Book vs TV: Three face-offs… which will win?

Posted in Books & Authors, Pop Culture, Uncategorized by

It just so happens that I had the chance this past week to watch three adaptations of books I’ve read. Here’s my quick take on the age-old question: Which was better — the book or the movie (or series)?

Face-off #1:

Happiness for Beginners
Book by Katherine Center, published 2015
Netflix movie, released July 2023

Thoughts: Having read the book only two weeks before watching the movie, the book details were possibly too fresh in my mind. It was impossible to avoid comparisons, and unfortunately, that did not work in the movie’s favor. I really enjoyed the book, especially how it showed the main character’s internal growth and her determined efforts to learn to appreciate life more and actively choose happiness. I also enjoyed the group dynamics, and how part of the main character’s romantic dilemma had to do with her perception of a possible connection between her love interest and another woman who she’d developed a genuine friendship with. In the movie version, the emotions never go particularly deep, and a lot of the scenarios are played primarily for laughs. The friendship isn’t explored or emphasized beyond the surface-level, and the hiking itself isn’t presented as being as challenging as it is in the book. Most frustrating of all, many of the issues that make the central romance so interesting in the book are sanded away here. It wasn’t bad to watch, just not especially noteworthy either.

Verdict: The book for the win!

Face-off #2:

Red, White & Royal Blue
Book by Casey McQuiston, published 2019
Prime Video movie, released July 2023

Thoughts: On the other hand… I read this book four years ago (and loved it) — but other than the bare bones outline of the story, I didn’t have any details in mind while watching this movie, and that saved me from dwelling on what was left out or changed. Instead, I could just watch and enjoy. I liked it a lot, although occasionally Prince Henry came across as a bit too tentative and seemed almost younger than he’s supposed to be. No matter. It’s a really engaging piece of entertainment, and if anything, it’s made me want to revisit the book and see how the two fit together. I suppose for die-hard book fans, there’s no way the movie can live up to expectations, but for me, it worked really well and was a feel-good mood lift.

Verdict: It’s a tie!

Face-off #3:

The Summer I Turned Pretty
Book trilogy by Jenny Han, published 2009 – 2011
Prime Video series (two seasons so far), 2022- 2023

Thoughts: While I really enjoyed the books, they didn’t necessarily stick with me over the years, and I was happy to check out the two available seasons of the TV series. The show adds diversity lacking in the book through casting choices and by including bi and trans representation, although it can’t avoid the fact that there is a ton of privilege in all the characters’ lives. After all, a huge piece of the core plot is that this is a story about two families and the fancy beach house they share every summer. Somehow, seeing certain elements on the screen drive home the fact that these teens spend a lot of time upset about things less privileged people could only dream about. The love triangle between main character Belly and the two brothers, Jeremiah and Conrad, also doesn’t translate as well to the screen. Watching it unfold, I just wanted to shake her and tell her to walk away from all this mess — this is not a healthy situation! There’s an underlying element of grief and loss in season 2, but even that somehow seems pushed to the background much of the time — and while the loss absolutely informs every characters’ actions, it doesn’t feel especially real much of the time.

Verdict: Neither is perfect. Read the books for more plot development (and less in-your-face cringe-iness about bouncing back and forth between brothers who really have enough to deal with already) — but watch the show for eye candy, a talented young cast, and interesting dynamics outside of the love triangle.

Book Review: Cotillion by Georgette Heyer

Posted in Book Reviews by

Title: Cotillion
Author: Georgette Heyer
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication date: 1953
Length: 355 pages
Genre: Historical fiction/romance
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Almost an heiress
Country-bred, spirited Kitty Charings is on the brink of inheriting a fortune from her eccentric guardian — provided that she marries one of his grand-nephews. Kitty has spent her secluded life pining for the handsome, rakish Jack, who is well aware of her attachment.

A plan of her own
But when Jack fails to respond to his great-uncle’s ultimatum, Kitty hatches a strategy of her own — a counterfeit betrothal to mild-mannered Freddy Standen (who neither needs nor wants the money).

A most unlikely hero
And when Kitty’s generous heart leads to all sorts of unintended troubles, there is only one man who can rescue her from more than one dreadful fix, pick up the pieces of her plotting and in the process, win her heart…

Cotillion is a light-hearted addition to Georgette Heyer’s huge collection of Regency romances, and it’s a silly read that still manages to surprise.

Main character Kitty is the ward of a grumpy, gouty, rich old man who has named her his heiress — but only if she marries one of her many eligible cousins-by-adoption. Great-uncle Matthew summons the lot of them to his gloomy estate, but not all show up: Jack, the dashing rake whom Kitty has loved since girlhood, has declined the invitation.

