Review: Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You

Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You by Lin-Manuel Miranda
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lin's tweets are a wonderful safe zone for me. I read his greetings every day as I get up and face the day. Seems like some days he writes his morning motivation just for me. I rarely read the Gnights because I hit the hay before Lin tweets so it was nice to his closing words that connect with some of the beginning words I have experienced.

Bring a notebook along as you read, you will want to jot down a few or take a few photos with your phone. Trust me you will apply some of these to your life.

Gmorning! Gnight!

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Review: Mildred Pierce

Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I re-read this book once again as it had been a while since I read the book. I had forgotten how hard it is to put down. How much I would like to smack Mildred for giving in to Veda and how much I would like to punch Veda for being such an arrogant punk head. I really like the Mildred character overall because she knew at the beginning of the book that her world was crashing down on her head, and she was the only one that could change it (and she could make her daughter happy in the process, which probably fueled her more than need). Mildred set out to make a success and did it. Her downfall was Veda. Pleasing Veda, catering to Veda, loving Veda at the expense for everything else. While very similar to the movie (you need to see it if you haven't), it has vast differences too so don't expect them to be identical (when is the book like the film?)



old review: I was revisiting some favorites this week. I love the book more than the film, but I LOVE the film. see how I feel about the book? a bit different than the film...tell me which you prefer? this is my favorite Crawford role but in both film and written word, Mildred is a strong woman and very hard working. a great Character either way.

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Review: Lilac Girls

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was one of those books that at first I was hesitant to read. Then I started and had trouble putting down, especially once the story got to the concentration camp. The ending was wonderful in so many ways as well. I am often scared to put too much in a review because I am one of those folks that will pick up a book because of what it looks like....I rarely ever read the synopsis. I hate to give away too much just in case you are like I am and just like to jump inside the covers of the book.

What I will tell you is that this book follows three women. One is a young lady, one a doctor, and a socialite. All three women will be connected by a redirection camp/concentration camp. No matter what they call it, it was horrible and one person will strive to make it better for those held at the camp.

I thought it was well written and I admit I cried a little.

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My Favorite TV shows (as of right now)

I make favorite lists all the time.  As new things are introduced some things will drop off the list and the new added and then there are the constant items that never leave the favorite list (like Burt's Bees chapstick.  

This is a list of my favorite TV shows.  There are a couple of shows that have been on this list since I started forming my own opinions and some I discovered a few years ago.  I generally won't add a show to my list until it comes in syndication, but there are a few exceptions.

   Let's just get going......

10. Game Shows--Game shows are so fun, very unpredictable and feature prizes!! The original Match Game and Jeopardy are my two fave game shows of all time, but I will watch a Who wants to be a Millionaire, TPIR (the price is right), 25,000 Pyramid, and Family Feud (Richard Dawson was the best).  I have a dream to be on a television game show, but I have made it to the stage of a Carnival cruise ship (and won).  

9. The Middle-this show is so much like real life.  Like the life I grew up in...kind of the life I have now.  :) It is very similar to Roseanne, but the family loves God and I like that. 

8. Parenthood and This is Us-I have always loved these family type shows. Parenthood was about a tight family that did almost everything together, brought to life an autistic character to television and had a great playlist. This is Us is a tad like Parenthood, but it has a mystery about it too.  The writing on This is Us is fantastic.  Everything you see is a clue, so don't look away. 

The only thing that I didn't like about these shows is that the characters don't seem to believe in God

7. Homicide Life on the Steet-The first time I saw this show Vincent D'Onferio was the victim, John.  He was a jerk and he had been pushed in front of a subway and was going to die.  Falsone was trying to find his girlfriend while Pembelton was trying to comfort John and solve the crime with Baylis.  By the end of the show you see the Vincent character becoming likable and the squad struggling with the fact they were talking to a dead man, they couldn't find his lady and why would someone push a human in front of a subway? I think this episode is one of the best hours of television that I have ever watched.

  The writing on this show was outstanding.  It was perfectly cast and this show introduced us to Muchkin, Detective John Munch.

