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This is a hard read, because it really did happen. And why didn’t any of us know about this?

So bleak! So hopeless. And yet strangely addictive.

Good grief I’m on chapter 1 and I can’t stand it. It feels almost satirical with some brief flashes of brilliant writing. I do hope it gets better!

I’m only about 5% in and already I
am surprised and delighted! It’s set in 1158! With a title like Matrix I was expecting something different.
I often put books on my TBR and get around to them so much later I have no idea what the book is about.

“ We have to also be honest with ourselves and acknowledge that as flawed humans, we have often lived with a fragmented mindset about our bodies, and because of it, put our bodies through extreme behaviors that have led to exhaustion, overwhelmed, and compromise”

Only on page 15 but must say that this book is experiential. “He wants you to have an intimate love relationship with Him that is real and personal”

“Community and unity is God’s design for us, just as it was for the animal kingdom “

“Christ presents Himself not as a moral policeman but as a spiritual healer. He comes not to accuse but to acquit, if only we will own our need for it.”

Fascinating and insightful read into into our culture and it’s evolution

The eighth excuse discontent makes is the prosperity of the wicked. I admit that it may sometimes appear that the evil enjoy all the good and the good endure all the evil.

Bleak.

The bottomless pit is another one of those images in Revelation that culture has taken and run with, of course getting everything wrong as it does. The Greek word is abussos, from which we get the word abyss. The word is found nine times in the Bible, seven of which are in the book of Revelation. What is the abyss?

“Because freedom without self-mastery is a disaster waiting to happen”

This book is really disturbing to me. Do I keep going?

I’ve just begun this book because it is a dear friend’s favorite. Readers are like this, we bond over the experiences from pages. And this little gem of a quote stood out to me from, the prologue, “…there are no crimes past forgiveness.”

“You simply had to put your hands on Owen. He was mortally cute. He had a furry animal attractiveness except for the nakedness of his nearly transparent ears…”

Amazing and convicting

I’m a little bit less than 1/3 of the way through. I love the setting! Rural Wisconsin.

This book has the most amazing descriptions of characters I think I’ve ever read. For that alone I’d have to recommend! But I’m deep in it now!

Very stiff. Listening on audiobook and the narrator is American with a false British accent which borders on the comedic. The romantic lead is so crotchety it’s almost parody. Hoping for a brilliant ending.

A little guilty swoony time for me

“She was the bug in the hearth , scrambling across kindling as the flames rose”

“A kiss could lead to all sorts of places, and not all of them good” - Livira

I’ve met about 7 characters and everyone is amoral. Hmmmmm.

I’m almost ready to put this down. We’ve already experienced gods, monsters, and serial killers so what is next? Still following around bug eyed weirdo Wilder and hoping it gets better.

I always know I’m in for a weird and unexpected journey when I open a Catriona Ward.

The romance was great for the nice light fare I was looking for but at a certain point it turned to smut. I recognize that there is a great market for smut but for me it ruined it

I almost didn’t put this romance on my goodreads as romance novels are a secret and infrequent pleasure. I like this clean romance, it’s a good book for a rainy weekend, even for this old cynical heart.