Review: In Pieces by Sally Field

In Pieces by Sally Field
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have always loved Sally Field. I was quite young when she did the Gidget and the Flying Nun. I always wished I could fly. I was much older when Sibil came out. I read the book and loved how Ms. Field acted the part. But aside from the roles she played, I felt her a person I would like to get to know. I know there was more to her than the girlie comic of Gidget and the Nun. Much later, Norma Rae and Steel Magnolias proved it.

But what of her person? How did she feel? Sally read her autobiography so you could feel her pain or joys.

I highly recommend this in audio form. I was lucky to find it on Libby. Oh, and have Kleenex for the ending. At three in the morning, as I finished, I was a sloppy mess!

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Review: Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories by Kelly Ripa

Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories by Kelly Ripa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a fun book. Sure, Kelly comes to our living room before coffee, way overdressed for our sloppy morning PJs. I think she had coffee way earlier than we did. Especially here on the west coast. Just a quick aside: Aren’t you tired of waking up to New York if you live here in the west?

Anyway, back to the book. I had the Audible, and I highly recommend ‘reading’ the book this way. Ms. Ripa narrates with the occasional Mark Consuelos addendum. In his voice. You miss that fun interaction between husband and wife in the paper copy.

Not many books hit on the empty nest issues. When you are young and pregnant, there are times when you are overwhelmed by books about expecting or dealing with kids. But the issues of offspring moving into adulthood and how it affects the people left behind are few.

I love that the story is broken into many little stories rather than a point-by-point history autobiography. I highly recommend this bit of entertainment.

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Review: Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up by Selma Blair

Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up by Selma Blair
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Many reviews about this book are high, some are low ratings. It’s her life. I don’t think it is up to me to judge it. Her life is far different than mine. Yet, I found a deep dive into another life, another memoir gave me insight into writing my own.

Until I saw Selma Blair on the View, I think it was, I had only heard the name and couldn’t put a face with the name. Not too uncommon for me with anyone. Her movies weren’t my type of movie. But I have known friends and loved ones that had MS. It is such a horrifying disease. I was curious to see how this person handled it.

If you like autobiographies, memoirs, this is for you. If you don’t, you might move forward to another read. Ms. Blair gets personal and honest about many aspects of her life. I found the writing well done. And her voice is actively involved; honest tears are felt when she reads the parts most vulnerable.

Since her life always included pain and depression, it is spelled out quite often. If that is triggering for you, this might not be the read for you. It does help to see how someone else worked through her own darkness. I think it was worth the read.

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Ali’s Well That Ends Well: Tales of Desperation and a Little Inspiration by Ali Wentworth

Ali’s Well That Ends Well: Tales of Desperation and a Little Inspiration by Ali Wentworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Even COVID19 has nothing on the humor of this fine lady.

I have enjoyed Ali Wentworth on Kelly and Ryan’s show as she is on there as a co-host or guest often. She speaks her truth humorously and always makes me feel we could be friends. I like her take on everything. When she mentioned she’d written a book, I found and put it on hold on Libby.

Even though it was her experience with the virus and her family’s, as scary as that can be for some of us, Ms. Wentworth found the lighter side and shared it with us.

I enjoyed this so much that I have already picked up another of her books on Libby and have her podcast lined up on Audible.

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Review: Worn Stories by Emily Spivack

Worn Stories by Emily Spivack
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After watching the Worn Stories on Netflix, I decided to look this up. I found it on Libby as a Kindle version.

I wish I had found it as an Audible version or paper copy. Text-to-Speech doesn’t stop for pictures. I didn’t feel like stopping the stories just to look at the pictures of old clothes that held no meaning for me. It works better as a show as you see the person talking and their story with their memory clothing. The Kindle version makes it a dry story with no personality.

AND I’m not too fond of short stories. Ever. I wanted a lot more depth. I could deal with each story being a book unto itself.

Don’t we all have those favorite bits of clothes that bring us memories and comfort? I sure do.

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Review: Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek

Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First of all, don’t read this book before going to sleep. Or you won’t, especially from the part about 9/11 on. Still, it is such an engaging read. And the narrator, Tanya Eby, made the book lively, even though much of it is about death.

