This is Volume II of “In Search of Lost Time” and I can‘t even deal with the fact that this story will end. In the midst of the story line, on each page, Proust shares a profound thought that blows my mind. I wait in anticipation as I am reading. This is among one of the best reading experiences that I have had.

I am determined to read/reread all of her journals. In my opinion, she excels in putting into words thoughts and feelings that are difficult to eloquently express. It is interesting, though, how like, Virginia Woolf, this process is so emotionally painful for her and she does not recognize her genius. Overall, I love having the chance to become intimate, through reading, with someone I will never meet.

Well, I ended the year with this, an appropriate title, although I changed in a totally opposite sense. I loved this book from the standpoint of how believable this monstrous change was to Gregor, his family and, to me, as the reader.

I not sure if this is a pan or a bail because I read almost to the very end and could not bring myself to finish.
I guess I was enjoying his writing style but I did not buy his characterizations and other things. It kept getting worse and worse. Ugh. Off to Goodwill

No. Birds and her religious views were not for ME. I own my bias

Finally, at the very end of the year, after bailing several books, I found an author and essayist that I loved. 2022 has to be a better year than this one was, regarding reading and most everything else for me. I love and agree with Emerson‘s perspective and look forward to studying his other works.

I can hardly believe I read 3/4 of this book and had to put it down. I could not tolerate any more of him. I kept thinking he might eventually improve as a person but he continued on and on with his terrible ways. His writing was what kept me going I guess. To me he was the epitome of self-derogatory and generally confused. I guess if one is interested in negative aspects of human nature this book would be enjoyable/

This quote is hilarious given I only believe 30-40% of what he has shared so far. As an old man, he gives detailed accounts about events which occurred in his early childhood to adulthood. I am really enjoying the book though. Written in the first person, it really seems like he is having a private conversation with me.

This dude seems so inept. But, he wrote a memoir that is deemed a classic and I am enjoying it. I think it‘s about the writing style and not the nature of his life.

Where do I find the books I “Add to Stacks” on Litsy?🤦🏽‍♀️
Seriously, my granddaughter who already loves books may want to know.

Books like this amazing book account for my obsession with reading. It‘s a book about all of the hidden truths in life that we do not want to acknowledge; truths about human nature, the toxicity of relationships, individual emotional struggles, family dysfunction and on and on. She speaks eloquently about these issues up to the very last page. It‘s added to the list of books I will never forget. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book called to me off one of my bookshelves. I‘m not even sure why I got it and did know I had it. It is certainly is one of my favorite kind of books to read, about families and their secrets. I get so happy and excited about these finds.

I really wanted to like this book. As a black person, I related to much of his struggle and recognize he was referencing life in the 1940s, but there was so much bothersome about this book for me. I became increasingly frustrated mainly by his naïveté. He did not get who he was until the end of the book and, by then, I really did not care. Then, his answer was to give into his invisibility. Why?

THIS is a book that puts me in mind of Faulkner‘s “Absalom, Absalom”. THIS is the kinda book that I love to read. It‘s unfolding and unfolding and I don‘t want to put it down. Where and how is it going to lead?

It‘s good that this was not the first Faulkner that I read. I hated it as much as I loved “Absalom, Absalom”. Hate is a strong word. I guess I was so disappointed. Lots did not work for me. It was so dark on different levels: the theme, the environment of the story, the characters. I did not like the repetitive sentences, probably a meaning I don‘t understand. I kept waiting for the point of it all. I certainly must have missed something.

I seldom read the same author in a row but I was having such a major book hangover after “Absalom,Absalom”. We‘ll see how it goes.

What an utterly amazing book by certainly a brilliant author. It deals with all aspects of human nature and relationships: love, lust, family issues, rivalry, greed...and on and on. Then, there‘s the characterizations which not only include complex people but also a house, the South and the Civil War era. It reads like an unfolding and once you get to the core, you find the never-ending branches that remain with you. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There are some things which happen to us which the intelligence and the senses refuse...occurrences that stop us dead...like a sheet of glass through which we watch all subsequent events...

(I surprisingly required a hip replacement)

Just like with Virginia Woolf, halfway through, I figured out Faulkner‘s language. Wow, what an amazing book including the writing, characterization and story. It can be understood once you realize that he goes on a tangent until he gets back to the main point of the sentence. (Haha, my husband does that; maybe why I‘m familiar.) It‘s written from different perspectives so it did not matter that I skipped ahead.

I just couldn‘t help myself! I skipped ahead to the end of the book. It was kinda worth it. Now I‘m going back to my original place. Although the writing is beautiful and the story is so compelling, Faulkner was getting too long-winded.

I can‘t get enough of her. I‘ll read this some along with Faulkner.

I am truly surprised at how much I am enjoying this book. Looks like there‘s more Faulkner in my reading future. His writing style is like Virginia Woolf‘s. You stop and say: Whoa! Did he just say all of that? 🤓

So ends my reading of Virginia‘s diaries. It seemed that all throughout this personal account of her last four years, she hinted at plans of eventually ending her own life. She shared more about her feelings than in her previous couple of volumes but much about her has surely been left out. She has intrigued me to learn more so next will be her letters. She was an amazingly complicated woman who captured my heart.

Well, I‘m finally ready to read Virginia‘s last diary. I know I‘m going to get emotional about the tragic ending. Being a psychologist, I keep wishing that someone could have helped her with her depression although she chose not to get the help that was available to her even back then. She was such a tremendously gifted woman who never recognized her value, which we profit from now.

Generally, this is a expression of man‘s struggle with the sudden death of his beloved wife. I love the way he was able to aptly interweave sharing tales about his present life, their individual lives prior to marriage, and their married lives. It did become boring and redundant towards the end as if he could not figure out the best way to end the book which is telling given that it is a book about endings.

