I am reposting this blog from October 8, 2015 in response to the October 25, 2019 opening of The Current War: The Director’s Cut. This movie first appeared in 2017 but played mostly in art houses. It’s about Thomas Edison who favored direct current (DC), and George Westinghouse who favored... read more
There are a zillion Christmas romances out there. Nothing for it but to wade in and read what I can read. I’m on the hunt for blazing hearths, hot toddies, and the scent of pine to inspire warm and fuzzy love stories. And let’s not forget the mistletoe. Christmas Romances:... read more
I just finished reading the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy by Kevin Kwan which consists of Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems. As one of Kwan’s characters might describe it: Tons. Of. Fun. The trilogy is a smart, super sophisticated three-issue version of Us Weekly. First, you get pages... read more
Halloween romances are a more vexed sub-genre than I would have thought. However, after reading a bunch this week, I now know they have two big problems to surmount. First, effective titles are restricted by a limited number of holiday-related words such as trick and treat – and if you... read more
Lately I’ve been reading memoirs and have already written a post on them. Now I have more memoirs to share. More Memoirs: Trevor Noah Born a Crime (2016) Loved it. Absolutely loved it. Trevor Noah, host of The Daily Show, offers a gripping account of his childhood and young adulthood... read more
Just this past week I’ve been gobbling up memoirs. As opposed to autobiographies which chronicle an entire life, memoirs focus in particular on one aspect of a person’s life. Memoirs: Steve Martin Born Standing Up (2007) I love stand-up comedy and just happened on Steve Martin‘s account of his 18 years... read more
I don’t usually read graphic novels probably because so few of them involve romantic plots, but I did run across Jen Wang‘s The Prince and the Dressmaker (2018) because the New York Times crossword blogger I read, namely Rex Parker, recommended it as a romance. As it happened, one of her... read more
This week I read A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. In a word: delightful. I could also say that reading it was like eating the fluffiest of soufflés, but instead of it melting in my mouth I could actually sink my teeth into it. Double yum. I know this book was... read more
Reading is an important part of writing. Reading instructs, and reading inspires. I’m rarely without a book. I’ve been on a Florida crime novels reading spree. What are you reading these days? I got on a Florida kick – to be precise a comic crime-novel spree with stories featuring mobsters,... read more
In honor of Valentine’s Day, I am reposting this blog post from last year about what romance novels have taught me about love. In 1972 the Equal Rights Amendment was big news. In 1972 the first issue of Gloria Steinem’s Ms. magazines appeared. The next year Roe v. Wade made... read more
