NIGHT FILM (2013)

Night Film by Marisha Pessl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What did Ashley Cordova want to tell him before jumping to her death? Investigative reporter Scott McGrath decides to track down Ashley's father, the elusive director of dark and disturbing films, Stanislas Cordova, to find the truth behind the myths. Night Film is one incredible roller coaster ride.

Using made-up documents to help tell a story has been done before but never as well as Marisha Pessl's detailed and realistic newspaper clippings, photographs, magazine articles, and other documents scattered throughout the book.

Some of the print reviewers aren't as enthusiastic about this sophomore effort of Marisha Pessl, who won recognition for her debut novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics (2006). However, most readers (and that includes me) are totally enthusiastic.

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Breaking News for LIFE AFTER LIFE

My book group is discussing Kate Atkinson's Life After Life this evening so I googled the title to do a little more background reading and made this discovery!

Twilight’ Producers to Adapt Kate Atkinson’s ‘Life After Life’

Click on the headline for more details from Variety.

Book versus Movie

"Because 99% of the time, the books are better than the movies," Buzzfeed suggested 14 books to read before they hit the big screen.

There are a few of these titles I want to read, but the truth is that I can't imagine a movie can be made that is as good as the following titles I've read: The Fault in Our Stars (John Green); Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn); Reconstructing Amelia (Kimberly McCreight).

Addicted to Libraries

Caught in a used bookstore AGAIN

Today I stopped at my local library branch to pick up two books. I have been waiting impatiently for Beth Hoffman's Looking for Me and curious about Michael Hainey's After Visiting Friends.

The head librarian knows how to hand sell and I left with Beth Hoffman's earlier Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, which someone had just returned. As a matter of fact, the librarian and one of her staff members had just been discussing wanting to read Looking for Me before they even noticed it was sitting on the reserve shelf waiting for me!

Then because I am random and impulsive, I picked up two movies that I've been wanting to watch. Somewhere in Time, of course, is a re-watch but I missed Les Miserables when it was in movie theatres.

When am I going to have time for all this reading and watching? I think I better head to my comfy chair and get back to Bonnie Jo Campbell's Once Upon a River.

The Great Gatsby (Movie)

Currently Showing in Theatres

I like movies. I just don't often take the time to sit quietly and watch them. So on a recent trip to visit family in Minneapolis, we chose to see Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby one evening.

Chris Nashawaty's review in Entertainment Weekly only assigned a B- to the film. There was controversy over the manic feel and 21st century hip-hop tracks. None of that bothered me. I enjoyed the spectacle.

What the movie did was encourage me to read the book. I borrowed a copy from my niece and plan to read it this summer. Can you believe I have never been required to read F. Scott Fitzgerald's Jazz Age classic? It's true.

LIFE OF PI (2001)

Life of Pi by Yann Martel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A friend handed me her copy of LIFE OF PI and I took the gift even though I have not had any interest in it, thinking I knew what the story was about.

Of course, it received Oscars nominations and won several including Best Director for Ang Lee so I moved it to the top of my list and started reading.

It was hard at first. I wasn't particularly won over until Pi Patel began to relate his story about surviving at sea with only a Tiger for company, I was drawn in.

The details, believable for the reader, morph into a fascinating tale. Life of Pi will stay with you for a variety of reasons including the discussion of religious beliefs, the overwhelming need to survive, the descriptions of nature and the ocean, and the absolute horror of what Pi lived through.

Although author Yann Martel was born in Spain, his parents were Canadian. Growing up he experienced life in France, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Canada. He studied philosophy but took a number of unrelatedl jobs before beginning to write.

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Update to EVERY SECRET THING (2003)

Soon to be a motion picture!

And today word comes that the movie of Laura Lippman's book Every Secret Thing is finally coming to fruition. Check out the details HERE. Stars will include Dakota Fanning, Elizabeth Banks, and Diane Lane.

Read my review from a few years ago HERE.

Bookstores in Movies

Here's a fun article that lists ten bookstores from movies. My favorite is from Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire. What's yours?