Growing up in TV and Hollywood seemed normal to Ron and Clint Howard as children. But through this memoir they look back in wonder at an incredible journey. Here is my book review The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family by Clint Howard and Ron Howard
For my generation Ron and Clint Howard are a fixture of our childhood; Andy Griffith, Gentle Ben, Happy Days and many more. But unlike many child actors, Ron and Clint went on to survive and be successful thanks in a huge part to the love and guidance of remarkable parents.
I really enjoyed this book for the reminiscence it gave me of movies and television I had forgotten about from my youth, but just as much for the anecdotes and stories. Stories of what it was like to grow up in front of the camera in an industry that more often than not destroys hopes and dreams.
How did Clint and Ron survive and thrive? In this book, chapter by chapter, each brother tells his point of view of the good times and bad, love and loss, drugs and money, hopes and dreams. And through it all the remarkable guiding hand each had of loving parents who served as guardian and friend but never demanding stage parent or money-monger.
Nostalgic and insightful, The Boys is a journey of one families experience in a city that is unforgiving and an industry where more fail than succeed. I enjoyed it and I think you would too. Thanks for reading my book review The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family by Clint Howard and Ron Howard
*****Five Stars for The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family by Clint Howard and Ron Howard.
Read last week’s review Taste – My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci
My current read So Brave Young and Handsome by Leif Enger
As you likely know, I love food. I love to cook, eat and I especially like to explore foods of the world when I travel. I find the connection of food to world cultures utterly fascinating. And I like food so much I even like reading about food. So I knew I would like this book. Here is my book review Taste My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci.
I had heard of Stanley Tucci’s “Searching for Italy” show on CNN, but since I don’t own a TV I had never watched it. It had really good reviews, and so did this book, so I dived right in.
It’s always fun to see another side of a celebrity, and Tucci an award winning actor has a profound foodie side. Not just from his Italian American heritage but about food from travels around the world. In this book he defines himself now as less of an actor and more of a foodie.
The book is a collection of anecdotes from his childhood and college, first and second marriage, acting, writing and traveling. The book includes a wonderful collection of recipes too…and I intend to use these soon.
He also is surprisingly funny. It’s been awhile since I laughed out loud while reading…what is funny about food? Well, when the author is Stanley Tucci there is a lot of funny.
I had a fun and mouth watering read of this short and easy book. I hope you enjoyed my book review Taste My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci.
*****Five stars for Taste My Life Through Food
My current read The Mermaid’s Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
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For those of you who have been following My Fab Fifties Life for awhile, you probably remember we were trapped for two months on the island of Cyprus when the world shut down in March 2020. Although we were on lockdown and didn’t get to see any of the sites, it remains one of the most amazing experiences of our life. Since 2020 we have counted the days until we could return to this beautiful island, which we will do on June 23rd. So, in preparation for that return visit, we read this beautiful book. Here is my book review The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak.
Cyprus
Even if you never intend to visit Cyprus, you should read this book. Isn’t that what is so great about reading anyway…it transports you to somewhere new? The tiny island of Cyprus is one of the most remarkable places I have been…and I don’t think many people know anything about it. The supposed birthplace of Aphrodite this island has seen so much violence and Civil War. Once a British Colony, it became war torn in 1974 when the island was split between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots. Today the border conflict remains and this is the story behind The Island of Missing Trees.
1970’s -2010
The story spans forty years but begins in London in 2010 when we meet Ada, a 15 year old troubled young girl who has recently lost her mother. At first I’m not sure where this young lady fits in, but slowly the story unfolds of her parents love. Her father Kostas, a Greek Cypriot and her mother Defne a Turkish Cypriot are caught up in a forbidden love, just as Cyprus falls deep into Civil War. But how the story gets to London in 2010 is a sad and deep yarn.
The Honorable Fig Tree
Some people might find this part of the book strange, but I absolutely loved that this story is narrated by an old Fig Tree. This tree has stood for generations and has been witness to so much joy, love, grief, war and loss. And still it lives. Although it took me awhile to understand the narrator was a tree, it really added a depth to the story.
Book Review The Island of Missing Trees
Shafka builds a beautiful story, with so much reminiscent of today’s horrifying political unrest in Eastern Europe. The Island of Missing Trees at it’s core is about how politics (and politicians), civil unrest, war and strife cause untenable pain and damage for generations of human beings. So timely for today’s violent world. I hope you enjoyed my book review The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak.
One of the most fun things for me about traveling all over the world and being a travel writer, is meeting so many other travelers and travel writers. One travel writer I consider a friend is Heather Markel, despite the fact we have never met in person! Heather and I will meet for the first time when I am in New York later this month. She has a wonderful story about how she became a full-time traveler, and it is one story featured in this week’s book. Here is my book review Voices of the 21st Century by Gail Watson and Heather Markel.
