Nice reviews (sorry, Justine...

...but nothing much else is happening, writing-wise)

First, Six Boxes of Books, in a post titled 'Why you should read Tender Morsels even though the subject matter freaks you out', says what I (of course) think are some very astute and sensible things about the violence in the novel, e.g.:

As to the pleading “Did she have to make it so horrifying?”, my answer is… yes. I’ve discussed above how in a way, it isn’t really that “horrifying”, because of the way that it’s told. But for the book to work, what happens to Liga has to be the worst thing one can imagine. And then something else terrible has to happen. Ultimately, I promise, this book is wise and uplifting. It doesn’t leave the reader thinking “the world is a terrible place”; it leaves you knowing that the world is a place where terrible things sometimes happen, but people thrive.

Does anyone need to hear this message more than teenagers?

Then, having read TM as a direct result of the wonderful Nymeth's review, Bottle of Shine had me laughing (witchily) with comments like these:

I was hesitant about Tender Morsels ... At the end of this book, I was a soggy, crying hot mess, complete with tissues and fogged glasses—for good reason. Tender Morsels will break your heart and then repair it and then break it again and this cycle continues through the end of the novel, so bittersweet and lovely.

and

The dwarf in this story is just a complete douchebag, and I loved all the scenes with him, Branza and Urdda because they were so very different from each other.

Then, more niceness (and you know how I love niceness!) from XoXo, Erin:

I loved this novel for its realism and roughness as well as the fact that it didn’t shy away from the dirt, grime, and crime of the world. It fundamentally strives to illustrate how hiding from life and living a watered down and safe existence limits one’s chances for happiness much more so than it protects. Margo Lanagan is a true storyteller in the finest sense of the word. You won’t soon forget the worlds and characters she weaves in Tender Morsels.

Oh, and I'm writing a Gothic story. I have a chunk that works and a lot of other chunks that kind of skate close to what I want to do, but don't quite touch it. Off to Draftbusters this weekend for a bit of morale-boosting.

OK, all linked out now. Phew.