Is it wrong?
Something must be wrong with me. I'm reading Lois McMaster Bujold's The Hallowed Hunt. The story is gripping. The world building is complex and fascinating. The characterization is superb. I like both protagonists: they are multidimensional and colorful. I root for them both. The tension is rising, and my adrenaline is pumping. Some mysteroius menace is looming over the heroes, threatening their lives...
And I can't read it anymore. Even though I know it will end well for them - I cheated and peeked into the ending - I can't force myself to continue the novel. At about 30% I stopped. I might continue it later, but for now, it feels too intense, too dark for me.
Do you know what I picked up to wipe off the darkness? Jayne Castle's Amaryllis. A fluffy futuristic romance I've already read two or three times. The world building is kind-a silly. The characters are, if not flat then not fully fleshed out. The plot is formulaic. The tension is artificial. And I'm relaxing and enjoying it. Literature it's not, but it's a nice reading interlude. I can stop at any time and start again at any time. My adrenaline is not pumping. I like the book.
What is wrong with me?