The second of my Spring Break reads was Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (author of Gone Girl). It was really good in a really bad way. I kind of didn’t like reading it, but then I also couldn’t put it down. Have you ever read a book that crazy?
Goodreads says…
WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart
Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.
NASTY on her kneecap, BABYDOLL on her leg
Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory.
HARMFUL on her wrist, WHORE on her ankle
As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.
I can’t decide if I would recommend this one or not. If you are like me and are an equal opportunity reader (ie. I’ll read pretty much anything unless it is harming children or animals) then go for it. It’s haunting and kind of freaky, but not in the way that will keep you up at night or make you cry yourself to sleep. If you like to read about rainbows and unicorns and inspirational and motivational things, then this one wouldn’t really be a fit :-)
Let me know what’s on your bedside. It’s time for me to pick up a LOT of reading while I (not so patiently) wait on my foot to heal!!!!!!!! Speaking of which, it is dramatically better on this FOURTH day of sitting on my sofa. I have a follow up appt with a highly recommended orthopedics and sports medicine doctor. I couldn’t get in until next Friday but I’m on his cancellation list should something open up. Fingers crossed…
xoxo
Oh, that book sounds interesting – going on my list! I'm currently reading The Cartographer on No Man's Land. Not much to say about it yet, it was a eandom pickup from the library.
Glad to hear your foot is improving – and hope you get your appointment sooner rather than later! xo
I read that last fall. It was exactly that…really good in a bad way! Ha! Not my style at all, but I could not put it down! Her book Gone Girl is crazy like that too. I never finished the other one, Dark Places…it was just too raunchy for me, too dark.
I just finished the House at Riverton (loved it!) and have ordered The Forgotten Garden. I'm reading The Opposite of Loneliness until The Forgotten Garden arrives. :)
I liked Gone Girl but it was pretty dark. Do you think Sharp Objects was darker?
HA! I love that non-recommendation of the book. ;) I never finished Gone Girl and can't decide if I should start it again. I'm reading a few right now – White Shark by Peter Benchley {author of Jaws}, Selection Stories, and Making Children Mind without Losing Yours. HA! Two years old is about to give me gray hair!!!
I read Gone Girl, and it was also disturbing and hard to put down. I just finished The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley, and I enjoyed it thoroughly! If you like a good mystery, and a funny one, you'd enjoy this book. The main character is an 11 year-old girl, Flavia de Luce, and she is brilliant and hilarious at the same time. You might enjoy something light like this in your current predicament (so sorry about the injury!) By the way, I'm a Birmingham girl (transplanted in Austin) so naturally I love your blog!
Hope you're feeling better, it's hard to be forced to rest and sit when you're a mom.
Have you read any Karen Kingsbury books?
It's Christian fiction and she's a fantastic author. Look her up!
Have a great weekend!
Betsy
West of the Square Designs
I still need to read Gone Girl, along with the rest of the stack I have yet to get to. That books sounds intriguing though. Glad the foot is seeming a bit better, and you were able to get an appt. Most of the time they are booked months out!!
I read Dark Places by Gillian Flynn after reading Gone Girl. Like you, not sure I would recommend it. Gone Girl is definitely her best gook IMHO. Right now I am reading The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler. It has mixed reviews on Good Reads but so far I am enjoying it. I am sure it is not everyone's cup of tea but if there is a book store in the novel, I will give it a chance. So far I have had to look up five words that the author used! Love learning new words…Plinth, Blazon, Quotidian and Brio.
I'm also curious if you thought this or Gone Girl was darker. I couldn't put GG down, but I can't say I loved it. I just finished The Husband's Secret.
your blog is fun! Enjoyed your Easter post. LOVED YOUR EASTER DRESS…..so pretty!! I love posts about your back porch, its so nice! A good book I just read is "Queen Sugar". Its by a brand new author. You might like it. Come visit my front porch blog sometime!
Hi – Love your blog! For some reason your posts are not delivered to my email any more – I tried to submit my email address again but it says I am already subscribed. Please advise.
Tess
we read that one for our book club and once we had our discussions (from the questions on Gillian Flynn's page) it was REALLY eye opening! It was like WOAH! Like so many little subtle nuances. It is a very dark book but one that I couldn't stop reading!
Dark places is pretty tough, too, but the story is another one that will have you hanging on for more.
All – I did think gone girl was darker than this one. :-)
Thanks for the book ideas. After a year of year mainly educational articles, I wanted to get lost in a book. I read Rules of Civility over Memorial Day weekend. I loved it and feel like you that might be a book I want on my shelf.
After I read The Boys in the Boat and liked it. I tried Gone Girl but couldn't finish. I might give her another go.
Loved The Selection, reading the Secret Life CeeCee Wilkes while waiting on The Elite.
Thanks for the book ideas. After a year of year mainly educational articles, I wanted to get lost in a book. I read Rules of Civility over Memorial Day weekend. I loved it and feel like you that might be a book I want on my shelf.
After I read The Boys in the Boat and liked it. I tried Gone Girl but couldn't finish. I might give her another go.
Loved The Selection, reading the Secret Life CeeCee Wilkes while waiting on The Elite.