Julie

Julie is now friends with Melanie Dennis

Julie rated a book 3 of 5 stars

Farewell, Dorothy Parker
by Ellen Meister (Goodreads Author)

read in March, 2013

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The real Dorothy Parker wouldn't give Farewell, Dorothy Parker as high a rating as I have, but she had a wider variety of better alternatives. Basically, this is chick lit with a tiny twist. The protagonist, Violet, has got all the requisite elements...more The real Dorothy Parker wouldn't give Farewell, Dorothy Parker as high a rating as I have, but she had a wider variety of better alternatives. Basically, this is chick lit with a tiny twist. The protagonist, Violet, has got all the requisite elements: a character flaw to transform (social anxiety), a recent tragedy, a romantic opportunity and important life goal that shows the reader why she's so worthy of us caring about her. And, for a quick 400 pages that you could finish in an afternoon of cozy reading, we do care, because we are amused. The book is amusing. Not hysterical, not super-clever, but wry and amusing.

The premise is sharp, and I'm giving away no more than what's on the book jacket to note that Violet, a movie critic, comes to have a houseguest in the form of the ghost of Dorothy Parker. (Yes, that's the conceit of the book -- there's no concussion or fever dream -- you have to accept the speculative nature of DP's ghost, which I readily did.) The plot proceeds at a fast clip, never sticking in one place too long. And this is my kind of book -- nothing too terrible ever happens and (surprise, surprise), there's a happy ending. (Trust me, that's no spoiler!)

If you like chick lit, or if you're a fan of Dorothy Parker who relishes DP getting the Jane Austen treatment of popping up in "real" people's lives, you'll enjoy the book. But once it's done, you'll realize that this is a well-crafted book that could have been so much more. The characters are all a little flat -- you could list everything we learn about the main love interest on an index card. The real villains are villainous enough for a modern novel but feel more like they belong in a soap opera and lack depth, and the faux villain is a sheep in wolf's clothing. The few minor characters who might have been more interesting (Violet's co-worker, her boss, her attorney) barely breeze in. We know the protagonist's history, but even she doesn't seem very complex.

I like happy endings, but I also like meatier characters. This book was a fine, fluffy mousse and can be enjoyed as that, but any reflection (long enough to write a review) will find you hungry again.(less)

Julie rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Every Day
by David Levithan (Goodreads Author)

read in March, 2013

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

This book vaguely reminded me of Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife -- in both cases, the book is, at heart, a mash-up of speculative fiction and romance. I'd seen the book referenced in Entertainment Weekly and a smattering of other magaz...more This book vaguely reminded me of Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife -- in both cases, the book is, at heart, a mash-up of speculative fiction and romance. I'd seen the book referenced in Entertainment Weekly and a smattering of other magazines, but all I knew of the plot was that the protagonist wakes up each day in a new body -- someone else's body -- and may be a guy or girl. Unlike Quantum Leap's Sam Beckett, "A" doesn't have some masterful goal to fix the character's life, and his geographic range is rather limited. He (or she) just has to survive it for the day and move on. A's developed lots of coping mechanism but popping into one life leads to A fall in love with that body's girlfriend.

I didn't realize until I was a little into the book that it's probably a young adult novel. (I didn't necessarily get that from the protagonist -- and all of his "jumpees" as I think of them -- being 16.) But Levithan wrote Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, which I once picked up to see if it was a modern take on the Thin Man novels. (It wasn't.) However, it's well-written for a YA book, and certainly better than many adult novels out there that get more hype.

I've read a slew of GoodRead reviews, and people seem pretty torn. One woman repeatedly declared how angry she was about the lack of perfect internal logic in the book and called the protagonist a stalker...it makes me wonder what she thinks of Wuthering Heights' Heathcliff! But I liked it. It was a nice, light speculative novel that created an interior world with its own rules. Would I have liked it all explored more closely? Sure. Was the romance a little twee? Yup. Were the jumpees mainly stereotypes and tropes of 16-year-olds? Yes, they were.

But I never got bored. I recognized the ache of a character who love her boyfriend too much when it's obvious he doesn't feel as she does, as well as the disequilibrium of moving into and out of love. I haven't been a teenager in a long time, but the descriptions of teenage experiences -- feeling invisible, developing protective identities, jockeying to preserve position, etc. will resonate with anyone with the least ability to be self-aware.

It's only 300 pages of rather large-print type, and I polished Every Day off in two nights. Perfect? No. Entertaining? I think so.(less)

Julie liked Eric Folley's review of Mercury Rests:

" I enjoyed this very much, especially the ending, which I must say I didn't see coming. Not that you would see it coming; it's a bit of a deus ex machina, but then it is a story about heaven, so that's OK. In the context of the series, this one com... " Read more of this review »

Julie wants to read

The Accidental Husband
by Jane Green

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Julie liked a quote

“I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us...more ” — Jane Austen

like

Julie liked a quote

“My idea of good company...is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.'
'You are mistaken,' said he gently, 'that is not good company, that is the best.” — Jane Austen

like

Julie made a comment on her review of Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life

"Mandy wrote: "Okay, thanks! I wondered what profession would love her book. Funny because the organizing aspect of THP was not a big take-away for me....more "

Julie rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life
by Gretchen Rubin (Goodreads Author)

read in January, 2013

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Everyone in my profession loved Gretchen Rubin's first book, The Happiness Project, so I felt a little cowed by the enthusiasm and never reviewed it for fear of stepping on any toes. The first book was well-written, exceptionally well-researched, cha...more Everyone in my profession loved Gretchen Rubin's first book, The Happiness Project, so I felt a little cowed by the enthusiasm and never reviewed it for fear of stepping on any toes. The first book was well-written, exceptionally well-researched, charming after a fashion, and so self-indulgent that I found myself talking back to the book as if I were talking to the characters in a TV show. The book made me feel, in the vernacular, very "Grrrarrr!"

