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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

The Sunday Post #350

On The Blog Recently

• It's My 10th Blogiversary
• Best Books Set In Mansions
• When Books "Talk" To Each Other
• Books To Read In Winter
• All I Want For Christmas Is Books

In My Reading Life

Last year, I read and loved Home by Toni Morrison. That book lives in my brain. It's about a brother who leaves a mental hospital to stop his sister from taking a job that might kill her. The writing and the depiction of mental illness are things I'll never forget.

After I posted my review of Home, strangers on Pinterest were like, "Home sucks. It's Toni Morrison's worst book. You need to read Beloved." So . . . I read Beloved.

Friends, I hated it. I was bored and confused.

Beloved is historical fiction about Sethe, who escapes from slavery with her young children. Shortly after she escapes, she's tracked down by her former enslaver, and her baby is killed during the encounter. Years later, a teenage girl named Beloved shows up at Sethe's house. Sethe is convinced that the teenager is the ghost of her dead baby.

The premise of the book is great. It quickly becomes apparent that Beloved is the ghost of slavery. Sethe is attempting to move on with her life as a free woman, but the traumatic memories of her past influence every decision she makes. This novel is Sethe learning to live while being haunted by her own mind.

The writing style is what made me struggle. It's told stream-of-consciousness style from multiple points of view. I'm not smart enough for that! I couldn't keep up with who was who and when things were happening in the timeline. I think I read this book twice because I kept backing up and rereading. Eventually, I got too frustrated to care about the story. I just wanted it to be over.

Sorry, Pinterest strangers! I tried! I don't think Beloved is Toni Morrison's best book. Read Home instead.

Next, I read The Warlow Experiment by Alix Nathan. It's a historical fiction book that's inspired by real events. In 1790s Wales, a wealthy man called Powyss decides he wants to be famous for doing science. He's curious about what happens if a person is kept in complete isolation. He designs an experiment where a man lives in a windowless underground apartment for seven years. If the test subject successfully completes the seven years without human contact, Powyss will pay him fifty pounds a year for life.

Only one man applies for the test subject job: Warlow. He's a violent, mentally ill, barely literate, farm laborer with a large family to support.

As you'd expect, the experiment goes wrong. Powyss' servants think the experiment is abusive and do everything they can to set Warlow free. But, Warlow doesn't want to be free. He wants his money!

I couldn't put this book down because I was fascinated by the disconnect between the characters. It was especially interesting to see the disconnect between what Warlow needs and what Powyss thinks he needs. Powyss fills the underground apartment with books, musical instruments, and nice clothes. These are things that Powyss loves. However, Warlow can barely read, has no interest in music, and doesn't bathe or change his clothes. Powyss designed the perfect environment for himself, not for the person who will actually be living there.

The disconnect continues when Powyss is writing observations about his experiment. He hears Warlow laughing and tries to guess which book Warlow is reading. Warlow is not reading. Warlow is slowly going insane while surrounded by books. (Honestly, that part is relatable.)

I enjoyed this book because of the characters' failure to see the world outside of their own interests, but I understand why the book has an abysmal average rating on Goodreads. (I think it has a 3.3 average right now?) The plot is slow. The characters are selfish, juvenile, and insufferable. There's a lot of violence against women.

I like the book because I'm a weirdo, but I'm not sure who to recommend it to. Other weirdos? People who like slow horror? I suspect quite a few readers will hate this one.

In The Rest Of My Life

Five things that made me happy last week:

1. If you're celebrating, I hope you're having a great Christmas Eve!
2. Secret Santa. My person got her gifts, and I got mine. I haven't opened mine yet. I hope she likes hers.
3. I was searching my TV for happy Christmas movies, and I accidentally discovered that Christmas true crime is a thing. I didn't watch any of it, but I started laughing really hard because of course real-life Christmas murder TV shows exist. We live in odd times. Do you think there are more murders during Christmas because families are forced to spend time together? I can totally see my family becoming a Christmas true crime documentary.
4. Speaking of scary stuff, I watched Leave The World Behind on Netflix. The movie is just as unsettling as the book! I loved it.
5. Wandering around at night. I took this photo of a random cylinder-on-stilts that appeared in a cow field. I suspect it's for water? Or it's aliens? The bright lights in the distance are a football stadium. Or maybe more aliens.

FOLLOW ME BEFORE I GET FAMOUS ON CHRISTMAS TRUE CRIME

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Take care of yourselves and be kind to each other. See you around the blogosphere!