Reading Roundup: February 2020
One Day: The Extraordinary Story of an Ordinary 24 Hours in America by Gene Weingarten
How does the year 1986 feel simultaneously like it just barely happened and also like ancient history? This book was an interesting collection of a variety of different stories about many different people and the many ways in which one particular day fit into the rest of their life. Weingarten uses a few stylistic tics that I don't particularly enjoy, but I mostly had a great time reading this book.
The Tenth Muse by Catherine Chung
Math is not a subject I know a lot about, but thankfully the author of this book describes it in such a way that I can still appreciate its significance to the story without fully understanding all the details. Some elements of the plot were a bit too melodramatic and cliche for my taste--it's getting hard to write an original novel about World War 2 in Europe anymore--but I still enjoyed reading it. The protagonist feels both historically appropriate and relatable at the same time.
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
A small part of me expected this book to simply capitalize on Miller's unfortunate fame as a high-profile crime victim; I feel embarrassed to admit that I did not expect much, despite the positive reviews. I really should have known better, because her victim impact letter became famous precisely because of its eloquence. The book drags a little in a few spots, and can be excruciating to read simply because of the subject matter. That being said, I feel like it is a very important book and wish more people would read it. Like a lot of people in this world, I read and watch a lot of content related to crime. However, most of that content pays little attention to victims and their needs, or to the awful process a criminal trial really is for a victim. Miller is a strong writer and describes not just how the assault itself affected her, but also the trauma of dealing with the trial and its affects on her family, friends, and the rest of her life.
In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn
I had received a free e-book version of this novel a month or so ago, but completely forgot what it was about before I started reading it. It took me about a quarter of the way through the book to remember since I kept thinking the plot was supposed to go in a different direction. I thought that the characterization was a bit uneven--some were more developed and consistent than others. The plot had a few surprises at the end that I thought worked well, and I mostly enjoyed this book.
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell
The title and cover design of this book make it seem like a self-help book, which it most emphatically is not. It is a dense, philosophical collection of essays that cover a range of ideas. I read it slowly over the course of the month, in an attempt to digest everything, but found I really could not fully incorporate everything I had read (an excellent illustration of the problems of attention talked about the book). I want to buy a copy so I can re-read and highlight parts of it that spoke to me. Some Amazon reviewers took issue with the fact that the book is heavily influenced by the author's age, geographic location, and political views. Those things didn't bother me, which I'm sure is partly due to the fact that I share many of these characteristics with the author. However, I also think the right expectations are important and recognizing this as an exploratory essay collection is the best way to approach the book.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
I really have to stop getting sucked in by the latest 'cool' thriller that turns out to be poorly written, derivative, and full of unlikeable characters. Also, this one has a cover that is misleading about the setting (although maybe the setting on the cover would have made it more interesting). Hopefully my experience with this book will finally convince me to stop reading crap (don't count on it).
Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow
Reading this book shortly after finishing Chanel Miller's memoir was an interesting experience. They both come at the same cultural problem from very different angles, and yet arrive at the same conclusions. Power and privilege result in victims whose lives are severely damaged, and those who have power won't give it up without a fight. I've read a number of articles, by Farrow and others, describing many of the events in this book. However, reading them all together in one narrative was quite an experience. Farrow is a skilled writer, and creates a propulsive narrative that is hard to put down. As compelling as this book is, I wish we lived in a world where this story didn't exist.
Nineteen Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East by Naomi Shihab Nye
I couldn't fail on my goal of reading more poetry after just one month, so I grabbed this somewhat randomly at the library last week. I've read a few poems by Nye, but I don't know much about her and I've never read an entire collection of her work. This was published nearly twenty years ago, and brings together poems by Nye that are all about the Middle East. There are certain themes and images that run throughout the book--olives, figs, soldiers, stones, exile, language--yet the poems are varied enough that I did not get tired of reading them. I particularly enjoyed her ability to create vivid, concrete images with just a few well-chosen words.
Movies
Little Women
I really need to watch this movie again, because I had a difficult time shutting off the part of the brain that kept comparing it to the 1994 version. Unfortunately I've seen that version so many times that all the dialogue, shots, and story beats are seared into my consciousness in a way that is difficult to ignore. Despite that constant distraction, I mostly enjoyed the movie. The acting is all excellent (although I disagree with the choice to have one actress portray Amy at all ages--it got confusing and diluted her character arc), the cinematography was gorgeous, and I really did like the way the film plays with time and memory. I have not read this book for a long time, so I plan to read it again and then try watching this a second time.
Blinded by the Light
This movie surpassed my expectations in both how fun it was to watch, as well as how touching it was. If you don't like musicals you might not like it, but if you don't mind a little weirdness you can have a great time with it. I feel like it didn't get as much attention as Yesterday, since they seem to have some similarities (both British movies about popular music), but I thought this one had a lot more depth and much more to say about the ways in which music can speak to us.
Incredibles 2
This is only my second time watching this movie, although I would watch it gladly watch it many more times. For some reason this time I was particularly touched by Mr. Incredible's plight as the parent left at home with the less visible, more difficult workload (parenting can be rough). The film does a good job building off the events of the first movie, while also expanding on the characters and giving them new challenges to work with.
The Crying Game
I've read about this movie for years, and now that it's on Netflix I finally had a chance to watch it. I did already know about one of the major twists in the plot, since it's the kind of secret that's impossible to keep for nearly thirty years, but I was still surprised by all the other twists and turns. This is a hard movie to describe--the plot is uniquely convoluted, and just when you think it's about one thing, it turns out to be about something else entirely. It definitely deserves the acclaim it has received--although it is a bit dated, it's one of the most unique movies I've ever seen (FYI, it is very rated R for a number of different reasons).