6. Law and Order: Criminal Intent-A typical Law & Order with a twist.  You get into the minds of the "bad guys" as well as the law enforcement, medical examiners and the DAs.  Goren and Nichols are like Columbo always asking "one more thing".  Jeff Goldblum and Vincent were brilliant actors in this show. 

5. Seinfeld-how can you not love this show?  It is perfect, it is a bunch of nothing all together with characters that are just superficial....but it is hilarious (and super quotable)!! I bet you have some Seinfeldism in your vocabulary.

4. Dateline-I started watching this with Stone Phillips and Jane Pauley.  Then it was a news magazine of varying topics (my husband once appeared on this version).  It was a good format but would not have been on my list if they had not transformed it into what it is now.  Keith Morrision and Josh Mankiewicz are simply wonderful. Don't forget the host, Lester Holt. 

3. Mama's Family-I love this show so much. I have been trying to get it on DVD for years so I could see all the deleted scenes and the Alistar Quince openings (if you have only seen in syndication you have never seen these scenes and you have missed out). I finally got it this year (2018) and I have watched the whole series about 4 times since I brought it home.  

2. Dallas-I remember the day I fell in love with this show. I am not sure if it was first run or a repeat, but I was at my grandmother's and everyone was fighting with JR and then someone shot him!!! I was totally hooked, for life.  JR is my favorite TV show character of all time.  

1.  Law & Order (the mothership)- This has been a favorite for a very long time. I have seen every episode and I watch it almost every day of my life.  My favorite ADA is McCoy (duh).  Detective is Briscoe, followed by Green, Curtis and then Lups. 

Review: Mrs. Sinclair's Suitcase

Mrs. Sinclair's Suitcase by Louise Walters
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I admit that I often check out books based on the covers and this book fell directly into that category. The lady on the cover looked mysterious and I was intrigued. I discovered while reading this book that Dorothy (Dorothea/Dot) was indeed a mysterious woman. She had secrets that changed her life and the lives of the one she loved. The book takes place in 1940 where Dot is entering her middle age and she is a married woman with no children. She is caring for 2 young women who are very hard working single girls and look to her as a big sister/mom type. Dorothy is very unhappy because of the circumstances of life, but not only does she find happiness on one level, she finds it on another and sacrifices to keep it. I LOVED that part of the story. I didn't see it happening at first, but when it did I thought how creative the writer was to make the story travel in the way it did.

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Review: The Subway Girls

The Subway Girls by Susie Orman Schnall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was simply a lovely book. Subway cards fascinated me since I first saw the film "On the Town".
This book was kind of like that film in that the publicity didn't quite tell all the story of Miss Ivy Lynn no more than it told the whole story of this beauty from the cards. I really liked that. I also liked the modern storyline and how the two wove together was perfection (btw, I love BEN). I don't want to give out too much on the characters because I really think you don't need much so before so you won't get the story. Just know that this book is all about the past where the MTA chose Subway Girls to promote the subway. It was a beauty contest of sorts. You also need to know that these ladies were often not viewed as professionals or maybe of any count, just a thing of beauty. Our story tells the tale of Charlotte who longs terribly for a career but is blocked because she is a woman (there is no other reason). In the future, we see successful Olivia. She has a "grand" career, in a world of backstabbing and deceit. Charlotte and Olivia will join forces through time and get past a beauty contest. Yeah, I think I did it without giving too much away. Just read this, I do think you will love it.

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Review: Double Shots, Donuts, and Dead Dudes

Double Shots, Donuts, and Dead Dudes by Harper Lin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Matt and Fran are so adorable!! While the Pink Cupcake series (if you haven't read it, you should), is my favorite of all.....this one is still superb. Fall break is coming up for many of you so download the series and sit on the beach and read. They are quick, enjoyable reads, books you can read while watching the kids frolic on the playground.

This one went in a slightly different direction, which I love about Harper; there may be a death in every book but she keeps it fresh with the hows and whys. I can't tell you too much or I will give away the plot, but I will tell you that I was hungry from the first restaurant burrito to the donut recipe at the end of the book.

I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.



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