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Last night I had a wonderful evening catching up with Zan, and our conversation of course ran the gamut from the pros/cons of living in New York, movies, television, and most importantly: books!

She just finished Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch and I am about 25% into it. I love it so far. We started talking about the way Tartt writes, how no matter the story she has a way of enveloping the reader in the atmosphere at hand. I read The Secret History earlier this year and remember vividly the clobbering cold, the corduroy-clad haughty students on a Vermont campus. It's the same with The Goldfinch, except it's set in New York. The main character at one point walks the same stretch of a block that I do most days and it's on point. I'm engrossed.

Zan also informed me that the titular piece of art is an actual painting and happens to currently be displayed at The Frick. I mistakenly thought it was a piece of fiction since it's so central to the novel, but Carel Fabritius and "The Goldfinch" existed! I plan on buying a ticket to see the collection soon; the tickets are already sold out for the times I can go this weekend.

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I came home after our great martini meet-up and flipped on Netflix to watch Frances Ha which I had just added to my queue. And Zan had just highly recommended. So I delved into the black-and-white indie and, quite honestly, fell in love.

Here's a film about a woman in her twenties trying to figure it out. And not through men. Most movies about young, straight women seem to think that if she can just find a good relationship she'll be fine. Not this one. This movie's about a woman coming-of-age these days and also about her best friendship.

Try as I might to be annoyed by Greta Gerwig for the hype, she's just too charming. She's lovely. I loved the character Frances through all of her messiness and mishaps and "undateable!" I find it impressive how she played a character that could you could so easily be angry or annoyed with at points - but you're still rooting for her. I'm not sure who else could play the character. It wouldn't fit. Greta co-wrote the film with her reported boyfriend, director Noah Baumbach. Good job, you two. GOOD JOB.

The film will probably be near my top 10 of the year, if not in it. I highly recommend it if you're in the mood for something interesting and unlike most of the formulaic stuff out there.