![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
not-wednesday reading
Jan. 27th, 2014 01:11 am• What are you reading?
Iodine, by Haven Kimmel. Or maybe I'm not. I picked this up because it was recommended by a librarian whose taste I respect, and also I think I have heard the author recommended by some of you.
The main character, Trace, begins by telling us that she would have liked to have sex with her father. Not long after, she threatens or fantasizes about killing her mother. Her mother verbally and physically abuses her. And there are strong hints that these are not the worst parts of her childhood.
So, okay, Kimmel is working with some difficult material.
The viewpoint switches from first to third and back. Part of what we're reading is Trace's attempts to keep a dream diary, which keep breaking off, sometimes in the middle of a sentence, or turning into something which isn't a dream but doesn't seem very well connected to reality either.
Then, someone is telling Trace a story about someone who burned to death. His pit bull burned to death too.
"As often happens"? NO. That is a lie. "They love to kill each other"? That is an evil lie that people tell themselves in order to believe that it is okay to torture dogs into killing each other.
Anyway. That jolted me out of the story enough to realize that so far I hate everything in this book. Is there anything good in there, anything that might make it worthwhile to continue?
• What did you recently finish reading?
I'm not sure. I've been watching a lot of movies. I did finish Cuckoo's Calling. Although I'd have to read it again to be sure that the author played fair with clues and red herrings, I found it satisfactory. The detective, Cormoran Strike, is as odd as his name, but well-rounded and likeable. His assistant, Robin, is intelligent and effective. She becomes fond of Strike, but it's clear that she wants to stay on as his assistant not because she likes Strike but because she loves the work.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Alif the Unseen, for SF bookgroup.
Iodine, by Haven Kimmel. Or maybe I'm not. I picked this up because it was recommended by a librarian whose taste I respect, and also I think I have heard the author recommended by some of you.
The main character, Trace, begins by telling us that she would have liked to have sex with her father. Not long after, she threatens or fantasizes about killing her mother. Her mother verbally and physically abuses her. And there are strong hints that these are not the worst parts of her childhood.
So, okay, Kimmel is working with some difficult material.
The viewpoint switches from first to third and back. Part of what we're reading is Trace's attempts to keep a dream diary, which keep breaking off, sometimes in the middle of a sentence, or turning into something which isn't a dream but doesn't seem very well connected to reality either.
Then, someone is telling Trace a story about someone who burned to death. His pit bull burned to death too.
"I'm sorry," Trace said, unsure what to do next. It was very sad, and Trace loved pit bulls. She and Colt had had six at one time, and as often happens one had killed another and the remaining four were confiscated and humanely euthanized, because, as Animal Control had explained to Colt, it's better for people to kill the dogs than for the dogs to kill one another. Colt had said, "But they love to kill each other, it's their reason for living at all," which didn't sit well with the officer.
"As often happens"? NO. That is a lie. "They love to kill each other"? That is an evil lie that people tell themselves in order to believe that it is okay to torture dogs into killing each other.
Anyway. That jolted me out of the story enough to realize that so far I hate everything in this book. Is there anything good in there, anything that might make it worthwhile to continue?
• What did you recently finish reading?
I'm not sure. I've been watching a lot of movies. I did finish Cuckoo's Calling. Although I'd have to read it again to be sure that the author played fair with clues and red herrings, I found it satisfactory. The detective, Cormoran Strike, is as odd as his name, but well-rounded and likeable. His assistant, Robin, is intelligent and effective. She becomes fond of Strike, but it's clear that she wants to stay on as his assistant not because she likes Strike but because she loves the work.
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Alif the Unseen, for SF bookgroup.