Books Published this year
So for this option, I actually read two books. I know, shocker! So I’ll do a short review for each of them, but to be honest, I wasn’t overly impressed with either of them. Sorry for those who really enjoyed them but we are each entitled to our own opinions :]
Book 7
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
As you probably know from my previous post, Pride and Prejudice is one of my all time favorite books, but I’m not so much of a purist that I don’t enjoy a good retelling or update (see Lizzie Bennet diaries please!). That being said, I start these stories with kinda low expectations and take them all with a grain of salt.
This retelling is set in Cincinnati, where Jane and Lizzie have traveled from New York City to help their family back home after their father has medical problems. The family structure is still basically the same, everyone is just older. Bingley is a doctor at the hospital Mr Bennet was treated at and so is Darcy, a super successful neurosurgeon. The same basic plot ensues, just modernized with money problems, crossfit references and sex. And a weird Bachelor reality tv show element that Bingely was on called, you guessed it, Eligible.
I’m not gonna lie, I kinda hated this book. There have been a few decent updated and modern retellings of this beloved story but this definitely was NOT it. The characters felt foreign to me, their relationships off and I straight up hated the cliched ending. To be honest, the only reason I wanted to read it was because A)Jane Austen retelling (duh) and B) beautiful cover. I really need to stop falling into the cover trap because in my experience I am ALWAYS let down. So yeah, wasn’t expecting a lot but it kinda sh*t on one of my favorite stories so I ain’t too happy with it.
Book 8
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts l & ll by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany
So first things first, I’m not gonna lie, when it was announced months ago that they were publishing the script to the play they opened in London, I wasn’t really intrigued by it. I was quite content with the 7 books how they were and thought a continuation wasn’t really necessary. I was right, but more on that later. As they released cast photos and video interviews, I must admit I got more interested. I think the people they cast are phenomenal and I wanted to see the word they created. So I ordered the script and got it August 1st. Like I said, I wanted to read it, but it was nothing like the excitement of getting a brand new book at the midnight release parties of my childhood. It was more of a “alright lets give this a go” feeling. And I think I did myself a favor by feeling that way because I am in no way let down by what I read since I had already separated it from the other books from the start.
On to the story, spoiler free, I promise. The play takes place 19 years after Harry and the gang have graduated from Hogwarts. It literally picks up where the epilogue starts in Deathly Hallows. Harry is an overworked dad and isn’t connecting as well with his son Albus as he would like, which is the underlying cause of all the mayhem that happens. To be honest, the whole story seems rather cheesy and trite, with minimal character development and people we know and love acting weirdly out of character. Now I know this is only a script, so there is very little embellishment on the scene and how the characters portray their lines, so I think I would like it much better as a play, even if it still has its main flaws. But I can’t lie and say I loved it. I don’t know if I hated it, but I think that’s only because my mind isn’t accepting it as canon, despite being written and approved by Rowling. To be honest, I’ve always been way more fascinated by the Maurader’s story, James and Lily in school, etc., so maybe if the play had been about that and sucked I would be more upset. All in all I feel kind of ambivalent to the whole thing. I’d like to see the production and review that but seeing as I wont be in London anytime in the near future, I’ll have to be content without it.
So yeah, these were both kind of let downs. Here’s hoping the next few books I read are not such downers!
Kat