Several others do arrive as ordered — Lord Biddenden, the oldest cousin — already married and there to keep an eye on things; Lord Dolphinton, the sweet but slow-witted Earl of an Irish estate (and apparently Irish nobility isn’t considered nearly as impressive as English nobility); Hugh, a rector who’s entirely too upright and stodgy to suit Kitty… and then there’s Freddy, a “Pink” of the ton, a nice guy who likes Kitty well enough but has no interest in Great-uncle Matthew’s schemes (and as an eldest son, doesn’t need the money that comes with marrying Kitty).

Kitty is stuck — she’ll get nothing if she doesn’t marry one of the cousins, and she’s more than a little heart-broken that Jack hasn’t come to her rescue. She’s been raised in this boring home with no opportunity for society, and is desperate for at least a taste of what’s she’s missing before resigning herself to a life working as a governess or a chambermaid. What Kitty wants above all else is the chance to spend time in London — even just a month would be a treat! And so she comes up with a scheme — she asks Freddy to “offer” for her and enter into a fake betrothal. If they were betrothed, it would be proper for him to take her to London to stay with his family and introduce her to society. If they don’t publicly announce the betrothal, there will be no harm in calling it off after a month. Kitty feels quite sure that after that small taste of fun and freedom, she’ll be ready to face the rest of her life.

Freddy is a friendly, affable sort and agrees to the plan, which soon gets even more complicated. Freddy’s mother is unavailable to chaperone, so he installs her with his married sister, who’s quite a lot of fun, and soon Kitty is enjoying fashion, parties and outings. She also can’t refrain from befriending unusual people and wanting to help them, and before long, she’s caught up in the affairs of two different couples who seem to have all the odds stacked against them — but Kitty is determined to sort out their challenges and get them all a happy ending.

A note on the title: According to an essay on Tor.com:

A cotillion is a Regency dance where you change partners, and Georgette Heyer’s Cotillion is a Regency Romance where everybody twirls and faces their partners and ends up in a happy set of not-entirely predictable couples. 

What’s more, a cotillion is a dance for four couples, and that’s pretty apt for this book.

Cotillion is quite a fun read. Sure, I could quibble with the terribly sexist attitudes portrayed here, but they’re a product of their time — so I can despise the seemingly admirable rake who’s known for his string of mistresses without despising the book itself.

Reading Georgette Heyer’s Regency books is a lesson in idioms, slang, and speech patterns. Freddy in particular speaks without including subjects in his sentences:

“Thing is,” said Freddy, recognizing his cue, “never thought my uncle would permit it. Thought it was useless to approach him. As soon as I read his letter — bespoke a chaise and came at once! Trust you’ll allow me to speak to him in the morning.”

And here are just a few of the words or phrases I had to stop, highlight, and look up:

  • objurgations (harsh reprimands or criticisms)
  • retroussé (a nose that turns up at the tip)
  • wear the willow (to grieve a death)
  • fustian (pompous or pretentious speech)
  • out-and-outer (possessing a particular quality to an extreme degree)
  • bamming (hoaxing, tricking, cheating)
  • percipience (perceptiveness)
  • gudgeon (a credulous or easily fooled person)
  • Joliffe-shallow (type of hat)
  • cognomen (nickname)
  • cicisbeo (the professed gallant or lover of a woman)
  • havey-cavey (dubious, shady)

And as for dialogue, here are a few choice selections:

“Dashed bacon-brained notion to take into your to your cockloft!”

Jack’s too downy to play cards with a leg. But he ain’t a flat either.

When I go into wedded shackles in will be in my own time, and in my own fashion.

Kitty’s adventures are not to be taken terribly seriously. Having read a bunch of GH’s Regency romances already, I was sure from the start that I knew where the story was going, but — surprise!! — about midway through I realized that my expectations were way off base, and the way it all worked out really charmed me. (I’ve seen a few Goodreads reviews say that the surprise is most effective if you’ve read at least a few other Heyer romances first — and that makes sense to me!)

I can’t say that Cotillion is my favorite of Georgette Heyer’s books, but I’m certainly glad to have read it, and found it really entertaining the whole way through.

Any Georgette Heyer fans out there? Which of her books do you recommend? This is #8 for me, and I’ll happily read more (although I think about 1 or 2 per year is probably the most I can handle).

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters from Different Books Who Should Team Up

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Characters from Different Books Who Should Team Up. I couldn’t actually come up with a list of ten, but here are a few characters who I think should hang out, make a connection, maybe share advice…

1. Mercy Thompson & October Daye: My two favorite heroines from favorite ongoing fantasy series! They’re quite different, but both are fiercely loyal, protective of loved ones, brave to the core, and amazing when they need to do battle. They’d be unstoppable together!

