Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Every once in a while, you need a book that is a total escape from reality.  Gone Girl is certainly that kind of book.  Writing a book review for this book has proved to be difficult because as the book kept me guessing until the last page, any specific information that I share with my readers has the potential to spoil the surprise. 

The book is full of surprises and interestingly, it is written from the viewpoint of both main characters over a period of time.  When Nick’s wife goes missing, his side of the story begins to unravel.  One minute I found myself rooting for Nick and the next, just like the supporting characters in the story, I found myself unsure about Nick, but of course at this point in the book I am only hearing Nick’s story.  Enter his missing wife, Amy, and my swaying back and forth between how I feel is compounded. 

 In a series of entries, written by either Amy or Nick, the author succeeds in causing me not only to doubt Nick’s story, but Amy’s as well and in turn, doubt my response as the reader.  Do I like the characters or am I mad at them?  Do I believe Nick or Amy?  Do I stay up just 30 more minutes and read or do I turn out the light so I can start my day in the morning?  I tended to stay up too late, get honked at in the drive trough as I was reading to get to the next part, and urgently read before I needed to return it to the library.  These are all components of a successful fiction book filled with escape and mystery.  

You’ll keep reading until the end and find yourself wishing for just a little more!

Bread and Wine

Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist

I love it when I chose a book that I know nothing about and absolutely fall in love with the book, the author, and the words.   I had that experience with Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist.  Ms. Niequist writes about some of my favorite subjects, food, family, and her Christian walk and she does it with honesty and humility. 

From the introduction, where she says, “Food is the language of care, the thing we do when traditional language fails us, when we don’t know what to say, when there are not words to say. …  It’s the think that connects us, that bears our traditions, …our ability to live and breathe each day.  Food matters”, to the closing chapters where she pens the words, “And the table is where we return to stitch our hearts back together after the breaking”. 

Along the way she shares recipes and stories that are from the heart.  The stories make me want to recreate not only the meals but to create my own memories surrounding them.  I believe that is her intention.  She hopes to instill in each reader, a love not only for the food but more importantly for the symbolism that we can begin to associate with each family dinner, with each bar-b-que with friends, and with each breaking of bread in our faith. 

I fell in love with the book, I am now a faithful reader of her blog and you can absolutely be sure that I am ready to read her other two books but I think I’ll do that after I enjoy a little “Bread and Wine”.  

Paris In Love

Maybe it’s the secret desire I have to reinvent myself, or maybe it’s the recognition that life is as full as we make it; but something drew me to the title of this book and the synopsis which shared the author and her family relocating to Paris for a year.   Although I am not sure I would be quite that adventurous, throwing caution to the wind, and spending a year reconnecting with myself and those closest to me doesn’t seem like a bad idea.

Ms. James is extremely candid throughout the book and though brutally honest at times, I found myself wondering how much rebellion she must have truly faced when she uprooted her husband, and two children, ages 15 and 11 to leave the life they had created for one entire year.  In my home, we would have had a revolt.  Her family seemed to embrace the adventure even with the hurdles they encountered along the way.

The memoir is broken up in to little tidbits of her life.  Some as short as a facebook post, and most no more than an “blog”, but in these short essays she covers the entire year, highlighting both the high and low points.  I chose to listen to this book on audio tape but I would recommend the paper or electronic version since her writing style in this book, jumps quickly from one moment to the next.  Listening on audio could quickly lead to confusion.  Once I realized the writing/listening style.  I found myself eager to listen to her next essay.  From the friends they made, to the struggles her family had,  from the 27 pound chiuaua to the death of her dear friend Rose, you’ll find yourself laughing and crying within the same few moments. 

Moments that replicate life for all of us, whether in a small rural community, a large city, or even Paris France, are easily identified in her honest sharing of Paris in Love