tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139860982024-03-19T08:59:20.161-04:00Leisure PursuitWhat do you like to do for fun? Here's what I like to do.Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-55205187943122983522023-10-10T19:54:00.000-04:002023-10-10T19:54:20.012-04:00What are you listening to?Me? I'm listening to Teddy Swims. Pretty much all day, every day.<br><br>
Back in June, my sister shared an IG post that included this video, and she wrote, "This guy is definitely unexpected." <br><br> Indeed.<br><br>
<center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/khdH-heeojU?si=cZ6LwTCC9eEpOXZ5" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br><br>
After that, I started following Teddy on IG and watching his videos on YouTube. He's done a lot of great covers and his own stuff is a nice mix of R&B, pop, rock, country, and blues. I've been listening to him on Spotify ever since. <br><br>
One of my favorites is this duet of Paloma Faith's "Only Love Can Hurt Like This," written by Dianne Warren.<br><br>
<center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kFcZQUM4Vfg?si=nJfSkWF3n2glHzr5" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>
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"Broke" is a fun song with Thomas Rhett:<br><br>
<center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JjNLA-EtsSQ?si=XhWrIRx3XKTznBZ0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br>
Over the summer Teddy announced that he had an album coming out, <i>I've Tried Everything But Therapy</i>. It dropped in September, and now I've been listening to that every day. I love it so much. This is an album where I love every song, but my favorite today is, "What More Can I Say?"
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<center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ibcga7KEWek?si=XWmL91UkjueWavYa" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br><br>
Other top contenders are "<a href="https://youtu.be/GZ3zL7kT6_c?si=6CY7ImY4Z55DlK6N">Lose Control</a>," "<a href="https://youtu.be/b00RCluE5RM?si=lvLBa8rmR_LWlfc5">The Door</a>," and "<a href="https://youtu.be/7bvenLyzL_0?si=YFUkm622d02yPwEu">Goodbye's Been Good to You</a>."<br><Br>
The best part of all this is that my sister and I are going to see him in concert in November. I cannot wait!Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-74311499929477258232023-10-06T23:28:00.002-04:002023-10-06T23:28:49.972-04:00Is this thing on?<div style="width:100%"><div style="height:0;padding-bottom:41.875%;position:relative;width:100%"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="100%" src="https://giphy.com/embed/PPQ06k7bxr0DSBojHL/video" style="left:0;position:absolute;top:0" width="100%"></iframe></div></div>
<br><br>
Well, hello there!
<Br><Br>
I've been thinking for a few months about starting this blog back up. I hadn't done it yet because, frankly, I don't even know if people still read blogs. It seems people nowadays are posting blog-like content on Substack, but I'm not really interested in getting subscribers and all that.
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A few months ago, I re-read, <i>Are You There God, It's Me Margaret,</i> which I followed up by watching the movie, and then I watched a great documentary about Judy Blume. In the documentary, she talked about writing <i>Wifey</i> and I wondered if I'd ever posted about that book before. I searched my blog, and to my delight, discovered that I had indeed written about it. And the post was actually pretty good, if I do say so myself. (<b>See:</b> <a href="https://leisurepursuit.blogspot.com/2019/01/please-let-me-explain.html">Please, let me explain</a>, January 29, 2019).
<br><br>Reading it reminded me of the fun I had writing it. It also showed me that I like having old posts to refer back to as reminders of what was going on in my life. It's similar to reading old journals (which I also did recently and found it to be quite amusing) and realized even if no one reads blogs anymore, I like writing them as reminders for myself--reminders of what I've seen, read, listened to, and why I liked (or didn't like) what I saw, read, or heard. If others happen to come across the blog and enjoy what I write, all the better.
<br><br>
More recently, I got an email notification that a blogger who I used to read and then followed on social media posted something new to his blog. I thought, you know, that's a good idea. I'm gonna do it too. So, here I am.
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It feels good. Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-57529509051123589372020-05-21T21:09:00.001-04:002020-05-21T21:10:11.285-04:00The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36199084-the-kiss-quotient" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Kiss Quotient (The Kiss Quotient, #1)" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527983633l/36199084._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36199084-the-kiss-quotient">The Kiss Quotient</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17147855.Helen_Hoang">Helen Hoang</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3305633825">2 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
2.5/5. I enjoyed the beginning this book but then the characters' actions and thoughts became so frustrating. You know how the book is going to end five minutes into the book, but the path it took to get there was disappointing. It'd been long time since I'd read a "sexy" book. That started out fun, but then it too got old. <div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, this is only the second book I've read this year. Usually by now I would've read ten or more, but with this pandemic going on, I'm having a hard time concentrating and focusing on anything. I picked up this book based on a review I saw on Instragram. It sounded like the kind of thing that might get me out of my reading rut. It was a quick read, and I guess it did get me out of the rut because I've moved on to another book. I just wish it'd been a more enjoyable experience. <div><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1263014-valerie">View all my reviews</a>
</div></div>Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-850260905628449562020-01-31T22:54:00.001-05:002020-01-31T23:24:50.011-05:00American Demonizing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was reading a book called, <i>The Friend,</i> by Sigrid Nunez when the controversy was unfolding following Oprah Winfrey’s announcement that she’d selected <i>American Dirt</i> for her book club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot of <i>The Friend</i> is about authors and writing, and I kept coming across quotes that seemed to describe what was happening to the book’s author, Jeanine Cummins. These two, in particular, stood out:
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #181818;">If reading really does increase empathy, as we are constantly being told that it does, it appears that writing takes some away.</span><o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background: white; color: #181818;">and</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>“…[B]ut I have noticed that whenever a writer hits it big a lot of effort seems to go into trying to bring that person down.</i></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>”</i></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In June 2015, Donald Trump came down an escalator and announced that he was running for President of the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his speech, he told us that, “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best…they’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing those problems with us <i>[sic]</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an afterthought he added, “And some, I assume, are good people.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">American Dirt</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> tells the FICTIONAL story of a mother and her son risking their lives to get to safety in America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guess what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s not a drug dealer nor a criminal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s not a rapist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s a middle-class woman who owns a bookstore, who, because of a terrible crime committed against her family, will do <i>anything</i> to keep her son safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The book is ultimately about a mother’s love for her son.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">American Dirt</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> works to dispel the myth and imagery that Donald Trump created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw Jeanine speak at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDPLEtuxlbQ" target="_blank">her event at Politics and Prose</a> in Washington, DC</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and she said that earlier that day, a woman approached her with tears in her eyes and said, “I am the person who needed to read this book…I am not empathetic by nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t care about migrants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And now I care about migrants.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Towards the end of the event, someone in the audience asked, “For those of us who feel similarly to the woman you ran into… who have reinvigorated empathy for migrants after reading your book, what ways, tangible ways, do you recommend that they support the migrant community?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Jeanine recommended sending money to o<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDPLEtuxlbQ" target="_blank">rganizations shown on her website</a> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and to volunteer at local organizations that provide services to migrants).