I HAS INTERNETS... also, Wednesday Reading Meme
So the tech guy came yesterday and did many things with wires and electrical panels and yay, I am now gazing at my very own modem! I am still soooooooo apprehensive and I swear I have some kind of weirdass PTSD because I am constantly looking at the monitor where the little WiFi icon used to be when I using Amy's internet and checking to see if it's down, and then I remember and glance over at the modem and see 6 green lights and I'm still like IS IT GOING TO GO DOWN THOUGH? AM I GOING TO LOSE MY INTERNET CONNECTION???? CAN I TRUST THIS?
So yeah. I'm hopeful that maybe by the weekend I'll be like, "Oh, okay. I can use this just for fun" and not feel like I still have to limit my internet time to work stuff. I need to regain my internet trust, heh. So yes, I hope to log in on the weekend and start having an online life again!
Meanwhile, Wednesday Reading Meme!
What I Just Finished Reading: I read three books last week. Into Every Generation A Slayer Is Born by Evan Ross Katz took the most time. It's inspired me to want to rewatch Buffy and Angel -- I am pretty sure I haven't seen Buffy since it originally aired, except for a couple of random episodes here and there. I checked and the library has both, so yay! Once I'm done my Call The Midwife watch (currently finishing season 9) I know what I'm watching! And then I mainlined two books in one day: Final Spin by Jocko Willick and The Collective by Alison Gaylin.
What I'm Reading Right Now: Last time I was at the library I picked up three books that I didn't intend to get -- two from the "recommended" shelves and one from a cozy mystery display. I read one (Final Spin) and you'll see from my review how THAT went. I tried both of the others last night and gave up on both. Weirdly, I've found some really good books on the "recommended" shelves at my regular library branch. I guess the staff at Central have bad taste. LOL So yeah, I'm not reading anything right now.
What I'm Planning to Read Next: Next up is Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Every time I try to get this it's always checked out, so when I saw the ebook was available today at the library I snagged it.
129. Into Every Generation A Slayer is Born by Evan Ross Katz
Written by Buffy and Sarah Michelle Gellar superfan and featuring extensive interviews with most of the cast, this book looks at the themes and influence of Buffy the Vampire Slayer 25 years after its inception. And it’s interesting stuff, don’t get me wrong. But it certainly never professes to be an unbiased account so it ended up frustrating me when the author glosses over or straight up doesn’t mention things that conflict with his strongly-held opinions, such as the reason why Giles killed Ben/Glory instead of Buffy or the violent aspect of Buffy and Spike’s past sexual encounters which could and IMO does at least partially explain Spike’s actions.
Then there’s the issue of creator Joss Whedon and the allegations of abuse and the toxic atmosphere he fostered on set. I totally get that it’s important to get the facts as told by the complainants straight, but is there a need to quote so many people in their entirety? The quotes are often rambling and repetitive and I can’t help but feel a better author would have been a little stricter with the edit.
Dates Read: October 03 to 07, 2023
Page Count: 382
3 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 12 - read 12 books that you choose (04/12)
Challenge Factory Hallowe’en Roundup - VAMPIRE Leg 1 - Prompt: cross or crucifix on cover (03/07 creatures)
130. Final Spin by Jocko Willick
One of the worst books I’ve ever read. Cliched characters, toxic masculinity, unoriginal. The author has no idea how the real world works. He’s clearly never worked retail or warehousing, has never dealt with handling money, and everything he knows about police and police negotiators appears to come from what he’s seen in the movies. His depiction of a neurodivergent character is insulting. Writing-wise, there are often two to three POV shifts within 2 pages, and the text itself is offset for no real reason. Even the font choice is pretentious. The only good thing about this book is that it’s so short it took me less than 90 minutes to read. I really have to stop trusting those “recommended” shelves at the library.
Date Read: October 09, 2023
Page Count: 217
1 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 18 - read 18 books with a red, white or blue cover (15/18)
131. The Collective by Alison Gaylin
Five years after her daughter’s murder, a grieving mom finds solace in a vicious group that glorifies in imagining gruesome torments for the killers who got away… and then becomes involved in the intricate plans that follow through on those fantasies. This is a fabulous book about what happens when your most devious wishes come true. It’s definitely dark, and where it shines is in the nebulous nature of some of these crimes and their perpetrators. Where does the line between justice and vengeance cross, and what happens when innocents get caught in the crossfire? I loved the twists and turns and the way it only takes a little shake of the shoulders to suspend disbelief and fall straight into this story. Fantastic ending, too.
