Tom Lake by Ann Patchett - 11 hours on Libby audio- beautifully read by Meryl Streep

 This was an amazing and beautiful story that spiraled a little darkly by the end...this glowing crazy hero, Duke, crashes and burns near the end. Still, the mood and the writing and the settings are interesting and even lyrical at times. It was a perfect get-away listen as I managed Len's knee replacement after-care. 

The two stories of the present and the past weave beautifully together. A wonderful theme is how your children imagine your life began with their lives! Getting acquainted with their mother's past is the story that drives the novel, and these daughters are interesting, witty, and canny. The main character, the mother, is insightful and loving and introspective. As she struggles with how much and what to share with her daughters (and husband) it made me think about my own past and how and what to share. Of course my daughters and my son don't ask about my past, so it won't be a problem! 

The language is occasionally harsh, but fitting with the characters. Not gratuitous at all. The setting of the pandemic was the perfect foil for why and how they had time for these stories. I could also relate to the beauty of the orchards and the work of the farm. Just beautiful! Sorry that Duke ended up so messed up, but it wasn't surprising...

Meryl Streep's voice and reading were incredible. I've listened to Ann Patchett on her Instagram stories, and actually, Streep's voice is very similar to Patchett's. It was a calming and peaceful tone, perfect for the woman whose story was unfolding. I enjoyed that aspect too. 

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center (audio book from Libby)

 One of the Instagrammers I follow, can't remember which one, highly recommended this book. Since I could listen to it free, on Libby, I decided to give it a try. It's a light-weight romance with cute characters, not much reality, but a lot of wisdom and some clever dialogue. 

We are in the midst of settling in to our Monterey home, and it was fun to have something light and juicy to listen to while I mopped floors, unpacked boxes, and moved into our new kitchen. A lot of this moving work required my full attention, so I couldn't always listen, but I also took some walks in our new neighborhood so I could listen longer. It was fun and engaging. 

I liked the values that were encouraged in this story, as the young woman from Texas was her father's caregiver for 10 years, and modeled unselfishness quite well. The Hollywood screenwriter she falls in love with has to learn how to love, and there were some good ideas along the way. Selfishness, seeking happiness, sacrifice, were all good themes. It was surprisingly wise and deep at times. I have a definite prejudice against romance novels, even though I like a good rom com movie. The author, though, at the end of the story, made a good case for good love stories. That we as humans do better with good models and these stories are all prosocial. Food for thought, that's for sure. I do like more substance and color, though...

Then Again by Diane Keaton

 This book caught my eye one day while browsing at the Treasure Chest, a thrift store nearby. It was only $.50, had interesting photos, and because I enjoy and admire Diane Keaton, I believed it was worth the risk. I'm glad I did.

Keaton compares her life with her mother's. We learn a lot about her family during her growing up years, and the how the relationships develop over time. We don't get details or a chronology; we get interesting impressions and very insightful observations. These memories and insights are shared via vignettes that reveal Keaton's rich inner life. She uses her self-deprecating humor to describe her attempts to become an artist. In the end, she decides she's "artistic," but not an artist. Few Hollywood stars would be so open about their embarrassing missteps. I admire Keaton's honesty about what she learned from her less successful movies, artistic endeavors, and directorial attempts. 

Keaton describes her bullemia and how she talked her way out of it with her therapist. She is clear about her wanting an audience more than a family like her mother had. She is honest and honoring of her romances with Woody Allen, Warren Beatty, and Al Pacino. There are many fascinating anecdotes about these and other famous friends and how they navigate life. The most telling to me was about Jack Nicholson, and how two years after the filming of "As Good as it Gets" she received a check from him with a lot of zeroes; he was sharing his percentage with her. She is not a snarky gossip. She is a clear-eyed observer of her own behavior and sees others with compassion and mostly, admiration. I appreciated that. 

Her description of her family life, and how she adopted two children when she was older, was interesting. She finds purpose in nurturing her extended family as well. This book was published in 2011, and she's had a lot of commercial success since then. It would be interesting to read an update...  The book left me wanting to see some of her movies again, especially The Godfather trilogy and Annie Hall, since she revealed a lot about what was going on behind the scenes in the making of these movies. 

I have always admired her style; and I understand more of her thinking now. This was a worthwhile read. Her devotion and care for her parents are admirable traits. Her humility and taking herself lightly are also impressive to me. Would I make similar choices? No, I did not, and would not. But she has qualities worthy of consideration, for sure.