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ImperfectCJ

ImperfectCJ

Joined May 2019

books: https://imperfecthappiness.org voice acting: https://ctlvoiceover.com/ The Storygraph: imperfectcj, IG: @ctlvoiceover, Bluesky: @charitytl
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The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West
review
ImperfectCJ
Mania | Lionel Shriver
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Pickpick

Even now that I've finished this and enjoyed it, I'm not entirely sure how to read it. It's cleverly written and goes into some depth about navigating relationships during times of extremism. There's also a fatalism to this alternate history, a sense that with culture becoming increasingly polarized into extreme viewpoints, certain outcomes are inevitable. Extreme positions of any kind give opportunists and narcissists a platform to thrive.

Suet624 Shriver is always offering thought provoking reads. 8h
dabbe Your house looks so cozy! 💚💜💚 5h
29 likes2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Mania | Lionel Shriver
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Low-key readathon: Activated!

Only trouble is, the cat is so cozy, I'm about to fall asleep myself. 😴

#JumpStartSummer @TheSpineView

TheSpineView Cats can always find the most comfortable places. 12h
Leftcoastzen Awww!😻 7h
38 likes2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1) Finished out the read-aloud year and brought home the book bin.
2) Bought a wagon so I'm less likely to injure myself taking the book bin to the main office next week.
3) Orchidelirium! Orchids have so much character!
4) Played my first piano recital.
5) Silo, our resident Distinguished Fellow.
Not pictured: I had a great informational interview exploring a new-ish field for me.

Suet624 Congrats on the piano recital!!!! 14h
dabbe 💚💜💚 11h
OrangeMooseReads Kitty is so handsome! Congrats on the piano recital 9h
32 likes3 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Mania | Lionel Shriver
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I've got a busy weekend of music (both professional and talented student musicians) and stagehanding (if that's a word), but I'm hoping to sneak in some reading each day. I'm working on some Percival Everett for #authoramonth, Solito for book club, and the tagged just for fun, although I'm leaving open the possibility of just mood reading. #jumpstartsummer @TheSpineView

TheSpineView Enjoy! 🤩📖📚 22h
31 likes1 comment
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ImperfectCJ
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Bailedbailed

After hearing the synopsis, reading the first few chapters and skimming the rest, I think I have the basic idea: You'll be happier and more successful if you aim for an ideal but measure yourself by your progress, not by how far you are from the ideal, like heading towards the horizon to give you direction, not because you expect to reach it. Decent idea, but it doesn't need this many words to convey it.

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ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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Bookends post for March and April 2025 is finally up: https://imperfecthappiness.org/2025/05/22/bookends-march-april-2025/

I list what I read in those months and ponder an unsettling temporal development.

review
ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

Overall, I found this book to be moderate, data-driven, and interesting, with a couple of caveats. First, Twenge sometimes doesn't flag clearly what is data and what is her opinion. This is fine, it just means I have to pay closer attention. Next, I found the GenX section disappointing. She ignores outliers and nuances she points out in the Millennials section, and she reaches different conclusions from some data than I do. (cont'd ⬇️)

ImperfectCJ Admittedly, Twenge is an older GenXer and I'm a younger GenXer, and there's been a divide between those two microgenerations for a long time. Finally, some of the predictions for the future feel jarring given what's happened in the months between the book's publication and now, but I don't fault Twenge for that. We're in wacky territory is all, and data can only predict so much. (edited) 2d
ImperfectCJ And a final note for anyone who reads as I do, bouncing between the audio and the print/ebook: The ebook has been updated since the audiobook was made, so there are sentences and paragraphs in the ebook that aren't in the audio. 2d
RowReads1 Yup! I‘m a Xennial. there is a big divide between older and younger Xers. I‘ve been curious about this one. 2d
ImperfectCJ @RowReads1 Twenge's cutoff for GenX is 1979, which my younger siblings would take issue with (I'm 1976, they're 1981 and 1983). She does mention Xennials, and she quotes Chuck Klosterman about the differences between younger and older GenX, but that's it. I try not to make too big a deal about microgenerational differences within GenX, but when my GenZ teenager generalizes, I set him straight (then he points out that GenX is ignored online). (edited) 2d
RowReads1 @ImperfectCJ I don‘t mind that we‘re ignored online. I mean Gen X by Douglas Coupland is basically where the generational names and categorization “so called” officially took off from. We had tons of attention back then. 2d
42 likes5 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Ulysses | James Joyce
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10/100, but it's more like 75/100 adjusted for Ulysses.

