Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty

I just finished reading Diane Keaton's new book called Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty.  I've been a big fan of Diane Keaton for as long as I can remember. I loved her early Woody Allen films (especially "Love and Death", "Manhattan" and "Annie Hall" which I own on DVD) and she continues to make movies I want to see. I haven't read her first memoir yet called Then Again but I really enjoyed this one.


The thing that is great about Diane is she is so true to herself, doesn't follow trends and is unique and funny. She writes well and I highly recommend this book.


Here are some of my favorite quotes -


She is a fan of Cary Grant and this is a quote of his that she likes - "I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be, and I finally became that person."


"And every day for the last few years I have a little chat with myself. 'Okay, Diane... your hands still wash your face. You can still feel hot water. See's Candies peanut brittle is still your favorite dessert. The wild parrots on the telephone wire outside your bathroom still sing to you every morning, and just like them, you're still a live animal. Be grateful for what you have, you big jerk.'"


"Maybe my smile could help me make it through the day. Maybe I could stop being so aggravated if I wore a smile."  Later she quotes Charlie Chaplin and his "You'll find that life is still worthwhile if you just smile."


I enjoyed reading Diane's thoughts about some of the men in her life such as Woody Allen, Warren Beatty, Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson. She's had quite an interesting life.

Sterling's Gold

I recently read a fun book for Mad Men fans called Sterling's Gold: Wit and Wisdom of an Ad Man. This is a very quick read since there are only a few lines (Roger's quips from Mad Men) on each page. Some of his lines are quite memorable and I enjoyed reading them especially since the show isn't on the air right now.

Here are some of my favorite lines -

"I told him to be himself. That was pretty mean I guess."

"Like the song says, "Enjoy Yourself, It's Later Than You Think."

"Not to get too deep before the cocktail hour, but do I need to remind you of the finite nature of life?"

This book will probably only appeal to fans of the show. You have to imagine the way the actor delivers these lines.

John Slattery as Roger Sterling

 

Another great book - Defending Jacob

I read a very compelling book in about four days called Defending Jacob by William Landay. It's been quite awhile since I read a legal thriller and this one is an excellent return to the genre for me. I hesitate to use the phrase page turner again but that is truly apt here. There are quite a few twists and turns to the story and it kept me guessing until the end. William Landay belongs in the pantheon of powerful lawyer turned authors such as Scott Turow and John Grisham. You will not be disappointed by this book.

 

 

Mad River

I recently read a very good book called Mad River by John Sandford. This is the sixth book in the Virgil Flowers series. It was the first Virgil Flowers book I've read (I don't have a problem reading a series out of order) and I now plan to read more in the series. This was a real page turner. I couldn't wait to see how it was going to end. I think they should turn this series into a TV show. I know I'd watch it!           

Parenthetically, the author John Sandford was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa which is near my hometown. He and his late wife, Susan, attended the University of Iowa which is my alma mater. Sadly, Susan died of breast cancer in 2007. 

If you enjoy detective stories, I highly recommend Mad River.

I am currently reading another great book called Defending Jacob by William Landay. It's a legal thriller and I can't wait to see how it ends!

 

 

Read!

A friend of mine posted this  -


Here's hoping we can improve those statistics!

The Cuckoo's Calling

I recently read a wonderful book by Robert Galbraith called The Cuckoo's Calling. In a word, I thought this book was brilliant! I liked it even better than The Casual Vacancy which was also written by J.K. Rowling (Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym). This is a detective story about the death of British supermodel Lula Landry, nicknamed Cuckoo, which may or may not have been a suicide. Her brother John has hired down on his luck detective Cormoran Strike to prove that Lula did not commit suicide. I loved Cormoran and his temporary secretary Robin and am thrilled that this is the first in a series. I can also see it as a movie - Hollywood take note!  Since I enjoy crime fiction and also love novels that are set in London, this book was right up my street! It's a very well written and compelling book and I highly recommend it.

Check out www.robert-galbraith.com for answers to frequently asked questions such as:

1) Why the author chose to write a crime novel and why she used a pseudonym:

"I’ve always loved reading detective fiction. Most of the Harry Potter stories are whodunits at heart (‘Order of the Phoenix’ is more of a why-did-he), but I’ve wanted to try the real thing for a long time.
As for the pseudonym, I was yearning to go back to the beginning of a writing career in this new genre, to work without hype or expectation and to receive totally unvarnished feedback. It was a fantastic experience and I only wish it could have gone on a little longer."

