h0llace
@h0llace.bsky.social
nature-loving neo-luddite / teetotaling tea enthusiast / wannabe bird watcher
mke, wi
mke, wi
new light phone just dropped she is beauty she is grace
June 15, 2025 at 10:04 PM
new light phone just dropped she is beauty she is grace
written 15+ years ago, the shallows by nicholas carr outlines how the internet has changed not only our actions but also our thoughts. it’s getting harder and harder to think critically as we automate more of our brains’ functions. scares me to see how much worse this has gotten with AI. 4.5/5
June 5, 2025 at 4:39 PM
written 15+ years ago, the shallows by nicholas carr outlines how the internet has changed not only our actions but also our thoughts. it’s getting harder and harder to think critically as we automate more of our brains’ functions. scares me to see how much worse this has gotten with AI. 4.5/5
the lola quartet by emily st. john mandel: this was a miss for me, especially because every other ESJM book i’ve read has been so good. i didn’t connect the characters or story. it was written like it was supposed to be a mystery but since all the characters are narrators there was no mystery. 2.5/5
June 1, 2025 at 4:05 PM
the lola quartet by emily st. john mandel: this was a miss for me, especially because every other ESJM book i’ve read has been so good. i didn’t connect the characters or story. it was written like it was supposed to be a mystery but since all the characters are narrators there was no mystery. 2.5/5
the luminaries by eleanor catton: a densely challenging victorian mystery set during the new zealand gold rush. for those looking to be awed by the art of writing, not necessarily the story itself. wish she leaned more into the supernatural and contextualized the zodiac influence a bit more. 4/5
May 26, 2025 at 9:37 PM
the luminaries by eleanor catton: a densely challenging victorian mystery set during the new zealand gold rush. for those looking to be awed by the art of writing, not necessarily the story itself. wish she leaned more into the supernatural and contextualized the zodiac influence a bit more. 4/5
the trip to echo spring by olivia laing: beautiful prose but i wanted more analysis on the relationship between alcoholism & writing. this basically just pointed out the connection without much depth. didn’t love the structure. laing gave a weak reason for her to choice to exclude female writers 2/5
May 21, 2025 at 11:22 PM
the trip to echo spring by olivia laing: beautiful prose but i wanted more analysis on the relationship between alcoholism & writing. this basically just pointed out the connection without much depth. didn’t love the structure. laing gave a weak reason for her to choice to exclude female writers 2/5
somebody had a hankover all day from partying too hard at daycare
May 8, 2025 at 1:33 AM
somebody had a hankover all day from partying too hard at daycare
never let me go by kazuo ishiguro: SPOILER ALERT: A haunting dystopian tale about a group of boarding school students raised in the English countryside who slowly learn they were cloned and raised solely to donate their vital organs to other humans when they reach adulthood.
May 6, 2025 at 8:54 PM
never let me go by kazuo ishiguro: SPOILER ALERT: A haunting dystopian tale about a group of boarding school students raised in the English countryside who slowly learn they were cloned and raised solely to donate their vital organs to other humans when they reach adulthood.
mood machine by liz pelly: having recently read other books and articles about the far-reaching tentacles of algorithms, data, and Big Tech, this fits right in with the insidious and mostly hidden phenomenon of how much our culture is no longer being shaped by creators but instead by capitalists 4/5
May 2, 2025 at 3:20 AM
mood machine by liz pelly: having recently read other books and articles about the far-reaching tentacles of algorithms, data, and Big Tech, this fits right in with the insidious and mostly hidden phenomenon of how much our culture is no longer being shaped by creators but instead by capitalists 4/5
well of ascension: this was such a let down after the first book. the pacing was very disjointed, with most of the book dragging while they were under siege and then a bunch of action happening in like the last 100 pages.
April 28, 2025 at 10:54 PM
well of ascension: this was such a let down after the first book. the pacing was very disjointed, with most of the book dragging while they were under siege and then a bunch of action happening in like the last 100 pages.
a hank to cleanse yr timeline
April 22, 2025 at 10:12 PM
a hank to cleanse yr timeline
i’m a fan: captures the neurosis of being a woman trapped in the cycle of unrequited love, of yearning for someone who doesn’t want you as much you want them, of the compulsion to analyze every inane moment of their life searching for hidden confirmation of their nonexistent love for you. 4.5/5
April 15, 2025 at 11:17 PM
i’m a fan: captures the neurosis of being a woman trapped in the cycle of unrequited love, of yearning for someone who doesn’t want you as much you want them, of the compulsion to analyze every inane moment of their life searching for hidden confirmation of their nonexistent love for you. 4.5/5
my name is lucy barton: confined to the hospital, lucy is visited by her mother, whose idle gossip about their hometown leads her to reflect on her life. no real plot, which i normally dislike, but it was executed well, with simple, evocative prose that slowly revealed lucy’s traumatic past. 4.5/5
April 6, 2025 at 8:34 PM
my name is lucy barton: confined to the hospital, lucy is visited by her mother, whose idle gossip about their hometown leads her to reflect on her life. no real plot, which i normally dislike, but it was executed well, with simple, evocative prose that slowly revealed lucy’s traumatic past. 4.5/5
on the calculation of volume II: tara is still trapped in time but, finally, not in space. she leaves her home and travels europe by train, searching for glimpses of different weather, different seasons. the cliffhanger makes me want to pound on the door of the translator for the next one. 4.5/5
April 5, 2025 at 3:43 PM
on the calculation of volume II: tara is still trapped in time but, finally, not in space. she leaves her home and travels europe by train, searching for glimpses of different weather, different seasons. the cliffhanger makes me want to pound on the door of the translator for the next one. 4.5/5
while you were out by meg kissinger: A memoir about a family ravaged by mental illness in the 60s. The similarities between the author's family and my parents' — large Catholic families in the Midwest with alcoholism, depression, and anxiety who were taught to bury their feelings — were staggering.
