I haven’t posted lately as I have been busy with all things related to Christmas, but my husband and I had a lovely week at the beach in California visiting my folks. Now we are back to the snow in Canada, wondering how the vacation went by so quickly. It’s the last day of the year, so I want to wish everybody a very Happy New Year! I’m sure like many of you I’ll be setting new reading goals in 2015, such as mixing in more nonfiction and maybe classics and upping the number of books that I hope to read. I also want to review a book from each month that’s just come out, thereby staying more current and topical. Meanwhile I have a few mini-reviews of books and a movie I saw on break.
The first is Lisa Genova’s 2007 debut novel “Still Alice,” which I wanted to read as it is coming out as a movie with Julianne Moore and Alec Baldwin on Jan. 16. Much buzz has been talked about of Moore’s performance and whether it’ll be award-winning, so I was game for the book. Granted, it’s a bit of an odd choice at Christmas break, reading a story about a successful female professor at Harvard who gets diagnosed at 50 with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. It’s quite sad sort of like all the plane crash news of AirAsia on TV this past week. How much can one take that’s depressing?
Yet “Still Alice” doesn’t bog down in overly sentimental, emotional gush. It tracks Alice’s diagnosis and what happens to her professional and family life as a happily married working woman with three grown children. As the disease progresses, the bonds of the family are tested, as well as Alice’s own identity of who she is if not the brilliant professor she once was. The novel’s a compelling quick read and is informative about the disease and its genetic link and testing. I flew through it, wanting to hear more of Alice even though her prognosis isn’t good. Also having the book told from Alice’s point of view, as she struggles through, definitely makes it more unique from other Alzheimer’s stories I’ve read, which are often told from the caretakers point of view. It adds more value and understanding to her situation too.
I liked “Still Alice” though there were a couple times that strained my believability, particularly the part where Alice shows up to teach the next semester without having told the university what’s happening despite the disease’s evident progression. She’s in denial all right, but she should have just told them and taken a leave instead of having to be confronted by the department head. Still it’s a moving book about a terrible disease that’s touched so many people’s lives. I’ll be curious to see the movie.
I also liked Gabrielle Zevin’s “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry,” which has been quite popular this year. It’s a novel about a grumpy bookstore owner and widower on an island in New England whose life becomes transformed after a two-year-old baby is left abandoned at his store. Most of it takes place at the bookstore and captures a bit of the magic of books and bookselling so I was eager to read it having worked during my younger years in indie bookstores.
The novel starts strong and I immediately thought I was going to love it. There’s both humor and heart to it, and the first encounter between A.J. and the book sales rep Amelia is a funny exchange. The story also has a bit of intrigue when A.J.’s rare book of Poe’s poetry is stolen and the child is left at the store. The island clientele also makes for fun characters and a good book community.
“The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” seems to have all the right ingredients but then somewhere along the way it becomes too sentimental and I couldn’t shake it for the rest of the book. Just seems a bit sweetened. So I liked it but didn’t end up loving it. Drat. I also thought it would delve more into books than it actually does. Oh the stories I could tell about the bookstores I ended up at.
Last but not least, “The Imitation Game” is a movie I would highly recommend. The history behind the breaking of Germany’s Enigma Code during WWII is fascinating, and it stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, the real life mathematician who helped solve the code. What more do you want? It’s a race against time during the war, and not only do the code-breakers have to crack the code against a machine considered unbreakable, but once they do then they can’t let the Germans suspect they solved it. The film’s great and also involves the sad fate of what happened to Alan Turing after the war (no spoilers here). So far the film’s my favorite going into award season, but I still have plenty of others to see, so stay tuned.
What about you – have you read or seen any of these or do you plan to? And what did you think?
I want to read both of those books! Happy New Year!
Happy New Year Kathy. Yeah both are quick reads.
Ooo! My husband and I are going to see The Imitation Game tonight! I can’t wait!
I hope you like it Michelle. I think you will.
I loved it! I was speechless at the end. Both my husband and I have been Googling Alan Turing and Benedict Cumberbatch off and on since we watched it. So impressive and so thought-provoking.
Yeah it’s a subject — the breaking of the code –I keep thinking about. Turing must have been quite a complex person. Glad you saw the movie!
The Imitation Game sounds so great! I have the book on my shelves but wow, is it huge. I love codebreaking and that whole story of Enigma, so I hope I will get to read/watch this year.
