The Curator: A treacherous journey to finding my next read
Moody readers know. Featuring a list of books I've bought and not read, plus reviews of two fun thrillers.
I never read what I say I’m going to read.
Mostly because I’m a moody gal with a day job who decided to moonlight as a moody book writer. This newsletter proudly runs on vibes, whims, and Sweetart ropes. I pick books I think will be of interest to you readers, but my reviews would be straight one-stars if I felt like this was all assigned reading. As a moody reader, I change my mind quicker than a hiccup and I need to be free to ride those emotional waves to my next book.
But sometimes those waves are emotional riptides. After reading The Secret History, a masterpiece, followed by Psycho, a semi-cinematic masterpiece, the slumpies hit me hard. Trying to pick a new book was worse than trying to pick what to eat for dinner.
At first, I was committed to reading Mona Awad’s new book Rouge because it’s trendy and spooky and like, really pretty. But then I opened it and immediately the vibes were off - too stylistic and strange and I’d already done the spooky thing for a few weeks.
Ok then, a break from spooky! Birnam Wood tied for first in the what book should I review next contest (landslide with a total of 1 vote 😬) so what a natural next choice. But some shit at my day job turned my nervous system into fireworks and my brain into cooked oats so the words on the page felt like a hum and looked like this
Alright, maybe not a brilliant Obama pick just yet. Let’s go for something I previously started but fell by the wayside - Penance by Eliza Clark.
Two pages in and I immediately regretted it. Sixteen-year-old creepy pasta? Ugh no.
To turn it around I felt like I really needed something uplifting. I’m getting married in two weeks why not something romancy! Possession by A.S. Byatt sounds lovely. But I am also desperately trying to figure out what to bring on my honeymoon and this sounds perfect so something else now…
A series of books I then opened and immediately rejected: The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard (too much brain power), The Ferryman by Justin Cronin (really wanted to read this one in paperback), North Woods by Daniel Mason (saving for bookclub), and The Keep by Jennifer Egan (I already said no more spooky!).
[My god I’m exhausted reliving my own indecision. Do you see what I go through?]
FINE. I turned to Goodreads for a suggestion, but my lack of focus led me past the app and onto what else the internet. Instead of picking my next book, I gleefully watched outtakes of SNLs “The Californians” followed by a new episode of The Great British Bake Off topped off with two episodes of Selling the OC, some Halloween Oreos, and a hard kombucha.
[I mean honestly just give up the ghost at this point, right?]
Eventually, I did find my way to an easy fun compelling thriller that was surprisingly enjoyable considering my frazzled mental and emotional state. I told my coworker it was “compelling and didn’t make me mad” which is sometimes just exactly what you need. You know?
Today I’ve got two fun thrillers, one straightforward, one a little offbeat horror-ish, but both by very successful authors in their own right. Cheers!
FURTHER READING →
An entire website is dedicated to helping you find your next book based on detailed mood sliders. My favorite is the scale from bleak to optimistic.
If you tell The Seattle Times how you feel, they will tell you what to read.
And Elle gives us 23 books to cheer us up because the universe knows we could all use it.
BOOK REVIEWS →
Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier
Look, my thriller bar is at the moon, so it’s going to be really hard to impress me, you poor other writers not named Karin.
I had heard good things about this nice lady Jennifer around bookstagram, and so after staring at Jar of Hearts on my shelf since September, I took a chance.
[And praise be I generally ignore the blurbs on the backs of thrillers because my expectations for this one were normal instead of ready for “an explosive, edge-of-your-seat thriller” that was “definitely not something you’ve read before” like umm okay Cleveland Plain Dealer yes I have but go off.]
Right away I had regrets and was facing an 18th failed book search because it starts with a regular old woman going to prison.
I have a very low tolerance for the concept or reality of prison. Yet, I soldiered on.
The Plot: When sixteen-year-old Angela Wong goes missing, it tears their town apart, including her best friend Geo and her bad boy boyfriend. Fourteen years later, the police finally have a body and come for Geo. Geo gets out of prison five years later, and a string of new murders near Geo’s home starts off a new mystery manhunt for a serial killer that just may be tied to Geo’s past.
The Verdict: Jar of Hearts is an above-average thriller with a unique plot, some interesting characters, and writing that didn’t make me want to throw the book away. It was much milder than a Slaughter trauma house but still had its chilling moments. While it may have lacked character development and was filled with loosey-goosey plot points, it was fun and did the job. I will definitely give Hillier another shot when in the mood for a page-turner.
Moodometer: For when you want to feel good about the idiot you dated when you were sixteen.
Rating: I give this book a 3 Spicy Stars
The Night House by Jo Nesbo
If you think a Stranger Things-Shutter Island mash-up in book form sounds like a good time, then this book is for you.