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One of the book’s biggest critics, David Bowles, said in <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/01/27/800092442/what-the-controversy-over-american-dirt-tells-us-about-publishing-and-authorship" target="_blank">an interview with NPR</a></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> that, “It is a really, really interesting boilerplate thriller, <b>fast paced, well-written, well-constructed</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But at the end of the day, it doesn’t do the kinds of things that Jeanine purports to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does not give a voice or humanity to the ‘faceless brown mass,’ to quote her afterword.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I agree with him on it being well-written and well-constructed, but his point, that it doesn’t do what she purports to do, is absolutely wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By making that non-empathetic lady care about migrants now, the book did <b><i>exactly</i> </b>what Jeanine purported to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this book can reach others and change their hearts and minds <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>about the people at the border in such a manner, isn’t that a good thing?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the book reaches <i>one</i> person who took Donald Trump at his word and it changes his or her mind, and he or she starts seeking out resources and organizations and figuring out how to help, how can that be a bad thing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>That</i> is what this book is trying to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is what Jeanine means by trying to be a bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What difference does it make if an author who can bring about that kind of change is not Mexican or a migrant?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read through the 5-star reviews on Amazon or Goodreads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The book <i>moves</i> people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gets people to reconsider their thinking and realize that not all people arriving at the border are drug dealers and rapists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>THIS IS A GOOD RESULT.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another point that is often mentioned in the critique of the book is that Jeanine received a seven-figure advance. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She spent <i>years</i> researching and writing that book and when she learns that publishing houses are in a bidding war over it, and that Flatiron wants to buy it for seven figures, is she suddenly supposed to say, “Oh no, you have to pay me less than that”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Come on!</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who would do that?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe Pope Francis, but I can’t think of many others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s ridiculous for people to blame Jeanine for publishing houses being interested in her book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
I do believe that the central issue in all of this controversy is valid and it’s that the publishing industry does not pay attention to or value minority voices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps all of this will get them to reconsider their business models and seek out Own Voices in a more determined manner. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing the critics and aspiring writers should note, however:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>when you write a scathing review that throws around curse words (both in Spanish and English) and hateful, personal attacks against the author, I’m going to stop listening to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure I’m not the only one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The last thing I want to address here is all of the hatred and vitriol that has saturated social media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you scroll through Jeanine’s Twitter or Instagram pages (or #americandirt on Instagram), the curse words fly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vomit and poop emojis and trashcans fill the comments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Commenters go after people who have anything positive to say about the book or about Jeanine, or even Oprah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People are scorned because, how <i>dare</i> they read the book, let alone, like it?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How dare they decide to read the book first so they can form their own opinion?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These “critics” have decided that only white women like the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I’m black, and I loved it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On January 27, I was looking through Instagram and someone went to several of Jeanine’s recent posts and cut and pasted the same hateful message to all of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even on posts that had nothing to do with <i>American Dirt.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is harassment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Thankfully, those posts have since been deleted.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last week, I reported a post on Instagram that had the undercurrent of a violent threat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is being harassed and bullied on social media by people who are piling on and getting in the fray just because they’re happy to “GET” someone, as Jon Ronson describes in his Ted Talk, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAIP6fI0NAI" target="_blank">How One Tweet Can Ruin Your Life</a>.” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is painful and ugly to see all of that directed at Jeanine. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People have forgotten that she is a HUMAN BEING.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That she is passionate about this subject and compassionate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That she is someone’s daughter, wife, mother, sister, and friend.</span>
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-69152280097676927272019-12-22T11:18:00.004-05:002020-01-31T12:53:25.068-05:00<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17182119-the-forgiven" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Forgiven" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1367929722l/17182119._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17182119-the-forgiven">The Forgiven</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/56931.Lawrence_Osborne">Lawrence Osborne</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3055507036">2 of 5 stars</a><br />
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<br />
2.5 stars. <br />
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The book jacket says, "David and Jo Henniger...in search of an escape from their less than happy lives in London, accept an invitation to attend a bacchanal at their old friends' home, deep in the Moroccan desert. But as a groggy David navigates the dark desert roads, two young men spring from the roadside, the car swerves...and one boy is left dead." <br />
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The story deals with the aftermath of that accident. It sounds like it should be a page turner, right? Alas, it was not. For me anyway.... Instead, I would read a bit and then put it down and not return to it for several days. I didn't look forward to reading it, yet, was determined to finish to see how it turned out. <br />
<br />
It's well written but there is too much detail that didn't seem necessary. The story deals with (really) unpleasant people and morality and probably could have been a really good short story if the author edited himself. <br />
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p.s. I didn't appreciate the author's repeated use of the words, "sluts" and "whores," by all of the characters in the book, including the female characters. What was that about?!<br />
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-78154121467305169322019-11-16T09:02:00.000-05:002020-01-31T12:54:01.359-05:00Do You Mind If I Cancel by Gary Janetti<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43263670-do-you-mind-if-i-cancel" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Do You Mind If I Cancel? (Things That Still Annoy Me)" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563766567l/43263670._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43263670-do-you-mind-if-i-cancel">Do You Mind If I Cancel?</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7710004.Gary_Janetti">Gary Janetti</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3025107144">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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I love <a href="https://www.instagram.com/garyjanetti/" target="_blank">Gary Janetti's Instagram page </a>and looked forward to more of his humor in this memoir/collection of essays. The humor carries through and I really enjoyed it. I started out listening to the audio book and do not recommend that. Gary is the narrator and I just couldn't stand his monotone cadence. Halfway through, I switched to the Kindle version and realized I much preferred reading his words myself.<br />
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-2901330340258313512019-11-08T15:39:00.002-05:002020-01-31T12:54:14.760-05:00Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46650277-catch-and-kill" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570798239l/46650277._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46650277-catch-and-kill">Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17176042.Ronan_Farrow">Ronan Farrow</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3025903988">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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<br />
