https://robertbreen.micro.blog/ en Sat, 15 Aug 2026 12:28:41 -0700 https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/08/15/currently-rereading-far-side-of.html Sat, 15 Aug 2026 12:28:41 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/08/15/currently-rereading-far-side-of.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780393063820/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Currently re-reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9780393063820">Far Side of the World</a> by Patrick O&rsquo;Brian 💙📚</p> <p>Ah, the Aubrey/Maturin novels. This is my 4th time through the 20-volume series, known as a circumnavigation by O&rsquo;Brian aficionados. I love these books so much. I wrote <a href="https://robertbreen.com/2018/12/12/happy-birthday-patrick-obrian/">this tribute</a> after my third voyage. Books can be dear friends.</p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780393063820/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Currently re-reading: [Far Side of the World](https://micro.blog/books/9780393063820) by Patrick O'Brian 💙📚 Ah, the Aubrey/Maturin novels. This is my 4th time through the 20-volume series, known as a circumnavigation by O'Brian aficionados. I love these books so much. I wrote [this tribute](https://robertbreen.com/2018/12/12/happy-birthday-patrick-obrian/) after my third voyage. Books can be dear friends. https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/08/15/finished-reading-tinkers-by-paul.html Sat, 15 Aug 2026 11:43:59 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/08/15/finished-reading-tinkers-by-paul.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781942658603/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/08/15/tinkers-by-paul-harding/">Tinkers</a> by Paul Harding (<a href="https://micro.blog/books/9781942658603">Book details</a>) 💙📚</p> <p>Universal themes run through this spare novel—fathers and sons, memory, mental illness, the mystery of existence—but the storytelling felt disjointed, and I never found the thread to connect many of the fragmentary passages. ★★★☆☆</p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781942658603/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [Tinkers](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/08/15/tinkers-by-paul-harding/) by Paul Harding ([Book details](https://micro.blog/books/9781942658603)) 💙📚 Universal themes run through this spare novel—fathers and sons, memory, mental illness, the mystery of existence—but the storytelling felt disjointed, and I never found the thread to connect many of the fragmentary passages. ★★★☆☆ https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/08/06/finished-reading-being-mortal-by.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 17:22:47 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/08/06/finished-reading-being-mortal-by.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781627790550/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9781627790550">Being Mortal</a> by Atul Gawande 📚</p> <p>A sobering look at the inevitable and merciless certainty of our mortality. No matter how much we exercise or how carefully we eat, death is unavoidable—and growing old is not for the faint of heart.</p> <blockquote> <p>Old age is not a battle. Old age is a massacre.</p> </blockquote> <p>Gawande, a practicing surgeon, argues doctors are good at fixing specific ailments but often do more harm than good with a dying patient. Not an easy read, but the lessons are essential for all of us. ★★★★☆</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/08/06/being-mortal-by-atul-gawande/">Full Review</a>.</p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781627790550/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [Being Mortal](https://micro.blog/books/9781627790550) by Atul Gawande 📚 A sobering look at the inevitable and merciless certainty of our mortality. No matter how much we exercise or how carefully we eat, death is unavoidable—and growing old is not for the faint of heart. > Old age is not a battle. Old age is a massacre. Gawande, a practicing surgeon, argues doctors are good at fixing specific ailments but often do more harm than good with a dying patient. Not an easy read, but the lessons are essential for all of us. ★★★★☆ [Full Review](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/08/06/being-mortal-by-atul-gawande/). https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/07/26/finished-reading-firestarter-by-stephen.html Sun, 26 Jul 2026 13:06:09 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/07/26/finished-reading-firestarter-by-stephen.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781501141201/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9781501141201">Firestarter</a> by Stephen King 📚</p> <p>Seeing the awful movie many years ago spoiled me from reading this book until now. As with most Stephen King novels, the depth of characters and human themes transcends the genre. ★★★★☆</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/07/26/firestarter-by-stephen-king/">Full Review.</a></p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781501141201/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [Firestarter](https://micro.blog/books/9781501141201) by Stephen King 📚 Seeing the awful movie many years ago spoiled me from reading this book until now. As with most Stephen King novels, the depth of characters and human themes transcends the genre. ★★★★☆ [Full Review.](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/07/26/firestarter-by-stephen-king/) https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/07/16/finished-reading-nonesuch-by-francis.