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208th out of 299 books
—
522 voters
Cheap Cabernet: A Friendship
by
Cathie Beck (Goodreads Author)
I didn't know that people come into our lives, and sometimes, if we're terribly lucky, we get the chance to love them, that sometimes they stay, that sometimes you can, truly, depend on them. Cathie Beck was in her late thirties and finally able to exhale after a lifetime of just trying to get by. A teenage mother harboring vivid memories of her own hardscrabble childhood,...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
July 20th 2010
by Voice
(first published July 28th 2009)
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Cathie Beck decided to advertise for a best friend. She disguised as the start up of a Women’s Group but really she was looking for a best friend. After life as a teen mother of two, abandoned by her husband, and living the kind of life that would become a Lifetime movie she finally had a chance to think about herself.
This could have been one of those memoirs of a woman her horrible childhood and youth and it is that. But it’s so much more. It’s really a love letter to a best friend. A best frie...more
This could have been one of those memoirs of a woman her horrible childhood and youth and it is that. But it’s so much more. It’s really a love letter to a best friend. A best frie...more
I am lucky enough to have a bosom buddy with whom I am invincible. On the rare occasions we can get together (she lives on the other side of the country) we laugh riotously, drink too much wine, eat well, and solve both the problems of the world and of our own spheres. Together we are the most charming women in the world. We have had fallings out and reconnections, she knows my darkest and brightest sides and is a forever friend. Reading this book was like a visit with her.
Vivid imagery, witty...more
Vivid imagery, witty...more
Cheap Cabernet by Cathie Beck
This was a nice idea for a story especially because I enjoy stories about female friendships. This story is told about two women one of whom is suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. The story is told looking back in time at the development of their friendship.
I was a bit confused by the transitions in time. I was not always aware when there was a shift in time - Was it the present, past, or distant past. I couldn’t tell from what point of view Cathie Beck was writing th...more
This was a nice idea for a story especially because I enjoy stories about female friendships. This story is told about two women one of whom is suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. The story is told looking back in time at the development of their friendship.
I was a bit confused by the transitions in time. I was not always aware when there was a shift in time - Was it the present, past, or distant past. I couldn’t tell from what point of view Cathie Beck was writing th...more
What do you get when you mix a woman who felt 'repressed' most of her life and a flamboyant woman with MS? Cheap Cabernet.[return][return]Cathie Beck raised her kids all by herself and when they leave the nest she feels empty. She feels the need to fill her life with fun and excitement and that comes in the form of Denise- a fun, sex crazed, selfish friend who at times is caring- that is when she is not getting them both into trouble. The two filled a void in each others lives and the story seem...more
The good: I kept reading the book, as I was interested to see how it all worked out for the characters. The story (or stories - the memoir does string them together in a thread, but there are some breaks between) moves pretty well. This was a nice, easy read for a lazy summer day.
That having been said...
The bad: the actions of the characters at times baffled me, which I suppose is just a circumstance of real life; I didn't particularly like some of the ways Beck showed the dynamic of her relatio...more
That having been said...
The bad: the actions of the characters at times baffled me, which I suppose is just a circumstance of real life; I didn't particularly like some of the ways Beck showed the dynamic of her relatio...more
I don’t like to read non-fiction. There. I said it. Judge me oh you finger pointers, you. I’m in a doctoral program, cut me some slack. I spend oh so many hours a week reading non-fiction that sometimes, I will dramatically swear, make my eyeballs fall out of my noggin. Therefore, I usually pass when I see that someone is offering a biographical novel. However, when I read online that Cathie Beck was offering up Cheap Cabernet: A Friendship for review, I couldn’t pass on it.
Something compelled m...more
Something compelled m...more
The book began slowly for me. I didn't care much for the characters... and at the end of the book, I still didn't. But they'd become more human for me. I don't like the characters because they remind me of some rather unpleasant times in my own life.
