L V

I’m not sure I believe Mr. A. Wolf’s version of events - too many holes in his story. I think we’re gonna need to speak to Grandma Wolf and verify her birth date. Nice illustrations and a fun read for little ones who have a good (and darkish) sense of humor.

Not sure what I was expecting. The beginning started off strong and it seemed like there was a to-be revealed purpose to the siblings going back to the House. Things then take a shift and the story kind of loses a little something, as do the characters. But maybe that’s the point the author is trying to get across. That life has its highs and lows. And to quote Danny, “disappointment comes from expectation.” My takeaway: so long as you have at least one person who truly loves you unconditionally and is always there for you, then you’re always home.

I’m not sure I believe Mr. A. Wolf’s version of events - too many holes in his story. I think we’re gonna need to speak to Grandma Wolf and verify her birth date. Nice illustrations and a fun read for little ones who have a good (and darkish) sense of humor.

This is a beautiful account of a NYC writer and her correspondences with some staff from an antique bookshop based in London. The letter writing begins on October 5, 1949 and continues for over 20 years. The relationship that develops between the letter writers blossoms. As they begin to feel more comfortable with one another, the dialogue becomes quite witty and amusing. What I loved most was getting a glimpse into how the times gradually change through the eyes of the writers (from QE II's coronation to Beatle-mania, etc.).  

The story is quite moving without meaning to be – a true testament to the fact that you do not have to live near someone or even know them to show him/her decency and kindness. It also made me feel a little guilty of how out of touch I am with people that I care for deeply, despite the luxury of such technological advancements such as email and video-conferencing! The work has everything I love in a story – the only thing I would have liked is maybe a couple of snapshots of some of the friends Hanff made along the way.

The podcast is way better.

Many years ago I came across the film of the same name, I almost changed the channel, but upon seeing Baby Jane played by Bette Davis, wearing insane makeup and laughing with that throaty smoker’s voice, I dropped the remote and watched the rest of the film. I thought it was the most insane thing I had ever seen, and loved every minute of it. I loved the film even more when I learned through older members of my family that it was rumored that Davis and Crawford couldn’t stand each other.

Mitch Douglas, Farrell’s literary agent, confirms the rumors in this book’s introduction: <i>Henry Farrell and the Story of Baby Jane</i>. Both actresses agreed to take the parts with the intention of mopping the floor with the other. On set, Davis “accidentally” kicks Crawford. Crawford retaliates by adding weights under her clothes, causing Davis’ back to give during a scene in which she has to carry and drag Crawford. Later, the actresses were to star in another film together. By this time, Crawford was married to the president of Pepsi. So what does Bette do? Before Crawford arrives, she gets the crew to replace all the Pepsi machines with Coca-Cola machines. She even takes pictures with some of the crew drinking Coke.

No matter to what extreme their animosity ran for each other, the final film product shows nothing but professionalism on both their parts. Knowing about their personal rivalries and reading the book cover to cover, I can’t imagine who else might play the roles of the Hudson sisters. For those of you who have only seen the film and are curious, the book is pretty much the same as the film, with very minor differences – such as Blanche is blonde and Baby Jane has dark hair. In the book, the neighbor watches the old Blanche Hudson movies with her neighbor, not her daughter.

Long story short: If you love the movie, you’ll love the book!

A beautifully told story of a boy who faces so many challenges at school because of his appearance. He's really a cool kid but people keep him at arms length - that is until someone finally breaks from the pack and shows him some decency. Not all follow suit at once, but it goes to show that sometimes it only takes one small act of kindness to turn things around. Such a simple idea, yet such a complex concept for most.

This is not my genre at all, but I read it upon my friend’s insistence. I’ve made it a habit not to read blurbs on any books recommended to me, so I was not aware of the genre going into it. Sorry to say this just wasn’t my cup of tea. In my opinion, it felt like the writer tried too hard to write beautiful prose so that the reader could feel and imagine everything the protagonist was going through. It was beautiful at first, but a little over the top; how many ways can one describe having mind-blowing sex before the reader stops and thinks to him/herself, “alright, I get the picture.” At least you get a story line and characters that have brains in this one. If you’d like to read a smarter version of Fifty Shades, sans the violence, try this one on for size.

