Women at 40, 50, 60 and beyond have been vindicated in Ephron's book about life and aging. We all stand by and watch as the crow's feet multiply, the laugh lines deepen, the waist and hips widen. We fight the process with miracle creams, Botox injections, surgical intervention, diet, exercise, meditation - whatever the craze of the day happens to be, but there's no cure-all for growing older.
I Feel Bad About My Neck is a collection of essays that shed insight and humor on marriage, parenting, and aging in a way both sexes can relate to. In the end, it's all about putting it in perspective and realizing there's so much more to life than our physical appearance.
Unbeknownst to me, Ephron collaborated on such scripts as Bewitched, Hanging Up, You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, and When Harry Met Sally (among others). I'll definitely be picking up more of her collections in the future.
Hailed as one of England's "most acclaimed practitioners of literary unease," I don't even know where to begin to blog about this McEwan novel. In Between The Sheets is one of his earliest works (if not his first) and is a collection of short stories, most of which delve further into the seedy underbelly of humanity than I care to ponder. I'm no prude, and have few "delicate sensibilities," but found some of these stories simply twisted. It is Stephen King-esque, only sordid. Freud would have a grand ole time with McEwan.
McEwan is the author of Atonement (a recent motion picture which I have not yet seen), and was highly recommended to me by a friend whose opinion I appreciate. Certainly, he writes with literary flourish not often seen today. With that in mind, I plan to read some of his newer work - perhaps even Atonement - to see if his subject matter has changed any through the years. Ironically, I have another collection of his early works on my bookshelf, but I think I'll take a breather and read something a bit more lighthearted and carefree before attempting to decipher the workings of this man's youthful mind.
S
andra Brown has talent. She can craft a legal thriller with a strong romantic subplot that remains central to the overall story without crossing into the forefront. Standoff, however, was a little different. The entire novel read more like something from the teen genre than a true legal thriller.
Reporter Tiel McCoy ends up a hostage in a small town convenience store robbery. The perpetrators are a runaway, pregnant teenage couple. Naturally, the girl goes into labor in the middle of the heist, and the young father finds himself stressed out with events beyond his control. Conveniently, another of the hostages happens to be a former oncologist.
Both local authorities and the FBI become involved in the hostage negotiation and, of course, McCoy's news station maneuvers its way into the exclusive play-by-play. I won't spoil the ending except to say that a second love story develops among the hostages.
Brown writes very well, which happens to be this book's saving grace. The story itself becomes entirely too predictable and unrealistic. This is Brown's first attempt at real time writing, meaning that the entire course of events takes place during the length of time taken to write the book. In this case, that's about 8 to 10 hours, which could account for the lack of depth and development required to make it an absolute page-turner.
I hate to say this about a Sandra Brown novel, but overall, this is another take-it-or-leave-it book.
Small town girl meets rich Hollywood producer, falls in love, and signs a ridiculously one-sided prenup. She's a classic blond knockout. He's a classic narcissist. (Sorry guys...) The marriage lasts almost - but not quite - 8 years. Prince Charming teaches the little lady to be the perfect arm decoration. She knows what to wear, where to shop, who to be seen with, how to entertain. Until one inevitable day when Starlet of the Month catches the Prince's eye.
The fairy tale crumbles and Haley Cutler finds herself locked out of her home and abandoned by her "friends." Hence, her road to self-discovery and independence that ultimately lands her in a relationship with her ex-husband's bigshot divorce attorney. Yeah...the same guy that got her to sign the prenup worth $10k per year. (I'm pretty sure that's less than minimum wage.)
This book could've been hilarious and endearing, but fell short in both areas. The main characters were cast in the worst of stereotypical molds, and the peripheral characters appeared to gain trust and places of prominence based upon cliche' and convenience. It was one of those books you continue to read in the hope that it will suddenly get better. Unfortunately, that's simply not the case. The ending is weak and sappy, leaving the reader with a sense of relief that they can check this one off the reading list and move forward.
This is second Patterson book I've read, the first being 4th of July. It is the story of a former FBI agent who left the field for a quieter life in private practice as a psychologist. He is now being pursued by two psychotics, one of which is a former federal agent as well, and someone that Detective Alex Cross helped put away. It was a steady read, but I felt it never reached any true crescendo of suspense. Even the twists and turns didn't keep me from setting the book aside to do laundry or play with the dog.
Ultimately, the book isn't a complete disappointment, but the characters lacked the depth and definition required to snare my full attention.
Women at 40, 50, 60 and beyond have been vindicated in Ephron's book about life and aging. We all stand by and watch as the crow's feet multiply, the laugh lines deepen, the waist and hips widen. We fight the process with miracle creams, Botox injections, surgical intervention, diet, exercise, meditation - whatever the craze of the day happens to be, but there's no cure-all for growing older.
