It's Wednesday!

[evelyn_b]

After a sumptuous supper of cold cereal, I had to restrain an urge to snatch at the food like a snarling mongrel. I tried a sip of the wine, a silky blend of apple and oak. Kick-ass private detectives hardly ever live like this. We're the Gallo aficionados of the jug-wine set.

I don't have much new to report.

My reading time has been severely curtailed and when I get a minute to myself, almost the only thing I want to read is my best girl Kinsey Millhone. She's a not-like-other-girls narrator done beautifully right, even if I'm never going to love her (typical of narrators in the 1980s? Or just of Sue Grafton?) habit of describing people by exactly how many pounds overweight they are. I love her prickliness and her deliberate, defensive self-isolation, and I love that it's impossible to offer her food in any context without her casually but compulsively reminding the reader of her own lazy self-catering. She's the perfect guide to her own endless string of ridiculously over-the-top misadventures (she's about to get marked for death AGAIN after getting chased around the desert by a hitman and losing both her car and her apartment to fire, and as if that weren't enough her landlord's hypochondriac brother is visiting and driving everyone crazy) and also the perfect guide to the petty insurance-fraud cases that pay her bills. She's not always the perfect guide to whatever supporting cast she's investigating, because her prejudices get in the way, but you won't get far in the private-eye game if you keep your good-faith goggles on all the time, will you?

In I is for Innocent, Kinsey has what she thinks is a clear case against some asshole who obviously murdered his wife, and she's sure she can sew it right up if she can just talk to enough people about what an asshole he was. But can it really be that simple? Of course it can't; we're only a third of the way in. Things are just starting to unravel. My expectations are high.

I did finish The Martian and it was just as delightful all the way through. In addition to the endless problem-solving, I also really enjoyed how transparently Mark was the star of Andy Weir's daydreams, right down to his fellow astronauts reminiscing about how great his stupid jokes were.

No promises for next week, either - but at least I made it to Wednesday this time?

Comments

[thisbluespirit]

My reading time has been severely curtailed and when I get a minute to myself, almost the only thing I want to read is my best girl Kinsey Millhone.

Aw, I am sorry to hear that. But glad that you have Kinsey to keep you going!

[evelyn_b]

It's nothing bad - just ordinary busy season that happens every year, and it won't last too long. But I am also glad for Kinsey. <3

[chelseagirl]

My engineering students LOVE The Martian. This year we are doing the film, because of the time factor, but the book is so much better, because so ridiculously detailed.

I ended up with three random free Sue Graftons from various book tables so I'm glad to hear a ringing endorsement.

[evelyn_b]

the book is so much better, because so ridiculously detailed.

I'm really impressed by Weir's ability to present ALL the details of his Martian survival kit in a way that isn't confusing at all to me and my extremely non-technical mind. I can imagine it's even better if you're an engineering student!

I ended up with three random free Sue Graftons from various book tables

Oh, which ones? I hope you enjoy them!

[osprey_archer]

Happy Wednesday reading! Not that reading posts are bad at other times, but there is something nice about having a scheduled weekly post.

I am glad to hear that The Martian continued to delight all the way through. There's something refreshing about Mark Watney's can-do attitude and his almost total lack of angst.

[evelyn_b]

Thank you! :D Hopefully this is the end of never getting anything done on time.

Mark Watney is the hero we need. No time for angst when you're trapped on Mars!