@phdirksen
(He/Him) #WGA TV Writer (The Goldbergs, Schooled, many kids shows) , GIRLDAD, BBall fan, sci-fi/mystery nerd. Iowa Alumn. Got back into reading with Libby. Trying to read more intentionally and inclusively and I’m loving it. My TBR is way way too long.
Finished listening to a book:
Book #12 of 2026
Gone, Baby, Gone (Kenzie & Gennaro #4) by Dennis Lehane (1998)
He gets better with each book. Very very dark middle, but with an interesting morally gray ending. Kept me guessing. And I appreciate depicting the police as a few good apples.
#booksky
Finished listening to a book:
Book #11 of 2026
Look at Me by Jennifer Egan (2001)
Disappointed. Interesting characters. Into the main story about a model losing her looks and trying to find fame as an ordinary person. But the rest didn’t come together. And thumbs down to a Lolita story.
#booksky
Finished reading a book:
Book #10 of 2026
The Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson (2004)
Interesting look at how wasteful, pitiful, and loony our military spending and tactics can be. Not as coherent as I wish it could be. But loads of crazy characters and The Barney Song.
#booksky
What Are You Reading? Friday
Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat (1998)
Listening
- Gone, Baby, Gone - Kenzie & Gennaro #4 by Dennis Lehane (1998)
#booksky #wayrf
What Are You Reading? Friday
Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat (1998)
Listening
- Look at Me by Jennifer Egan (2001)
#booksky #wayrf
What Are You Reading? Friday
Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson (2004)
Listening
- Look at Me by Jennifer Egan (2001)
#booksky #wayrf
Finished listening to a book:
Book #9 of 2026
John Henry Days by Colson Whitehead (2001)
Didn’t love it as much as I hoped. Like the exploration of tokenism and the theme of “modernization” by way of efficiency/mechanization was very relevant. Got lost in the insider journalism.
#booksky
What Are You Reading? Friday
Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson (2004)
Listening
- John Henry Days by Colson Whitehead (2001)
#booksky #wayrf
Finished reading a book:
Book #8 of 2026
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (2003)
Big fan. A Bengali immigrant family’s experience from the 60’s to 2000. Lahiri gets so deep into characters with little details and heartbreaking moments. You feel for them so completely. I love it.
#booksky
What Are You Reading? Friday
Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (2003)
- The Secret Life of Lobsters by Trevor Corson (2004)
Listening
- John Henry Days by Colson Whitehead (2001)
#booksky #wayrf
Finished listening to a book:
Book #7 of 2026
A Game of Thrones (Fire & Ice #1) by George RR Martin (1996)
Second time. Still enjoy it. The shifting power dynamics and POV are a highlight. The scope is incredible. Obviously heavily influenced by series written before, but done so well.
#booksky
Also my favorite. This is my second time with this one. Going back through them. The only one I didn’t love was 4.
What Are You Reading? Friday
Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (2003)
Listening
- A Game of Thrones (Ice and Fire #1) by George R R Martin (1996)
#booksky #wayrf
Finished listening to a book:
Book #6 of 2026
Sacred (Kenzie & Gennaro #3) by Dennis Lehane (1997)
Liked each book in the series more than the last. But, I will say he is much better writing male characters. “Grief is a carnivore that eats all other emotions” = amazing line.
#booksky
What Are You Reading? Friday
Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (2003)
Listening
- Sacred (Kenzie & Gennaro #3) by Dennis Lehane (1997)
#booksky #wayrf
Finished listening to a book:
Book #5 of 2026
A Conspiracy of Tall Men by Noah Hawley
You can see the ideas for Legion on FX growing here, with all the shadow government organizations and entertaining weird characters with wild conspiracy theories. But plot was a bit hard to follow.
#booksky
What Are You Reading? Friday
Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- Glyph by Percival Everett (1999)
Listening
- A Conspiracy of Tall Men by Noah Hawley (1998)
#booksky #wayrf
Finished listening to a book:
Book #4 of 2026
The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright (2006)
Very interesting. A lot of the Why and the Who behind the attack. Very detailed with thorough research. And somehow he finished it only five years later. Impressive.
#booksky
Finished reading a book:
Book #3 of 2026
Journey of the Lost Elephant (Wild Magic #2) by Abiola Bello (2025)
Still a cute series. My daughter loves Misha and Ziggy. I like that she’s learning about animals in an inclusive story.
#booksky
What Are You Reading? Friday
Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- Glyph by Percival Everett (1999)
Listening
- The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright (2006)
#booksky #wayrf
Finished reading a book:
Book #2 of 2026
Nick’s Trip (Nick Stefanos #2) by George Pelecanos (1993)
Great characters, excellent dialogue. Debaucherous world. This one is really two tangentially related novellas/cases rolled into one book. Looking forward to Book 3.
#booksky
Finished listening to a book:
Book #1 of 2026
A Midsummer’s Equation (Detective Galileo #6) by Keigo Higashino (2011)
Enjoy Galileo. Physics Prof/Amateur Detective. Lots of character work with the other characters. Good moral quandaries. You will figure out some early, but never all.
#booksky
#booksky
Finished reading a book:
Book #76 and final book of 2025
The Legend of the Black Lion (Wild Magic) by Abiola Bello (2025)
Ended the year on a cute and fun middle grade book, read to my daughter. Inclusive and engaging. Inventive use of fonts and great illustrations of key moments.
#booksky
Finished listening to a book:
Book #75 of 2025
Faithful Place (Dublin Murder Squad #3) by Tana French (2010)
I love how she rotates between protagonists each book. The characters and working class family drama was so well realized. Her dialogue is always excellent. Love the series.
#booksky
Finished listening to a book:
Book #74 of 2025
Jar City (Erlendur #4) by Arnaldur Indridason (1997)
Icelandic dark mystery. It was interesting how the island setting made the mystery very specific and I appreciated Erlendur’s complicated relationship with his addict daughter.
#booksky
What Are You Reading? Friday
Reading
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
- Nick’s Trip by George Pelecanos (1993)
- The Legend of the Black Lion (Wild Magic #1) by Abiola Bello (2025)
Listening
- Faithful Place (Dublin Murder Squad #3) by Tana French (2010)
#booksky #wayrf
Finished listening to a book:
Book #73 of 2025
Born Standing Up by Steve Martin (2007)
Great book for fans of Steve Martin. A lot of insight into his early life growing up and his stand up career. Very fast and enjoyable read. But I do wish it continued further into his acting career.
#booksky
Finished reading a book:
Book #72 of 2025
The Trees by Percival Everett (2023)
Loved it. The perfect intersection of dark comedy, mystery, and social commentary. Like all his books, a very fast read. Would love to work on the adaptation.
#booksky
Finished listening to a book:
Book #71 of 2025
Blood and Thunder: An Epic of the American West by Hampton Sides (2006)
Well written and researched. Big focus on Kit Carson. And a reminder of how horrible and atrocious this country has always had a history of being. This is not new.
#booksky