u/Larry-Man

I don’t want to talk about the murder or mayhem. That part’s a given in this genre. I already love the feel of it. It was published in 1996 and the setting is so important to the characters and the story. The real horror so far is the way the world really was.

Now, mind you I’m not done so tread lightly on how spoilers for how the story ends. I didn’t expect to meet Lucas and Tran. Their stories are absolutely heartbreaking so far. These feel like real stories about real people and I didn’t expect that at all in this book. Even the lost kid when we meet Jason that he takes home is a real kind of person who really existed. The bleak reality for gay men during the height of the AIDs crisis was horrific. The unflinching look at this little time capsule is astounding. The beautiful prose so far has this being one of my favourite reads of all time.

This book is scathing and angry at the world. It’s cynical and absolutely full of pain and rage. Unlike a lot of books of this kind it has something real to say.

The beautiful writing allows me into the mindset of two abhorrent main characters to the point of almost sympathizing with them, this book is something that feels like Lolita in which it draws you into their disgusting world. But there’s something more here with our other two main characters, something raw and human.

Please tell me I’m not the only one in thinking this is one of the most beautifully written books of all time, not just in this genre. I almost want to just keep reading about these people without it ever ending.

When people said it had astounding prose I didn’t realize that they meant the whole story is beautifully crafted in very real world situations. Even Jason and Andrew are based on real serial killers.

Can anyone else share their experience with alcohol and autism? Please tell me I’m not alone.

I want advice and help and hope.

Thanks to anyone who can share in depth.

Tips for staying cool without air-con in dangerously high temps:

Sleeping: get a spray bottle and fill it with water. Throw some ice cubes in it before bed. Spray the sheet down with a thin layer of mist and it’ll keep you much cooler

You can also mist down a few hand towels or washcloths then freeze them (you want them damp not soaked) and pull them out to rest on the back of your neck.

Cold showers: maybe not ice cold but before I got A/C I was taking them too cold for my male partner who usually acts like I’ve got the shower at a temperature as boiling as the depths of hell. Shower in the morning and before bed if you can, even if it’s just a quick rinse one time. Wet hair makes you stay cooler longer. It’s harder in the humidity but it can still work.

If the sun is beating down: blackout curtains can be expensive. Tape aluminium shiny side out in any south-facing windows or windows that get too much sunlight. It’ll reflect the light and heat back outside and can make a few degrees different. It looks trashy but if you’re dying of heat you won’t care.

Fans and air circulation can help but running too many can actually heat the home up more.

If you have a basement that’s cooler than the rest of the house I used to actually “camp out” there with a a foam mattress overnight.

Sitting in shade outside is usually the coolest way to exist in the summertime. The cinemas are usually air conditioned to counteract the large groups of people, the same as indoor shopping malls (don’t know if you have any near you).

I gave up my acoustic guitar about a decade ago and even then I wasn’t really good. My fiance has this dusty electric guitar he bought and then gave up on before we met and I am stuck home and bored and was teaching myself again. The strings are much harder than my nice little nylons when I was learning before and after two days I’ve got fingertip blisters. I threw some first aid tape over them because it’s less bulky than bandaids but it doesn’t stay super well.

I want to continue to practice while I have the time off but it’s gone from uncomfortable to downright painful and I’ve only been giving it an hour, tops, of basic chord practice both days with a free learning app so lots of breaks in there.

Obviously I’ve gotta tough it out for the most part, I’ve done this before. But this time is so much worse.

Any tips or help would be appreciated!

I miss the lemon biscotti.

But what I always get are those seaweed snacks if they have them.

I also always buy the big box of frozen chicken breasts both for me and for feeding my senior cat.

I also rarely leave without the sparkling juice (apple pear mixed with a pear cider from Lonetree is a great beverage).

I just wanna know what other people like to have at home and why, maybe I can look for some of it.