Welcome to December, my favorite month! My birthday, Christmas and lovely snow are all ready to go! Meanwhile, I have been reading a bunch of ebooks on my Kindle Paperwhite, and also a few hardbacks and trade paperbacks that I got for my birthday. So enjoy the reviews and tidbits. And please keep warm and safe this holiday season!
This is such a great idea for a tribute to an awesome musical lyricist.
Floor Display: Tribute to Stephen Sondheim
Title Wave Books https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz50517733, Anchorage, Alaska, shared a photo of the one of the shop's display tables, noting: "We are heart-broken to hear of the passing of Stephen Sondheim, at 91, [who] was one of Broadway's most influential writers. Some of his many works include Into the Woods, Company, Sweeney Todd, and West Side Story. He will be greatly missed."
Though it's not my favorite Shakespeare play, by any means, I think this sounds like it will be riveting viewing, not least because of the fabulous cast.
Movies: The Tragedy of Macbeth
A new trailer has been released for The Tragedy of Macbeth https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz50517745, Joel Coen's adaptation of Shakespeare's play, starring Frances McDormand and Denzel Washington, IndieWire reported. The opening night selection of the New York Film Festival, the movie hits theaters on Christmas Day, followed by streaming on Apple TV+ January 14, "with Apple and A24 hoping to break late into the Oscar race."
Directed by Coen, with photography by Oscar nominee Bruno Delbonnel (Darkest Hour, Amelie) "in glorious black-and-white, the film is an immaculate production that should easily score a number of nominations," IndieWire noted. The cast also includes Corey Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson and Harry Melling.
"When I first got into the movie business--it's been almost 40 years ago--the reason I was able to make movies with Ethan [Coen], the reason we were able to have a career is because the studios at that point had an ancillary market that was a backstop for more risky films, which were VHS cassettes or all these home video markets, which is essentially television," Coen told an NYFF audience. "So the fact that those markets are sort of responsible for my career, I'm not going to bust on them now because they've become very successful and are overtaking the market. It's the reason I'm able to do this stuff.... I have mixed feelings about [streaming] obviously. You want people to see it on a big screen. But the other part of it is that's been part of the history of our movies since the very beginning. That's the best answer I can give you."
I agree that literature/books are essential to any civilization, as we are, in the end, all stories.
President of Royal Society of Literature Named
Author Bernardine Evaristo will be the next president https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz50557923 of the Royal Society of Literature https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz50557924, succeeding Marina Warner, who is retiring at the end of 2021. The first writer of color and only the second woman to be named president of the organization, she will act as an ambassador for the society and its overall mission, the advancement of literature.
Evaristo was elected a fellow of the RSL in 2004 and has been the society's v-p since November 2020. She currently chairs the RSL's Open Fellowship recruitment panel in its first year; she also took part in the 40 Under 40 Fellowship initiative as a panelist. In 2021, she was appointed a Sky Arts Ambassador and launched the Sky Arts RSL Writers Awards providing mentoring with RSL Fellows to emerging writers of color.
Noting that she is "deeply honored to take on the role," Evaristo said: "Literature is not a luxury, but essential to our civilization. I am so proud, therefore, to be the figurehead of such an august and robust literature organization that is so actively and urgently committed to being inclusive of the widest range of outstanding writers from every demographic and geographical location in Britain, and to reaching marginalized communities through literature projects, including introducing young people in schools to some of Britain's leading writers who visit, teach and discuss their work with them."
I've been a huge Vonnegut fan since my teenage years, (in the 1970s) when I read as many of his books as I could get my hands on. I also read some of his essays in college. I would love to see Unstuck in Time, I'm just not sure where to find it. But I will investigate further.
Robert Gray: 'If This Isn't Nice, I Don't Know What Is'--Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time
Once upon a time (the summer of 2005, to be precise, just two years before Kurt Vonnegut's death), a slender book with a provocative title--A Man Without a Country (Seven Stories Press)--gained what the publishing industry likes to call "traction." It was written by a great American author.
