Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There's a grim darkness to Elena Ferrante's work that's as compelling as it is quietly brutal. And she writes it so well.

Ferrante's riveting exploration of a complex and consuming friendship between two women throughout their lives fascinates me throughout this series (Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay is third out of four books). 

I even managed to enjoy it despite all the talk of politics and upheaval in Italy of the 1960s and '70s, about which I know nothing and wasn't dying to find out. My husband is a politics professor, and on our first date when he told me what he taught, I groaned, "Ugh, I hate politics!" And immediately realized I may have put my big foot directly in my big mouth. But he burst out laughing, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Anyone that can roll with and get my sometimes ill-advised speaking of my mind is alright with me. 

Verity by Colleen Hoover

Verity by Colleen Hoover

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Verity is a little unsettling, a tad chilling, and a lot of fun to read.

It's chock-full of page-turning revelations and more than a few steamy sex scenes. The latter is something I'm not always that into in books and can even find them an unnecessary addition if not done well, but these feel key to the story development and are just enough without being too much. To my sensibilities. Your mileage may vary.

I also liked the aspect of the story being about two writers, one struggling, one successful. Some segments about writing hit home (though I'll admit, some of it didn't make much sense and seemed an unlikely "thing" invented in service of the plot). 

I Would Be Doing This Anyway by Jia Tolentino

I Would Be Doing This Anyway by Jia Tolentino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lives lived on social media, superficial Insta posts, artificial perfection. This short story delves into that and more, feeling very of the moment.

It's told in the time of Covid, and deals with the odd place we're in now. It involves a friendship (kind of?) between two women, one a wealthy Instagram influencer who faces backlash for some of her out-of-touch posts, the other a down-on-her-luck social media coordinator. 

What to Watch February 2022

The country's in winter storm mode, so it's a perfect time to plan what to watch this month while you're snuggled up at home cradling a hot drink and a remote control!

As always, I've compiled a list of shows I want to see that drop soon, and I'm sharing it here along with links to everything coming to those streaming services so you can pick your own must-watch viewing. Most of what I've collected is on streaming, but a few shows can be found on good old-fashioned network TV. And away we go!