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[solarpsychedelic]

Recent reads:

• What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons, another title that’s been on my TBR for a while.: A novel about a young woman dealing with the illness and death of her mother set against the backdrop of immediate post-apartheid South Africa. As a result of her deeply held grief, the main character makes questionable decisions. Well written, thoughtful, but very sad. 


• Then, something different and a nostalgia read, The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. First read the book years ago when the movie came out. Personally, I liked the book, but I understand the changes made for the movie and why many would prefer the movie version: the re-location from gritty, cynical New York to dreamy San Francisco, cutting back on the book’s brash and edgy humor, and of course, featuring the upbeat acting styles of Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews (who in particular gives us a much more likable Grandmere). The book interests me as a pop culture historian for its role in the Millennial princess trend and how life imitates art: in 2006, it was revealed that Prince Albert of Monaco had a daughter living in the Coachella Valley, a child from an affair with a waitress, a real life Mia Thermopolis.