Jane > Recent Status Updates

I thought I didn’t like this book but I pick it up at every opportunity. The story is gaining pace. He really is a good writer.

Struggling at this point. It’s relentlessly heavy and bleak. I understand it’s historical and an important topic but it’s hard going. I need to switch to something lighter for a while.

Listening to this because it’s currently free on Audible and I ran out of credits.

DNF The stories were ok but I got bored.

I’m considering giving up on this. It’s started well but now it’s endless lectures on etymology. The characters are extremely unlikeable, two dimensional, over-educated and so unlike any human I’ve ever met. Is this book YA? It seems very immature, lacking nuance or humanity.

DNF

I’ve put this down twice as DNF. I’m giving it another go. It has the feel of someone telling me in detail about a really weird dream they had and I don’t really care.

I’ve started this because it was free on Kindle. It’s not the kind of book I would usually pick up but I’m loving Molly already. I come from a long line of Aspies so I warmed to her character from the start.

Everyone loves this book but I’m struggling with it. I avoided it for a while as I’m not a fan of nostalgia and I do hate the parts of Stephen King books when he idealises childhood. But everyone said how great it was and here I am. I have no interest in boys riding bikes, playing baseball etc. I just can’t relate and it’s boring me. Robert McCammon is a brilliant writer but I can’t get into this at all.

I’m re-listening to this and yes, it’s still my favourite of Michael McDowell’s books. It starts slowly but gets creepier and weirder as the story progresses. This is one of the few books that has ever given me actual full on screaming in my sleep nightmares.

Listening to this on Audible and the narration is terrible. I keep falling asleep! Might need to return this one too - like The Historian :(

Couldn’t put this one down last night. Really enjoying it.

I’m listening to this on Audible and the narration is becoming annoying. Might need to buy the book instead.

Trigger warnings put me off this one for a while but I’m a completist and I’ve read all his other books. So here goes. May need a rope to haul me out if I spiral down a pit.

Not something I would usually pick up but really enjoying it. Love the language and imagery.

Definitely improved in the last 100 pages or so. I really didn’t enjoy the first third of the book. I had a lot of issues with the whole premise that didn’t make sense. It’s now become a page-turner for me - more action and less musings and science lectures. The present day interludes are less interesting.

I’m on, I think, the fourth story in this collection and this is my favourite so far. All the stories are very different and intriguing from the outset.

Miriam Margolyes is amazing! She reads so beautifully and with so much love for this book. Her versatility is fantastic. She’s so good at doing different voices and accents that I frequently forget it’s her.

This may become my favourite Dickens. It’s packed full of poignancy, mystery, social and political commentary and so much comedy! Very few books actually make me laugh out loud but this one does so frequently.

The Count is always hiding and peeping at people. He’s a bit creepy for a hero when you think about it.