Up in the Air: Seriously lacking George Clooney

My rating: 2 out of 5 stars

I saw the film "Up in the Air" and enjoyed it (although I was not crazy about the ending), so when I saw this book in the library, I thought I'd give it a try. I gave up about 100 pages into the book, because I could not care about the characters and found the lack of plot frustrating.

Kirn is a master of details--most of this book consisted of observations about life in the air as a businessman. While the movie skewered the modern business world (as we follow Clooney's character Ryan as he travels around giving people the axe), the book focused on the travel aspects and the idea of a life lived in airports and navigating between various American cities. It's supposed to be a great satire, but I found the movie to be more interesting and certainly entertaining (after all, it's got George Clooney!).

So if you like to read extensive detail about air travel, airports, hotels, and transportation from one city to another, check it out. If you're looking for a plot, pick something else...or try the movie.

Upcoming movies based on books

More magazine, which is one of my favorite sources of reading material (not only the magazine itself, but also its book recommendations), has an article listing "Books Coming to a Theater Near You."

In summary:

One Day by David Nicholls--I've never heard of this book, but the movie stars the wonderful Anne Hathaway. Sounds like a classic romantic comedy.

The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta--I gave this book four stars. I wasn't entirely thrilled with the film of Little Children, so I'm hoping I like the film version of this one better.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling--I'm actually rereading that book right now in preparation for the upcoming movie (Part 1). I've only read it once...and I raced through it and don't remember a lot of the details. I'm savoring my reread and can't wait for the movie!

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen--I really enjoyed this book and will plan to see the movie unless it's panned. I'll try not to pinch my nose too much when I see Robert Pattinson (famous for the "Twilight" movies).

The Help by Kathryn Stockett--I will be interested to see how they handle this book on the screen. One of the glaring issues with The Help is the fact that the white women don't appear to speak in any kind of vernacular, while the black women do. It's been a controversial book among African-Americans, because it was written by a privileged white woman. They should be able to fix some of these weaknesses in the film.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte--I didn't get around to reading this until 2009, and I've never seen a film version.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson--We saw the Swedish version of this book in August, so I'm not sure if I will race out to see the American version. I'll wait to see the reviews and then maybe see it on DVD.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin--I've read one of Giffin's books (Baby Proof), and it was okay. Might be a cute romantic comedy with Kate Hudson and John Krasinski, even though the ending is sure to be predictable.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien--My seven-year-old, Kieran, is DESPERATE for this movie to come out!! I read The Hobbit years ago and we reread it to Kieran recently.

The Boy with the Cuckoo Clock Heart by Mathias Malzieu--This is a gothic novel turned into a French animated film.

Back to immerse myself in Harry Potter!

Send Yourself Roses: Kathleen Turner speaking through the pages

Send Yourself Roses: Thoughts on My Life, Love, and Leading Roles by Kathleen Turner

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I read this highly conversational book as a break after Jane Eyre; talk about a complete contrast!

Kathleen Turner is a strong, opinionated woman, and her rising out of the ashes after her serious bout with rheumatoid arthritis (now in remission) piqued my interest in her memoir.

Do not read this book if you are sensitive to foul language. Turner (with the help of her friend Gloria Feldt) writes just as if she were speaking...with lots of colorful language and colloquialisms.

I enjoyed the descriptions of her stage and film work, as well as her strong commitment to public service. I had not been aware of her international upbringing. She clearly favors European life and culture over the U.S.' repressed sexual mores and attitudes toward women. (Can't say I blame her for that!)

She is a very interesting woman, and I enjoyed much of this book...but by the last 20 or 30 pages, I grew bored and scanned through the text until the end. That fact, combined with the extremely folksy writing, led me to give it just two stars.



View all my reviews