1. The Secret History,
Donna Tartt - So I really loved Tartt's
The Goldfinch, - it's so well-written, detailed and epic storytelling that spans decades (it's far better than the movie). I loved this too, although not quite as much because it felt a little too predictable. It's still very satisfying, largely due to such strongly developed and fully realized characters. It's interesting that I started to read this the same week I watched
Saltburn, because they start off
exactly the same. It's all about how the wealthy and entitled effect the world around them without any consequence or acknowledgment. It's also interesting that I really care about these characters even though they are murderers. I would love to see a film or mini-series adaption of this, and hopefully it's better than
The Goldfinch.
2. Welcome to The O.C.: The Oral History, Alan Sepinwall - You just KNOW that they wanted to add the "bitch" to the title, but couldn't. The O.C. is among my favorite series ever, which is surprising because I was never a big fan of teen melodramas that came before it (never a big 90210 fan, at all). But this series had Ryan Atwood - one of the best characters in television history, along with a ton of other great characters. It was just a fun series, but it had so much heart and witty dialogue. I think Seth Cohen/Adam Brody (along with Michael Cera), really started a movement that made the nerdy loner kid SUPER HOT all of the sudden. It's really interesting to read all the behind-the-scenes moments from the series, straight from the actors/producers/directors/etc.. There are some things that are really unbelievable - like that they made 27 episodes in one season?? That's UNHEARD of nowadays. And how Ben McKenzie blew off his future wife (literally one of the most beautiful women in the world - how could he???!). I also was surprised to learn that Doug Liman directed the pilot, because it kind of makes total sense as to why the pilot is so good. It's so streamlined and efficient in telling you exactly what you need to know; there is this unusual confidence to it, instead of the uneasiness of most pilot episodes. I knew Misha Barton got a bad rap for her behavior on this, but I'm glad that the entire cast admit that she really never did anything wrong - she was thrust into this insane popularity and she was SO YOUNG. I do think that she was the worst character and the worst actress of the show, but she didn't deserve the backlash or to killed off like that. There's a nice reflection for some of the actors - like Brody, who pretty much admits that he acted like an entitled asshole at the height of the show's popularity. But it's nice to know that some of the actors weren't total douchebags - the words "except for Rachel & Melissa" are repeated by almost everyone (when everyone was being entitled, or bratty, or emotional they would clarify "except Rachel & Melissa" who always showed up professional, grateful for the opportunity, and smiling. For the record Rachel Bilson should be a much bigger star - especially after reading what a delight she is on set. Give her another tv series!).
3. The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides - A friend of mine gave me this book to read and said it was "crazy". I liked the story a lot - it's a very interesting story of a woman clearly suffering from trauma, accused of murdering her husband but refuses to talk. There's references to Alcestis of Greek mythology, which I really loved (and it made me read a modern retelling of the Greek tragedy). I was definitely invested in the story, but then about 2 pages before the big reveal sentence, I realized what the twist was and HOLY FUCKING SHIT. I stopped to think about it first, like, that can't be the twist because that would be insane. And then, that sentence happens, and it just BLEW MY MIND. I stopped again, and considered starting the book from the beginning just to see if it actually makes sense, but I just continued reading instead. It's one of the best twists I've ever read. And I do think it works (there's some foreshadowing in the beginning). It's just really good - and it makes a good book spectacular. I kind of like the fact that it's almost impossible to make a film/tv version because it wouldn't work visually. It only works because we don't see the characters.
4. Beloved, Toni Morrison - The only book I've read by Toni Morrison was The Bluest Eye (although I don't really remember it). I have Song of Solomon on my list to read this year. I was surprised that this is essentially a ghost story. I love the way Morrison writes - it's dense and layered and not an easy read. You actually have to pay attention to every word, and process it before moving on. It also feels very poetic and uplifting in parts. Totally understand why it's become such a classic - a must read for everyone.
