Prescription
Currently reading:
The Mad Wife by Meagan Church
Out There Screaming, edited by Jordan Peele
An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid [audiobook]
Books finished this week: 4
★★★☆☆
Where this book came from: Ordered on Libro.fm!
Why this book: While on the hunt for books to expand my audio library, I thought this one might fit the bill. I love listening to random people ramble on podcasts, so this felt like the exact right fit for my tastes.
Thoughts: Ugh. I read this back in high school, I think, and I remembered not loving it then. I definitely found it easier to get into as an audiobook, but, my god, Louis is whiny. I’d follow Claudia anywhere, though.
★★☆☆☆
Where this book came from: Ordered ahead and then picked up at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square, on my way to see Girl, Interrupted at the Public. (Yes, I know I’m very cultured, thank you.)
Why this book: If you know me at all, you already know why I read this.
Thoughts: Man, what a disappointment. The retro VHS cover and sprayed edges featuring assorted instruments of destruction are absolutely perfect, but the story in the pages fell flat for me. It was slow and repetitive, and though slow can absolutely work well in horror, there was no tension-building coming along with those slower moments. Despite how much time we spent in every character’s head and how often they rehashed their own issues and worries in their own minds, I didn’t ever feel like I totally knew who they were, and I just genuinely did not care about them. This is also a pet peeve specific to me, but I hate when a story has the characters make references to pop culture in-universe, but then also has names and other references that no one comments on. For example, three of the dudes in their little horror movie club are named Freddy, Jason, and Micheal, yet no one says anything about that. Come on.
★★★★★
Where this book came from: Purchased from a suburban Barnes & Noble after dropping off my work computer at a FedEx (way back in December 2024).
Why this book: At first, I didn’t remember exactly when or where I bought this book; I had to search my photos and then hunt down the missive where I introduced it. But I did know that I bought this before I lost Moneypenny, and then I just kind of . . . left it on the shelf. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to handle it for a while, if ever. Then I signed up for a book club about it with a friend——hi, Melissa!——and I still wasn’t sure if I was ready. But here we are.
Thoughts: How fucking dare you, book. Everyone read this.
★★★★☆
Where this book came from: Another Libro.fm purchase.
Why this book: Melissa——hi again, Melissa!——suggested it a few weeks ago and I downloaded it on the spot.
Thoughts: I don’t know why I thought this would be speculative (maybe the mention of a neighborhood ghost early on?), but it wasn’t. And that worked for me! This is just straight-up historical fiction set in a quirky neighborhood in London. Emma is a fantastic observer of the world around her and I look forward to following her through the many other volumes of her adventures and unraveling some of the secrets and mysteries hinted at in this book. As I described it to another friend (hi, Britt!), this was a delightful little side quest from my responsibilities (and other reads).
Library updates:
I promise, this won’t be another post entirely dedicated to Moneypenny. Though, really, she deserves an entire blog dedicated only to her. I felt slightly insane when I first got choked up reading We’ll Prescribe You a Cat, but sharing some of the most tear-inducing quotes on my Instagram and talking to friends about the book and how it was making me feel made me feel very sane and not at all alone. And isn’t that beautiful?
I don’t have very much else to reflect on this week, but that’s fine——you have four new books to consider up there. I think four books in one week ties a previous record. We’ll see if I can ever get to five!
Closing thoughts:
I love you. I love you. Thank you.
