After exhausting the supply of my own short stories (most of which, surprisingly, she enjoyed), as well as my own Sherlock Holmes novella (very well received), and with only half-written/half-begun longer short stories/novels left, leaving aside one or two that she would definitely not want to hear, Karen wanted more Sherlock Holmes. We settled on Doyle's son's collection, The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes. I have to say, four stories in and it's a surprising and major disappointment. Guess you can't beat the originals.

Just got this bad boy for Christmas

https://media.pitchfork.com/photos/5...tie%20Boys.jpg

I read that as "Backstreet Boys Book" at first and was confused.

Backstreet Boys got some bangers but I don't know that I'd read an entire book about them

Looks good!

Gave up on the Adrian Conan Doyle Sherlock stories. Just really awful. If you don't believe me, read "The Highgate Miracle" or "The Black Baronet". I've convinced her to give Dean Koontz a try, so we're kicking off with Dark Rivers of the Heart. So far she's enjoying it.

What do you do if you get to a sex scene?

He just reverts to hand gestures and sound effects.

Close my eyes and back out of the room.

Actually, she's a terrible prude. You know that scene in Memnoch the Devil where he licks the blood from her pussy? I have to gloss over that. It's literally like being my own censor. Sex scenes, animal cruelty, anything upsetting I have to hum and go past it to where it's safe, so if I don't know the book I'm constantly scanning down the page in case I hit something I need to avoid. This is also why she can't and wouldn't want to hear my stories "Fury" or "Snow Falling Upwards".

I think I've said this before but Dracula is tedious and annoying af.