Notable titles of those I read:
1) Howards End (loved it)
2) The Trial (loved it)
3) Ulysses (loved being done with it)

#ThreeListThursday @dabbe

Leniverse That's how I feel about Ulysses too 😂 2d
dabbe You get a standing ovation for ULYSSES! 🤩 #TFPAS (Thanks for playing and sharing) 😊 2d
30 likes2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
The Overstory: A Novel | Richard Powers
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1) Reminding myself that, assuming we're not living in the Matrix, I only know for sure that I have this one life, so it deserves my attention, care, curiosity, and joy.

2) Tagged, although there are several I could name at different points in my life.

#WondrousWednesday @Eggs

DrSabrinaMoldenReads Well, I may never forget the Count of Monte Christo, book and character (edited) 2d
ImperfectCJ @DrSabrinaMoldenReads I actually never read that one...the English teacher I didn't have had that on her syllabus, so most of my friends read it. Perhaps I should check it out as an adult. 2d
Eggs Love #1❣️Thanks for playing 🥳 2d
34 likes4 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Penguinaut! | Marcie Colleen
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Today I finished the last read-aloud session of the academic year with the tagged book. I volunteered to bring my school's book bin back to the main office next week and to pick up and return as many as three other bins from other schools. I'm in good shape, but lugging this bin a city block to my car left me a sweaty mess with an ache in my back, so I ordered a heavy duty wagon to help with the other bins. Volunteering can get expensive!

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ImperfectCJ
The Dream Hotel | Laila Lalami
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Pickpick

Lalami's writing is sometimes a little obvious in its intentions, but this one plays with nuance a little better than The Other Americans, which I appreciate. It's definitely paranoia-inducing, so if you're reading fiction to avoid doomscrolling or if you don't want to look at your smart devices with suspicion, this might not be your best option. But aside from those caveats, I quite enjoyed this one.

ImperfectCJ Bonus points because this is the first of Lalami's novels I've read that doesn't mention turtle doves living in North America (which they don't). Bird mistakes in fiction are a pet peeve of mine. I'm still irritated at The Memory Keeper's Daughter for a robin mistake, and I read that one in 2009. It's actually pretty much the only thing I remember from that book. 4d
Ruthiella Small errors like that can really bug! 4d
TrishB It‘s historical inaccuracies that annoy me! 4d
Suet624 I‘m still thinking and talking about this book 3d
42 likes4 comments
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ImperfectCJ
The Dream Hotel | Laila Lalami
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I had a lovely time at the orchid exhibition at the botanic garden yesterday. It was a nice break from national news, unlike the tagged, which I started on audio. It seems pretty good, but I don't know if I'm in the right headspace to cope with the paranoia. (I also played at a piano recital and was so nervous that I pretty much blacked out during my performance, so I might need something lighter to read to help me even out.)

kspenmoll How beautiful! What a peaceful way to spend some time. 5d
42 likes1 comment
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ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

A quick and impactful read, this book by Richard Haass is like a distillation of David Brooks's writings about character. It was written before the 2024 election but predicts many of the threats to democracy that resulted. The suggestions are moderate and bipartisan, although in the current environment would likely be considered radical.

TL;DR: Protecting democracy is necessary, nonpartisan, and requires our active participation.

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ImperfectCJ
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Back when I was a recent college graduate, I wrote a letter to John Glenn, one of my senators at the time, proposing an expansion of benefits associated with voluntary civil service (essentially making AmeriCorps service and military service equivalent). I never got a reply. Here in Obligation VIII, Haass proposes almost exactly what I did at age 21. I feel vindicated and also a tiny bit wise beyond my years (retroactively).

