Books read in 2025: No. 36 -- Gone Girl

by Gillian Flynn

Started: Sept. 22

Finished: Oct. 14

Notes: I've been trying to read more horror of late, but I honestly can't say if this book qualifies or not. I don't even remember why I bought it other than I had listed it on my Books I want to Read list. I don't even remember why I placed it on that list, but something must have drawn me to it. Anyway, I know there's been a movie of this novel, though I've not seen it, and I seem to have spotted some blurbs online about the movie at least having horror elements, so maybe it'll fit in with my current reading attempts.

Mini review: A wife goes missing and all the clues seem to point at the husband, as might be expected. But this is a complicated story where nothing is at it seems. Without giving anything away, I will say the true villain here is one of the most devious, though not necessarily bloodthirsty, I've read in fiction in a long while. Ultimately, this is a story about bad people who deserve one another. I can now see why this one made my list of books to read.

Beer of the Week: Highland Brewing AVL IPA

Beer score: 6.0

Company: Highland Brewing
ABU: 6.5
IBU: 70

Pours a faint golden color with some very slight cloudiness. Smells like orange zest. Has a decent foamy head.

As with nearly all IPAs, there's some bitterness that hits the tongue upon tasting, but here it's not all that strong. The bitterness does tend to linger, but it's way in the background for the most part, hanging around on the tongue.

I've had better from Highland Brewing, but I've also had slightly worse (in fairness, most of their beers are pretty good). If you're a fan of IPAs, this one is worth tasting. If you're not a fan of IPAs ... uh ... then go drink something else.

Beer of the Week: Highland Brewing Wishing Star

Beer score: 6.0

Company: Highland Brewing
ABU: 6.8
IBU: 70

Going into a clear glass, this one looks extremely pale, almost clear, though there is a hint of yellow, and there's a sizable foamy head. The smell is fairly weak, in my opinion, but there are hints of bitterness and citrus.

The taste is a stronger version of the smell, with bitterness and citrus, but neither are overly strong. To add, that bitterness is definitely present, but it's also quite smooth and not as strong as I've experienced in other IPAs, which is the style of beer here. There's also none of the skunkiness I've sometimes experienced in IPAs.

Is this a great beer? No. But it is a pretty good beer. I wouldn't turn my nose up if handed one.