5.24.2014

Recent Reads, 10/40: The Good Luck of Right Now

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Though I am still 5 books behind (dang it), I am so pleased that I’m back on a more “me” reading schedule.
This book took me about 10 days to read, which is pretty common for me. I don’t always get to read a chapter a day, or maybe even at all, but it isn’t taking me a whole dang month+ to finish.

The Good Luck of Right Now was a Kindle Daily Deal or Monthly Deal or something…I don’t recall. I believe I paid about 1.99 for it (heads up – it still is!), and after reading the description on Goodreads and noting that it’s written by the same guy who wrote Silver Linings Playbook (which I didn’t read but I loved the movie), I figured it was worth it!

The Good Luck of Right Now is the story of Bartholomew Neil, a man nearly 40 who has spent his entire life living with and eventually caring for his mother, who has recently passed away from brain cancer. Towards the end of her life, after watching Pretty Woman, she begins to call Bartholomew “Richard” and instead of correcting her, he decides to play the role of Richard Gere, her favorite actor, for the remainder of her life. In fact, the story is told in letters to Richard Gere, whom Bartholomew feels he has created a bond with because of the “you-me pretending” he did for the last leg of his mother’s life. Now that he is on his own, he is unsure of what to do with himself. He’s never had a job or friends, but slowly, a few characters introduce themselves into his life.

This story was easy to read and the book version of one of those indie films where people in various forms of instability and emotional turmoil come together and it’s both humorous and heart-wrenching. Matthew Quick has a couple of other books, and I would consider reading them. This particularly story didn’t become a favorite, but I’m glad I read it.

P.S. I have to giggle, because I’ve wanted to participate in the ABM Book Club for a while now, but I’ve read most of the books in the past (and while The Goldfinch is near the top of my reading list,  but I knew I’d never finish it on time after the whole LAL fiasco) and then they announced the book for June and it was THIS BOOK! I guess I’m just not on the same page. That seems to be what happens to me and book clubs…it seems like I’ve usually already read the book (or it just isn’t the usual book I’d read…I think that is part of the book club though. Stepping outside of the box.)!

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