Reading Roundup: June 2019
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
This book may be one of my new favorite memoirs; Gottlieb is both candidly introspective and really funny (disclaimer--this is not an excessively funny book, but it has its moments). It inspired me to consider going back to therapy, especially if I could find a therapist as great as Gottlieb or her own therapist "Wendell".
Saints: The Standard of Truth
I've been reading this in bits and pieces since the beginning of the year and finally finished it this month. I've never been particularly interested in early Church history, but this book made it very accessible. I learned quite a lot from it and know that I will revisit this the next time we are studying the Doctrine and Covenants in Sunday School.
Britt-Marie was Here by Fredrik Backman
I've loved all of Backman's other books, but this one just didn't quite work for me. It had many similar elements to his previous work and I kept waiting for the story to stop feeling so tedious. That moment never came--too many of the characters in this book cross the line from quirky to merely annoying, and they never changed enough for me to enjoy it.
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee
This book was a totally fun escapist read that was perfect for a summer afternoon. The main character should be difficult to like based on his behavior, but he became my favorite by the middle of the book. I felt sad to leave these characters behind when the book was done, but thankfully there's a sequel.
Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep
If you haven't already read a lot about Harper Lee this book will be very interesting. If you've already read several biographies about her, it many feel repetitive. Despite the fact that blurbs promise this book is about a murder, only the first part of the book is, and the other two-thirds don't connect with the beginning very well. It's well-written and was a good read, but don't expect this to be extremely compelling; it's more of a literary biography than a true-crime book.
The Legend of Hermana Plunge by Angela Liscom Clayton
I reviewed this for Segullah, and the only thing I wish I had mentioned in that review was that the book could have used another pass by a good copy editor because there were a number of distracting typos and formatting issues. Other than that, I loved the book.
The Light Over London by Julia Kelly
One book type I have a hard time resisting is the dual-storyline mystery that alternates between the past and the present. This was the perfect book for a plane ride and I mostly enjoyed it. I thought the present-day story was more interesting than the historical one; however, there was a surprising twist in the past that I did not see coming.
All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung
This was another great memoir that illustrates how complex families can be, and how the stories we tell about ourselves can evolve over time. It covers a lot of ground, including immigration, interracial adoption, family estrangement, and identity. Chung is a thoughtful writer with an engaging style and this book gave me a lot to think about.
Half of What You Hear by Kristyn Kusek Lewis
This was another book that left me waiting for it to come together and get interesting, and it never did. Blurbs I'd read about it promised that it was a mystery, and although there were parts of the story that were mysteries, the book itself was not very compelling. Several of the main characters were hard to understand and root for because their intentions were opaque, and a few of the plot threads were never fully resolved.
A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
Picoult has a knack for choosing compelling stories based on complex contemporary issues--the plot of this book caught my attention and made me want to read it. However, it was constructed in a really difficult to read way (working backwards in time throughout one day), and since I was reading on a Kindle it was very difficult to orient myself because it's difficult to flip back and forth. Picoult always includes a big twist at the end, but I mostly felt unsurprised and let down by this book. There were also too many characters to keep track of and some of their stories were left unresolved.
Movies
Always Be My Maybe
I had so much fun watching this movie--it was funny, sweet, and refreshingly different in its setting. There were some parts that were a bit predictable and at times the pacing was uneven, but in general I loved this movie and wish we could get more rom-coms like this coming out in theaters.
A Quiet Place
I'm not a big fan of horror movies and so I never went and saw this in the theater. I don't regret that decision, but I am glad I did eventually watch it because it was really good. The acting and other technical aspects of the film are incredibly well-done, considering the small cast and the unique concept. I was also touched by the story-line and thought this was a surprisingly uplifting movie about family and love (with monsters!).
Aladdin
This movie was another pleasant surprise; the original has never been one of my favorite Disney films, and I've been disappointed in most of their remakes. But then the kids and I had a free afternoon and decided to give this a try. Perhaps low expectations are the key because I had a great time watching this; the acting is wonderful and the new parts added into the film work well to expand the story and make it more meaningful.
Frozen
It's been several years since I last watched this movie and I forgot about how good it was. P. is participating in a summer musical camp that will be putting on the junior version of the Broadway play in a few weeks, so we thought we should watch this again. It is a lot of fun and tells a unique, touching story of sisterly love. Not my absolute favorite Disney, but not that terrible either.
