Kath's #29-35
#29 - The Jane Austen Marriage Manual by Kim Izzo
A really great entry in the new canon of Jane. A woman approaching 40 decides to date according to the great Jane's rules (in her mind). Very well-written, with an extremely likeable protagonist.
#30 - Midnight in Peking by Paul French
A non-fiction story set in Peking during the last days before Japan invaded and World War II started. A young British woman is murdered. French follows the police investigation (conducted by a team made up of a Chinese detective and British DI). While what happened to the young woman is pretty much solved, there were a few twists and turns, particularly involving a cover-up that I didn't see coming. An addictive story, but very, very sad.
#31 - Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Finding and Losing Myself in Books by Maureen Corrigan
Corrigan is the book reviewer for NPR's "Fresh Air." She's got a great voice in her writing, but this is a very odd book. Not really a memoir (although she does tell stories about her life with books and in general), not really literary review or criticism...Not sure how to classify it. But I'm glad I read it.
#32 - Life Sentences by Laura Lippman
A writer returns to her hometown to uncover secrets dating back to her childhood. It was very well written, as all by Lippman are, and I read it quickly, but I am having a hard time remembering much of the plot. Bad sign or quintessential dock read?
#33 - Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
I've always enjoyed Flynn's writing in EW, so when I saw the great review of her latest (below), I decided to catch up on her back list while I waited for it at the library. I listened to this one on CD. It may be part of the reason I mostly loathed it (but I did finish it). The reader was annoying, annoying, annoying. That being said, the novel was also annoying (and gross...and creepy). The protagonist was extremely unlikeable (apparently Flynn specializes in horrible people, if the one I talk about below is any indication), and, yet, I did want to finish it. While Camille, the nominal "heroine," is awful, everyone around her is worse (with the possible exception of one detective and her boss). This was very atmospheric of a certain type of town in the mid-west/South (do these places really exist). Very descriptive (almost TOO descriptive - one of those books where everything is a simile or metaphor with something else - ugh). And, yet, I listened to the whole thing. So something must have caught my attention. I guess I just wanted to know who the murderer was. That being said, if you're planning to read Flynn, just go right ahead with Gone Girl. This one is very clearly a first book. She has grown a lot as a writer.
#34 - Where We Belong by Emily Giffin
Giffin's latest. I really do enjoy her writing. She is probably my favorite American chic lit author. This one was merely okay. Very well written, great characters, but nothing special. The plotline was a bit cliche. That being said, I did appreciate the brief guest appearance of characters from Baby Proof, my all-time fave by Giffin. I can't remember if the main character here, Marian, was in that one. I think it might be time for a re-read! I'm betting I'd find that book really annoying now, actually, but it was exactly what I needed when I read it. It would be interesting to go back and see.
#35 - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Far, far superior to Sharp Objects. The annoying similes and metaphors are mostly gone. The two main characters are extremely unlikeable (as I'm sure you've read in the reviews), but this time I think they're supposed to be, which was unclear in Sharp Objects. It wasn't as fabulous as I was led to believe by the reviews and a friend, but although I thought I had figured out the twist, I had not, and there was one final shocker at the end that did really get me. : ) Flynn lays out everything so neatly. So many tiny details that you don't even really notice at the time, but add up to so much in the end. I do recommend this one, highly. Just don't expect it to change your life (I mean, do any of the books that top bestseller lists do this anyway? The books that have changed my life are ones that hardly anyone has ever heard of mostly (well except Anne of Green Gables of course).
A really great entry in the new canon of Jane. A woman approaching 40 decides to date according to the great Jane's rules (in her mind). Very well-written, with an extremely likeable protagonist.
#30 - Midnight in Peking by Paul French
A non-fiction story set in Peking during the last days before Japan invaded and World War II started. A young British woman is murdered. French follows the police investigation (conducted by a team made up of a Chinese detective and British DI). While what happened to the young woman is pretty much solved, there were a few twists and turns, particularly involving a cover-up that I didn't see coming. An addictive story, but very, very sad.
#31 - Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Finding and Losing Myself in Books by Maureen Corrigan
Corrigan is the book reviewer for NPR's "Fresh Air." She's got a great voice in her writing, but this is a very odd book. Not really a memoir (although she does tell stories about her life with books and in general), not really literary review or criticism...Not sure how to classify it. But I'm glad I read it.
#32 - Life Sentences by Laura Lippman
A writer returns to her hometown to uncover secrets dating back to her childhood. It was very well written, as all by Lippman are, and I read it quickly, but I am having a hard time remembering much of the plot. Bad sign or quintessential dock read?
#33 - Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
I've always enjoyed Flynn's writing in EW, so when I saw the great review of her latest (below), I decided to catch up on her back list while I waited for it at the library. I listened to this one on CD. It may be part of the reason I mostly loathed it (but I did finish it). The reader was annoying, annoying, annoying. That being said, the novel was also annoying (and gross...and creepy). The protagonist was extremely unlikeable (apparently Flynn specializes in horrible people, if the one I talk about below is any indication), and, yet, I did want to finish it. While Camille, the nominal "heroine," is awful, everyone around her is worse (with the possible exception of one detective and her boss). This was very atmospheric of a certain type of town in the mid-west/South (do these places really exist). Very descriptive (almost TOO descriptive - one of those books where everything is a simile or metaphor with something else - ugh). And, yet, I listened to the whole thing. So something must have caught my attention. I guess I just wanted to know who the murderer was. That being said, if you're planning to read Flynn, just go right ahead with Gone Girl. This one is very clearly a first book. She has grown a lot as a writer.
#34 - Where We Belong by Emily Giffin
Giffin's latest. I really do enjoy her writing. She is probably my favorite American chic lit author. This one was merely okay. Very well written, great characters, but nothing special. The plotline was a bit cliche. That being said, I did appreciate the brief guest appearance of characters from Baby Proof, my all-time fave by Giffin. I can't remember if the main character here, Marian, was in that one. I think it might be time for a re-read! I'm betting I'd find that book really annoying now, actually, but it was exactly what I needed when I read it. It would be interesting to go back and see.
#35 - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Far, far superior to Sharp Objects. The annoying similes and metaphors are mostly gone. The two main characters are extremely unlikeable (as I'm sure you've read in the reviews), but this time I think they're supposed to be, which was unclear in Sharp Objects. It wasn't as fabulous as I was led to believe by the reviews and a friend, but although I thought I had figured out the twist, I had not, and there was one final shocker at the end that did really get me. : ) Flynn lays out everything so neatly. So many tiny details that you don't even really notice at the time, but add up to so much in the end. I do recommend this one, highly. Just don't expect it to change your life (I mean, do any of the books that top bestseller lists do this anyway? The books that have changed my life are ones that hardly anyone has ever heard of mostly (well except Anne of Green Gables of course).