DogMomIrene People are so change-resistant. That‘s one thing I‘m working on as I age – not getting stuck in one way of thinking. But imagine if more young people‘s ideas were seriously considered. This book sounds really good. 7d
ImperfectCJ @DogMomIrene I find that people are either resistant to change or waaay too enthusiastic about throwing out both baby and bathwater. I really enjoyed this book as I'm definitely a fan of keeping the foundation strong and building something better and better on top of it. (To mix metaphors...) 5d
33 likes2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
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Please don't let one of the obligations be strict sobriety. 🤞

@MaleficentBookDragon I was inspired by your bourbon posts to make myself a Friday night Harlequin Racerunner (except with rye instead of bourbon because I wanted something less sweet).

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ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
I continue to feel down this week, but there were definite joys:
1) Mother's Day vampire movie! (Along with the recent discovery that my younger kid shares my love of scary movies...I've got a bunch out from the library to watch with him!)
2) After 2+ weeks, the new dishwasher is finally installed!
3) Silo looking cozy.
4) Silo looking regal.
5) Silo and Camille "hunting" an alligator lizard through the screen door.

Leftcoastzen All great joys !😻😻 1w
5feet.of.fury I wanna see that movie soooo badddd 1w
ImperfectCJ @5feet.of.fury I really liked it! Michael B. Jordan did a really outstanding job, and the music is fantastic. 1w
mcctrish Woo Hoo with the dishwasher getting installed 👏🏻👏🏻✊🏻 1w
dabbe 💙💚💙 1w
30 likes5 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Dr. No | Percival Everett
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Pickpick

Despite not being a fan of the ending, I really enjoyed this book. It's weird and quirky, and the tone almost reminds me of Stan Schmidt's Life of Fred series of story-based math books (a reference only a few homeschoolers are likely to get, but that's what it made me think of). I haven't read any James Bond books, so I can't say if it's like any of those. #authoramonth

Ruthiella I‘m listening to this now. Definitely different, but I am enjoying just going with the flow. 1w
ImperfectCJ @Ruthiella Going with the flow worked for me with this one. Everett knows so much about so many different things, it's fun to observe (so long as I can avoid feeling too unintelligent in comparison, but unlike some authors, I feel like Everett is inviting the reader to engage as equals, rather than being clever in order to make his readers feel stupid). 1w
40 likes2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

I started this in Spanish and finished it in English because I read too slowly in Spanish. I'm not sure if that's ironic or not. Newport writes in this book that he aims to write in a style that's a cross between Stephen Covey and Malcolm Gladwell, and I think he's succeeded. He presents anecdotes from which he derives hypotheses about productivity, and then he offers possible solutions to reduce performative productivity. It's interesting.

48 likes2 stack adds
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ImperfectCJ
Erasure: A Novel | Percival Everett
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Pickpick

What first struck me about this novel about art getting out of hand was how quickly I felt close to the characters. There's an event near the beginning that's foreshadowed clearly, but still it felt like a blow when it came because I had connected with the characters so much already. I listened to part of the novel in the car and found myself self-consciously turning down the volume at stop lights. (Guess which section that was.) #authoramonth

ImperfectCJ It felt good to be drawn into a story like this one drew me in. I'm excited to read more from Everett. 1w
ImperfectCJ And Sean Crisden's narration on the audiobook was excellent! 1w
Readerann I loved the narration, but I get you wouldn‘t want to have it blaring from your car. 🤣 1w
willaful I know what you mean, it really hit me hard too. 1w
42 likes4 comments
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ImperfectCJ
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Our library system already has a budget that's lower than the average per capita library spending for the state, and last week more budget cuts went through, with plans to close libraries on Sundays and Mondays and reduce cleaning and maintenance services. I'm angry and discouraged that our city isn't prioritizing libraries, especially when literacy is under attack on a national level. So, I'm visiting the library and enjoying humorous signage.

