Wednesdays seem to be reading update days… shall we just go with it?
- We saw The Goldfinch last night. I spent a month reading this book this year, so I really wanted to see the movie version, despite its poor critic reviews, because the story was fresh in my mind. And dammit, I deserved a reward for those 962 pages. I thought the movie was fine. I agree with critics that for such a long movie it doesn’t really get in to some things as deeply as they need to to make sense – like his obsession with the painting, his obsession with Pippa, and what he’s really been doing with Hobie’s business. I also agree that not much happens for such a long movie, but hello, did you read the book? It was also odd to me that the story was told non-linearly, despite the book mostly being that way. But it was a decent enough adaptation!
- I finished Primordial Threat, about a primordial black hole and asteroids approaching earth on a destruction path. I liked it – science fiction is my jam! This was the author’s first book and I enjoyed his story-telling style, with my only complaint being how many times he described a room’s large size as 30 feet by 100 feet or whatever. I don’t need to know the exact size of ten different large rooms over the course of your book. How odd. He said he’s planning to write two books a year, and I’d definitely read more by him (yet, there are so many other things out there to read, so I doubt that will happen).
- I started and finished The Chestnut Man, a thriller/crime book about two detectives investigating some grotesque murders where a chestnut man is left at the crime scene. It turns out the chestnut man has the thumbprint of young girl who went missing a year ago, and was presumed to be dead because the police got a confession from someone for her death. The detectives notice a pattern in the murders and try to stop more from happening while also investigating the girl’s disappearance/murder from a year ago. Thrillers are not a genre I go for, but Jamie on The Popcast recommended this and I always enjoy the book she recommends and this one was SO. GOOD. Definitely a five star rating. I loved how unpredictable it was. I don’t want to be able to guess what the twist is when reading a thriller. Surprise me (but don’t make it ridiculously unbelievable).
- I didn’t realize that the five star ratings on Goodreads were defined. In my head, I was ranking 5 stars as “loved it,” and 3 as “it was okay” (I have no idea what a 1 star would be based on this rating system). But I realized this weekend they have actually ratings next to the stars – 1 is “did not like it,” 2 is “it was ok,” 3 is “liked it,” 4 is “really liked it,” and 5 is “it was amazing.” Ha, after I saw those, I had to go back and demote some 3 stars to 1 star. Now I know.
- I started The Nickel Boys, another recommendation from The Popcast. It’s about (from Goodreads mobile version) “two boys sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida.” I’m sure it will be good, but a tough read. I’m looking forward to something lighter after reading it. (It’s due in a week so that’s why I’m not reading something lighter now! It’s around 200 pages and it’s a quick read so far.)
- Yesterday Steven asked if I think I always read this much. Probably not! It’s just a phase/interest right now. We’re about to get really busy building our garage in October and I’ll cut back then, for sure.
I love the book updates!
I haven’t read any of the reviews of The Goldfinch movie, but I can’t see how anyone could fit it into 1 movie. I felt like the book kind of fell apart half-way through. Have you read “The Secret History”? It was her first book. I might re-read it, because I remember that I *loved* it, but maybe it was the time and place?
Colson Whitehead is so amazing, but some of his books are hard to read.
I will look into “the chestnut man” – I am always a fan of a good murder/detective book. I ran through all of the Dublin Murder squad series this past winter and then a few others this spring and summer.
I am glad you like them!!!
I feel like The Goldfinch needs to be a mini series. I wonder if it would be better shown in chronological chunks (bombing & NYC, Las Vegas, back in NYC?) or not. I have not read that! I will look in to it! I wonder if it’s as long. Ha.
The writing in The Nickel Boys was amazing. I was expecting it to be much harder to read. He would allude to things rather than call them right out, which I think made it easier (and the writing very beautiful).
Let me know if you read The Chestnut Man! It was so good! I will have to look up the Dublin Murder Squad too! There is so much to read AHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I had the opportunity to go see Colson Whitehead talk about his new book at a lecture here last week and in the end I didn’t go because I was really tired that night (from a volunteer shift the night before) and I honestly don’t think I want to read his new book. I read ‘The Underground Railroad’ and it was good, but the subject matter of the new one sounds really harsh and definitely hard to read.
I will be starting on ‘The Goldfinch’ today!!! Just finished the new Margaret Atwood, the follow up to ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ which I loved. The sequel is well written but a bit disappointing – it felt a bit contrived and too tied in to what happened in the TV series (which I also loved).
‘The Chestnut Man’ sounds like something my mom would like – I will have to tell her about it!
Oh wow! I think if that opportunity comes my way I am going to try to go! I can see why people rave about his writing. The subject matter was harsh but he wrote is so beautifully and gently that it wasn’t as hard of a read as I thought it would be. Definitely gave me a lot to think about, of course.
I am curious to hear what you think of The Goldfinch!!! I keep seeing that Margaret Atwood book in the shop at the train station (it’s on the corner stand where I walk by). It would be interested to know her involvement with the show and how that affected this book!
The Chestnut Man was really good! Is she okay with the icky torture stuff? That was very small parts of the book, but I can see it bothering someone!
If you are into sci-fi books, check out 14 by Peter Clines! His other books are good too but that’s my favorite.
Ok! I will look in to it!
I laughed at the 30 x 100 descriptions of rooms – that is my dad to a T. I don’t know why he always thinks it’s important to say the size, which doesn’t mean much to me because my brain doesn’t work that way, but he does.
Putting The Chestnut Man on my list, thank you!
Ha! That is funny you know someone who does that! My brain does work that way since I work in design and all that but I DON’T EVEN CARE. It didn’t add ANYTHING to the story.
Cool! Let me know what you think of it!
Gosh, I just don’t know why they decided to make a movie for The Goldfinch since the book is just so long! It would definitely work better as a miniseries, as you mentioned above!
I’ve been waiting to read some reviews of The Chestnut Man before adding it to my list, but with your rave review, it’s on there!
I can’t wait to read The Nickel Boys. I’m on the wait list at my library. I really loved The Underground Railroad and I’m looking forward to reading this book. (Well, as much as you can look forward to reading a book about such a dark subject! At least it’s short!)
Exactly! It’s really tanking at the box office. They predict it will be a big loss for the studio.
Cool!
The Nickel Boys was a very quick read (I finished it in two days) and his writing is so beautiful and he doesn’t call things right out for what they are that it’s not as hard to read, but definitely makes you think! I moved on to an Abbi Waxman book 😉
I’m glad you posted your review of The Goldfinch! I was curious to see what someone who’s read the book thinks of it (and someone who’s not a movie critic by trade). “Decent adaptation” isn’t as bad as I thought it might be, ha. Super weird that they told it non-linearly, though, especially since the book is definitely linear, aside from that first little bit that starts in Amsterdam. It seems especially weird because some of the reviews I read seemed to imply that the movie was TOO faithful to the book. Bizarre! I totally agree with your comment farther up though: a mini series would’ve been WAY more appropriate for something of that length than a movie.
Right! I was telling Steven after the movie that the only non-linear part was the beginning in Amsterdam! So weird that they told it in pieces. There is some jumping around we found particularly odd but I will wait until you see it to discuss. Are you still planning to go?
Steven actually really liked it and thought it was the best movie we’ve seen in the theater this year (out of 10 movies). I asked if he could follow everything despite them not explaining some things well enough imo (or right away ) and he said yes.
Funny people said it was TOO faithful to the book. Maybe they wanted more Hollywood. I would have been happy to see him get him off drugs. Ha.