Richard’s review of 2025 on Goodreads > Likes and Comments

Agree ! You have to use the site as you please, after all a review is a review, it doesn't matter if you have read a book yesterday or 5 years ago, what's really matter is only how you felt by reading it.
I don't know why people want always to say others what to do or not to do...
Happy new year Richard !! :-)

Tiziana wrote: "I don't know why people want always to say others what to do or not to do...."

Because it makes the feel powerful. Sort of sad.
Auguri di buon anno, amica mia.

Richard, I don't comment often enough on your reviews, but I enjoy seeing them and reading them in my feed.

Thirteen years! 3700 reviews! Please, you keep being you!!! ❤️

P.S. 1Q25 evil was unleashed. In fact, I still cry a little every day because the evil continues blasting me like a firehose. When will it end? How will it end?

Debi wrote: "Richard, I don't comment often enough on your reviews, but I enjoy seeing them and reading them in my feed.

Thirteen years! 3700 reviews! Please, you keep being you!!! ❤️

P.S. 1Q25 evil was unleashed. In fact, I still cry a little every day because the evil continues blasting me like a firehose. When will it end? How will it end?"

Thank you most kindly, Debi, that's a lovely compliment.

The evil will get worse. The hope I can find is that the ordinary people seeing what's happened seem to be more appalled than pleased.

I see the same, Richard, and sadly many are those that voted for the evil Felonious Yam, thinking it would enshittify others, certainly not themselves and their families. I'm seeing lots of big tears of FAFO regrets.

Everyday I google, "Is _____ dead yet?" I like playing witchy with the Google Analytics. One day it will answer YES and we'll have the most eagerly anticipated obituary ever.

Sorry for the downer distraction, I came here to CELEBRATE your reviews and your rollicking 2Q2025!

BTW, I like your quarterly update. In fact, it's inspired me to think of doing something similar, something that will help me review at the end of the year instead of being such a major chore. And taxation on the old memory cells, ha.

Debi wrote: "I see the same, Richard, and sadly many are those that voted for the evil Felonious Yam, thinking it would enshittify others, certainly not themselves and their families. I'm seeing lots of big tears of FAFO regrets.

Everyday I google, "Is _____ dead yet?" I like playing witchy with the Google Analytics. One day it will answer YES and we'll have the most eagerly anticipated obituary ever.

Sorry for the downer distraction, I came here to CELEBRATE your reviews and your rollicking 2Q2025!"

Celebration noted...I'm such a Grimdark von Doomscroll myownself, I hadn't thought a thing of it.

I do not believe the world we knew will survive the present concatenation of hideous bullshit. What's to come, we hope we can influence...or else....

Debi wrote: "BTW, I like your quarterly update. In fact, it's inspired me to think of doing something similar, something that will help me review at the end of the year instead of being such a major chore. And taxation on the old memory cells, ha."

Keep 'em firing! We're going to see a LOT of memory-changing as the tech scum enable the authoritarian shitheads to redefine the past.

Grimdark von Doomscroll here too. (LOL)

All it took was one stinky, pathological dumdum for all the tyrannical evildoers and mild-mannered bigots to align and slather their slimy selves with. As I watch two thirds of the branches of government fall down on all fours, I guess America's Constitution wasn't as strong as I grew up thinking it was.

It sucks horribly, you know, this being the state of America that my life will more than likely end within. Just ten years ago I was rejoicing in the progress in areas that I dreamed of as a teen in the 70s. You know, that much touted freedom and pursuit of happiness.

Truth is, we had a bad inherent start in America, in spite of the "more perfect union" rah rah. It's never moved very far from its wicked beginnings. The only thing it had going for it at the start was this vast beautiful land, mere "resources" to some.

I think I need a good book. Know of any? ha

Debi wrote: "I think I need a good book. Know of any? ha"

No. July's reading is down to the last few slots; I'm solidly into August's titles; the *best* read so far is 4.25/5.

Maybe I'm in that foul a humor, but I honestly do not think that's possible...there are a metric fuckton more books coming out this summer than is usual so permaybehaps I'm just picking up on the rush-job-ness of them all.

I was just kidding about the needing a recommendation so no worries. I was implying that is how I cope with the shitshow, bury my head in a book.

For a week, I've been going through my physical books and my GR TBR, dusting, winnowing, moving books, re-organizing GR bookshelving. My gawd I've got a lot of excellent books I want to read, books I forgot I had. I guess my past self knew my future self would need them while I'm holed up, shunning the outside world.

