Book Review: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Fiction.  This one I picked up because I read a review of it in the New York Times by Stephen King.  He seemed pretty enthusiastic about it, and I do like his books, so why not.  It was an excellent read, but the length is not for the feint of heart at over 700 pages.  It is a complex story with many layers, but it primarily focuses on relationships between people and what it means to be human, like most great books do.  There is an explosion at a museum, a stolen painting, the loss of a parent, an unlikely mentor relationship, furniture restoration, deceit, and all sorts of goodies.  If you are looking for a worthwhile book to spend time with, this is it.  And yes, it did win the Pulitzer for Fiction in 2014, and this time I actually agree with them.

And so it goes...

Book Review: The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer

Memoir, non-fiction.  O.K., not earth shattering, but not as horrible as many reviews said it was when I looked it up.  I thought it was a fine, easy, light read.  I think the way he told his coming-of-age story was sweet and endearing; however, others I spoke to, who had very unhappy run-ins with alcohol in their family, did not look too favorably on him spending so much time in the bar.  I think it was quaint and I liked how he explained the connections he made to the various men in the bar and what he learned from them growing up.  I thought it was a slice of Americana, and I enjoyed his reflections on what it meant for him to have some sort of male role models, since his father was never there for him, throughout his entire life.

And so it goes...