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Now Reading

2014 June 22
by WWGD

NowReading-WhatWouldGwynethDo

Some books you read for the story and some books you read for the writing.

Since my last update, I finished What Alice Forgot and it was definitely a story-focused book. It’s the cute tale of a woman who has an accident at the gym one morning and forgets the past ten years of her life — most of her marriage, the birth of her three children, her entire suburban soccer mom existence. And she can’t possibly comprehend how it all came to be. It’s a fun read and certainly makes you think about what a difference a decade can make. Perfect for summer days laying by the pool.

Then I moved onto A Homemade Life. Molly Wizenberg is the blogger behind Orangette and the restaurateur behind Seattle’s Delancey (the subject of her newest book) and Essex. A Homemade Life is her first book and while the stories in it – memoirs of her life sprinkled with both touching and funny anecdotes, all tied to recipes that marked particular moments – are enjoyable, it’s the writing that really draws you in. As someone who considers herself an amateur writer, it’s always interesting to see what styles grab my interest and hold onto it. Molly’s is easy. It’s conversational and flows and isn’t weighed down with heavy metaphors or complex phrases. But it just hits you. Every few pages she breaks through with a simple little line that just hits you. And that’s the kind of writing I love the most. Oh, and the recipe for her chocolate cake is pretty damn intriguing, too.

After finishing that this morning, I finally did it. I downloaded The Goldfinch.

I have been avoiding The Goldfinch like the plague. Too much hype, too many pages, too much chatter.

But as a writer, I know I need to read it. I want to read it.

And I hope to enjoy it – both for the story and for the writing.

Will let you know.

And in the meantime, there will be certainly be some chocolate cake.

Have a great Sunday ~

4 Responses
  1. Amy permalink
    June 23, 2014

    THE GOLDFINCH is a tough read. I really wanted to like it but it was long and bloated.
    Good luck!

  2. June 23, 2014

    A Homemade Life is fantastic, and her recipe for pistachio cake with honeyed apricots in the book is one of my all-time favorites. I actually photocopied most of the recipes for my recipe binder 🙂 And I’m currently plowing through The Goldfinch and don’t want to build it up or down, but I do worthwhile that it’s good for writers to read. Enjoy!

  3. June 27, 2014

    I’m thrilled to hear someone else had similar thoughts on the Goldfinch. I agree with Amy and while I started it, I’ve found myself finding excuses to not pick it up again. I wanted to love it so bad. Good luck with it- I want to hear what you think! In the meantime, I’m shipping my copy to my Dad…

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