So, maybe Rubin's become a better writer, but more likely, I'm in a better place than I was in 2009 (my own personal annus horribilis). Back then, with health troubles, I found Rubin's complaints to be petty. Likely, I was also envious of her success -- professional, personal and in achieving an ineffable sense of being in a "good place." It's not a pretty thing to admit, but I'm not sure anyone's reading these reviews. :-) But, for whatever reason, I now find Rubin, her husband, her children, her little projects and even her foibles to be more endearing and less precious. I read the book straight through, without skipping and without adding snarky editorial comments. I read a library copy; I can see buying my own and rereading this again and again. I imagine starting similar projects with my own take on things.

The thing about Happier at Home, like The Happiness Project, is that while you can read it as a self-help book, you need not do so. It's also a bit of light memoir, philosophy, psychology and skilled reportage. If you have no desire for self-improvement but generally enjoy non-fiction, there's something here for you. The cheery (but not Pollyanna-ish) tone is uplifting, the peppering of famous (and not so famous) quotes is instructive, and I found myself Googling to learn more about a plethora of fascinating topics Rubin raised. (And now, I want to read her books about JFK and Churchill!)

I've already resolved to reread the first book, as I think being in a better, healthier frame of mind may give me a new perspective on Rubin and her writing. I somehow feel like I should buy her a mini-cupcake or Tasti D-Lite as an apology for having not appreciated her before.(less)

Julie wants to read

Mercury Falls
by Robert Kroese (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Julie’s Profile

Julie’s favorite books

Julie’s Bookshelves

Julie is Currently Reading

rss
Julie's Recent Updates

Quotes Julie Likes

recent posts
Julie’s Groups

Julie’s Friends (78)

Listopia Votes

Quizzes and Trivia

Julie is now friends with Melanie Dennis
May 31, 2013 03:25pm · like
Julie rated a book 3 of 5 stars Farewell, Dorothy Parker by Ellen Meister (Goodreads Author) read in March, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The real Dorothy Parker wouldn't give Farewell, Dorothy Parker as high a rating as I have, but she had a wider variety of better alternatives. Basically, this is chick lit with a tiny twist. The protagonist, Violet, has got all the requisite elements...more
Mar 10, 2013 10:23am · see review
Julie rated a book 4 of 5 stars Every Day by David Levithan (Goodreads Author) read in March, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This book vaguely reminded me of Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife -- in both cases, the book is, at heart, a mash-up of speculative fiction and romance. I'd seen the book referenced in Entertainment Weekly and a smattering of other magaz...more
Mar 02, 2013 10:12am · see review
Julie liked Eric Folley's review of Mercury Rests: " I enjoyed this very much, especially the ending, which I must say I didn't see coming. Not that you would see it coming; it's a bit of a deus ex machina, but then it is a story about heaven, so that's OK. In the context of the series, this one com... " Read more of this review »
Feb 26, 2013 04:54pm · see review
Julie wants to read The Accidental Husband by Jane Green	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 06, 2013 09:56pm
Julie liked a quote “I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us...more ” — Jane Austen like
Jan 31, 2013 09:51pm · more quotes by Jane Austen
Julie liked a quote “My idea of good company...is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.' 'You are mistaken,' said he gently, 'that is not good company, that is the best.” — Jane Austen like
Jan 31, 2013 09:50pm · more quotes by Jane Austen
Julie made a comment on her review of Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life "Mandy wrote: "Okay, thanks! I wondered what profession would love her book. Funny because the organizing aspect of THP was not a big take-away for me....more "
Jan 21, 2013 09:33am · see review
Julie rated a book 4 of 5 stars Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life by Gretchen Rubin (Goodreads Author) read in January, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Everyone in my profession loved Gretchen Rubin's first book, The Happiness Project, so I felt a little cowed by the enthusiasm and never reviewed it for fear of stepping on any toes. The first book was well-written, exceptionally well-researched, cha...more
Jan 13, 2013 12:06pm · see review
Julie wants to read Mercury Falls by Robert Kroese (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 12, 2013 07:34pm

Julie’s Profile

Julie’s favorite books

Julie’s Bookshelves

Julie is Currently Reading

rssJulie's Recent Updates

Quotes Julie Likes

recent postsJulie’s Groups

Julie’s Friends (78)

Listopia Votes

Quizzes and Trivia

rss
Julie's Recent Updates

recent posts
Julie’s Groups