“Of all the mortals on the earth, there are only a few the gods will ever hear of. Consider the practicalities. By the time we learn their names, they are dead. They must be meteors indeed to catch our attention. The merely good: you are dust to us.”

I really enjoyed the in-depth look at a character we all know, but don‘t actually know.

For me, a book shouldn‘t feel like work. This one certainly did. There was a lot of it that I really enjoyed, and there was a lot that just felt like filler. Maybe I‘m just not smart enough to understand it. Maybe, someday, I‘ll give it another shot.

“He took a sip. The coffee wasn‘t tasty or choice. It tasted brown.”
This might be the most relatable thing I‘ve ever read.

“Sorrow isn‘t a place you can leave behind. It‘s part of you. It changes the way you see, feel, and think, and every once in a while, the pain isn‘t remembered, it‘s relived; the anguish as real and heartbreaking as if it was happening all over again.”

I‘m really digging this series!

“It‘s Murphy‘s other law. Anything that involves a teenager will be a goddamn horror show.“
Seems like a modern Sherlock Holmes. Loved this one, and can‘t wait to read more of the series.

“The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don‘t.”

Such a funny book!

“It is remarkable indeed how we human beings are capable of delighting in the mating call of a flower while we are surrounded by the charred carcasses of our fellow animals—but then we are remarkable creatures.”

“She‘s furious at me,” I said. “That‘s rich.” All my life I had wanted to say, “That‘s rich.” Now I finally had gotten my chance. “That‘s really rich,” I said. “Listen, you bastard. You tell Thelma that if she keeps calling here, I‘ll tell Betty she has the clap.”

“He was a man some people would say was too hard. He lived in hard times—and the burden we put on him wasn‘t easy. Yes, we. That includes myself. If we had done more, his burden wouldn‘t have been so heavy.”

A dark detective story for this dark and cold morning...

The first Shirley Jackson I‘ve read since high school, and I‘m definitely a fan. I love the use of the house as a character.

Another wonderful book from Erik Larson. He makes all of his books gripping and suspenseful, even when you know how it ends. There was probably a lot of anecdotes that could have been left out, but I appreciated it.

This book started out very strong, and then became a bit predictable. However, it was still enjoyable, and referenced a number of books that I have added to my reading list!

There‘s a bit of bias here as “Purple Rain” was one of the first records I had as a little kid, but I loved this book. Prince passed away before he could write much of his memoirs, and the co-author did a great job putting everything together. A brilliant use of photographs of Prince, and photographs taken by Prince.

Such a great book. There‘s a reason its been beloved for so many years. I‘m a sucker for a good quest. So many exclamation points 🤔

Its hard to review this book without spoiling it. It was a great conclusion to the trilogy, and it ended so unexpectedly and perfect!

While the world is plummeting into chaos, one former policeman is still trying to find missing persons, as well as keeping an eye on his sister. With a deceased drug dealer‘s dog as his sidekick, Detective Henry Palace must separate fact from conspiracy in order to find and protect the people he cares about. Definitely looking forward to the third, and final installment.

How would you spend your last six months on earth? I believe this was the first pre-apocalyptic book I‘d ever read, and I absolutely loved it! I felt the book took a deep look at humanity while masking itself as a detective novel. Maybe I‘m reading too much into it. Can‘t wait to read the other two books in the trilogy!

“...it brought out the sweat on me, like running.”

It has been on my list for a very, very long time...but it just didn‘t appeal to me. I didn‘t find any of the characters relatable or redeeming. Maybe it requires a reread in the future.

Just finished, and had to share this passage.

I probably don‘t read enough poetry, but that‘ll change after reading this book. This collection of essays, poems, and interviews gave a very interesting look into the poet‘s mind, and made me want to read more of his work.

“And how long do you think we can keep up this goddamn coming and going?” he asked.
Florentino Ariza had kept his answer ready for fifty-three years, seven months, and eleven days and nights.
“Forever,” he said.

I really enjoyed getting chapters from the points of view of a number of central characters, as well as the flashbacks. It's a really good story, and it was a quick (as quick as 480 pages can be) read. Probably a little longer than it needed to be, but worth reading.

A bit slow, but really worth the read. Especially if you've ever felt like an outsider...or worked in a convenience store.

Reminded me of an old black and white film. I enjoyed going through the events of the crime in the courtroom, witness by witness. Getting the perspective of each of the players.

This is the book my 15 year old self needed! So many references to all my favorite video games, movies, and music. Such a fun read!

Another story of a man reflecting back on his life before he dies. The plot is nothing new, but I found myself wanting to know more about the main character's life.

Again, really late to the party. I really, really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, their narratives, and the connections between them.

I learned everything I didn't know that I wanted to know about Shakespeare! Bill Bryson researches his topics to death, and his books are must-reads for me. I cannot recommend this one enough!

Took me forever to finally get to it, but totally worth it!