Whoa. I don't even know where to start. This was so illuminating and shocking. Ronan's investigative journalism is top notch and this reads like a spy novel. I listened to the audio version and could have done with out the random music interludes and Ronan's attempts at different accents, but still, it was intriguing and so often, I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. I kept thinking about tangled webs. It's crazy how everything is connected among those in power. <br />
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-63991739998202493872019-10-25T13:23:00.001-04:002020-01-31T12:54:33.562-05:00Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40203647-maybe-you-should-talk-to-someone" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554735313l/40203647._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40203647-maybe-you-should-talk-to-someone">Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/201386.Lori_Gottlieb">Lori Gottlieb</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3004895032">3 of 5 stars</a><br />
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<br />
3.5 stars, really. This was an interesting look at therapy and I enjoyed reading about a therapist's own experience with going to a therapist for herself. I was very touched by her sessions with Julie. Thanks to patient/doctor confidentiality requirements, the book says that she got signed permission from patients, masked their identities, and put the characteristics of several different people into one. So, then how real was Julia's storyline? Some parts of the book dragged for me--it's probably a bit longer than it needs to be. <br />
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Overall, I enjoyed it, but I didn't LOVE it. <br />
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p.s. For another good look at a therapist talking to a therapist, I recommend Showtime's <i>Couples Therapy.</i> I'm not sure why people would allow their very personal therapy sessions to be shown on TV, and I often feel like a voyeur watching, but it's really interesting to see the process in progress. Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-35529449666282942742019-10-07T19:09:00.001-04:002020-01-31T12:54:49.394-05:00Make Your Home Among Strangers by Jennine Capo Crucet<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23014702-make-your-home-among-strangers" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Make Your Home Among Strangers" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1418629527l/23014702._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23014702-make-your-home-among-strangers">Make Your Home Among Strangers</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2904451.Jennine_Capo_Crucet">Jennine Capo Crucet</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2979954287">3 of 5 stars</a><br />
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3.5 stars<br />
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This is the story about Lizet Ramirez, and young Cuban-American who leaves Miami to attend a prestigious college in the northeast. During her first semester, a young boy, Arial Hernandez, arrives on the shore of Miami in an inner tube after a harrowing trip from Cuba. (Arial is heavily based on Elián Gonzalez.) At the end of the book is an interview with the author and she describes the book as being "about people landing in places and having no clue who they are as a result." That's a good description.<br />
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There are parts of the book I really liked a lot...Lizet's fish-out-of-water story and her troubled relationship with her family. There were other parts that left me a little flat, particular that of Lizet's mother, Lourdes, and her obsession with Arial. I wish the author had delved more into where that was coming from, but then that would probably be a completely different book, wouldn't it? I couldn't relate to Lourdes and was left guessing about her motives. <br />
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Of course I'll never forget that photo of young Elián with a military rifle in his face. But I didn't remember a lot of details about the situation. I did some googling after I finished the book and saw it was a 5-month ordeal. There are videos of vigils and protests being held outside the home where Elián was staying, and the author did a great job of describing those scenes in the book. <br />
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Ms. Crucet is a good writer and I look forward to more from her.<br />
Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-9506116234016603142019-09-22T22:52:00.000-04:002019-09-22T22:52:32.235-04:00Fall TV Schedule - 2019I'm watching the Emmy awards and realized I hadn't figured out my fall TV schedule yet. I just finished going through my <i>Entertainment Weekly</i> Fall TV Preview issue, and I gotta say, this issue wasn't very helpful and has really deteriorated from fall TV issues in the past. They're missing the TV grid for each night. They didn't discuss all the new shows. It was quite lacking. I think I'm going let my subscription run out when that time comes.<br />
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Nevertheless...between the magazine and a listing from the Vulture website, here's what I came up with. New shows are in <b><i>bold italics</i></b>. Some are already in progress.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sunday</span></span></b><br />
8:00pm - Ray Donovan (starts 11/17), Showtime<br />
8:30pm - <span>God Friended Me (starts 9/29)</span><i style="font-weight: bold;">, </i>CBS<br />
8:30pm - <i style="font-weight: bold;">Back to Life (10/6), </i>Showtime<br />
9:00pm - Shameless (11/3), Showtime<br />
10:00pm - The Rookie (starts 9/29), ABC<br />
10:00pm - <b><i>Godfather of Harlem (9/29)</i></b>, Epix<br />
10:00pm - Silicon Valley (10/27), HBO<br />
10:30pm - <i><b>Mrs. Fletcher (10/27)</b>, </i>HBO<br />
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<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">Godfather of Harlem</i> looks really good and stars Forest Whitaker. I don't have the Epix channel, though, and I'll decide this week whether to add it to my cable lineup. I'm reluctant to add anything because my bill is already high enough.</li>
<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">Mrs. Fletcher</i> stars Kathryn Hahn, who's always great.</li>
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Monday</span></b></h2>
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9:00pm - <i><b>Prodigal Son (9/23), </b>FOX</i><br />
9:00pm - The Deuce (started 9/9), HBO<br />
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<li>Not a whole lot going on on Mondays. I'm giving the <b><i>Prodigal Son</i></b> a try because of Michael Sheen who I loved on Masters of Sex.</li>
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<b style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Tuesday</span></b></h2>
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8:00pm - The Resident (9/24), FOX<br />
9:00pm - This Is Us (9/24), NBC<br />
9:00pm - <i style="font-weight: bold;">Mixed-ish (9/24)</i>, ABC<br />
9:30pm - Black-ish (9/24), ABC</div>
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10:00pm - <span>New Amsterdam (9/24)</span>, NBC</div>
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<ul>
<li><b><i>Mixed-ish </i></b>is a spinoff from Black-ish about Rainbow's childhood. It could be fun. We'll see. (I watch the other spin-off, Grown-ish, and it's decent enough.) (Can you sense that I don't have a whole lot of enthusiasm? Maybe this one will take me by surprise.)</li>
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<b style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Wednesday</span></b></h2>
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8:00pm - The Goldbergs (9/25), ABC</div>
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8:30pm - Schooled (9/25), ABC</div>
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9:00pm - Modern Family (9/25), ABC<br />
9:00pm - <i style="font-weight: bold;">Almost Family (10/2), </i>FOX</div>
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9:30pm - <span>Single Parents (9/25),</span> ABC</div>
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10:00pm - <i style="font-weight: bold;">Stumptown (9/25), </i>ABC</div>
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<ul>
<li>Looks like it'll be another big ABC night in my household. </li>
<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">Stumptown</i> is the show I'm most looking forward to this season. It stars Cobie Smulders from How I Met Your Mother, and also stars Jake Johnson from The New Girl and Michael Ealy. In the commercials, I also saw Camryn Manheim from The Practice. Seems like a really good cast.</li>
<li>I added <b><i>Almost Family</i> </b>because it's based on an Australian show I watched on Netflix called, Sisters. I enjoyed Sisters a lot...I'm curious to see how the American version turns out. I don't have high hopes though.</li>
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<b style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Thursday</span></b></h2>
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8:00pm - Grey's Anatomy (9/26), ABC<br />
8:00pm - Young Sheldon (9/26), CBS</div>
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8:00pm - Superstore (9/26), NBC</div>
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8:30pm - <b><i>Perfect Harmony (9/26)</i></b>, CBS<br />
8:30pm - <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Unicorn (9/26),</i> CBS</div>
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9:00pm - The Good Place (9/26), NBC</div>
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9:00pm - A Million Little Things (9/26), ABC</div>
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9:30pm - <i style="font-weight: bold;">Carol's Second Act (9/26),</i> CBS<br />
9:30pm - <i style="font-weight: bold;">Sunnyside (9/26), </i>NBC<br />
10:00pm - <i style="font-weight: bold;">Evil (9/26)</i>, CBS<br />
10:00pm - Mr. Inbetween (started 9/12), FX</div>
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<ul>
