"Why leave me hanging on a star when you deem me so high..." ~nick drake

If I spent the entire weekend grading papers I would go crazy, so I've been giving myself breaks. I just finished reading Sharp Objects, Gillian Flynn's first novel. Oh. My. Gosh. It was amazing and incredibly well-constructed. I couldn't put it down. I love the feeling I get when reading a really, really good thriller. I love the suspense and the tension. This novel was so much more than just a thriller, though. I didn't want to finish it because it was so good and I wanted to savor it, but I couldn't stop myself. I can't wait for Flynn to finish writing her next novel.

Before reading Sharp Objects I read Jennifer Egan's The Keep. I've read both of Egan's other novels (The Invivsible Circus and Look at Me) and enjoyed them, so I was very eager to read The Keep. It did not disappoint. Like Sharp Objects, it was another suspenseful, well-written novel that kept me on the edge of my seat. Egan is such a talented writer, and she's willing to take risks (which paid off in this novel).

I found both Sharp Objects and The Keep on a list of the best books of 2006; I'll have to go back and look at the list to find some more good options, because those two novels were the best reads I've had in a long time.

Back to grading. Ugh. Tonight I'm going to a Richmond Braves game, though, which will be another fun break.