    2. Adam Hauptman (Mercy Thompson series) and Tybalt (October Daye series): These two are leaders who are also absolutely besotted with their mates/lovers. They’re probably both too alpha to tolerate each other for long, but perhaps they could form a support group for supernatural men who love semi-mortal women with a tendency to run toward, not away from, danger.

    3. Charlie Spring (Hearstopper) and Ox Matheson (Wolfsong): Charlie is such a lovely snowflake who’s endured horrible bullying as a teen, and Ox is the ultimate protector. I wish Charlie had had Ox to walk through the school halls by his side!

    4. Elizabeth Zott (Lessons in Chemistry) and Olive Smith (The Love Hypothesis): I wish there was a way for Elizabeth to see into the future and see that while not without challenges, there are many more opportunities for women in STEM than in her own time.

    5. London Kelley (The Hookup Plan) and Harriet Kilpatrick (Happy Place): I loved Happy Place, but did not like (spoiler alert!) that Harriet ends up leaving medicine altogether as a way to find happiness in her life. Why not look for a career using her medical degree in some other way? I feel like if Harriet had a friend like London, a passionately dedicated physician as well as a devoted support to her friends, she might have an outlet for talking about her frustrations and thinking more clearly about her options.

    6. Edward Cullen (Twilight) and Matthew Clairmont (A Discovery of Witches): I’d like Edward to have a good role model, to show him that an immortal vampire has career options beyond going to high school for eternity.

    7. Claire Fraser (Outlander) and Emmy Lake (Dear Mrs. Bird): At the time of the Emmy Lake books, Claire would not yet have traveled through the stones and discovered her true love, Jamie Fraser — she spent WWII as a battlefield nurse. It would be amazing if the two women could meet somehow and Emmy could write a profile of Claire for her magazine — how inspiring for the readers of Woman’s Friend!

    What book characters would you want to introduce to one another?

    If you did a TTT post this week, please share your link!

    The Monday Check-In ~ 8/14/2023

    Posted in The Monday Check-In by

    cooltext1850356879

    My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

    Life.

    My “baby” turns 21 today! Where have the years gone? I’m taking the day off today so we can hang out a bit, and we’ll be doing a family dinner at a favorite restaurant tonight.

    Bookish pursuits:

    Did you know that Audible no longer provides refunds on audiobooks purchased with money rather than credits? I had no idea. Apparently, they changed their return policy last October, but this is the first time I encountered it. I bought a Kindle title and added the audio to go with it, and didn’t like it at all. In the past, anything bought within the past year was eligible for a refund, but now it’s only purchases via credits. I’m outraged! (OK, I’m not really outraged, just irked).

    I contacted customer service and they made a “one-time” exception in this case… but now I know to be more cautious and try a sample of anything I’m thinking of buying when I’m not using credits.

    Very annoying… at least with Kindle purchases, there’s a week to return for a refund. Ugh.

    What did I read during the last week?

    California Golden by Melanie Benjamin: Historical fiction about a trio of women caught up in the surf culture of 1960s California. My review is here.

    The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman: Gorgeous writing, even though the plot didn’t entirely work for me. My review is here.

    Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center: Really fun contemporary romance. My review is here.

    Lore Olympus, volume 4 by Rachel Smythe: I think I’m done with this graphic novel series. In fact, I probably could have stopped a couple of books ago.

    One DNF:

    I listened to about 10% of this audiobook, and just couldn’t stand it. I don’t get it — I’ve seen people saying really good things about this book! I didn’t like the characters or the set-up, and then I came across a line that was a total deal-breaker for me:

    “His mouth plundered hers. Over and over.”

    Ick. I hereby declare that the word “plunder” should only be allowed in pirate fiction.

    Pop culture & TV:

    Awww, a new season of Heartstopper. So good! My only complaint is that eight 30-minute episodes go by way too quickly!

    This week, Outlander aired its mid-season finale. It was wonderful… but now the long way for new episodes begins.

    At least there’s Men in Kilts, a very, very silly travel/adventure series with a flavor of Outlander. The 2nd season is just four episodes (episode 1 dropped this week) — it’s like candy for the soul.

    Fresh Catch:

    Two new books this week:

    What will I be reading during the coming week?

    Currently in my hands:

    Cotillion by Georgette Heyer: My book group book for August! It’s been a while since I’ve read any Georgett Heyer, but her books are always such fun.

    Now playing via audiobook:

    Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean: Just getting started, but I like it so far!

