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Loose Diamonds: …and other things I've lost (and found) along the way
by
Amy Ephron
"I've never bought loose diamonds but the idea of them appeals to me, sparkling stones that I imagine come wrapped in a velvet cloth . . . "
With her wonderful sense of humor, marvelously candid voice, and astonishing perception, Amy Ephron weaves together the most insightful, profound, and just plain funny stories of her life to form a tapestry of a woman's experiences fro...more
With her wonderful sense of humor, marvelously candid voice, and astonishing perception, Amy Ephron weaves together the most insightful, profound, and just plain funny stories of her life to form a tapestry of a woman's experiences fro...more
Hardcover, 176 pages
Published
September 6th 2011
by William Morrow
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really excited that my paperback of Loose Diamonds is publishing tomorrow, September 4th.
Added a new story "Secrets" and an interactive really fun reader's group guide, that I spent
way too much time on.
Yeah, yeah, I know I wrote it, but I love this book.
Added a new story "Secrets" and an interactive really fun reader's group guide, that I spent
way too much time on.
Yeah, yeah, I know I wrote it, but I love this book.
I loved Loose Diamonds. It was too short. Or was it? For me, the essays, most only a few pages long, sparkle like loose diamonds. The topics are varied, but, instead of the virtual dump of material that so many collections seem to suffer from, every chapter in Loose Diamonds is a gem. There’s a maturity in each piece that allows this volume to be many things; charming, touching, humorous, ironic, and the list goes on. Found a great online interview also that gives some backstory. At about 160 pa...more
Amy Ephron’s captivating new book, “Loose Diamonds … and other things I’ve lost (and found) along the way” (William Morrow, $19.99), is a deliciously honest account of Ephron’s life experiences, wonderful vignettes that, to borrow her own words, are akin to “sparkling stones that I imagine come wrapped in a velvet cloth.” Each chapter is an unexpected gift, a glimpse into the life of a beloved author. We are enchanted by the Birdman, an exotic character with a magical aviary, who seems to have s...more
Loose Diamonds is a short little book of observations on life by the sister of better-known Nora Ephron. While Ephron's life has been something beyond what most Americans experience, some of her reflections are still relatable. For example, when a friend gives Ephron a piece of her own family jewelry after Ephron loses her own inherited pieces, she muses, "I wear it all the time now, like a piece of armor on my wrist. And I hold on to a time when jewelry was passed down and small trinkets were t...more
I didn't know anything about Amy Ephron before I read Loose Diamonds. I knew who she was but had never read anything she had written. I certainly can't say that anymore.
Amy must feel better now that she has written this book filled with thoughts and words that must have been tumbling about in her head for years. For me the stories she shares are just that shared stories. There is nothing profound about them. At times they definitely are "TMI" and probably need not have been made public. I sure h...more
Amy must feel better now that she has written this book filled with thoughts and words that must have been tumbling about in her head for years. For me the stories she shares are just that shared stories. There is nothing profound about them. At times they definitely are "TMI" and probably need not have been made public. I sure h...more
This book is just what I needed after finishing a long classic novel. It's Amy Ephron's collection of memories of her life. You may know her from her articles in pretigious magazines and her previous books.
Ephron has a delightful sense of humor. She reminds me of a former neighbor who could go in her van to pick up a new chair she had ordered, and come home with a story about the experience that would have the neighborhood in hysterics. Ephron once pulled into a parking space in front of her so...more
Ephron has a delightful sense of humor. She reminds me of a former neighbor who could go in her van to pick up a new chair she had ordered, and come home with a story about the experience that would have the neighborhood in hysterics. Ephron once pulled into a parking space in front of her so...more
“Loose diamonds and other things I’ve lost along the way” by Amy Ephron is a collection of humorous vignettes by Ephron, based on events in her life. If you’re looking for a light read and an easy style of writing, than Ephron’s book may suit your needs.
