changes

Undeniable, probably book of the year. I have thoughts that I should articulate better, if I get brave.

Past Log Updates

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Resources

Standalone post link: Reading Log: Louder Than Hunger

Past Log Updates

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Standalone post link: Reading Log: Meet Me in the Fourth Dimension

Past Log Updates

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Standalone post link: Reading Log: Ultraviolet

I’ve been reading this with my son - a reread for both of us, as I read it to him years ago. We finished it last night and were surprised; what we remembered as the final scenes of this book must actually be the opening scenes of The Wild Robot Escapes. Very nice flow from one book to the next, I guess? We will be moving on to the next book.

Past Log Updates

2024-07-25:

Continuing to read this at bedtime with my son, every other night or so.

2024-07-10 :

Started reading The Wild Robot with Will tonight.

We started reading Sheine Lende the night before last but it was making Will feel quite anxious and so wasn’t a good bedtime read.

Resources

• I really hyped this book back in 2016 on Granite Media. The review is still there, and I still stand behind it: The Wild Robot – Granite Media

Standalone post link: Reading Log: The Wild Robot

I love that in the afterword the author essentially admits that a germ of this book was in fact a crush on an arctic explorer, written for the enjoyment of friends who perhaps share the romantic obsession. I had already assumed as much while reading the narrative, so it was refreshing for her to not be coy or pretentious about this.

Great reminder to me as a would-be writer that a way into this (maybe the way into this?) is to unabashedly pursue an idea that interests me, and learn and write all I can about it. When the writer is interested in what they are writing about and having fun writing it, that intrigue and fun should come through to the reader. It worked in the case of this book for this reader, at least.

Past Log Updates

2024-08-02 :

Picked this up yesterday and tried it out simply because it had the next closest due date of all my current library checkouts, would not be renewable. Spent a couple hours reading instead of doing other things, then stayed up past midnight reading until I got too sleepy to actually finish it.

Not world-shattering but has a little bit of everything, like the blurbs say, and it’s fun. Like a lighter, funnier, more romantic David Mitchell book? (Thinking Bone Clocks, Cloud Atlas, etc.)

Resources

Standalone post link: Reading Log: The Ministry of Time

Finished reading early this morning. Another great one from this author. Review to come?

Past Log Updates

2024-07-11

Started reading this the other night with my son but it was too harrowing for him as a bedtime read, so I’ve just been continuing on my own.

2024-07-13 - 31%

So far it stays somewhat creepy throughout, with a mysterious vibe and shadow of death over everything that happens, so for the sake of my son’s restfulness it was a good call to not continue with it in that venue. We really loved A Snake Falls to Earth and I had also read Elatsoe previously. He was interested in trying Elatsoe but we decided to try this prequel first. I’m not sure if we would encounter the same issues with Elatsoe; I don’t remember it being too suspenseful (at least not in the “threat to small children” and “missing mother” elements which Sheine Lende opens with), but it does have a murder mystery element, vampires, and some creepiness. Maybe he’ll come back to this later in another way?

If there was a sequel or prequel to A Snake Falls to Earth he would read it in a second. I for one look forward to a story of the mockingbird’s chaotic misadventures on Earth, culminating with taking down the Nightmare?

2024-07-19 - 51%

2024-08-12 - 68%

Got myself back to this book tonight; no way am I going to leave it unfinished.

Resources

Standalone post link: Reading Log: Sheine Lende

Past Log Updates

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Standalone post link: Reading Log: Death's Country

Forgot what a smart follow up this is; it builds so well on the first book while exploring so many more ideas.

And the meeting with the maker loomed so large in our minds; we misremembered that that happened at the end of the first book, and so were waiting forever for it, but also didn’t want Roz to get caught. Couldn’t remember how it all came together.

Past Log Updates

2024-08-03: Started Reading

Read aloud with my son at bedtimes some nights; a re-read for both of us. We previously finished our re-read of The Wild Robot and intend to read the full trilogy. Also feel a bad hipster’s need to clarify that we started these reads without knowing about the upcoming film release; wouldn’t want to be misconstrued as following a trend. I was a Wild Robot fan before it was cool.

2024-08-11 : 29%

Resources

Standalone post link: Reading Log: The Wild Robot Escapes

All fours is a hell of a book. Hilarious, ridiculous, not infrequently gross and also not infrequently profound. Feels like it was probably a lot fun and freedom to write this way, but with a huge amount of thought and work under the surface.

Past Log Updates

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Resources

The Yale Review | Miranda July on Emotional Honestly, Art-Making, and…

Standalone post link: Reading Log: All Fours

What happens next?

Past Log Updates

DATE : 2024-09-11

This book is at least as fun to think about when I can’t be reading it as it is to actually read it.

I guess what I’m saying is the world and the ideas and pretty much everything is very appealing, but I’m not desperate to rip through it to find out what happens. Vibes.

DATE : 2024-09-07

Put this aside for a little while but now I’m back to reading it actively.

DATE : 2024-08-21

Looking at Robin Sloan’s latest newsletter today inspired me to finally start reading his book over any and all other possible choices…such as reading any number of other books I’ve started or meant to start soon, re-watching Dune and Dune, Part 2 because for some reason I can’t get them out of my head, playing any number of video games, or continuing to putter around in my email, the News app, etc.

Resources

Standalone post link: Reading Log: Moonbound