My Current Interest

I almost stopped reading I Was Better Last Night part way through. It was getting too heavy for me, which makes me sound like I have watched far too much Back to the Future . Although, I probably have. I watch a lot of Back to the Future . After deciding I was going to stop reading, I looked at the index to see if there was any topic I still wanted to read about before I returned the book to the library . What I found was “AIDS Memorial Quilt.” A quilter myself, I was curious how the author, Harvey Fierstein, was connected to the quilt. As I tried to find the page about the quilt, I came across the stage musical Kinky Boots . I wanted to see this show in its Chicago previews (having loved the movie ) but did not get the chance. Even with this Kinky Boots memory, I kept moving to the page about the quilt. What I discovered when I found the page was the fact Mr. Fierstein himself is a quilter. Between that and Kinky Boots , I decided I had to continue with the book. I Was Better L...

How Y'all Doing? Leslie Jordan T he day I finished How Y’all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived , I read an article about librarians facing an increase in filings about “books of concern.” Books mostly about either the LGBTQ+ community or race. For some reason, people are petitioning libraries to take these books off the shelves. Books they have possibly never even read but decided no one should. After reading the article, I decided I had to write about this book from Leslie Jordan. Some would believe How Y’all Doing? should not be read simply because Mr. Jordan is gay. That his story should be silenced. Neither Mr. Jordan’s nor anyone else’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or race should determine whether or not their story is told. They all have a right to be heard. On that exact same day, I started reading the Harvey Fierstein autobiography. Leslie Jordan is one of those actors you just know. You may not know his name, as I didn’t, but probably rec...

     While Why Not Tonight may be the third book in the Happily Inc series, it is not the third story. There is a short story or novella that falls between Second Chance Girl and this one. I haven’t read it yet, but that did not keep me from enjoying this book.      If artist Ronan Mitchell hadn’t left his cell phone at work, probably none of what did happen would have happened. Art gallery office manager Natalie Kaleta never would have gotten stuck at his house, and Ronan never would have fallen in love.      But Ronan did leave his cell phone, and Natalie did get stuck at his house. And yes, Ronan fell in love.            Known for going missing when he is in one of his moods, Ronan is very surprised to find Natalie on his doorstep. Ronan hasn’t communicated with anyone for days, and Natalie has come up to his mountain home to make sure he is alright. She came during a severe storm. H...

     When going through a hard time, there are books that can help you get through it.   Sometimes that book is a mystery.   Other times it is a thriller.   Sometimes what you need is a light and easy book you know will have a happy ending.   Second Chance Girl is that book.      Carol Lund doesn’t think she’s anything special.   She used to when she was a child.   Her family told her she was.   The world has told her something different.      As an adult, Carol doesn’t feel as good as others around her.   All her friends and her sister, Violet, are creative.   She is not.   Instead, she is the caretaker of exotic animals at the Happily Inc Animal Preserve.   Her work is not glamorous, but she loves it.      Mathias Mitchell is an artist who lives near Carol.   Happily Inc is a wedding town, which Mathias takes full advantage of.   He picks up bridesmai...

     There is a debate out in the world as to whether Frank Sinatra should have been Sky Masterson over Marlon Brando in the film adaptation of Guys and Dolls .  While I am sure there are good arguments as to why Sky should have been played by Sinatra, I am 100% in the Brando camp.  I know he is not a perfect singer (something often referenced), but there is something about Marlon Brando that makes him perfect for the character of Sky.  It’s the way he looks at a person.  It’s the way he acts around others.  There is something about Marlon Brando no one else has that works perfectly for the character.  Plus, I’m not a fan of Sinatra.      Nathan Detroit (Frank Sinatra) has a problem.   He needs a site for an underground craps game, but no one will let him use their place.   Only one man will even consider it, and he wants $1,000 upfront.   Money Nathan does not have.      To raise the money, Na...

               I will be the first to tell you that I don’t like Shakespeare.   That probably sounds odd coming from a person who has a background in both English and theatre, but it’s the truth.   Except for Hamlet , I’ve never grabbed onto Shakespeare’s plays.   I wouldn’t say it was quite dread that I felt when I had to read Shakespeare in one of my classes (unless we’re talking about Romeo and Juliet ), but I certainly did not look forward to it.   Which is why it is probably strange that I had any interest in watching ShakespeaRe-told in the first place.   All I can say is for some reason it grabbed me.   I saw a preview for ShakespeaRe-told in front of another show and something made me want to give it a try.   It could have been that the plays were set in modern day and I was curious to see what the creators did.   Or it might have been that I saw James McAvoy and I...

               The list of atrocities Hitler and his Nazis did could go on and on.   Most of these acts can never be reversed, but there are a few that can.   One is the return of art and other possessions to their rightful owners.   During their power, the Nazis raided Jewish homes.   They took whatever they wanted without any thought that these items were not rightfully theirs to have.   If a Nazi wanted a piece of art or jewelry he took it and that was the end of the story.   At least it was for them.   For those who lost their possessions, the sight of their possessions being taken right in front of their eyes stayed with them for the rest of their lives.   What made the situation even worse was once the war was over, most of these items were never returned to their rightful owners.   Instead they went to others who claimed they had the right to own them despite the ...