n today’s episode of “What Genre Did Michael Crichton Write?” we find he has a penchant for European historical fiction with a dash of American Western flair thrown in for good measure. Just when you think you’ve got him pegged as the guy who writs about deadly microorganisms or rogue neurosurgery experiments, here he is, transporting us to the grimy streets and gilded railcars of Victorian-era England.
I’m a pretty big fan of David Fincher films and his adaptation of Gone Girl is one of my favorites. But for some reason, it has taken me years to finally get around to reading the book. And wow – am I glad I did!!
Stephen King’s It is a massive, ambitious novel that blends supernatural horror with the deep emotional resonance of a coming-of-age story—and for me, it was the latter that really made it shine. I listened to the audiobook as I read along, and Steven Weber’s narration is phenomenal. He gives each character a distinct voice, and his pacing grows more frenetic as the tension builds, adding a whole extra layer of immersion to the experience.
I don’t remember when I first saw the 1957 Sidney Lumet film, 12 Angry Men, but it has always been a favorite of mine. I don’t really know how I missed the fact that it was based on a book!
I read A Christmas Carol every year at Christmastime. It is currently my all-time favorite book. I know the story by heart – who doesn’t? Scrooge is nearly as synonymous with Christmas as Jesus Himself! The book is extremely readable and short enough that I would encourage everyone to make reading this book part of their holiday tradition.
“Don’t worry about that chair with a hole in the middle. It’s merely waiting to be reupholstered.” – La Chiffre, Casino Royale (1967 film)
I remember in high school having the choice of reading The Grapes of Wrath or To Kill a Mockingbird for class. I chose the latter. I was glad, too. I actually read Mockingbird and genuinely liked it. I also remember after we read the books, the students who read The Grapes of Wrath were all a-twitter about that final scene. Now that I’ve read it… I understand.
With this book, I have now read everything by Thomas Harris. A whopping six novels – 4 of which feature Hannibal Lecter. This was not a Lecter novel. It was, in fact, Harris’s first novel and a response to the Munich Olympic massacre in 1972.
I’m not exactly sure this qualifies as a meet-cute, but it is a beautiful story. Also a little weird that my first romance read is set in the Holocaust…