As of today, I have a seven year old. Happy birthday, Dash! And as of yesterday, I remember how fun poker is.
Last week I said that My Absolute Darling was a love it or hate it, and I wanted to pick a side. Sadly, I must report that I landed very very very solidly in the hate it camp. I. Hated. This. Book. So. Much. I wouldn’t have liked it no matter what the topic was, because it’s extremely overwritten anyway, but this dude has no business writing about a young girl’s sexual abuse. I’m not saying that men can’t or shouldn’t write about this, but I am definitely saying that Gabriel Tallent cannot and should not write about this, or probably anything else, for that matter. I’ve already given this book more thought than I’d prefer to, so check out bitchmedia’s spot-on review for more detail, if you like.
Loner was exactly the palate cleanser/Silkwood shower that I needed after that. I see a lot of readers comparing it unfavorably to You, which is a big favorite of mine. Of course, nothing compares to You! But while they’re both about creepy psycho stalkers, they’re really totally different books, and I loved Loner on its own merits. This book really was a takedown of toxic masculinity and male entitlement. It was difficult to read at times, but it took a turn I did not expect and I thought it was extremely well done.
Right now I’m kind of bouncing back and forth between two books. I know I’m going to love The Queen of the Night. At least, so far I do. But it’s a big book and I haven’t been able to give it that much attention with the holiday and Dash’s birthday, but when I get a chance I’m going to enjoy sinking my teeth into it. Short stories are a better fit for my attention span at the moment, so I’ve also been reading from When Watched. This has been on my radar for ages and I’m loving it so far. I hope I get some good reading time in over the next few weeks, because I have a ton of things waiting for me. As always!