2) Where the title comes from:

"The title is taken from the mournful poem by Christina Rossetti called, simply, A Dirge, which is a lament for one who died too young. The title also contains a subtle reference to another aspect of the plot, but as I can’t explain what it is without ruining the story, I’ll let readers work that one out."

3) Why the novel was set in London:

"Both my parents were Londoners and I spent a lot of time there during my childhood and teens, visiting relatives. I lived there in my twenties and still love the place. You could write about London all your life and not exhaust the plots, settings or history."

The Tao of Martha: My Year of LIVING; Or, Why I'm Never Why I'm Never Getting All that Glitter off of the Dog

I read Jen Lancaster's book The Tao of Martha: My Year of LIVING; Or, Why I'm Never Why I'm Never Getting All that Glitter off of the Dog recently and really enjoyed it. I've read several of her books and she is very funny. This one is also touching (I won't give away the reason why).

In this book she decided to devote a year of her life to living like Martha Stewart. The most important lesson she learned (or as she puts it - the Tao of Martha) is "the only way to fail is not to try." Words to live by!  Whenever I read Jen Lancaster's books, I come away feeling like she would be a fun friend. If you are looking for a quick, entertaining read, you can't go wrong with this one.

I'm currently in the middle of The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (the pseudonym for J.K. Rowling). It's really excellent and I'm sure I'll have more to say about it when I've finished reading it. Stay tuned!

         

  

Difficult Men: Behind the Creative Revolution: From The Sopranos and The Wire to Mad Men and Breaking Bad

I just finished reading Difficult Men: Behind the Creative Revolution: From The Sopranos and The Wire to Mad Men and Breaking Bad by Brett Martin. I am a huge fan of The Sopranos and Mad Men so naturally I was happy to see another book that covers both shows (I had recently read The Revolution Was Televised: The Cops, Crooks, Slingers and Slayers Who Changed TV Drama Forever by Alan Sepinwall). This book covers The Sopranos in more detail since Brett Martin wrote a companion book for the series and had interviewed David Chase quite a bit. The Sopranos was the start of a new type of TV drama with anti-hero's like Tony Soprano and later Don Draper, and the men who created them.

This book also covers The Wire in great detail as well as The Shield and Sex Feet Under. It's interesting to me that all the creators and showrunners of these shows are men and they are full of neuroses that contributed to their success. He paints an especially unflattering picture of Matt Weiner. And David Chase doesn't fare much better. But he does point out how "ridiculously good-looking" Jon Hamm is!

It saddened me to read how tortured James Gandolfini was, in light of his recent passing. It's also interesting that no female actress has been given the lead in a one hour show (see Weeds, Nurse Jackie and Girls which are all 30 minutes). In the early days of AMC, it was described as the place "where mediocrity came to die." Of course, the incredible success of Mad Men lead to Breaking Bad which is the last show covered in this book.

This book is very well written and researched but should probably be read by those who have already watched the shows it covers since it contains many spoilers. I really enjoyed it but I'm a sucker for inside TV books like this! 

Books, you can never have just one!

         

A Disappointing Book

I recently read Ali in Wonderland: And Other Tall Tales by Ali Wentworth.  As an avid Seinfeld fan, I knew Ali Wentworth as Schmoopie in the well known "Soup Nazi" episode. Parenthetically, I might add that following foot surgery in 2004, I felt compelled to tell the nurses and my podiatrist the plot of the episode since I had seen it the night before. Who knows what kind of anesthesia they used but it was a doozy! Ali also appears in the hilarious, classic cult film, "Office Space." So I was expecting her book to be very funny, especially since Jerry Seinfeld himself is quoted as saying, "Everything that comes out of Ali Wentworth's mouth is funny!" on the book jacket.

Sadly, I found her book to be mildly amusing at best. I don't think I've ever been so mislead by the comments on a book jacket, which includes raves by Gwyneth Paltrow and Chelsea Handler. I didn't laugh out loud once and basically just kept reading with the hope that it would suddenly become funny, not because I was enjoying it. I'm glad I got it from the library and didn't shell out any money for it.

Double Take

I just finished a good book called Double Take by Catherine Coulter. I bought this paperback at the library for 50 cents! Somebody donated it but it looks like new. :-)

I really enjoyed this thriller. First of all, parts of it take place in San Francisco (one of my favorite places to visit) and it was fast paced and full of interesting characters. Catherine Coulter has written a series of books with FBI agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock as the main characters and this is number 11. Having read and enjoyed Double Take, I now want to go back and read more in the series. I wonder if any of them have been made into movies as they are full of action and would be exciting to a viewer as well.

