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Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · 1d

What Are You Reading? Friday

Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- A Firing Offense (Nick Stefanos #1) by George Pelecanos (1993)

Listening
- The Unquiet Grave: The FBI and the Struggle for the Soul of Indian Country by Steve Hendricks (2006)

#booksky #wayrf

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Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · 1d

Finished listening to a book:

Book #57 of 2025

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (2009)

Despite the very dark subject matter, I enjoyed the messy farm family setting and the mystery for most of the book. But the resolution to the mystery and the end of the story both fell flat for me.

#booksky

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Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · 8d

I have loved the first two of her books, but this one isn’t grabbing me as quickly. It’s a slightly different tone, told by naive/ignorant narrators. I miss her dialogue, but still appreciate her social commentary. But I do know how widely well reviewed it is, so I will keep reading.

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Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · 8d

What Are You Reading? Friday

Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- A Firing Offense (Nick Stefanos #1) by George Pelecanos (1993)

Listening
- A Death in Tokyo (Kaga #9) by Keigo Higashino (2011)

#booksky #wayrf

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Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · 8d

Finished listening to a book:

Book #56 of 2025

Riding the Rap by Elmore Leonard (1995)

One of my favorite Leonard books. Excellent tension and characters. Shifting alliances. Questionable good guys. Bad Guys. Worse bad guys. Quick read.

#booksky

Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · 13d

Unlike her first few books, it’s taking me awhile to get into. Trying to clear out some of my other TBR books to give it focus. I know she switched up her narration style, so the voice is throughout. But I’m about 100 pages in and I’m missing her entertaining characters and dialogue.

Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · 13d

Finished reading a book:

Book #55 of 2025

THEM: Adventures With Extremists by Jon Ronson (2001)

Very entertaining. My first Ronson book. These extremists are largely incompetent. More palatable when he wrote it two decades ago. Plus a bonus prefame batshit appearance from Alex Jones.

#booksky

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Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · 15d

What Are You Reading? Friday

Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- THEM: Adventures With Extremists by Jon Ronson (2001)

Listening
- The Night Manager by John le Carre (1993)

#booksky #wayrf

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Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · 17d

Finished listening to a book:

Book #54 of 2025

Under the Bridge: The True Story of the Murder of Reena Virk by Rebecca Godfrey (2005)

Focuses on the teens involved in a brutal murder. FX adaptation was very different. Interesting, but I wish there was more about Reena and her life.

#booksky

Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · 22d

THEM is great. My first Ronson. Reminds me of Hunter S Thompson a bit so far. I love Kingsolver, but this one has taken me forever. Have more time to read right now, so trying to power through. Under the Bridge is interesting, and so far, quite a bit different from the FX adaptation.

Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · 22d

What Are You Reading? Friday

Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- THEM: Adventures With Extremists by Jon Ronson (2001)

Listening
- Under the Bridge: The True Story of the Murder of Reena Virk by Rebecca Godfrey (2005)

#booksky #wayrf

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Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · 25d

Finished listening to a book:

Book #53 of 2025

The Brutal Telling (Inspector Gamache #5) by Louise Penny (2009)

This is the best of the series so far. I enjoyed it a lot. Real consequences for the village. Interesting back stories revealed. Gamache pushing for the truth no matter what.

#booksky

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Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · Sep 19

Finished listening to a book:

Book #52 of 2025

Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age by Kevin Boyle (2004)

Apprecited the teaching Black history from Restoration to 60’s while also relating the main story of pioneering turned attempted murder by mob.

#booksky

Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · Sep 12

What Are You Reading? Friday

Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman (2003)

Listening
- Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age by Kevin G Boyle (2004)

#booksky #wayrf

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Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · Sep 5

What Are You Reading? Friday

Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven: Stories by Sherman Alexie (1993)

Listening
- Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age by Kevin G Boyle (2004)

#booksky #wayrf

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Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · Sep 5

Finished listening to a book:

Book #51 of 2025

A Drink Before the War (Kenzie & Genaro #1) by Dennis Lehane (1994)

Great action. More crime than mystery. Tense all the way through.

#booksky

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Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · Sep 3

Finished listening to a book:

Book #50 of 2025

When the Thrill is Gone (Leonid McGill #3) by Walter Mosley (2011)

I continue to enjoy the characters and the voice and the world in this series, but still haven’t loved the actual mysteries.

#booksky

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Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · Aug 30

What Are You Reading? Friday

Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven: Stories by Sherman Alexie (1993)

Listening
- When the Thrill is Gone (Leonid McGill #3) by Walter Mosley (2011)

#booksky #wayrf

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Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · Aug 27

Finished listening to a book:

Book #49 of 2025

Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang (2005)

Great book about a subject I find endlessly interesting. Music and culture shaped by current events, adversity, and joy. I wish there was an updated version.

#booksky

Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · Aug 23

What Are You Reading? Friday

Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven: Stories by Sherman Alexie (1993)

Listening
- Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation: by Jeff Chang (2005)

#booksky #wayrf

Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · Aug 16

What Are You Reading? Friday

Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- Blindness by Jose Saramago (1996)

Listening
- Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation: by Jeff Chang (2005)

#booksky #wayrf

1

Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · Aug 16

Finished listening to a book:

Book #48 of 2025

A Rule Against Murder (Gamache #4) by Louise Penny (2008)

First one that didn’t focus on Three Pines. Still many Gamache interactions and his recurring cast of Montreal investigators. But a lot of focus on one rich annoying family.

#booksky

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Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · Aug 16

Finished listening to a book:

Book #47 of 2025

Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2003)

Short and easily digestible nature-related essays. Interesting mash-up of moss talk and life talk and indigenous cultural history.

#booksky

talk.at

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Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · Aug 8

What Are You Reading? Friday

Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- Beyond the Body Farm by D Bill Bass & Jon Jefferson (2004)

Listening
- Gathering Moss: A Natural & Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2003)

#booksky #wayrf

Peter Dirksen @phdirksen.bsky.social · Aug 5

Finished listening to a book:

Book #46 of 2025

Shoedog by George Pelecanos (1994)

Enjoyed it. Owes a lot to Elmore Leonard. Wide spectrum of small time criminals. There are no good guys, just bad guys and worse guys.

#booksky

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