5. The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde - So, I obviously know the story, but I've never actually read the book. But, you know what's CRAZY?! I always thought Dorian Gray was a WOMAN?! I'm not sure why? I always thought it was a painting of a woman in the attic that was stealing her youth. I feel like anytime it's referenced in pop culture, they are talking about a woman??? Maybe because it's usually women who are concerned with (and judged for) aging. Anyway, once I got past my obvious ignorance, I enjoyed reading this. Wilde is a fantastic story-teller. This book flows very well, has interesting twists that I didn't know about beforehand, and a stellar ending. I loved it. Also, it's very, very gay (like it's not subtle at all) and also very, very misogynistic (which is kind of hard to get past, but it is what it is).
6. Alcestis, Katharine Beutner - I've probably read the Euripides play (I was a Drama Studies major, but also took Latin for 6 years - we read a lot of Greek & Roman plays). I don't really remember this character, but now I'm OBSESSED. This is a stunning adaptation - the story is that of an ideal wife, Alcestis, who sacrifices herself for her husband by dying in his place and being sent to Hades. But this version tells us of Alcestis' time in the Underworld, along with a more detailed look at her life story, why she would make such a sacrifice, and who she becomes as a consequence of these actions. It's beautifully told, maintains the poetic beats of classic Greek tragedy, while feeling modern in its language and psychology of the characters. It's probably my favorite thing I've read in 2024.
7. Before We Were Innocent, Ella Berman - I liked a lot about this book - it's a great commentary on the popularity of the True Crime genre, and how it effects the lives of people involved (whether guilty or not). I read it really quickly, and I would definitely describe it as a "page-turner". But I also think it's a bit immature and by-the-numbers. It's kind of obvious as to what happed during this horrific night, but I think it would have been more satisfying with a different ending (I won't spoil it). It's not a book that will stick with me, but it's a satisfying summer read.
8. The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock, Edward White - I've read a dozen or so books on Hitchcock and/or his films, but I like the way this is set-up and structured to show the different layers of a person - sometimes messy, contradictory, and nuanced. It feels fresh and innovative for such an iconic and well-known person. It delves into more uncommon & unknown aspects of Hitchcock's life (I can't say I learned anything new, but I appreciate the effort put into this). It definitely made me want to do another Hitch marathon. It's been a while!
9. The White Tiger, Aravind Adiga - I really liked the movie version of this, and was surprised by how little attention it received. I'm happy to report that the book is even better. I love the way that it is written in the first person with someone telling their life story to someone else (mostly in letters). It has a very fast, almost rhythmic pace that keeps it interesting. It's also very dark, but very funny (like the movie). I also think the character development is extraordinary - I feel like I know this person very well. Their motivation, goals, their thought-process is all laid out in a very interesting way.
10. The Gray Man, Mark Greaney - Wow. I hated this book. I wasn't a huge fan of the movie, either, but I didn't hate it. I thought Ryan Gosling was good and the plot was good - so I thought I would give the book series a try, but I will never read any more of these books. It's so poorly written, it's almost shocking. It's so repetitive and reading action scenes is so boring and it just went on and on - I felt like I could skip a bunch of pages and not miss anything. They also kept repeating the main character's name - Court Gentry- but skipping back and forth between his first and last name, almost making it like there were two people?! "Court grabbed his gun, and as Gentry aimed it, he..." (I completely just made up a sentence, but this is how the whole book is written, I swear, it's that bad). I hated every second of it.
11. Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer - I think it's interesting that my husband had to read this book in High School, as it's now deemed a classic (it came out in 1996 - I was already in high school so it was too new for me. My husband is 7 years younger than me). I have watched the movie, but I can't remember if I liked it or not (I've never been a big fan of Emile Hirsch, so I'm going to guess that I didn't like it). I'll never understand the psychology of people who need to traverse the most dangerous part of the Earth in order to find themselves or whatever the fuck he was doing. But this is a fascinating story - told in depth by Krakauer. His findings and research is really done well - interviewing everyone that knew Christopher McCandless before and during his deadly adventure. But I think the biggest success is Krakauer's defense of Christopher, while most dismiss him as either unwell or selfish. He, himself, is an adventurer (he's climbed Everest) - so he understands this story on a deeper level than most.