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:12:37 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/07/16/finished-reading-nonesuch-by-francis.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781668214381/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9781668214381">Nonesuch</a> by Francis Spufford 📚</p> <p>This novel had all the elements of a terrific story: a strong, conflicted female protagonist, a menacing Nazi villain, Narnia-like magic, time travel, all set in wartime Britain. Sadly, the book couldn’t live up to the premise. ★★☆☆☆</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/07/16/nonesuch-by-francis-spufford/">Full Review.</a></p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781668214381/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [Nonesuch](https://micro.blog/books/9781668214381) by Francis Spufford 📚 This novel had all the elements of a terrific story: a strong, conflicted female protagonist, a menacing Nazi villain, Narnia-like magic, time travel, all set in wartime Britain. Sadly, the book couldn’t live up to the premise. ★★☆☆☆ [Full Review.](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/07/16/nonesuch-by-francis-spufford/) https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/07/03/finished-reading-the-greatest-sentence.html Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:42:59 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/07/03/finished-reading-the-greatest-sentence.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781982181314/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9781982181314">The Greatest Sentence Ever Written</a> by Walter Isaacson 📚</p> <p>Timely review of the Founding Fathers’ debate and intentions for the formation of the United States. An easy read, but it will leave you with lots to ponder. ★★★★☆</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/07/03/the-greatest-sentence-ever-written-by-walter-isaacson/">Full Review</a>.</p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781982181314/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [The Greatest Sentence Ever Written](https://micro.blog/books/9781982181314) by Walter Isaacson 📚 Timely review of the Founding Fathers’ debate and intentions for the formation of the United States. An easy read, but it will leave you with lots to ponder. ★★★★☆ [Full Review](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/07/03/the-greatest-sentence-ever-written-by-walter-isaacson/). https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/06/30/finished-reading-the-handmaids-tale.html Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:35:56 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/06/30/finished-reading-the-handmaids-tale.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780547345666/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9780547345666">The Handmaid&rsquo;s Tale</a> by Margaret Atwood 📚</p> <p>Finally read this dystopian classic. Five years ago it would have felt wildly imaginative; now it feels all too plausible. Atwood&rsquo;s prose is cinematic, her warning timeless. ★★★★★</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/06/30/the-handmaids-tale-by-margaret-atwood/">Full Review</a>.</p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780547345666/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [The Handmaid's Tale](https://micro.blog/books/9780547345666) by Margaret Atwood 📚 Finally read this dystopian classic. Five years ago it would have felt wildly imaginative; now it feels all too plausible. Atwood's prose is cinematic, her warning timeless. ★★★★★ [Full Review](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/06/30/the-handmaids-tale-by-margaret-atwood/). https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/06/27/finished-reading-hidden-potential-by.html Sat, 27 Jun 2026 10:56:02 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/06/27/finished-reading-hidden-potential-by.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780593653142/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9780593653142">Hidden Potential</a> by Adam Grant 📚</p> <p>A breezy book about the importance of character, persistence, and passion in how we learn, grow, and ultimately reach our goals. Not much new territory explored here. Some interesting stories, but probably better as a TED Talk. ★★☆☆☆</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/06/27/hidden-potential-by-adam-grant/">Full Review</a>.</p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780593653142/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [Hidden Potential](https://micro.blog/books/9780593653142) by Adam Grant 📚 A breezy book about the importance of character, persistence, and passion in how we learn, grow, and ultimately reach our goals. Not much new territory explored here. Some interesting stories, but probably better as a TED Talk. ★★☆☆☆ [Full Review](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/06/27/hidden-potential-by-adam-grant/). https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/06/22/finished-reading-the-end-of.html Mon, 22 Jun 2026 09:48:14 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/06/22/finished-reading-the-end-of.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780142437988/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9780142437988">The End of the Affair</a> by Graham Greene 📚</p> <p>This classic novel explores the fine line between love and hate in post-war London.