My mom had a friend, much like Denise, who helped my mom "make up for lost time." Both women had married young and had children young. Both women had lost their husbands to "homewreckers." And both women decided that it was time to make-up for the ti...more
My mom had a friend, much like Denise, who helped my mom "make up for lost time." Both women had married young and had children young. Both women had lost their husbands to "homewreckers." And both women decided that it was time to make-up for the ti...more
It's not often I finish a memoir and think, "My goodness, this would make an interesting book club read". But Cheap Cabernet brought that thought immediately to the forefront more than once as I read through Cathie Beck's story.
As a 39 year old woman, Cathie has two grown children and an empty home. She's lonely and she needs friends - so she does what most women would never even consider doing, she starts a woman's club with eight strangers. And one of those strangers is Denise.
To be honest, I...more
As a 39 year old woman, Cathie has two grown children and an empty home. She's lonely and she needs friends - so she does what most women would never even consider doing, she starts a woman's club with eight strangers. And one of those strangers is Denise.
To be honest, I...more
Cheap Cabernet is a memoir of the author’s relationship with her best friend Denise who has multiple sclerosis. Cathie and Denise have a very close but tumultuous relationship. The author hints very early on in the book that Denise is no longer living. Upon finishing the book, the first thing I wondered was if Cathie had Denise or Denise’s relatives’ blessing when she wrote this book. Denise has a quite a few personality flaws and the author lays them out bare. She also recounts some embarrassin...more
There's always that one book, that one story, that tugs at your heart strings and sucks you in in such a way that you can't stop thinking about it even weeks after you've read it. Cheap Cabernet is, at least for me, one of those stories. This book truly has it all. The voice of the narrator, Cathie Beck herself, is filled with honesty, poignancy, grief, hilarity, and a richness that really catches and holds the reader's attention. Denise is her best and dearest friend and the love and bond that...more
After a life of raising her children alone, poor, and scared, Cathie Beck is ready to kick up her heels and enjoy herself. The kids are on their own and doing well. She's got a job and a place to live, and it's time to breathe a little. The only problem is, having just moved to Colorado, she doesn't have any friends. Taking the first daring step in her bold new life, she puts an ad in the newspaper announcing the formation of a new women's group.
One of the women, Denise Katz, becomes Cathie's b...more
One of the women, Denise Katz, becomes Cathie's b...more
When I first reading Cheap Cabernet, I thought the story would be about the friendships formed through the group the author started, WOW, Women on the Way. But it is really the story of the friendship between her and Denise who she met at WOW. Multiple Schlerosis was a unwanted participant in the friendship. Part of the proceeds of the sale of the book go to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Colorado Chapter.
The reason that Cathie Beck started WOW was that she craved the friendship of wo...more
The reason that Cathie Beck started WOW was that she craved the friendship of wo...more
have I ever given a book less then 3 stars? this is for bookclub, I think the novelist is local and going to be there. I'm not going to go because I hated this book, I just would feel bad for local talent to get one star. It was repetitive and neither of the main characters were likeable. The only part I did enjoy was her explaining going to the welfare office then to taking her kids to a cheap amusement park. It was heartbreaking, I wish there was more of that, not just saying, "We were poor" "...more
I'll be straight forward here - I didn't particularly like this book. If I had not received it through the Early Reviewers program at LibraryThing.com I probably would not have finished it. I realize that memory is a fickle thing and that memoirs are probably not the easiest thing to write. I realize that memories often connect in ways that make sense only to the person with the memories. However, I also believe that the goal of a memoir must be to show those connections to the reader. Beck's bo...more
The book starts out with two women cruising down the road attempting to find a turnoff to go and see a show at some back road biker bar. When they can't find the road and discover that they've driven all the way to the state border, they just keep on going. I was intrigued to find out where this book would lead.
Cathie has sent her children off to college and is left by herself and in a desperate attempt to meet some people she places and ad for a women's weekly group. This is where she meets Den...more
Cathie has sent her children off to college and is left by herself and in a desperate attempt to meet some people she places and ad for a women's weekly group. This is where she meets Den...more
The cover made me think for some reason that this would be a novel- not so- there is a small sentence on one of the first pages noting that all is true according to the memory of the author. For some reason that page stopped me short and I read the book more carefully than I might have.
