Nate > Recent Status Updates

Mind blowing so far. I wish modern psych books were this well written, trusting that the audience can follow dense and heady topics.

I should make a new years resolution where I only read one book at a time haha. Didn't want to the Greene book I'm reading to end, so picked this up yesterday for a "darker" vibe. First time trying Ballard.

Started this book on a day off; and read for 3 straight hours. Wonderful writing, with a very engaging and emotional story. I haven’t read Greene in years; and picking this up now, it’s easy to see why he’s so admired by both “pop” writers like Steven King as well as “literary” ones like Coetzee. Halfway done; but as my work week starts tomorrow, I’ll be slower with the second half.

This book contains what might be the best passages on music that I've ever read. Just finished a section of Swann listening to a violin player that almost had me in tears, since it was describing the feeling of music's power so accurately and magically ...
This book is also taking me forever to finish ! I really like it, but I have to say, I'm looking forward to starting something else soon!

The "Swann in Love" section is really amazing so far.

Taking a short break from this slow, but beautiful read.

Reading this for my family's book club, and sort of slogging through it, although its not bad. There's a gentle tempo and some good hippie sort of debates. I'm excited to get back to the kind of fiction I prefer reading though :)

Nice gentle, comfort reading. Adding this to my list of "covid comfort" reads. And reading it for my family's book club. :)

Absolutely phenomenal. Every now and then you open a book and its like you were waiting for it, but never knew it existed.

For fans of Saramago, Marias, Krasznahorkai; but with its own (darker) tone.

Be forewarned: pretty disturbing and violent. Unsettling. But hard to turn away from. I'm so excited about this new writer.

so good...

Only two essays left to go. What an amazing collection. So wonderful to find a contemporary essay ist who can hold her own to people like Berger and Didion. Savoring this read.

Finished the first two stories in here. Kundera is such a good writer. However, I still have a hard time getting past his treatment of women, which the term "problematic" would probably be a nice way of putting. Its amazing to me that someone so psychologically astute can have such 2 dimensional female characters.

Took a bit; but I'm now really liking this novel... More experimental and cerebral than the other Pamuk books I've read; which I always enjoy. Perhaps more Borges-esque than his others as well. Very digressive and atmospheric. Might not be a book I fall in love with; but I'm very much enjoying it.

Like the Calvino, Woolf is providing a nice respite from the world. Her slow descriptions of interiors (both homes and psychology) are very fitting for right now. These stories are ones you can slowly savor as you read.

Took me a second to get into this book. Its not as experimental or strange as other Calvino novels -- but its proving to be a very nice treat & distraction from everything going on :)

Just started this, as I wanted something dreamy to follow The Little Prince; and also to immerse myself in during this strange, sad time period. Normally I like books that have a dose of cultural criticism; but now I'm in the mood for escapist literature. Might re-read parts of Don Quixote as well. This is working nice so far tho! Likely won't rank among my favorites of Calvino, but that's fine !

The "personals" section of this collection is wonderful.

Great so far; but I'm going to put this down for a bit as its too "sobering" for these times; and I'd rather chase something dreamier at the moment.

Obviously barely squeaking my way into this long read. I've been reading so many novellas lately (one of my favorite forms of fiction) -- and I got a hunger for a "long read" recently. I alternated between this and Magic Mountain, then ordered this online. I'm glad to have it at home, now that no one is being social, and I live alone -- at least I have my records which I love and this 1000+ page book haha ;)

I picked this book up, for the story "Kew Gardens" -- a story which @Ilse (one of my favorite reviewers and people I follow) called one of the best things she read last year. That story was absolutely phenomenal. A few others I've really liked as well. Excited for this book; and beautiful cover art.

Really liking these so far. Reminds me a bit of Mark Greif's book.

Just finished the titular essay in the collection -- really great.