</p> <blockquote> <p>I have never known a woman before or since so able to alter a whole mood by simply speaking on the telephone, and when she came into a room or put her hand on my side she created at once the absolute trust I lost with every separation.</p> </blockquote> <p>Short chapters, crisp prose, suspense-novel feel, but the real punch is in the questions it raises: fate vs. free will, faith vs. doubt, romantic longing vs. jealousy&rsquo;s corrosiveness. ★★★★☆</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/06/22/the-end-of-the-affair-by-graham-greene/">Full Review</a>.</p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780142437988/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [The End of the Affair](https://micro.blog/books/9780142437988) by Graham Greene 📚 This classic novel explores the fine line between love and hate in post-war London. > I have never known a woman before or since so able to alter a whole mood by simply speaking on the telephone, and when she came into a room or put her hand on my side she created at once the absolute trust I lost with every separation. Short chapters, crisp prose, suspense-novel feel, but the real punch is in the questions it raises: fate vs. free will, faith vs. doubt, romantic longing vs. jealousy's corrosiveness. ★★★★☆ [Full Review](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/06/22/the-end-of-the-affair-by-graham-greene/). https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/06/14/finished-reading-housekeeping-by-marilynne.html Sun, 14 Jun 2026 19:52:55 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/06/14/finished-reading-housekeeping-by-marilynne.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780312424091/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9780312424091">Housekeeping</a> by Marilynne Robinson 📚</p> <p><em>Housekeeping</em> is a novel, yes, but also a ruminative meditation on grief, loneliness, and memory. A book to take slow and let it flow over you. The perfect ending made up for the challenging parts. ★★★★☆</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/06/14/housekeeping-by-marilynne-robinson/">Full Review.</a></p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780312424091/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [Housekeeping](https://micro.blog/books/9780312424091) by Marilynne Robinson 📚 *Housekeeping* is a novel, yes, but also a ruminative meditation on grief, loneliness, and memory. A book to take slow and let it flow over you. The perfect ending made up for the challenging parts. ★★★★☆ [Full Review.](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/06/14/housekeeping-by-marilynne-robinson/) https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/06/06/finished-reading-my-ntonia-great.html Sat, 06 Jun 2026 21:22:58 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/06/06/finished-reading-my-ntonia-great.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781583485095/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9781583485095">My Ántonia (Great Plains Trilogy, #3)</a> by Willa Cather 📚</p> <p>A literary classic set in rural Nebraska during the 1880s. It&rsquo;s a coming-of-age story of friendship, romance, and small-town values, but also a quiet meditation on place and memory. I enjoyed this one. ★★★★☆</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/06/06/my-antonia-by-willa-cather/">Full Review</a>.</p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781583485095/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [My Ántonia (Great Plains Trilogy, #3)](https://micro.blog/books/9781583485095) by Willa Cather 📚 A literary classic set in rural Nebraska during the 1880s. It's a coming-of-age story of friendship, romance, and small-town values, but also a quiet meditation on place and memory. I enjoyed this one. ★★★★☆ [Full Review](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/06/06/my-antonia-by-willa-cather/). https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/06/03/new-blog-post-double-vision.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:31:27 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/06/03/new-blog-post-double-vision.html <p>New Blog Post: Double Vision: A Personal History <a href="https://robertbreen.com/2026/06/03/double-vision/">robertbreen.com</a></p> <img src="https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/125484/2026/sarashadows.jpg"> New Blog Post: Double Vision: A Personal History [robertbreen.com](https://robertbreen.com/2026/06/03/double-vision/) <img src="https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/125484/2026/sarashadows.jpg"> https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/06/01/finished-reading-a-marriage-at.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:37:15 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/06/01/finished-reading-a-marriage-at.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780593854280/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9780593854280">A Marriage At Sea</a> by Sophie Elmhirst 📚</p> <p>Ordinarily, I&rsquo;m a sucker for first-hand accounts of enduring the perils of the open ocean on a small boat. This wasn&rsquo;t that. ★★☆☆☆</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/06/01/a-marriage-at-sea-by-sophie-elmhirst/">Full Review</a>.