This is THE book for true Mariah Carey fans. I‘ve loved her for many years but even more now. She explained the meaning behind her songs which she composed the music for, wrote the lyrics and perfectly sang. She is mostly definitely a prodigy. But also she shared a heartfelt story of her life. Most anyone can relate to some aspect to her journey. I surely could

I have been thinking about how to rate this book a couple of days. I decided that what I mostly liked about it was the concept, describing the lives of the 5 people who fell off the bridge. Other than that, I did not particularly like the people (not wishing them to die) and did not feel that there was any closure. I‘ll leave it at that. Blah ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely love Mariah as much as I love reading and books. Yet, even I, am amazed at how good this book is. I probably could stay up all night reading it to the end...

I think it‘s a book worth reading. However, I‘m not a big fan. In my view, it‘s basically a story about how growing up in a toxic family can negatively affect the children‘s whole lives, providing the differing life stories of the siblings. It‘s a well-written, heart-wrenching account of emotional pain that was not enjoyable and offered me nothing new. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I thought I would try to read a novel again and then it took a turn that I couldn‘t handle so back to my spiritual book which I love. After a lifetime of reading just about anything, I do not have a full understanding of what this means.

I know. I know. You‘ve heard it all before. I really wanted to like this book and I think I may have missed some interesting things. But, it kept getting more and more far-fetched for me in many ways especially about relationships. Maybe one day. But I doubt it. It‘s too long of a book for me to give my time when I could be reading other books.

I love Virginia!

I loved this book.It was life-changing, given the enormity of new information I learned about centuries-old Christian spiritual practices. All those years teaching and going to Sunday School and I knew about none of this, including ways to get closer to God. I am thankful I have been led here, that the keys to spiritual awakening are shared in such books and for their special part in my own transformation. Phileena is now a friend.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I feel like this big old book set in 12th Century England reached out and grabbed me. I took it off my bookshelf, opened it up, started to read, and its history. This got me thinking about why I don‘t particularly like modern fiction. I want full distraction when I am reading and thinking about what I‘m reading which means total immersion in a different world. At the same time, I need to be learning something new.

I‘m in a spiritual awakening. It all started with a book which I feel was God-chosen, and that is continuing to happen. This book was very special to me. It was a gift, a message that I am on the right track in the direction of my growth. It was an informative study of Job, my favorite. It gave me a new perspective of God and this mystery. Be open to change to find your True Self. Maybe, find that book you need.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I rated this book a “Pick” mainly because of his helpfulness in greater understanding of the Types. However, much of his analysis was hard for me to comprehend, over the top with terms and concepts which were not useful. Although I personally believe in the value of prayer, he seemed to present it as the primary, if not the only, tool for spiritual development. There are much more.⭐️⭐️⭐️

Truly, something mystical occurs in my book selections. When I am dealing with life questions or issues, I magically choose and/or find exactly what I need to read. Rohr amazingly explained,in better words than I ever could,my current life phase and my views on it. Also, it was inspirational at this time that I am working on spiritual growth. “Pain is part of the deal”...and for that I need “naked faith”. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Having spent the past few months reading Virginia Woolf‘s diaries, being intrigued by her, loving “To the Lighthouse” and memoirs, this was the perfect book for me. Using a unique approach of relating her life to the books themes and characters, she beautifully captured the way of life for us bibliophiles, in search for books that bring us solace and help answer important questions about life and human nature. Read the novel first though⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Virginia begins this diary with the sentence: “This is the turn of the tide.” Truly it was because it is,to me, an account of her descent into a depression from which she never recovered. She committed suicide 6 years after the diary ended. Despite its length, she mostly listed events, rarely talking about her feelings but when she did her despair was almost unbearable to read. Such a tragic story. I wish there had been help for her. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hey Littens! Thought I would reach out to you before putting this back on my shelf. I‘m a psychologist & have been immersed in my psychology books, which most here seem not to read, trying to figure out things going on now that are beyond my comprehension.

This is a great book with practical suggestions that I highly recommend. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In coming days, I am going to need Sun Tzu to help me with some personal battles. He really has in the past.

I can‘t believe I have not read this. It‘s time.

In my quarantine mode, I randomly picked this out from my bookcase and can‘t stop reading it. It‘s so interesting!! I first read it years and years ago.

This diary was interesting yet disappointing. This was during the highest point of her career but she talked more about her depressive feelings than in the other diaries. Plus, she struggled more with the act of writing. What I disliked was her seeming dishonesty. She dryly stuck more to her activities, likely trying to withhold information about the dynamics of her strange love affair with Vita. We shall see what Diary Four holds. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

One will not perhaps go to the writing table & write that simple & profound paper upon suicide which I see myself leaving for my friends. (1929)

(Virginia foretold about her suicide 12 years before its occurrence)

Virginia surely was complicated to say the least...

October 1928
“I went to Burgundy with Vita (lover) We did not find each other out.(?) It flashed by. Yet I was glad to see Leonard (husband) again. How disconnected this is! (Yes)

I can think of more books than I shall ever be able to write. How many little stories come into my head.

(I‘m back to Virginia once again)

This book was not for ME. Maybe it‘s written more for a person like Strobel himself, at the time, questioning Christianity. It was written at an elementary level, more journalistic than providing facts. I did not learn anything new. I found it difficult to read and disappointing although I generally liked his premise.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I learned a lot that I had no idea of regarding the actual history of the time of Jesus‘ crucifixion. Also, learned much about the Bible. Although Gibson insists that his was a “historical and archaeological” account of the final days of Jesus, this reading caused me to be deeply moved and validated my Christian beliefs. He concluded: “The reality is that there is no historical explanation for the empty tomb.”