a book that matches its beautiful cover
Hello!
Here’s what I’ve been up to. I’m going on vacation, so I’ll see you in two weeks.
this week’s style icon:
what I’m clicking:
Apartheid is alive and well in South Africa | In defense of slouchwear
what I’m wanderlusting:
See you soon, Merida
what I’m watching:
This baby snow leopard at the Bronx Zoo
what I’m reading:
Viet Thanh Nguyen
Oooooh I love this book. It’s epic and thrilling and has plot twists in all the right places.
Did it make me cry: No.
Did it make me laugh: Yes!
Did it make me miss a subway stop: No.
Would I recommend it: YES!!!!!
Would I read it again: It’s pretty long, so probably not.
Would it be a good movie: I just don’t think it could be done that well, but the film-within-a-film would be an amazing couple of scenes. I almost think you could make a movie just out of that part.
Deborah Levy
I brought this book on vacation with me because it’s super thin and it’s about people on vacation (where something goes horribly wrong!) but it was really just “meh”.
Did it make me cry: No.
Did it make me laugh: No.
Did it make me miss a subway stop: No.
Would I recommend it: Honestly not at all. The end is sort of excellent, but the plot is just tired.
Would I read it again: No.
Would it be a good movie: Probably a better movie than a book but I feel like hundreds of movies just like this have been made before.
Agatha Christie
I took a fancy train ride through South Africa (with no wifi!) so I thought it would be the perfect place to finally read this (it was!).
Did it make me cry: No.
Did it make me laugh: No.
Did it make me miss a subway stop: No.
Would I recommend it: Yes! I loved the twist, even though it unravels a bit slowly so you can really see it coming. It also takes about 5 minutes to read.
Would I read it again: No… I already know what happens.
Would it be a good movie: I, unfortunately, had to purchase the “movie tie-in” version of this book (aren’t those the fucking worst?!) and based on the cheesy-ass press photos that are bizarrely inserted into the middle of this book, I can guess that this remake will be B.A.D.
Zinzi Clemmons
This book is more a series of vignettes than a novel, but it’s so, so beautiful (just like the cover!) and it was perfect for South Africa. There’s this scene where she’s driving in JoBurg and there’s an uncovered dead body on the side of the road and no ambulance. The day after I read about that the SAME thing happened to us.
Did it make me cry: A little.
Did it make me laugh: No.
Did it make me miss a subway stop: No.
Would I recommend it: I think so, but not to everyone. It’s really short and sad and the writing is really lovely, but it also feels really real.
Would I read it again: No.
Would it be a good movie: No, it wouldn’t work because there’s not really a plot.
what I’m reading right now:
The Thing Around Your Neck. I love her so much.
the best book I read in October:
the best book I read in September:
the best book I read in August:
the best book I read in July:
the best book I read in June:
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
the best book I read in May:
the best book I read in April:
the best book I read in March:
the best book I read in February:
The Bone Clocks and Days of Abandonment
the best book I read in January:
what’s on my bookshelf waiting to be read:
Anthropology of an American Girl
what books are on my list to buy (this will take me months to actually do):
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien
Hot Milk by Deborah Levy
Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
M Train by Patti Smith
That Patty Hearst book
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born
What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell
I Love Dick (which is being made into a TV show by Jill Soloway!)
After interviewing Helen Ellis, I added a few books from her “classic trashy” book club to my list.
What are you reading? (You can reply to this email and tell me)
Do you like my book banter? Tell your friends to sign up! http://tinyletter.com/theodora
_____________________________________________________________________________________