Well … we have light snow and high winds today. I kid you not. Yesterday I was playing tennis outdoors and it was sunny and 65 degrees, but now winter is back and does not fully want to leave. It’s okay we’re used to it, and it’ll make the surroundings all the more beautiful come May. I almost forgot: Happy Earth Day everyone.
How is your week going? Recently I was able to get vaccine shot #1 and finish my taxes (for both countries) — ha, so I’m very pleased about that. It feels like I vaulted a double hurdle. Meanwhile I’ve been tuning in to the Los Angeles Times virtual book festival and have heard various authors discuss their works, including: Patricia Lockwood, Lauren Oyler, Chang-rae Lee, Meng Jin, Imbolo Mbue, Sanjena Sathian, and even Barack Obama. There’s plenty more of the festival left, if you’re interested. It’s been nice participating at home from so far away.
I see too that the Academy Awards will be airing this Sunday. Whoa. In the Best Picture category I have seen only two of the eight films, whoops. We finally got to see “Nomadland” — as it only became available in Canada this month through Disney+, which we splurged on to see. Though it’s not exactly a Disney romp kind of picture, but regardless I liked the down-and-out feature, starring Frances McDormand once again in the signature role. My husband says she plays the same kind of character each time, but — I proclaim — at least she’s good at it! I also hope to read the book of “Nomadland,” which I have from the library. I tried to get my book club to read it, but they wanted something “uplifting” instead. Hmpfff. Uplifting is overrated, ha.
The only other film we saw so far in the Best Picture category was: “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” which seemed good at the time, though it didn’t particularly stay with me. I really want to see “Minari” and “The Father” … and perhaps “Judas and the Black Messiah.” We might try to see a couple more films before Sunday’s awards show, though many seem to think that “Nomadland” is going to clean up and take home the Oscars. Will it?
Lately we finished watching the drama WWII series “Atlantic Crossing” on PBS, which was good, and have started the detective series “Mare of Easttown” with Kate Winslet on HBO. Hmm. It seems a bit predictable so far, but we will see. And now I’ll leave you with a couple of reviews of novels I finished lately.
We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker / Henry Holt / 384 pages / 2021
This crime/murder mystery novel has surely been making the rounds on blogs and elsewhere, and I can’t say I was disappointed. It made for a pretty fetching audiobook, thanks to the reading by George Newbern.
The storylines revolve around two main characters: Walk — the chief cop of a small coastal Northern California town and Duchess Day Radley, the 13-year-old girl … who took me awhile to warm to … since she’s quite the foul-mouthed, tough girl, especially at the beginning. But warm I eventually did. She’s a protector to her 5-year-old brother Robin and her mother Star, who’s a single mom who sings at the local bar and has been known to OD a time or two … leaving her kids to mostly take care of themselves.
But when Walk’s long-ago friend Vincent King is released from prison for a joy ride accident he had when they were young, and something happens to Star, … Duchess and Walk go off on their separate warpaths — risking their lives — to find out the truth of who’s responsible. To me, I guess it wasn’t so much the mystery that lured me … but the alternating parts and developing roles of Walk and Duchess that hooked me into wanting to move quickly with it right up until the end.
Also for a time Duchess and her brother have to go stay with their grandfather on a farm in Montana and that part captivated me too. I was surprised to learn that the author Chris Whitaker is actually British (and lives in the U.K.) and yet he sets his crime-laden novels in the U.S. I think he thinks the gun/crime atmosphere in North America is more rife for his plots … and he’s likely not wrong there. (Though at one point he writes about someone having Calgary license plates …. when you know they’re marked as Alberta plates, right.)
I thought for a crime novel the characters and the dialogue were well done and felt authentic. It’s a gritty plot that has some twists, a couple of which derailed me from what I was hoping for the characters, but the ending felt cleverly wielded and threaded the needle for me towards a satisfying resolution. What did you think? And will Duchess be back for more?
We Germans by Alexander Starritt / Little Brown / 208 pages / 2020
This short novel took me quite awhile to get through, maybe because it is quite grim … and maybe too because there are various thought-provoking lines and thoughts in it that I highlighted … about WWII from the German perspective and the comparisons between the Eastern and Western fronts.
