Episode 815: First (And Last) Day Of Relaxation

Have promised myself that I'm going to start doing work tomorrow, which for now is basically going to be a lot of reading, followed by a lot of writing. PWP and Shakespeare project, to be exact. First though, I have a review to write of Her Fearful Symmetry, which despite the overall lukewarm reception it's had from critics, I actually kept enjoyed for its intricate patterning. Yes, a few of the plot twists were glaringly obvious in the way clues were laid down by Niffenegger pretty early on in the text, but to accuse her of appropriating wholesale the ghost story structure kind of misses the point of the novel, in my opinion. You can read my review when it's up for what I've got to say on that. I guess it was always going to be impossible to top something like The Time Traveler's Wife, which even a hardened cynic has to admit is a sensitive portrayal of an unconventional relationship. That seems to be Niffenegger's forte, as mechanics of the plot aside, it's the relationships in Her Fearful Symmetry that are rendered wonderfully. Also starting on Jesse Kellerman's The Brutal Art, lent to me by Zoe over the holidays. Have high expectations, since both of Kellerman's parents are bestselling thriller writers as well!