    Ongoing reads:

    My longer-term reading commitments:

    • Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 152 and 153 (of 155). Second to last week!
    • Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons: My book group’s classic read — we’re reading and discussing two chapters per week, ending late summer. Progress: 72%

    So many books, so little time…

    boy1

    Book Review: Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

    Posted in Book Reviews by

    Title: Happiness for Beginners
    Author: Katherine Center
    Publisher: Griffin
    Publication date: March 24, 2015
    Length: 352 pages
    Genre: Contemporary fiction
    Source: Purchased
    Rating:

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    A year after getting divorced, Helen Carpenter, thirty-two, lets her annoying, ten years younger brother talk her into signing up for a wilderness survival course. It’s supposed to be a chance for her to pull herself together again, but when she discovers that her brother’s even-more-annoying best friend is also coming on the trip, she can’t imagine how it will be anything other than a disaster. Thus begins the strangest adventure of Helen’s well-behaved life: three weeks in the remotest wilderness of a mountain range in Wyoming where she will survive mosquito infestations, a surprise summer blizzard, and a group of sorority girls.

    Yet, despite everything, the vast wilderness has a way of making Helen’s own little life seem bigger, too. And, somehow the people who annoy her the most start teaching her the very things she needs to learn. Like how to stand up for herself. And how being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes you just have to get really, really lost before you can even have a hope of being found.

    Katherine Center has become a go-to author for me, but I hadn’t gone back and read any of her earlier books. My introduction to this author was the 2018 novel How to Walk Away, and I’ve read all her books published since then. Fortunately, I stumbled across Happiness for Beginners, and I’m so glad that I finally gave it a try.

    As the story opens, Helen is a 32-year-old teacher whose life for the past few years has, frankly, sucked. She’s divorced from her alcoholic husband and has been stuck in her own sadness for quite a while now, desperately in need of a change. Despite her rocky relationship with her younger brother Duncan, whom she barely tolerates, she grabs onto his suggestion of a wilderness backpacking course as a way to shake up her life, but then is dismayed to learn that Duncan’s best friend Jake will be participating as well — and what’s more, that Duncan has promised Jake that Helen will drive him to Wyoming for the start of the course.

    The wilderness course is a 3-week backcountry hiking adventure that has a reputation for being incredibly difficult and dangerous. Helen could have gone to Paris, but she feels like this is how she’ll find a new outlook on life. She does not need Jake tagging along, although she’s surprised to learn just what a great companion he can be during their road trip. Still, an ill-advised kiss later, she decides that any closeness with Jake is a mistake, and informs him that once the backpacking trip starts, they’re to act like strangers.

    As the group sets off into the wilderness, Helen finds herself both the oldest in the group and a total outsider. The others are mostly college-aged jocks and sorority sisters, many participating for the sake of college credits, and most are in much better shape than she is. Helen finds herself stumbling along at the back of the pack, picked on by the trip leader, and excluded from the easy companionship she sees developing between the rest of the group.

    Her situation improves over time as she proves herself through determination and picking up wilderness skills (she’s an awesome map-reader!), and she becomes friends with a younger woman on the trip whose academic focus is the study of happiness. With Windy’s coaching, Helen begins to learn to center herself with appreciation and being present in the good moments, and the trip eventually brings the personal transformation she’d so hoped for… although she has to deal with heartache along the way too.

    At first, I was annoyed by the plot of Happiness for Beginners. I think I may have been ruined for this sort of fiction by Cheryl Strayed’s Wild (which bugged the hell out of me). Call me old-fashioned, but I have little patience for characters who set off on adventures that they’re totally unprepared for and shrug off warnings about the risks — and even less patience for stories where these unprepared characters end up totally fine and triumphant, making it seem like anyone could… I don’t know… hike the entire Appalachian Trail on a whim.

    Putting that aside, though, Helen really grew on me as a character, particularly as we learn more about her childhood and difficult family situation. Having her brother’s best friend as her companion and love interest is an unusual set-up. Beyond their great chemistry, one of the elements I appreciated about Helen and Jake as a couple is how her developing appreciation for Jake helped her begin to see Duncan in a new and better light.

    The adventure elements are great, and I really enjoyed vicariously hiking up and down trails, camping under the stars, and seeing the glorious sites. (I was happy it was only a vicarious experience, though, given the descriptions of how gross and smelly they all were by the end of the three weeks). In fact, I got a little miffed that we didn’t get even more of the hike — the narrative skips ahead days at a time in some points, and I get it — seeing them hike trails for twenty-one straight days could get repetitive — but at the same time, I wanted just a few more days of hiking.

    The characters are terrific, the love story elements are believable and nicely built, and I loved the setting and the overall premise. For fans who’ve discovered Katherine Center through her more recent novels, I definitely recommend checking out Happiness for Beginners too.

    Netflix released a movie version of Happiness for Beginners last month, and even though at first glance the casting and tone seem different from what I’d expect after reading the book, I’m up for giving it a shot sometime soon. Here’s the trailer:

    What do you think? Would you watch this movie?