This story is about a grandson who asks his German grandfather to tell him decades later about his role in the war … and so towards the end of his life the grandfather embarks on telling him about his days fighting as an artilleryman in the German army on the Eastern front in Russia and then years later his retreat in Poland. The retreat is the main part of the story while he is with a few other German fighters, navigating their juxtaposing personalities and hiding out and trying to avoid the oncoming Russian army. He thinks about how it is that the Germans have lost the war and the acts committed on both sides. And he says he wasn’t a Nazi and never saw the camps or heard about them until after the war.
As the grandfather reckons with his past, themes of guilt and shame play apart in the novel as well as atrocities that happened on the Eastern front and his time after the war and his imprisonment and how he internalized his part. This short novel is one that leaves quite a grim mark, but I was glad to have read it. It’s from a perspective that is rarely written about and gives some ideas about the war’s end and how people thought about it and later went on with their lives, which has often seemed hard for me to fully comprehend … amid the psychological fault lines, barriers, and reckonings. There’s not many I’ve read like it.
That’s all for now. What about you — have you read either of these, and if so, what did you think? And what’s your pick for movie of the year? Have a great weekend.
Congratulations on being partially vaccinated, we’ve now joined the “fully V crowd.” It feels great but we are still cautious and had out first restaurant meal outdoors on Tuesday in celebration of the granddaughter’s birthdays. I also enjoyed We Begin at the End – a wow story. I’ve read Nomadland but haven’t seen the movie but I do love Frances McD.
Freezing and high winds here today and (2) days next week it might be 80 — weird.
Hi Diane: I’m glad you both are fully V’d and can see your grandkids. It seems comforting for sure. You will like Frances McD in Nomadland – though the movie is a bit of a somber affair. I think I saw the Whitaker novel on your site so thx for that … I too enjoyed it especially as an audio.
Spring weather is surely unstable. I hope you get some warm weather soon!
We are still enjoying unseasonably cool weather here. In most years, summer will have already begun to set in by late April/early May. 2021 has been an unusual year weatherwise so far.
I’ve only seen “Nomadland” and loved Frances McDormand’s performance. My husband makes the same point as yours about the roles that she plays, but I think they have that impression simply because she so inhabits every role that she plays that it just seems a part of her.
I did read and liked We Begin at the End, but haven’t heard of the other book you reviewed. It sounds as though it would be heavy going and I’m not sure I’m up for that right now.
Happy Earth Day!
Thanks Dorothy. Earth Day feels more special this year without the last admin in office. I’m more hopeful. And good point about Frances McD. She indeed seems to hit the mark each time. Wonderful parts she takes on. She’ll also be taking on the role from the Miriam Toews novel Women Talking apparently. Woohoo. I hope you stay cool there awhile longer as your garden seems to be loving it. Enjoy.
Freezing temps?! Oh, no! We are up and down temps-wise nowadays. Three days next week will flirt with 80F ( 😮 ). I’ve seen most films contending for awards; I’m missing one or two in a few categories though. Both books you review sound interesting, though each for a different reason. I finished When the Stars Go Dark in two weeks; it was very good but felt a little dense (or maybe it was me). It’s the first book I’ve read fast this year. Now I’m reading Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian, based in Salem, Massachusetts, leading to the ‘witch trials’; I’m liking it so far.
Hey Carmen, good to hear from you. Yeah I was wondering what you thought of which films would get the Oscars. I still want to see the 3: Minari, The Father and Judas … and likely a few others. I liked Nomadland … a quiet, resonant film.
I hope to get to the Paula McLain book — glad for your word on it. I’m on the wait list for it at the library. I will wait to hear what you think of Hour of the Witch … anything about the Salem witch trials usually will lure me.
If you see 80F next week … that’ll be crazy. The temps are going so Up & Down … it’s nuts from one day to the next. I’d rather have warm at this point. take care.
Best actress, for me it is between Andra Day and Carey Mulligan. Best Actor, Anthony Hopkins. Best supporting actress, the Minari grandma, whose name escapes me. Best supporting actor, I would have liked Leslie Odom Jr., but I guess that’s a far shot at this point. Chadwick Boseman it is. Best foreign movie, Another Round. Best picture, my favorite wasn’t even nominated, which was One Night in Miami… I prefer Mank to Chicago 7, and to The Father. Either Minari, Mank, or Nomadland.
Oh these are good Carmen! Good tips. I have many to see. We should have seen Mank before we left Netflix, uh oh. We watched The Courier last night … an enjoyable spy story with Cumberbatch. But need to get back to the Oscar nominated ones. Enjoy the Awards tonite!
I have no idea what movies are up for the Oscars this year! Will need to pay a visit to Google my old friend right now! And it ‘s this Sunday? How did I miss this??
