Craig > Recent Status Updates

One of the most terrifying books I've ever read -- about how a democracy passively let a madman into power due to fears about the economy and government standstill, apparently not believing he'd follow through on all the vulgar, anti-social ideas he clearly spelled out ahead of time. In retrospect, I probably chose a bad week to pull this off the bookshelf and finally start reading it.

When I think health and nutrition advice, former Def Jam CEO Russell Simmons isn't exactly the first person who comes to mind, but I couldn't pass this one up at the library.

Just finished the two Bush years, 2.5 years of the Obama administration to go. While there is a normal amount of hot air expected from a politician autobiography, it has kept my interest so far.

Slow going. Surprised this book got as much acclaim as it did. It's really more stubbornness than enjoyment that is keeping me going at this point.

This amounts to a 600-page day-by-day timeline of Elvis' early career, which in theory should be mind-numbingly tedious -- especially for a reader like myself who considers himself already well versed in Elvis lore. But it's actually riveting. By far my favorite book I'm reading right now.

As painfully tedious as the first half of this book was, it has gotten a little better lately. Dickens' humor can be hilariously biting when he wants. The scene in which Kit arrives at a church sermon where everyone is fighting back sleep--most unsuccessfully--is one of my favorites so far.

As painfully tedious as the first half of this book was, it has gotten a little better lately. Dickens' humor can be hilariously biting when he wants. The scene in which Kit arrives at a church sermon where everyone is fighting back sleep--most unsuccessfully--is one of my favorites so far.

As painfully tedious as the first half of this book was, it has gotten a little better lately. Dickens' humor can be hilariously biting when he wants. The scene in which Kit arrives at a church sermon where everyone is fighting back sleep--most unsuccessfully--is one of my favorites so far.

Shaping up to be the most interesting, readable and eye-opening book about food I've read since Fast Food Nation a decade ago. (Except for The China Study, which is still my No. 1 as far as raw, potentially life-altering information but not nearly as entertaining or as smooth of a read as this.)

Sad to say it's not really getting any better.

I'm having trouble getting into this one. The two characters that you would think at the outset would be the most interesting -- an angry, wife-abusing dwarf and a guy named Dick Swiveler -- are actually kind of boring so far. It might not help that 70s-esque porn music runs through my head every time the Dick Swiveler character is mentioned, distracting me from the story Dickens intended.

One of the most interesting history books I've ever read, but way too dense for someone of my limited intelligence to finish in the three weeks allotted by the library. Back to the end of the long waiting list. Hopefully I'll be back on the saddle and finishing the final stretch within a month or so, assuming I don't break down and just buy the thing.

I feel compelled to let everyone know that I'm reading this for work (with a highlighter, no less) -- not for pleasure. Also of note, I anticipate a quick read. I don't think I've seen print this big and spaced apart since the days of collecting Hardy Boys and Encyclopedia Brown books. First impression: Like a class dunce trying to bullshit his way through an essay assignment.

By the end of the night I should be in the "final 500." Does that count as the home stretch?

This quote pretty much sums up the book so far: "SeaWorld had been spoon-feeding its staff a big box of bullshit, (whale 'trainer' Jeff Ventre) now reckoned with a modicum of shame for having been deceived. It was all jovial pabulum cooked up soft and dished out to tourists about how 'happy' the whales were, how their fish was restaurant quality, how safe it was to work with them."

Let's take a brief 200-page pause to discuss everything you never wanted to know about French convents.

Flirting dangerously with a two-star rating. This guy's ideas on nutrition sounded so intriguing in three-minute radio and TV interviews, but he kind of hangs himself in long-form print as he very dryly and unconvincingly tries to explain the basis for the ideas. Still, there's just enough sound stuff in here--granted, common sense stuff like "sugar is bad for you"--that I haven't tossed the whole thing yet.

The storyline was getting SO good, and now Hugo has completely dropped it and hit rewind by seven years so he can recount the battle of Waterloo in excruciating detail. As far as I can tell, the overall narrative has nothing to do with the battle of Waterloo. This jarring change of focus reminds me of the worst parts about two other 19th century epics: War and Peace and Hunchback of Notre Dame. Hope it picks back up.