    Book Review: The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman

    Posted in Book Reviews by

    Title: The Invisible Hour
    Author: Alice Hoffman
    Publisher: Atria
    Publication date: August 15, 2023
    Length: 272 pages
    Genre: Contemporary/historical fiction
    Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
    Rating:

    Rating: 3 out of 5.

    From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage of Opposites and the Practical Magic series comes an enchanting novel about love, heartbreak, self-discovery, and the enduring magic of books.

    One brilliant June day when Mia Jacob can no longer see a way to survive, the power of words saves her. The Scarlet Letter was written almost two hundred years earlier, but it seems to tell the story of Mia’s mother, Ivy, and their life inside the Community—an oppressive cult in western Massachusetts where contact with the outside world is forbidden, and books are considered evil. But how could this be? How could Nathaniel Hawthorne have so perfectly captured the pain and loss that Mia carries inside her?

    Through a journey of heartbreak, love, and time, Mia must abandon the rules she was raised with at the Community. As she does, she realizes that reading can transport you to other worlds or bring them to you, and that readers and writers affect one another in mysterious ways. She learns that time is more fluid than she can imagine, and that love is stronger than any chains that bind you.

    As a girl Mia fell in love with a book. Now as a young woman she falls in love with a brilliant writer as she makes her way back in time. But what if Nathaniel Hawthorne never wrote The Scarlet Letter ? And what if Mia Jacob never found it on the day she planned to die?

    Nathaniel Hawthorne “A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities.”

    This is the story of one woman’s dream. For a little while it came true.

    When teenaged Ivy becomes pregnant, her wealthy Boston family treats her with scorn and decides — without her consent — that she’ll give birth and then give the baby away. In desperation, Ivy runs away, and a chance encounter with a stranger leads her to the Community, a farm outside the western Massachusetts town of Blackwell, led by a charismatic man named Joel Davis. At first, the Community seems like a haven. Ivy is welcomed, given a home, and captures the attention of Joel, who eventually marries her.

    But the Community is not merely a peaceful communal farm — it’s a structure, highly regulated, isolated world completely controlled by Joel and his dictates. Women must dress simply, vanity is not allowed, children belong to the Community at large and not to their biological parents, and books of any kind are forbidden. Punishments are harsh — from lettered signs hung around necks for initial or minor offenses to having letters branded on the offenders’ arms for more serious infractions. But by the time Ivy realizes the truth of the Community, she’s stuck — she’s given birth to her daughter Mia, and Joel has made it clear that if she ever leaves, she’ll never see Mia again.

    As Mia grows, Ivy and Mia maintain a secret bond despite its forbidden nature, and Ivy shares the stories and fairy tales she remembers from her own youth during their secret meetings in the woods. As Mia grows up, Ivy encourages her to sneak away to the Blackwell public library while working at the Community’s farmstand in town, and soon Mia’s life revolves around the books she hides in the barn.

    Mia now understood that Joel was well aware that once a girl walked into a library she could never be controlled again.

    After tragic events, Mia is more trapped than ever. In despair, Mia takes a random book from the library shelves and then heads to the river, where she intends to load her pockets with stones and drown herself, the only escape she can envision. But when she opens the books and begins to read, she’s awed to find that this particular book speaks directly to her, and offers her a new way to think about her life and her future.

    The book is The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and it literally changes Mia’s life. Without going too much further into the plot points, I’ll just say that Mia finds a way to escape and start over, thanks to the help of a kind librarian (librarians rock!), and her love for Nathaniel Hawthorne eventually leads to a timeslip element that takes her into his world.

    It’s hard to summarize my feelings about The Invisible Hour. As with all of Alice Hoffman’s books, the writing here is beautiful, with some passages and ideas that just take my breath away. And while some of the author’s books are among my very favorites, there are also many where I love the writing and feel disconnected from or let down by the plot. Sadly, The Invisible Hour mostly fits into the second category.

    I was deeply engrossed in the first half of the book, where Mia’s childhood and youth at the Community are the focus, as well as her escape and her discovery of a future filled with books, autonomy, loving found family, and the ability to set her own path. When the timeslip elements come into play in the second half of the book, that’s where it loses me to a great extent.

    It’s not that I have a problem with time travel or timeslip novels, not by a long shot! Somehow, the introduction of the time element in The Invisible Hour felt jarring and not at all believable to me. Perhaps it was the introduction of Nathaniel Hawthorne as a character that broke the spell for me. In any case, despite the seeming intention to show this as a magical element brought about by a special book, I just couldn’t buy it, and felt dissatisfied for much of the rest of the book.

    On the other hand, I do love how beautifully the power of books and reading is shown throughout The Invisible Hour. Books literally save and then change Mia’s life

    … he believed it was possible to see inside a person’s soul once you knew which books mattered to them.