How does the year 1986 feel simultaneously like it just barely happened and also like ancient history? This book was an interesting collection of a variety of different stories about many different people and the many ways in which one particular day fit into the rest of their life. Weingarten uses a few stylistic tics that I don't particularly enjoy, but I mostly had a great time reading this book.
The Tenth Muse by Catherine Chung
Math is not a subject I know a lot about, but thankfully the author of this book describes it in such a way that I can still appreciate its significance to the story without fully understanding all the details. Some elements of the plot were a bit too melodramatic and cliche for my taste--it's getting hard to write an original novel about World War 2 in Europe anymore--but I still enjoyed reading it. The protagonist feels both historically appropriate and relatable at the same time.
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
A small part of me expected this book to simply capitalize on Miller's unfortunate fame as a high-profile crime victim; I feel embarrassed to admit that I did not expect much, despite the positive reviews. I really should have known better, because her victim impact letter became famous precisely because of its eloquence. The book drags a little in a few spots, and can be excruciating to read simply because of the subject matter. That being said, I feel like it is a very important book and wish more people would read it. Like a lot of people in this world, I read and watch a lot of content related to crime. However, most of that content pays little attention to victims and their needs, or to the awful process a criminal trial really is for a victim. Miller is a strong writer and describes not just how the assault itself affected her, but also the trauma of dealing with the trial and its affects on her family, friends, and the rest of her life.
In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn
I had received a free e-book version of this novel a month or so ago, but completely forgot what it was about before I started reading it. It took me about a quarter of the way through the book to remember since I kept thinking the plot was supposed to go in a different direction. I thought that the characterization was a bit uneven--some were more developed and consistent than others. The plot had a few surprises at the end that I thought worked well, and I mostly enjoyed this book.
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell
The title and cover design of this book make it seem like a self-help book, which it most emphatically is not. It is a dense, philosophical collection of essays that cover a range of ideas. I read it slowly over the course of the month, in an attempt to digest everything, but found I really could not fully incorporate everything I had read (an excellent illustration of the problems of attention talked about the book). I want to buy a copy so I can re-read and highlight parts of it that spoke to me. Some Amazon reviewers took issue with the fact that the book is heavily influenced by the author's age, geographic location, and political views. Those things didn't bother me, which I'm sure is partly due to the fact that I share many of these characteristics with the author. However, I also think the right expectations are important and recognizing this as an exploratory essay collection is the best way to approach the book.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
I really have to stop getting sucked in by the latest 'cool' thriller that turns out to be poorly written, derivative, and full of unlikeable characters. Also, this one has a cover that is misleading about the setting (although maybe the setting on the cover would have made it more interesting). Hopefully my experience with this book will finally convince me to stop reading crap (don't count on it).
Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow
Reading this book shortly after finishing Chanel Miller's memoir was an interesting experience. They both come at the same cultural problem from very different angles, and yet arrive at the same conclusions. Power and privilege result in victims whose lives are severely damaged, and those who have power won't give it up without a fight. I've read a number of articles, by Farrow and others, describing many of the events in this book. However, reading them all together in one narrative was quite an experience. Farrow is a skilled writer, and creates a propulsive narrative that is hard to put down. As compelling as this book is, I wish we lived in a world where this story didn't exist.
Nineteen Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East by Naomi Shihab Nye
I couldn't fail on my goal of reading more poetry after just one month, so I grabbed this somewhat randomly at the library last week. I've read a few poems by Nye, but I don't know much about her and I've never read an entire collection of her work. This was published nearly twenty years ago, and brings together poems by Nye that are all about the Middle East. There are certain themes and images that run throughout the book--olives, figs, soldiers, stones, exile, language--yet the poems are varied enough that I did not get tired of reading them. I particularly enjoyed her ability to create vivid, concrete images with just a few well-chosen words.
Movies
Little Women
I really need to watch this movie again, because I had a difficult time shutting off the part of the brain that kept comparing it to the 1994 version. Unfortunately I've seen that version so many times that all the dialogue, shots, and story beats are seared into my consciousness in a way that is difficult to ignore. Despite that constant distraction, I mostly enjoyed the movie. The acting is all excellent (although I disagree with the choice to have one actress portray Amy at all ages--it got confusing and diluted her character arc), the cinematography was gorgeous, and I really did like the way the film plays with time and memory. I have not read this book for a long time, so I plan to read it again and then try watching this a second time.
Blinded by the Light
This movie surpassed my expectations in both how fun it was to watch, as well as how touching it was. If you don't like musicals you might not like it, but if you don't mind a little weirdness you can have a great time with it. I feel like it didn't get as much attention as Yesterday, since they seem to have some similarities (both British movies about popular music), but I thought this one had a lot more depth and much more to say about the ways in which music can speak to us.
Incredibles 2
This is only my second time watching this movie, although I would watch it gladly watch it many more times. For some reason this time I was particularly touched by Mr. Incredible's plight as the parent left at home with the less visible, more difficult workload (parenting can be rough). The film does a good job building off the events of the first movie, while also expanding on the characters and giving them new challenges to work with.
The Crying Game
I've read about this movie for years, and now that it's on Netflix I finally had a chance to watch it. I did already know about one of the major twists in the plot, since it's the kind of secret that's impossible to keep for nearly thirty years, but I was still surprised by all the other twists and turns. This is a hard movie to describe--the plot is uniquely convoluted, and just when you think it's about one thing, it turns out to be about something else entirely. It definitely deserves the acclaim it has received--although it is a bit dated, it's one of the most unique movies I've ever seen (FYI, it is very rated R for a number of different reasons).
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