Ray Bradbury is one of the world's greatest authors. His mastery of language was amazing - his descriptions captured emotions and could be read like poetry. ❤

This sign @ a bookstore mirrors my current reading list.

I've been reading a lot of distopic/post apocalyptic books recently.

And with that, I declare myself on a Facebook hiatus.

I typically love post-apocalyptic stories. I don't typically love spare, unflinching prose in the style of Hemingway. This time, my love of the story being told won out. This story tells the tale of a man on his boy on the road following some sort of apocalyptic event. The spare, direct writing style really worked here--drawing similarities to the bleak, spare setting of the story. This is destined to become a classic.

Spent my week studying the 1764 Manual of Arms.

Well written, but it felt like the author was looking for a way to show off all the 19th-century trivia she had learned. The writing felt a little too pre-meditated--if that makes sense? The book ending is lackluster as well, striking me as if the author was just tired of writing or couldn't figure out how to end the story. Most of all, this makes me want to read an actual Charles Dickens biography.

Middlemarch, where have you been my whole life? I can't believe it has taken me this long to read you! So far, it's following in the tradition of Jane Austen's books and Jane Eyre.

This was my second time reading this book (actually, this time I listened to Emma Thompson read it). This book frustrated me both times, as I simply couldn't grasp what was happening in the plot. After this listen, I did some research online and found two things that helped me considerably: 1) the narrator is likely unreliable, and 2) since this is the Victorian time period, things left unsaid are probably sexual in nature.

Starting in on a new book while debate whether or not to bail on #Cryptonomicon.

Help! I need some feedback. I'm a little more than half of the way through #cryptonomicon. So far I'm fairly bored with it and feel the book was lacking a good content editor. Can anyone tell me if there is a point to this story? Is it worth continuing on? I'm about ready to bail, but I hate bailing on books. FOMO I think. So any thoughts or suggestions?

Continuing my history work. Getting a little reading in. At the moment it's antique recipe books.

I've been absent from Litsy due to work duties, but I was still able to get some reading in! 😆

Neal Stephenson's hyperbole is on point!

#HypnoticHyperbole

Stiff as a Radio Flyer?! 😆

#SpectacularSimilies

The descriptions in this book are just...wow...😆

#SpectacularSimilies

4 stars. I love Kate Morton's writing style--she reminds me of Daphne du Maurier, Rosamund Pilcher, and Maeve Binchy. This one, set in Cornwall, definitely had echoes of du Maurier. Some aspects of the mystery seemed obvious, while others kept me guessing until the end.

This book was funny. It is immensely quotable. But the story feels joke-driven rather than story-driven or character-driven. As a collection of jokes and one-liners it was great. As a cohesive story, it just doesn't do it for me.

Fantastic insight into the workings (or lack thereof) of our thoughts, ideas, and decision making.

If you like Colin Quinn and his style of humor, you will love this book. He discusses the various races and ethnic groups he grew up around in Brooklyn. Definitely NOT PC.

This book was sweet, loving, and a bit sad. I felt a particular connection to it, having lived in the area where it takes place.

I'm getting into the Halloween spirit with The Sandman Chronicles. It took me a bit to get into, but
I'm warming up to it.

Starting in on Good Omens.

This quote is from book 3 of the "Red Rising" trilogy. A great quote from an entertaining series.

I thought Stephen King was *just* a horror writer. However, after reading -- and being blown away by -- 11/22/63, I decided to give King another shot. I'm so glad that I did. I was expecting this to be a standard post-apocalyptic survival story, but instead, King delivered an epic, timeless tale of good versus evil. This is a must read -- the story was riveting, the characters well-developed, and the writing masterful.

Ha! Stephen King made a funny!

You know, it's been a while since I've read any Stephen King, and I've forgotten what a fantastic wordsmith he is. It's too easy to pigeonhole him as a "horror writer," while forgetting how good he is at his craft. I feel the same way about Ray Bradbury.