I read all the comments, and It was worth it in order to get to @Mary13’s epilogue! That was marvelous and much better than the book–well done!
I was surprised so many others disliked the book, too, though I was glad to learn I was not alone. I thought I had read it years ago, but it turns out I only saw the movie. Interestingly, I liked the movie SO much that it influenced our decision to go to Italy on our honeymoon! It was October, so I don’t remember any violets, but I had to see Santa Croce and visit Fiesole. I even bought a Baedeker! I think I still have it.
@author I actually do have a scent that makes me feel nostalgic that no one can understand and that is the faint sewer-y smell of gray water. When we lived in Somalia as a child, we spent hours playing in the backyard with leftover kitchen water. I can’t think of a smell for a whole city - except for the unpleasant smell of the paper mill in Mobile Alabama. My own town? Well the smell of fourth of July - a combination of the beach and fireworks. The rest of the year, it’s kind of meh.
People are always tell me to read Bryson or John McPhee for the beautiful writing, but I never have gotten around to it. I read very little non-fiction, and find it very easy to put down. Currently I’m reading *The Secret Lives of Color *, which I find interesting, but suspect, it’s appeal is limited. It’s organized around artist’s hues, but goes beyond telling you how they were made and what artists used them for. I wouldn’t mind reading Educated since everyone else seems to love it. I used to read science stuff like Stephen Jay Gould’s essays about evolution or Oliver Sacks’ books on interesting neurological cases. I also loved Temple Grandin’s Thinking in Pictures about growing up with autism and have always meant to read other books of hers.
Anyone have opinions about "The Weight of Ink " - by Rachel Kadish
@mathmom you win the award for describing the most unusual memory !!!
Although for those of you living along the coast there is a similar unpleasant, fishy, sulfur, almost rancid low tide smell, at times.
Pat Conroy, in Prince of Tides eloquently wrote that low tide scent meant “home” as distinct as it is.
Here’s everything that’s been mentioned so far. Any other suggestions? If not we can begin the veto process (or the lobbying):
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeline Thien
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Educated by Tara Westover and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (both non-fiction, similar theme)
Or Educated by Tara Westover and My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent (non-fiction and fiction)
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (non-fiction)
Educated by Tara Westover and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (both non-fiction, similar theme)
Or Educated by Tara Westover and My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent (non-fiction and fiction)
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (non-fiction)
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (non-fiction)
Just watched the movie and thought it was lovely photography and excellent acting and everyone was so young! (And now I remember all the to-do about the full frontal nudity when the movie came out.)
Even less than the book did the movie show why Lucy even bothered talking with Cecil, let alone agree to marry him. The characterization seemed way over the top. We really need to know what happened in Rome.
George’s look and mannerisms (at least starting after the kiss, which was definitely not just on the cheek) reminded me a bit of Leo DiCaprio in Titanic. Charlotte was clearly much more clearly a catalyst in the movie, but I’ll attribute that to wanting to showcase Maggie Smith.
But personally, if I was just looking for animal passion, I would have gone with the Italian driver.
Not a veto but a concern re the Educated duos. I’m not sure I want to spend that much time (two books) with abusive families. Maybe pair Educated with a functional family - compare and contrast. Are “happy” memoirs written? Anyway, not a veto by any means; if chosen as is, I’m good with it.
And for those of those who’ve been here awhile: in memory of @NJTheatreMOM - I noticed the descriptor "sweeping for Do Not Say We Have Nothing, which would have meant an automatic veto. I’m going to veto also because music, math and too close to memories of *Pachinko/i for me.
It’s hard to find a happy family memoir! We might have to go all the way back to Cheaper by the Dozen. (I loved that book as a child.)
I’m not suggesting this, but just wondering…Did anyone ever read the memoir Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson? When I was a teen, I read The Haunting of Hill House, after which I found this other Jackson book on my parents’ shelves…and promptly laughed all the way through it. She was a versatile writer, to be sure.
I combined Educated with an obscure but well-reviewed happy memoir just as an example, but everything and anything can be changed at this point:
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish
Educated by Tara Westover and Family Romance by John Lanchester (both non-fiction memoirs)
Or Educated by Tara Westover and My Dearest Darling by Gabriel Tallent (non-fiction and fiction)
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (non-fiction)
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (non-fiction)
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou (non-fiction)
Everyone should feel free to veto – no questions asked, no hard feelings. It’s in the by-laws. The list is still a bit unwieldy with 11 titles.
^ Really? I’d be glad to. That would be an interesting combination (and discussion)! I’m going to remove the other Educated duet because both the non-fiction and fiction are dark(ish).
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish
Educated by Tara Westover and Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank and Ernestine Gilbreth
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (non-fiction)
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (non-fiction)
