Joe Kessler > Recent Status Updates

"I set the hat on my head. It fit almost perfectly. I wondered what it said about me that I kept meeting people who gave me clothes from their dead beloved’s coffers, and they fit properly."

“I thought we could leave Ballory until a bit later in the story,” Mr. Dart said. “As there are some important matters to discuss first.”

“Yes,” Sir Hamish said, “like why exactly Jemis said he died.”

“He’s not allowed to explain,” Mr. Dart said firmly. “He’s disturbingly glib about the whole thing.”

“I came back.”

“That doesn’t make it any better, Mr. Greenwing.”

Okay, THAT twist was better. Still feels like this will wind up a 3-star for me, though.

Obvious reveal is obvious.

So far this doesn't feel much like Night Vale. It's not bad, but it doesn't feel like the origin story it's supposed to be. Hopefully it develops more in that direction before the end.

Ace! That's a fun change from the episode.

I think I might have liked this better if the fantasy element had never arrived. As is, it feels like it's heading for 2 stars at best.

This is an awfully weird email to send back to an old student reaching out with confessions of depression.

I'm glad this nonbinary gender confession came now and not as part of the story's climax. It's been obvious for a while, and IMO it's a more compelling element than the rom-com stuff.

Oh, we actually are getting some chapters from Kit's perspective too? Hmm. Okay.

Miscommunication nonsense 🙄

The books in this series usually lose me in the back half, so... fingers crossed! The first half has been great.

This has major Miryem/Staryk king vibes and I am so here for it.

I am truly loving this. It's like... Strange the Dreamer but more explicitly Jewish? Feels like it's easily coasting to a 5-star for me.

I am having a much harder time believing that this particular character would panic over the idea that he might be autistic than that he's been seeing a ghost around town.

I hate this dog character so much 😭

This is flitting between a two and a three star read for me so far. Which is a bummer, because it came really highly recommended.

‪I'm really enjoying this book so far, and the genre finally clicked for me: this is northern Virginia's answer to the 'zany Florida' books of Carl Hiaasen, Dave Barry, Tim Dorsey, etc.‬

“I was thinking.” “A dangerous propensity.” “I know.”

Slick Beauty and the Beast reference there, ma'am.

How is this book almost over already? Nothing has really happened yet.

Really wish this had been more clearly advertised as an Outlander sort of plot.

I really wish this protagonist were more genre-savvy. Like... this is very River Song or The Time Traveler's Wife or whatever. You can be confused about why it's happening to YOU, but you should still be generally aware of the logic here. This "how can you know me when I don't know you" act is getting old.

"I would have liked to believe in logic and reason and rational explanations, but the circumstances of my life did not wholly lend themselves to it."

This one's probably gonna be a DNF for me. It's not terrible, but it's not great either and it's due back to the library first thing on Monday.

This is riding the line between 3 and 4 stars for me so far. Very effective writing, but the whole not-sure-what's-real-and-what's-not isn't my favorite approach for this sort of horror story.

I was trying to finish this one by tonight, but at this point I don't think it's going to happen.

"Hold on to your anger, Jemis, and control it. Anger is like magic: uncontrolled it can do terrible things through your agency. Controlled, well-directed, known, anger can be the fire that changes the world."

Now they're watching The Watermelon Woman (1996).