Thanks for bringing it under our attention.
We Germans seems good, but grim like you say. I’ll most probably enjoy We begin at the end.
Have a good weekend!
Elza Reads
Thanks Mareli. Yeah the Oscars definitely are at a weird time this year. They’ve never been in April before (I don’t think) … so it’s not something you think about. I barely have seen any of the movies myself. Enjoy your weekend.
I participated in the interview with Whitaker and he said he is done with the character of Duchess. He loves her and it took him 19 years to tell her story but he feels the ending was right and that she will live on, happily. They are casting for the movie now.
The Oscars. I don’t think I’ve seen any of the movies. I did hear this morning that Elton John is allowing his pre-Oscar party to be streamed for $20 to raise money for the AIDS foundation. I have a few friends who plan to tune in.
The weather here has been very gloomy and chilly. They said a storm is coming on Monday and I really hope so because they said we are so behind on rain that we are headed for a wicked drought and when we had one a few years back we were forced to turn off all irrigation and everything died on our property. We need rain desperately.
On a personal note, I am going a little nuts and find myself battling anxiety over both of my kids and where they will be soon. Moving out is one thing but the timing of such things and those long distance moves are rough.
Hi Ti. I can understand … with both kids moving out, it’ll be a challenge at first. You have some time though right? Your kids programs both sound great & exciting. Keep us informed on how it goes … & hope you can keep the anxiety levels down. I’m sure you’re organizing.
Glad you told me about what Chris Whitaker said. Sorry to see Duchess go … and I wonder who will be cast as her? hmm. Quite a memorable character.
The Oscars definitely snuck up on me … all of the Best Picture movies seem a bit on the depressing side. Not sure how the broadcast will go, we’ll see. Enjoy your weekend.
Congrats on vaccine #1… that’s progress! I’ve had my second and our daughter who lives with us got her second earlier this week. Once she’s two weeks out, we can all eat outside at a restaurant!
I’m looking forward to reading (maybe listening to?) We Begin at the End. As for the Oscars, the only movie we’ve seen is Nomadland. Frances McD is wonderful and I loved the cinematography, too, but the movie itself was depressing.
Family in NY sent me similar snow photos this week. Suddenly my cloudy day didn’t look so bad! Hope spring arrives for good soon.
Thanks JoAnn: it’s good to get vaccine #1 though I think they plan to stretch the next one out a couple months here. Hmm. I’m glad your family is about done, Wow, way to go!
We Begin at the End is pretty good as an audiobook and I thought that format worked well for the plot. We too liked the movie Nomadland and I think it’ll win big on Sunday. I still want to see a few others. Much depressing ones this year! Luckily most days you have sun there! Enjoy your beach walks.
“Uplifting is overrated” had me laughing hard. Thanks for that! I have not read the books you reviewed though I did enjoy your reviews.
I have been distracted by certain issues lately and have not posted a blog for a while. I am trying to figure out how I can do the more occasional post, like a weekly summary. Plus blogger is discontinuing the email notifications to followers in July which just annoys the heck out of me because I will be forced to figure out another way.
My reading milestone this week was finishing The Age of Faith by Will Durant, the 4th book of his History of Civilization. I have been reading it off and on for five years, it is 1086 dense pages long, but now I understand the Middle Ages from a wide perspective, so it was worth the effort!
I think I am more interested in the Man Booker International prize than I am in the Oscars. Ha Ha. Call me an outlier.
Good on your first shot!
Hi Judy! I’m glad you finished the Durant book, wow! The Middle Ages interests me … fascinating time … so I’m glad you are becoming an expert on it. Have you read any of the international Booker shortlist? I don’t know any but it’ll be interesting to see which is picked on June 2.
I’m sorry Blogger is discontinuing something. Ugh I know what you mean, that happens to me too. I like the idea of a weekly summary but also maybe with a review. I can barely keep up posting myself. I just glob it together. Hang in there … I look forward to whatever you post.
I’ve seen three films that have some sort of nomination for the Oscars: Nomadland, Emma, and News of the World. Still I wish I knew more about the others nominated for big awards.
So yes to Atlantic Crossing. I may try that next.
And…snow? Oh my.
Good for you to have finished with your taxes. We let that slide this year. We need to get busy.
