The following movies have been deemed to be as good or better than the book they were based on. What do you think?
The Shining – the movie
The Shining – the book
Silence of the Lambs – the movie
The Silence of the Lambs – the book
The Godfather – the movie
The Godfather – the book
Fight Club – the movie
Fight Club – the book
Children of Men – the movie
Children of Men – the book
There Will Be Blood – the movie
Based on the book Oil! by Upton Sinclair
I happily dove into into The Good House. I’ve been a fan of Ann Leary (wife of comedian/actor Denis Leary) since her 2004 memoir, An Innocent, a Broad. Her 2009 fiction debut, Outtakes From a Marriage, was equally enjoyable., and her blog, with peeks into her life with her family and menagerie of animals in rural Connecticut, is a lot of fun to read. I am happy to report The Good House did not disappoint.
Leary’s second novel is told from the point of view of Hildy Good: 60-year-old realtor extraordinaire, alcoholic-in-denial, and lifelong resident of the quaint seaside town of Wendover, MA. Having lived more than half of my life on Massachusetts’ North Shore (where fictional Wendover is located), I was pleasantly surprised by how authentic the author’s portrayal of the area felt, the town is almost another character in the story. As Wendover’s most successful businesswoman, Hildy knows how to work a room, bend the truth, and keep a secret. And there are secrets aplenty in Wendover. Soon, those secrets have Hildy drinking again (albeit alone, at home), and things spiral out of control from there.
As the novel progresses the story takes a dark turn, yet this book made me laugh out loud several times. Hildy’s voice has a dry wit that softens the sometimes difficult subject matter. Despite the fact that she gets less and less reliable as the novel progresses, Hildy can be quite a bit of fun (at first) when she’s off the wagon. When she enlists a lonely newcomer in town as a covert drinking buddy, however, it sets off a series of events with dire consequences.
The Good House is a fantastic read, especially if you are partial to character-driven novels. The character portrayals in the book are so vivid you truly feel like you know this small town and its quirky but relatable inhabitants. Hildy is a fascinating, flawed character, and an interesting choice as narrator. If you are an audiobook listener, I highly recommend the audio version read by Mary Beth Hurt – she was perfection as the voice of Hildy. On a related note, it’s been announced that The Good House is being adapted for the screen with Meryl Streep and Robert DeNiro set to star. Not too shabby!
A recent review by The Examiner said of The Good House, “…humor meets harsh reality in this irreverent look at a non-recovering alcoholic navigating the murky waters of small-town Massachusetts. The Good House is a paragon of New England Fiction.” I would have to agree, it was wicked good – it gets 4 ½ out of 5 stars from me.
Here’s a selection of Romance paperbacks added to our collection this month.
The House On Main Street by Shirlee McCoy – Interior designer Tessa McKenzie has built a good lifefar from her Washington hometown. She intends to get back to it – as soon as she sells the cluttered Victorian house and antiques shop she inherited from her sister, Emily. But leaving Apple Valley a second time won’t be so easy. There’s her grieving nephew, Alex, to consider. And there’s Sheriff Cade Cunningham, the adolescent crush who could easily break her heart again if she let him.
Barefoot By The Seaby Roxanne St. Claire – Tessa Galloway is a gifted nurturer-her verdant garden at Barefoot Bay’s new resort is living proof. If only the woman who can grow anything could grow what she wants most: a baby. Her friends think the right guy will come along, but Tessa doesn’t want to wait. All she needs is the perfect donor to make her dream come true. Then John Brown is hired at the resort. If anyone could make beautiful babies, it’s this gorgeous, mysterious man. So why does Tessa suddenly find herself wanting so much more?
If You Were Mineby Andre Bella – The last thing Zach Sullivan wants is to take care of his brother’s new puppy for two weeks. That is, until he meets the dog trainer. Heather is bright, beautiful…and she just might be the only woman on earth who wants nothing to do with him.
Heather Linsey can’t believe she agreed to train Zach’s new pup, especially since his focus seems to be more on winning her heart than training his dog. Having sworn off love, she has vowed never to fall for a charming man. But Heather’s determination to push Zach away only fuels his determination to get closer—and the sensual and emotional connection between them grows more undeniable.
Wild Child by Molly O’Keefe – Monica Appleby is a woman with a reputation. Once she was America’s teenage “Wild Child,” with her own reality TV show. Now she’s a successful author coming home to Bishop, Arkansas, to pen the juicy follow-up to her tell-all autobiography. Problem is, the hottest man in town wants her gone.
Take Me Home For Christmas by Brenda Novak – Everyone in Whiskey Creek remembers Sophia DeBussi as the town’s Mean Girl. Especially Ted Dixon, whose love she once scorned.
But Sophia has paid the price for her youthful transgressions. The man she did marry was rich and powerful but abusive. So when he goes missing, she secretly hopes he’ll never come back—until she learns that he died running from an FBI probe of his investment firm. Not only has he left Sophia penniless, he’s left her to face all the townspeople he cheated.…
Sophia is reduced to looking for any kind of work to pay the bills and support her daughter. With no other options, she becomes housekeeper for none other than Ted, now a successful suspense writer. He can’t bring himself to turn his back on her, not at Christmas, but he refuses to get emotionally involved.
Will the season of love and forgiveness give them both another chance at happiness?
