Review: Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History

Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History by Maureen Orth
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

oooh this one is sick and twisted. I remember watching tv during all of these events and I tried to make sense out of what this guy was thinking. This book only left a few answers since Andrew seemed to left no answers in his wake. The sheer magnitude of his evilness towards people he said he was friends with, admired and one (possibly two) that he never even met...is just surreal. Don't read this one if you are squeamish.

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Review: Spy

Spy by Danielle Steel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Danielle Steel is a very popular writer, yes, I know that, but this book really wasn't for me. I read it because it was supposed to be about a girl spying for the British government during WWII, which happens to be a genre of books that I LOVE....well, I must say there were lots of plot lines that could have been explored. A lot of endings that I created in my head that I thought would have made for a better book. I just did not enjoy this. I am not that romance novel girl, I really should not have picked up this one.

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Review: The Glittering Hour: A Novel

The Glittering Hour: A Novel by Iona Grey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was the first pick of my 2020 book "club" pick. I was nervous about picking it because I was asking people to read with me. About 5% into the book I was afraid I made a mistake picking this one, but no I was so wrong. About 10% into the book I realized I really needed to know about Selina and this Alice person. We were traveling through time, but I wasn't sure how these two girls were connected. I had to know about Selina, Theo, and Flick. I needed to know how their antics were going to translate into what kind of adults they were becoming. I don't want to spoil something for you so I won't tell you much more. I will tell you that this book is about the Bright Young Things and what high jinx they get involved in and how life happens to them and they have to become adults. It is also about a woman, Selina who is trapped in a world of wealth and "putting on airs". Selina longs for an escape from this world, but how will she run away from it? Once she finds her path the proverbial rug is ripped out from under her and she has to re-think all of her dreams and desires.


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Did I achieve my 2019 goals?

In January, I wrote that I wanted to accomplish these items: 

How did I do?  

 I did mail more cards, I also sent more through the work mailbag and hand-delivered some.  I would like to increase that activity for 2020 because I do like to let people know I appreciate them and it gives me a chance to use my Cricut more.  

I did not make a hardcover book. I worked instead on perfecting my book journal. The whole goal of the hardcover book was to make a Moleskin type book of my book journal.  One of my pals suggested that I make a stamp instead and stamp inside the book that I already liked.  That is what I did.  I LOVE my book stamp.  I can stamp 3 entries on each page.  

I did indeed go to Halifax.  I took a cab to the cemetery, I think I took a photo of all 120 graves.  I also got the book that accompanies the gravesites.  Well, I got the book for Christmas and at this writing, I have just started it.  I think it will be great to go along with my photos.  I only recognized a few of the names there so I am looking forward to learning about some of the others.  What was so sad about the whole thing, other than the fact that 1500 died that night) was that there were so many unmarked graves in Halifax.  Someone's loved one is buried there and no one knows where they are, it was just sad.  I also look forward to what the book has to say about all the unmarked graves.

I have done better with not eating candy. I need to work on junk food and pies and cakes.  That will be my goal for 2020. To consume less sugary foods.  

The last two goals I achieved, at least I had the photos organized until October when we went to Halifax and NYC. I need to start with October and start organizing again from there.  As for the books, my goal is always to read 100.  At this typing, I am up to 118, and I hope to finish one more so that my total ends in the 19, the same as the year (I know I am weird).  

I completed one more lifelong goal that I can't talk to anyone about yet, but I never thought it would happen and I did it!!! I am super excited to tell everyone about it when the time is right to tell everyone.  

2020 Goals

Re-read some Fitzgerald (after all we are entering the Roaring 20's)

Keep the photos organized and up to date

Restarting a former goal of backing up phone photos once a month to the external

Read and review 100 books

Do a book of the month and publish it on FACEBOOK to see if folks join in and read with me.  Also, I have written a 2020 Reading Challenge that I want to publish and see if folks will complete that with me as well.

De-clutter my garage

Start working on my book

2020 will show some changes for our family, our son will graduate high school and who knows what we will do after that.  See you in 2020.  

Review: Me

Me by Elton John
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book! I loved it not just because I like Elton's music, but this is a book by a celebrity that isn't pretty. It is honest and in spots, gut-wrenching. There are scenes that make you want to smack Elton upside of the head like Cher did in Moonstruck and say "snap out of it". Then there is there are the scenes with the mother. I don't want to spoil it, but she was terrible! I won't tell you how or what he did.

Elton has always been honest about his addiction to drugs and in these pages, he takes down that short road to addiction, then later he takes us on the long journey to sobriety. He is very honest about how the need for more drugs felt and tells us about the people left in the wake of his unhealthy path.

I devoured this book because I loved everything contained in the pages. Elton's storytelling was interesting, fun, sad, hilarious and to me, time well spent. I don't think you have to be an Elton fan to find the book interesting, but I think you will enjoy the ride more if you are.



