Hey, if you follow me on Twitter you may know (and if you
don’t-- why the hell not? Oh, you have a
life, well, ok…) that I’ve been recovering from leg and foot surgery. Hey, I wish it were a face lift, or something
glamorous, or something that involved vacuuming out my middle section, but no,
just trying to be able to walk. . .that pesky “one foot in front of the other”
thing.
So I thought I’d give you my latest summary of books I’ve read. This is not to be confused with a piece of
literary criticism, more like the ravings of an overly isolated person who
doesn’t have the mojo to reach for the remote.
Bridget Jones – Mad about The Boy by Helen Fielding
This was actually light and fun, yet not too light and
fun. Hey, Ms. Fielding makes me laugh
out loud, what can I tell you? I’m a
sucker for that stuff about the calorie counts and the number of drinks. What’s not to love about a tally of sex
thoughts for the day. Not that I
identify. You gotta love the English
spelling of the word “Diarrhoea” used in conjunction with the word “erupted.” Sorry, I’m a bit primal these days myself.
I give it an 8 out of 10 on the enjoyment and
held-my-attention scale. Just fun. Beach or plane read.
The Circle by Dave Eggers.
A 10. I give this a
10. Can I do an 11?
Hey, if you do follow me on Twitter or FB or use any kind of
device, this book is riveting and harrowing at the same time. It is the story of being “wired” going just a
step too far.
I’ve never read Dave Eggers before and now I think he is a
mad genius. And I’m slightly in love
with him. This book is big, bold, brave
and I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN. The
protagonist is this 20-something, Google-type chick who loses herself in the
world of “connectedness.”
It’s big, meaty and important. It is Contemporary Literary Fiction. . .and
it is good anyway! Hah! Read it, then tweet me! Or nod to me, or something.
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
Oh Dear God: This book received the Mann Booker Prize for
Literary Fiction. This always meant to me, “Ah, an important book for our
times.” Let me tell you, that is NOT a
good recommendation today. This book has
been written up EVERYWHERE and raved about.
Well, I’m raving, but it ain’t good.
850 pages. And by the
time I was finished and the “mystery” had been solved? I no longer gave a shit about who did it and
why.
Really, has no one heard of an editor? (I do realize perhaps I need one here!)
The gold rush in New Zealand, or wherever the hell it takes
place doesn’t interest me anyway, but 850 pages on it? There isn’t enough character development to
make me want to do this again.
But please, read the book and let me know your opinion. Or save yourself a week of your life and
watch “Justified” and “House of Cards.“ But
comment anyway, cuz I’m needy like that.
I give it a 5. Cuz I
made the effort. And it was herculean.
The View from Penthouse B by Elinor Lipman
I do love an Elinor Lipman novel. This was a lovely tale of two sisters, one
married to a Bernie Madoff-type guy, the other a young widow, making it work in
NY. Add the lovely gay roommate and it
is just a lovely, warm, engaging read.
I give it an 8. You
will enjoy or if not? Come over and step on my foot. My bad foot.
The Virgins by Pamela Erens
This is a typical, angst-filled, coming-of-age in a boarding
school tale of young love. Hey, what’s
not to love about THAT description???
Totally readable, if you like that kind of thing, which I
do. Not powerful, riveting or life
changing-- just a read.
Can I tell you a secret?
When I looked at the cover of this book on my iPad, I couldn’t
immediately remember the story, which could be a statement about me or the
novel. Take your pick.
I give it a 6.5. (And
a 2.7 for memorability.)
The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Look, it’s the Eat, Love, Pray author, writing a long
novel about botany. And feminism. And a
woman coming of age. . . and a woman who really can’t come of age. Because it’s
set in the 1800s. It is sad, long,
readable, empowering. Good to read in
companion with Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg. Cuz all you want to do is scream at this
woman to leave the flipping moss alone and LIVE. “LEAN IN, SISTER!”
But oddly enough despite the rather odd and unnatural
obsession with moss? Quite readable. So
I give it an 8.
Ending on a high note (To be read in operatic singing style)
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
This is the book of the year. The. Book. Of. The. Year.
This is the incredible story of a boy’s journey and love and
relationships and the love for a Mama.
It is so much more mind-bending than a typical “coming-of-age” story; it
is a story for our times. I love this
protagonist. You won’t forget this one,
no matter what kind of memory issue you have on a daily basis. Now, why am I standing in this room again?
I give it a flipping 12! Hah-- take that scale of 1 to
10. Ms. Tartt – I love you.
Hope you're doing better. Joe got a serious staph infection in his leg in early December, spent the holidays in the hospital. Know what you're going through. We'll catch up one of these days! Joe and David
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