This book may be one of my new favorite memoirs; Gottlieb is both candidly introspective and really funny (disclaimer--this is not an excessively funny book, but it has its moments). It inspired me to consider going back to therapy, especially if I could find a therapist as great as Gottlieb or her own therapist "Wendell".
Saints: The Standard of Truth
I've been reading this in bits and pieces since the beginning of the year and finally finished it this month. I've never been particularly interested in early Church history, but this book made it very accessible. I learned quite a lot from it and know that I will revisit this the next time we are studying the Doctrine and Covenants in Sunday School.
Britt-Marie was Here by Fredrik Backman
I've loved all of Backman's other books, but this one just didn't quite work for me. It had many similar elements to his previous work and I kept waiting for the story to stop feeling so tedious. That moment never came--too many of the characters in this book cross the line from quirky to merely annoying, and they never changed enough for me to enjoy it.
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee
This book was a totally fun escapist read that was perfect for a summer afternoon. The main character should be difficult to like based on his behavior, but he became my favorite by the middle of the book. I felt sad to leave these characters behind when the book was done, but thankfully there's a sequel.
Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep
If you haven't already read a lot about Harper Lee this book will be very interesting. If you've already read several biographies about her, it many feel repetitive. Despite the fact that blurbs promise this book is about a murder, only the first part of the book is, and the other two-thirds don't connect with the beginning very well. It's well-written and was a good read, but don't expect this to be extremely compelling; it's more of a literary biography than a true-crime book.
The Legend of Hermana Plunge by Angela Liscom Clayton
I reviewed this for Segullah, and the only thing I wish I had mentioned in that review was that the book could have used another pass by a good copy editor because there were a number of distracting typos and formatting issues. Other than that, I loved the book.
The Light Over London by Julia Kelly
One book type I have a hard time resisting is the dual-storyline mystery that alternates between the past and the present. This was the perfect book for a plane ride and I mostly enjoyed it. I thought the present-day story was more interesting than the historical one; however, there was a surprising twist in the past that I did not see coming.
All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung
This was another great memoir that illustrates how complex families can be, and how the stories we tell about ourselves can evolve over time. It covers a lot of ground, including immigration, interracial adoption, family estrangement, and identity. Chung is a thoughtful writer with an engaging style and this book gave me a lot to think about.
Half of What You Hear by Kristyn Kusek Lewis
This was another book that left me waiting for it to come together and get interesting, and it never did. Blurbs I'd read about it promised that it was a mystery, and although there were parts of the story that were mysteries, the book itself was not very compelling. Several of the main characters were hard to understand and root for because their intentions were opaque, and a few of the plot threads were never fully resolved.
A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
Picoult has a knack for choosing compelling stories based on complex contemporary issues--the plot of this book caught my attention and made me want to read it. However, it was constructed in a really difficult to read way (working backwards in time throughout one day), and since I was reading on a Kindle it was very difficult to orient myself because it's difficult to flip back and forth. Picoult always includes a big twist at the end, but I mostly felt unsurprised and let down by this book. There were also too many characters to keep track of and some of their stories were left unresolved.
Movies
Always Be My Maybe
I had so much fun watching this movie--it was funny, sweet, and refreshingly different in its setting. There were some parts that were a bit predictable and at times the pacing was uneven, but in general I loved this movie and wish we could get more rom-coms like this coming out in theaters.
A Quiet Place
I'm not a big fan of horror movies and so I never went and saw this in the theater. I don't regret that decision, but I am glad I did eventually watch it because it was really good. The acting and other technical aspects of the film are incredibly well-done, considering the small cast and the unique concept. I was also touched by the story-line and thought this was a surprisingly uplifting movie about family and love (with monsters!).
Aladdin
This movie was another pleasant surprise; the original has never been one of my favorite Disney films, and I've been disappointed in most of their remakes. But then the kids and I had a free afternoon and decided to give this a try. Perhaps low expectations are the key because I had a great time watching this; the acting is wonderful and the new parts added into the film work well to expand the story and make it more meaningful.
Frozen
It's been several years since I last watched this movie and I forgot about how good it was. P. is participating in a summer musical camp that will be putting on the junior version of the Broadway play in a few weeks, so we thought we should watch this again. It is a lot of fun and tells a unique, touching story of sisterly love. Not my absolute favorite Disney, but not that terrible either.
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