Read-n-Bloom I don‘t like any of the downgrading of libraries. We should be lifting them up and encouraging them. 1w
Read-n-Bloom And I love the ant apocalypse signage 😂 so funny 😂 1w
CarolynM 😆 (the photo) 🤬 (underfunding of libraries) (edited) 1w
58 likes4 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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For #TuesdayTunes, I'm revisiting the debut album of Tift Merritt, a North Carolina artist whose music almost always hits the spot for me. https://open.spotify.com/track/4pd9x8AzxZHEd17QT7vH6B?si=PtFE0iHTTjedh3W32GPEZQ&...
@TieDyeDude

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ImperfectCJ
The Stranger | Albert Camus
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Pickpick

I read The Plague years ago (while pregnant with my first, whose 20th birthday is today), and while I kept meaning to read this one, it took my second-born reading it in high school and begging his father and me to read it to get me finally to pick it up. It's a quick read, the style reminiscent of Hemingway in the first half. As my son promised, there are some fire quotes in here, as well as musings about existence in the modern age. I liked it.

Scochrane26 I first read this in French class but didn‘t remember much about it. So I reread it (in English) a few years ago. 2w
ImperfectCJ @Scochrane26 My son's English class read this, Oedipus Rex, and Crime and Punishment, which I think is a very interesting grouping. How did you find The Stranger when you read it in English? I also see it translated as The Outsider...is it the same word for both in French? 2w
BarbaraBB I read The Plague too when I was really young and still remember it. Much much later I read The Stranger and unfortunately didn‘t enjoy it as much. I hope you have a better experience. Oh and I love you son‘s English teacher 🥰 2w
See All 7 Comments
Faranae @ImperfectCJ It's the same word in French: “étranger“. It can also be translated as “Foreigner“. You can't use “extérieur“ as a singular noun to mean a person rather than a place. 2w
ImperfectCJ @BarbaraBB I definitely like her style! My son has been talking every night about his readings for class and is even enjoying reading outside the curriculum, which I was worried he'd dropped entirely in favor of YouTube videos! I need to send his teacher a thank you card. :-) 2w
Liz_M @ImperfectCJ I'm trying to come up with an informal name for this class -- is The Guilty Murder Club too obvious? 1w
ImperfectCJ @Liz_M That's better than what I thought of (Remorse and Remorselessness in World Literature). But both are more descriptive than Honors English 10, which is the actual name of the class. 😁 1w
59 likes7 comments
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ImperfectCJ
The Stranger | Albert Camus
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"So, with all the sleep, my memories, reading my crime story, and the alternation of light and darkness, time passed...days could be both long and short at the same time: long to live through, maybe, but so drawn out that they ended up flowing into one another. They lost their names. Only the words 'yesterday' and 'tomorrow' still had any meaning for me."

He's talking about prison, but this works to describe how a lot of 2020 felt, too.

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ImperfectCJ
Dream Count | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Pickpick

I quite enjoyed this novel, with its distinct, richly drawn characters, complex relationships, and cultural critique. I also appreciate the author's perspective on lockdown and its effect on how we relate to others. It's refreshing to read about lockdown from the perspective of characters who believe lockdown and masking were necessary with negative side effects, rather than either ignoring that period or acting like it was all an overreaction.

Suet624 I love those kind of skies. 2w
ImperfectCJ @Suet624 I left for a jog yesterday, looked up, and had to stop to take several pictures. It was so fantastic, and then as the run progressed, it turned into a more classic mackerel sky. Just gorgeous! 2w
45 likes2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

The characters are definitely characters, and Paley's dialogue is quite colorful, which makes this book of short stories something of an experience, even as I found it difficult to discern what the heck was going on at times.

This was a #Roll100 title from January.

PuddleJumper 😻😻 2w
51 likes1 comment
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ImperfectCJ
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As a matter of fact, yes, I did forget to finish my #WeeklyFavorites collage for April until the 10th of May.

