Michelle > Recent Status Updates

Not sure how this happened, but reading this at the same time as I’m reading a Jenny Slate book. My husband had looked up Shattuck, probably to see if he’s a Newfoundlander cause I mentioned the auk story. Had my brain stored that info away, after I read the other Jenny Slate book?

This book is aggravating. I don’t know why I’m continuing to read it. It doesn’t flow, largely because of the footnotes I continue to read in spite of not getting a lot from them. What I am getting is a faint picture of what India and Pakistan were like, family relations, maybe even a bit about insanity and obsession. The story itself is fragmentary, and do I care?

It’s going to be a good long time before I finish this book, but I’m perfectly content with that. Jansson’s descriptions are so enjoyable, as to be savoured.

Certain details are confusing me, something at the beginning made me think I’d already read the book.

Coming across the mother’s death, made me wonder how much more was doubling back. Definitely echoes of Writers and Lovers, so if you notice the same thing…

I have no idea where this story will go. I don’t care, I love Lily King’s writing.

Really don’t like this book, not sure I’ll finish it.

It’s fun for what it is, a beach read. I just feel at 20% in that I have a pretty good idea where the story is going to go, and I’m not mad.

Not sure what the point of the first 150 pages was exactly, but finally the story seems to be really unfolding. 150 pages seems like a lot for setting up a scene.

Rage of Poseidon by Anders Nilson is so very good, and still so timely. Did we lose something integral when we forgot the gods? Uncertain, but we have definitely lost the plot.

It happened again. Anytime you have someone of any age drinking from the loo-brush holder, you need to be told gone too far. No one of any age would do this, it’s terrible writing.

DA’s depiction of Alzheimer’s does get better, it was the whole Mitford sisters and before that was annoying me.

I’m sure no one cares, but it’s the second or third book that I’ve read recently that was trying to depict a population the author didn’t seem to have ever interacted with someone of that population. Just had to start calling it out a little.

Pretty much hating this book, but it’s short so I’m going to finish it. Don’t like the writing style, how the children are written, and what happens in the chapter I just finished. Sometimes I can see past depictions that I don’t like, if the writing is good. I don’t feel that way about this book. Pass.

On the other hand, I really like how she’s describing young family life.

I am having a problem with how the father with dementia is written.

I enjoy St. Aubyn’s writing a great deal, but they are awful at writing in a children’s voice. Either too stupid or way wittier than a toddler or small child could be.
It grates on my nerves.

Just started, the first story is so sad and perfect.

So far, I’m not totally impressed with the writing, but I did really enjoy the story by Hamish Linklater. Was sad and funny in the right proportion.

Have to check it out again, tried making my own Boursin. I was super excited about it, made two different versions for Thanksgiving. Too much for 8 people as it turns out. Anyway, I’ll try again when I have some bleu cheese to finish up.