Which book and author got recommended to me?

Cafe Society
21

Great guess but no. Thanks.

22

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.

23

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.

24

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.

25

Thanks for the update! and glad that you found it

26

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.

27

Standard Deviation was published six years ago.

28

I’m confused. Which collection of short stories are you reading?

29

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.

30

Thanks! Since you said you liked it I wanted to verify which book you meant.

31

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.

32

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.

33

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.