I cannot win for losing when it comes to picking characters who die, my hand to god.

serpentpixie recommended "The Stranger's Child" to me ages ago (see, sometimes I do write down who recc'd things! Though you may not be glad I did in this case D:) and it's quite well-written, an entertaining read and a detailed historical piece.

I'm sure the last 2/3rd of it are great. But it appears that the death of the only character I liked is actually the axis of the book's plot. Normally I might try to read it anyway but an entire book about the death of my favourite character is like watching Ianto/Coulson/Lupin/Marcus die on loop.

Sorry, Serpentpixie! I really wanted to read it and I agree with you it's a great book! But I cannot finish it.

At least it's better than Ushant, which I was told was the best biographical data available on Conrad Aiken and is actually a rather ill-written four hundred page prose poem by Aiken himself. Love his poetry, not reading four hundred pages of it when I want a biography.

Sometimes when you play library book roulette, you lose....