DIAGNOSIS: ACUTE GENRE WHIPLASH

The Face You Make When Transitioning From a Cozy Garden Book to a Dark Murder Mystery in the Same Afternoon

This is the face of a person whose summer reading stack is giving them severe emotional whiplash.

I took this photo right at the exact moment my brain tried to process moving from a delightful, heartwarming story about second chances straight into a gritty, forensic thriller. One minute, I'm smiling at the cozy, magical world of a retired assassin pruning their country garden, and the next minute, I'm wide-eyed and suspicious, analyzing my husband'sbehavior to see if he matches the profile of a serial killer.

My summer reading personality isn't "relaxing by the pool." It's "mildly alarmed intellectual."

I'm currently cycling through sharp societal satire, deep literary drama, and brutal murder mysteries. My eyes are permanently wide, my glasses are working overtime, and my face is stuck in a state of perpetual skepticism. If you see me out in the wild this summer looking like this, don't worry—I'm fine. I'm just trying to figure out whodunit before dusk settles and shadows look like serial killers.

Let me know in the comments if you’re reading sweet beach romances or if your nightstand also looks like a criminal profiling unit.