Reading Roundup: June 2020
American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI by Kate Winkler Dawson
I learned a number of new things about the early history of forensics from this book. It was also an interesting way to reflect on the role the media and celebrity play in our culture; although the media we have now adds new complications, many of the issues were already present a century a year ago. Sometimes the writing in this book was a little dry and there were a few repetitive parts, but in general I enjoyed it.
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
This is not a book to read quickly. It moves back and forth between characters and time periods throughout the book, sometimes revisiting events multiple times, each with a slightly different focus. I love reading books where all the pieces come together slowly and the author is so obviously skilled. This is quite different from St. John Mandel's previous book (Station Eleven), but I loved it just as much.
The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott
Although this book tried to do similar things to the last one I read (multiple time periods and multiple points of view), it never quite came together. The two main narratives never come together and it ends up feeling like reading two books at the same time. Some parts were very well-written and I think Prescott has potential, but this novel didn't really work for me.
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
If you've read Brown's other books, this one won't have much new to say to you; the concepts aren't new, but Brown provides specific ways to apply them in the workplace. I reached a point where I needed the reminder of ways to improve my performance at work and this book was just what I needed.
A Castle in Wartime: One Family, Their Missing Sons, and the Fight to Defeat the Nazis by Catherine Bailey
This book covers several aspects of World War Two that I didn't know much about: the war in Northern Italy, German resistance to Hitler, and the complicated aftermath in Europe. Bailey is an engaging writer and made this complex narrative both easy to read and compelling. The middle part of the book drags a little since it covers a series of journeys the main characters were forced to undergo as the Nazis tried to evade their enemies. Other than this section, the rest of the book is tightly written and I had a hard time putting it down.
The Wife by Meg Wolitzer
Perhaps I would have enjoyed this book more if I cared more about twentieth-century American literature, since that is the particular milieu Wolitzer is critiquing. I also realize that I'm a generation beyond the type of woman the protagonist represents, so I found it hard to empathize with her (and not spend the entire book yelling at her to grow a spine). Nevertheless, Wolitzer is a skilled writer and I found this to be an engaging and interesting read, even if I constantly disagreed with the protagonist.
The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom
This is one of the best memoirs I have ever read; it's long and complicated, like Broom's family, and includes many interesting reflections on memory, politics, geography, and history. Although my life has been very different from Broom's, I found many shared experiences in her writing. In a time when so many are talking about dialogue and listening to the experiences of others, I strongly recommend reading Broom's book.
How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
I haven't read anything by Center before, and now I have a new chick-lit author to recommend. This book did a great job balancing a realistic look at recovering from a major injury with a hopeful, fun story about love. It was a lot of fun to read.
Movies
Despite the fact that this film has two great actors leading it, it never quite got off the ground for me. The plot is a bit too predictable and involves too much frantic rushing around in a panic. There were some great bits scattered throughout that made me laugh, but as a whole it was mostly forgettable (it also had a lot more swearing than I had expected).
First of all, this movie about the early days of blogging made me feel old. It also made me a little nostalgic for the slower pace of Internet communication before smart phones and social media. The alternating storylines never come together, which is true to the book but also a bit disappointing. Both Streep and Adams are excellent in their roles, making up for some of the weaker aspects of the movie.
If you 've ever read any books or seen any movies set in the Deep South during the twentieth century, there won't be any surprises in the plot of this movie. As the title suggests, both families in the film are stuck in various ways, and the film doesn't provide much relief. The acting and directing and great across the board, which makes it slightly more bearable to watch.
I decided to watch this with the kids, although I wasn't sure if they would pay attention or enjoy it. Surprisingly, all three watched the entire movie and it prompted a lot of great discussions about race and the justice system. It's not a fabulous movie: the book develops Stevenson's character more fully and provides much more insight into the obstacles he faced. The movie simplified things and turned most of the characters into cliches. However, as a tool for creating discussion with the kids and introducing them to contemporary issues, it worked well. SB decided to read the book and loved it.
The kids all swore they couldn't really remember watching this movie, and I just finished reading the book with PB. The movie departs significantly from the book, and the truth is that I like the movie much better. The plot relies on a few conventions of kids films, but the story is still heartfelt and engaging. And the animation is simply gorgeous. Maybe now we need to watch the sequels.
For various reasons I never saw this movie when it was out in the theaters. I've spent the last twenty years thinking that I should watch it some time, especially since it has had such an outsized influence on American movies and culture in general. I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected--it certainly does a great job combining an exciting movie involving artistically shooting a lot of people with a thoughtful philosophical experiment.
The kids had never seen this movie, and I barely remembered it, so it felt like a good choice for a Saturday afternoon. It wasn't quite as funny as I had thought, and the kids aren't very familiar with music from the Sixties, but we all had a great time watching it.
This is another older movie that I wanted to catch up on before it left Netflix. Some aspects of this film are really dated and cringe-provoking now, but it's still possible to see the ways in which it was groundbreaking. The quality of the lead actors is a major strength of the movie, and although Hanks gets a lot of praise for his role (deservedly so), Washington has the harder job of depicting a man who has to make major changes to his thoughts and behavior (and pulls it off exceptionally well).
I should have watched this movie in the theater back when it came out; I don't remember it getting much attention (perhaps I'm wrong), but it really should have. I've recently read a lot about John Lewis, which helped me to put events and people in context. Even without that background I think I still would have gotten a lot out of this movie. It has excellent acting and excellent directing choices. I watched it by myself and may consider letting the two older kids watch it, but it's pretty violent in spots (appropriately so, I think).
The main themes from this movie's soundtrack have become standards for beginning band, so the two older kids have spent years listening to the music. They finally decided it was time to actually watch the movie itself. I know I watched it at some point, but couldn't remember anything about it. PB got sick of it about an hour into the movie and went to bed. The rest of us stuck it out, although it wasn't really anyone's favorite.
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