<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Unicorn</i> and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Evil</i> are on Entertainment Weekly's "must watch" list. The Unicorn is about a widowed dad getting back into the dating scene. Evil is about, "Dr. Kristen Bouchard, a lapsed Catholic and financially struggling forensic psychologist who gets hired by a priest-in-training to help investigate alleged religious and supernatural phenomena." I don't know, we'll see about that one. Lapsed Catholics are up my alley, but supernatural phenomena, not so much.</li>
<li>I only put <i style="font-weight: bold;">Carol's Second Act</i> on the list because I love Patricia Heaton. If I hear a laugh track, I'll probably turn it right off. CBS comedies and me don't often mix well. I love Young Sheldon, and guess what? No laugh track.</li>
<li>I don't even know what <i style="font-weight: bold;">Sunnyside</i> is about, but it stars Kal Penn, so that's good enough for me.</li>
<li>Oh, and I added <i style="font-weight: bold;">Perfect Harmony</i> strictly because of Bradley Whitford.</li>
<li>I'm so glad Mr. Inbetween is back for another season. It was my favorite new show last year.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<h2>
<b style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Friday</span></b></h2>
</div>
<div>
10:00pm - <b><i>Couples Therapy</i></b> <b><i>(started 9/6)</i></b>, Showtime<br />
10:00pm - <i style="font-weight: bold;">Murder in the Bayou (started 9/13), </i>Showtime<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">Couples Therapy </i>is fascinating. It's a view into real couples' therapy sessions with a marriage counselor. You also see the marriage counselor's sessions with <i>her</i> therapist. It's really interesting.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2>
<b style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Streaming</span></b></h2>
</div>
<div>
I just looked at the list of streaming shows I said I was going to watch next year and realize I only watched 1 out of 8 of them, so I don't even know if this is worth it. But, here's what looks good:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">Unbelievable (started 9/13)</i><b style="font-style: italic;">, </b>Netflix</li>
<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Politician (9/27), </i>Netflix</li>
<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">Raising Dion (10/4), </i>Netflix</li>
<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">Modern Love (10/18), </i>Amazon </li>
<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">Living with Yourself (10/18), </i>Netflix (Paul Rudd!!)</li>
<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Morning Show (11/1), </i>Apple TV+</li>
</ul>
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I have another decision to make regarding Apple TV+. Yet another subscription to pay for. I probably will go for this one because I <i>really</i> want to see The Morning Show with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. We'll see.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So that's it. Nothing too exciting this year, to be honest.</div>
Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-73199750668832722782019-09-02T22:21:00.001-04:002020-01-31T12:55:00.697-05:00Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40864790-pumpkinheads" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Pumpkinheads" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1537541596l/40864790._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40864790-pumpkinheads">Pumpkinheads</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4208569.Rainbow_Rowell">Rainbow Rowell</a><br />
<br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2947642732">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
3.5 rounded to 4 stars.<br />
<br />
The best words to describe this graphic novel are: "very cute."<br />
<br />
I wouldn't even call it a graphic novel--more like a graphic short story. It's a quick read and the art is great. I didn't get a lot of "the feels" with the story like I usually do with Rainbow Rowell's work but this was still an enjoyable read. It would probably be even more enjoyable to read it while sipping hot apple cider in cooler weather. <br />
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-21306870300884249432019-08-01T21:02:00.000-04:002019-09-23T22:47:15.150-04:00My current obsessionI've been thinking about this for the past few weeks and finally decided to sit down and type it up. My obsession, right now, is..........<br />
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<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/resizer/osuZENemVtUwesTAOfP0HMR6M3g=/1484x0/arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/7QOJU7RYXYI6TMIL6BNCFZ2YMU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="800" height="305" src="https://www.washingtonpost.com/resizer/osuZENemVtUwesTAOfP0HMR6M3g=/1484x0/arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/7QOJU7RYXYI6TMIL6BNCFZ2YMU.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">BILLY PORTER!</span><br />
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He stars in a show on FX called POSE. (Before that, he starred in Kinky Boots on Broadway.) I remember seeing previews for Pose last year and set a season pass on my Tivo. Or so I thought. It wasn't until there were only two episodes left that I realized it hadn't been recording. Boo. I was disappointed.<br />
<br />
Then Billy showed up to the Oscars in that gorgeous tuxedo gown and that's when I learned that he was on this show. (I really didn't know much about the show, other than it looked cool and dancing was involved.)<br />
<br />
Pose was renewed for a second season and before it started back on FX, they put Season One on Netflix. I started seeing previews for it while watching <i>Fosse/Verdon</i> and then a friend of mine posted about the show on Facebook, so I decided to dig in. I now know that the show is about the LGBTQ ball culture in the late 80s/early 90s. You can do your own research on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_culture">what "ball culture" is</a>, but just know that it's where Madonna learned how to "<a href="https://youtu.be/GuJQSAiODqI">Vogue</a>." (This features prominently in Season 2.) Billy Porter plays Pray Tell, the emcee at the balls, and he is just wonderful. The show takes place during the rise of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and he handles scenes around that subject with such grace. He's a fantastic actor. (Now, sometimes--I admit--the show doesn't have the best acting you've ever seen, BUT, the stories are heartfelt and Billy Porter makes up for it all. Kudos to the show for hiring transgender actors to play transgender roles.)<br />
<br />
Toward the end of the first season, Pray Tell goes to sing at the ward where his boyfriend is dying of AIDS. I rewound and watched this five times with tears streaming down my face. The description on the video says, "Set in the 80's, in this scene, Pray Tell (Billy Porter) arranged a cabaret to cheer the patients in the AIDS Ward where his boyfriend is in treatment. His dear friend, Blanca (transgender actress MJ Rodriguez) agrees to sing. Both characters have also recently been diagnosed. This is so beautiful."<br />
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Oh man. That gets me every time.<br />
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When I searched for that video, I also came across this fantastic scene that happened during the commercial break at the Tony awards. This made me a fan forever.<br />
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<br />
And <i>then</i> just the other day, I caught his serious side in an interview with other Emmy-nominated actors. He touched my heart. The interview is long, but here's his response to the question, "I knew I had made it in Hollywood, when.....?" (From YouTube, I can set where the video starts, but I can't set where it stops, so you can hit pause after you see Billy speak. I do encourage everyone to watch the whole roundtable because it was kind of interesting. Especially Hugh Grant...I can't tell if he's just self-deprecating, or if he really is a monster to work with. I'm going with self-deprecation. I digress.....)<br />
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I hate to admit, but that's really when I first noticed him too. And then it was just like, look at all that fabulousness! I could just hear Christian Siriano (the gown's designer) saying, "Fierce!"<br />
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Here's another moment from the interview that I liked where he's discussing his role on Pose:<br />
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I <i>really</i> hope he gets that Emmy award.<br />
<br />
So, that's it for my Billy Porter fan post. I'll leave you with this, Billy Porter, in all his Pray Tell glory!<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TEM4La4L_a8?start=1070" width="560"></iframe></center>
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<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-65527051168198263212019-07-31T08:55:00.002-04:002020-01-31T12:55:11.529-05:00American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45046527-american-dirt" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="American Dirt" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1559127861l/45046527._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45046527-american-dirt">American Dirt</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/338667.Jeanine_Cummins">Jeanine Cummins</a><br />
<br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2854109989">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
<br />
It's difficult to put into words how I feel about this book, so I'll start with two cheesy statements--first, believe the hype! It's being called the Most Anticipated Book of 2020, and that is so well deserved. Second, you <i>can</i> judge this book by its cover. Honestly, I think this is the most beautiful cover I've ever seen, and the story inside is equally beautiful. And harrowing, and heartbreaking, and hopeful, and ever-so-timely. It's about a mother and her eight-year-old son who escape to the United States after 16 members of their family are murdered by a cartel. The book details their treacherous journey and helps you understand the utter desperation of people who will risk that trip because their lives at home are even more dangerous. The author's note at the end was also especially poignant. I wish there was a way to make every American read this book. It's so important. Congratulations to Jeanine Cummins for such a wonderful accomplishment. <br />
