Before we get to my review Queen Robinson’s Lila, I have some other business to attend to. I wrote numerous more things for Book Riot that I forgot to tell you jokers about!

• A piece about moving in with my partner and the complications of blending our bookshelves. Blending Bookshelves: My Quest to Embrace Chaos
• Going on a big ole airplane trip? Check out Plane English: 8 Books to Take on Your Next Flight. Apologies for the pun – my partner made me do it!
• Remember that time I read all the Pulitzer Prize-winning works of fiction? It was ridiculous. You can read all about it here, please read about the lengths I’ll go to in order to avoid watching people buy pies: 6 Things You Should Know if You’re Considering the Pulitzer Challenge.
• Finally, we’ve got my list of 100 Must-Read Almost-Prize-Winning Books in which you get to learn all about how I’m a little bit stupid.

And now, review time!

Sometimes when I read a book I love I’m like, “Man, how could anyone not love this book! It’s so good and so vast and so fast-paced and the writing is lovely yet tight and it’s just a winner all around!” I loved Lila deeply but I can absolutely understand why others wouldn’t. It’s slow. Not a lot happens. Basically, it’s like every other Marilynne Robinson book I’ve ever read, and like ever other book of hers I’ve read, I loved it so much!

The language is beautiful. The characters are rich and lovely and I just . . . what do you say about Ms. Robinson? If you’ve read and loved the other two in this Gilead sort-of-series then you know what to expect and I can’t imagine you being disappointed. If you’ve read and disliked / felt indifferent about them, then there’s nothing here that’s going to redeem her for you. If you’ve never read Robinson, I’d suggest giving Gilead a shot first.

Another reviewer asked, “Have you ever read a book so good it hurt?” and I think that’s as good a way as any to describe my experience reading this book. I live in the same Iowa town that Robinson lives in and I sincerely hope I never run into her because I’m pretty sure I’d either start weeping or yelling at her, such is the deepness of the emotions her works get out of me.