</p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780593854280/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [A Marriage At Sea](https://micro.blog/books/9780593854280) by Sophie Elmhirst 📚 Ordinarily, I'm a sucker for first-hand accounts of enduring the perils of the open ocean on a small boat. This wasn't that. ★★☆☆☆ [Full Review](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/06/01/a-marriage-at-sea-by-sophie-elmhirst/). https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/05/31/finished-reading-the-book-of.html Sun, 31 May 2026 10:58:00 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/05/31/finished-reading-the-book-of.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780593734636/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9780593734636">The Book of Alchemy</a> by Suleika Jaouad 📚</p> <p>A great book to establish or reinvigorate a journaling practice. I got a lot out of this collection of one hundred writing prompts. ★★★★☆</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/05/31/the-book-of-alchemy-by-suleika-jaouad/">Full Review</a>.</p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780593734636/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [The Book of Alchemy](https://micro.blog/books/9780593734636) by Suleika Jaouad 📚 A great book to establish or reinvigorate a journaling practice. I got a lot out of this collection of one hundred writing prompts. ★★★★☆ [Full Review](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/05/31/the-book-of-alchemy-by-suleika-jaouad/). https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/05/24/finished-reading-the-bazaar-of.html Sun, 24 May 2026 20:30:49 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/05/24/finished-reading-the-bazaar-of.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781501111686/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9781501111686">The Bazaar of Bad Dreams</a> by Stephen King 📚</p> <p>Wide range of styles, but most of these stories were just okay. My favorite was <em>UR</em>, a novella about a Kindle with access to the multiverse. Fun references for Dark Tower fans. ★★★☆☆</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/05/24/the-bazaar-of-bad-dreams-by-stephen-king/">Full Review.</a></p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781501111686/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [The Bazaar of Bad Dreams](https://micro.blog/books/9781501111686) by Stephen King 📚 Wide range of styles, but most of these stories were just okay. My favorite was _UR_, a novella about a Kindle with access to the multiverse. Fun references for Dark Tower fans. ★★★☆☆ [Full Review.](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/05/24/the-bazaar-of-bad-dreams-by-stephen-king/) https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/05/23/finished-reading-raising-hare-a.html Sat, 23 May 2026 17:38:24 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/05/23/finished-reading-raising-hare-a.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780593689004/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9780593689004">Raising Hare - A Memoir</a> by Chloe Dalton 📚</p> <p>Chloe Dalton rescues a baby hare and, in raising it, finds her way back to herself. Luminous, meditative nature writing. I loved this one. ★★★★★</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/05/23/raising-hare-by-chloe-dalton/">Full Review</a>.</p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780593689004/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [Raising Hare - A Memoir](https://micro.blog/books/9780593689004) by Chloe Dalton 📚 Chloe Dalton rescues a baby hare and, in raising it, finds her way back to herself. Luminous, meditative nature writing. I loved this one. ★★★★★ [Full Review](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/05/23/raising-hare-by-chloe-dalton/). https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/05/21/a-reminder-to-fully-embrace.html Thu, 21 May 2026 09:05:58 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/05/21/a-reminder-to-fully-embrace.html <p>A reminder to fully embrace life on our own terms. One of my favorite passages from an all-time favorite book. Thank you for the kick in the pants, Readwise!</p> <img src="https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/125484/2026/181b5b0df1.png" width="600" height="337" alt=""> A reminder to fully embrace life on our own terms. One of my favorite passages from an all-time favorite book. Thank you for the kick in the pants, Readwise! <img src="https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/125484/2026/181b5b0df1.png" width="600" height="337" alt=""> https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/05/16/the-guardian-just-released-a.html Sat, 16 May 2026 11:13:14 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/05/16/the-guardian-just-released-a.html <p>The Guardian just released a list of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2026/may/12/the-100-best-novels-of-all-time">the 100 best novels of all time</a>. I like how they arrived at the list. It&rsquo;s interesting to click through and see who voted for which book. As it turns out, I&rsquo;ve read just 35 of these. I sense a shuffling of my TBR list! 📚</p> The Guardian just released a list of [the 100 best novels of all time](https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2026/may/12/the-100-best-novels-of-all-time). I like how they arrived at the list. It's interesting to click through and see who voted for which book. As it turns out, I've read just 35 of these. I sense a shuffling of my TBR list! 