March 30, 2025 at 5:11 PM
while you were out by meg kissinger: A memoir about a family ravaged by mental illness in the 60s. The similarities between the author's family and my parents' — large Catholic families in the Midwest with alcoholism, depression, and anxiety who were taught to bury their feelings — were staggering.
long bright river by liz moore: A mystery/thriller about a cop whose work life — a serial killer targeting sex workers addicted to heroin — and personal life — a sister who is one of these women — collide. I liked that the cops weren’t the heroes, and were, in fact, incredibly corrupt villains.
March 29, 2025 at 11:05 PM
long bright river by liz moore: A mystery/thriller about a cop whose work life — a serial killer targeting sex workers addicted to heroin — and personal life — a sister who is one of these women — collide. I liked that the cops weren’t the heroes, and were, in fact, incredibly corrupt villains.
one year ago vs. today
March 24, 2025 at 8:59 PM
one year ago vs. today
the round house by louise erdich: a coming-of-age tale about a 13-year-old rez kid whose mother is brutally raped by a white man who gets released due to tribal/federal land laws. loved experiencing this through joe’s eyes — moments of teenage antics & beautiful nature prose offset the iniquity. 4/5
March 22, 2025 at 7:47 PM
the round house by louise erdich: a coming-of-age tale about a 13-year-old rez kid whose mother is brutally raped by a white man who gets released due to tribal/federal land laws. loved experiencing this through joe’s eyes — moments of teenage antics & beautiful nature prose offset the iniquity. 4/5
the case of the missing maid by rob osler: really wanted to like this one given the setting (1890s chicago + queer underground spaces) but it was just so slow, felt a bit revisionist re: feminism & LGBTQ history, the characters were too surface level, and the whoddunit was predictable. 2.5/5
March 18, 2025 at 11:04 PM
the case of the missing maid by rob osler: really wanted to like this one given the setting (1890s chicago + queer underground spaces) but it was just so slow, felt a bit revisionist re: feminism & LGBTQ history, the characters were too surface level, and the whoddunit was predictable. 2.5/5
mistborn by brandon sanderson: this fantasy has everything: steampunk-esque magic system, romance sub-plot, nuanced female coming-of-age POV, daring heist against the evil ruler, villainous religious zealots, battle scenes balanced with ballroom machinations, and a cast of charming characters. 4.5/5
March 17, 2025 at 10:57 PM
mistborn by brandon sanderson: this fantasy has everything: steampunk-esque magic system, romance sub-plot, nuanced female coming-of-age POV, daring heist against the evil ruler, villainous religious zealots, battle scenes balanced with ballroom machinations, and a cast of charming characters. 4.5/5
dopamine nation by anna lembke: from drugs & alcohol to social media, porn, smartphones, etc., nearly all of us are addicted to cheap dopamine hits. the insight into the pain/pleasure scale was interesting. author was a bit annoying, organization was poor, and i wanted more on tech addiction. 3/5
March 9, 2025 at 4:22 PM
dopamine nation by anna lembke: from drugs & alcohol to social media, porn, smartphones, etc., nearly all of us are addicted to cheap dopamine hits. the insight into the pain/pleasure scale was interesting. author was a bit annoying, organization was poor, and i wanted more on tech addiction. 3/5
my partner made the mistake of holding hank up to the window in our bedroom so he could look outside and now he’s obsessed with it. he begs to be held in front of the window or stands on his hind legs trying to see out it. so we bought him this ottoman and now he’s a king overlooking mere plebes
March 8, 2025 at 1:45 AM
my partner made the mistake of holding hank up to the window in our bedroom so he could look outside and now he’s obsessed with it. he begs to be held in front of the window or stands on his hind legs trying to see out it. so we bought him this ottoman and now he’s a king overlooking mere plebes
pride and prejudice by jane austen: finally got around to reading this. the OG miscommunication romance trope. a scathing, witty, and comedic critique of regency era courtship & high society. 5/5
March 6, 2025 at 10:03 PM
pride and prejudice by jane austen: finally got around to reading this. the OG miscommunication romance trope. a scathing, witty, and comedic critique of regency era courtship & high society. 5/5
hank ❤️s darcy almost as much as this cake
March 5, 2025 at 2:44 AM
hank ❤️s darcy almost as much as this cake
we’re watching pride & prejudice (the bbc series)
March 5, 2025 at 2:44 AM
we’re watching pride & prejudice (the bbc series)