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-80333545556580214572019-07-07T22:42:00.002-04:002020-01-31T12:55:35.154-05:00This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36349276-this-is-going-to-hurt" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507070161i/36349276._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36349276-this-is-going-to-hurt">This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17160706.Adam_Kay">Adam Kay</a><br />
<br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2887295331">3 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
<br />
This book contains the journal entries of a British junior doctor's six-year career in England. It was interesting to read his perspective on England's National Health Service as compared to the American system. Adam Kay worked as an OB/GYN and his writings about all that happens (or could happen) during childbirth confirmed for me that my decision to not have kids was the right one (for me). This book also confirmed that I could never, ever, be doctor. The book is at turns funny, heartbreaking, educational, and cringe-inducing, and I enjoyed it.<br />
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-81862942236405273932019-05-03T19:48:00.001-04:002019-05-03T19:48:41.169-04:00Dammit. I love this.Beyoncé dropped a new album the other day, <i>Homecoming. </i>It's a live album and I just heard her cover of Frankie Beverly and Maze's "Before I Let Go." (This is a song that my sister and I dubbed the Black People's Anthem. It's always played when black people get together. I saw many comments on YouTube saying this is cookout approved.) I'm really annoyed at how much I love her version. Not only is she doing Maze's song, it's also got Cameo's "Candy" mixed in and it's so fun to dance to.<br />
<br />
Here's the thing. I'm not a big Beyoncé fan. But every once in a while, she comes out with something that I can't stop listening to. My prior fave of hers was "Love On Top. " I've never tired of that song--it makes me happy.<br />
<br />
Anyway, she's done it again. This makes me happy too!<br />
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<br />
I'll go ahead and throw in Love on Top too, for good measure:</center>
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-41399642265547040672019-04-13T22:52:00.001-04:002019-04-13T22:52:05.993-04:00New-to-me music, featuring SisterI was listening to Dax Shepherd's podcast, <i>Armchair Expert, </i>and before the interview got started, he played a song by Sister called, "Love Me Right." I came home and went searching for it, and Sister has a new fan. I love this song. <br />
<br />
Here it is:<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dmz-6D5m6Rc" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
I also came across this video and I swooned. I love <i>To Sir, with Love</i> (song and movie). (I think I've mentioned it before. Oh yes! <a href="https://leisurepursuit.blogspot.com/2017/01/to-sir-with-love.html" target="_blank">Here it is</a>.) And she does such a beautiful job with it. What a clear, beautiful voice.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xnT05Kjemog" width="560"></iframe><br />
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I've now followed her channel on YouTube and can't wait to hear more.Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-55368444026343716442019-03-23T17:57:00.001-04:002020-01-31T12:55:50.283-05:00Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37826192-shrill" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1515099276m/37826192.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37826192-shrill">Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5365754.Lindy_West">Lindy West</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2751817491">3 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
3.5 stars. I read this in anticipation of the Hulu series inspired by it. There are some essays I'd give 5 stars to, and other I didn't like as much, so for me it averaged out to 3.5 stars. She's a great writer and offers many thought-provoking points of view on various topics. The chapters about her exchange with Dan Savage and then her experience with stand-up comedy were most interesting (and troubling and infuriating). I had to admire how she persevered through it all.<br />
<br />
I just finished the Hulu series, which I really enjoyed. There were only six episodes. The last episode about the troll that she talked to in person was better handled in the book, but it still drove home a point.<br />
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-17188060131045321492019-03-21T13:18:00.002-04:002019-03-21T13:49:25.183-04:00RENT Live! (Catching Up)<i>RENT Live! </i>aired on FOX on January 27. I think we were out that night seeing our favorite local band, so I recorded it and told my sister we could get together and watch it later. We finally did that this weekend, along with two other friends. This review a little late to the game, but here we are.<br />
<br />
As it turns out, Brennin Hunt, the guy playing Roger, broke his ankle during the dress rehearsal. As a result, most of the <i>RENT Live!</i> was actually a pre-recorded version of the dress rehearsal. That was unfortunate. They did the final scene live, and they included the original Broadway cast members, so that was exciting. Everyone looked and sounded great. Poor Brennin. During that last scene, he sat on the table with his foot in a huge cast and propped on a chair, but he still sang the heck out of <i>Your Eyes.</i> Way to persevere!<br />
<br />
Overall, I thought the casting of Brennin as Roger and Vanessa Hudgens as Maureen was perfect. The other cast members were good too, but these two stood out for me. Both of them did so well in their roles. Brennin is quite easy on the eyes and his voice was great. (Incidentally, I just looked him up on IMDb, and he was a contestant on <i>The Voice</i>.)<br />
<br />
There was some pitchy-ness in some of the songs, and some of the supporting cast members were off in pivotal songs like <i>Will I?</i> and <i>Seasons of Love</i>. I had to keep in mind that this was a dress rehearsal and perhaps if they had really done it live, they would have been pitch perfect.<br />
<br />
I noticed early on that some lyrics were changed, mostly due to cursing, so I figured that they'd probably change a lot in <i>La Vie Boheme, </i>and I wondered if they'd do the sex song <i>(Contact)</i>. In <i>La Vie Boheme, </i>Maureen did not moon the businessmen and they changed "dildos," but left in everything else including, "mucho masturbation," "to sodomy," "to marijuana!" and, "to S&M!" --that surprised me! And they did do <i>Contact</i>, but it was condensed and didn't have all of the sexually suggestive choreography that the stage show has.<br />
<br />
I've lost count of how many times we've seen <i>RENT</i> (maybe 20?!), but I'll add this one to the list. Overall, I thought it was enjoyable. I was glad to hear the music again, and I've been listening to the original soundtrack all week. As we were watching the show, I told my friends that I was having a hard time controlling myself and not singing all the songs to them. Now I sing away!Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-40488338027509067112019-03-10T17:10:00.000-04:002020-01-31T12:57:41.588-05:00The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40097951-the-silent-patient" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Silent Patient" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1550161053m/40097951.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40097951-the-silent-patient">The Silent Patient</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17621440.Alex_Michaelides">Alex Michaelides</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2737221016">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
I read part of this on my Kindle, but listened to most of it on Audible. I enjoyed both formats. The story is told alternately between a psychotherapist, Theo, and his (silent) patient's diary, so his parts are read by a man, and the diary is read by a woman. The writing is great and I don't want to say much more for fear of giving anything away. I look forward to more from this author.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>*** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***</b></span><br />
<br />
Debbie, if there's any chance you're going to read this book, stop reading now.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Stop. Stop now, I tell you!<br />
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<br />
<br />
Okay, you've been warned.<br />
<br />
Here I go....<br />
<br />
I'm glad I didn't read any reviews of this book before I picked it up. As I read the reviews after the fact, people say things about the "big twist" and the "twists and turns" in the book. Reading that kind of review, even if it doesn't tell me what the twist is, builds anticipation, so I'm just waiting for "the thing" to happen, and when it does, I'm often disappointed. <br />
<br />
Even though this is called a "psychological thriller," it's really not that. I was glad to hear an interview with the author at the end of the audiobook where he says other people put that term on the book. He was surprised by the word "thriller." He thinks of it as a slow, suspenseful story. The lady doing the interview points out that there's a real richness to the characters and their lives. I agree with that. It's not so much a thriller--there are no jump-out-of-your-seat moments, that I usually associate with thrillers. Instead, it's more clever and I found myself grinning when all was revealed. The author said he had Alfred Hitchcock in mind as he was writing it, and I can see that. <br />
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And now a word about potential spoilers. As you see, I didn't really give away any plot points here. However, <a href="https://leisurepursuit.blogspot.com/2018/01/questions-from-mail-bag.html" target="_blank">I've written before about inadvertently spoiling something for my sister</a>, hence my warning to her above. <br />
