Down the Rabbit Hole of Reading

I’m a big Karen McManus fan. Her YA thrillers never disappoint. They are brilliantly written with compelling, three-dimensional characters, and fantastic twists. I’ve read her first four novels. When I saw her SIXTH book was dropping August 30, I went to my trusty Libby app to search for the fifth installment, which I’ve yet to read.

Sadly, You’ll be the Death of Me is not available for digital through my local library. Apparently undaunted, Libby recommended an alternative: Does this Mean You’ll See Me Naked?

After I recovered from my initial clutching of pearls and confusion over *WHO* would give this title to their thriller, I realized the book was non-fiction. The subtitle drew my attention immediately: A Funeral Director Reflects on 30 Years of Serving the Living and the Dead.

I once took a Death class during a January semester in college. I was a sociology student and found the nuance surrounding American death culture to be absolutely fascinating. I was thrilled to have the opportunity for further study, although, I’ll admit, I got a lot of strange looks from friends and relatives when they found out my course assignment.

I vividly remember a class field trip to visit a funeral home. We were allowed to tour the embalming room and the rest of the facility, and ask questions about the entire process.

This random Libby recommendation reminded me of that day, many years ago. I eagerly checked out the book and dove in. I have to say, it was hard to put down. The author covered many topics and was both educational and entertaining. I appreciated his matter-of-fact writing style and was impressed by his assertion that being an undertaker or funeral director is an essential service much like nurses and teachers.

So, while I have yet to read my Karen McManus thriller, I’m pretty happy with my Libby recommendation. How about you? Have you even gone down the rabbit hole of reading and found a hidden gem absolutely worth the discovery?