# Which book and author got recommended to me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [June 8, 2023, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-book-and-author-got-recommended-to-me/985223 "2023-06-08T19:51:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2023, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-book-and-author-got-recommended-to-me/985223/21 "2023-06-09T00:59:59Z")
Great guess but no. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2023, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-book-and-author-got-recommended-to-me/985223/22 "2023-06-09T13:18:59Z")
_Quietly Hostile_ by Samantha Irby meets the name portion of the requirements but unfortunately it’s a book of essays. Really, really funny essays but, nonetheless, essays. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-book-and-author-got-recommended-to-me/985223/23 "2023-06-10T21:17:25Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > [White Cat, Black Dog](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61391802-white-cat-black-dog?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=QiGw9MJBI8&rank=5) by Kelly Link Just read this last week. Great book! Although I’d read the last story about a year ago in a book of Shirley Jackson pastiches. ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-book-and-author-got-recommended-to-me/985223/24 "2023-06-10T21:23:12Z")
All of you will be thrilled to learn that (I think) I just took out of the library the book I was seeking, STANDARD DEVIATION by Katherine Heiny. It took me an hour, and some luck, scouring the shelves but I’m pretty sure this is what I was looking for. Thanks to all for helping. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-book-and-author-got-recommended-to-me/985223/25 "2023-06-11T00:47:32Z")
Thanks for the update! and glad that you found it ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-book-and-author-got-recommended-to-me/985223/26 "2023-06-11T13:06:53Z")
i’ve read only one story so far, but it’s very well written. (Haven’t cracked the novel yet.) Interesting that a casual conversation with a stranger at the pool would result in such a good match for my oddball tastes. I wish there were someone here who’s read this collection, because I’d love to discuss it. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-book-and-author-got-recommended-to-me/985223/27 "2023-06-11T13:42:08Z")
> [@slicedalone](#): > > just published _Standard Deviation_ was published six years ago. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-book-and-author-got-recommended-to-me/985223/28 "2023-06-11T18:14:59Z")
I’m confused. Which collection of short stories are you reading? ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-book-and-author-got-recommended-to-me/985223/29 "2023-06-11T18:29:00Z")
Sorry for any confusion. (Either I got misinformation about the date of STANDARD DEVIATION or I screwed it up.) I took that novel out and a collection entitled GAMES AND RITUALS, of which the first story in terrific. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-book-and-author-got-recommended-to-me/985223/30 "2023-06-11T18:30:27Z")
Thanks! Since you said you liked it I wanted to verify which book you meant. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2023, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-book-and-author-got-recommended-to-me/985223/31 "2023-06-12T10:25:53Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Just read this last week. Great book! Although I’d read the last story about a year ago in a book of Shirley Jackson pastiches. Have you read any of Link’s other collections? I was eyeing this book, but then I noticed my ratings of her past books and they kept getting lower. I like her first collection, _Stranger Things Happen._ But as she published more and more collections, I would like less and less of the stories until by _Get in Trouble_, I only liked two out of the nine in that collection. So I would be interested to hear how you think _White Cat, Black Dog_ compares to her other works if you’ve read them. ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2023, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-book-and-author-got-recommended-to-me/985223/32 "2023-06-12T11:31:26Z")
Yeah, i got mixed up. GAMES AND RITUALS , the story collection I am now reading was published in 2023, but the novel my friend was reading STANDARD DEVIATIONS was published years ago. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2023, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-book-and-author-got-recommended-to-me/985223/33 "2023-06-12T18:37:26Z")
_White Cat, Black Dog_ was my first Kelly Link (other than the individual story). If I read more, I’ll come back and post here. That’s sad that you didn’t like the other collection. I liked this one so much I’d been looking forward to more. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-book-and-author-got-recommended-to-me/985223.md?page=1)