One of the wonderful things about Romance authors is that they write about relevant, current, everyday topics. Lately, many contemporary Romance authors are writing about our wounded warriors. Romance authors have picked up on the heroic sacrifices our Veterans have made and have written authentic, smart, sensitive, emotional, heartwarming, and uplifting stories that touch all of our hearts. Two new releases are highlighted below.
USA Today best selling author RaeAnne Thayne continues her series, Hope’s Crossing, with book number six, Christmas In Snowflake Canyon.
Dylan Caine is a wounded war vet, losing an eye and part of his arm in Afghanistan. He lands back in Hope’s Crossing, but heads up to an isolated cabin in Snowflake Canyon to get away from his large, loving, and smothering family. He finally agrees to meet his brother at the local bar in town.
Genevieve Beaumont is the daughter of Hope’s Crossing’s mayor – a spoiled, rich, pompous brat who has spent the last several years in Paris – overspending and overindulging. When she discovers her fiance has been cheating on her, she breaks their engagement. Her parents pull her back to Hope’s Crossing, cutting her off from her trust fund until she can get her act together. She’s banished to live in her late grandmother’s run down house, and feeling sorry for herself, she heads off to the local bar.
When Genevieve ends up in a bar room brawl, Dylan reluctantly comes to her rescue. Both are arrested and are assigned community service at the local Wounded Warriors facility.
What follows is a painful, emotional, uplifting journey that brings these two unlikely characters together. Through emotional and physical trials, both characters transform from people you don’t quite like, to people you want to invite into your home. The two main characters are supported by a wonderfully written cast of supporting characters. Ms. Thayne does a beautiful job describing all the characters, the exquisite scenery and expertly shows us the courageous struggle of our wounded soldiers. A wonderfully written journey of loss and hurt replaced with healing and love.
The Way Home by Cindy Gerard – Killed in Action – the most dreaded words imaginable for a soldier’s wife. Jess Albert has been living with them for four years, since the death of her husband in Afghanistan. Finding blessed numbness in routine, she doesn’t dare to look ahead, any more than she can bear to look back. Then Tyler Brown, a former special-ops warrior, shows up at her small general store in Minnesota North Woods, jarring her back to life. Jess knows better than to fall in love with another man who places duty to his country before love of his wife- but there’s no denying the longing and the hope for a future that Ty makes her feel.
A world away, a man ravaged by years of captivity and torture, a man with no memories, finally escapes- clinging to life and sanity in a hostile land. In his darkest hour, he awakes in a lantern-lit cave to find a woman at his side. Dark-haired and dark-eyes, her touch is caring, despite the resentment he hears in her voice and sees on her face. Rabia is bound by honor to save the lost American soldier in her keeping, this broken warrior from a war that has brought so much devastation to her land. But is it honor igniting her compassion for her enemy, or is it something more?
A beautifully written story of love, honor, and loyalty and the sacrifices of our soldiers and their families.
Check out some other Romance authors who have written military themed books: Suzanne Brockmann, Robyn Carr, Laura Griffin, Elle Kennedy, Penny McCall, Lindsay McKenna, JoAnn Ross, Roxanne St. Clair, Julie Ann Walker.
As with many wildly popular books, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is going to be made into a movie. Twentieth Century Fox has announced that the movie version of this thriller is due out on October 3, 2014. Ben Affleck stars as Nick Dunne with Rosamund Pike signed on to play his wife. Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, and Patrick Fugit are among the film’s co-stars. Reese Witherspoon is producing the film.
If you’ve already read the book and are looking for something similar to read, The Silent Wife by A.S.A.Harrison is a highly touted recommendation. What makes it special is the story behind the book. It was written by an unknown Toronto writer who had never written a book before. It was released in paperback format as opposed to the more splashier hardcover format. And in a tragic twist, Ms. Harrison died of cancer at the age of 65 just before the book was published.
The book follows the bad marriage of Jodi and Todd. They lead an affluent life in their beautiful waterfront condo in Chicago. He is a committed cheater. She lives and breathes denial. He exists in dual worlds. She likes to settle scores. He decides to play for keeps. She has nothing left to lose. Told in alternating voices, their marriage is in the throes of dissolution, they’re headed for catastrophe, concessions can’t be made, and promises won’t be kept. Expertly plotted, this book ensnares the reader from page one and does not let go.
Other books you may also enjoy reading are:
These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf. When teenager Allison Glenn is sent to prison for a heinous crime, she leaves behind her reputation as Linden Falls’ golden girl forever. Her parents deny the existence of their once-perfect child. Her former friends exult her downfall. Her sister, Brynn, faces whispered rumors every day in the hallways of their small Iowa high school. It’s Brynn who carries the burden of what really happened that night, but all she wants is to forget Allison and the past that haunts her.
Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight – Kate’s in the middle of the biggest meeting of her career when she gets the telephone call from Grace Hall, her daughter’s exclusive private school in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Amelia has been suspended, effective immediately, and Kate must come get her daughter—now. But Kate’s stress over leaving work quickly turns to panic when she arrives at the school and finds it surrounded by police officers, fire trucks, and an ambulance. By then it’s already too late for Amelia. And for Kate.
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes – A masterful twist on the serial killer tale: a violent quantum leap featuring a memorable and appealing heroine in pursuit of a deadly criminal.
The Cheshire Library Blog 