Kris > Recent Status Updates

Books are my refuge. As I teeter on the need for treatment for Leukaemia, I have immersed myself in reading. But as is evident from the past year, I've slowed down. I find it harder & harder to focus & often drift off to sleep while reading. That never used to happen! But I have hope things will turn around & I'll be back soon to reading my 5-10 books/week. In the meantime, PLEASE, Authors, KEEP WRITING!

DNF: Too Dick & Jane

DNF: Too Dick & Jane

Additional FYI: If you have any interest in the Enlightenment from a political theory/philosophy standpoint, coupled with Keynesian economics & current American political events, this is a must read.
I already had to stop & buy a couple of the books Radwell references, (Israel) just because the ideas he bases his arguments on are so rich in detail. Very well-researched. Even if the views aren't always mine.

It has been AGES since I've taken so many notes & had to pause to fact check & read an author's source. On the one hand, this has been a marvelous read. But I finally hit a spate of political philosophy that I disagree with. These are the times, I want to invite the author to a beer & debate his thoughts. Darn it. I can't. But this has been a GREAT read so far!!

Starting Chpt 13. Title: The Emergence of a New Counter Enlightenment: The Age of Trumpism.
I really thought, I'd blow through this book. Instead, it has sucked me in. I highlight & study & cross-reference like I did in my grad school days. This is an incredible text~ I've already ordered several of Radwell's source materials. I was bummed, this is his only book. But his message is brilliant!

This is proving to be one of my best reads this year. I have been able to dig in and study what Radwell has to teach. Anyone teaching American gov't or history? READ this book! Anyone wishing to understand how we ended up here politically? READ this book. I'm not even half way thru; but, find myself taking copious notes & side researching. Awesome Read!!

Starting Chpt 22 today. I have fallen into a new pattern for me: enjoying a book one chapter a day! This book is perfect for reading one or two chapters & then meditating on all the "layers". Howards 'existential crisis' is universal to nearly everyone at some point in our lives. But Lages aligns the absurd with a healthy dose of earnest desire. Nothing is sacred. It's all exposed to our judgmental eye. I LOVE IT!!

I absolutely love this book. At the point in the story where Howard asks Alexa to "Tell me a Truth". Alexa agrees & tells Howard that a middle school fight never happened....
How many lights are there, Howard???
OMG you have GOT to read this book!! Lages is a MASTER of messing with your mind & emotions and at the end, making you a better person for having taken you on a wild ride!

Wow!!!
If you read one book this year; consider this one. I thought, I'd be able to 'zip' through it; but, it is so multi-layered. This is the kind of book you read over & over again. Each time, there's something new depending on age/experience. These are the kinds of books I cherish~
Starting Chpt 13 & cultural references make me have to go back and WATCH the episodes. It's almost like a game!!

Educational read. So far, I'm really enjoying it. It's been ages since I've read treatise on political theory. Didn't realize how much has changed! Regardless, this is a great refresher for me in addition to an new perspective on Enlightenment thinkers. Just when you think, you know it all & there's nothing new to learn... Radwell slips this one in. A great read for highschool or college age.

Woah~ such depth on a subject that is rarely acknowledged! I love this story so far. What is real? When does my reality intersect with yours? What happens, when you REALLY take a look at things around you and find they're 'wrong'??
What happens, when going 'Off the Furrow' becomes a "Road less Travelled"?
Seriously BEAUTIFUL book!!

Page correction: I'm on pg 63 starting Chpt 3. Reading glasses malfunctioning...

Initial thoughts? Preaching to the Choir. Anyone who would purchase this book, would already be open to the arguments posed by Radwell. So, the question becomes: WHO is he really trying to reach with this book?

Early days. I am finding the book very well written; just a bit esoteric for the average American. Definitely a book for college-level. Predicated on a solid understanding of the Enlightenment.