Yeah Kim, I’m a bit curious about the book on Alan Turing and what they left out of the movie. I will be waiting to see your review sometime. Cheers!
I’m with you on The Storied Life of AJ Fikry. I liked the beginning but by the end, I wasn’t as enamored of it as other book bloggers that read it seemed to be, at least according to their reviews. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but maybe it was the “too sentimental” part of it as you mentioned.
I’d like to see The Imitation Game, but doubt I’ll be able to see it in the theater because unfortunately our local theater doesn’t get many good movies. It seems it plays to the lowest common denominator.
Oh too bad Bryan. See it later on Netflix if you get a chance.
I am eagerly awaiting Still Life in the movies, as I always enjoy Julianne Moore’s performances.
I liked the book, too…and the author’s other titles as well.
I am curious about The Imitation Game.
Enjoy your life back in the snow…a shock after the beach, I’m sure.
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Thanks Laurel. Yes the temps are a bit of a shock right now, ugh. I’ll have to see what you think of Still Alice. I hope to see it too.
I definitely want to see The Imitation Game but will likely have to wait until it reaches video. Glad to hear you enjoyed it! And I absolutely know what you mean about AJ Fikry. I really loved it but it was a bit saccharine. For me it just happened to be the perfect book for the perfect time–it doesn’t always work that way!
Happy new year!
Thanks Trish. Yeah I agree A.J. Fikry was good for the time – that I needed something like that.
I’ll try Storied Life — I don’t mind a bit of sweetness, especially during the winter months.
I loved The Imitation Game. We visited Bletchley Park in September (I posted photos on Friday) so that made it extra special for me.
I’ll stop by your site Joy to see your photos. How excellent to visit Bletchley Park! Glad you liked the movie.
Would like to see Imitation Game. I’m not sure that I want to read Still Alice. Have friends who are coming down with seemingly early dementia. Have to say it doesn’t surprise me at all that she thought she might continue to teach. I think the awareness of the limitations is often follows the condition — that somehow they are always behind in assessing the level of their abilities.
Yeah good point. I’m sure you’re right, Barbara. I don’t think Alice fully realized her limitations though others on the outside could. It’s tragic in anyone.
I haven’t read either book (though A.J. Fikry is on my shelf!), but did see Imitation Game last week and really enjoyed it. I was surprised by how well it balanced humor and intensity, which was something I didn’t expect. Right now, I think Boyhood is still my favorite movie of the year, but I’m holding out for Selma and hoping I can catch Whiplash (even though we missed it when it was playing here earlier).
Yeah Shannon : I need to see the film Boyhood which I keep hearing so much about. I think I missed it but hopefully it’ll come back to this area. Cheers.
I am glad you had a nice time at the beach, Susan. It snowed in my part of California briefly over the holidays (although not at my house–just parts of my city and in surrounding cities), which was a nice surprise for many.
I read Still Alice awhile ago and it really resonated with me. Having a grandmother who suffered from dementia, a grandfather with Alzheimers’ and my husband’s uncle with early onset Alzheimer’s, it is an illness that hits close to home. I thought the other did an amazing job and was right on the mark.
I haven’t seen The Imitation Game yet, but it’s a movie I hope to see at some point.
I have an audio version of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and am thinking of listening to it soon. It sounds like something I would really enjoy.
Thanks Wendy. Yeah I think the A.J. Fikry novel would make a very good audio. And I agree about Still Alice — the book is done well and with sensitivity.
Great post! Loved your take on “Still Alice”. It’s been in my TBR pile for a long time because I was reading all kinds of “depressing” books at the time and had to take a break. I definitely will be seeing The Imitation Game! I saw previews for it while seeing Wild (which I thought was OK, and book was so much better) and knew I had to see it since Benedict C. was in it and I just love his acting.
Happy New Year!
Hi Suzanne. I need to see Wild. I read the book and want to see what they did with it. And I know what you mean by splitting up all the depressing books. You can’t read them all at once.
I felt exactly the same way about Storied Life. I was hoping for more….
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Thanks for stopping by Deb. Glad I’m not alone on that book
I want to see The Imitation Game! May try to go this weekend.
I think you’ll like it Amy. What a story!
We did like it. Great story and well done movie.Thanks for nudging me to go. I’m so lazy about going out on weekends that I may have blown it off without your recommendation!