Here is the description of the book from www.goodreads.com -

"It's been more than six months since her husband's brutal death, and Julia Ransom is just beginning to breathe again. She loved her husband, renowned psychic August Ransom, but the media frenzy that followed his murder sapped what little strength she had left. Now, after dinner with friends, strolling along San Francisco's Pier 39, she realizes that she's happy. Standing at the railing, she savors the sounds around her-tourists, seals on a barge-and for a moment enjoys the sheer normalcy of it all. And then it comes to an end.

Out of nowhere she's approached by a respectable-looking man who distracts her with conversation before violently attacking her and throwing her the railing. If it hadn't been for Special Agent Cheney Stone, out to stretch his legs between courses at a local restaurant, Julia would have vanished into the bay's murky depths. Not only does he save her from a watery grave, but he senses a connection between her assault and her husband's death, and sets out to serve as her protector while reopening August Ransom's murder investigation.

Meanwhile, in Maestro, Virginia, Sheriff Dixon Noble-last seen in Point Blank-still mourns his wife, Christie, who vanished three years earlier. His life, too, is just getting back to normal when he learns of a San Francisco woman named Charlotte Pallack, whose shocking resemblance to Christie sends Dix across the country. Though he knows in his heart that she can't possibly be his wife, Dix is compelled to see her with his own eyes. Once in San Francisco, Dix and Cheney's paths inevitably cross. With the help of agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock, whose San Francisco connections prove essential in unlocking the mystery behind Charlotte Pallack's identity as well as the forces behind Julia Ransom's attempted murder, Sheriff Noble and Agent Stone push deep into a complex world of psychics and poseurs. As the stakes and the body count rise, Savich, Sherlock, Dix, and Cheney fight for answers-and their lives."

If this sounds like your kind of book, I highly recommend it. I have set a goal for myself to read 54 books this year and so far I've only read 20. I'd better get busy!

Book love

 

A Walk in the Park

I recently read a great book called A Walk in the Park by British author Jill Mansell. This is the second book of hers that I have read; the first was To the Moon and Back. I enjoyed that one but I loved A Walk in the Park and recommended it highly to my friends at www.goodreads.com. One of the reasons I liked it so much was that it takes place in Bath, England and I have been there.

Here is the description from www.goodreads.com -

It's been a while, but Lara Carson's back in Bath and lives are set to change as a result. Because Lara left her family and boyfriend Flynn eighteen years ago without a word to anyone. Why has no one heard from her since? Her childhood best friend Evie is thrilled Lara's back and able to share her happiness. Evie's about to walk down the aisle with her dream man, Joel. Or so she thinks... Then there's Flynn Erskine, even more attractive now and stunned to see Lara again. The spark between them is as strong as ever, but how's Flynn going to react when he discovers the secret she's been keeping from him? Oh yes, there's a lot of catching up to be done.

If you enjoy British chick lit, you will love this book!

Bath, England

The Silver Linings Playbook

I loved this book!  I liked that it has a positive message - believing in silver linings is to remind you to keep on trying.  The old saying that every cloud has a silver lining is what the main character Pat, is counting on in his life now that he is back home living with his parents. I don't want to write too much about the story since I don't want to give away any key plot points.  But I will just say that there is a happy ending for Pat and Tiffany who are both damaged people.  Do yourself a favor and read this one!  I can't wait to see the movie.  The DVD will be out on April 30th.

Here is a link to the Bonnie Tyler song that is featured in the book -

http://youtu.be/ykexpgHrTkI

I highly recommend The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick.

 

 

Knickers in a Twist

I just finished this really fun, clever book -  Knickers in a Twist: A Dictionary of British Slang by Jonathan Bernstein.

This is a great little book full of British slang. I consider myself to be quite the Anglophile so this book is right up my alley!

Here are some of my favorites -

Bloody Nora, Close your eyes and think of England, Slog your guts out;

Silly buggers, Sod's law, Bubble and squeak, Trainspotter, Twit, Toffee nosed;

Upper-class twit, Bobs your uncle, Blot one's copybook, Shipshape and Bristol fashion;

and Silly season.

If you don't know what some of those mean, you'll just have to get the book! I highly recommend it for you Anglophiles out there.  ;-)

 

London Bridge

 

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

I read the book The Carrie Diaries a few years ago when it came out.  It is a prequel to Sex and the City.  I was a BIG fan of "Sex & the City" on TV so I had to read this one!

There is now a TV series based on this book on the CW network.  I watched the pilot the other day and enjoyed it.

By the way, I was going to post a review of the Golden Globes but just have not had time.  I thought it was very entertaining this year.
 

Some Good Books from 2012

First of all, may I wish everyone all the best in the New Year!