The book is sprinkled with comic incidents, accidents, occurrences, or simply events gone wrong—anything from a burglary that left Ephron without her jewelry, to her husband’s lover rear-ending Ephron’s car while driving her son to kindergarten,...more
The book is sprinkled with comic incidents, accidents, occurrences, or simply events gone wrong—anything from a burglary that left Ephron without her jewelry, to her husband’s lover rear-ending Ephron’s car while driving her son to kindergarten,...more
Loose Diamonds is one of those books that make you feel like you have a relationship with the author… that you somehow really know her and might get together soon for lunch. Amy Ephron generously dares to share wisdom gained while navigating life as a woman, writer, wife, mother and friend. She doesn’t back down from the gravity of divorce, date rape, burglary or potential terrorism, yet manages to spin personal tales of both her working life and private life that, while heartbreaking, disappoin...more
I won this book through BookBrowse and I am reviewing it. This book is filled with little stories and musings of things that have happened in the author's life. A lot of people will probably find them entertaining and clever, just not me. The writing is pretty good and each story is fairly interesting and some are humorous. It is like reading a bunch of newspaper columns that have some interest, but not much feeling or intrigue, and not much information. I was disappointed in the "Afternoon with...more
I received a free copy of
Loose Diamonds
from the Goodreads First Reads program. I'd read several complex and serious books in the week before I received it, so I was greatly looking forward to a nice, light read. It certainly was light but I wouldn't describe it as nice.
Ms. Ephron isn't a bad writer and I feel pretty confident that if she found some interesting material she could do something with it, but these essays were all about really mundane topics. Most of them centered around some se...more
Ms. Ephron isn't a bad writer and I feel pretty confident that if she found some interesting material she could do something with it, but these essays were all about really mundane topics. Most of them centered around some se...more
it feels slight and then when you finish it, it feels like something more than that.
The author keeps period in all the pieces. When she writes about the '70s it's as if you're there.
Champagne by the Case reminds me a bit of Truman Capote, or like a piece he could have written if he'd known those women and lived in L.A. at the time. The Squeaky Fromme piece is spooky...
And then she grows up, it's almost aspects of a woman's life. The Post Modern Life piece (sadly)
reminds me of the blended family...more
The author keeps period in all the pieces. When she writes about the '70s it's as if you're there.
Champagne by the Case reminds me a bit of Truman Capote, or like a piece he could have written if he'd known those women and lived in L.A. at the time. The Squeaky Fromme piece is spooky...
And then she grows up, it's almost aspects of a woman's life. The Post Modern Life piece (sadly)
reminds me of the blended family...more
Won this on the First Reads Giveaway. It sounds very fun and interesting.
Loose Diamonds is a scathing critique of the dregs of the American ultra-rich. The narrator character is a truly despicable woman who tells disjointed stories about her life unveiling the reality that she has failed every in part of her life; romance, friends, parenting, and self improvement. Through stories of opulence, name dropping, and self indulgence, the narrator is able to, on the one hand, paint a picture of glamour...more
Loose Diamonds is a scathing critique of the dregs of the American ultra-rich. The narrator character is a truly despicable woman who tells disjointed stories about her life unveiling the reality that she has failed every in part of her life; romance, friends, parenting, and self improvement. Through stories of opulence, name dropping, and self indulgence, the narrator is able to, on the one hand, paint a picture of glamour...more
I won Loose Diamonds through the Goodreads giveaway. When I began with the first story which was about the theft of not only diamonds but other valuables it didn't keep me very much interested in reading any more of the book, but I am so glad I kept reading. This book is filled with many interesting and funny tales that had me laughing out loud as I read them.
