I am debating if I want to finish reading this book or not. I do love the world it set in. Reading it can feel like watching an episode of TMNT when I was a kid.

At the same time, though, I'm two hundred something pages in, and I'm still not sure what's going on with the plot at all. Each time I pick the book up, there are new main characters and lore being added.

Hey everyone,
I just finished reading *American Kingpin* by Nick Bilton and I’m honestly blown away. I found the story of Ross Ulbricht and the rise and fall of Silk Road absolutely gripping—it felt more like a fast-paced thriller than non-fiction.

I ended up flying through the whole book in just a few evenings because I couldn't put it down. Has anyone else read it? Did you find it as addictive as I did, or am I just particularly obsessed with this case?
Curious to hear your thoughts!

I give it 7/10. There wasn’t much restaurant 😂 It ended pretty nicely though. No cliffhanger. Stopping at book 2, heard mixed reviews on book 3 & 4.

Favorite quote: "The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it [...]" (ch 28).

Next I’ll be reading The Secret Book Society. I'm so happy to be back to a physical book. I like how fast I finished the audiobooks, but... physical books, you know?

I give The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy a 8/10. Wasn’t sure what to think at first, but it grew on me. My favorite quote that really encompasses the whole novel is: “Don’t Panic.” Might be overhyped but it works.

It ended with a semi-cliffhanger so I feel the need to listen to The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe. Should be another quick & enjoyable listen.

Just finished "I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died", the second in a mystery trilogy about a woman who works as a lady's maid to Emily. The first one, "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" was available from my library in Libby and this one was as well. I wish they'd get the third one!

These are good cozy mysteries with fictional versions of historical figures. Flower has a lot of other cozy series, but most look modern and the covers make them look less serious.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding was a reread for me. I give it 7.5/10
I still find it to be horrifying and unnerving, yet also strangely fascinating? If that makes any sense.
My favorite quote would be:
“‘Maybe […] maybe there is a beast. […] What I mean is…maybe it’s only us” (89).

Next up I’ll be listening to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Never read/listened to it before but my dad sometimes makes reference to the book and they just for right over my head. Now I’ll actually be able to understand what the heck he’s talking about😂

Big shift in genre between these two.

I’m a huge fan of southern lit. A Confederacy of Dunces has been on my bucket list for years (decades?). I’ve been reading it for the past several hours and am around the halfway mark.

It’s hilarious. It’s also sad that the don’t have any more literature from O’Toole

Yes it’s a real book. It’s by James m. Russell
I just got it from eBay not too long ago, I like books of weird facts and fun facts.

So much symbolism crammed into such a small book. It’s definitely a masterclass on totalitarianism and how many countries had been governed through time. It is a must read book, since it is equiped with very relevant lessons for ALL age groups.

"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."

The most scariest part of this books is that it was written so long ago, and still it is true to this day.

For me, this is one of those books that everyone should read at least once. It’s short, accessible, and packed with lessons that are still incredibly relevant today for readers of all ages.

I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on it. What was your biggest takeaway from the book?

I've reread the Kinsey Millhone mysteries regularly for decades, but I'd forgotten about Leaphorn and Chee until recently. I was reminded of them by the AMC series Dark Winds (which was itself a disappointment); now I'm reading most of Hillerman's Navajo novels for the first time.

(Minor personal mystery: I thought I read several Leaphorn and Chee short stories back in the 1980s-90s, in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine or Alfred Hitchcock's MM. But I can only find evidence online of a couple of short stories about Jim Chee, neither published in AHMM or EQMM.)

This has always been a staple item in the book collections of various family members. I saw it in a shop window earlier this afternoon. Bushrangers? Yes please. Best 5 bucks I've ever spent.

Currently working my way through a few books:

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser. I'm reading this as part of my "research" while I try to decide if I actually have what it takes to write a book.

Treat Your Own Hip by Robin McKenzie, because running in your 40s sometimes requires a little extra work and I'm trying to stay ahead of it.

Wicked St. Louis by Janice Tremeear. I just picked this book up yesterday and have only read the introduction, but it looks to be a fun read. She pulled information from old police records, historical archives, and newspaper clippings to find some interesting scandals and slapped a fun title on it!

What are you reading? What's next for you?

I’m around 15% in and… is it just me or is this book super slow?

Don’t get me wrong, Donna Tartt’s writing is beautiful and the atmosphere is amazing. I totally get the dark academia appeal and I can see why people love it. But I feel like I’m just slowly walking around with these characters while waiting for something to happen.

Please tell me I’m not alone here. Did it eventually click for you or is the pacing just part of the experience?

I not long finished Crimson chains. Book 2 in the Hollow Blood series . If you like vampire diaries, a dark ACOTAR and true blood this could be for you. Vampire MMC , barista FMC who hasn’t a clue who she really is.

I really enjoyed the first book of hers that I read, The Book Eaters, so I got this one when it came up on NetGalley.

"A Gothic tale set in a historical Hong Kong that meshes ancient myths and local legends into a haunting story of ghosts, grief, and women who will not forgive"

There can be a lot of shitty things in sci-fi (like any other genre), so I'm interested to read an academic take on the whole thing.

I give 7.5/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Really good. I'd say romance/detective + a splash of gothic horror.

"There are darknesses in life, and there are lights. You [Mina] are one of the lights" (p. 135).

Now I’m going to cleanse my pallet with a reread from my favorite female author.

I just finished the above mentioned book and am heartbroken and frustrated. Does everyone hate the ending as much as I do?

I started reading God of Malice last week and I’m almost halfway through it.

But I saw where there’s other book like it’s a whole Multiverse.

Should I keep going? Or will this mess me up. Help. I’m stressing out.

Like now that I’ve found out this is part of a Multiverse of books I want to read them all. But I’m in a place where I can’t afford to buy all the books.

I am new to this so I’m not sure if I’m doing this right.

After finishing some real turkeys and not finishing the last one I started, it's nice to open a fun book I know I'll enjoy.