Here is a list of some books you may not have heard of from last year -

http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/979475/best-books-you-missed-in-2012?utm_source=EmailDirect.com&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=1-1-13+celeb+Campaign

I have Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore on my goodreads.com list already, but I don't remember the other three.  They sound interesting.

Happy reading in the New Year!

 

Don Draper reading on Mad Men

 

 

Review of Law Man by Shon Hopwood

I just finished reading a great book called Law Man by Shon Hopwood (with Dennis Burke).  I loved this book! Probably because I'm a paralegal (although I'm not working as one at this time) and I could relate to Shon learning to love the law. I'm also originally from the Midwest and so is he. Of course I can't relate to the fact that Shon robbed banks and spent over 10 years in prison.

I thought it was funny that Seinfeld reruns are played endlessly in prison! As a huge Seinfeld fan, that made me laugh out loud!

It was very sad that Shon's dad died of cancer while he was still in prison. The passage where Shon wrote that his dad told him,"I want to see you in heaven," brought tears to my eyes.

Law Man is also a touching love story with a happy ending - Shon marries the love of his life and has 2 children with her. He gets accepted to a prestigious law school and moves to Seattle with his family. I think he will graduate in 2014. He'll be a great attorney!

Here is one of my favorite passages, a letter to Shon -

"Shon,
Just know that I am carrying you in my heart, saying lots of prayers for you and your family, and I promise to be here for you and help you in any way that I can, both now and in the future. Although you haven't asked this of me, I have grieved hard this week, both because of my own sadness and for you. I sobbed so hard and felt such sadness as I also grieved the loss of the hopes and dreams of experiences you were counting on having with your dad after your release. I know that sadness myself as I, too, had to deal with the overwhelming shock of my mom being yanked from my life and the shattering of all the dreams of experiences we would have together throughout my life. It is strangely ironic that five years ago, you were there for me when I lost my mom and now I am here for you as you have lost your dad. We are very blessed to have each other, indeed.

I love you, Shon. And your family loves you. We are all praying for you and looking forward to next October.

Peace and Love my dear friend, Annie"

This book is about friendship, family and overcoming adversity and will restore your faith in human nature. I highly recommend it.

I just signed up for a Book Club Bash Read-A-Thon.  The details are here -

http://bitsybling.blogspot.com/2012/11/book-club-bash-read-thon-sign-up.html

It looks like fun.  Charlie Courtland, the founder of Betsy Bling Books, is a Goodreads friend of mine.  She is an author, although I haven't read any of her books yet.

Kings of Madison Avenue: the Unofficial Guide to Mad Men

I just finished reading Kings of Madison Avenue: the Unofficial Guide to Mad Men by Jesse McLean.  I really liked this book but I think you have to be a big Mad Men fan to truly enjoy it.  However, if you've never seen the show and are a history buff, there are tons of historical details regarding events that took place in the 1960's.

This book only covers the first 2 seasons of the show and it's been on for 5 seasons now.  I've been a huge fan from the start, so this book was right up my alley.  It includes cast bios of Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, John Slattery, Vincent Kartheiser, Christina Hendricks, January Jones and Robert Morse.  I knew a lot of the info about these actors already but there were some things I didn't know.

I also liked the recommended reading and viewing sections of the book, such as "The Apartment" and "Lover Come Back; plus The Feminine Mystique and Sex and The Single Girl. The author describes how Matthew Weiner (the series creator) was influenced by those books and movies. 

I really liked this book but I think you have to be a big Mad Men fan to truly enjoy it.  However, if you've never seen the show and are a history buff, there are tons of historical details regarding events that took place in the 1960's.

This book only covers the first 2 seasons of the show and it's been on for 5 seasons now.  I've been a huge fan from the start, so this book was right up my alley.  It includes cast bios of Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, John Slattery, Vincent Kartheiser, Christina Hendricks, January Jones and Robert Morse.  I knew a lot of the info about these actors already but there were some things I didn't know.

I also liked the recommended reading and viewing sections of the book, such as "The Apartment" and "Lover Come Back; plus The Feminine Mystique and Sex and the Single Girl.  The author describes how Matthew Weiner (the series creator) was influenced by those books and movies.

Roger Sterling's critique of the movie "The Apartment" - "Oh, please.  A white elevator operator?  And a girl at that?  I want to work at that place."  If you haven't seen the movie, I highly recommend it!

Some quotes from the book -

"It's Don Draper's World and we just live in it."

"Happiness is the smell of a new car.. a billboard at the side of the road screaming that everything you're doing is okay...that you are okay."

