Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks

Two by Two is Nicholas Sparks' 20th book. When I first started reading, I was a big fan of Nicholas Sparks. I have 17 of his 20 books on my bookshelf. I even went to a book signing in Harvard Square to meet him. So yes, you can call me a superfan. But the truth is his books have become very predictable and I have not enjoyed reading them the last few years. I decided to give Two by Two a shot since it's his 20th book and because it sounded different than some of his other books.

The story is about a man who seems to have a perfect life - a good job, married with a loving daughter, and everything going his way. But things change quickly. He struggles to start his own business. His wife becomes distant, which we later find out is her having an affair and eventually wanting a divorce. Thus a journey begins of him being a single parent and growing his business. Not to mention some unexpected extended family issues. And it would not be a Nicholas Sparks book without an old flame coming back into the picture.

This is Nicholas Sparks' longest book by far. He really develops the characters. The main character, Russell, is the definition of soft. He acts innocent, naive, romantic. He gets walked all over. He drives a Prius. Maybe girls will like him, but as a guy I'm just shaking my head. His daughter is awesome, although I may be biased as I love kids. The ex-wife seems crazy while his old flame seems perfect.

I want to say the outcome is predictable, and for the most part it is, but the ending shifts unexpectedly. The first 400 pages are one story and the last 75 pages are another. You want to know the ending to the first part...it turns out to be told in a few pages in the epilogue. Definitely a strange ending giving how elaborate and detailed the rest of the book was.

Overall, I would say this was better than some of his other recent books, but it does not compare to his first few hits. And the ending could have been stronger.

My rating for Two by Two: 3 stars out of 5. Get it here!

Stranger Things on Netflix

I have not posted in a month. Truth is, I have been watching a lot of Netflix. A lot of Netflix. I have always thought of this blog as a library. The focus is books, but sometimes I will do a movie review or even a CD review (I did a CD review once). After watching the first season of Stranger Things, I felt like it deserved a spot on the blog. Plus people have mentioned somewhat of a connection / inspiration from a book called The Montauk Project.

When Stranger Things first came out, I read it was sci-fi-ish and kids were the main characters. It did not sound like my cup of tea for a tv show. I finally gave in and watched the first episode after one of my cousins recommended it a few times. I have to admit it captivated my attention. I watched the first season in a week. The last four episodes were impossible to stop watching. Sadly we will have to wait until next year for season 2.

The premise of the show is a boy mysteriously goes missing in the 1980s. His three friends, who are nerds, try to figure out what happened. His mom is hysterical (the acting is great) and has moments where she hears him. Other people start to go missing. There is a secretive government lab where no one on the outside knows what goes on on the inside. Everything converges towards the end of the season. Oh and the best part is a girl named Eleven who escapes from the government lab and has mind powers (it sounds crazy but the way it unfolds is cool).

Full disclosure - I do not watch much tv and I am in no way an expert in tv shows. But this is the best show I have watched in a while. It is scary, there is drama, and it stretches your imagination. Very well done and highly recommended.