📚 https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/05/14/finished-reading-the-good-life.html Thu, 14 May 2026 17:07:23 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/05/14/finished-reading-the-good-life.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780375725456/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9780375725456">The Good Life</a> by Jay McInerney 📚</p> <p>The second book in McInerney&rsquo;s Calloway saga. Not as ambitious as <em>Brightness Falls</em>, but moving all the same. ★★★☆☆</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/05/14/the-good-life-by-jay-mcinerney/">Full Review</a>.</p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780375725456/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [The Good Life](https://micro.blog/books/9780375725456) by Jay McInerney 📚 The second book in McInerney's Calloway saga. Not as ambitious as *Brightness Falls*, but moving all the same. ★★★☆☆ [Full Review](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/05/14/the-good-life-by-jay-mcinerney/). https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/05/13/writers-are-addicted-to-the.html Wed, 13 May 2026 09:42:07 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/05/13/writers-are-addicted-to-the.html <blockquote> <p>Writers are addicted to the particular kind of pain you feel when you’re at a loss for words, and to the relief that comes from finding them.</p> </blockquote> <p>— Adam Mastroianni</p> > Writers are addicted to the particular kind of pain you feel when you’re at a loss for words, and to the relief that comes from finding them. — Adam Mastroianni https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/05/06/finished-reading-the-first-fortynine.html Wed, 06 May 2026 16:37:55 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/05/06/finished-reading-the-first-fortynine.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780099339212/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9780099339212">The First Forty-Nine Stories</a> by Ernest Hemingway 📚</p> <p>Rereading Hemingway one story a night — pure, punchy prose with deep emotions tucked just below the surface. Favorites: <em>The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Hills Like White Elephants, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place</em>. ★★★★☆</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/05/06/the-first-forty-nine-stories-by-ernest-hemingway/">Full Review</a>.</p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780099339212/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [The First Forty-Nine Stories](https://micro.blog/books/9780099339212) by Ernest Hemingway 📚 Rereading Hemingway one story a night — pure, punchy prose with deep emotions tucked just below the surface. Favorites: _The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Hills Like White Elephants, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place_. ★★★★☆ [Full Review](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/05/06/the-first-forty-nine-stories-by-ernest-hemingway/). https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/04/17/finished-reading-departures-by-julian.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:36:12 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/04/17/finished-reading-departures-by-julian.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780593804513/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9780593804513">Departure(s)</a> by Julian Barnes 📚</p> <p>This latest novel from Julian Barnes resists easy classification — memoir, literary analysis, meditation on friendship, memory, and the finality of death. Dark wit throughout, melancholy just beneath, but somehow still hopeful? Like I said, hard to pin down.</p> <blockquote> <p>It seems to me that humans are often so busy living that they forget they are human – or at least forget what it is to be human, and what its consequences are – and therefore what it means to be dead.</p> </blockquote> <p>Barnes says this will be his last book. I hope he&rsquo;s wrong. ★★★★☆</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/04/17/departures-by-julian-barnes/">Full Review.</a></p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9780593804513/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [Departure(s)](https://micro.blog/books/9780593804513) by Julian Barnes 📚 This latest novel from Julian Barnes resists easy classification — memoir, literary analysis, meditation on friendship, memory, and the finality of death. Dark wit throughout, melancholy just beneath, but somehow still hopeful? Like I said, hard to pin down. > It seems to me that humans are often so busy living that they forget they are human – or at least forget what it is to be human, and what its consequences are – and therefore what it means to be dead. Barnes says this will be his last book. I hope he's wrong. ★★★★☆ [Full Review.](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/04/17/departures-by-julian-barnes/) https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/04/12/finished-reading-roads-of-destiny.html Sun, 12 Apr 2026 19:12:28 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/04/12/finished-reading-roads-of-destiny.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781421838953/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9781421838953">Roads of Destiny</a> by O. Henry 📚</p> <p>Twenty-two stories, all good, and nearly every one ending with a trademark twist. The language is wonderfully vivid:</p> <blockquote> <p>I never saw him looking so much like a tiger-lily. He was as beautiful and new as a trellis of sweet peas, and as rollicking as a clarinet solo.