Yeah Deb, thankfully taxes are now in the rearview mirror! good luck with yours. How did you like Emma? I saw the News of the World movie, which was okay but I liked the book better. The young girl did a good job though. I think you will like Atlantic Crossing perhaps … though how much of a relationship Roosevelt & the Norwegian Princess had seems a bit speculative. But it’s a good drama.
I will have to see the new Emma sometime. Enjoy your week.
I have seen none of the Oscar nominated movies so probably won’t watch this year. Well, maybe I’ll dip in for a bit.
We Begin at the End sounds really good; I almost got a copy the other day. I have also tuned into a couple LA Times Festival events and have one from today that I plan on watching later.
Congrats on your first vaccination and finishing both taxes!
Thanks Helen, finishing the taxes/vaccine was a relief. Glad to hear you tuned into some of the LA Book Festival. I enjoyed several of the talks. Just finished the Kristin Hannah one. Interesting. I think you liked Four Winds, right?
We Begin at the End is quite the crime novel. I am a bit curious about the Oscar broadcast this year. We’ll see …. if I nod off.
Enjoy your weekend.
When I reviewed this novel last week, I almost labeled it a mystery, but knew that wasn’t quite right. Crime novel is a better descriptions.
I have not heard about this year’s films, but I watched last year’s winners and they were so so hehe: D Regards
Hi Monika – thanks for stopping by. I’m trying to recall last year’s Oscars. I think it was all about Parasite … which turned out to be pretty dark & different. I liked the movie Judy a bit. We’ll see about this year’s winners … they seem a bit depressing … hmm.
I’m enjoying Atlantic Crossing even though I don’t usually care for subtitles – I have to sit closer to the TV to read them. Check out what I read this month.
Hi Donna, thanks for stopping by. Glad you are liking Atlantic Crossing … I guess the subtitles didn’t hold me up much … perhaps b/c they are sporadic with the English. I will check out your site. Cheers.
We had that snow as well, sometime last week, I think? It never fails to snow in April, so weird, lol!
I’ve been seeing We Begin at the End, and I love that title as well – I will need to bump it up my reading list.
Hi Athira, we might have had our last snow on Sunday …. luckily it’s all melted now. I think we have sun in the forecast! Glad your snow is done too.
We Begin at the End is a pretty fast crime novel. Enjoy!
Congrats on getting your vaccine! I got my second one last week. I hope lots of people get it so we can go back to normal. I miss doing stuff outside of home and work.
Hey AJ: glad you got your 2nd shot! Canada has been spreading out the two shots (over several months) so who knows when I’ll get #2. Makes me antsy. I hope things are getting more normal where you live. Things are slow here.
Usually, I try to watch all of the Best Picture nominees but for some reason this year none of them really appealed to me. I did watch the awards last night though. It was so boring! I’m looking forward to when award shows are “normal” again.
Congrats on getting your first shot in!
Thanks Rachel. The first shot is done! Ha I had to laugh about your comment about the boring awards, funny. But at least I got names of a few movies I still want to see. The Octopus Teacher ?! I didn’t know about this film … but now I need to see it. Sounds wild. Enjoy your week.
Your fickle weather reminds me so much of life in Lincoln, NE! One day it could be 75 and gorgeous and the next day we could have snow. There was even a day (one single day!) when it went from 60ish to 30ish with sun, rain, thunder, hail and snow. It was crazy!
Congrats on shot #1! I’ll bet that was a relief to finally get going on that. And taxes in two countries? Yikes. What a headache that must be.
I agree with your husband about Frances McDormand’s roles, but I also agree with you. She’s good at what she does!
We’re enjoying Atlantic Crossing, too. Mare of Easttown is next on our list. Well, once we finally finish Sneaky Pete. Season Three isn’t quite as good as the earlier shows, but we’re sticking with it.
I decided to buy my mom a copy of Begin at the End for her birthday. I hope she enjoys it and I look forward to borrowing it once she’s finished. I may do a read/listen though. We’ll see. I do love young protagonists and Duchess Day Radley sounds like a colorful character. 😉
Here’s to sunny, warmer days!
Hey Lesley, great hearing from you. I definitely can relate about unstable, fluctuating weather. We can have anything during even a day! It is now nice (60s) after having hopefully our last snow on Sunday. I thought Frances McDormand was good in Nomadland /she continues to win awards for her roles. My only hesitancy about the We Begin at the End novel is that Duchess’s bad language is pretty awful especially at the beginning. I’m not sure it was really necessary to show how tough she is. But she grew on me as the story went along and it seemed a pretty decent crime novel by the end. See what you both think!