Tag Archives: Rainbow Rowell

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

I love Rainbow Rowell’s work and wanted to read her latest, Landline, as soon as I heard about it. It features a magic phone that allows you to talk with someone from a different time.  Time travel is always an awesome setup, and the phone-based approach is just fun.

So a workaholic mother, Georgie, sends her family off for Christmas vacation without her and as her marriage is on the brink she discovers a magic phone that connects her with her husband from 15 years earlier in the midst of another relational crisis.

Complicated? Yes. It’s probably not as coherent as it could be. The time travel effect was subtle and it took me a minute to catch up. But once you realize what’s going on, it’s fun.

Like other Rowell books, it’s full of humor, warmth and random asides. Plus you’ve got the time travel element, so that’s pretty great.

The Joy of Author Readings

Last week I went to two separate author readings: Addie Zierman read from her beautiful spiritual memoir, When We Were On Fire, on Tuesday evening at Northwestern University; and Rainbow Rowell read a short bit from her 1980s teen love story, Eleanor & Park, on Wednesday at the Harriet Island Pavilion.

I love hearing from authors. It’s great to hear an author’s work in their own voice. I still remember hearing Wendell Berry read from Jayber Crow during college and just being blown away. That was a book  I had to read.

Author readings are also great events because they’re free. It’s not like you can get that deal with your favorite band. I’m not big on autographs and needing to meet authors, but that can be fun as well. And if you’re looking to meet women, apparently author events are the place to go. Maybe I’m just reading the wrong books, but the gender balance was way off. That makes sense for a teen love story, but I felt a bit like the old skeezy guy (sticking around for an autograph would not have helped that issue either). Continue reading The Joy of Author Readings