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Review: Full Circle: From Hollywood to Real Life and Back

Full Circle: From Hollywood to Real Life and Back by Andrea Barber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is kind of funny that I like Kimmy Gibbler so much because just the other day someone said, "You remind me of Kimmy Gibbler". I loved it when she said that because she was sooooo awesome. This book was fun, not going to break any records with her writing, but it is honest and true and I like that. Andrea is very open about much of her life and doesn't sugar coat it (I hate when celebrities write books to make it seems like everyone screws up but them).



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Review: Jackie and Maria: A Novel of Jackie Kennedy & Maria Callas

Jackie and Maria: A Novel of Jackie Kennedy & Maria Callas by Gill Paul
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

From the very first chapter, I was hooked. I was invested to find out how these two ladies existences intertwined because while I knew about Jackie, I had just briefly heard of Maria Callas.

This book features intimate scenes between the two couples, scenes where you could just imagine that these conversations really took place. While reading the chapters, there were times when I hated Jack Kennedy for his treatment of Jackie and Ari for his lack of loyalty to Maria, then I had moments where I thought the two women were plotting to get what (I thought) they wanted, security.

It is no secret to anyone that talks to me about books that Gill Paul is one of my favorite authors, that her writings speak to me and transport me back to another time, but this one had emotions about love and betrayal that I had not seen Ms. Paul give us in such a manner. To me, this book was perfection from the opening page until the very last sentence.

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Review: And They Called It Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis

And They Called It Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis by Stephanie Marie Thornton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I will start this by saying that I received this book as an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review, but I promise you that I was going to read this anyway because I read every book that Ms. Thornton writes. Stephanie Marie knows how to take events and people from the past and give them a fresh spin and she can tell a story in a way that sucks you in and won't let go until you finish.

We all kind of know of the story of Jackie and Jack, but this book will take you behind the glamour and glitz of what we saw on TV or read about in the history books. We get to experience life right there in Camelot from Jackie's viewpoint. We get a glimpse of how Jackie may have known of the affairs and how she handled them. There are very sweet moments that take place that let you see that the two of them did love each other, maybe for what the other person could do for them, but there was love of some sort.

Then you will experience November 22, 1963 right from Jackie's POV. I have read many books on this day and this scene is very much point by point of how it has been explained in other books. Jackie's actions are hard to read in both the fiction and non-fiction books, but in this one there is so much emotion that I teared up and I knew what was going to happen(also I was ecstatic to see Clint Hill make an appearance, I am in awe of him and love his books--read his book on the assassination).

I wanted to read this in one sitting because I felt like I really needed to know what was going to happen next. It was very hard to put this down and go to work. I advise you to read it when you have some time carved out because I really don't think you will want to stop until it is over. I cannot recommend this book enough...I would give it 5 plus stars on the emotion alone.


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Review: The Crown: The Official Companion, Volume 1: Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen

The Crown: The Official Companion, Volume 1: Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen by Robert Lacey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this so much more than I did the companion book to Victoria. This one helped the reader/watcher sort out the true to life to the fiction that the show portrayed, as well as mini-biographies of all the "characters". I don't believe you should read this unless you have watched Season 1 of The Crown.

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Review: Everybody's Doin' It: Sex, Music, and Dance in New York, 1840-1917

Everybody's Doin' It: Sex, Music, and Dance in New York, 1840-1917 by Dale Cockrell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was well researched, the problem that I had was it was hard for me to visualize the description of the dances, I think probably because I know nothing about dancing. You can tell that Mr. Cockrell is highly intelligent by reading his text, and sometimes that flowery vocabulary doesn't fit in with the vulgar talk of prostitution and dancing.

I do feel like I learned a little bit about the history of the dance and glad I read this one.

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Review: Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just love Non-fiction books that grab you and keep your attention like a fiction book. This book read just like it was historical fiction, but it was not! Remind yourself that while you are reading the text, this all happened. I won't spoil too much for you, just know that President Garfield was elected to the office of President of the United States and served for only six and a half months. He was shot on July 2, 1881, and did not die until September 19, 1881...that is a long time to die from a bullet wound.

This was the first book penned by Ms. Millard that I have ever read, but it will not be the last.

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Review: Gatsby's Girl

Gatsby's Girl by Caroline Preston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have to read this Caroline Preston because I have really enjoyed two of her other books lately. This one didn't have the ephemera that the first did, it was all story. Ginerva is a wealthy debutante kind of girl, whose parents are borderline snobbish. She is a little rebellion and gets in trouble with a boy, to make her more responsible her parents will ship her off to boarding school. Ginerva falls into her old ways of being a rebel rather quickly as this all-girl school. She will attend a party in St. Paul that will introduce her to a man that she will care about for the rest of her days, a budding would-be writer by the name of Scott Fitzgerald. Scott would display his affection for the drink from the first scene we have with him. He will also show us his wit and charm and we can just envision those good looks and flowery prose that he is known for. Scott is NOT the kind of man Ginerva's parents want her to wed or even hang around for that matter. We all know that Scott gets dumped in some way because we know he will be wed to Zelda until the end of his days, you just have to read the book to see why he and Ginerva were not together. Don't forget to remember that this is a fictionalized book based on real-life people.