    I wish I had loved The Invisible Hour. As I’ve already said, the writing is gorgeous and evocative, and makes this book well worth reading. I just wish I’d felt as strongly about the plot itself as I do about the way it’s written. Mia’s story is sad yet ultimately lovely and full of hope, but the timeslip elements fell flat for me and detracted from the impact of the whole.

    Side note: I don’t have particularly good memories of reading The Scarlet Letter way back in high school, but after reading The Invisible Hour, I’m very tempted to give it another try.

    Book Review: California Golden by Melanie Benjamin

    Posted in Book Reviews by

    Title: California Golden
    Author: Melanie Benjamin
    Publisher: Delacorte Press
    Publication date: August 8, 2023
    Length: 368 pages
    Genre: Historical fiction
    Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
    Rating:

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    Two sisters navigate the turbulent, euphoric early days of California surf culture in this dazzling saga of ambition, sacrifice, and longing for a family they never had, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator’s Wife

    Southern California, 1960s: endless sunny days surfing in Malibu, followed by glittering neon nights at Whisky A-Go-Go. In an era when women are expected to be housewives, Carol Donelly is breaking the mold as a legendary female surfer struggling to compete in a male-dominated sport–and her daughters, Mindy and Ginger, bear the weight of her unconventional lifestyle.

    The Donnelly sisters grow up enduring their mother’s absence–physically, when she’s at the beach, and emotionally, the rare times she’s at home. To escape questions about Carol’s whereabouts–and chase their mom’s elusive affection–they cut school to spend their days in the surf. From her first time on a board, Mindy shows a natural talent, but Ginger, two years younger, feels out of place in the water.

    As they grow up and their lives diverge, Mindy and Ginger’s relationship ebbs and flows. Mindy finds herself swept up in celebrity, complete with beachside love affairs, parties at the Playboy Club, and USO tours to Vietnam. Meanwhile, Ginger–desperate for a community of her own–is tugged into the vibrant counterculture of drugs and cults. Through it all, their sense of duty to each other survives, as the girls are forever connected by the emotional damage they carry from their unorthodox childhood.

    A gripping, emotional story set at a time when mothers were expected to be Donna Reed, not Gidget, California Golden is an unforgettable novel about three women living in a society that was shifting as tempestuously as the breaking waves.

    Content warning: Parental neglect, child abandonment, partner abuse, cults, violence.

    In California Golden, a legacy of neglectful parenting leads sisters Mindy and Ginger to the Southern California surf culture of the 1960s. Ignored and starved for affection by their mother Carol, whose own dreams were cut short by an unplanned pregnancy and the marriage that followed, the sisters throw themselves into surfing as a way to follow their mother and make sure she doesn’t abandon them completely. But while Mindy takes to surfing almost instinctively and displays a huge talent for it, Ginger struggles to keep up.

    Over time, Mindy becomes a champion surfer, a surfing stand-in for the stars of beach party movies, and a spokesmodel for sponsors keen to have her sunny good looks and popularity attached to their brands. As Mindy becomes more involved with the club and music scene, Ginger instead gets caught up in the personal aura of a self-proclaimed “Surf God”, a charismatic beach bum who deplores surfing’s commercialization and who demands absolute devotion.

    As years go by, Mindy and Ginger are pulled farther and farther apart by their different worlds — Mindy immersed in celebrity and stardom, while Ginger falls deeper into an abusive, all-encompassing relationship that leaves her powerless and penniless.

    Meanwhile, Carol seems to live in her own world, always resentful of the sacrifices she had to make for the sake of motherhood, and wanting more than anything to reclaim her own body and her own passions.

    With the Vietnam War ramping up and the surfing craze finally passing its peak, the lives of these three women intersect again and again, not always in ways that they’d expected or wanted.

    Through these characters, California Golden shows the incredibly strong pressure (and hypocritical stances) imposed on women of the late 1950s and 1960s — to fit in, to become wives and mothers, to put men and children first, and to always do it with a smile. Carol is a hard person to sympathize with, but when later in the book, we get more of the story of her younger years, it’s clear that she faced a no-win situation where every last ounce of agency was stripped away from her. It’d hard to feel sorry for a neglectful mother, but at least we get to see how she ended up where she did.

    The dynamic between Mindy and Ginger is complicated and sad, and it’s excruciating to see Ginger become pulled further and further into abuse, neglect, and a cult-like life revolving around drug smuggling and obedience.

    The depiction of SoCal surf culture is evocative, although Mindy’s time in the music and celebrity life of the Sunset Strip feels somewhat repetitive of other books set in that era — the surf elements feel new and fresh, but the rest less so.

    I appreciated the web of relationships and connections, but would have liked certain romantic connections to have more time to grow and breathe, and a conflict over racism isn’t especially well developed. I got the sense at various points that this book was trying to cram in too many iconic elements of the 1960s, sometimes to the point of overwhelming the central focus on the sisters and their mother.

