Category: review

The White Album by Joan Didion

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The White Album by Joan Didion, with my black standard poodle

I knew of Joan Didion–the masterful essayist perfecting encapsulating American life in the 1960s, 70s, and beyond. Library coworkers always recommended various collections to me yet I never picked one up until a coworker said, “If you’re moving to Los Angeles, you gotta check this one out.” So, I found The White Album at my library. It sat patiently on my footstool with a pile of other books until I realized I only had one week left until I headed to the mythical west coast.

The book contains quite a myriad of essays, published at various times before coming together in this collection in 1979. From hanging out while the Doors recorded their third album to Hawaiian islands adventures to delivering a dress to Linda Kasabian for the Manson family murder trials, Didion paints a lovely and almost absurdist picture of life.

Effortless references to songs (“jingle jangle morning of that summer”, p. 45) litter the essays. Her sentence structure and big words don’t feel out of place; they just naturally belong there. Didion is so obviously more intelligent than me but she feels like a teacher rather than rubbing it in my face. I know a lot of authors are smarter than me but it usually isn’t written so clearly! The natural references and experiences are intriguing, not annoying. I want to learn more and by reading Didion, I am!

Her honesty is refreshing. There’s no pretending to be a certain way. Didion just is. Her feelings toward society, feminism, and marriage are open and poignant. She discusses her health issues and other personal problems in between interesting trips and meeting famous people. It’s like the pages in tabloids: “Stars: They’re Just Like Us!” Only it isn’t condescending or eye roll worthy.

Like with any collection of essays, I didn’t enjoy every single one. I found something to appreciate with each essay but I wouldn’t say every one gripped me. I love learning new things, however it can be challenging to read about a person, such as Doris Lessing, that I’ve never heard of (if that’s showing my ignorance, so be it) and actively enjoy an essay that discusses her work. Or even parts of essays. I enjoyed most of In the Islands, yet the last section I found rather dull. I like reading about Didion’s life and experiences, not her tangential relationships to various people (unless I am interested in the person, I suppose).

The most pleasant part of reading Didion, at least with this particular collection, is the connection she makes with the reader. I truly felt like each essay had a purpose to inform me about some topic, person, or place. In In Bogotá, she is describing a particular scene. She writes, “The second part of the image.” (p. 196), a phrase that introduces the next paragraph but would be something so normal to utter out loud to someone. It doesn’t just feel like writing. She is speaking to the reader, comfortably and familiarly.

Highly recommend this collection if you have any connection to the West Coast or the 1960s/1970s. Or of course if you’re looking to learn more about the time period and culture. Didion writes quite the pretty (and honest) picture.

Music: Singles from Lana del Rey’s new album, Bryce Springsteen (influenced from the film Blinded by the Light)

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

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Jumping a little late on the bandwagon here but better late than never!

Paperback copy of Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

I’ll immediately say it: I watched the HBO miniseries first. I thoroughly enjoyed it and finished in two days. Having watched the show first definitely affected my experience reading though. I didn’t find it as creepy as the show. Flynn writes beautifully, easy but heart wrenching to read. If you’ve read other Flynn novels or similar books, Sharp Objects is probably up your alley!

Camille, returning to her hometown of fictional Wind Gap, Missouri to report on two child murders, is immediately reminded of all the reasons she left. I found this relatable, though not for the same reasons of course. Returning home is strange. You see all these people you barely knew, acting like you were friends back in the day. You see all these old friends and there’s no way to recapture the magic of elementary, middle, or high school relationships. The streets seem the same but you feel out of place even though it used to be somewhere you knew so perfectly. And for someone with Camille’s experiences, coming home isn’t a happy wave of nostalgia.

I truly hated Camille’s mother, Adora. I knew that from the show but reading it hit me harder. This woman is horrid, as hate-able as Professor Umbridge in Harry Potter. Even though I knew what would happen, every dig from Adora felt fresh. In the show, I felt like Camille spoke up more but in the book, the reader had more insight into her thoughts. She didn’t always speak her mind (understandably since Adora always had a scathing reply) but we saw how stunted Camille was, having grown up in that environment of indifference and hurt.

When I say “stunted”, I am referring to her mental growth. Camille is obviously an adult but returning to her hometown stirs up old memories and familiar habits. She goes out with her more-than-half-her-age-younger sister Amma to a high school party, drinking and popping a couple pills. There are a couple other questionable things Camille did that I think match with her inability to truly and fully grow as an adult but I’ll let the reader enjoy those surprises. It was frustrating reading about these mistakes, though I don’t blame Camille. Yes, there are plenty of people that experience trauma and adjust quickly but there are just as many who can’t quite get back to who they once were or move forward.