@Read4life

kspenmoll I just posted mine too! 🤪😂 2w
Suet624 I feel as if folks haven‘t talked about The Warehouse enough. I still think about it. 2w
Read4life I love seeing these no matter when they‘re posted!!! 💙📚💙 2w
44 likes3 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

Counterclockwise from bottom left:
1. Lounging cats.
2. Live music.
3. Ephemeral art by high schoolers.
4. Bibliotherapy.
5. Curious towhee at my garden camera.

dabbe 💜💚💜 2w
37 likes2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Dream Count | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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I woke up in a similar despondent, low energy mood as when I went to bed last night, so after making myself work out, I indulged in some audio-organizing and decluttering. I cleared out three bins of homeschool stuff (only 6 more to go 🙄), reorganized our games and some of our books, and dusted underneath the piano. Finally having all of my library books in one place reminds me how aspirational my checkouts often are. I feel moderately better.

ImperfectCJ (Except that I'm on the edge of a panic attack/acute midlife crisis from all of the papers I recycled that have my kids' handwriting on them. I curated a small amount as keepsakes, and I'm comforting myself thinking of those.) 2w
BarbaraBB Been there and recognize what you‘re saying ❤️‍🩹 2w
Suet624 💕💕💕 2w
42 likes3 comments
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ImperfectCJ
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After a frustrating day, I'm going to follow Camille's lead (although I'm going to try to finish one story from the tagged before I lose consciousness)(and I likely won't fall asleep perched on the back of the sofa).

Ruthiella 😻😻😻 2w
MemoirsForMe Camille has the right idea! 😻Wishing you better days ahead 2w
Leftcoastzen 👏😻 2w
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Sweet Camille 🐾 2w
dabbe #coziestCamille 🖤🐾🖤 2w
BookmarkTavern An elegant lady! And just the right idea! 2w
Darklunarose Cats always have the right idea😻 2w
ImperfectCJ @Darklunarose Maybe this means I should knock more stuff off of counters. 🤣 2w
Darklunarose @ImperfectCJ well it‘s worth a try 🤣 2w
64 likes9 comments
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ImperfectCJ
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For read-alouds today, I read the tagged (and experienced the absolute joy of hearing 4-year-olds say "lellow") and the pictured "scary book," as the students proclaimed it. I also wore my rainbow heart "Library For Everyone" shirt, which is always a hit. Only two more weeks before the reading year ends; I'm going to miss sharing books with these kiddos every week.

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ImperfectCJ
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What an odd little book this is! It's taking me a while to figure out how to read it (and not just because I didn't realize at first that it's short stories). We'll see how it hits me as I make more progress.

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ImperfectCJ
At Bertram's Hotel | Agatha Christie
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Mehso-so

This is not among my favorites. It feels more like an interesting idea that Christie is exploring in writing than it does a complete story. And Miss Marple doesn't play nearly as large a role as I would prefer her to.

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ImperfectCJ
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Today I was lucky enough to visit two of the places that help me rebalance myself: the ocean and the library. If I could also swing a walk in the forest, I could probably reach enlightenment, but I need to get my kid a haircut, so enlightenment will have to wait for another day.

Soubhiville Glad you got to see two of your happy places though! 3w
kspenmoll Sounds like a soothing day! 3w
51 likes2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Looks fantastic!! 3w
36 likes1 comment
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ImperfectCJ
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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April #bookspinbingo card: I managed one bingo in April, although I finished neither the #bookspin nor the #doublespin title this month (and it's better not even to mention how I'm doing on #roll100).

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fantastic month!! 3w
34 likes1 comment
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ImperfectCJ
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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May's #bookspin list is ready to go! It's a little haphazard, but what that's a totally reasonable organizational/curation tactic for a personal reading list, in my opinion.

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3w
33 likes1 comment
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ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

I'm not sure if this short book was compelling on its own or just along with my other reading/experiences, but it definitely struck a chord for me. A Silicon Valley insider, Lanier makes a distinction between social media that uses what he terms BUMMER algorithms to target and manipulate users and other, less insidious types of online interaction. I don't like his Solitary/Pack terminology, but aside from that, it's a very convincing read.

