Greg > Recent Status Updates

"On March 18, 1909, another baby was born,,,the most beautiful of all the babies-the first baby Franklin'. Within 8 months, Franklin was dead from the flu and perhaps an affected heart. For people born around 1900, the life expectancy was about 47. We've doubled that expectancy rate, but we still have much progress to be made, as our American age expectancy is on the low side of all developed countries.

Mom to son dressed as a girl: "Pues, I didn't raise no mothafucking tonto, tampoco. If you're gonna do it,you better at least do it right and get paid, shiit." I get the kids talking like this, but a mom? In 1980s Harlem? Not sure about this.

Back cover blurb: "You might crack open The House of Impossible Beauties because why wouldn't you want to know (more) about the underground queer ball scene of 1980s Harlem" Absolutely I want to know more! Why, I just finished a book about the history of elevators cause I knew nothing, so had to read this.

I've read four books so far in my "Mid-Century American Crime" readathon and the differences are massive, say, between Hammett and Chandler. And I especially look forward to reading a second, or third, book by an author: progress from a debut to a later work can be fascinating.

Lennon, on acid, writes the final lines of "Tomorrow Never Knows" as: 'Or play the game Existence to the end of the beginning, of the beginning...' Which begs the question of what Joyce must have been experiencing when ending his "Finnegan's Wake" right back at the beginning.

This year, instead of focusing on contemporary works, I'm enjoying Mid-Century American Crime Novels. Chandler, McBain and more. It's back to the genre on which I learned to read: mysteries.

Sometimes, Joyce just takes the low, low road: '...so when you pet the rolling pen write my name on the pie." Hey, I'm just quoting from one of the classics of literature.

The subtitle of this one really grabbed my attention: "I read the news today, oh boy." I've read Kane's "Lennon Revealed," and a pretty portrait is not painted. Here, on p. 74, Lennon's wife, Cynthia revealed he [John] was physically cruel to her, and the lyrics to "I'll Cry Instead" have Lennon "conceal the angst" with this "jaunty rockabilly" song. Umm..."jaunty rockabilly"? To cover abuse, even.

"This chapter was never completed." appears at the end of chapter 8. Given our genre, "Kafkaesque", did the author intentionally write that comment. Or does the editor add it because Kafka's notes say the chapter was never finished? Or is this simply an unanswerable question? I didn't care much for "The Castle" but always think I need to read 2 or 3 books by an author to get "down in the groove thing, ya'll."

Oh, how I hope she listens to New York citizens and runs for Mayor, as discussed toward the end of this book. She'd be the hero of the greatest city on Earth, and that's a very powerful position.

What? What ho? Abou5 50 pages in I was so confused I started taking note. And now, 200 pages in, I have six pages of useless notes. Dumas has either 1) written himself into a messy corner or 2) written a truly sensational denouement. Either way, not what I expected.

Relentlessly beautiful; "Oh, but she never wanted James to grow a day older or Cam, either. .. she would have liked to keep them just as they were, demons of wickedness, angels of delight, never to see them grow up into long-legged monsters. Nothing made up for the loss."

This is capitalism at its finest, and one wonders what percent of the profit Trump will take to the bank, laughing all the way.

I ran a query. Of all the people who have given this book a one-star review, they voted Twilight or Hunger Games as best book ever and have never read a nonfiction book.

This is turning into a great story. It's certainly politics at its very worst and at its most dangerous, and therefore absolutely VITAL that we understand what happened and how to avoid it.

What a devastating look at America's government (the entire government, not just Trump). But the first half is done, and now the author's say they will "try to illuminate paths to political change to a less divisive approach to our politics. Okay, I'm listening!

Good story, but with this huge print and pointless conversations and people singing the same rap songs over and over, I should be finished reading it by now. This is, at best, a 150 page book strung out with huge print and stupendous repetitions and lots of empty space. And worst of all, it won two goodreads awards, so that should tell us it's not much of a book, although the subject matter is a hot one.

Okay, so Florida is ranked as the worst state in which to live. But the top 4? Michigan, Maine, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. And Florida is the #1 state were people from Michigan, Maine, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and NY and NJ are moving to. I live here. It's an overcrowded mess. I've lived in S. California. I swear it's more crowded here. and the heat makes people stupid. really, really, stupid. Like me, cause I'm here.

Let's say over 80% of the country feels that pot should be legal for medical use. (I think that's pretty close to the real number) Well, all it takes is 2 senators from the smallest 25 states, representing just 16.2% of the population to decide that pot can't be used medically. So let's say your child has epilepsy. But 16/2% of Americans can say to you, NO WAY, you can't use this for your child. Think about it.

Wait!!! This whole cease and desist thing is a marketer's ploy, it's been used, and it increases sales. If Wolff and Trump have agreed to split the profits and then cause a scandal, we will all be fools. Somebody needs to take a close look at the publishing contract.

I've read her autobio, as well as Bill's, and here I expected some honest bits of venom. They are there, but always cloaked in her "try, just get up in the morning and try" mantra." I loved the part when she says she loved being a grandmother and really wasn't sure she wanted to give that up, but a high school student whispered to her, "you gotta try..."

Finally, I'm out of Inferno and can see the stars in the heavens. Then I find out the White House wants to take pot away from Colorado and California, talk about people rasing hell!! And Trump apparently is semi-illiterate! OMG!

Okay, I've read several different portions of this book from several different sites. it is absolutely hilarious. I have it on hold at the library. Comedy? Absolutely hilarious. True? OMG I hope not! Fun reading? Well, what I've read from various sources is a blast!

Almost out of Inferno! (Dante's, that is, not Brown's, although I wish I had read Dante's first then maybe Brown's book would have made more sense.....oh, probably not.)

This one hit it's stride at about page 250. But it's just too uneven to even be considered in league with good Anne Rice, certainly not great Anne Rice.

OK!!!! This Rice/Rice combo has hit it's stride. There are some horrific events on the horizon, and Anne is doing what she does best: fabulous, otherworldly set pieces. But as to the STEAMY HOT sex on page 167 (first edition, Anchor Books, trade paperback), well, imagine, a mother/son team working on that. It's HOT and worth the read in itself!!

"They would never die, those flowers, and soon the maid, Rita, would grow suspicious of their vitality and life, and Julie would have not choice but to drop them into the Thames.." Okay, so, I think, it's Julie in the Conservatory with Shears is what killed the begonias.

What? But...And....Who?...But then....if....oh...umm...ah...WHAT???

Well, so far, THIS Cleopatra is NOT the one in the National Museum in London and that's a good thing cause THAT"S MY SCREENPLAY!!!. THIS Cleopatra is the one who WAS buried in the Cairo museum!

Hallelujah! A new Anne Rice! I was hoping for the third wolf book, but this will do. But, oh, WHICH Cleopatra, as there were at least five