The Bee Sting by Paul Murray 📚

I don’t enjoy novels that switch between voices but this book did it brilliantly. I admired the unconventional use of punctuation and chapter structures to convey the characters. I didn’t love them but stayed invested. Alas, I got to the end and … threw my kobo. Nope.

Upgrade: A Novel by Blake Crouch 📚

I enjoyed a story that doesn’t simplify intelligence into “I can win at Jeopardy.” Along with the protagonist, we experience emerging neurodiversity, the way social experience and perception shifts. A bit too much exposition for me but still a fun puzzle to solve.

Bride by Ali Hazelwood 📚

I consumed the Twilight series like potato chips. So it was with Bride. Yes, it’s a “vulnerable woman who’s actually independent and strong falls for a pseudobadguy who maybe wants to kill her” story. But a top Bookseller Recommendation, not just another pretty face.

I’ve been reading novels every night. Since Covid, I’ve needed stories, no nonfiction. So I’ve let myself go on this journey. I’ll share some reviews in the coming days.

Looking for something good to read? I rely on IndieBound to help me find new titles. www.indiebound.org/indie-bes…

Snark is the best medicine. I’d already read every Murderbot book. Thank goodness, when I needed a Covid book friend, there was: The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi 📚

2024, Not a Great Start

Over the holidays, I had Covid. Symptoms began two weeks ago and I am still not recovered. For the first time in my career, I’ve had to cancel engagements and travel. This is both heartbreaking and a lesson. We need rest and self care. Whatever “push through it” career strategies we had before 2020, they are outdated.

The good news is, I’m reading more. Finished: The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson 📚