The Hating Game A Novel by Sally Thorne—A Quick Read & Pure Escapism

 

This one is pure escapism

Often when I ask someone what they like to read and we talk classics, non-fiction, memoirs, biographies, and literature, I'll add but what is your go-to escapism reading? You know the kind of book you devour but don't necessarily remember to add to recommendations, something you picked up and couldn't put down? 

Because reading can be just for fun

For Christmas I received a delicious pile of books: Coffee-table books, inspirational, bestsellers, non-fiction, and books that are friend's favorites (including some translated into English from other languages). Books are my favorite gifts to receive. I feel like the luckiest person ever to have vetted and recommended piles of books waiting for me. It's great when I can literally cozy into my over-sized chair with them scattered beside me, piled on the floor, and a few in my lap and read one after another. 

Movies are great, but books are my first love. They contain MORE detail, deeper story!

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne was a gift and came with the instructions to take a day and read it obsessively. It's pure escapism and just fun. It's about two co-workers who absolutely despise each other. They share an office. It's told from the point of view of Lucy Hutton. The publishing house she works for merged with another publishing house and now she has to compete with Joshua Templeman, a priggish and perfect man who judges her every move and never smiles.

Lucie initiates various games against Joshua, keeping track of his predictable behavior and trying to one-up him as he effortlessly wins every battle she wages. Things get heated when they compete for an upcoming promotion they both want and they keep Human Resources busy with their hijinks. I laughed out loud and read until the wee hours of the morning, unable to put the book down and go to bed. 

It's a fast-paced story and you won't want to put it down either!

In fact I planned to reread it to deconstruct Thorne's writing style. I was that impressed with her technique. Maybe I will get to that in time—after I've read all the other vetted and gifted gems vying for my attention. Have I mentioned how much I love to read? It's one of my favorite things, especially when a book keeps me laughing out loud.

Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh—a book review

 

I gave the three-year-old a bowl of marshmallows so I could read this.

Don't tell.

You're probably familiar with Allie Brosh's work from her Hyperbole and a Half memes. She's a writer and comic artist with a real gift for capturing the awkwardness of humanity. If you want to see how well your sense of humor jibes with Brosh's, read this free excerpt from her book about her neighbor Richard. 

That's how I discovered her and I immediately ordered the book, in hardcover. She really captures the heart and soul of (and awkwardness) of life. I loved her stories of herself as a three-year-old stalker. Brosh is one of those people who hasn't glossed over her childhood, but remembers it well. 

Her stories reminded me of the less idyllic but memorable parts of growing up and how children behave. The neighbor girl who's so insistent on showing grown Allie her purple bedroom is brilliantly awkward and perfect. If you've ever tried to politely bypass an insistent child, you'll understand. The combination of her writing and her drawings convey both story and emotion. It made me wish I could add such genius illustrations to my own work! 

Think this would help with my Viking novel?

This is a quick read, I finished it in a day. I laughed out loud many times, though there are achingly sad stories woven in here too—divorce, depression, and death. It's a realistic take on the absurdity of life, and easy to relate to. As soon as I finished Solutions and Other Problems, I immediately got online and ordered her other book, Hyperbole and a Half.

It's difficult to rate a book that's both art and story, but I'd say five stars and I recommend you don't miss this one. It's a wonderful bit of escapism during COVID, and a reminder about priorities too. It's both hysterically funny and sobering. A perfect blend, wouldn't you say?

The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind—by Jackson Ford

The only thing that could inspire me to step away from writing is the threat of a government fine. So I stopped writing long enough to pay my taxes and get my car inspected. While waiting on my car, I walked to the library. Yes, in January. I'm impressed too. It's cold. I froze. 

It's probably been ten years since I went into a library. I love libraries. I'm one of those people who always votes to increase their budget because I want it to be there when it's time for my ten year visit. One of the perks of being a writer is people give me books. Sometimes they're from other writers for a review or promotion, and sometimes they're simply gifts. Also, the local bookstore has chai tea and I go there too much and I buy books there. It's not a financially sound process to buy books with each cup of chai, and to give them away after I read them. But I have to or I'd need a bigger house.

It's really not a surprise, if you've ever seen my purse, that even after ten years I'd still have my library card in there. I also have a card for a taxi driver named Stephanos in Athens, Greece, a stone from Stonehenge, a piece of amber with a bug in it, and a one dollar Egyptian coin with King Tut on it. If I had the chance to take an unplanned trip to Greece or Cairo, I could get a taxi driver I know or skip converting my money because I have a coin worth a good eighteen cents.

What is a surprise was that the ten-year-old library card still works. It was nice and warm in the library and I could have free books for about three weeks which makes good fiscal sense. I grabbed the newest Margaret Atwood novel and a book on coding written for someone about ten years old. I learned more about coding in the few minutes I perused it than I ever knew, so I checked it out. 

I also picked up a book by a writer I'd never heard of before. Jackson Ford. He wrote The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind. I love titles that tell you what you need to know. There's a book I loved called The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. It's by Jonas Jonasson. You have the synopsis in the title with these kinds of books. 