During the early 1970s, like thousands of others, I "discovered" Slaughterhouse-Five, and continued reading Vonnegut for several years until I just... wandered away. ("So it goes.") Inspired by A Man Without a Country, I returned to his books again, but with the perspective of a much older Earthling. His hard-won wisdom and sense of humor seemed even sharper and more relevant.
A Man Without a Country is a study in justifiable anger, generously spiced with compassion and humor. Consider the answer Vonnegut once gave a woman asking for his advice about bringing a child into this terrifying world: "I replied that what made being alive almost worthwhile for me, besides music, was all the saints I met, who could be anywhere. By saints I meant people who behaved decently in a strikingly indecent society."
Or this: "But I have to say this in defense of humankind: In no matter what era in history, including the Garden of Eden, everybody just got here."
As it happens, I was rereading A Man Without a Country when I learned about the new IFC documentary Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz50559087 (in theaters and VOD). Directed by Emmy winner Robert R. Weide and Don Argott, the film chronicles the brilliant, wise and complicated author's better-than-fiction life story. It also opens a window on his unlikely but deep 25-year friendship with Weide, who filmed Vonnegut over the course of two decades, then spent a long, long time reaching the point where he could put the film together.
The reasons for this are complex and addressed beautifully in Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time, which spans the author's childhood in Indanapolis; his experiences as a WWII prisoner of war in Dresden before and after the horrific firebombing in 1945; his complicated family life; his early careers as a publicist for General Electric and a car salesman; and his long years as a struggling writer before a bolt of fame hit him with the 1969 publication of Slaughterhouse-Five.
This amazing film project really began when Weide was a teenager. "I discovered him like most readers did, in high school," he recalled. "My English teacher was pretty hip. Her name was Valerie Stevenson and she was only in her 20s herself, and she assigned us Breakfast of Champions. It changed my life. I always want to acknowledge the role that she played, which would make Kurt happy because he was constantly talking about how teachers are so undervalued. They really serve the most important job in a democracy, he always said, and we treat them like dirt."
Several years after first reading Vonnegut's books, Weide, now a 23-year-old aspiring filmmaker, wrote a letter to his literary idol proposing a documentary on the author's life and work. To his surprise, he received a handwritten response in which Vonnegut said, "Anything that is any good of mine is on a printed page, not film," but also gave his blessing and a phone number, inviting Weide to call. Shooting began in 1988 and continued intermittently until the author's death in 2007.
Weide, whose portrait of Vonnegut is a candid one, observed that "there is certainly pain and loss in his life and in his work, so it was inevitable that this melancholy would come through in the film. In his books, sometimes it's text, sometimes it's subtext. But the beauty of his work is the cliche that he's got you crying one minute and laughing the next. The humor and the tragedy, and the blend between the two make up a very distinct part of his voice.... [This film] should also leave the viewer feeling like he or she just spent two hours with one of the funniest, smartest, most creative people they could ever hope to meet."
The line is in A Man Without A Country, too, when Vonnegut recalls his late Uncle Alex's ability to appreciate being in the moment. I could say the same about Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time: "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is."
All the Feels by Olivia Dade is the second book of hers that I've read, and as it's one of her spicy, fun and inclusive (of larger bodies) YA romances, I was certain it would be a good read. Thankfully, I was right, and her bright and sparkling prose drove the muscle-car fast plot to over 100 RPMs. Here's the blurb:
"An absolutely witty, swoon worthy behind the scenes romp! Delightful from beginning to end!"--Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin'
Alexander Woodroe has it all. Charm. Sex appeal. Wealth. Fame. A starring role as Cupid on TV’s biggest show, Gods of the Gates. But the showrunners have wrecked his character, he's dogged by old demons, and his post-show future remains uncertain. When all that reckless emotion explodes into a bar fight, the tabloids and public agree: his star is falling.
Enter Lauren Clegg, the former ER therapist hired to keep him in line. Compared to her previous work, watching over handsome but impulsive Alex shouldn’t be especially difficult. But the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to keep her professional remove and her heart intact, especially when she discovers the reasons behind his recklessness…not to mention his Cupid fanfiction habit.