Typically when I read a book I already know the ending of due to TV or movies, I expect to feel the same or stronger emotions because there tends to be more detail or it’s just written better. With Sharp Objects, I didn’t really have that reaction. The ending was certainly good and different from what was presented in the show. However, I didn’t feel that shocked, even with the new information presented.

This is definitely why I prefer reading the book first. The show was a great adaptation that didn’t stray too, too much from the book. It made the book, not boring, but expected. That’s my fault for not reading first! I would recommend checking out the book from your local library if you’re interested in the show. It’s a short book that keeps you interested. I knew the ending and I still kept myself up late at night, reading that next chapter. Full disclosure: I absolutely had a nightmare the day I finished the TV show, which was the same day I started the book. So maybe, unlike me, space it out a little bit with something fun in between!

Note: There are mentions of various forms of self-harm, including addiction and cutting. Some parts are difficult to read.

Music: The Sharp Objects playlist on Spotify, which includes Led Zeppelin, The Acid, and Leon Bridges

Chase Darkness with Me by Billy Jensen

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If you love true crime, I bet you’ll love this book!

The podcast My Favorite Murder has introduced me to many things: a love of the morbid and unsettling, books, TV shows, movies, podcasts. It’s been a fun journey getting to expand my circle of interests and Chase Darkness with Me is an excellent culmination of those interests.

Hardcover copy of Chase Darkness with Me by Billy Jensen

If you’ve listened to Murder Squad with Billy Jensen and retired Contra Costa County detective Paul Holes, you’ve probably heard Jensen mention his recently published book. A reporter for many years, Jensen has written a lovely (maybe a strange word to use in reference to murder and rape and other horrid topics) book, telling his story along with the many unsolved cases he is working to solve.

Each chapter connects to one another, effortlessly weaving multiple cases together and telling us a bit about Jensen’s life as well. He uses direct quotes from family and friends of the victims, allowing them to tell their experience in a way, through the book. He also discusses his methods, how he analyzes crime scene videos, and utilizes social media and familial DNA techniques. He’s really written a how-to book of assisting detectives on unsolved cases, without it being step-by-step. He walks the reader through his thought and action processes, staying totally transparent the whole way through. Jensen doesn’t sugarcoat things: he has had plenty of cases that turn up no leads, nothing he can turn over to detectives and say, “I think this is it.” But the ones he figures out? The reader can feel his joy through the pages, a real sense of hey, maybe I could and should do this too.

Like I said, Jensen doesn’t sugarcoat things. The addendum to the book goes into depth about how anyone can get started helping to solve cold cases like he does through social media and getting loud. It seems tough, with long hours on-call and a low success rate. But it truly felt like Jensen is rooting for us, giving us all the tips and tricks we need to begin this journey. He’s honest and harsh while staying optimistic and clever. I appreciated how he writes and the content he was writing.

Compared to other true crime books, this isn’t a deep dive into one particular case. Jensen certainly provides plenty of details about specific crimes but doesn’t overwhelm the reader. If we look at I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara, a close friend of Jensen’s, there is so much analysis of one person’s crimes. Keeping track of the names and places was challenging for the layperson like myself. Jensen’s book piques the reader’s interest, allowing you to do some research on your own if you so desire.

I enjoyed the book overall and left with a better understanding of how social media can be used to solve crimes. It seems foolhardy to put this type of sensitive material in the hands of random civilians. Ideally, everyone would follow the rules Jensen laid out in the addendum and listen to law enforcement and the families. Unfortunately I can see that not happening. Jensen references the online community Reddit “solving” the Boston Bomber identity, which turned into a horrible spectacle. That’s why it’s important to lay out guidelines. Hopefully that sort of thing happening dwindles even as more civilians continue to help. The effort needed to do something like this seems like it would deter people from being reckless, so we’ll see.

Music: Portugal. The Man and DNCE (obsessed with Cake By the Ocean, yes I know I’m years late)

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

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I’m a huge young adult literature fan. I think part of that stems from not knowing when to switch from children’s lit to the teen section at the library, thus missing out a little. My mom, a librarian, never restricted what I read but definitely made suggestions or comments on what I was reading. If she didn’t “approve” of a book, she explained why she thought I should hold off on reading it. At the time, it made me upset but now I am grateful that she took the time to explain her reasoning. Besides, if I was that interested in something, I wrote it down and picked it up in a couple years (or later that week and kept it hidden).

