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Chris & Woody have a chat; Robin & Skip plot their next move. Still wickedly entertaining. Love Leonard’s rehabilitation of Donnell as a complex, scheming character.

Back at it again! Chapter 2, testimonials

A two-hander here—a disgruntled bomb expert working in Sex Crimes and a pair of bomb-loving hippies, one more malevolent than the other, hatching a scheme against the brothers that might have put them away.

First two chapters. A Detroit novel, heavy on the bombs. Introduces a gangster only to blow him up by the end of the chapter. Then it introduces a hippie bomb couple reconnecting after doing jail time. Not a terrible couple of setups.

How have I nearly finished this book already? Dennis hooks up with Loretta Novis. Ann lies to Gerry. JohnRao seems sharper than you’d think. Everyone preparing for the battle in the woods.

Picked back up after a hiatus. Robert coming into the foreground. He might be plotting against Jimmy.

Robert Taylor trying to take over the drug game from the Dixie Mafia. And Dennis is his front.

Robert Taylor confronts Kirkbride, gets himself onto the reenactment. Is the photo fake?

Introduction and half of first chapter. It has the familiar trappings of a self-help TED Talk book, but I do find myself agreeing with everything.

Chanel prepares, struggles, testifies. Comedy show. Scuba diving. Generally, this book is great when it’s about her; less so whenshe turns her gaze on others.

Utterly invested in this audiobook, even if it takes work to keep the scenario in my head in one piece. Leonard confirms here that of all the novelist’s assets, the one I value most is dialogue.

Lahiri switching up perspectives here; first the mother, Bijouli (fail) and then Bela (more successful). Gauri’s departure; Bela grows up, goes her own way. Not bad; still muted.

It took Jhumpa Lahiri 46% of the book, but she finally has all her ducks in a row. Gauri isn’t a bad parent, but she is an unenthusiastic, grudging one. That’s interesting narrative territory (finally!)

Lahiri lands her first clean narrative punch—the death of Udayan. Her prose style is trying to be understated and powerful but instead still feels kind of pedestrian.

Wouldn’t be a Jhumpa Lahiri book without a halfhearted interracial sex scene!

The slow courtship of Udayan and Gauri. Lahiri still easing us into the narrative.

Friendship ended with UDAYAN; now RICHARD is my bestfriend

Basically one brother is turning into a revolutionary and tge other oneis turning into a little bitch

Started on a whim. Already kind of unrealistic, there’s a scene where anIndian father is proud of his children

First chapter. Immediately before and after. The first moment of realization. First questioning. In N Out

Things heading into the endgame. Too much happening at once. Hertz Shemmetz. Bina and Spade.

Turns out my audiobook was faulty and I've been overshooting my actual progress the entire time. Sigh. Unconvincing captivity + escape scene; re-investigation with Tlingit Peril Straits police chief Willie Dick.

The late-game introduction of the ghost of Landsman's sister, Naomi. Not really sure I buy it tbh.

End of Part II! Dinner with the Olsens. Controversy and coincidences at the bar. Jail, then escape. Great interlude on Nunyunnini, the very first American God.

The war starts. Interludes. Johnny Appleseed. Fake Paul Bunyan. Death of Bilquis.

Starting up again bitches! On weeping and laughing at the same thing.

Thunderbirds. Easter in San Francisco. Missing Allison. Riveting side story of slavery and voodoo—Haiti, New Orleans.