It is nice to read about someone who is such a cosiderate and strong person. The author shows us that no one's life is perfect but that is...more
It is nice to read about someone who is such a cosiderate and strong person. The author shows us that no one's life is perfect but that is...more
This was a book I won from a Goodreads giveaway, and I'm so glad I did! It is a treasure of a book simply yet profoundly written about Amy Ephron's personal experiences in all phases of her life. I started on page one knowing little about her and when I had finished I felt like we could be the best of friends. Her stories are so sweetly written that you feel you are sitting at the kitchen table over coffee hearing the little vignettes that make people interesting, vulnerable, human, funny and li...more
Amy Ephron has some interesting stories to share, but mostly it seems that she just has things to get off her chest. She wants the world to know that her ex-husband, with whom she's "very good friends," slept with half the other mothers in her kid's class and still owes her child support. She wants it known that her husband's ex-wife, or her ex-husband's wife, or maybe both of them, don't like her even more than she dislikes them. Most of all, she wants to call out Tony Hendra as the man who all...more
I was intrigued by the idea of this book and found her writing style to be enjoyable. I would try one of her novels, but this memoir/short stories did not do it for me. It was like meeting someone at a party or on a plane and enjoying the first few moments of conversation only to realize that now you were stuck and they were going to keep talking for the rest of the flight. You now know about too many personal stories, broken relationships, eccentric friends, and anything else that there is time...more
Amy Ephron is, like her sister, Nora, a witty, engaging, deft writer. I enjoyed Loose Diamonds...mostly. The book is funny--Ephron's take on things is a little snarky and and always well written. My one criticism is that, by the end of the book, I was really tired of hearing about expensive shoes, celebrities she's met at parties, her expensive car, and all the amazing places she's been. It's sort of like People Magazine--I like to leaf through it in the doctor's office, but 200 pages of it gets...more
I LOVED this book. Amy Ephron is the girl you want as your best friend. Quietly humorous, classy and the voice of reason. I have heard of Ephron before, but have never picked up one of her books. She IS the great writer that everyone says she is. She will capture your attention in her 18 short stories that range from her love affair with Saks 5th Avenue to her mother's quirky dinner table habits to living and growing up in LA. Perfect beach/travel leisure read!
I read part of this book in the New York Times magazine article promoting its publication-a stylish story about a young woman in the 70s who orders Champagne by the case. I really liked the retro california chic vibe part of it. It felt a little like watching The Long Goodbye without all the intrigue. I enjoyed the authors point of view even if it can be a thin little book it's still entertaining, and refreshing.
The first two pages of this book were the most impactful for me. The book is basically a book of short stories about totally random things. It's lovely. Amy Ephron has a great sense of humor. But it was the first two pages that were the best of the book, the rest was downhill from there...not too far downhill, it was good and there were endearing stories, but for me they were meh.
I won this book on a goodreads giveaway. I found it to be fairly good. It felt like listening to myself ramble on about a lot of different things. I was actually interested in some of the things talked about in there about marriages and staying together or not. Pretty interesting. Its a short and quickly read book.
I loved this book. Reading it became a bit of a voyage of discovery, when what i thought was a loose collection of well written became quite a bit more. Reminded me of when I read In Our Time thinking it was just a collection of short stories. Highly recommended, especially for my male peers.
I LOVED reading this book! It is a quick and easy read of auto-biographical stories in Amy's life. I laughed, I empathised and was brought to tears. It has made every I've read since more difficult to enjoy.
LOVE IT!
LOVE IT!
Great collection of short stories. Wonderful sense of humor and an approach that is so self effacing you can't help but be drawn into her life and decisions.
I read one of her novels and am delighted I picked this up as well.
I read one of her novels and am delighted I picked this up as well.
For anyone who grew up in the Hollywood area....this is a fun read. For sheer relaxed pleasure in a beach chair this is a great read. Short stories...not contingent one on the other. I enjoed the book.
I have mixed feelings about this book of short stories. On one hand, I didn't really get some stories. On the other hand, I found it fascinating how she turned a small event into a short story/personal essay. In some ways, I feel kind of inspired to try it myself.
Short musings as the author looks back at her life. These snippets will resonate deeply with some people, I think, just not with me. It would make a great beach or travel read.
I really enjoyed this book! Amy talks about her life experiences from childhood through adulthood. All the memories in between her life that will make you feel like one of her best friends. Great book to give to friends!
The short piece, "Egg Cups" is my mother. This is exactly how I was raised.
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Aug 10, 2012 09:15am