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-45667521189963094762019-03-03T03:07:00.000-05:002020-01-31T13:09:47.077-05:00Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1472878.Firefly_Lane" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Firefly Lane (Firefly Lane, #1)" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1362435448m/1472878.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1472878.Firefly_Lane">Firefly Lane</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/54493.Kristin_Hannah">Kristin Hannah</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43462414">3 of 5 stars</a><br />
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<br />
I've had this book on my shelf for at least 10 years but had never read it. This year, I kept seeing Kristin Hannah's name all over the place, because of <i>The Great Alone</i>, and I decided before I delve into that, I should read her book that I already own.<br />
<br />
I started off liking <i>Firefly Lane</i> a lot. The story of two girls meeting in 1974 at the age of 14 and becoming best friends resonated with me and reminded me of some of my own childhood friendships. Then through 30 years of their friendship, it just started to drag and become unbelievable and clichéd. I disliked both of the main characters at different points for different reasons and it was difficult to believe they'd still be friends over all those years. <br />
<br />
I can definitely understand the comparisons to <i>Beaches,</i> which I enjoyed a whole lot more. (However, I also read that 30 years ago, in my late teens, so maybe I'd feel differently reading it now.)<br />
<br />
Nit-picky minor detail: If the girls met at the age of 14 in 1974, then presumably, it'd be approximately 1978 when they graduate high school and then 1982 when they graduate college. There's a scene right before their college graduation where they were listening to the <i>Purple Rain</i> soundtrack. That album didn't come out until 1984. As soon as I read that I was annoyed. And the annoying feeling, unfortunately, never went away as I read the book.<br />
<br />
Despite all that, I finished the whole thing and even shed a few tears toward the end. It wasn't the best book I've ever read, but I liked it well enough and it didn't turn me off Kristin Hannah forever.<br />
<br />
For what it's worth, I enjoyed the "soundtrack" of the book--the author makes notes of the songs they're listening to and I created a playlist that's fun to listen to. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/desbah/playlist/5tJimndmhhdiQB7ukRicDZ?si=QfRPsSjMS_u1R6H-5zF08g" target="_blank">Here's the playlist</a>.<br />
<br />
Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-87759666647883732262019-02-24T18:17:00.002-05:002019-02-24T23:17:32.592-05:002019 Oscar Predictions (and Wins)The Oscars will be on shortly and I just finished watching "Roma," the final Best Picture nominee that I needed to see.<br />
<br />
Here are my predictions for who I <b>WANT</b> to win, and who I think <b>WILL</b> win. Movies I haven't seen yet are in <i>italics. </i><br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: red;">UPDATE:</span></b> I've added who won in <b><span style="color: red;">RED</span></b>.<br />
<br />
<u>BEST PICTURE</u><br />
<ul>
<li>BlacKkKlansman <b>WANT</b></li>
<li>Black Panther <b>WILL</b></li>
<li>Bohemian Rhapsody</li>
<li>The Favourite</li>
<li>Green Book <span style="color: red;"><b>WON</b></span></li>
<li>Roma </li>
<li>A Star Is Born</li>
<li>Vice</li>
</ul>
There's been a lot of talk about Oscars not awarding blockbuster movies, which is why I think Black Panther could win this. Each year it seems Oscar voters try to address all the criticism they receive from previous years. This list of nominees is evident of that. A couple years ago, the biggest hashtag on Oscar night was #OscarSoWhite. Now look at all the diverse nominees this year. Hopefully that's not just a temporary correction. I personally liked BlacKkKlansman the best of these nominees and am hoping for it to win.<br />
<u><br /></u>
<u>BEST DIRECTOR</u><br />
<ul>
<li>Alfonso Cuaron for Roma <b><span style="color: red;">WON</span></b></li>
<li>Spike Lee for BlacKkKlansman <b>WANT / WILL</b></li>
<li>Adam McKay for Vice</li>
<li><i>Pawel Pawlikowski for Cold War</i></li>
<li>Yorgos Lanthimos for The Favourite</li>
</ul>
This category is fully of great nominees this year. Roma and The Favourite were intriguing to watch, but I think the award they're more deserving of is the award for best cinematography. <span style="color: red;"><b>(Roma did win Best Cinematography)</b></span><br />
<br />
Spike is due for an Oscar and I think it's well deserved for BlacKkKlansman. I think the Academy could give him the award this year and give themselves a pat on the back for honoring not only this movie, but also his whole body of work.<br />
<br />
<u>BEST ACTRESS</u><br />
<ul>
<li>Yalitza Aparicio in Roma</li>
<li>Glenn Close in The Wife <b>WANT / WILL</b></li>
<li>Olivia Colman in The Favourite <span style="color: red;"><b>WON</b></span></li>
<li>Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born</li>
<li><i>Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me?</i></li>
</ul>
I love actors who can convey so much meaning with just their facial expressions. I saw <i>The Wife</i> the other day and Glenn Close does this in spades. She's very deserving of this award. I just can't predict whether she'll win or not, but I went ahead with the prediction that she will win. It could go any way. All of the performances are great--I didn't see Melissa McCarthy, but I'm sure her nomination is deserved--she's so talented.<br />
<br />
<u>BEST ACTOR</u><br />
<ul>
<li>Christian Bale in Vice <b>WANT</b></li>
<li>Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born</li>
<li><i>Willem Dafoe in At Eternity's Gate</i></li>
<li>Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody <b>WILL / <span style="color: red;">WON</span></b></li>
<li>Viggo Mortensen in Green Book</li>
</ul>
Christian Bale just disappears into Dick Cheney and I think this would be a deserved win. Rami Malek was great too as Freddie Mercury and I wouldn't be upset by his winning.<br />
<br />
<u>BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR</u><br />
<ul>
<li>Mahershala Ali in Green Book <b>WANT / WILL / <span style="color: red;">WON</span></b></li>
<li>Adam Driver in BlacKkKlansman</li>
<li>Sam Elliott in A Star Is Born</li>
<li><i>Richard E. Grant in Can You Ever Forgive Me?</i></li>
<li>Sam Rockwell in Vice</li>
</ul>
Mahershala is just so great at what he does. I would be really happy to see Adam Driver get this too.<br />
Sam Rockwell was great as Dubya in Vice, but his role didn't provide much oomph to the movie. Same for Sam Elliott in A Star is Born.<br />
<br />
<u>BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS</u><br />
<ul>
<li>Amy Adams in Vice</li>
<li>Marina de Tavira in Roma</li>
<li>Regina King in If Beale Street Could Talk <b>WANT / WILL / <span style="color: red;">WON</span></b></li>
<li>Emma Stone in The Favourite</li>
<li>Rachel Weisz in The Favourite</li>
</ul>
Emma and Rachel were great in The Favourite and might cancel each other out in votes. Despite that, I have to go with Regina King. She was so good in Beale Street, and again, does so much acting with her eyes and facial expressions.<br />
<br />
<u>BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY</u><br />
<ul>
<li><i>The Ballad of Buster Scruggs</i></li>
<li>BlacKkKlansman <b>WANT / <span style="color: red;">WON</span></b></li>
<li><i>Can You Ever Forgive Me?</i></li>
<li>If Beale Street Could Talk</li>
<li>A Star Is Born <b>WILL</b></li>
</ul>
I'm behind BlacKkKlansman all the way, but I wouldn't be mad if A Star Is Born won. I liked it better than the Barbra Streisand version. A win here would keep it from being shut out of the Oscars.<br />
<br />
<u>BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY</u><br />
<ul>
<li>The Favourite</li>
<li><i>First Reformed</i></li>
<li>Green Book <b>WILL / WANT / <span style="color: red;">WON</span></b></li>
<li>Roma</li>
<li>Vice </li>
</ul>
<div>
I'm torn on this category. I think Vice was quite clever, but I liked Green Book better, and would like to see it win. I think it could.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So that's it. I'll come back tomorrow with who did win. I'm looking forward to Queen and Adam Lambert opening up the Oscars tonight. Should be a good show considering the musical numbers. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper will be singing too. Will we miss there being a host? I suspect not, but we'll see!<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">UPDATE/Comments on the Show:</span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Who needs a host when the show opens with Queen and Adam Lambert?! That was fun to see everyone in their red carpet gowns just rocking out.<br />
<br />
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's performance: ooh la la!<br />
<br />
As my sister said, we need more Spike Lee at awards shows...she pointed out that he's so entertaining!<br />
<br />
My biggest disappointment was Glenn Close not getting her Oscar. Olivia Colman was great in The Favourite, but I was really, really pulling for Glenn Close. Olivia gave a great speech though!<br />
<br />
I'm surprised Green Book won Best Picture. Based on what I'm seeing on Twitter, there's a lot of disappointment. Well, people are pissed, actually. I'm not disappointed, I enjoyed the movie. Just surprised.<br />
<br />
I did a decent job with my predictions this year.<br />
<br />
Overall, it was a good show. I didn't miss a host. It didn't run on too, too long. And now I have some more movies to see.</div>
Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-45465915548818836822019-02-09T20:59:00.000-05:002020-01-31T13:06:11.896-05:00The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34964905-the-sun-does-shine" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496780260m/34964905.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34964905-the-sun-does-shine">The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17022329.Anthony_Ray_Hinton">Anthony Ray Hinton</a><br />
