Andrew Benesh > Recent Status Updates

Ye is usually cold blooded in her handling of conflicts, so In surprised the dinner with Shao went as well as it did. Evans is an interesting paradox of a character - a short of eco-batman. Shi is really growing on me a lot.

I don't think that's what Rachel Carson had in mind, Ye.

And suddenly this book is going on a whole new direction. Ye is a scary lady.

I like the plot layering, and how the author
doesn't hold back on details or complexity. Da Shi is growing on me, which feels like a bad thing. Wang continues to be fascinating. I feel like Wenjie is still not being fully honest.

Huh. I like Wang a lot - his thought process feels very familiar to me. I'm not sure what to make of anyone else anymore. The game is an interesting puzzle; it's like Myst from hell. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be limiting my logic to science in solving it, or if the whole point is to approach from a different paradigm. Hmmmm.

The setup so far captures the chaos of the communist revolution well, and highlights the absurd but fatal conflicts between reality and ideology. I'm interested in how the two main airiness will come together - I want to see Ye Wenjie do something truly reactionary!

I realized I've been doing a read-through with my students this semester, but haven't actually logged my progress. The updated edition is as insightful as ever.

I'd forgotten I was working through this one. I like the pathos-logos-ethos-oikos framework. The examples are well written, and easy to follow.

Done. That was one hell of a ride. I'm going to need some time to process, but that was a truly excellent story.

That was a pleasant moment of normalcy in an otherwise hellish place. Matthew is still far from redemption; Benji feels like he's at his wits end; Shana may change the game on things. I'm hopeful about Marcy. This feels a little Woodbury, but it fits. The Miriam reference was deeply appreciated. I want to see someone kill Creel

This is seriously bleak, but it's also weirdly perfect. I wonder what it is Shana is seeing; her instinct feels right. I was worried about Marcy, but it feels like the might be hope. I appreciate Matthew recognizing his failures, but he's got a long road to absolution. I'm hoping someone will take out Creel.

The foreshadowing paid off well, and the connections between plots are fascinating. I'm struggling with empathy for Matthew, but he has grown on me. Excellent reporting by Dave Geller, as always. Shana is growing, but I worry about her choices. I'm going Benji, Cassie, and Arav can find a plan that works here. Reliving 2016 with Creel is hard.

Holy shit things are heating up. Marcy is the best. I like the Pete play. I'm highly suspicious of certain characters real agendas now....

I'm enjoying the character work a lot here, and the recognition that peripheral characters have complex inner livez. The considerations of race and privilege in the story are something I wish we saw more often. I'm enjoying the pacing, and the slow coalescence of each plot line. I find Matthew particularly infuriating. It's fun tracking Wendig-isms - squirrel guns, creative profanity, etc.

The ballad of Garlin Gardens is a short story on its own right. I'm excited to see how it fits in. Dad's new efforts to do right are something I'm curious to see play out. Martin's forgiveness feels very authentic.

I love how this book just takes off and doesn't stop too breathe. The character writing is excellent, and there's always just enough to draw you into the next chapter. This is really hard to put down.

Done! I like how Freed keeps the story grounded in the lived realities of war, rather than getting swept up in the romance of victory that many other stories do. The final reveals were well crafted, and capture the dissonance of surviving in a post-empire universe in a way we haven't seen before. Bravo!

I really like seeing the group come together. I still want more Quell story. Devon is a fascinating B plot.

Finally we get some Caern backstory! I like how the dilemmas and future of war are being faced head on in Yrica.

I like the character connections and reflections on the process of the Alliance becoming the New Republic. The internal tensions I'm the rebellion are something I wish we saw even more of.

I'm curious how the two story threads will come together. I appreciate the efforts at diversity in the book.

I'm enjoying the character writing and revisiting the post ROTJ universe. The reflections on defection decisions and coping with loss are well written.

Done! The final chapter could have been skipped, but I did appreciate the reflections on Morocco as an exception State.

It's hard reading the chapters hopeful about Assad's upcoming fall in Syria and how it would benefit the entire region. This is the danger of reading recent history.

The Egypt revolution chapter was insightful. I'm not sure what to take away from the the interview with the Muslim Brotherhood spokesman.

I really enjoyed the perspectives on Iraq and Israel. I'd love to see more of the residents perspectives.

The tone of the Jerusalem chapter was more historical than journalistic; I'm not sure what to make of that.

The Iran chapter does a good job of capturing the instability and difficulty communicating in the region. The political analysis seems simplistic, but is properly qualified with recognition of the common themes in the expat community.

The Egypt chapter feels more balanced than the Libya chapter. The author is trying to include perspectives beyond his own, but it's still a struggle. I find myself wrestling with my knowledge of how history plays out after his visits.

I didn't expect this to be happy, but I wish the author was slightly less pessimistic. There's a lot of bias to unpack here.