If Grey’s Anatomy has taught me anything about the life of a potential surgeon, it is the lack of sleep and how dangerous that lack can be for the doctor and the patient. It is that lack of sleep and trying to be a young mother that the author, Judy Melinek, realized she needed a different path, even though this path was nearly finished for the author. But all that training did lead her to be a Medical Examiner in New York.

We Americans hide from sex and death. We can talk of taxes until the cows come home. But of the two topics, death seems the least discussed. And that is too bad. We need to know about that part of life for ourselves and our loved ones.

If you are a writer, this book can be quite the reference. I can see many ways the book can be used to write a mystery or lend credence to a fatality in the novel.

I highly recommend this book, especially in audio form. I was lucky to pick it up from the library on Libby.

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Review: Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could by Adam Schiff

Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could by Adam Schiff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Midnight in Washington was not a good book to read before going to sleep. It was a Libby (library) audio in the author’s voice, so I wanted to neither keep myself awake on reliving the horror of January 6th or miss parts of the story by falling asleep as the recording continued. So I settled on listening while busy with my hobbies, keeping my hands busy but my mind engaged in the reading.

I saw the author, Adam Schiff, on several talk shows and knew I wanted to hear his account of what had happened. I was surprised and pleased to see he included an autobiography. Meaning you were seeing what happened from his point of view.

I felt the book was honest and fair to others as it occurred to the author.

It is interesting having read this before the hearings we are listening to today. I feel more engaged and understand more. I highly recommend this book, especially in Adam Schiff’s calming voice.

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Finishing Friday

I’m loving the sunset part of this lighthouse picture. This one is confetti so I work it like this:

I gather little bits of each color represented in the block I’m working. So far it works for me.

Sometimes I pop them on in a row, or by one color at a time. But I love to pop the drills on in checkerboard.

See the sun area? After checkerboarding I fill in the missing bits and find I don’t need to straighten the lines as much.

Now if only I could see the real thing. Diamond Painting does bring a bit of that peace.

A quick summary of everything else. I only skipped Morning Pages one day last week.

My memoir, Moving, is moving along but behind.

Two pairs of socks are growing row by row, much more slowly lately.

My hands found their way to play recorders this week.

My eyes actually made progress in reading real paper books. I do get tired still so I’m looking into ways to train my visual tracking.

Two books are waiting for reviews.

How was your week? Oh, and Have a great weekend!

Finishing Friday

More like sort of beginning.

I’m at 41,852 in the autobiography. Dividing it up like this between three months is nearly painless.

I finally got the beach sunset up. Square drills are the worst! Some are still trying to pop off. I hated my painted frame. I used too much sealant trying to keep those tiles on. So the idea of a sunset on a beach is on the wall above the piano. My dream area in Dar’s Dabbling Den, right next to my gifted Mermaid (thank you, Georgia). Yeah. Now I see they need to be straightened. And tenor recorder tried to get into the act.

I started a new diamond painting. A lighthouse. It is bigger than others I’ve done. It’s for my husband.

Here’s a quick unboxing.

Size. And look how great those symbols look. This should be easy!

It came with easy instructions.

Two pens and cushions instead of just one. At least two waxes.

Lots of little baggies.

Open on my easel in my drill catching tray/lid. The bags of colors.

Another look at the drills in baggies.

Here’s my first days work. That bit on the upper right. I had to roll up the left side to fit in my easel.

Today’s work. Play!

Knitting socks continues but less than the diamond painting. But the progress doesn’t show up much in pics, just a couple rows each.

So what have you been up to? Being retired is great!

Review: Persist by Elizabeth Warren

Persist by Elizabeth Warren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I picked this audiobook up on Libby. For a non-fiction memoir, it was a quick ‘read.” I think it was a couple of sessions. Elizabeth Warren read her book, which made it even better. She is so enthusiastic and thorough. I love her take on the world. I wish I felt as optimistic as she is that all this could work. But I’m all for trying.

Ms. Warren brought up every issue facing women. She also gave ideas on how to handle the bigotry in the world. Her voice and energy are contagious. I enjoyed the stories of her life. I highly recommend this book.

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