When another scandal lands Alex in major hot
water and costs Lauren her job, she’ll have to choose between protecting
him and offering him what he really wants—her. But he’s determined to
keep his improbably short, impossibly stubborn, and extremely endearing
minder in his life any way he can. And on a road trip up the California
coast together, he intends to show her exactly what a falling star will
do to catch the woman he loves: anything at all.
Both main characters have psychological damage that prevents them from fully committing to each other, but, as Lauren is a clinical psychologist, they manage to figure things out in the end and have a go at a strong love relationship. Having been a round/fat person for most of my life, I understood Lauren's inability to see herself as worthy of love and self-care. When it seems like everyone around you only values you for what you can do for them, and you work in a caretaking career (in my case, nursing), it's easy to lose sight of your own needs, or allow them to take a backseat until you burn out for lack of "refilling the well." Thankfully, her love interest Alex fully sees her, and treats her with all the love and care she deserves, and helps her see that she doesn't have to take crap from everyone for the rest of her life (boundaries are a wonderful thing). I also like that this book pointed out some of the pitfalls of fame, like actors being accosted by fans and photographers, and having journalists or fans say false and nasty things about them all the time. While it's nice to be paid well for the craft of acting, there's not enough money in the world to pay a person for lack of privacy and for verbal abuse and physical stalking that takes place, often to a life-endangering extent. This puts not only the actor/actress in danger, but also puts their family/friends and children in the cross hairs of some dangerously psychotic people. Just one of many reasons that I am glad I never pursued acting after getting my theater degree in 1983. Anyway, though I found Alex annoying as a character, I found this book extraordinarily charming, and I'd give it an A, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good contemporary Rom Com!
Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens by Andrea Penrose is the 5th book in her Wrexford and Sloane mysteries, which takes place during the Regency period in England, from 1811-1820 (followed about a decade later by the famed Victorian era, which saw a great deal of change in English society). Penroses prose is evocative yet stalwart and allows her well-written characters plenty of space and time to get where they need to go and keep the plot moving with plenty of action and excitement. Here's the blurb: The wedding of the Earl of Wrexford and Lady Charlotte Sloane is
not-to-be-missed, but the murder of a brilliant London scientist
threatens their plans—and their lives…The upcoming marriage of the Earl
of Wrexford and Lady Charlotte Sloane promises to be a highlight of the
season, if they can first untangle—and survive—a web of intrigue and
murder involving the most brilliant scientific minds in Regency London…
One advantage of being caught up in a whirl of dress fittings and
decisions about flower arrangements and breakfast menus is that
Charlotte Sloane has little time for any pre-wedding qualms. Her love
for Wrexford isn’t in question. But will being a wife—and a
Countess—make it difficult for her to maintain her independence—not to
mention, her secret identity as famed satirical artist A.J. Quill?
Despite those concerns, there are soon even more urgent matters to
attend to during Charlotte and Wrexford’s first public outing as an
engaged couple. At a symposium at the Royal Botanic Gardens, a visiting
botanist suffers a fatal collapse. The traces of white powder near his
mouth reveal the dark truth—he was murdered. Drawn into the
investigation, Charlotte and the Earl learn of the victim’s involvement
in a momentous medical discovery. With fame and immense fortune at
stake, there’s no shortage of suspects, including some whose
ruthlessness is already known. But neither Charlotte nor her
husband-to-be can realize how close the danger is about to get—or to
what lengths this villain is prepared to go.
For someone who is supposed to be adept at skulking around dressed as a street urchin and spying on aristocrats, (and getting into trouble), Charlotte displays a ridiculous tendency to cry and collapse and go all weak and wobbly at the first and second signs of trouble. She's been dealing with investigations and fostering two smart street urchins for years now, yet she suddenly loses her nerve a few too many times in this book, even after insisting on being a part of the rescue team or the group sent after the bad guys. Yet when she gets there she freaks out. So I found her suddenly delicate sensibilities stupid, and was equally put off by Wrexford not being able to keep his valet or the weasels out of trouble. All is well that ends well, however, and the wedding plans are not thwarted, thank heaven. I'd give this fast-paced and riveting mystery an A-, and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Deanna Raybourne's Veronica Speedwell mysteries.
