"That's the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet." -Jhumpa Lahiri
I finished a good book a couple of days ago and I feel conflicted. Is this the ending that I really expected or hoped for? Is this how people make decisions in the real world? I listened to Anne Tyler's book, The Accidental Tourist: A Novel this week. This is the story of a married couple, Macon and Sarah Leary, who are struggling through life one year after the senseless murder of their 12-year-old son. Sarah left Macon a year after the death, and Macon was devastated. He couldn't deal with his feelings of loss for his son AND for his wife, and his depression showed in his everyday life. One day he met a dog trainer named Muriel, and she seemed to dig her heels into him as if she were aggressively looking for a husband. She did little more than confuse Macon's fragile emotions and he eventually gave in to her advances. There are other turns in the story, but I don't want to spoil it for you, so I won't give you the ending. But it will leave you realizing that life is very complicated and sometimes full of surprises, so be ready for it.
One thing that I enjoyed reading about was Macon Leary's career as a writer of travel books. Sounds like a great job to me! I wouldn't mind it at all, but Macon absolutely hated to travel. Many times he had to return to places where he had been before because the travel books needed to be updated. Sometimes he went to places in the U.S., but he also traveled abroad, of course. At the end of the book he went to Paris and had a very detailed agenda that he had planned. But this is where one of the twists of the story occurs, because Macon didn't go anywhere while in Paris. Read the book to find out why. Oh, one disclaimer...this book was published in 2002 so you'll notice that the technology is limited and it seems like things are often done "the hard way." We sure have come a long way in the past 15 years.
Yesterday I went to see the new movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" with my college daughter. Since we are also planning a wedding, it was fun to watch this comedic story. While the movie is somewhat a disappointment compared to the first movie, we did enjoy it and had a few laughs. If you loved the first movie like we did, I recommend this movie. All of the original actors are back and a few new ones are on the scene, so it's like a reunion of sorts. I think everyone was surprised at the success of the first Greek wedding movie, but don't be surprised if this one doesn't quite live up to your expectations. Still, it's fun and I'm glad we saw it. What could be better than to see this movie with your amazing daughter who is engaged?
I'm so excited! Today I received a notification from Amazon saying that the three books I ordered are on the way! I can't wait to read them. I'll be reading The Little Paris Bookshop, The French House, and Hidden in Paris. Notice a theme throughout?? So, guess what I'll be writing about in the coming weeks? I can't wait to dig in, so stay tuned. I'll be reading about all things French once again, and I can't wait to get started.
Have a blessed Easter and a great final week of March.
-Melissa Hill
Book Blogger
www.onegoodbookblog.blogspot.com
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