</p> </blockquote> <p>After the first ten stories the formulaic style becomes a little tiresome, but there&rsquo;s real genius here. Best dipped into when the mood strikes. ★★★☆☆</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/04/12/roads-of-destiny-by-o-henry/">Full Review</a>.</p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781421838953/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [Roads of Destiny](https://micro.blog/books/9781421838953) by O. Henry 📚 Twenty-two stories, all good, and nearly every one ending with a trademark twist. The language is wonderfully vivid: > I never saw him looking so much like a tiger-lily. He was as beautiful and new as a trellis of sweet peas, and as rollicking as a clarinet solo. After the first ten stories the formulaic style becomes a little tiresome, but there's real genius here. Best dipped into when the mood strikes. ★★★☆☆ [Full Review](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/04/12/roads-of-destiny-by-o-henry/). https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/04/11/finished-reading-the-left-hand.html Sat, 11 Apr 2026 17:17:11 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/04/11/finished-reading-the-left-hand.html <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781101665398/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <p>Finished reading: <a href="https://micro.blog/books/9781101665398">The Left Hand of Darkness</a> by Ursula K. Le Guin 📚</p> <p>This classic Nebula and Hugo award winner drops you in the deep end of an alien world — strange vocabulary, gender-fluid inhabitants, a perpetual chill you can almost feel. The world-building is astonishing; the writing borders on poetry.</p> <blockquote> <p>Light is the left hand of darkness and darkness the right hand of light. Two are one, life and death, lying together like lovers in kemmer, like hands joined together, like the end and the way.</p> </blockquote> <p>The ideas on gender and society still feel fresh and important. A good read. ★★★★☆</p> <p><a href="https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/04/11/the-left-hand-of-darkness-by-ursula-k-le-guin/">Full Review</a>.</p> <img src="https://cdn.micro.blog/books/9781101665398/cover.jpg" align="left" class="microblog_book" style="max-width: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Finished reading: [The Left Hand of Darkness](https://micro.blog/books/9781101665398) by Ursula K. Le Guin 📚 This classic Nebula and Hugo award winner drops you in the deep end of an alien world — strange vocabulary, gender-fluid inhabitants, a perpetual chill you can almost feel. The world-building is astonishing; the writing borders on poetry. >Light is the left hand of darkness and darkness the right hand of light. Two are one, life and death, lying together like lovers in kemmer, like hands joined together, like the end and the way. The ideas on gender and society still feel fresh and important. A good read. ★★★★☆ [Full Review](https://books.robertbreen.com/2026/04/11/the-left-hand-of-darkness-by-ursula-k-le-guin/). https://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/03/31/day-one-is-doubling-down.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:23:00 -0700 http://robertbreen.micro.blog/2026/03/31/day-one-is-doubling-down.html <p>Day One is <a href="https://dayoneapp.com/blog/introducing-day-one-silver-and-gold/">doubling down on AI journaling</a>. I&rsquo;ve written thousands of entries in Day One, but despite the assurances of privacy, I&rsquo;m not enabling any of these features. Not yet.</p> <blockquote> <p>AI features in Gold are entirely optional. If you don’t enable AI features or engage them, they don’t touch your entries. When you do use them, your content is processed only in that moment and is never used to train AI models. <em>The privacy principles Day One is known for haven’t changed</em>.</p> </blockquote> <p>These are the Wild West days of AI. Think carefully before you turn over even more of your most private thoughts.</p> <img src="https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/125484/2026/day-one-privacy-concerns.png" width="600" height="360" alt="Auto-generated description: A comparison of privacy labels for three apps, showing Day One with various data linked to the user, Bear with diagnostics data not linked to the user, and Obsidian with no data collected."> Day One is [doubling down on AI journaling](https://dayoneapp.com/blog/introducing-day-one-silver-and-gold/). I've written thousands of entries in Day One, but despite the assurances of privacy, I'm not enabling any of these features. Not yet. > AI features in Gold are entirely optional. If you don’t enable AI features or engage them, they don’t touch your entries. When you do use them, your content is processed only in that moment and is never used to train AI models. _The privacy principles Day One is known for haven’t changed_. These are the Wild West days of AI. Think carefully before you turn over even more of your most private thoughts. <img src="https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/125484/2026/day-one-privacy-concerns.png" width="600" height="360" alt="Auto-generated description: A comparison of privacy labels for three apps, showing Day One with various data linked to the user, Bear with diagnostics data not linked to the user, and Obsidian with no data collected.">