Mid-Month Check In: Talking At Night
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Happy Sunday! If you’re following My Side Plot on Fable, you know we’re 10 chapters into our April pick, Talking At Night by Claire Daverley.
We’ll finish the book on April 28th so mark those cals!
My Minimal Spoiler Thoughts So far
I am so absorbed in this book that I’ve barely written down any notes. I highlighted two sentences in the Epigrah and then somehow time traveled to the middle.
My god I love it so much.
Here’s why:
The Sally Rooney vibes. Enough said.
The weather. I’m a sucker for anything that romanticizes snowstorms and nighttime. This does both.
The fall. I knew something bad would happen and still audibly gasped when it did. I was so distracted by the love story and language that I didn’t see it coming until it was too late, and it was such a “holy shit” moment. Claire, how the hell did you do that??!?? Do you know how hard it is to blatantly tell me something at the beginning of a story and have me completely forget about it seven chapters in? That’s crazy. That’s witchcraft. That’s 🤌 writing.
The tense. I find the present tense tricky to read, but Claire (Like Sally) absolutely nailed it. The whole thing has this drifting, aimless quality which (I think) is exactly the point.
All. The. Little. Details. How do people write like this?? How are these tiny little things so compelling? I am so lost in this book I can’t even tell you.
Here is the one annotation I made on pg 2 before I got sucked into this magical, stunning, incredible prose:
“Nothing can be ordinary or blithe or routine again, even though it was just a Tuesday, even though she has a music lesson in three hours, even though his keys are still in her jacket pocket.
She thinks about his fingerprints, all over them.”
Chills.
Recently Shelved:
Set My Heart To Five, Simon Stephenson
Guys, I loved this one so much. It was so silly and charming and insightful and CUTE. A robot learning about love through watching old movies? Come on?!? I will think about this book forever.
Set My Heart To Five is perfect for cinephiles and anyone who loves quirky characters, satire, and sci-fi (what a combo). As much as I enjoyed the voice, it loses half a point because the narration was sometimes a biiitttt much. 4.5/5.
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
I’m listening to this audiobook on rainy days and feeling my spooky goth fantasy. Why? It’s free on Audible! What a perfect excuse to plow through all the classics I’ve said I want to read.
My TBR
Fan Girl Down, Tessa Bailey
I’m reading this for The GIST’s book club (which you should also join) and will be reviewing it in our sports newsletter. Before you buy this book, please be aware that it is golf porn. Yes, you read that right.
Ninth House, Leigh Bardugo
This is another one that’s been on my TBR forever. With Wuthering Heights in my ears, I’m dying to read more dark academic novels - the genre of my soul.
Last Thought:
