Well we’ve made it to October and a big snowstorm just dumped about eight inches of white powder last night. Yikes, I kid you not — so much for fall (as pictured at left.) This photo was taken before the storm so I’m sticking with it in the hopes that fall will come back. Pretty please?
I hope your year-end reading goals are still on track. I’m a bit behind on my Goodreads challenge but hope I can still make it back through the woods so to speak. This month, I’m a little all over the place on what fiction looks good. You’ve likely seen there’s new novels coming out by Haruki Murakami, Barbara Kingsolver, Tana French, and William Boyd among others — hmm with those big names you know it’s likely going to be a good month. I have my sights on a few others too that I hope to get my hands on.
First off, I got to go with British author Claire Fuller’s new novel “Bitter Orange” since I’ve heard a lot of others talk about her two previous books. I’m a newbie to Fuller myself so I’m curious. Is she as good as everyone says?
This one is set in the summer of 1969 at a dilapidated English country mansion, about a woman who befriends a glamorous couple who is living in the room below hers. As she becomes increasingly entangled in their lives — so writes the publisher — the boundaries between truth and lies, right and wrong, begin to blur. Then apparently a small crime occurs that brings on a bigger one, which is so terrible that it will “brand their lives forever.” Oh yes, please, I’ve already reserved a copy at the library.
Next up, is another crime novel this time by Lou Berney called “November Road.” Set in the wake of the assassination of JFK, it’s about a mob fixer who finds himself on the run and crosses paths with an unhappy Oklahoma housewife who’s also looking to restart her life. They meet to share the open road west and apparently find each other — while a hit man is on his tail — along the way.
Hmm. According to Kirkus Reviews, “Berney’s writing brilliantly reflects the times of both disillusionment and hope … capturing the few weeks at the end of 1963 — all that was lost and all that lay tantalizingly and inevitably just beyond the horizon.” “November Road” sounds quite good, so count me in.
Meanwhile I probably can’t resist Andre Dubus III’s new novel “Gone So Long” about a father who 40 years ago committed a shocking violent act that changed the lives of those in his family forever. Now terminally ill, he’s been released from prison and is set on visiting his estranged daughter, who he hasn’t seen in decades. But she is focused on moving forward, and others — like the maternal grandmother who raised her — won’t welcome him back either.
“Gone So Long” is said to be a slow burn of a novel that continues to fill in the characters’ backstory as Dubus inches them toward their climatic meeting. Uh-oh. If you liked the author’s novel “House of Sand and Fog,” which was an explosive heart-wrencher, then you might check this one out as well.
After those three crime novels, I’ll probably need something lighter … or dare I say romantic? And Patti Callahan’s biographical novel “Becoming Mrs. Lewis: The Improbable Love Story of Joy Davidman and C.S. Lewis” might be just the thing. I remember the 1993 movie “Shadowlands” about New York poet Joy Davidman and author C.S. Lewis’s love affair and that intrigued me, so now I’m back for more.
This novel explores Joy’s life and how she came to know and eventually marry C.S. Lewis, the Oxford professor and writer of the Narnia books. They first bonded over letters she wrote him asking about God and faith and then she traveled to England to be with him. Theirs was quite a connection (with much religious talk thrown in) that was cut tragically short. Apparently the book is said to be a moving portrait of a complex woman and also a meditation on marriage. Hmm, yes, count me in.
Last up is Edward Carey’s historical novel “Little,” which is said to be a quirky and macabre tale set in Revolutionary Paris about an ambitious orphan named Marie, who’s befriended by royalty and radicals, eventually transforming herself into the legendary Madame Tussaud, of waxworks fame.
Oh my, this novel, which is getting a lot of praise, sounds like quite a ride with those such as Margaret Atwood tweeting “not to miss this eccentric charmer.” Booklist too says it’s “an immensely creative epic … Mingling a sense of playfulness with macabre history, Carey depicts the excesses of wealth and violence during the French Revolution through the eyes of a talented woman who lived through it and survived … The unique perspective, witty narrative voice, and clever illustrations make for an irresistible read.” Hmm. I want to give it a try!
As for movies, October looks to be the best month of the year so far for its amount of notable new releases. Woohoo! A lot of the critics seem to be loving Bradley Cooper’s remake of the movie “A Star Is Born” with Lady Gaga. This is the fourth time it’s been made. So likely you know the story by now: he’s the hard-drinking musician who falls in love and helps a young singer find fame, meanwhile his career takes a downward turn.
I remember the 1976 movie with a lovely rugged looking Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand. Kris’s version seemed believable as he could knock a drink or two back in his day. Man I felt terrible when his character bites the bullet. Ahh well, I’ll see Brad’s version too — as it’s getting huge hype (or GAGA) about it. Okay I couldn’t help the pun. I usually like country, folk, rock music kinds of movies — remember the 2009 movie “Crazy Heart,” which was similar? — so I’m definitely game.
There’s also the biographical movie about the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong called “First Man.” Oh yeah, I want to see it. It stars Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy and follows the years leading up to the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon in 1969. What more do you want? I repeat: Gosling in space as Neil Armstrong.
Then there’s the movie version of the bestselling young adult novel “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas, which looks good. Actress Amandla Stenberg plays teenager Starr Carter who sees her best friend fatally shot by a white police officer and needs to stand up for what’s right in her community. Talk about timely. The book too was a big success so I expect the movie version will do very well at the box office. Maybe it’ll even make an impact?
Then there’s the comedy-drama “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” which looks decent too with Melissa McCarthy as the biographer Lee Israel, who turns to forging letters from deceased authors and playwrights in order to pay her bills: uh-oh. It looks to be more of a nuanced role for McCarthy so I’ll be interested to see it.
And I like the looks too of the Netflix movie “Private Life” with Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti as a married couple dealing with multiple fertility treatments, which ends up testing their marriage, uh-oh. Hahn and Giamatti seem to be a delightful duo in this comedy-drama set in New York City. I especially loved Giamatti in “Barney’s Version” and “Sideways,” so count me in.
Lastly in notable movies, there’s the adaptation of the 1990 Richard Ford novel “Wildlife” about a boy in 1960 who witnesses the crumbling of his parents’ marriage after the three of them move to Montana and his mother falls in love with another man. Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal star in the drama, which premiered at Sundance. Somehow I missed this particular Ford novel but it looks like his usual relationship-trouble kind of fare.
If it’s new music you’re looking for, there’s new albums this month by Elvis Costello, John Hiatt, Edie Brickell, and Richard Ashcroft among others. I’m wondering a bit about the album “Wanderer” by Cat Power and “C’est La Vie” by Phosphorescent. I am a newbie to both so I’ll need to check them out as I go long this month.
What about you — which new releases this month are you most interested in?
Great overview on the new releases. Yes, I want Kingsolver and French for sure. Little sounds great! Especially if Margaret Atwood blurbed it. I like French Revolution stories for some reason.
All the movies yes! I just finished reading The Hate U Give. It was excellent.
We love John Hiatt in our house. Didn’t know he was still making records/albums/whatever you call them these days.
Happy reading!
Thanks Judy, John Hiatt still sounds like John Hiatt from the old days! I need to read The Hate U Give and I also like French Revolution books. Little sounds good. You’ll get to Kingsolver I hope before me. Enjoy your October.
You are featuring some really good titles. I am going to request Bitter Orange from the library. It sounds so good.
I am eagerly waiting for the new Murkami book. They didn’t do a very good job of marketing it, this time around. I’ve not really seen it mentioned anywhere.
A Star is Born looks so, so good!
Snow? It was 100 degrees here yesterday and it hotter here today.
Hi Ti, I can’t wait to visit California — as a big snowstorm just left a foot of snow here. I’m going in mid-Oct. Maybe it’ll be a bit cooler by then? I’ll look to hear what you say about the Murakami book — as well as the Kingsolver novel. Bitter Orange I’m hoping is good. Enjoy your month.
We’re waiting for fall to make an appearance. It’s a little cooler here but still very humid.
Carl and I have very different tastes in movies and we both want to see A Star is Born.
Hi Kathy, I hope you get some fall soon there. A Star Is Born looks like an enjoyable movie with the music & story & stars. You might get to it before me — so I’ll look to hear what you think of it. Enjoy your month.
“Gosling in Space as Neil Armstrong.” What more do we need??
I tend to agree, ha! Get thee to a theater! First man? or Main man?
Hopefully your snow will melt and you will get some real fall.
Little sounds very interesting. I might want too read a conventional biography of Madame Tussaud before I read this.
I must see First Man. I have always had a great interest in Human Space exploration. I should also really read the book too.
Hi Brian: we got dumped on with snow — and it’s not looking good. It’s still coming down & is over a foot, sigh! It’s going to break some trees. The leaves weren’t even off. Yeah I agree First Man looks great — as well as Little; I like Space / astronaut films. Hope you enjoy!
A foot of snow! Dear God! 😮 It’s too soon.
I read two intriguing reviews of Bitter Orange a few months back from fellow bloggers across the pond. They found it intriguing; there is an interesting threesome dynamics among the characters, some voyeurism too, it seems . I read from another blogger just yesterday who did not finish it. Hmm… Dubus III would trigger my interest because I loved the movie House of Sand and Fog; in fact, it is one of my all-time favorite movies (so devastating!) I didn’t know it was an adaptation. Little sounds good. Quirkiness is not something that springs to mind thinking about the French Revolution, with the Reign of Terror and all that going on. I would try it if I were reading faster.
