Lisa Eckstein > Recent Status Updates

Definitely caught up in Nora's many life stories. The writing is very strong, and there have been some good surprises to the premise.

So many people I know have read this recently, and now I'm joining in. Enjoying the story, and it certainly moves right along!

"...perhaps women's voices in harmony were like some sort of flintstone sparking, or like the hot burst of air that comes through a window, billowing the curtains, before rain. Sometimes, I imagined the whole room lifting up from their talk--lifting up and spinning out, out, into the future times to come, when everyone would be truly free. The time I thought we were all planning for."

Third book of the trilogy! So great to be back with these characters and their banter!

Off to an intriguing start for what looks to be a well-researched work of historical fiction.

I like this name for a technique I've also tried to use: "Once when I was back visiting my former law school, I noticed a sign by an elevator that declared that area an "area of refuge." I guess it's where a person in a wheelchair or with some other difficulty should go in case of fire. The phrase stuck in my mind, and I decided that if I found myself dwelling on bad feelings, I'd seek a mental "area of refuge.""

"...striving to be happy isn't a selfish act. After all, one of the main reasons that I set out to become happier in the first place was that I figured I'd have an easier time behaving myself properly if I felt less anxious, irritated, resentful, and angry; when I reflected on the people I knew, the happier people were more kind, more generous, and more fun."

A bunch of developments, still a lot of mystery. Eager to see how it's all going to come together!

Excited and nervous about all these developments!

"Nella stared at the girl, wondering where her lunch companion's Black Panther spirit had gone. She'd moved from channeling her inner Baraka to her inner Barack--from confrontational to compassionate--in less than sixty seconds."

Intriguing opening!

This is a good book to read in small chunks between other things, which is what I've been doing, and I'm getting some great ideas and perspectives from it.

Things are getting steamy, complete with documentation: "One afternoon, she goes on a five-minute tangent about UV light and document facsimiles only to find Jane staring at her with her mouth halfway open and her tongue resting wetly between her teeth, and she pulls out the notebook and writes, 'niche technical expertise + competence.'"

Really enjoying all the developments!

I like how we're getting into the details of the speculative element, and now there's a ticking clock!

Delightful story of a young woman new to NYC, new to the easy friendship her roommates are offering, and new to falling in love -- at least with a mysterious hot girl on the subway!

So much has happened, and I so hope these great characters will find some happiness by the end!

Finding this a useful look at ways to reframe perspectives in the direction of more happiness.

"They could have another kid, start a real life, the kind of life recognizable from television commercials, all of them living together in a house with a lawn and a porch with pillars, the kind of life you were supposed to get, not this half-formed humiliating thing he's been living." I'm very engrossed in the lives of these characters, real, sympathetic, complicated.

Engrossed in this well-crafted family story!

I am already invested in these characters -- the previously aimless Amadeo, who is recently invested in the religious brotherhood he's joined and performing the role of Jesus in the Good Friday procession, and his teen daughter Angel, who's showed up on his doorstep 8 months pregnant and with her own newfound sense of purpose.

Despite some quibbles with the pace of the story unfolding, I am really enjoying this. All the scenes are great, and the characters are real and complex.

I like the way this mystery is unfolding.

"Too often, she looked forward to the end of something--to beginning the remembering--more than the thing itself."

Murderbot and Dr. Mensah are both in fine form already! And I'm already a little sad knowing that this novella will be over too soon!

I'm finding this engrossing, but I hope some hinted-at reveals are coming soon!

Once again, the easy realism of Sweeney's characters and relationships is a delight!

"Her grandma had told stories of the days when only rich people or the military had access to AIs. Bots came even later, during her parents' time. Would this fear last long enough for society to learn how to function without machines?"

An engaging set of new complications!

Really enjoying this! Compelling story and characters, well developed world.