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Rupert Thomas recommended Paradoxical Undressing in Books (curated)

 
Paradoxical Undressing
Paradoxical Undressing
Kristin Hersh | 2011 | Biography
(0 Ratings)
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"Kristin Hersh is no ordinary musician, and her mind is unlike any other. In her memoir, Paradoxical Undressing, she captures what it’s like to be young and starting out, but this is a grazed reality, the top layer of skin stripped clean away. The book is based on a diary she kept when she was 18, which is, as she says, “the age when no one takes care of you”. It was a year when everything happened. She moved her band, Throwing Muses, from Providence, Rhode Island, to Boston. She was diagnosed as a schizophrenic, then bipolar. She was offered her first recording contract, with 4AD. She discovered she was pregnant. And she became unlikely friends with faded Hollywood movie star, Betty Hutton. “Betty sings about starlight and champagne,” Hersh writes. “I sing about dead rabbits and blow jobs.” Though Hutton was unpredictable and fragile (“Time is like a hurricane to her – a big, fast mess, sweeping her away”) she was also full of generosity, compassion and advice. “You have to leave things out to tell a story,” she once told Hersh. And Hersh listened. This female Kurt Cobain – he was a fan of her work – has forged her own brave path, often against enormous odds. And she writes better sentences than most writers do."

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A Likely Story
A Likely Story
Jenn McKinlay | 2015 | Mystery
8
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
No Man Dies on an Island Alone
One of the things that librarian Lindsey Norris does as part of her job is take requests to the residents who live in the islands off the coast of Briar Creek, Connecticut. And that’s what she is doing this cold February day with the help of her ex-boyfriend, Sully. Their first stop is Star Island, the home of brothers Stewart and Peter Rosen. The brothers are recluses, and Lindsey knows to never leave the dock – Stewart will meet her there. This particular afternoon, Stewart doesn’t come to meet her. After waiting a few minutes, Lindsey and Sully can’t help but feel that something is wrong, so they venture up to the house to investigate. Inside, they find one brother dead with no sign of the other. Did one brother kill the other? Or is something even more sinister involved?

Since this is book six in the series, we’ve gotten to know the series regulars pretty well, and it is fun to check in with them again here. A couple of the supporting characters even get their own sub-plots, and they added some great humor to the book. The love triangle is still going strong here, although it takes a backseat to some of the other storylines of the book. Yes, the mystery is the more prominent story of the book. Once again for this series, it doesn’t unfold in typical fashion, but I was no less hooked, and I had to know what Lindsey would uncover next as she worked to piece everything together. I did feel the ending was rushed, which left a couple of things dangling, but the big questions were all answered. We get the typical extras for this series – literature discussion questions, a craft project, recipes – as well as a bonus short story that is a lot of fun. Fans new and old will enjoy catching up with Lindsey here.
  
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The Ice Twins
S.K. Tremayne | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.1 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
Angus and Sarah Moorcraft are struggling to keep their marriage in tact after the tragic death of one of their twin daughters. To escape from the memories of the incident and to hopefully push past other issues including alcoholism and infidelity, they move to an isolated lighthouse on an island just off the coast of Scotland, which Angus inherited from his grandmother. It starts promisingly enough for the family, until it becomes apparent that their surviving twin, Kirstie, is very likely Lydia, whom they thought had died. Things begin to spiral further out of control as their daughter appears to be being haunted by her dead sister (whichever one that may be) and both parents begin to go a bit crazy, Sarah especially. Secrets get revealed that threaten to shatter the already fragile balance they're maintaining until finally the truth about the accident comes out. The concept is pretty creepy and the setting is perfect for it. The characters aren't exactly likable, but no one is really as contemptuous as some recent "protagonists" in other novels, which makes it easier to root for them. Once things really get rolling, the twists come out pretty fast and furious and the suspense builds to a somewhat shocking conclusion. Unlikely to be the thriller of the year, but a very entertaining read that is perfect for the Halloween season.