I'd bet that The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind will become a television show/movie (the 100 year old man book did). I could sense that as I read it. It's about a woman named Teagan Frost, who was genetically altered by her science-minded parents to have the ability to move sh*t with her mind. She gets taken by the government and forced to work for an agency called China Shop. By day they move furniture, and on the side they're spies. At least they're the kind who break into buildings and take information. 

It's an action packed novel and nothing goes right for Teagan. Her powers are limited and hurt her, and you can't help but feel sorry for her forced into a life she doesn't want. Teagan wants to run a restaurant. Her hobby is eating. She's rude and swears a lot. You can't help but like her when she's getting tasered, punched in the face, or jumping out an eighty story window. 

The book is set in L.A., and I'm not familiar with L.A. other than passing through a couple times. The setting didn't sound like the place I'd passed through, and at the end of the book the author admitted he'd never been there. Someone more familiar with it would have to make the call on the authenticity, but who cares? It was escapism. My only other criticism is that they use the word kerb for curb and somehow they use that word a lot. That may be a translation issue, I don't think it was written in English originally.

As a nitpicky writer little things like that bump me out of a story. I know it's dumb, but it does. Mostly I think things like OMG, is this a new writing thing? Has curb officially become kerb? Because sometimes there are weird little writing rules, like having to capitalize dumpster (I refuse. I hate other people's nitpicky rules, especially when they look like errors to the reader when technically they're correct. Dumpster was/is a brand name). I only like MY nitpicky things, not other peoples. I can be annoying like Teagan. 

Anyway, I'd give this book a solid four out of five stars for pure escapism, but no depth. I tend to be generous with my stars. As a writer I'm aware that someone took the time to do all that work and transform this story into a fast-paced exciting read. I'm not going to poo-poo it because it's not what I'd have written. 

The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind ends by opening up the story for the next book in a series, which is a thing series writers are supposed to do too. So kudos to Jackson Ford. But I'll be moving on to my ten-year-old level book on coding now, and I'll wait for the movie or the series. If it never happens, and I spot the next book in the library someday, well, I'd definitely pick it up. Maybe, maybe, I'd buy it to read with a chai too—that depends entirely on the cover. 

Circe by Madeline Miller—My Latest Good Read

Another one for your TBR pile!

First, Bibliophile Details

I read Circe in hardcover. I'd also put a copy on my Kindle App. It's something I often do in case I go on a trip in the middle of my book. In this case I never opened the Kindle copy. I got the book from the Book of the Month Club. The subscription was a gift. 

It's a Little, Brown and Company book. The cover is matte and pleasant to the touch. The paper is a nice quality and the pages are easy to turn. Reading it was a pleasant visceral experience.

Beware, there be spoilers ahead

Circe is about the immortal goddess, daughter of Helios. The story world is one readers will be familiar with if they know their Greek myths. Even if you've never read them you'll probably know more than you realize from movies and pop culture. 

The author does a lovely job of giving it her own twist and provides excellent details about the hierarchy of the gods from Kronos to Zeus, and from Titans to the "new-squeaking gods upon Olympus who had not seen the making of the world". 

The details are delicious and the fate of the nymphs brings an excellent arterial vein take on subjugated females to the tale.

The Ugly Truth

Immortality is an idea that's intrigued me since I wrote my immortal warrior story. So I loved Miller's ruthless, spoiled, childish gods. They are heartless to each other. There's no love between them. They're cruel and delight in inflicting misery on each other. 

It makes sense to me that an immortal would lack empathy, but occasionally the chronic meanness was a heavy read.

Circe is a goddess and nymph with less than perfect looks and no discernible talents. The other gods can barely tolerate her. She's loyal but aware of her situation and reads her people well. 

After wreaking revenge on a fellow nymph Circe gets banished to a Greek Island. (That's my personal dream scenario. What god do I need to offend for that?)

You Go Girl

Most of Circe's life passes alone on that isolated island. She discovers her strengths and weaknesses there. Her father is Helios who rides his chariot across the sky as the sun each day. He can see her if he cares to, so he and other gods can know what she's up to though they ignore her even when she needs help.

Shipwrecked mortals occasionally knock on her door. Circe has a weakness for them though they disappoint her possibly more than the gods did. 

What worked for me was both the world Miller detailed and Circe's depth. She recognizes her faults as well as the faults of those around her. Despite having the ability to eternally be as selfish or comfortable as the other gods she constantly searches for meaning and growth despite the judgement and misery she brings on herself. 

Not that she's perfect. She has a real talent for vengeance. 

I'd give it four stars

The five star system doesn't work for me. Since I write too I always see the hard work behind the story and want to give five stars for

Stephanie Karfelt

that. Yet I think of all the stellar literature I've had the pleasure to read and drop it down a notch to be fair. 

Circe is a good solid read. I'm glad I read it and I enjoyed it. If you're into mythology you'll want to dig in. 

Next! Bring on another hardcover!

You and I both know I'm chapters into that next book already, but we'll talk about that one another day.