TheLudicReader I am currently reading Lanier‘s book, too. I am becoming increasingly distressed about social media…I dumped out of FB in January and don‘t miss it at all. Insta is probably next. 3w
ImperfectCJ @TheLudicReader His comparison to lead paint was really helpful to me, the idea that I'm not leaving social media forever, just until a better system is in place. And then I remind myself that I was keeping in touch with people fine before Facebook, and I just need to remember what that looked like. The fact that it's difficult to remember is a bit alarming to me, how thoroughly social media has changed how I relate to people. 3w
44 likes2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
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"What if listening to an inner voice or heeding a passion for ethics or beauty were to lead to more important work in the long term, even if it measured as less successful in the moment? What if deeply reaching a small number of people matters more than reaching everybody with nothing?"

As one whose passion for blogging diminished with the push to focus on SEO and who's feeling odd about using IG to promote voiceover work, this quote resonates.

ImperfectCJ And just for the record, Lanier is specific about what about some social media is insidious (he refers to it by the acronym BUMMER), and Litsy doesn't do it, so while I'm on the verge of quitting Meta, I don't plan on leaving here (unless the business model changes dramatically and in a bad direction or unless I find myself changing in ways I don't like because of how I use Litsy). 3w
33 likes1 comment
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ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

This reads a bit like the memoir of someone who's escaped from a cult. The later parts of the book are a little repetitive, but overall it's maddeningly readable. Wynn-Williams seems to be working through her own feelings of culpability for the direction Facebook has gone, but that doesn't mean her claims aren't factual. I'm not sure I can justify keeping my Meta accounts after this.

ImperfectCJ And holy hell, what was with her parents??? 3w
DogMomIrene I‘m about to sit down with this one again. It‘s just one awful story after another. I deleted my FB, and Instagram for my dogs in November. It‘s actually been really liberating. You could pause the accounts. May not be the right term. But something similar to see how you like being detached from that machine. Really want to get to the parents story… 3w
thegirlwiththelibrarybag @ImperfectCJ, after the 🦈 attack?! How can you not tell when your kid is in genuine pain? 3w
See All 6 Comments
ImperfectCJ @thegirlwiththelibrarybag Yes! I was sure I was misunderstanding, it was so out there to me. 3w
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 3w
thegirlwiththelibrarybag @ImperfectCJ… and if there is ever a time to give a kid the benefit of the doubt - surely this was the time!! 3w
61 likes6 comments
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ImperfectCJ
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"Mark tells Elliot to do something about the headlines and Elliot explains that would be difficult because they seem to be true."

I'm doing my best to take this book with a grain of salt as the account of just one person who has her own stuff to work through, but when the book itself, in describing a totally different situation, seems to predict how the release of the book was handled, I'm more inclined to believe the author about other things.

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ImperfectCJ
First the Egg | Laura Vaccaro Seeger
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Another read-aloud day done with the two UTK classes. It's hard to believe the school year is almost over!

When I read First the Egg with the first class, I took the dust cover off to show the different images underneath, and a student in front grabbed the dust cover. I got very anxious because I'm out of practice with retrieving tearable things from little hands, but it all worked out okay, and I learned a lesson for the second class.

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ImperfectCJ
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Well, this dedication hits hard.

Bookwormjillk I have this on my list to read soon. Looking forward to your review. 4w
Kerrbearlib Stacked! 4w
Susanita He was a speaker at an event at my old office, and I talked to him briefly. Smart guy. 4w
42 likes1 stack add3 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Mysterious Galaxy | San Diego, CA (Bookstore)
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San Diego Book Crawl haul! We waited until day 3 of 3, so we didn't bother trying to collect prizes (which were mostly gone, at least at the levels that were realistic for us to reach), and we also scrapped getting our passport stamped, but we did visit 5 bookshops and bought all these and 2 pair of socks. Favorite was the tagged shop, which I'd avoided because the name reminded me of a comics shop where a guy in college took me on a date.

