I’ve had my nose stuck in a book, well…two books for the last week. One on my Nook and the other on my Kindle Fire, both by the same author. I picked them off of my library’s website not really sure what to expect. Don’t you love when you make a good book choice? I literally, want to keep on reading…even through meals!
I finished the first book, Blue Nights in a weekend. I had been put on a waiting list for The Year of Magical Thinking. Luckily for me, as soon as I logged on to see if it was available yet…it was! I grabbed it, or rather my Kindle wifi did and we’ve been together ever since.
Joan Didion is amazing! She is, by far one of the easiest writer’s to gel with. I can’t think of another way of describing it. Her words are clean and intelligent. She writes with emotion and thought. In Blue Nights, Didion writes about the death of her beautiful daughter Quintana Roo. Her memories are so precise that you feel like you are right there living each one with her. I loved every word. Which made me love Joan Didion too!
I had to keep reminding myself that this is a woman in her late 70’s. She’s lived a glamorous life, been married to another successful writer and raised a daughter thanks to the gift of adoption. Each story is sprinkled with the beautiful moments of their lives. The Year of Magical Thinking takes you along her journey of the death of her beloved John and the illness of Quintana Roo. She isn’t afraid to say all the crazy thoughts that fill a person’s mind when they are grieving. It’s deep, then light….not depressing and painful as you might think such a book would be.
I’m a little sad that the end is near for the last book. I want to keep reading or maybe even call her (see my crazy at work, ya’ll?) and check in to see how she’s doing. That’s how connected she makes the reader feel. Don’t worry, I’m not a weird author stalker! I’ll be thinking of her…long after I finish the book.
She has a story to tell and if you like a good book–Joan Didion will provide.
