Holy goddamn fucking shit, Code Name Verity is doing some amazing shit with the unreliable narrator. I was WONDERING what the shit the main character's name was (I had just been calling her Verity) and was intrigued that she seemed to be telling Maddie's story, that she was hardly in it, and then here's a new character called Queenie so now they're three friends and then WHAT THE GODDAMN SHIT SHE'S QUEENIE. This fucking book.

Heh. You ain't seen nothing yet.

There's a lot of book left and I'm scared and clearly I need to pay more attention all the time.

From way upthread: I feel much cooler to have in some way contributed to Ms. Hillenbrand seeing the Faulkner Derby story.

Unconnected: I like the animals in Harry Dresden's life and I knew what Mouse was (i.e., what breed of dog) almost as soon as he was introduced. . . although I find it hard to believe that even at a very young age that sort of dog is that small, you know?

I adored Mouse and everyone's reactions to him. "Wait--you have a *real* temple dog? The Powers that Be *let* you keep him?"

I figured Mouse would be whatever size he needed to be.

I have read 230 pages of Verity in the last 12 hours, and there was a dress rehearsal in there.

Yes, close reading for salient details (I will say that I am proud of myself for immediately grasping two things. Unless I'm wrong about those things. Of course, I'm sure I missed several more.)

I will also say this for YA, I am much more likely to be up all night reading it than I am with Srs ltrture.

I don't understand why Code Name Verity would have been categorized as a YA book at all.

The main character's age seems to be the determinant factor, but this feels like The Book Thief, where it could could have gone either way, marketing-wise.

Just finished the last Skulduggery book. So! Good! And much less painful than I was expecting, though not without its moments.

I haven't even started it yet, so this is good to hear!