Michael Anderson > Recent Status Updates

This is absolutely well written but I am often not sure what I think - and it feels intentional on the part of the author. I am conflicted about the main character - but that makes sense as she is portrayed as a real young woman and not one-dimensional.

Rough start with this one where I felt I was pushing myself to continue and almost set it aside. Definitely gotten better and feeling more engaged, but still on target to be my least favorite of anything Baldree has done the last 20 years.

I’d heard good things about this, but I am struggling to really connect. The core is about a reality show that sounds a lot like typical ‘groups of men and women’ shows - and I have never seen even a single episode of those. Mix in a bit of hunger games, mostly vapid people who simultaneously feel they’re above it all but also jump right into - it is OK, I guess.

Is this book built on an entire foundation of tropes? Yes it is. Am I enjoying it anyway? Absolutely. Only real question is whether we get subjected to a third-act breakup or if we slow born until a satisfying end.

Just read “what are you reading?” … “it is a story about a Queen’s Guard and a powerful mage who set up a tea shop on the outskirts of the empire” … LOVE these meta moments!

Loving the characters and progression so far - but being honest this is the least favorite of these books for me so far. I need some things to be resolved and for it to happen in THIS book while simultaneously wrapping up a murder mystery in a satisfying way. A lot to ask in 25% of a cozy book.

I'm almost halfway through - there are interesting characters, loads of potential intrigue, plots swirling about, and so on ... and yet I am still not sure I like it.

One thing I am stuck on is the 'omniscient narrator', who has a few times already said something like "she/they thought Y but would later learn X"

Wren Jones has become one of my favorite and most reliable cozy authors, Her warmth and humanity permeates everything she writes.

I definitely don't like this as much at this point as Hilderbrand's Nantucket books, but I'm not sure I can point to exactly why. But I don't hate it either.

Enjoying the overall building themes and looking forward to the ending.

I'm absorbing the words, but it hasn't grabbed me yet.

Enjoyable and engaging ... but I can't say I 'love' it ... I easily set it aside to focus on another book. But at the same time I am happy to be back reading this!

Very endearing story and characters

I love these books - intriguing look at a type of running I've never done (and likely never will). Never ran more than 30 miles in a single run ... it is astounding how different the 100 or 200 milers are on your body and mind

The more I read Katabasis, the less I retroactively like Babel.

Ooh thank you Libby for this sweet surprise just as I finished another cozy! Loving it so far!

Somewhere in amongst the FMC who is a late-stage grad student but seems to be in either the beginning or end of high school, and the name-dropping and oblique references to a steaming pile of intellectual sources mostly related to hell (but occasionally just feeling like asserting bona fides), is something that is keeping me reading in spite of muself. Is it any good? Too early to tell if the pretentiousness pays off

As always it is great to drop back into this world!

Interesting approach for book 3 from the very start. Feel this dives deeper into the Lit-RPG weeds which is fine as well ... but regardless I love all of these characters and am thoroughly enjoying their story!

No matter how many Backman books I read, I will never cease to be astounded by his skills of humor and pathos.

There is just something about how Blackman juxtaposes humor and tragedy that always has me laughing and crying at the same time!

We’ve been listening to this while driving for vacations this summer - and the basic plot and characters are interesting but the book is S-L-O-W and really wordy. It would be much better if the word count was cut in half. Every now and then there is a tight scene that is a reminder of how that would work.

Did I say this was like a love letter? I was wrong… it is more like one of those bundles of love letters wrapped in twine from classic romance stories 🥰🥰❤️

As I was reading last night I was reflecting on how many trilogy and ESPECIALLY 4-book series faltered or flailed or just sputtered out. And while I have had minor criticisms with books 2 & 3, overall my love has not abated for this series and these characters.

As I keep reading, more and more this book feels like a love letter to these characters, to the readers, and to the author's wife. And I'm loving every page.

Love this academic look at some over my favorite music

This feels really long so far - I like it, but the signal to noise is low… but I also don’t want to miss a word. I know that makes no sense