Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Seven: A Man Called Ove

Have you read A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman?  If not, you should definitely go and read it.  Immediately.  Yes, I liked it so much I was willing to use a sentence fragment there, for emphasis.  But really, A Man Called Ove is great, and I think most people who enjoy fiction will enjoy this read, a sleeper hit translated from the Swedish.  This story about a grumpy old (Swedish) man (the titular Ove) sucked me in right from page one: although the story is narrated in the third person, the narrator seems both in sympathy with Ove and a keen observer of him.  With a cast of interesting characters and an ever-increasing understanding of just why Ove might be so grumpy, I found this book to be really gripping--I hardly wanted to put it down even after I'd finished reading it!  I have a whole pile of unread books at home now, but sometime in the not-too-distant future, I'd definitely like to read Backman's other novels, and in the meantime, I'll recommend A Man Called Ove to anyone and everyone looking for a good story.

Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Six: The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet

Bear with me here: I will get to the book!  But first, some back story. So about half a year ago, one of my friends turned me onto Story Wonk, an amazing husband/wife team that, among other things, offers really great podcast seminars on some of my favorite books, including Harry Potter (the book two seminar starts next week!) and Pride and Prejudice.  While listening to the Pride and Prejudice seminar, the host mentioned a YouTube adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that he really liked, called The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.  I was skeptical.  A YouTube adaptation of Pride and Prejudice?  Set in modern-day California?  With no Mary or Kitty to speak of?  But the same friend who introduced me to Story Wonk, being I suppose less skeptical than I am, checked it out and assured me it really was good, and as soon as I saw the first episode, I was hooked!  And each episode is no more than five minutes long, so it's not much of a commitment.  In fact, I enjoyed this adaptation of Pride and Prejudice so much that when I saw a novel version of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries at the library, I had to check it out!

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick (both of whom were very involved in creating The Lizzie Bennet Diaries) covers much of the same content as the YouTube adaptation, but of course in a different format (written diary entries, rather than a vlog).  Consequently, we get more information about some events, but of course we don't get to actually see the events unfold.  Both versions of this retelling--on YouTube and in print--are detailed enough that each stands well on its own, and reading one or watching the other is really enough.  But if, like me, you're a compulsive re-reader or like returning to the things that bring you pleasure, then you'll probably enjoy checking out both versions of this retelling of Pride and Prejudice, which works way better than I thought it would.  Reinventing Lizzie as a grad student (saddled with debt, living at home) and Jane as a debt-ridden, underemployed 20-something (with Lydia, also at home, partying her way through community college) works way better than I thought it would, and puts the focus more on finding an ideal job than finding an ideal husband--at least for Jane and Lizzie.  Mrs. Bennet remains as fixated as ever on finding suitable marriage material, adding a layer of generational conflict to the plot.  I don't want to say too much more, because I hope you'll go watch or read it (or both), and I don't want to give too much away!  But this is definitely an interesting and fresh retelling of Pride and Prejudice, and I'd highly encourage fans of P&P or anyone who enjoys a good confessional-style story to go and give it a look.

Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Five: Eligible

So when I discovered that Curtis Sittenfeld was writing a modern version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice--and that somehow this retelling would take Austen's fairly short novel and expand it to nearly 500 pages--I was intrigued.  Having finally gotten my hands on a copy from the library, I enjoyed reading it so much that, sooner or later, I'll probably just buy myself a copy of it!  Not having actually read anything by Sittenfeld, but being generally familiar with the kind of books she writes, I was worried that Eligible would be too gritty or edgy a rendering of Pride and Prejudice for my taste, but I was pleasantly surprised by the warmth of the narration (not that it's sappy; it has its edgy moments, but they're not overwhelming nor do they detract from the overall mood).  Without giving too much away, all of the Bennett sisters have been aged up (ranging from 23 to 40 years old when our story begins) and the brunt of the story is set in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Darcy is a neurosurgeon; Liz writes for a NYC-based women's magazine.  Chip Bingley rose to fame on reality TV show Eligible (essentially The Bachelor), while Jane is a "penniless" yoga instructor.  Different enough from the original to keep me guessing at what exactly would happen next, but close enough to Pride and Prejudice to be thoroughly and immensely satisfying, I could hardly tear myself away from Eligible, and it left me with a lot to think over.  Whether you like Pride and Prejudice or you're just looking for a good, solid piece of realistic fiction, you'll definitely want to try Eligible.

Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Four: Games Wizards Play/Young Wizards Series

Games Wizards Play is the tenth and latest installment in Diane Duane's Young Wizards series, which I started reading probably a decade or so ago (long after the first book's publication in the 1980s) and have happily kept up with ever since.  Before reading Games Wizards Play, I decided I wanted to go back and re-read the first nine books, partly because they're great and I haven't read them in maybe four years, and partly because over the course of nine books, there are a lot of characters and events and I wanted to have everything fresh in my mind before embarking on the newest book.

The big problem with this series is the timeline--I don't know how, between Duane and her editor, these otherwise well-plotted and intricate books have ended up with a jumbled and frankly nonsensical timeline.  For example, one character is mentioned as being 11 years old in books one and nine, even as the other characters have aged by several years over the course of those books.  Also, instead of keeping the series set in the late 1980s, Duane kept integrating new technology and world events into the later books, such that in the first book, there is no mention of computers, and by the tenth book, characters have cell phones, iPods, tablets, etc--even though (as best I can tell from the jumbled timeline) no more than five years of the story can have passed.  So there are some issues that need to be resolved!  Duane has released updated versions of all the books, which are supposed to correct the timeline, but these updated editions are only available as e-books, and I vastly prefer to read in print.

Okay, having said all that, I do really enjoy reading this series!  While there is some repetition of themes across the books, in general, each installment feels fresh while building on the previous books and providing more character development, not just for our main characters, Nita Callahan and Kit Rodriguez, but for the increasingly large cast of secondary characters, especially Dairine and Carmela, but also Nita's dad.  If you're someone who's put off or annoyed by YA series in which the parents are portrayed as one-dimensional and antagonistic characters, you'll find Young Wizards to be refreshingly different in that respect (not to say the parents in these books don't do things like ground our heroes, but for good reasons).  Also, as the series progresses, we get introduced to several really interesting alien characters, not just humanoids but totally different life-forms, which really helps flesh out Duane's universe-building in the series.

What I particularly appreciate about Games Wizards Play is that it finally gives us a look at Nita and Kit's wizardly life when they're not on errantry (i.e. not on a specific mission or job).  The basic premise is that there's an Earth-wide competition for the youngest wizards to show off pet projects, and Nita and Kit have been chosen to mentor one of the competitors.  No other urgent jobs come up, so we get to see more of the day-to-day practice of Nita and Kit, as well as other wizards, and get more of a sense of wizardly social life.  A potential for romance has been simmering beneath the surface of Nita and Kit's wizardly partnership for the last few books, and this aspect is also starting to be addressed directly, but the elements of romance are still pretty minimal, leaving the focus on wizardry.  (Again, if overly fast or involved or unrealistic relationships tend to put you off of YA novels, no worries here--the romance is very understated, which works well with the characters and the overall tone of the series.)

On the whole, I really enjoyed re-reading the first nine books and finally reading Games Wizards Play, and I felt surprisingly bereft when I finished the final book--like, I don't get to hang out with Nita and Kit anymore for a while?  If you're looking for an engrossing and unique fantasy series, I'd definitely suggest Young Wizards (the first book is called So You Want To Be a Wizard?), but be aware going into it that the series isn't yet complete, and you may be getting yourself into a lengthy (but rewarding) relationship!

Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Three: Eat, Pray, Love

Okay, so for years and years--nearly a decade, actually--I'd intentionally avoided reading Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love mainly on the objection that the title and cover combined seemed to me to exude such complete smug pretentiousness.  The blurb on the back of the book didn't exactly help to dispel that impression, either.  But as soon as I started listening to a later book by Gilbert (Big Magic--see my previous post), I was enchanted by the author and her delightful reading voice!  So I decided, despite my apprehension about Eat, Pray, Love to give it a listen, and I was surprisingly glad I did!  I found myself enjoying this memoir despite myself.  Eat, Pray, Love gives enough of the backstory on Gilbert's messy, distressing, and drawn-out divorce that you can understand why she'd want to spend a year out of the country afterward (even if you, like me, are pretty jealous that she was in the financial and professional position to just drop everything and live abroad for a year).  For various reasons, which you'll have to read (or listen to) the book to find out, she decides to spend four months in Italy, then four months in India, and finally four months in Indonesia.  She's mostly doing some intense soul-searching, which sounds vaguely self-indulgent on her part and tiresome to experience secondhand as a reader or listener, but I was surprised at how interested and even invested in her experiences I became as I listened.  Also, she meets some fantastically interesting people along the way who also make their way into this memoir: it's not just an inner monologue, but also the best kind of travel-writing.  If you, like me, have been avoiding this book, I'd urge you to at least give it a try, and if you're interested in memoirs or travel writing, definitely check it out.

Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Two: Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

So Big Magic was my first introduction to author Elizabeth Gilbert (of Eat, Pray, Love* fame), and I may now be hooked.  At a friend's suggestion, I listened to Big Magic as an audiobook because Gilbert reads her own works and has a really delightful voice to listen to.  I think I could listen to her read the phone book and be enthralled!  (When I've mentioned this to anyone else who's listened to her, they agreed immediately; also, one co-worker admitted to buying a copy of this book so she could re-read it as often as she liked, in case you still need convincing about this book in either format.)  Anyway, Big Magic is Gilbert's take on the creative process, not just in terms of writing but more generally, and it's surprisingly affirming and unpretentious.  Learning figure skating can be a way of living creatively, if you're passionate about it.  You don't have to become great, or even good at it, as long as you enjoy it.  Gilbert spends a lot of time on the importance of pleasure, particularly spending time de-bunking the trope of the tortured creative genius or the idea that only melancholy can produce great art or other creative endeavors.  Whether you're actively looking to increase the amount of creativity in your daily life or just want an interesting (and short) non-fiction book, definitely give Big Magic a try.

*My next post will almost certainly be talking about Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love, which I resisted for years because it looked so smug and pretentious, but it was neither and in fact quite enjoyable!

Chapter One Hundred Seventy-One: Founding Mothers

So I've been listening to a lot of audiobooks this spring, because I do a good deal of driving in my daily life, and I realized I haven't been writing about these books I've been listening to, which is silly since I think that listening to audiobooks is just as valid as reading written books.  Also, I've listened to some really great books that you all might also want to read with your eyes or your ears!  So I'll be adding some of my favorites in the next few days!  And first up, the one I finished most recently, is Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts.  This non-fiction book tells the stories of some of the women who were fundamental in the founding of the United States, who (like many groups) are often overlooked or sidelined in traditional histories.  Abigail Adams, Deborah Franklin (Yes, Ben had a wife! Who knew?), Sally (Franklin) Bache (their daughter), Eliza Pinckney, Betsy Hamilton (a.k.a. Eliza, to Hamilton fans), and Martha Washington are main figures, though other fascinating ladies are discussed, too.  Roberts (a former NPR correspondent who reads this audiobook with a lovely voice and great expression) really brings these women to life in a way that kept me interested and wanting to find out more about them, and I really enjoyed learning more about the American Revolution.  If you're looking for a way to (belatedly) celebrate Independence Day, or if you like history, or well-written stories, I'd definitely suggest giving Founding Mothers a try.