Don Draper - "I have a life and it only goes in one direction... forward."

This book includes cocktails of note that the Mad Men would be drinking. Recipes are included at the end of each section.  At the end of the book, the author gives his suggestions on "How to party like the Mad Men" and an itinerary for touring the locations highlighted in the show.

Other trivia -

Jon Hamm won the Golden Globe for Best Lead Actor but has never won the Emmy for Best Actor - incredible!  He really deserves to win every award he is nominated for! 
 
John Slattery who plays Roger Sterling so brilliantly, has stated that he has a fairly cynical sense of humor.  He directed at least one episode of the series so far.  Christina Hendricks (Joan) on Slattery: "He's got such a sense of humor and charm...that while he's saying these horrible things you can't keep your eyes off him."

Joan shows Peggy the latest in office technology, the IBM Selectric, "so easy a woman can use it."

Burt Cooper is influenced by Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged - I think he gave a copy of the book to Don to read.
 
Quote from Bobbie Barrett - "This is America.  Pick a job and then become the person who does it."

Roger Sterling's philosophy - "Do I need to remind you of the finite nature of life?"  Like the song says, enjoy yourself, it's later than you think.

Quote from Joan to Peggy, "In a couple of years, with the right moves, you'll be in the city with the rest of us.  Of course, if you really make the right moves, you'll be out in the country and you won't be going to work at all."

Quote from Don Draper - "It's your life.  You don't know how long it's going to be, but you know it's got a bad ending." And - "I have been watching my life, it's right there.  And I keep scratching at it trying to get into it... but I can't."

Creator Matt Weiner was influenced by Helen Gurley Brown's classic book, Sex and the Single Girl.  Her book lead to the popular TV shows, "That Girl" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."  Helen Gurley Brown left her hometown, moved to the big city and reinvented herself, just like Don Draper and Peggy Olson.

Quote from Vincent Kartheiser (Pete Campbell) - "Mad Men was one of those pilots where I read it and after I was done I wanted to read it again.  There was this swagger about the script that was different from so much I had read in the last few years.  I knew it was something I could do."

This book includes cocktails of note that the Mad Men would be drinking. Recipes are included at the end of each section.  At the end of the book, the author gives his suggestions on "How to party like the Mad Men" and an itinerary for touring the locations highlighted in the show. 

I recommend this book for Mad Men fans but maybe those who haven't watched the show yet will be inspired to watch after reading it. Every season is now on DVD and the cast has recently begun filming the 6th season.  I wish I didn't have to return this book to the library as it is a good resource.  Jesse McLean has not written another book covering seasons 3 - 5 or at least my library doesn't have it.

 

Mad Men cast at the New York Stock Exchange, 2012

 

Mr. Monk has a New Author!

Here's some good news for Monk fans - Lee Goldberg, who wrote the book series, has announced the name of the new author taking over for him on his website -

"Good news: My friend Hy Conrad, a writer/producer on MONK from day 1, is the new author of the MONK books! He will be picking up the story right where I left off with my last book, MR. MONK GETS EVEN, which comes out in December. Hy is a terrific writer, a great mystery-plotter, and has written many beloved episodes of show. Fans of the MONK books can rest easy -- the series couldn't be in better hands!"

I've read several of Goldberg's Monk books and I'm glad they found a new author to continue the series now that he wants to move on.  I think Hy Conrad is a wonderful choice; I remember seeing his name on the credits for the show.  I wouldn't be surprised if he wrote some of my favorite episodes.

Review of Shockaholic by Carrie Fisher

I just read Shockaholic  by Carrie Fisher.  This is a short, quick read (I read it in a few days but I'm sure I could have finished it in one sitting). Carrie has an interesting take on what it means to be famous i.e. her story about dating Senator Chris Dodd in 1985 and being friends with Michael Jackson.

Although I didn't like this book quite as much as Wishful Drinking which I gave 5 stars on www.goodreads.com, I would still recommend it. I especially liked the chapter about her father (Oy! My Pa-Pa) which was very sweet and sad. She had a complicated relationship with him over the years, much as I did with my own father who passed away suddenly on September 10, 2012.  Eddie Fisher died shortly after falling and breaking his hip (which is also what happened to my dad).  Carrie had been taking care of her father but unfortunately was not with him when he died on September 22, 2010.  We also have that in common. 

The title of this book comes from her experiences using ECT treatments for depression and the subsequent memory loss. "You haven't lived vicariously until you've done it through me," Carrie writes.  Only Carrie Fisher can write about this topic so frankly and hilariously. If I ever get the chance to hear her speak in person, I would definitely go!