The growth of YA lit has been fun to experience. I feel like YA of the past tends to deal with similar topics but now it can be just as heavy or challenging as adult literature. Even children’s literature has grown leaps and bounds. It’s been cool to see.

Hardcover copy of the book We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

I went through a myriad of thoughts while reading We Are Okay. I definitely thought it was a graphic novel at first due to the cover art and was a little perplexed to see no pictures. But Nina LaCour writes some beautiful imagery. I loved picturing Marin and Gramps sitting at the small table where their knees touched underneath and the paintings that her best friend’s mom created. I appreciated when a book can describe the scene with so much detail without it being semi-boring to read.

I also appreciated that Marin was a freshman in college. It might not seem that far removed from high school but there’s definitely a big jump in development there. It felt more realistic for her to be in college, figuring out how to be independent after experiencing tragedy. LaCour notes Marin’s struggles with money and housing instead of making certain things easier. Sometimes authors have a way of age-ing up their characters but even the flashbacks of Marin’s senior year in high school felt realistic. The drinking, being forced to change party outfits by strict parents, sneaking out, getting caught… It seemed accurate to me!

Even though one chapter would be the present and the next set in the past, the story didn’t seem disjointed. As all the pieces fell together, the reader understands Marin’s changes, her reactions, and her wants. I cried when she realized what she wanted/needed and finally allowed herself to accept that. It felt natural, even though the story in the present only took place over three days.

I wish I had had this book earlier in my life. College probably would have been a good time. Even though I can’t fully relate to Marin’s experiences, I think it would have resonated more if I were closer to her age in the book. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and feel better for having read it. Fortunately, I know LaCour has other books!

Music: No music this time as I read most of the book on my phone during slow periods at work!

Heroine by Mindy McGinnis

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Note: I will do my best to stay away from any spoilers but may slip up. Apologies!

Hardcover book of Heroine by Mindy McGinnis

The book starts with a disclaimer for any recovered or recovering addict to “proceed with caution” and I want to extend that to include anyone who knows or knew someone with a drug addiction. I found this book extremely difficult and uncomfortable to read at times and for those people that have even more of a personal connection to this topic than I do, I can’t imagine how it would feel to read this.

I read this book in about four days because I absolutely needed to know what happened next to the main character, Mickey Catalan, star softball player in her last year of high school. The book opens with “When I wake up, all my friends are dead.” Mindy McGinnis, the author, doesn’t shy away from telling the reader exactly what they are getting into. I knew the book dealt with addiction but had no idea how deep it would get. The first sentence immediately let me know it was going to be diving pool deep.

The book then takes a step back, to set the scene before bringing us up to date when Mickey wakes up and her friends are dead. I experience the horrific car accident that has the potential to sideline Mickey and her best friend Carolina from their senior softball season. How it’s necessary for them both to have an Oxy prescription. How Carolina fights through but Mickey gets pulled under by drugs, eventually getting sucked into that world, with new friends and new doses, while telling herself that because it’s for softball, it’s okay. Because she will stop when the season is over.

It was easy to forget that we already know how the book will play out to a certain extent (thanks to the first sentence) but I still felt anxiety while reading. I audibly gasped at certain parts, scared that Mickey was going to be caught even though I was begging for her to realize what she was doing to herself and get help. I wanted to continue reading but frequently closed the book to let my stomach settle from unease. It was tough going.

I think a lot of people can find something to relate to in this book, whether that is related to drugs, loving something so much you’ll do anything for it, being shy and uncomfortable in your own skin, or an intense family dynamic. We all have something (or somethings) in our lives that creates pressure. Mickey, still just in high school, never really built the coping skills necessary to get through other tough aspects in her life. For her, drugs didn’t just combat the pain from the car accident, “but how I could find words when it was in my system” (p. 389), for example. I think that’s probably similar for a lot of people. You get a prescription for a legitimate reason then realize how it “improves” other parts of your life, not noticing the damage it’s actually doing.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book for any enjoyer of young adult literature. McGinnis is a fantastic author, completely engaging the reader into the struggle of the characters. I read The Female of the Species as well, which blew me away and encouraged me to pick up Heroine because I knew how well McGinnis writes. Again, be cautious before starting but I do hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Music: I obsessively listened to Mitski over and over while I read this.