<br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2708425782">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
This is the true story of Anthony Ray Hinton, an innocent man who spent 30 years on death row. It's so difficult and frustrating to read about how the system was stacked against Ray, and so astounding to read about Ray's perseverance and positive attitude. It should be required reading for every single person.<br />
Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-19175308285598125432019-02-09T01:17:00.002-05:002020-01-31T13:07:50.181-05:00The Gilded Hour by Sara Donati<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24611868-the-gilded-hour" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Gilded Hour" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1425245254m/24611868.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24611868-the-gilded-hour">The Gilded Hour</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/41193.Sara_Donati">Sara Donati</a><br />
<br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2661632096">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
I'd give this 3.75 stars.<br />
<br />
The author pays a lot of attention to detail so I always had a very clear vision of the characters, scenery, clothing, and atmosphere. The book is very long and I felt some parts perhaps had too much detail. There's a little bit of everything here: female doctors (in the 1800s), one of them half black, racism, misogyny, contraception and men controlling women's reproductive rights, humor, sadness, religion, conservative folks and progressive folks, orphaned children, the police, and oh, a serial killer. It was a lot. I was very disappointed that some storylines weren't resolved over the nearly 800 pages, but I am now indeed curious about the coming sequel. <br />
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-47684283824535777282019-01-29T18:52:00.000-05:002019-01-29T19:35:49.803-05:00Please, let me explainI was tagged in a 7-day Facebook challenge the other day. You know the kind--you post a picture of some sort for seven days in a row. Just the photo. No explanation. And then you tag someone to challenge them. Deep down, I've been wanting to be tagged in one of these things, but then when it actually happened, I found myself in a conundrum. <br />
<br />
Here's the challenge:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I am posting the cover of seven books that I couldn’t put down. No explanations, no reviews, no comments, just the cover. Each time I post a cover I will ask a friend to take up the challenge as well. One book cover a day for a week. This is Day 5 and I nominate Valerie. Looking forward to seeing your selections.</blockquote>
Seems simple enough, right? But here's the thing...the person who challenged me had a very substantial list of books. Thought provoking, profound. And when I thought back on books that I couldn't put down, I'll admit, I was embarrassed by them. I felt unable to post them without some sort of explanation or justification--in defense of my choices. I started drafting a list and then found myself manipulating it so it would make me look good. And then that felt like cheating. So, that's what brought me here...to write a blog post about it, where I can give all the explanation I want.<br />
<br />
So, first, here are the book covers that I would have posted on Facebook. These are indeed books that I couldn't put down, but they're different than other books I had in mind, which you'll see in a moment.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKGgcX017yr38jiSVUBbyojBoRZdhRZgrZDgKK0K91L8Om8lgaq9qhypZ7wt5pcQr3v2fbhkYFKd2GTBiRdzTh17oZ6vU1Ckj6tkrdS9B-MFVna7mZwm7UrzOLZDVYRHfQcCZyQ/s1600/eleanor+park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKGgcX017yr38jiSVUBbyojBoRZdhRZgrZDgKK0K91L8Om8lgaq9qhypZ7wt5pcQr3v2fbhkYFKd2GTBiRdzTh17oZ6vU1Ckj6tkrdS9B-MFVna7mZwm7UrzOLZDVYRHfQcCZyQ/s200/eleanor+park.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Uha-04mmkRJbMfrjV-HY5kdnEuj73USoPfjfri8nfggrNqZyG7Sn0P-_Lg-jFcmtO92a_b64I5MlAnWuKY2ejh5w9npvAp4R_0N9XseBXhckgzscqDYPiN4bR_jaPBmxLDXewQ/s1600/mockingbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="296" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Uha-04mmkRJbMfrjV-HY5kdnEuj73USoPfjfri8nfggrNqZyG7Sn0P-_Lg-jFcmtO92a_b64I5MlAnWuKY2ejh5w9npvAp4R_0N9XseBXhckgzscqDYPiN4bR_jaPBmxLDXewQ/s200/mockingbird.jpg" width="124" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5oN31xw4ug5a37FaAOIK3Z-_xx9KOSuXA45qaOpHJnSHnK2lFB4OI64YNRhi7Jg1NSH3iriTK4ZmMlpQPo5JtC5_f67hiNZ0RcRaz6_C7O68AwH8g7AAd2rBqWJx0FQbx1llJRw/s1600/henrietta+lacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="277" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5oN31xw4ug5a37FaAOIK3Z-_xx9KOSuXA45qaOpHJnSHnK2lFB4OI64YNRhi7Jg1NSH3iriTK4ZmMlpQPo5JtC5_f67hiNZ0RcRaz6_C7O68AwH8g7AAd2rBqWJx0FQbx1llJRw/s200/henrietta+lacks.jpg" width="138" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisZQtN7xVkvKsF4KapSYCbMWo8tlu68qTVsCDr-mAuHCnIbEVxlEefkcAfh4njiMtM0EWNknPGgfbGEN9oC_HbaRfZjERYb1Q_YoqoZvMepX0ENIGuOzE_fpoHPrycBKgaW-k2g/s1600/high+fidelity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="303" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisZQtN7xVkvKsF4KapSYCbMWo8tlu68qTVsCDr-mAuHCnIbEVxlEefkcAfh4njiMtM0EWNknPGgfbGEN9oC_HbaRfZjERYb1Q_YoqoZvMepX0ENIGuOzE_fpoHPrycBKgaW-k2g/s200/high+fidelity.jpg" width="127" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVjYaNAB1tItIlLwX5gDxU-AohljcPowWThTe_TS832ZvdGksxb5GBPaE-PEZBmqxHJqND73frjuNCjJ0v71yfod4POXW7SPFbX6NOfHGf6h0ZadcKg6jVjvLR0H_tmC5IgaC5g/s1600/midnight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVjYaNAB1tItIlLwX5gDxU-AohljcPowWThTe_TS832ZvdGksxb5GBPaE-PEZBmqxHJqND73frjuNCjJ0v71yfod4POXW7SPFbX6NOfHGf6h0ZadcKg6jVjvLR0H_tmC5IgaC5g/s200/midnight.jpg" width="128" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJPtDjykZy12POsOmq43jn-VraAVY_b8ZjUUPfx0P1K0CDA9tmqY9aeXtjsYTA-9Pp0DHxEIbLo0pUL4qEdKDY0krO8S_cUeIuYu_l-cAMH_eQMoqVaF_Z2fVdvn4870U7RI4ug/s1600/the+godfather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJPtDjykZy12POsOmq43jn-VraAVY_b8ZjUUPfx0P1K0CDA9tmqY9aeXtjsYTA-9Pp0DHxEIbLo0pUL4qEdKDY0krO8S_cUeIuYu_l-cAMH_eQMoqVaF_Z2fVdvn4870U7RI4ug/s200/the+godfather.jpg" width="132" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdRE1WAkU3ttB6o8uRJWHgU022BIUFjvGJiUdnbmCAXddzC_tMUreYGT4yyeMs9goP0NJByyFxstbEwwuhRKEjlk-ekk6S86PwGkZnZcSeMHuEJDsSpeXgW6W6pZU2qhxWwGxkQ/s1600/warmth+suns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdRE1WAkU3ttB6o8uRJWHgU022BIUFjvGJiUdnbmCAXddzC_tMUreYGT4yyeMs9goP0NJByyFxstbEwwuhRKEjlk-ekk6S86PwGkZnZcSeMHuEJDsSpeXgW6W6pZU2qhxWwGxkQ/s200/warmth+suns.jpg" width="131" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Now, here's my <i>real</i> list...full of trashy novels and sensationalistic pop fiction, along with some explanation:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNP3Kq0SXGrGB-vwxTTD8bkETfztiYCcLGLuBRO6ssTUuJ5vk8lORpC7-pTzmxsvDNwyd0VNcbcEY5h5kuzm2oa87eq3EyT0V0Rfep02wiY1uOvl8tAG7ZRJl2VZwc-1abp6xu8w/s1600/flowers+attic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="270" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNP3Kq0SXGrGB-vwxTTD8bkETfztiYCcLGLuBRO6ssTUuJ5vk8lORpC7-pTzmxsvDNwyd0VNcbcEY5h5kuzm2oa87eq3EyT0V0Rfep02wiY1uOvl8tAG7ZRJl2VZwc-1abp6xu8w/s200/flowers+attic.jpg" width="116" /></a></div>
<b>Flowers in the Attic </b>by VC Andrews<br />
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When I was in 6th grade, my whole class (81 students) passed one copy of this book around. There was pressure to finish quickly so I could pass it to the next person, but I also was so into it. I think I felt so grown up reading it. I then ran through anything that came out by VC Andrews.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPnsJHrIm7_kqP8FHF12IjYiIP3tXaM8Xhlxf2Mg3UydjPu5mOUlDvlB_RcBs7J7yEIrnnBLZ0Awyj-cGM3jYaW9lTLsP0rm2ZPigS0fiI15OCXzwV78qMEWKJHHCmT3QHWAJIA/s1600/wifey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="307" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPnsJHrIm7_kqP8FHF12IjYiIP3tXaM8Xhlxf2Mg3UydjPu5mOUlDvlB_RcBs7J7yEIrnnBLZ0Awyj-cGM3jYaW9lTLsP0rm2ZPigS0fiI15OCXzwV78qMEWKJHHCmT3QHWAJIA/s200/wifey.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
<b>Wifey</b> by Judy Blume<br />
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My 6th grade class also passed around Judy Blume's <i>Forever, </i>and it felt so scandalous to read it! But, when I was in 8th grade, my friend got a copy of <i>Wifey</i> and we "snuck read" it in her bedroom. Whenever anyone came upstairs, we'd hide it under the mattress. Judy Blume was our favorite author, so of course we'd read this book, whether it was for adults or not. It's about a woman who's unhappy in her marriage and basically sleeps with any man who comes around. I read it again as an adult and enjoyed it just as much.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwq7cyPbOsQV5a3RYOe13MuNVZmyi8eqi2bkoaZIafF1ptPZvV5SJO7NiALK0lOoghyphenhyphenDATJy4qH5PpArRLLLjPJSn3RWhV8VZ6KhaSflJ0qwPhBAyV6LDHfbUAQiHS2Ig0r7Ylw/s1600/cradle+will+fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="254" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwq7cyPbOsQV5a3RYOe13MuNVZmyi8eqi2bkoaZIafF1ptPZvV5SJO7NiALK0lOoghyphenhyphenDATJy4qH5PpArRLLLjPJSn3RWhV8VZ6KhaSflJ0qwPhBAyV6LDHfbUAQiHS2Ig0r7Ylw/s200/cradle+will+fall.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
<b>The Cradle Will Fall</b> by Mary Higgins Clark<br />
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This is the first adult book I read straight through in a 24-hour period. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and it was so exciting. I also read a lot of MHC after this, but this was my favorite.<br />
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<b>Butterfly</b> by Kathryn Harvey<br />
