Ill Will by Dan Chaon

 Our library asked each librarian to identify their 10 favorite books from the last 10 years - or maybe it was the last 25 years.  (I should have written this while it was happening, not 3 months later.  But I am trying to catch up with my blog and the quotes I have scribbled on scraps of paper about the house.)  One book identified on a couple folks lists was "Ill Will".  I believe it was hyped on the cover as one of the scariest books ever.

Nah.  I am not a fan of family thrillers. You know, where dad is some sort of monster who keeps his wife hostage.  Ah, I think they call them psychological thrillers.  Not for me.  And yet, every once in a while, I try it again.  

So, bottom line- this book would not make any list of mine- 10 year, 25 year or even 4 month best.

Here, however, is a good line.  OK, FOUR.

"Sometimes a dead bird is just a dead bird.

I realized I had the choice.  I could give this moment a meaning, or I could choose to ignore it.  It just depended on the kind of story I wanted to tell myself."