Wow. This is turning out to be a really great read. Writing is solid & on par with the time period. For anyone familiar with the TV show "Dark Shadows" this is a good find. The tension is slow to build at just the right pace to keep the reader guessing. You know monsters are involved, but which? how? Awesome start. So glad I'm getting to read it; albeit I'm a bit slow after a week in hospital. Still 5 stars so far~

First person voice is the lazy author's "go-to". I am beginning to HATE the trend. I'm tired of hearing the "Me, me, me, I, I, I" of the arrogant twat telling me in minute detail about their feelings. PLEASE, authors! Get some perspective!! Try distancing yourself out of your characters & give them a personality besides yours!! VERY few authors & even fewer storylines can pull off first person voice~ Time to grow up.

First person voice is the lazy author's "go-to". I am beginning to HATE the trend. I'm tired of hearing the "Me, me, me, I, I, I" of the arrogant twat telling me in minute detail about their feelings. PLEASE, authors! Get some perspective!! Try distancing yourself out of your characters & give them a personality besides yours!! VERY few authors & even fewer storylines can pull off first person voice~ Time to grow up.

Flipping AWESOME! Just started last night when I couldn't sleep. The start is so powerful, you just HAVE to see where Lages goes with this. Highly, highly, highly recommend anything he has written. Just pick one! This latest, feels just as important & inspiring as Robinson's Dream, An American Story, Scowl... And still on my TBR: Arcadia.

One of my absolute FAVORITE authors just listed a new book on GoodReads Giveaways. I would encourage you to check him out.
Jonathan's Vows by Mark Lages

Trust me, you won't forget his name or his stories!

Not sure what to make of this one ~ Too early to tell if my insticts are correct & this will be a great read. Sometimes, venturing into new territory really pays off. Writing style is different, but fits the plot really well. I am SO happy this wasn't written in 1st person. It would have destroyed the atmosphere~ I am obsessed with figuring out why a 'boring garden' is the subject of a 280+ pg book...

Elegant simplicity; some of the most beautiful writing I have had the joy to read. LOVED the P.S. at the end. It gave context to the places and the Author's inspiration/intent for writing this. Well Done!! I finished in one sitting last night & need to wake up before I review. I want to do Robson's book justice.

FINALLY start this last night. Don't remember which page, but have to say, I'll probably be up all night finishing it. It is VERY good~ At least about 1/4 way thru. Writing is Lovely. Even covering such a depressing topic, Robson manages to keep the reader from sinking into depression. H/h are well written and from the beginning, you can feel the bond they forge. Looking forward to this one~

Starting Chpt 36
Other than a few grammar mistakes, this is turning out to be an Epic tale. LOTS of details to keep track of. Not something you want to read while tired. Action has been consistently building, but it's taken a bit to get used to all the deaths. Anxious to see who actually makes it to the end.

All those Legos Caimi has been doling out?
Finally starting to put some together.
Be prepared to memorize LOTS of character names.
Chpt 6

Beginning Chpt 4. Initial impressions?
1. This feels like I've been dropped in the middle of series. I kept having to backtrack because of non sequitur info. The author assumes, everyone sees what's inside their head. We don't.
2. Sentences are choppy. Action doesn't flow. Constant scene shifts w/no context.
3. Nascient plot is finally coming together.
4. Strange names are annoyingly hard to pronounce in my head.

Hoping to start this one later today. I have been SO anxious to start reading this. Trying to get things off my To-Do list so I can delve into it uninterrupted or distracted by other things.

Started 3rd Chapt. On to Paris... After the drama in Chpt 2; I'm anxious to see if Alexander can maintain the drama. Pre-ordered a hardcopy.

Just pre-ordered the paperback. Hoping this comes out in hardcover soon!

Just about to start Chpt 4.
BEST BOOK for 2021!!!
Ever read Edith Wharton? Age of Innocence? The Buccaneers?
READ THIS BOOK!!
I am speechless. This book has EVERYTHING.
I want to order a hardcopy & place it next to Ethan Fromm & my other Whartons~
The Voice, The history, The cultural & social references to early 1900s New England. WWI. Love. Passion. Sexuality. Pain.
Wharton lives thru this book! Move over Austen~

Hit a snag in making some of this work. Obviously it's going to take more practice. Or, maybe I need to read more. Something will click. But so far, I'm finding this book helpful.