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This is still my favorite steamy novel. I read this when I was in college. A coworker at my summer job told me about it and I raced through it. It's sexy but also has a good revenge story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I read this every few years and always enjoy it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8hjA1IBj0_2deUhwy13XraU13zRh-LWJtSStYr9s9fJ4yxT4Kz7Z-9GHUm688J5RConSeKi7AD9VowsEau5NbeZlH1CpRn-bbfUsPSO3oc22n01U6uhsmRJ9ke2y6xCxEh6qFw/s1600/fine+things.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8hjA1IBj0_2deUhwy13XraU13zRh-LWJtSStYr9s9fJ4yxT4Kz7Z-9GHUm688J5RConSeKi7AD9VowsEau5NbeZlH1CpRn-bbfUsPSO3oc22n01U6uhsmRJ9ke2y6xCxEh6qFw/s200/fine+things.jpg" width="133" /></a><b>F</b><b>ine Things</b> by Danielle Steel<br />
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Are you seeing a theme here? I read a lot of Danielle Steel, but this one was my favorite. It wasn't as trashy as some of her other titles. I stayed up really late to finish this and it's the first time I really cried and sobbed while reading a book. Awww. Bernie Fine. I loved him.<br />
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<b>The Other Side of Midnight</b> by Sidney Sheldon<br />
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One night in college, my suite mate and I stayed up until three in the morning, while she told me this whole story. (Also, we were hunkered down in my dorm while a helicopter searched for someone who had escaped from a nearby mental institute. I remember she'd pause the story so we could watch the helicopter search lights.) And even though my friend told me everything, I read the book anyway. It was SOOOO good. I then read everything by Sidney Sheldon that I could get my hands on. Again, this was my favorite.<br />
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<b>The Firm</b> by John Grisham<br />
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Here's another one that I read in a 24-hour period. Another coworker and I then went on a John Grisham tear. I guess we weren't the only ones...he was quite popular at the time.<br />
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I also have a couple of honorable mentions:<br />
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<b>Chances</b> and <b>Lucky</b> by Jackie Collins<br />
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I LOVED Jackie Collins. SO trashy, and so fun. These had an element of family crime/mafia drama that I also enjoyed. I remember reading Lucky when I was in college and being in a math class (math was my major) where students were freaking out because they couldn't get #15 on the homework. I couldn't be bothered. I was too into what Lucky was doing and figured the professor would explain when he got there. <br />
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<b>Bonfire of the Vanities</b> by Tom Wolfe<br />
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I've been wanting to re-read this for a while. I have a feeling it will hold up because it tackles racism, money, privilege and greed. Just like our news today. I was drawn in quickly and read this over two days.<br />
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Do you see why everything needed an explanation? If I didn't explain, people might think I stopped reading in 1995. It's a fun trip down memory lane to think of all these books. I look forward to re-reading some, if not all, of them.<br />
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<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13986098.post-21020726761744080902019-01-03T15:42:00.001-05:002020-01-30T11:21:28.663-05:00My year in books - 2018I had a challenge to read 24 books in 2018, and ta-da! I read 25! Woo hoo! Here's what I read:<br />
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<h2> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1263014-valerie?shelf=read-in-2018&utm_medium=api&utm_source=grid_widget" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration: none;">Valerie's read-in-2018 book montage</a><br />
</h2><div class="gr_grid_container"><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22609465-above-us-only-sky" rel="nofollow" title="Above Us Only Sky"><img alt="Above Us Only Sky" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405727339m/22609465.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35068432-i-ll-be-gone-in-the-dark" rel="nofollow" title="I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer"><img alt="I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1499131009m/35068432.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10808486-a-wrinkle-in-time" rel="nofollow" title="A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet, #1)"><img alt="A Wrinkle in Time" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520687563m/10808486.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18158562-crazy-rich-asians" rel="nofollow" title="Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians, #1)"><img alt="Crazy Rich Asians" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1526735379m/18158562.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34974310-the-last-black-unicorn" rel="nofollow" title="The Last Black Unicorn"><img alt="The Last Black Unicorn" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1508059685m/34974310.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33590210-an-american-marriage" rel="nofollow" title="An American Marriage"><img alt="An American Marriage" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1491493625m/33590210.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28598101-a-whole-life" rel="nofollow" title="A Whole Life"><img alt="A Whole Life" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453145479m/28598101.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29939402-unf-ck-your-habitat" rel="nofollow" title="Unf*ck Your Habitat: You're Better Than Your Mess"><img alt="Unf*ck Your Habitat: You're Better Than Your Mess" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1466048026m/29939402.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26074156-hunger" rel="nofollow" title="Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body"><img alt="Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1448064366m/26074156.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39319392-a-day-in-the-life-of-marlon-bundo" rel="nofollow" title="A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo"><img alt="A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1521432048m/39319392.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32054553-you-can-t-touch-my-hair" rel="nofollow" title="You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain"><img alt="You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1480604542m/32054553.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31434883-eleanor-oliphant-is-completely-fine" rel="nofollow" title="Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine"><img alt="Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493724347m/31434883.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25205422-who-do-you-love" rel="nofollow" title="Who Do You Love"><img alt="Who Do You Love" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1432136838m/25205422.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13486632-the-hundred-year-old-man-who-climbed-out-of-the-window-and-disappeared" rel="nofollow" title="The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared"><img alt="The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1334848488m/13486632.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38477986-calypso" rel="nofollow" title="Calypso"><img alt="Calypso" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1540825156m/38477986.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33828876-the-memory-watcher" rel="nofollow" title="The Memory Watcher"><img alt="The Memory Watcher" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1484021664m/33828876.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36373647-when-life-gives-you-lululemons" rel="nofollow" title="When Life Gives You Lululemons (The Devil Wears Prada, #3)"><img alt="When Life Gives You Lululemons" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1513618509m/36373647.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34374628-next-year-in-havana" rel="nofollow" title="Next Year in Havana"><img alt="Next Year in Havana" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498524468m/34374628.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39342396-how-to-american" rel="nofollow" title="How to American: An Immigrant's Guide to Disappointing Your Parents"><img alt="How to American: An Immigrant's Guide to Disappointing Your Parents" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1521677538m/39342396.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34728667-children-of-blood-and-bone" rel="nofollow" title="Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha, #1)"><img alt="Children of Blood and Bone" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1516127989m/34728667.jpg" /></a></div><br style="clear: both;" /> <br />
<a class="gr_grid_branding" href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1263014-valerie" rel="nofollow" style="clear: both; color: #382110; float: right; font-size: 0.9em; text-decoration: none;">Valerie's favorite books »</a><br />
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I only disliked one of these books, <i>Concierge Confidential</i> and didn't finish it, so I guess I really read 24 1/3 books. Overall, I'd say it was a pretty good reading year. My favorites were <i>I'll Be Gone in the Dark </i>and <i>Becoming</i>.<br />
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Since both of those are non-fiction, I'll also choose a favorite fictional book: <i>Eleanor Oliphant.</i> It's my understanding that Eleanor is going to be made into a movie...I look forward to that. I can't remember if I mentioned it before, but I always pictured <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1526554/?ref_=tt_cl_t6" target="_blank">Angela Kinsey</a> from <i>The Office, </i>as Eleanor as I was reading it. I don't know if they've cast the movie yet, but she'd be perfect.<br />
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My goal for 2019 is 30 books. It's January 3, and I've already finished the first, so I'm off to a good start.</noscript></div></div>Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594403703051382186noreply@blogger.com0