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3-17-21: My 28th finished book of 2021! Mona, a 26 year old cleaning lady, lives in Taos, New Mexico. As she tries to salvage herself about a bad relationship and the heartaches of her upbringing, she winds up on a strange journey(peppered with wacky clients) that takes her back to the home she grew up in. This was a dark one but also very clever. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #vacuuminthedark #jenbeagin 👍🏼📖#️⃣2️⃣8️⃣

Reading Jen Beagin is such a delight. Her voice is so unlike anything else I've been reading, funny, dark, and her characters feel so complete and alive. Her books aren't for everyone as they touch on some really dark topics but I'll read anything she writes. She's the real deal.

Fascinating, hilarious, and uncomfortable as hell. Yet another book readers will either love or hate.

One of the most difficult things about working in a library the temptation to take home ALL of the exciting books 🤣

I can see why folks might not like this book, but I appreciated the observations, dry humor, and main character. Mona cleans houses and wanders from man to man and one cleaning job to the next. There are many trigger warnings for those who wish to know that. I needed a novel that would make me chuckle quietly while also allowing me to feel completely connected with the character. This satisfied in that regard.

I didn't end up enjoying this one. It wasn't as funny as the blurb led me to believe. There were some very clever ideas and thoughtful passages, but it felt like it was trying too hard. It was kind of depressing and there was a lot more sexual violence discussion than I went in expecting. I did like how the book was laid out structurally in four big sections, each focusing on a relationship and/or home she was cleaning.

TW: rape, child abuse

I'm still not sure how I feel about this book 25 pages in. I like the concept but just haven't had the chance to sit down and get into it this week. Since it's only 200 pages or so, I'm probably going finish it off tonight regardless.

Today's #riotgrams prompt is library books. This is my current stack.

The humor in this short novel is dry and amazing, I loved her imaginary relationship w Terry Gross. That said, the book is divided into 4 sections and felt episodic. I loved the first two and was less compelled by the second two. Still, the humor is fascinating and kept me reading.

This was a weird novel. It started out with the story of a woman who was a house cleaner and got involved with the family she cleaned for. From there it followed her to another house, then home, then to another location.

I'm afraid that I might have been just the wrong reader for this book. I'm not a fan of a lot of graphic content and descriptions of bodily habits - and this book was filled with that stuff! The story is broken into four sections and follows Mona, a young woman in her 20's who works as a cleaning lady in New Mexico. Although I appreciate Beagin's dark humor and her quirky characters, I couldn't find anything I actually liked. #Netgalley ⭐️⭐️

I was surprised that Jen Beagin‘s sophomore novel features the same main character as her debut. It makes Beagin seem a little one note, but it‘s a good note. Beagin excels with odd episodes and imagery. She deftly manages to write about sexual violence with a mixture of humor and pathos. It‘s a true talent. Her writing is effortlessly readable. Beagin is the anti-romance hero! 🧹 🧼

#HAPPYPUBDAY To this hilarious book!
🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 for this one.
Mona is a cleaning lady who is a quirky and funny character. The situations she gets in had me laughing out loud. This is darkly funny, explicit and slightly odd. Enjoyed this one.
Out Today!
#bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblogger #booklover

From the Whiting Award-winning author of Pretend I‘m Dead and one of the most exhilarating new voices in fiction, a new hilarious, edgy, and brilliant one-of-a-kind novel about a cleaning lady named Mona and her struggles to move forward in life.
This one come out in February and sounds pretty awesome.
#vacuum #octoberputaspellonyou