Humor | Book Chatter

Landline
By Rainbow Rowell
(St. Martin’s Press, Hardcover, 9781250049377, July 8, 2014, 320pp.)

The Short of It:

Fun and witty with just a little bit of silly.

The Rest of It:

Georgie McCool (seriously, that is her name!) decides to stay home and work through Christmas because the TV deal she is working on is just too good to pass up. Her husband Neal is flying back to Omaha to see his folks and he’s not happy with her decision. As he heads out-of-town with their two daughters in tow, Georgie is well aware of the decision she is making and yet, she can’t bring herself to do anything about it. Her marriage to Neal has been in trouble for a long time and she has no idea how to fix it.

The one thing you will read over and over again about this book is that it’s a fun, light read. It can be read in one sitting and it contains just enough humor to keep it interesting but I tell ya, as much as I loved Georgie’s neurotic tendencies and her poor clothing choices, I had such a hard time with the main part of the story which involves going back to the past via a landline telephone.

She doesn’t technically go back in time, but she gets to know her husband, before he’s her husband and attempts to make things right again. If you embrace the ridiculousness of it all, the book is quite enjoyable. Rowell is known for her ability to work teen angst into a thing of beauty but she is quite adept at handling her adult characters as well.

Besides the magical phone, the only other issue I had with the book was Georgie’s husband, Neal. He’s a real drip in the present AND even in the past. It’s hard to understand why she misses him so much when she has a much better, more interesting guy who happens to be working right next to her. But sure, for the sake of marriage and family you end up rooting for them even though Neal is such a bore.

Overall, I liked this one better than Fangirl but not as much as Eleanor & Park. It has its moments but like I said, it’s a quick, fun read and a perfect way to spend a pleasant afternoon. If you are anxious to get your hands on it, you’ll have to wait a little longer as it doesn’t come out until early July.

Source: Sent to me by a blogger friend.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty
Read By Diane Keaton
(Random House Audio, Compact Disc, 9780804165853, April 2014)

The Short of It:

An observant, witty take on the meaning of beauty.

The Rest of It:

Diane Keaton is a wonderful storyteller. She can literally talk about anything and somehow make it fascinating. I enjoyed Then Again, some years back. That book focused on family and mainly, her relationship to her mother. I loved that book. She seemed so genuine and although she did hold a little back when it came to her many love affairs with some very recognizable names (Pacino, Beatty, Allen), I still enjoyed it quite a bit.

So, when her new book came out, I quickly snatched it up on audio, which is my preferred reading method for her books because they are read by her which makes them irresistible to me. Listening to it, I really got the feeling that she was sitting right next to me and we were having a little chat. Her conversational tone and her willingness to be vulnerable is what stands out to me. In Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty, she focuses on beauty. Primarily, what beauty means to her. Given that she is one of the few actresses in Hollywood that hasn’t had anything done to her face, I have a lot of respect for her.

Sure, she’s a little neurotic and all over the place when she gives interviews but I love her personality. Her favorite feature? Her eyes, but not because of how they look, but because of what they see. This is a theme throughout the entire memoir. Through fashion and architecture, her love for all things beautiful shines through.

As a forty-something woman, I could certainly relate to a lot of what she shares. She doesn’t hold anything back as far as her insecurities about herself, but the book felt abbreviated to me. Maybe, a tad too short, especially for an audio book . It is just five hours long. I could have easily spent a few more hours with her.

Regardless of its length, I loved it for its message and listening to it was a nice way to spend a few hours. I REALLY wanted to see her in person. She had a few events close to me but I just couldn’t make them work.

Have you read her books? What’s your favorite Keaton movie? Everyone loves her more recent stuff but to date, my fave is still Manhattan Murder Mystery.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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