Greg > Recent Status Updates

Ugh. It's funny how one little book can throw off your reading rhythm and into a month long reading slump. Needless to say I'm not a fine of this readable, but very mechanical and artless book.

Martin Rappaport kind of reminds of Obama. Also, I can't decide if the title and the pretty blue cover are supposed to be ironic or are straight up lies. So far Oltuski makes the diamond trade sound more like ditch digging than trading in luxury goods.

This is kind of really great. Although I am learning that Cheryl Strayed's style and voice may just not be my taste.

Hmmm...might the literary techniques be more of a weakness than a strength? Hopefully not, but I am getting my first whiff of Kantor playing with the structural and character balance.

I thought that restarting this would be good since it's been a while since I last read it. Also, I could probably speed through the beginning, but holy f am I finding this even more a slog the second time around.

Very interesting. A great, easy read. I love how Kantor handles the people in the story. This feels more like creative nonfiction than journalism. The Obamas come off as 3-dimensional characters, more alive with contradictions and frustrations than they could ever seem in a straight journalistic piece.

I am so behind on thinking about the books I've read much less writing about them. Also, everything I thought I thought about it has already leaked out of my body with the other noxious fumes.

I will catch up. I think I can. I think I can.

But, it'll have to wait until tomorrow. At least I finally got through all my updates.

I can't help it. I love Joan Didion. She's ice cold.

restarting

mmm...BLT chips. Honest to god I taste sandwich.

if i had to make a criticism i'd say that moon and ba are not as confident that their audience will get what they're doing so they feel they have to spell it out. that's understandable though, but i'm not sure it's 100% necessary. i got it before they started talking about love and desert cities and all the moments in life.

i'm on the world travel part. not as good as the rest. he's less fun when he doesn't have a bone to pick.

umm...it's very pretty

This is some magic shit going on. Each time Bras dies, I feel more hopeful.

What am I reading? This is not a book. It's a blog.

Steingarten has a good voice, but I'm having a hard time digesting this all at once. I need breaks.

Fun so far. Steingarten has a great voice. Wry and sardonic. He has a great sense of curiosity throughout. So far a lot of essays are weight and diet focused. And supposedly salad is one of the most dangerous things to eat. Oh, and exercise doesn't make you lose weight.

uh oh. my enjoyment has taken a nosedive with the appearance of Akiva.

better than the crappy cover suggests. pretty, if purple, language. i mostly started reading because i found an audiobook and i thought i could listen while i ran, but that takes like 12 hours, so i had to help things alone by y'know actually reading. good so far, but i'm at the point of the paranormal romance (as in romance that is stupid and doesn't exist in reality). ugh, why do i do this to myself.

two singular voices intermingle in an interesting duet that is doesn't conform to easy Odd-Couple cliches

kind of incredibly long-winded.

I'm a little afraid it won't be as good as I want it to be so I keep putting it off.

A little nostalgic and sentimental.

I'm not outright loving it as much as I thought I would, which is making my progress slow.

Not really my cup of tea. I think I have to go back to the beginning and reread this because I'm forgetting stuff.

bedside table book. read it when i feel like it before bed. going to take me a while to finish it.

This is taking me such a long time to read because I keep stopping and re-reading. Not because it's hard to understand, but because I love it. Joan Didion is a gorgeous writer.

I really like everything about this so far. The only thing keeping me from finishing it is that I'm a big chicken. I know that I'm not supposed to like these characters and I'm supposed to think that they have their priorities wrong and whatnot, but I kind of love the little spoiled brats and I can tell by Dee's arch tone that he has nothing good planned for them, which is keeping me from reading on.

ugh. okay I have no problem with unlikeable characters, but I don't think any of these characters have any redeeming value. This is at the very bottom of "need to finish" list.