A tribute to friendship and odd chances that are the stuff of life I see this book as a raised glass of Cabernet to Denise.
The book starts when Cathie is 39 or so. She was a very young mother and divorcee who ra...more
A tribute to friendship and odd chances that are the stuff of life I see this book as a raised glass of Cabernet to Denise.
The book starts when Cathie is 39 or so. She was a very young mother and divorcee who ra...more
I read this as the June selection for a book club. The author was to talk with us through Skype at the meetup for this book. I ended up missing it because I was sick, but did not have much to say about the book anyway.
There were a few things that I really related to in Cathie's life: I, too, am in my upper 30's and many of my friends my age are in relationships, married, starting families and I am not there yet. I use meetup.com as my social connection for this stage in life, and Cathie started...more
There were a few things that I really related to in Cathie's life: I, too, am in my upper 30's and many of my friends my age are in relationships, married, starting families and I am not there yet. I use meetup.com as my social connection for this stage in life, and Cathie started...more
This memoir is about a lifelong friendship that began when the author, after devoting her life to raising children as a single mom, is ready to have some fun but realizes she never made the time to have friends. Cathie decides to put an ad in the paper to form a women's group "WOW" - Women on the Way. Of the 8 women who show up, she forms a close bond with Denice, which lasts a lifetime. Cathie and Denise are both remarkable women who manage to maintain their close bond through some serious chal...more
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I really give this more of a 2 1/2 star. It was an okay book that I kind of liked. I did think it was a good example of how friendships between women tend to work. I wonder how much of Denise's personality had to do with her MS. Would she have been so domineering if she hadn't had the disease? Would she have even joined WOW? I thought Cathie's idea for WOW was very clever. If this book had not been a memoir, I think I would have thought it to be very boring and I would have liked it less. Becaus...more
I have to humbly admit I haven't read this soon to be New York Times bestseller. So it's on my 'to read' list and I can't wait.
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The only reason I read this book through to the end is because it is for my book club. I guess maybe I was also hoping for a point that never arrived.
The people (characters) are so undeveloped that I don't really care what happens to either of them throughout the book. Denise is not fleshed out in a way that makes me really care about her and her MS. Through Beck’s writing, I actually dislike Denise, and I find it difficult to understand Beck's fascination with her.
In addition, I think that Be...more
The people (characters) are so undeveloped that I don't really care what happens to either of them throughout the book. Denise is not fleshed out in a way that makes me really care about her and her MS. Through Beck’s writing, I actually dislike Denise, and I find it difficult to understand Beck's fascination with her.
In addition, I think that Be...more
Cathie has two children as a teenager and was a single mother by the time she was 21. However, the book starts after her children are gone, she is 39 and "just beginning her life". She finds herself with no friends so she starts a womens group to meet some other women. This book concentrates on her relationship with Denise, a vibrant artist with MS. They form a close relationship and as their friendship grows, Denise's MS worsens.
Their adventures are comical and enjoyable to read, however this...more
Their adventures are comical and enjoyable to read, however this...more
First off if Cathie and Denise were such good friends I wonder why she went on to write all the things she did about Denise, she certainly didn't paint her in a positive light most of the time. I could relate to a lot of the book that was about Cathie's life. I found the part about applying for foodstamps especially funny.
I feel this book was a little out of order and skipped around and was hard to follow. I thought the writer could have done a better job and the end just left me feeling sorry...more
I feel this book was a little out of order and skipped around and was hard to follow. I thought the writer could have done a better job and the end just left me feeling sorry...more
I finished this book a few weeks ago, but wasn't exactly sure how I felt about it. At first I thought I must of course like it, because it was about friendship, and friendship is a thing of value and love--a sometimes almost sacred trust between two people that has been known to outlast some marriages. How could I tromp on that? But these two left me confused, and too much was simply left out. The author mentions having spent a significant period in Russia, but nothing more is written about it....more
This was a hard book to read for me. Not because of the writing, but because of the subject matter. After reading the first few chapters, I felt like Cathie Beck had been peeking into my life. When the story progressed to where we meet Diane and Cathie starts to notice the first signs of Multiple Sclerosis, I had to put the book down. Not because it was disturbing, but because it reminded me of things I've long chosen to forget.
