Book cover of Diary

Book description

Misty Wilmot has had it. Once a promising young artist, she’s now stuck on an island ruined by tourism, drinking too much and working as a waitress in a hotel. Her husband, a contractor, is in a coma after a suicide attempt, but that doesn’t stop his clients from threatening…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Diary as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Witty writing is important to me both as a writer and a reader, and Palahniuk’s prose is sharp,  aggressive, and biting, with more wit than most writers know what to do with. It’s a hard feat as a writer to be witty and aggressive and still maintain the flow of the story, and Palahniuk does it over and over, with this book being a stand out for me.

Not too many books can make me laugh out loud, shudder, cringe, and keep turning the pages like this one did.

I love a good bizarre read, and Palahniuk is the master of the strange. I always feel like I’m recovering from a fever dream after peeling myself from one of his worlds. Told in diary format writing to her husband, Peter (hence the name), Diary centers around Misty, an aspiring artist. Her husband has attempted suicide and is now in a coma, leaving her with a mess. A contractor, Peter had been doing odd things to his customers’ homes. Misty and her daughter are living with her mother-in-law on a strange island with strange people, the book twists and turns…

From Marie's list on whiplash inducing twists.

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