    The chapters focused on Mindy and Ginger’s childhood are so hard to read, so that when we do finally get the opportunity late in the book to learn about events from Carol’s perspective, it’s too late to salvage much in the way of good feelings toward her… but at least we get the chance to understand, even if we don’t condone or feel much empathy.

    Reading California Golden, it’s impossible not to be grateful for reliable birth control and freedom of choice, endangered as that may be. If you want to convince someone that pregnancy and childbirth are traumatic, you might want to give them a copy of this book.

    After a slow start (hampered by some weird chronology early on), the book begins to pick up steam — so while I wasn’t sure about it at first, by the midpoint, I was hooked and couldn’t put the book down. While I eventually got very caught up in the characters’ lives, I felt the ending tried to shoe-horn in too much, and left me with questions that I couldn’t ignore, despite the deliberate emotional fireworks.

    Overall, I found California Golden entertaining, but questioned some of the plot choices, and didn’t feel that certain 1960s touchpoints added anything new or fresh to the book. It’s an interesting work of historical fiction, and for anyone interested in the era, it’s worth checking out.

    Top Ten Tuesday: Books I’ve added to my TBR because of other bloggers

    Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by

    Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books I’ve Read/Want to Read Because of Top Ten Tuesday — but I (unfortunately) don’t usually remember to keep track of where I first heard of a book, so I couldn’t be sure that the books I thought of were actually ones I learned of through TTT posts.

    So… instead, I’ll just list some books that I became aware of thanks to other bloggers — through book review posts, cover reveals, “waiting on…” post, and yes, even TTT lists. Please consider this a THANK YOU to those who featured these books, even if I can’t quite remember specifically where I came across them!

    My top 10 are:

    1. The Real Queen Charlotte: Inside the Real Bridgerton Court by Catherine Curzon (added based on review at Hopewell’s Public Library of Life)
    2. Love Theoretically (and other books) by Ali Hazelwood: I don’t think I would have considered these books without having seen all the raves on various blogs! I’ve read two of her novels so far, and I’m glad I did.
    3. The Unfinished Clue by Georgette Heyer: A review at Literary Potpourri convinced me to add this author’s mysteries to my TBR, when previously I’d only been aware of her historical romances.
    4. Various novels by Judy Leigh: This is an author whose books I definitely was not aware of until I started seeing bloggers talking about how much they enjoyed them. I’ve seen read two, and have my eye on a bunch more.
    5. Whalefall by Daniel Kraus: I first added this book to my TBR thanks to an early preview via Books, Bones & Buffy… and I can’t wait to read it.
    6. The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry: This book popped up in my feeds quite a bit, but it was a review by Jonetta at Blue Mood Cafe that convinced me to add it to my TBR.
    7. The Spectacular by Fiona Davis: This book wasn’t on my radar at all until I saw a great review at The Chocolate Lady’s Book Blog.
    8. Wildwood Magic by Willa Reece: Another one from Books, Bones & Buffy! I read Tammy’s review this week, and that was enough to convince me to add it to my TBR.
    9. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros: This book is everywhere (including all over the bestseller lists), but I know I first became aware of it via multiple TTT posts.
    10. The Celebrants by Steven Rowley: The only one on this list that I’ve actually read! I had skipped right by it originally, but after seeing a few posts featuring this as a “most anticipated” book for 2023, I had to know more… and I absolutely loved it.

    Putting this list together makes me realize I should keep better track of where I first learned about the books I add to my TBR list. (I have a friend who keeps a huge spreadsheet for this, but I’m not quite ready to go that far just yet!)

    What book did you read or add to your TBR lists because of other bloggers?

    If you did a TTT post this week, please share your link!

    The Monday Check-In ~ 8/7/2023

    Posted in The Monday Check-In by

    cooltext1850356879

    My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

    Life.

    I had a busy week, but then actually went out for some fun over the weekend:

    What did I read during the last week?

    The Hundred Loves of Juliet by Evelyn Skye: A reimagining of Romeo and Juliet as lovers destined to meet and lose one another over and over again across the centuries. My review is here.

    Mrs. Porter Calling by AJ Pearce: The 3rd book in a series about a woman on the WWII homefront is a delight. My review is here.

    The Celebrants by Steven Rowley: I absolutely loved this book. Check out my review, here.

    Pop culture & TV:

    Well, there was Barbie… which was so much fun.

    Streaming-wise, I finished the new season of The Witcher. It was okay, and I suppose I’m a bit sad to see Henry Cavill ending his role as Geralt, but overall, I’m not feeling all that invested in the show as a whole. I realized that the show has now caught up to about the same place that I’d gotten to in the books, so from here on out, the story will be new to me. (I also gave away all the books in the series — I don’t feel the need to read any more).

