Finished
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby, 1925.
Although I can’t recall just when, I’ve read this book before and feel like I enjoyed it. I’ve seen pieces of the movie. There was a time when one of my daughters was obsessed with it. On New Year’s Eve 2019, I really thought we were going to get a real “Roaring 20’s Revival.” I think I was a little excited about that. The revival never happened. Maybe COVID thwarted those plans. Or maybe it didn’t. Either way, COVID changed mine and perhaps my reading of this book.
About halfway through, I described the rereading as “underwhelming.” I think that was a mistake. Now that I have reached the end, I think it was overwhelmingly tragic and sad. I suppose it has always been tragic and sad, but I was too distracted by the romantic illusion. Now, at nearly 50, I do not find big parties full of random people who don’t care about you appealing, even if they are just a ruse to woo the only woman you think you have ever loved who really deserves it because her no good, two-timing, oaf of a husband thinks he can do whatever he wants because of his name and his bank account. The truth is you probably don’t even love her – you love the idea of her, what she represents in your lack, and you mistake the need to possess with love. It’s all fear and scarcity and greed and hunger and the quest to fill the spiritual with the physical – and that is a recipe for death, destruction, and heartbreak – which is exactly how Fitzgerald wrote it.
Garmus, Bonnie. Lessons in Chemistry, 2022.
Book 1 – Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Published in 2022, it has been on my TBR for about that long. Honestly, the cover put me off. I know, I know. But, something about this particular book art trend just doesn’t do it for me.
However, after a few dozen recommendations, the clip of Brie Larson as the protagonist, Elizabeth Zott (excellent casting, I think), telling an audience member that she could, in fact, be an open heart surgeon (the story spans the late ‘50s, early ‘60s), and having nothing pressing during the last part of my winter break, I decided to give it a go.
This book read for me like The Help by Kathryn Stockett – I found it mostly dreadful as far as novels go while being utterly incapable of putting it down; I could not walk away from the story. Frustrating, hyperbolic, and plausible only in fiction, I was captivated by the characters. They lack complexity and nuance and are mostly improbable in the wild. However, although my eyes rolled, I continued to turn the page without an arm-twist. I never once considered not finishing it.
I probably won’t make time for the series; as lovely as Aja Naomi King is, choosing to age down the “we are saving each other neighbor” Harriet Slone an entire generation makes me nervous. I am glad I found a bit of downtime to check this off the list. I don’t know that I would recommend it, but I wouldn’t dissuade an interest either.
Horn, Trent. Why We’re Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love (2017)
Book 3 for 2025 is Why We’re Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love (2017) by Trent Horn. The book contains five parts that move through general faith doctrine and Catholic-specific teachings. I have read quite a few apologist writings, and this fits well into that genre. I found it to be easy to read and understand. I would caution that sometimes, it is overly simplified, leading to arguments that fall in on themselves when examined closely. That said, it is a good starting place for those curious about the faith or developing a desire to answer questions concerning the faith. It works as well as the first book you read, but I would suggest not making it your last.
Lange, Tracey, We Are the Brennans (2021).
Book 2 – We Are the Brennans (2021) by Tracey Lange. An enjoyable beach read, the Brennans are an Irish pub-owning family in New York who move through one tragic event that changes everything. What could have been written as heavy family trauma is treated lightly in this fairly predictable journey.
The structure is interesting as the point of view shifts from character to character in each chapter. Often, this storytelling option can cause a bit of narrative whiplash and confusing busyness, but Lange’s consistent transitions create seamless moves that enhance rather than distract from the story; Lange’s choice in this area is probably my favorite characteristic of the book.
It occurred to me pretty early that if I thought about what was actually going on in this story for too long, I would have hated it. I don’t know that it would survive a contemplative read. So, I just took it for the story that it was and enjoyed all of it – especially Shane.
Zevin, Gabrielle. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (2022)
Book 4 – Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (2022) by Gabrielle Zevin has been on my TBR since it first came out in 2022 due to its near-constant appearance in my face. Everybody loved this book. Everybody was reading this book. A NYT Bestseller, they already have it listed on the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century list. (Honestly, I wish I could live long enough to see how that list ages and evolves). But, much like Lessons in Chemistry, I just couldn’t with the cover.
I wish I could have gotten past the cover and read this one sooner. I loved it. And I loved it in that interesting way that happens when an author puts you through all the emotions without leaving me feeling manipulated as a reader. This is particularly impressive with this book, as it would have been so easy to get that part wrong.
I really didn’t like Sadie (the main female protagonist) and never felt like Zevin had an opinion about that one way or the other. In fact, in an odd reflection on the reading experience, it occurs to me that I would not be surprised if Zevin enjoys, or is at least more comfortable, writing male characters.
Looking at the back copy, I don’t think Marx gets the attention he deserves. This is so glaring, in my opinion, that I wonder if Zevin made a similar concession in her work that Sam and Sadie made with Ichigo.
There is a danger with this book that no one is talking about…it is threatening to wreck my schedule as I really want to find a game to play for a little while.
In Progress
DNF
DNF #1 – I get people love it, and that thrills me. I also DNF’d _The Glass Castles_ by Jeannette Walls years ago, so I suppose my taste in this particular area hasn’t changed.