I so tried to keep my editorial eyes open while I read this memoir,...more
I so tried to keep my editorial eyes open while I read this memoir,...more
This is how we are introduced to our two main characters, Cathie Beck and Denise Katz: hurtling down an interstate as the two hurtled through the second stages of their lives.
This book is a memoir (a fact that I somehow missed and realized about a third of the way through). It isn't supposed to be a work of fiction, but a memoir of a friendship. Cathie Beck has had a tough life, raised in an unstable home, pregnant and married as a teen, abandoned by her husband with two children to raise at age...more
This book is a memoir (a fact that I somehow missed and realized about a third of the way through). It isn't supposed to be a work of fiction, but a memoir of a friendship. Cathie Beck has had a tough life, raised in an unstable home, pregnant and married as a teen, abandoned by her husband with two children to raise at age...more
This is a beautiful, powerful memoir which I enjoyed from beginning to end.
Cathie Beck was lonely for companionship. With her 2 children away at college, she was lonely. She put an advertisement in the newspaper, announcing the start up of a women's group she called WOW (Women On The Way). She meets Denise, who becomes her best friend, confidante and sister in sorrow. Together, they enjoy hours of girl-talk, and drink wine....preferably "Cheap Cabernet". Although they couldn't be more different...more
Cathie Beck was lonely for companionship. With her 2 children away at college, she was lonely. She put an advertisement in the newspaper, announcing the start up of a women's group she called WOW (Women On The Way). She meets Denise, who becomes her best friend, confidante and sister in sorrow. Together, they enjoy hours of girl-talk, and drink wine....preferably "Cheap Cabernet". Although they couldn't be more different...more
This is the memoir of Cathie which primarily focuses on her friendship with Denise. They meet when Cathie advertises for a women's group after becoming an empty nester at a young age. The two immediately connect and the women's group becomes secondary to their deep friendship. The two women are quite different- Denise is a successful artist/entrepreneur while Cathie has lived a hard life in a poor family and raised her two children as a single mother on next to nothing. She has juggled numerous...more
I hated this book. I can’t remember when I’ve actually finished a book that I’ve liked so little.
It’s not the writing. It’s not bad.
It’s not the story. It’s not bad.
It’s quite simple. No editing. Where was the editor who should have pulled this book together and made it a strong read? Instead, the editor found a clever cover and threw it all together into what passes for a book.
This was published by Hyperion. Shame on you, Hyperion. I expected more of you.
It’s not the writing. It’s not bad.
It’s not the story. It’s not bad.
It’s quite simple. No editing. Where was the editor who should have pulled this book together and made it a strong read? Instead, the editor found a clever cover and threw it all together into what passes for a book.
This was published by Hyperion. Shame on you, Hyperion. I expected more of you.
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Reading Cathie's words was more like sitting with a friend listening to her share her painful experiences and rewarding friendship while sipping on a Cheap bottle of Cabernet under the bright moonlight. REFREASHING...and very much needed sometimes in women's lives.
I absolutely fell in love with the friendship she has with Denise and could find myself saying, "Aww, I have a friend like that!"...True Friend indeed.
I'm grateful that Cathie has shared her story and look forward to more from her...a...more
I absolutely fell in love with the friendship she has with Denise and could find myself saying, "Aww, I have a friend like that!"...True Friend indeed.
I'm grateful that Cathie has shared her story and look forward to more from her...a...more
2 likes · like · see review
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“Where are you from? New York?"
"Weird you picked up on that," she said, "I've been gone from there for so long."
Like a couple of decades could dilute that accent.”
—
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More quotes…
"Weird you picked up on that," she said, "I've been gone from there for so long."
Like a couple of decades could dilute that accent.”
