I don't normally do book reviews here. I've always intended to start, but never seem to get around to it. I love my Goodreads page and wonder how I'd handle both - do I post the same review both places? Direct Goodreads friends to the blog post? Post shorter summaries (in a "all the books I've read this year/month" format) here? I'm still not sure, but I've read two incredible stories recently and feel like telling everyone I know to read these books! Immediately!
You've probably already heard allll about Gone Girl. I can't really say much, because this is one you just need to experience. It's a mystery/thriller that manages to be unpredictable and I don't think I know anyone who has read it who didn't immediately get sucked in and have a hard time putting it down until they finished. I spent most of the book thinking "wow, that detail/phrase/plot decision was brilliant." I requested the author's other two books at the library right away.
The next book I read was quite different. I wasn't sure whether to give it five stars, but I can't stop thinking about it. It's not a lights-and-fireworks, vowing to stay up until 3am if that's what it takes to finish kind of book. It's quietly compelling. Most celebrity memoirs read as if they're written by the actor's famous persona, being careful to edit out things that don't match the image or are too personal (with the exception of a few explosive! revelations!). I don't blame people for not wanting to lay bare everything about them, but comparison to other memoirs makes Michael J. Fox's unflinching honesty all the more incredible. The writing doesn't always flow smoothly, but that was part of what made it so compelling. These are his words (no ghostwriter).
I went from bemusedly reading about his childhood hijinks at the beginning of the book to scouring the Michael J. Fox foundation website looking for updates in their search for a cure for Parkinson's since the book was published in 2002*. I went right to the Kindle store and bought Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist, his more recent memoir (my Gillian Flynn books haven't come in yet!).
*I will warn you, there's a section about stem cell research at the end of the book. If you want to avoid the politics, though, there's a very natural ending just before. It actually feels like the stem cell section was added afterwards, more like a postlogue.
My position in the library queue for Gone Girl: 147
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm like thousandth in line at my library. *shakes fist* I vote for reviews here because I am lousy at checking/updating Goodreads.
ReplyDeleteUm, are you sure I didn't write that first paragraph? 'Cause I struggle with that very same thing all the time. Not that I even review books all that regularly, but still. And when I do review them, I usually end up saying something like "I loved it!" or "eh, it was okay." I'm super eloquent like that.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I actually haven't heard of Gone Girl, but I'm gonna go search for it now. Although, I'm not sure how well it'll fit into my typical choices of smut and more smut, but we'll see. ;)