All the movies you mention are already on my prospective watch-list. Ryan Gosling and Damien Chazelle may make it to the Oscars again, as probably will Gaga and Bradley Cooper. I loved Streisand’s version; I haven’t seen Judy Garland’s, or is it Liza Minelli? Amandla Stenberg was outstanding in Everything, Everything; it will be interesting to watch her in a more challenging role. I saw the trailer of The Hate U Give a few months ago and it grabbed me then and there. I loved Giamatti in John Adams, Win Win, and Cinderella Man; he has been in everything, it seems. 😉
Thanks for your insights Carmen! I never saw the original 1937 movie A Star Is Born but apparently it starred Janet Gaynor who I don’t know. I sort of thought it was Judy Garland too, what do I know?! I’m not good at the old old movies. But I enjoyed the Streisand version. I might read The Hate U Give first / it looks powerful and the actress (as you say) seems quite a talent. I better get cracking so many books!
ps. I forgot to say: the Oct. 2 snowstorm here broke the 104 year record for snowfall amount on that day of a foot & a half !!! Ouch, run Carmen! But now we’re digging out & have a few days of sun ahead. The dogs in the park are all happy! Not sure if it will all melt in time before the real winter sets in. Hmm.
Correction: Janet Gaynor was in the 1937 movie version of A Star Is Born; then Judy Garland was in the 1954 version; and then Barbra Streisand was in the 1976 version. So it seems the latest one is the 4th time it’s been made. I stand corrected.
My Books To Be Read shelf will never go down. Too many good recommendations. I need to find that Andre DuBois book. I’m waiting on the Kingsolver and a new one by Leif Enger.
Hi Julie, thanks for stopping by. I too looked at Leif Enger book! I really enjoyed his novel Peace Like a River but it seems a long time ago I read it. 2001. He takes a while to write them. I would like to read him again. Great to see his new book. I didn’t read his 2nd one in 2008 — perhaps I should start there.
I can’t wait to see A Star Is Born. It looks so good! I’ve never seen the other two versions but Bradley Cooper singing makes me weak in the knees. His eyes…
Yeah Rachel, Bradley is not hard to watch ha! I think the movie looks good and it’s been getting great reviews — so I hope to see it soon. I’ll be interested to hear what you think of it.
I have the Murakami, but simply don’t feel like I can muster the energy for 700 pages right now. Actually, after this week I can’t muster the energy for much of anything. Kind of numb with rage. I’m playing it safe and reading historical fiction- Therese Fowler’s A Well-Behaved Woman.
I really want to see The Hate You Give and I saw another book blogger raved about A Star is Born so those are my top movie picks for the month.
Yeah I know what you mean – 700 pages is (way) too much right now. I’ll be interested to hear what you think of the Vanderbilt story. Today we’re going to go see A Star is Born — so I’m hoping it’s good. I also want to see The Hate You Give …
I’m glad you included Little on your list – it’s the first I’ve heard of it and it sounds intriguing…
I’m also a sucker for the inner lives of dead writers, so Becoming Mrs. Lewis also sounds good.
Any idea which one(s) you’re going to start with?
Hi Naomi, I think it depends which novel I get first from the library. They seem to be on order now and I’m on the wait list. If I had a choice, I might start with Bitter Orange but I’m likely a sucker for all of them. Hmm.
Bitter Orange sounds good, but it may be that I just fell in love with the cover! Thanks for the heads up on Private Life–again, sounds good, and I am a Paul Giamatti fan (I could watch him as John Adams over and over and over…).
It’s cold and rainy in CO today, but hopefully the snow will hold off for awhile yet.
I’m way off pace for my GoodReads challenge–I guess it is because I have been reading more super long books this year, as I feel like I am reading as much as ever.
Happy reading.
Hi Jane, Hope you are getting pretty colors on the trees in Colorado. Yeah I’m quite behind on my Goodreads challenge too; I seem to have gotten consumed with a few historical fiction books that took much longer. The book cover of Bitter Orange is very alluring. We are seeing A Star Is Born today so will see about that one. Enjoy your month!
That’s a lovely fall picture and I hope by now the snow is gone. I am excited for A Star is Born – and you reminded me that I did very much like that movie Crazy Heart. Hopefully this will be just as good. So many good books this fall – I’ve got the new Kate Atkinson on my nightstand waiting for me to catch up to it. I’m also interested in the Fuller novel and I’ve never read her before either. I’ve heard a lot of good things about her. Happy reading and watching!