12. Me, Elton John (Audiobook) - It literally took me like 2 years to listen to this whole thing because I really don't like Audiobooks. But I DO like listening to my love, Taron Egerton's, voice and he is the narrator of this so that's an obvious plus. I LOVE when he tries to do voices/pseudo-impressions of other people too - it's so funny. He's just the best. It's more than a little repetitive, especially if you've watched Rocketman. I do like that it goes beyond the Rocketman narrative and talks about how Elton lives now - happily married with children, sober and loving life. It's very inspirational and proves that people can, in fact, change and become the people that they aspire to be. I also like that Elton lays it all out - flaws and all. He can admit that he's acted like an entitled asshole in the past (and even in the present), and it's something he's actively working on. Self-awareness is so refreshing because I think most are too scared to acknowledge their own actions.
13. The Buried Giant, Kazuo Ishiguro - It's so crazy that the last Ishiguro book is one of my favorites (Klara and the Sun), and this is one of my least favorites, not only by Ishiguro, but of all the books I've read in 2024. It's so boring and hard to get through - I almost gave up entirely. In theory, I should have liked it - I appreciate mythological, epic type stories, and this is exactly that, but I just found it very confusing and I didn't get to know any of the characters to care enough about them. I think maybe it would work better visually? Like, I would definitely watch a mini-series based on this story. But reading it was just rough.
14. Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties, Tom O'Neill - HOLY FUCKING SHIT YOU GUYS. I feel like this book finally made me understand why everyone falls into conspiracy theories because the things that O'Neill discovers during his research into the Manson murders is MIND-BLOWING. Obviously, there's always been a lot of questions and inconsistencies when it comes to the Manson murders - his cult, his connection to the CIA, the chosen victims, and the celebrities involved, but I never knew just how crazy it all is. And the names involved blew me away (I had no idea Terry Melcher was Doris Day's SON?!). This book made me get why people hate the government (although I'll never understand how they believe Trump is the answer? He's just as corrupt as any politician is. It doesn't make sense). Anyway, I think I would have benefitted from reading Helter Skelter first, because this basically goes through and annihilates everything in that book as lies and cover-ups. There are so many crazy sentences in this book that I had to read a lot of it twice - like, did I just read that correctly? For instance: there is apparently video evidence of Polanski filming his wife, Sharon Tate, getting raped?! And a bunch of famous people and law enforcement not only know about it, but hid the fact that the video exists because releasing it would have caused more pain (for who, though? POLANSKI? He should be in prison for multiple reasons - I don't care if his wife and friends were murdered in his home. He was treated like a victim when he is an abuser, and that is WILD). It's just insane - the whole time I read this I felt like I was taking crazy pills. I salute O'Neill for attempting to break through the lies and bullshit that exist in Hollywood - he really gave a large chunk of his life for this story and there's still no resolution.
15. Where'd You Go, Bernadette, Maria Semple - I like that this is a case of not liking the movie, but the book is incredible (like The Goldfinch!). I love the way that this story is told through different perspectives, narrators, and letters. There's a good, solid mystery about what actually happened to Bernadette (and I forgot what happens in the movie, so I was still intrigued). I feel like there is way more depth to her here than in the film (Blanchett does a fine job with the character - I think a lot of the character development was cut in favor of drama). I like that it's a story about a woman deemed "crazy", but it's really the world around her that is making her this way. I think every woman can relate to that. But she seemed way more self-serving in the movie. It's very interesting to compare and also proof that it's hard to capture a "crazy" woman in a sympathetic way.
