New Things to Read and Watch
What are you reading and watching lately? Anything good? I’ve got two recently released books and two new movies on my radar so I thought I would share them here.
(As a side note, Tom and I were talking recently about how we don’t watch enough movies. There are so many good streaming series (we’re looking forward to Ted Lasso’s and Succession’s final seasons) but sometimes it’s nice to watch something beginning to end in one sitting, don’t you think?)
Anyway, here’s what’s caught my attention…
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Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. The author of the popular Dear Edward has a new novel out, a family saga inspired by Little Women but set in Chicago in more recent times. Sisters Julia, Sylvie, Cecilia, and Emeline are inseparable and when Julia begins dating William in college, they all welcome him into the family with open arms. But William’s past is dark and complicated and it disrupts both his and Julia’s future and the family’s relationships. Reviews call this book complex, sweeping, and emotional. It’s also Oprah’s 100th book club pick.
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson. This debut novel about life in a wealthy NYC family hit the New York Times Best Sellers List at #5 this week. Another bestselling author, Elin Hilderbrand (I’ve recommended many of her books here on the blog), describes Pineapple Street this way: “It delights across the board — character (the wealthy, quirky Stockton family), setting (an insider’s look at Brooklyn) and plot (a searingly honest exploration of class and privilege.) With shifting points of view and smart, laugh-out-loud observations on every single page, Pineapple Street is an instant classic.”
From the minute I saw the trailer for this story of Loretta McLaughlin, the newspaper reporter who first connected the Boston Strangler murders to each other, I was all in. Journalism movies are my favorites and Keira Knightly looks perfect in the lead role. I’m also in love with the moody shots of Boston and the 1960’s newsroom. (Some trivia for KC friends: Chris Cooper who plays the editor and is an actor you’ll probably recognize, was born and raised in Kansas City.) This dropped last week on Hulu. You can watch the trailer here.
Have you ever wondered how it was that Nike signed Michael Jordan back in the 80s, leading to the best-selling sneaker of all time? Yeah, me neither but now that I’ve seen the trailer for Air, I can’t wait to see Ben Affleck’s new movie about it. It looks fast-paced and funny and the cast is phenomenal. Tom and I are planning a trip to an actual theater to see it when it comes out in early April. (Note: The creator of Nike’s memoir Shoe Dog is also a great read. I blogged about it here.)
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