Reading Roundup: May 2019

A New Constellation by Ashley Mae Hoiland

This book was small and quick to read, but also very powerful. I'm still thinking about it two months later. This book me both want to be the kind of person who supports others in the way people have helped her, and also become a writer who can be aware of myself and others and write about them in the way Hoiland does.

A House Among the Trees by Julia Glass

Sometime I feel like I read too many books about New York and the stereotypical upper-middle-class people who live there. I don't know if there are just that many books published about this world, or if I just always find them. This one was actually pretty good, although a few of the characters never stopped being annoying and I didn't see enough of the character I liked most. Nevertheless, it had an interesting premise and I mostly enjoyed it. 

Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living by Krista Tippett

I spent most of the month reading this book in little chunks because it is so full of interesting insights. I think I might need to buy a copy so I can re-read parts and annotate the things I found most helpful or inspiring. 

The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani

I read this fairly small book all in one afternoon; it wasn't as good as all the reviews I'd read hyping it. I kept feeling like there was an issue with the translation because it seemed like there was something I was missing. Generally I like translations that keep a bit of the 'foreignness' of the source text and culture, but in this case it seemed like there were aspects of the culture I couldn't quite get from the novel itself. It also wasn't as suspenseful or horrific as many of the reviews I'd read about it. 

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Unlike the last book, I felt like this one really lived up to the hype. It's a fairly simple story and not suspenseful, and yet I was totally enthralled by the characters and sad to see them go when the book was done. Even though their lives were very different from mine, I still felt like I related to them and learned a lot about life and relationships.

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

I had a chance to hear Stevenson speak last year and felt very inspired by his speech. This book was just as inspiring as his speech was; he is a strong writer and makes a persuasive case for reform in the justice system. This book opened my eyes and made me think differently about a lot of things in this world.

Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult

I'm really not sure why I finished this book because it was really terrible. The plot was very incoherent and the characters were all just stereotypes. I kept hoping it would get better, but it never did. 

Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh

This book was great on so many levels--I also talked Little Dude into reading it and he loved it as well. The characterization was excellent and the plot was well-constructed. I also especially liked the parallels between the current refugee situation in Europe and World War Two. I recommend this for both teens and adults.

I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

Although I'd heard quite a lot about this book and had read several articles by the author, I wasn't sure if I wanted to read it because of the content. For our book club we had to read a book set in our home state and this took place in California--that actually was a bit freaky since many of the attacks described in the book took place near places I've lived. It was much more compelling than I expected, and an interesting mix of crime reporting and memoir. McNamara was an excellent writer and this book would have been even better if she had been able to finish it. 

Movies

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

It's been a long time since I had seen this movie and I wanted to introduce it to the kids. P. is still too young for it and left the room after about ten minutes, but the other two laughed their heads off during the entire show.


The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

We started watching this when it was late and I was a bit tired so I think I might need to watch it again some other time. It was not quite as good as the first movie, since some of the jokes seemed a bit forced and some of the meta-commentary was too meta for my taste. 

Captain Marvel

I haven't been keeping up on the Marvel movies at all, but S. was a big fan of this movie and a number of people talked me into seeing it in the theater. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, although I'm sure I missed some jokes along the way.

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Another classic that the kids needed to see; the two older kids commented on several scenes that they can know recognize as the source for references in many other later films. I had worried that it might be too violent and gory for the kids, but the film is now old enough that the special effects seem more hokey than terrifying. I enjoyed it just as much as the kids since it's been a long time since my last viewing.

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