    Next up: I’m about to start the new season of Heartstopper, and I’m so excited for more sweet adorableness.

    Fresh Catch:

    I bought hard copies of two books I’d previously read (and loved) as e-books:

    What will I be reading during the coming week?

    Currently in my hands:

    California Golden by Melanie Benjamin: I haven’t had a chance to really get into this yet, but historical fiction about California surf culture in the 60s sounds like it should be a really good read.

    Now playing via audiobook:

    Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center: I wasn’t sure what I was in the mood for when it was time to start a new audiobook, but so far, I’ve enjoyed everything by this author. Fingers crossed this will be a good one!

    Ongoing reads:

    My longer-term reading commitments:

    • Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 150 and 151 (of 155).
    • Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons: My book group’s classic read — we’re reading and discussing two chapters per week, ending late summer. Progress: 65%

    So many books, so little time…

    boy1

    Book Review: The Celebrants by Steven Rowley

    Posted in Book Reviews by

    Title: The Celebrants
    Author: Steven Rowley
    Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
    Publication date: May 30, 2023
    Length: 320 pages
    Genre: Contemporary fiction
    Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
    Rating:

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    A Big Chill for our times, celebrating decades-long friendships and promises—especially to ourselves—by the bestselling and beloved author of The Guncle.

    It’s been a minute—or five years—since Jordan Vargas last saw his college friends, and twenty-eight years since their graduation when their adult lives officially began. Now Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle find themselves at the brink of a new decade, with all the responsibilities of adulthood, yet no closer to having their lives figured out. Though not for a lack of trying. Over the years they’ve reunited in Big Sur to honor a decades-old pact to throw each other living “funerals,” celebrations to remind themselves that life is worth living—that their lives mean something, to one another if not to themselves.

    But this reunion is different. They’re not gathered as they were to bolster Marielle as her marriage crumbled, to lift Naomi after her parents died, or to intervene when Craig pleaded guilty to art fraud. This time, Jordan is sitting on a secret that will upend their pact.

    A deeply honest tribute to the growing pains of selfhood and the people who keep us going, coupled with Steven Rowley’s signature humor and heart, The Celebrants is a moving tale about the false invincibility of youth and the beautiful ways in which friendship helps us celebrate our lives, even amid the deepest challenges of living.

    The shortest of short reviews: I loved this book.

    Want to know more? Okay, here goes…

    The Celebrants is a funny, human, touching story of lasting friendship and chosen family, as well as a deeply impactful reminder to show love and appreciation to the people we care about while we still can.

    In The Celebrants, a group of six best friends attending Berkeley in the mid-90s becomes a bereaved group of five after Alec dies tragically shortly before graduation. Numb, the friends gather after his funeral and talk about all the things they wish they’d told Alec while he was alive.

    And so a pact is born: The five friends vow to hold “living funerals” for each other, to be held whenever someone needs a reminder that they’re loved and valued. Each person can trigger the pact when they feel they need it, and they each get one (and only one).

    As they move into adulthood and into their own lives, the pact is largely forgotten, until almost twenty years later, when Marielle summons everyone back to the Big Sur house we’re they’d congregated after Alec’s death. With her marriage falling apart, feeling adrift and without purpose, Marielle calls upon the group to remind her of all that she has to live for.

    From there, we see the group reconvene over the years at various crisis points in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. The gatherings are sentimental, funny, and ultimately, meaningful in different ways. Each person may need something different at their funeral, but the group is there to celebrate them no matter what.

    I can’t say enough good things about The Celebrants. I came to really love the characters, both as individuals and as members of a friend group that’s based on love even at its snarkiest and most critical. The book is written with compassion and humor, and flows quickly from one funeral to the next, interspersed with the “now” storyline that drives the momentum of the novel as a whole.

    In fact, the only discordant note for me was a scene where the group does mushrooms before going on an outing, which was probably meant to be much funnier than I found it and came across as fairly cringey.

    Other than that, the writing is funny and emotional, a hard balance to pull off, but accomplished here incredibly well. The message of the book is powerful and left me thinking quite a bit — it’s all about celebrating life and the important people in it while they’re here, not waiting to tell people how and why they matter to us, because there’s no guarantee that there will be time later on.

    None of them would leave this Earth without knowing that they were loved.

    So much of this book resonated with me — holding onto lifelong friends, relishing small moments, sharing and facing difficult truths, and making space for the important people in our lives, even when we feel busy or overwhelmed ourselves.

    I ended up listening to the audiobook of The Celebrants, which is narrated by the author. I’ve often found author narrations less than satisfactory, but not so in this case — he does a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life and conveying the humor and flavor of their banter and conversations.

    I highly recommend The Celebrants. Don’t miss this lovely book.