (Cunard) for social justice.

Both writers and literature lovers, what different paths they took. I'm loving this so far, still in 1930's and she has just discovered how France is so much more welcoming of diversity than England or America.

Ralph Nickleby is a dastardly fellow. I hope he gets what's coming to him in the second half of the book.

Resisting the urge not to Google now I'm so close to the end...

The Nose was quite out of character from the previous stories.

Rostov is shamed, Pierre has turned to Masonic teachings

Story 3 is Chekhov's The Darling. Saunders introduces us to the structure of patterns and how we recognize them and expect something to happen to vary the pattern and give rising action to keep the reader interested.

Loving this. Reading a chapter a day is a great way to immerse yourself into it without the pressure.

Story 2 of 7 - Turgenev, The SIngers. This short story is based on a singing contest between two men in a pub in a remote and derelict town. The essay following teaches us about TICHN (things I couldn't help noticing) how we unconsciously make assumptions and connections when we are reading, and if something seems strange or not normal, our spidey senses start to tingle, until we are either satisfied or not.

Poor Nell, I really want her to succeed and get away from her grandfather. Dick Swiveller is turning out to be a character.

First story of 7 done. A page by page analysis of Chekhov's 'In the cart'. What an incredible masterclass this was. What makes a story a story? What's compelling you to read on? What do you think is going to happen from the very first paragraphs? I loved analyzing this and look forward to the next installment.

The Ming Dynasty and porcelain age of China was about 100 years after Marco Polo.

Seals, otters and petrels