FTWBooks2024

While watching Miriam and Alan Lost in Scotland  I was quite taken by Miriam Margolyes and when I found out she had written an autobiography, I had to read it. I would give this five stars, except that it is written for a British audience.  She tells her entire professional history, naming perhaps hundreds of people with whom she has worked, but even though I am a theater person, I only recognized the names of a handful of them, until she got to the USA and started making movies.  There is also a lot about her feelings about British politics that it's difficult to follow. That said, this is an otherwise delightful book and it got me checking out movies she has made ( James and the Giant Peach is just plain weird !) and the wonderful 3 part documentary she made to learn about Australia, after she became a citizen of that country.  (I was disappointed that she never went to Western Australia and in 3 hours of material, we never see one single kangaroo!) As I said, I wo...

  After the horrible experience of reading "Annie's Rainbow," Jeri and I took on this Kristen Hannah book, which was wonderful.  This is a family story, featuring Angie, who has always wanted a baby, but can't bring a pregnancy to fruition.  After her father's death, she decides to return home and see if she can't help the family restaurant, which is failing. At the same time, there is Lauren, a high school student with an alcoholic mother, who is trying to raise money to pay the rent on their apartment. Angie and Lauren become friends.  Lauren goes to work in the restaurant and becomes part of Angie's family, especially after her mother leaves her.   Lauren has some serious problems which tear her away from the family, but she and Angie manage to work things out in a way that is satisfactory for both of them. This was such a fun read!

I didn't finish this book....too ridiculous.    Jeri and I finished "The Elephant Keeper" and are now reading "Annie's Rainbow" by Fern Michaels.   I told Jeri  I'd read a Fern Michaels book and it was really good, so I  thought I'd get another?  I just checked my book reports and it wasn't Fern Michaels, it was  Freida McFadden, which may explain why we're having such a problem with this book.  We haven't decided if we are going to finish it or not. Here is a bit of a summary of the things we're having problems with.  Two friends in Boston are going to move to North Carolina to start a business.  In Boston, they take a walk around the grounds of Boston College...which has no grounds to walk around (Jeri tells me).   Before they move, there is a bank robbery of half a million dollars in small bills that can't be traced, all stuck in a satchel which nobody can find after  the robbery.  Then Annie finds the satchel...