Five Fun Things
Books! Plus, my new fave show, what I'm reading and the Swift song I'm obsessed with.
My books arrived! Three boxes from Simon & Schuster were stacked on my doorstep on Friday, and it took everything I had to wait until I washed (and dried) my hair to tear them open and hold All the Summers in Between. You see, I wanted to get a video of me unboxing my novels because it helps drum up excitement on social media for authors. No one needed to see how absolutely ratty I looked after an afternoon run and a day full of errands.
I always get emotional when I see my books for the first time, as I talked about in last week’s essay, but this cover, the painting and typography, took my breath away. My 9-year-old shot the video with my iPhone, and thank goodness we did it in one take because you can’t “fake” the first time you see your book. At one point, my little girl started laughing at me, and she said she had to support the phone with her other hand so the video wouldn’t look like we were in an earthquake. Anyway, we had a moment, and when she turned off the video, I started to cry. No one needs to see me crying emotional tears on social media either. Those feel-good tears are for me.
On television and Broadway
Whenever I want to feel inspired, I always watch Anthony Minghella’s 1999 film “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” It’s the version with Gwyneth Paltrow as Marge, Matt Damon as Tom Ripley and Jude Law as Dickie Greenleaf. Oh, and Cate Blanchett is in it, too. I love the time period (1955), the setting (Naples) and the characters (Tom Ripley meets spoiled rich kids; murder ensues and an identity is stolen). Patricia Highsmith, the author of the novel that inspired the story, is one of my favorite suspense writers of all time. I’ve even used her writing craft book Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction as I’ve plotted the mystery threads of my books.
This is all to say that I resisted watching the new limited television series “Ripley,” starring Andrew Scott (Fleabag) and Dakota Fanning, on Netflix because it had new actors and it was in black and white — and really, what could any other director do to improve on the film? But I needed a break from Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer,” the show was literally giving me the ickiest feeling before bed, so I gave “Ripley” a try. I binged it. The series is so seductive but in a completely different way than the film. For example, while the movie focuses on the beauty of the characters and the sparkly setting, the series ratchets up the tension and develops the creepy side of Tom Ripley with greater depth. I’m nearly finished, and the best part, hands down, is watching Ripley suffer through the questions of the detective investigating him. I highly recommend it, and if you end up watching it, tell me what you think.
In other bookish loves…On Mother’s Day, we went to see “Water for Elephants” on Broadway. Inspired by the Sara Gruen novel that has sold over 10 million copies—10 million copies!—the story centers on a 1930s circus with an unscrupulous ringmaster, an earnest veterinarian and the elephant trainer/circus performer that comes between them. Enter in the animal menagerie, which are some of the most elegant puppets I’ve ever seen, and a cast of acrobats pulling off awe-inspiring tricks, and you’ve got an amazing show. It was one of the best Broadway shows I’ve seen in a decade. If you’re planning a trip to New York or live nearby, don’t miss this one! By the way, has anyone read Water for Elephants? Was the book amazing?
A Substack I Love
One of my favorite newsletters is Katy O’s The Mindful Librarian. She writes about what she’s reading, reviews books with insight and features authors/writers about their writing life. I loved one of her recent posts about how her identity was shaped by where she lived and lives today—and how she prefers reading a book with a strong sense of place.
Katy interviewed me in a recent issue, and I want to make sure you know about her and her wonderful newsletter. Also, feel free to check out our talk called “Let’s Talk About Books With Brooke Lea Foster.”
What I’m Reading Plus an Event!
Is anyone reading The Titanic Survivor’s Book Club? I am, and I’m absolutely LOVING it. I first heard about it from my author friend Lynda Loigman, who told me she’d heard so many great things about it, so I picked up a copy. It’s about people who were supposed to be on the Titanic (but missed the boat) who form a support group, only they talk about books at each meeting. The writing pulls you right in.
I’m also reading another book, Joy Callaway’s Gilded Age novel What the Mountains Remember. This one really hooked me, since it’s based on the true story of Callaway’s great-great grandmother. Here’s the premise: With her family’s New York nursery in trouble, a young debutante is pressured to find a wealthy man to marry and save the family business. To find said husband, the young woman’s family brings her on vacation to a luxury camp in the woods where the nation’s elite kick back to relax. Think: The Fords. But when she gets there, her summer takes a surprising turn. I’m halfway though and the time period, the characters, all of it has me engrossed!
Lucky for me, Joy will be interviewing me at the kickoff event for my book tour, beginning in Charlotte, NC on June 4th. I’ll send all of the details of my tour in an upcoming newsletter!
Hating and Then Loving the New T. Swift Album
My 9-year-old and I listened to “The Tortured Poets Department” when we were on a train in Portugal. We were tired and jet-lagged and we thought it was so whiny and boring. It was so disappointing. Then my younger sister, Chelsea, a major SWIFTY, was like: “That’s how all T. Swift albums are. They grow on you.” So I started listening to it on my longer runs, and now I’m obsessed. I can’t get enough of her song “So Long, London” and “The Tortured Poets Department.” Has her new album grown on you, too?
Alice McDermott’s Mantra
Lastly, I devoured this article that ran in LitHub by Alice McDermott, winner of the National Book Award and several wonderful literary novels, including her latest, Absolution. She shares the ups and downs of her long and storied career, and then she tells us what has become her go to line when the world beats her down: “Ah, F*ck ‘em.” I sent the article to my author friends, who promptly responded that it was saving their sanity as they repeated it themselves. Whenever things don’t go my way in the writing world, I hear McDermott’s voice: “Ah, F*ck ‘em.” The best. Seriously, it’s kind of perfect for life, too.
xo
Congrats on the new book! So Long, London is my fave too. As soon as I heard it I put it on the "soundtrack" to my novel.
So exciting your next book is almost here!