Welcome to another installment of Linkpso, where I take a piece of content (article, essay, book, video… anything I can link to) and use it as a prompt for writing. I might be in conversation with the piece or use it as a springboard to go in a completely different direction. I also included a few more interesting links to inspire some Linkspo of your own.
I’m binging every bit of political news I can get my fingers on as if reading every headline and following every poll will somehow affect the outcome. It is a firehose of distressing, mean, dangerous, and absurd comments. My relationship with political news isn’t healthy, and I know it, but I can’t help myself. I’ve got that “diet starts on Monday” or an alcoholic who just booked a ticket to rehab feeling, and I’m just trying to mitigate the damage until Tuesday… or, more likely, Thursday or Friday.
Somehow, I remain “nauseously optimistic.”
Maybe that’s because I’m at a place in my life where, if the Orange Man does prevail, I have the time and resources to organize against his worst tendencies, OR maybe she just might win by a big enough margin to make him go away… I float between existential dread and profound joyousness.
In the time it takes me to travel from one extreme to another, I like to listen to murder mysteries. It's kind of weird that reading murder stories quiets my anxious mind, but when I think about it, it makes perfect sense. I know, even before I read the first word, that the mystery will be solved, the good guys will win, and the story will end.
So, if you are anywhere near as anxious as I am, might I suggest murder to help pass the time… Please forgive my cryptic descriptions. Sentence fragments and run-ons are all I can muster these days.
Faceless Killers Really great opening. Interesting thoughts on immigration in Europe, especially given the conversation going on right now in America.
The Push If you haven’t read this yet, Please STOP what you’re doing right now and go read it, then come back and comment on this post. I NEED to talk to someone about this book!! It’s essentially a domestic thriller, but so much more!
The Golden Couple Easy reading. Interesting premise. Plenty of twists to keep me entertained.
The It Girl I call these “return to campus” novels. It has a campus vibe because that’s how all the characters are connected, but the action takes place when they are closer to middle age. This is my first Ruth Ware mystery, and she did not disappoint. Depending on how this election goes, I’m glad to see she has a big backlist.
The Berry Pickers VERY discussable book! Well written, and I love when novels center contemporary Native American life. I had some problems with the ending. Gorgeous cover!
The Hunger Games I’m about 15 years late to this party, but it was worth the wait. My oldest son and I read these together over the summer, and we both loved them. It's not a mystery, but for sure, propulsive fiction. If you haven’t read them start now, there are five books, enough to keep you disctracted until January 20th. (I’m glad I still have the two prequels to read.)
Honorable mentions are anything from Sue Grafton’s Alphabet series (they are a little dated, but for sure, comfort reads) and anything from Liane Moriarty. I read Apples Never Fall this year, and it was excellent.
This is where I am today. Thank you for listening.
xoxo
Emily
P.S. What are you doing to stay sane this weekend?