Love your review, Richard. It shares the informatic tone one of those intro sponsorship commercials at the beginning of a PBS documentary: "These book reviews brought to you by: justifiable loathing - seeking a cure for idiocracy through reading".

I, for one, endorse your approach. Brilliant.

I'm pretty sure you have waaaaay more readers of your blog than attendees at T 1 and T 2's inaugurals.

I think about how many exchanges we've had about books, yet I don't know that we've "discussed" any of your favorites here. I'm glad I'm seeing this and getting to find more books I want to read.

Here's to a better New Year, friend.

carol. wrote: "Here's to a better New Year, friend."

Thank you, Carol!

Sarah-Hope wrote: "I think about how many exchanges we've had about books, yet I don't know that we've "discussed" any of your favorites here. I'm glad I'm seeing this and getting to find more books I want to read."

It's always hard to find the ones we will enjoy discussing, because I write so many reviews...it's been likened to a firehose by some slightly unkind folk. I'm embracing it, no better way to spike their guns than that!

Richard wrote: "It's always hard to find the ones we will enjoy discussing, because I write so many reviews...it's been likened to a firehose by some slightly unkind folk. I'm embracing it, no better way to spike their guns than that!"

Good on you! I like that approach, using a firehose to out maneuver them and their stinky keyboards.

Debi wrote: "Good on you! I like that approach, using a firehose to out maneuver them and their stinky keyboards."

It's more like appropriating "queer" by me and my LGBTQIA2S+ siblings...not gendered, not specific, not intended to be a good thing so let's take it and use as our overarching interface identity!

I still use "QUILTBAG" because I like it. Better to use "queer" though even that will cause some annoying twidgee or another to pipe up with an objection.

Forrest wrote: "Love your review, Richard. It shares the informatic tone one of those intro sponsorship commercials at the beginning of a PBS documentary: "These book reviews brought to you by: justifiable loathing - seeking a cure for idiocracy through reading".

I, for one, endorse your approach. Brilliant."

Thanks, Forrest! I'm not going to worry much about how successful I am because the best I hope for is to find reactions like yours that endorse the concept.

Richard wrote: "Debi wrote: "Good on you! I like that approach, using a firehose to out maneuver them and their stinky keyboards."

It's more like appropriating "queer" by me and my LGBTQIA2S+ siblings...not gende..."

Quiltbag rules!

Just wanted to say thanks for your ferociously hilarious reading notes and reviews, Richard :) This one was no exception for me:

"Well, until my rage-fuel runs out or I review them all, y'all're in for a firehose of reviews" :DD

Please keep on using GR the way you want to, that is certainly like-minded users who make this platform and its freethinking communities still thrive somehow, in spite of the general enshitification, to prove all the more brilliantly that its magic does not come from anywhere else than its generous users :) May you live an exhilarating year 2026!

Patrick wrote: "Quiltbag rules!"

Thanks! I don't want to memorize all those letters in order so I made a word to make it easier. I dislike the use of "+" everywhere because it's so lazy so I left it off.

P.E. wrote: "Just wanted to say thanks for your ferociously hilarious reading notes and reviews, Richard :) This one was no exception for me:

"Well, until my rage-fuel runs out or I review them all, y'all're in for a firehose of reviews" :DD

Please keep on using GR the way you want to, that is certainly like-minded users who make this platform and its freethinking communities still thrive somehow, in spite of the general enshitification, to prove all the more brilliantly that its magic does not come from anywhere else than its generous users :) May you live an exhilarating year 2026!"

It's not long for this world, I fear. "They" (in the paranoid grammatical voice) are after taking much more control of all of us, everywhere we congregate, the better to threaten and harass and steal from us.

It is what Orwell and Huxley promised us was coming ninety years ago.

I'm hoping the first quarter of 2026 will be a very good one...things could change for the better, I'll say more when I know more to say.

Love your review, just love it.

Richard wrote: "Patrick wrote: "Quiltbag rules!"

Thanks! I don't want to memorize all those letters in order so I made a word to make it easier. I dislike the use of "+" everywhere because it's so lazy so I left ..."

Thanks to you! I sure get tired having to rename myself according to popular whim.

Dave wrote: "Love your review, just love it."

You're very kind to say so, Dave!