I have read many books on the life of F Scott Fitzgerald and this is the first time I thought, I wonder if his life could have been different if he traveled a different path? Then I question, would he have been such a brilliant writer without the struggles and trials he faced?

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Review: Cilka's Journey: A Novel

Cilka's Journey: A Novel by Heather Morris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book made me cry a little. I have been reading a lot of books on WWII, mostly the German aspect, and thought I had a clear picture of the treatment of prisoners...this book showed me that I did not. While life was not kind to Cilka, you will like her. She is a strong, smart woman that has figured out how to survive. While you read the text you need to remember that she was trying to survive, that was her only goal. Her goal does shift when she finds someone to love as she would a close sister. Her goal is to save her new family. This character trait of Cilka and this part of the book was very moving for me.

The book travels back and forth between two prison camps, one in Auschwitz and the other is Siberia. You are going to have to read the book to see how/why she lands in Siberia and if she gets out. I will warn you, that this book was very hard for me to put down.

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Review: The Guardians

The Guardians by John Grisham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brilliant! I love Grisham and this was a new style that I just adore. A wonderful, creative book in that twisty Grisham style. A legal aid type office called The Guardians helps to get folks wrongly convicted of a crime exonerated. It is kind of neat to see what the firm does to get the evidence they need to free their clients.

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Review: The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr

The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr by Susan Holloway Scott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You do need to read the acknowledgments of this book because you will be blown away by the imagination of Ms. Holloway Scott. The story she weaves is nothing short of brilliant. Why did I give it a 4 instead of a 5 star? Mainly because this book does paint Burr as an almost kind, caring hero of a person and I don't feel that he was in a shape form or fashion that type of person.

One thing I love is Mary. I fell in love with Mary's character almost instantly. Mary had a warm heart, incredible patience and a desire to learn. She was sold into slavery as a child and she tries so hard to get out of that (I won't tell you how and spoil it for you). Mary's treatment is hard to read, you can't ignore that this treatment probably did happen in real life, and that part angered me with every line I read. It is even hard to write this because those scenes come back to mind.

I do think this is a wonderful book and I do think that folks that like the Burr/Hamilton world will love it.

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Review: The Lost Daughter

The Lost Daughter by Gill Paul
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Anyone who knows me knows I love the works of Gill Paul and this one was no exception. I love how she transports us to the exact locations where the Romanovs were murdered. I love how she takes us into the minds of the family and lets us feel what they may have felt. I love how she referenced "The Secret Wife" in the text of this book, even though you don't need to have read that book to fully experience this tale. I love how she took Maria and gave the story hope.

This is an excellent book and in my opinion possibly Ms. Paul's best yet.

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Review: The Dearly Beloved

The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was riveted to this book at first. I got sucked in and I guess I started expecting too much because I lost interest and had to push through, then it got to the part where I got interested again (I won't spoil that part for you).

This was very different than most of the books that I read and I must say I guite enjoyed reading about how two different men from different places in life can get a calling in such a different way. As for their wives, well they could not be more different.

All in all, I am giving this book a four-star rating for its uniqueness and bringing faith into a novel.

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Review: The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One thousand times love is what I feel for this book. I seem to love everything Caroline Preston creates. She writes like I talk in my head and I absolutely love that!! Her use of ephemera alongside her writing is just this side of genius. This story is adorable with a fantastic ending, but don't forget to look around at all the stuff. You cannot do this book on an electronic device, you need the written page so you can devour it all. Brilliant!!!!



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Review: The Flight Girls

The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Audrey was fantastic!!! She was tough as nails, jumping out of the 1940's view of what a woman could do and determined to live her dream. I think she is a great character that came out of the first page as a lady I respected.

I loved that this was based on the WASP and how they were treated/trained. Seriously, I loved everything about this book!

I kept seeing Rose the Riveter while reading the pages. I won't spoil the plot but I am adding this to the my "Favorites of 2019" list.



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Review: Chasing Salomé: A Novel of 1920s Hollywood

Chasing Salomé: A Novel of 1920s Hollywood by Martin Turnbull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Everyone that likes Old Hollywood should read all of Martin's books. I love them! They all are liking stepping back in time. This one takes you further back to the woman who gave us the Garden of Alla. I didn't know much about Madame until I read this book, but I like it. Seeing her interact with the early film (pre-code) stars was so much fun. Seeing her give up so much to make her dream role (Salome) was a fun journey. I am not sure I would have the guts to do all that she did. What did she do? READ THE BOOK, you won't be sorry.

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