Witch, Please by Ann Aguirre is a paranormal romantic comedy that was saucy and delightful to read. I used to read Aguirre's science fiction and fantasy (and science fiction/romance hybrids) back in the late 90s and early aughts, but one of her horror/science fiction novels really turned me off of her work, and I've not read anything she's written for at least a decade. I happened to see that she was writing paranormal romance and was intrigued. So after scoring an ebook copy for a very reasonable price, I sat down to read it, and I didn't look up for the next 6+ hours. The whole "Witch vs human" trope reminded me of one of my favorite childhood sitcoms, Bewitched, with a dab of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and a touch of Gilmore Girls banter for fun. Here is the blurb:
Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls in this adorable witchy rom-com by New York Times bestselling author Ann Aguirre, with a bisexual cinnamon roll hero, a commitment-averse heroine, and a chemistry between them that causes literal sparks.
Danica Waterhouse is a fully modern witch—daughter, granddaughter, cousin, and co-owner of the Fix-It Witches, a magical tech repair shop. After a messy breakup that included way too much family "feedback," Danica made a pact with her cousin: they'll keep their hearts protected and have fun, without involving any of the overly opinionated Waterhouse matriarchs. Danica is more than a little exhausted navigating a long-standing family feud where Gram thinks the only good mundane is a dead one and Danica's mother weaves floral crowns for anyone who crosses her path.
Three blocks down from the Fix-It Witches, Titus Winnaker, owner of Sugar Daddy's bakery, has family trouble of his own. After a tragic loss, all he's got left is his sister, the bakery, and a lifetime of terrible luck in love. Sure, business is sweet, but he can't seem to shake the romantic curse that's left him past thirty and still a virgin. He's decided he's doomed to be forever alone.
Until he meets Danica Waterhouse. The sparks are instant, their attraction irresistible. For him, she's the one. To her, he's a firebomb thrown in the middle of a family war. Can a modern witch find love with an old-fashioned mundane who refuses to settle for anything less than forever?
I really didn't see a lot of Practical Magic in this book (I've read nearly every book Alice Hoffman has written, and she's a lot more serious than Aguirre), and though Aguirre's prose is fun and witty, she's not nearly as adept a wordsmith as Hoffman, whose prose is pristine and perfect. That said, the plot never flags, and the characters are charming, if a bit bizarre (I find it hard to believe that there is a man alive who isn't religious and yet remains a virgin after he's 30). I enjoyed Danica and Titus's slow burn romance, and their love affair was delicious as the descriptions of the bakeries delectable delights. I'd give this book a B, and recommend it to anyone who loved Bewitched.
Making Midlife Magic by Heloise Hull was a free ebook that was also a paranormal romance/finding yourself kind of novel that, though fun in places, had a number of bumps in the plot and uneven prose. Here's the blurb:
I really wanted to like this book, as I'm a proponent of books with female protagonists over the age of 40, 50 and 60! Women, especially, tend to become invisible to society once we're not young and fresh-faced anymore, or what men consider youthfully sexy/able to bear children, though this double standard never applies to middle aged men, who seem to follow the cliche of having a midlife crisis where they divorce their first wives/mothers of their children and marry a woman who is in her early 20s (or at least half his age) and start a "new" family. Though the middle aged man is, by this time, also gaining weight, losing hair and getting wrinkles/gray hair, somehow he's still considered vital and at the height of his powers, while middle aged women are often discarded/ignored or considered "old and ugly and useless" when they still have so much to offer partners and society. Hence I was really pulling for the 40 something protagonist, but things got strange fast, and nothing seemed to be taken seriously. While that can be fun for awhile, her incredulity and ignorance became wearing after a few chapters. Still, it was an easy-breezy read, and I'd give it a B-, and only recommend it to those with a strong tolerance for absurdity.
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