I read this one again in preparation for its sequel-prequel, and thought to myself: whether [b:Go Set a Watchman|24817626|Go Set a Watchman|Harper Lee|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1428234289s/24817626.jpg|44458285] turns out to be a hit or a flop, it will never take away from this amazing piece of literature. [b:To Kill a Mockingbird|2657|To Kill a Mockingbird|Harper Lee|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1361975680s/2657.jpg|3275794] will always stand alone as one of the greats. Afterthought: Many find Atticus to be the hero, however, my fondness for the sheriff grows with each read.

I love to read this one from time to time. It must be horrible to love someone who does not love you back, that’s why I always get happy when I reach the part when Helena finally gets her Demetrius.

I read this book back in January - what a great way to kick off this year's reads. The storyline of necromancer Cabal trying to get what he wants by duping the devil is genius and hysterical. A bit like The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon, Cabal is a socially inept scientist. This doesn't necessarily make him a bad person...just a sort of misunderstood one.

This is a beautiful account of a NYC writer and her correspondences with some staff from an antique bookshop based in London. The letter writing begins on October 5, 1949 and continues for over 20 years. The relationship that develops between the letter writers blossoms. As they begin to feel more comfortable with one another, the dialogue becomes quite witty and amusing. What I loved most was getting a glimpse into how the times gradually change through the eyes of the writers (from QE II's coronation to Beatle-mania, etc.).  

The story is quite moving without meaning to be – a true testament to the fact that you do not have to live near someone or even know them to show him/her decency and kindness. It also made me feel a little guilty of how out of touch I am with people that I care for deeply, despite the luxury of such technological advancements such as email and video-conferencing! The work has everything I love in a story – the only thing I would have liked is maybe a couple of snapshots of some of the friends Hanff made along the way.

What a bittersweet little story. The sacrifice and power of love and friendship battles despair and hopelessness. I’m amazed at how such a short story with a minimal amount of characters can be so—substantial. A near perfect short story.

I just picked up reading again (after a too long stretch of listening to audiobooks that I’d managed to tune out and had to repeatedly play back. I couldn’t even be bothered to take notes or write reviews like I used to) and I’ve found the two stories I’ve read so far to be so refreshing.

Nothing compares to reading the details for yourself and envisioning how the characters should appear and sound. O. Henry’s vivid depiction of all of the characters and the Greenwich apartment really come to life. I mean, Behrman’s accent. His beard. The ivy. I can see it all so clearly. No more audiobooks for me. Thanks, Elwira for giving me that spark to want to read physical/digital books again!

My takeaway: where there is hope, there is a chance to see things through. Hang on to it. Behrman had enough hope for all. That was his masterpiece.

This story takes place in a cafe in which time travel is possible—with limitations. In this cafe, time traveling begins once the customer is served a hot cup of coffee, and it ends right before the coffee gets cold. The customer can’t extend the visit and faces severe repercussions if they do.

Characters in the story all have different reasons for wanting to go back in time. Some wish to change how a past confrontation ended. Alas, another limitation to time traveling here is that it is not possible to alter a course of events (Think of Marty in Back to the Future. There’s nothing he’d be able to do to prevent Doc from getting shot and dying). Well, that’s a twist. I was excited to see how the characters’ lives would change without them being able to just undo or create an event in the past that would provide a much better outcome to their present or future.

The premise is beyond intriguing. So good. The execution, however, is lacking. I’m not a Japanese lit snob by any means, but this book lacks the soulful depth, sorrow and insight I’ve connected with in the very few Japanese books I’ve read in the past. I’m chalking it up to poor translation. However, the repetition splattered throughout is unforgivable (pretty sure not the translator’s fault). For such a short book, the writer spends most of his time re-explaining minute details and not enough time on plausible storylines and emotion.

The characters could be a lot more developed and relatable with just a bit more care. The last story is the most touching. Just when the character is developed enough to tug at my heartstrings, the writer strays and begins to over explain things we just read. He focuses in on how it’s a ceremony and how carefully the coffee is served. The going back to the clocks and re-referencing the coffee getting colder, which are key elements up to a point, I can’t help but feel are repeatedly mentioned as a means to skip over chunks of plot and feeling he just couldn’t build upon enough to put into words . It’s a bit of a cop-out.

The moral of the story is clear enough though: Don’t wait until it’s too late to do a thing. And even though some things can’t be undone or unsaid, if you have a chance to listen and speak honestly, perhaps you’ll get some closure and come out a better and more enlightened being. Life will still go on either way, but we must remind ourselves that it is short and the coffee is getting colder by the second. And that’s a piece of advice worth a 3.50 star rating.