The title of this post should actually be “read, practically in a few hours time” because I flew through it I loved it so much. It’s a disturbing murder mystery with a few great twists, as can be expected from Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl — such a captivating read if you are the last person on earth who has not read it. And speaking of Gone Girl, I finally watched the movie last weekend and thought it was excellent. I was worried because I’m often so disappointed by the film renditions of books I love, but because Gillian Flynn wrote the screenplay herself, I think the movie played it as close as possible to the book as a couple hours time can.
This type of fiction is so addictive to me. I have been reading a lot of science or education-related books lately, but I often devour novels in-between for a break and for fun. A necessary escape, especially in these gray winter months.
What are you reading?
I read Gone Girl first and was hooked from the first page. Then I read Sharp Objects and loved It just as much. I just started Dark Places. So far, she hasn’t disappointed!! I was excited to see you discussing her books. They’ve gotten me back into reading after taking a break to care for little ones. I’ve been to tired to read for about 2 years!
I’m reading an old Ann Patchett novel, The Magician’s Assistant. I think Ann Patchett is one of the best. I am also reading Geraldine Brooks’ People of the Book; just started it. I haven’t read any Gillian Flynn yet, but probably will soon (I got shy of books with unsettling plots after I had babies – I couldn’t even do Hunger Games for a while, but it’s been 3 1/2 years since I had a baby, so I’m back to thrillers and violence!). I also just finished Jojo Moyes’ Me Before You, which I thought was a more interesting premise than her book, The Girls You Left Behind. Very cathartic.
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. I can’t say I’m completely hooked yet, but I’m trying. I have a haircut and color appointment tonight, and I get more excited about the uninterrupted reading time than than the new ‘do, or less silver. (Which reminds me of your recent post about aging gracefully – I fully intend to, but… well, I’m just not ready to be silver at 40. Slowly easing into it!)
🙂
I still never got to the theatre to see Gone Girl, but maybe this weekend. I loved the book.
I haven’t read Gone Girl yet, because I tend to read bestsellers years after they were published, I don’t know why. To have my own opinion, I guess. I’m reading War And Peace at the astonishing pace of about 15 pages a day and sometimes none, Life After Life, by my long long time favorite Kate Atkinson, Not That Kind Of Girl by Lena Dunham, which is nice but kind of boring and I’m far too old for it, Brain On Fire by I don’t remember whom, which I had high expectations for but which turned out to be utterly boring and not that well-written, or at least not to my taste. I’m also re-reading Neuro Mancer by William Gibson, because I really want to read his new book The Peripheral. I consider him one of the overlooked geniuses of 20th century literature and I love all of his books even though they’re all kind of the same. I mean all authors write kind of the same book over and over and his insights are fascinating. Oh I’m also reading a book you might like called “Back From The Land” about why people who moved to homestead in the 70s didn’t make it. Fascinating stuff.
The older kids and I just finished The Midnight Zoo by Sonya Harnett and it was utterly lovely, lyrical, and brutal. On my own, I am reading I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson and it’s like a literary heartbreak on paper.
Yay! I love hearing what all of you smart ladies are reading these days! Milla, I loved Life After Life — I read it long ago but still think about its implications to this day. And I have kind of been avoiding Not That Kind of Girl because while I love Lena Dunham, I was so disappointed by all the hype of Bossypants by Tina Fey that I’ve sworn off the celebrity-turned-writer books.
Kristin, I’d forgotten about the Luminaries, recommended by so many. Adding to my list. And yes, I understand not wanting to go silver quite yet, though you would look beautiful either way. Not sure how fast I will embrace it once it starts to take over, but all natural for now, ha! Enjoy your reading time!
Angela, I’m off to check out Dark Places. A lovely friend gave me a gift card to a local book store and I’m super excited to use it!
I love book discussions! If you like crime writing, Laura Lippman is my personal favorite. She writes about Baltimore, where I used to live, so that adds to the appeal for me. I just finished “Us” by David Nicholls, a British author I really enjoy. It’s about a couple on the brink of divorce on a European tour with their adolescent son. Despite the rather heavy subject material, it’s really quite funny and I fell in love with the characters. There’s a lot of flashbacks to the early days of the couple’s relationship; it’s really lovely and bittersweet. I also loved Jane Smiley’s newest book, “Some Luck,” which follows a couple generations of Iowa farmers through life in the 1920s-50s. At times, it doesn’t seem to be about much, but by the end, you feel like a part of this family.
Milla, I would agree with you on Dunham’s book, I’m far too old for it. I really like her, but I involuntarily cringe so much that I give myself headaches and forehead wrinkles.
Lauren, I did love Bossypants. I think I read it at a perfect time though. Sometimes I love a book that I can read a chapter at a time, like little skits. And I just love Tina Fey. Lucky you to have a gift certificate to a bookstore! I work just around the corner from Left Bank Books, and one of my favorite things there are the staff picks / mini-reviews stuck in so many of the books. When I’m not sure what to read next, I just read those til I settle on something I’m pretty sure I’ll love.
I have to read Adah’s rec next since she left a comment on my blog the other day about the chipboard model maker, an interesting overlap with my own life.
And who is excited about the Harper Lee announcement yesterday?
You should start up a book swap here and we can all just pass the books around!
In the kiddie lit arena, we’re deep into books about our bodies because, well… sixth grade and kindergarten…so many questions!!!
P.S. Hopefully I haven’t mentioned this before, but the required sum for posting a comment makes me laugh because my little one constantly calls out addition and subtraction problems from the backseat. Maybe she designed your spam protection!
Kristin, I love that observation about how the topic of the human body spirals between K and 6th; I taught 6th grade science for one year and 7th grade science for many years and it was a riot (and obviously a huge responsibility that I took seriously) to teach anatomy at that level. Have you come across Girlology? A couple of physician-moms in Charlotte have published it (and Guyology). I have not got my hands on a copy, yet, so was kind of just wondering.
I tried to listen to Life After Life as an audio book and couldn’t. I guess I need to give it a go in print. I felt that her book, Human Croquet, really pushed me as a reader and I liked it!
Also, maybe I’m a goob, but when I saw the Harper Lee announcement my first thought was to wonder that she is still living!! And talk about an amazing silver bob!
I take seriously the book convos I read in my feed. I regularly read the books I read about here.