16. Angels in America, Tony Kushner - Not technically a book, but a play, however, I want to start reading and re-reading some of my favorite plays because it's been a while. Angels in America is probably my favorite play that I've ever read & saw in person. It's just stunning - the way it weaves the AIDS epidemic in with politics, healthcare, and the effects on families, relationships, and strangers. This version I read, had some deleted scenes and an in-depth forward by Kushner, which was interesting. I also liked reading the cast lists of the many different versions of the play. It's also interesting that growing up reading this - I always leaned more towards Part 1 being my favorite, but after rereading this as an adult I appreciate Part 2 more. I also appreciate all of the stage direction that Kushner puts into place; it can all be interpreted so differently, which is why I think it's a classic. There's so much to take and learn from it. But also as a stage production - it can be told so simply or with extravagant effects, costumes, production designs etc., and both can be effective.
17. The Silence of the Girls, Pat Barker - This is another modern retelling of a classic myth told from a side character perspective (I'm obsessed with all of them). It tells The Iliad from the viewpoint of Briseis - hardly a memorable character from the original tale, but certainly an interesting perspective considering her closeness to a lot of the main characters (she was Achilles "trophy" after conquering her hometown). While I like the story - I don't think this is written as well as some others that I've read (like Circe and The Song of Achilles). Barker does a trilogy with these stories, so I will still read the next one in the series, but I'm a little disappointed with it. I feel like it's missing something - there's no soul to it.
18. Post-Traumatic, Chantal V. Johnson - Hated it. The main character is so narcissistic, self-indulgent, insecure, and under the impression that she's been through more "trauma" than anyone else. I'm sorry, but we all have our shit, and sometimes it's because someone has been through childhood trauma that they, in turn, can show more empathy towards others. But this woman has NO empathy. She acts like a spoiled child. I don't always have to like the main character to enjoy a story, but there's no story here. It's just about her and how awful she thinks her life is and how awful everyone around her is (even though they aren't. I don't blame the guy she meets for ditching her. She's annoying as fuck to him, and admittedly very fake. He probably felt that she wasn't authentic in any interaction and PEACED OUT. Good for him!). I specifically try to read books by non-white authors because I want to learn about other cultures, experiences; open up my world view a bit, but this woman hates herself so much that I have nothing to learn from her. The whole book is trash.
19. Conversations with Friends, Sally Rooney - UGH... Two books in a row that I absolutely hated. I wasn't expecting to hate this because I liked reading Normal People (I was a little disappointed by it, but I still liked it). But this book fucking sucks. I hate everyone in it and there is no point to any of it. And the title is misleading because none of these people are friends. I would describe them as ex-lovers, enemies, current lovers, and some strangers, but never friends. It's honestly characters like these (and in Post-Traumatic) that makes me understand why everyone hates women - they really perpetuate the stereo-type of women being narcissistic and manipulative. And stupid. The only character I care about in this story is Nick - who is a married man in his 30s having an affair with a 21 year old, so I shouldn't care about him at all. I think I'm supposed to care about Frances, but she's a needy asshole. I initially thought I would add the miniseries to my watchlist (I like Joe Alwyn and Jemima Kirke), but after reading this, I'm having second thoughts. I should probably skip it.
20. Making Movies, Sidney Lumet - This is a really good read for anyone interested in filmmaking. I like that Lumet writes as if he's talking directly to you - distractions and side-stories appear, but still relate to the topic at hand. He also talks film in very basic, understandable terms - and explains even the simplest parts of making a film. It's extremely digestible even for someone who has never read anything about film. I think I would have liked this even more if I was better versed in his films because all of his examples are from his own films (some I've seen - 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Network, Murder on the Orient Express, but a lot I haven't - The Hill, Daniel, Prince of the City are ones he talks about in depth that I haven't seen so I had no frame of reference as to what he was talking about). I think the chapter on editing was the most interesting to me, because he has a great point - he basically says that reviewers & critics simply can't discuss the editing of a film because they don't know what was filmed and what the editor had to work with. It's true, but I would also argue that I, as a viewer, can tell when a scene feels unnecessary or if something feels disconnected. But, to his point, it might not be the editors fault at all. Interesting to think about.