Richard is fourteen and a big fat bully. He’s been through some family trauma and takes it out on his new Ballantyne classmates. When Tom, his latest victim, gets sucked into the telephone after a prank call gone wrong, nobody believes Richard’s deranged story (surprise). As his life devolves into a full-on horror movie, Richard must find a way to prove his innocence or be the next victim.
The Night House cover promises creepy houses, mysterious events, and plenty of horror, and it delivers but not in the way you think it will. It gets a little campy and overstylized sometimes, but perhaps that’s what makes it fun. And while the first book has a distinct childish narrative voice, the plot takes a couple of left turns and shakes it up so that the story does not feel YA once you get into it. The story was disorienting, frightening, and gory, though - be warned.
Honestly, I would have bought this book just to add to my Halloween collection even if it was absolute shite because the cover is immaculate. If you are a fan of Mr. Nesbo's previous works (The Snowman!) and expecting more detective-y Nordic noir fiction, don't. This is a big fat departure from his usual style. Njóta!
Moodometer: For when you need a fun, horrifying adventure into one man’s mind.
Rating: I give this book a 4 Freaky Stars
READING →
All anyone is talking about is Time’s newly released “100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time”, so I am too. Besides the sartorial vintage cover image choices, reading through this [almost] perfect list gave me such joy it cured me of any continuing slumpies. I immediately started Kate Atkinson’s Case Histories and finally, I am HAPPY WITH A FIRST CHOICE.
WATCHING →
The 1991 classic The Addams Family. Again, clearly, we are weird with the “feel good” choices but anytime I need a little serotonin I pop this on or the sequel featuring Joan Cusak as the best gold-digging villain of all time.
NEW BOOKS →
Where I contribute to the delusion that you will ever reach the end of your TBR.
Opinions by Roxane Gay - Roxane Gay writes one of the best Substacks on the planet so it’s a no-brainer for me: "Essays, op-eds, and pop-culture pieces from the acclaimed novelist and memoirist. . . . [Gay] has a gift for clean, well-ordered prose, and strong feelings on matters of race, gender, and sexuality.” - Kirkus Reviews
Family Meal by Bryan Washington - I don’t know a lot about Washington’s work other than his name, but I am intrigued: "Family Meal is filled with love--for the sensual pleasure of life, the places that we call home, the beauty of the people around us. This novel will break your heart twice over, with sadness, sure, but more unexpectedly, with joy. It takes a generous writer to show us the world in this way, and Bryan Washington is one of our best." -Rumaan Alam
Roman Stories by Jumpa Lahiri - I read The Interpreter of Maladies in college and it made such an impression on me that I’ve carried her with me since. I am not a huge short story gal but maybe this one might be just what we need. "A delectable, sun-washed treat . . . the stories have the beating heart of the city itself, a place of magnificent decay and vibrant, varied life." - Vogue
Blackouts by Justin Torres - The plot sounds unhinged but I am always looking for new-to-me voices that explore questions of sexuality and identity: "[Justin] Torres is back with another book that stretches the boundaries of the idea of the novel . . . I was . . . surprised and enchanted by Blackouts . . . a strange dream-like, reality-like patchwork . . . This is a book about erasure and time, about storytelling and art and science, and also, if you'll forgive me, about love. I couldn't put it down."-Emily Temple
LINKS →
Time goes behind the scenes to tell you how the 100 best mystery thriller list was created. The panel is a literal who’s who of genre writers: Megan Abbott, Harlan Coben, S.A. Cosby, Gillian Flynn, Tana French, Rachel Howzell Hall, and Sujata Massey. High-caliber stuff!
CrimeReads interviewed 14 crime authors on how they make crime literary.
The correct number of beverages to always have at your desk. The ending was a chuckle.
RESTACK OF THE WEEK →
In honor of Roxane Gay’s new book, an audacious round-up that says what we are all thinking: John Fosse… won the Literature Prize (no relation to Bob).
LET’S CHAT →
This week, let me know what led you to your last read. Was it a review? A recommendation? A favorite author?
Or per ush, let me know what you’ve been reading in the comments. I’m always game for a good rec (or warning, grievances, etc. ). If you tell me your favorite TV show or movie lately, I’ll give you a book recommendation.
In Case You Missed It 🖤
This newsletter contains affiliate links. If you purchase using one of the links above, I will earn a baby-sized commission at no cost to you. Comment, share, repost, upgrade to paid, or buy me a coffee to support my work. Follow me @ thebookcreep on Instagram for pretty book pictures. Your support (monetary or not) is why I keep going, so thank you.
See you around the bookshelf!
Natalie
Your mood reader dilemma outlines my last week of trying to figure out what to read perfectly. I laughed and felt seen. I'm sorry you had to go through it but I'm happy not to be alone!
Honestly who doesn't mood read? I couldn't imagine planning my reading and going ahead and reading a book even if I wasn't in the mood... I'd end up hating reading haha! And congratulations on imminent wedding! Excited for you