Date Read: October 09, 2023
Page Count: 338
5 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 18 - read 18 books with a red, white or blue cover (16/18)
.
So yeah. I'm hopeful that maybe by the weekend I'll be like, "Oh, okay. I can use this just for fun" and not feel like I still have to limit my internet time to work stuff. I need to regain my internet trust, heh. So yes, I hope to log in on the weekend and start having an online life again!
Meanwhile, Wednesday Reading Meme!
What I Just Finished Reading: I read three books last week. Into Every Generation A Slayer Is Born by Evan Ross Katz took the most time. It's inspired me to want to rewatch Buffy and Angel -- I am pretty sure I haven't seen Buffy since it originally aired, except for a couple of random episodes here and there. I checked and the library has both, so yay! Once I'm done my Call The Midwife watch (currently finishing season 9) I know what I'm watching! And then I mainlined two books in one day: Final Spin by Jocko Willick and The Collective by Alison Gaylin.
What I'm Reading Right Now: Last time I was at the library I picked up three books that I didn't intend to get -- two from the "recommended" shelves and one from a cozy mystery display. I read one (Final Spin) and you'll see from my review how THAT went. I tried both of the others last night and gave up on both. Weirdly, I've found some really good books on the "recommended" shelves at my regular library branch. I guess the staff at Central have bad taste. LOL So yeah, I'm not reading anything right now.
What I'm Planning to Read Next: Next up is Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Every time I try to get this it's always checked out, so when I saw the ebook was available today at the library I snagged it.
129. Into Every Generation A Slayer is Born by Evan Ross Katz
Written by Buffy and Sarah Michelle Gellar superfan and featuring extensive interviews with most of the cast, this book looks at the themes and influence of Buffy the Vampire Slayer 25 years after its inception. And it’s interesting stuff, don’t get me wrong. But it certainly never professes to be an unbiased account so it ended up frustrating me when the author glosses over or straight up doesn’t mention things that conflict with his strongly-held opinions, such as the reason why Giles killed Ben/Glory instead of Buffy or the violent aspect of Buffy and Spike’s past sexual encounters which could and IMO does at least partially explain Spike’s actions.
Then there’s the issue of creator Joss Whedon and the allegations of abuse and the toxic atmosphere he fostered on set. I totally get that it’s important to get the facts as told by the complainants straight, but is there a need to quote so many people in their entirety? The quotes are often rambling and repetitive and I can’t help but feel a better author would have been a little stricter with the edit.
Dates Read: October 03 to 07, 2023
Page Count: 382
3 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 12 - read 12 books that you choose (04/12)
Challenge Factory Hallowe’en Roundup - VAMPIRE Leg 1 - Prompt: cross or crucifix on cover (03/07 creatures)
130. Final Spin by Jocko Willick
One of the worst books I’ve ever read. Cliched characters, toxic masculinity, unoriginal. The author has no idea how the real world works. He’s clearly never worked retail or warehousing, has never dealt with handling money, and everything he knows about police and police negotiators appears to come from what he’s seen in the movies. His depiction of a neurodivergent character is insulting. Writing-wise, there are often two to three POV shifts within 2 pages, and the text itself is offset for no real reason. Even the font choice is pretentious. The only good thing about this book is that it’s so short it took me less than 90 minutes to read. I really have to stop trusting those “recommended” shelves at the library.
Date Read: October 09, 2023
Page Count: 217
1 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 18 - read 18 books with a red, white or blue cover (15/18)
131. The Collective by Alison Gaylin
Five years after her daughter’s murder, a grieving mom finds solace in a vicious group that glorifies in imagining gruesome torments for the killers who got away… and then becomes involved in the intricate plans that follow through on those fantasies. This is a fabulous book about what happens when your most devious wishes come true. It’s definitely dark, and where it shines is in the nebulous nature of some of these crimes and their perpetrators. Where does the line between justice and vengeance cross, and what happens when innocents get caught in the crossfire? I loved the twists and turns and the way it only takes a little shake of the shoulders to suspend disbelief and fall straight into this story. Fantastic ending, too.
Date Read: October 09, 2023
Page Count: 338
5 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 18 - read 18 books with a red, white or blue cover (16/18)
.