Leaves and buds are just opening here, and it’s been a productive couple of weeks of home and yard projects. I’m excited that I might be able to do my spring planting earlier this year as the weather is being fairly cooperative. I almost forgot how nice spring can feel. We plan to take a long bike ride in the backcountry on Sunday.
The town here is all abuzz about the NHL hockey playoffs since our team can clinch a first-round series win tonight at home, if only they would. I’m hoping it doesn’t prove elusive. In terms of playoff hockey, it’s been a long dry spell here and the dream of another round is within reach. And from what I’ve learned: never underestimate hockey in a northern country.
Meanwhile this week I want to congratulate author Anthony Doerr for winning the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his World War II novel “All the Light We Cannot See.” My Dad gave me this book for Christmas, and I’m excited to dive into it this spring. It’s waiting for me on the shelf, and I’ve heard from others how good it is. Set in occupied France, it interweaves the story of a blind 14-year-old French girl and a young German soldier whose lives cross paths toward the end of the book. I hear it’s terrific. Have you read it?
Also congratulations to Siri Hustvedt who just won the 2014 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction for her novel “The Blazing World.” According to the publisher, it tells the story of an enigmatic artist who, after years of having her work ignored, ignites an explosive scandal in New York’s art world when she recruits three young men to present her creations as their own. Yet when the shows succeed and she steps forward, one of the men betrays her and they get involved in a deadly game. I remember Barbara over at the blog wellwell touting this novel, and I’m sure it’s great as years ago I recall being pretty blown away by Hustvedt’s 2003 novel “What I Loved.” Her latest one seems to be brimming full of ideas, and Booklist calls it a “wrenching novel of creativity, identity, and longing.” Count me in for it.
In other book news, I came across a few cool articles this week that I thought I’d pass along. The first one in The Washington Post titled “I read books by only minority authors for a year. It showed me just how white our reading world is” by Sunili Govinnage definitely caught my eye. It makes a lot of strong points about the importance of reading diversity, and it seems like a great idea to take a year and read such a book list. I expect I’d explore novels in a number of countries and learn a lot. It seems a worthy, interesting goal.
The next article, “Owning a bookstore means you always get to tell people what to read,” is another good one by Ann Patchett, which was in The Washington Post. It extols the many joys of recommending books to people. I’m sure that’s why so many people like blogging about books. And many of today’s bloggers, like me, also worked in bookstores or the publishing industry along the way. Many still get a kick from pushing good reads.
The last article, “Romanticizing the Reader” by Diane Ackerman in the New York Times is a neat one about how “readers and writers provide a kind of outside family for one another” and that she sees the “reader as a collaborator” who “leaves individual imprints on a book they have read.” Just as a reader might romanticize an author so too does an author romanticize a reader. There’s “something inevitable and touchingly human about it,” she says. If you have time, you might want to check these articles out.
Meanwhile, the Noah Baumbach indie movie “While We’re Young” just made it to our neck of the woods and we saw it Friday night. It’s quite an enjoyable comedy about a mid-forties New York married couple — played by Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts — whose staid lives change when they start hanging out with a young hip couple they meet — played by Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried. Oh the film is funny, but it also touches on some truths about parenthood, friendship, ambition and aging that its viewers likely have had. It speaks to middle-agers mostly, but can be enjoyed by a variety perhaps. It reminded me a bit of an old Woody Allen New York comedy about married couples, and I liked it more than I thought I would.
It’s definitely my favorite Noah Baumbach movie so far … if you’ve seen “Frances Ha” (2012), “Greenberg” (2010), “Margot at the Wedding” (2007) or “The Squid and the Whale” (2005). They’re all sort of quirky, but in those earlier ones the protagonists are usually sort of grumpy and not very likable. “While We’re Young” is more accessible and the main characters are more sympathetic. It’s both funny and interesting and includes a great cast. Kudos to Ben Stiller for his best role in years? Something tells me I should go back and rent “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” — just to see his facial expressions.
What about you — have you read any of these books or seen any of these movies — and if so, what did you think?
I want to see While We’re Young…it isn’t showing here yet…we are slow to get movies, especially the indie ones. Or the Woody Allen movies…LOL.
Living in Central California is like being in the Bible Belt, IMO. I moved here against my will in the 70s and stayed because of jobs…and now that I’m retired, I wonder why I’m still here…oh, yes, my daughter and some grandchildren are here. LOL
I am not a fan of Ben Stiller, but I have enjoyed some movies with him. His humor sometimes reminds me of those frat boy films….
This one sounds like an elevation from those movies, and I’m glad you liked it.
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Thx Laurel. I think Ben Stiller has grown up some. Some of his roles are getting better — you’ll be glad to hear. Central Cal seems like an Oasis, LOL. If that film gets there, check it out with a Sunday mimosa!
I want to read ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, actually I’m hoping to do it with book club? Have you read it?
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I havent read it yet Anne. But it’s on the near Horizon. We can compare notes once we get to it!
Yay for Sunday bike rides! I want to read All the Light We Cannot See but am holding out for the paperback. I read the Govinnage article too, very thought-provoking. I didn’t love Walter Mitty, but I remember liking The Squid and The Whale. I may have seen Margot at the Wedding, but I’m not sure. Brain drained!
You might like this movie Amy. Sort of fun. I think the Doerr paperback should be out soon eh? I’m still pondering the Govinnage article. The stats dont lie I guess and they’re quite shattering.
I am very excited to read All the Light We Cannot See, but I’m determined to wait for the paperback to come out. I keep buying popular hardcover novels and then ending up not reading them until long past the paperback has come out. I think it comes out in just a few weeks, so luckily I don’t have to wait too long!
I’m so glad to hear that While We’re Young was enjoyable – my boyfriend and I are heading to Michigan in next week to visit my family for a few weeks, and we love to go to the movie theater there – it’s an Alamo Drafthouse, and they serve great food and beer to your seat during the movie.
I recommend watching The Secret Life of Walter Mitty – it’s very fun!
Great Emily. The Alamo Drafthouse sounds like a fun place to catch a movie. And maybe we will all be reading the Doerr book at once — if the paperback is imminent.
I haven’t read any of those books or seen those movies but I really want to read All the Light We Cannot See. Our spring has been very odd – I’m ready for the weather to settle down.
Yeah Kathy I hear ya. I think I’m going to start The Light We Cannot See soon.
Your blooming bush is gorgeous. I started reading All the Light We Cannot See and loved the writing but the first chapter gave me nightmares so I stopped. I plan to resume reading it, but not right before bed. While We’re Young sounds fun. I’ll look for it.
Thanks Sarah. Yeah the movie is pretty entertaining.
Spring is certainly a magical time – unfortunately ours is a little too hot too quickly.
I’ve heard good things about All the light we cannot see and want to read it.
I’ve seen the article being spoken of on broadening our horizons on what to read – I haven’t read the article myself. I don’t think it really applies to me on a conscious level – where I seek out certain colors of writers – I don’t usually pay any attention to the personal traits of the writer. But I think most of what I read probably are white authors because of the marketing and genres?
Romanticizing a reader sounds intriguing, will have to check that article out.
You’re in Florida right? That’s Hot. Yeah I think that diversity article means if we’re white than we’re usually going to pick white authors especially b/c most of the marketing & reviews are of white authors (like 90% +), so she thinks we should deliberately pick authors of diversity to read as that reflects more of the reality of how the world is. So I hope to do that more. Thanks Erin