ImperfectCJ I'm so glad I finally visited Mysterious Galaxy, though! What a great shop! 4w
BkClubCare Fun! I didn‘t bother with the scavenger hunts nor card punch, neither. I visited all 4 🌟 4w
ImperfectCJ @BkClubCare Our crawl had 14 stops, but the max my elder kid and could figure we could do in one day with driving and parking was 7, and they lost steam after 5. We're totally happy with our 5, though. :-) 4w
BkClubCare @ImperfectCJ - yeah! I stopped at a bakery and the post office 😆 4w
ImperfectCJ @BkClubCare I'm glad we have so many indies, but if there had been fewer, I might not have felt as much fomo/pressure. We did have time to stop for an empanada, though, so it wasn't all books. Just a LOT of driving! 4w
44 likes5 comments
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ImperfectCJ
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Mehso-so

I hadn't read this author, but this is the current selection for our local branch library book club, so I gave it a try. I liked it okay. It's engaging, although some of the situations and relationships stretch credulity. Could be a fun listen during a long drive as it's enjoyable but doesn't require a lot of attention to follow.

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ImperfectCJ
Horror Movie | Paul Tremblay
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Mehso-so

"You can always count on people to not have the courage to say anything."

Whew. I finally finished this one. I'm not super impressed. Interweaving the screenplay with the faux-audiobook makes the pacing too slow, and it's difficult to get any sense of tension or momentum, except a little at the end. The imagery is cool, as is the exploration of guilt and hidden objectives, but I'm mostly just glad to be done.

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ImperfectCJ
Horror Movie | Paul Tremblay
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It's a two cats, one book afternoon. I was going to do Dewey's, but I couldn't carve out enough time, and I'm postponing celebrating Indie Bookstore Day and the San Diego Book Crawl until Monday when my elder kid can shop hop with me. (Also, am I ever going to finish the tagged book? I'm on the verge of looking up spoilers and calling it a day.)

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 4w
Leftcoastzen Wow , love it ! 😻😻📚 4w
Reggie I‘ve read to pg 50 on this book and was like mehhh. His last two books: snoozefests. And I love him but I don‘t know if I could take a 3rd if he has another one coming out this year. 4w
ImperfectCJ @Reggie This is my third of his, and given my experience, I'm not sure anything new from him will jump to the top of my TBR. 4w
54 likes4 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

Beautifully written, I think I kind of get what this novel is saying (something about inherited trauma and how to move forward while still honoring the past), but the ending left me a little disoriented. I like the literalism.

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ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
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34/100
Lots of Terry Pratchett (but none that I have read) and Jacqueline Wilson (I haven't read any of hers). I'd like to read some of each of theirs, and my son has me intrigued by House of Leaves, so maybe I'll put that one on my list, too.

Three I was surprised by how much I liked:
1) Kim
2) All Quiet on the Western Front
3) Heidi

#ThreeListThursday #TLT @dabbe

dabbe Those two authors were all over this one, weren't they? Of your choices, I've only read HEIDI. Other two are now on the TBR! Thanks for playing and sharing. 💙💚💙 1mo
31 likes1 comment
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ImperfectCJ
Horror Movie | Paul Tremblay
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I don't have the audiobook of this, so Camille's reading it aloud to me. There's more meowing and purring than I would have expected, so it's possible she's also translating it on the fly.

(I got, like, 3 productive things done this afternoon and now I feel invincible...and a little punchy.)(Do other people say "punchy" to mean "silly, laughing at everything", or is it regional/familial? I just want to make sure no one thinks it's like "stabby.")

TheBookgeekFrau My family used to say "punch drunk" so I immediately knew what you meant ? 1mo
Reggie Lolol I love this. I can just hear her meowing and purring the words. Lol 1mo
Ruthiella I say punchy! 1mo
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 1mo
Bette Yep, punchy, too tired and you get silly. 😜 I‘d listen to more books if cats were involved. 🤭 1mo
51 likes5 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

Memoirs aren't always my favorite, but this one was a hit for me on so many levels: I loved the nature and ecology, the exploration of family and belonging and connection to place, defying expectations in a quiet way. I was surprised to learn that Lanham wasn't an experienced writer before this because his prose flows so well, and he does such a great job conveying emotion without becoming sappy (as many memoirs do). Loved this one!