Voices of the 21st Century
This book is the fifth in a series of Voices of the 21st Century books, highlighting women who make a difference. This book focuses on a series of inspirational essays where women from all walks of life and from many countries share. From triumphs to tragedies, these brave women motivate and galvanize through their writing. They influence and encourage other women to overcome, validate and soar.
My Favorites
I really enjoyed reading all of these essays (a total of 50) but certainly had a few I identified with the most. Of course I enjoyed my friend Heather’s story (page 97) about leaving the corporate chaos for a life of travel. And here are a few more that really spoke to me;
Clearing the Clutter by Sandra Ateca page 5
Dear Younger Me by Kim Combs page 25
Impacting the World One Child at a Time by Dr. Gloria Gonzalez page 41
Dear Zan: A Letter to My Younger Self by Zaneta Varnado Johns page 61
Nature is Conscious by Chiara Marrapodi page 101
An Ever-Evolving Journey: Coal-Mine Canary to Living Legend by Dr. Michelle St. Jane page 133
Calling All Parents: Don’t Forget to Say Thank You by Janet J. Sawyer EdD page 149
And many more…as you can tell from the variety of titles these women discuss a wide range of experiences, challenges and achievements. There is truly something for everyone in this book. I enjoyed getting to know these remarkable women through their individual stories. I think you would too. Thank you for reading my book review Voices of the 21st Century by Gail Watson and Heather Markel.
This book is one that I read for my book club, and I likely would never have picked it up otherwise. But I am glad I did. This is unlike most of the books I read, but it was fascinating; a historical look at one of America’s least known historians. Someone who has roots right in my own back yard. Here is my book review Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher by Timothy Egan.
Handsome, brilliant, talented Edward Curtis could have chosen many paths. But when an accident and injury as a young man caused him to discover photography his life would change forever. And with it the lives of thousands of people in the blossoming United States.
Leaving his family in the pioneering outback of Port Orchard and traveling by boat to the lumber boom town of Seattle, Edward Curtis became one of the best known photographers in the world. Starting with a photo of Princess Angeline, the last surviving daughter of Chief Sealth (Seattle).
Egan follows the story of Curtis’ life for the decades that follow, where he gives up everything to pursue a dream; a dream to capture and record the disappearing Native American tribes before it was too late. For thirty years Curtis will risk his life, as well as his family and finances in an effort to produce the series of books of photos of the American Indian.
It would take everything he had. And the real recognition of his talent and contribution to preservation of the Native American and American West would not be realized until long after his death. The book is a captivating account of his life and passion, the period in the burgeoning USA as well as in my home state of Washington as well as a factual account of the tribes and people who are the real true Americans.
I really enjoyed this book and learned so much. Thank you for reading my book review Short Nights Of The Shadow Catcher by Timothy Egan.
Oh boy this was a good one. Like last week’s review about Hell of a Book, this week we look at another book about a book, but this time the suspense is gonna kill you. Here is my book review The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz.
Jacob Bonner was a promising young author when he published his first book…but since then nothing. His agent has booted him and he is demoralized, teaching and trying to maintain some kind of self-respect.
As a teacher in an annual symposium for up and coming writers, Jacob meets arrogant Evan Parker. Parker immediately tells Bonner he doesn’t need his help writing his book. He is only in the program to find an agent. Bonner dismisses the pompous would be author, until he hears the plot.
It’s a doozy and Bonner knows this self-important young man will go on to make millions…all while Bonner continues to flail away trying to write his next novel.
But Parker never writes the book…why not? When Bonner learns Parker has died tragically, Bonner steals the plot and writes the novel of all novels, becoming a best selling author, rich and famous.
Until Bonner receives an email with one sentence “You are a thief”. And that’s all it takes for Bonner’s world to begin to unravel.
This book has so many twists and turns you will stay up all night turning page after page. A bombshell twist will make you go “Wait. What?” as you try to figure out The Plot and who is out to get who? If you loved Gone Girl, The Plot is right up your alley.
Thank you for reading my Book Review The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz.
*****Five stars for The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
A year end review of reading. I did it. I set a goal last July to read 75 books in a year. And I did it, I read 83 books. Nearly all these books I read on Kindle while we were traveling. A couple were on Audible and a few were good old fashioned paperbacks. I enjoy books in all three applications.
Since the start of the pandemic, I’ve found it a bit difficult to stay focused on a book. My mind wanders a lot. But I still was able to meet my goal, and I also wrote one book review blog a week over the past year.
I don’t think I’ll set a goal for next year. I’m just gonna read for the love of reading. We can see a year from now how that turned out.
Reading Wednesday
I love that our Reading Wednesday feature on this blog is one of the most popular things about My Fab Fifties Life. If I can inspire you to get lost in a book, my job is done here. And hopefully a year end review of reading can do just that.
Although I gave five stars to many of the books I read, below is a list of my most favorite of the 83. In fact in the list below are five that I can say are some of the best books I have ever read…and that is saying a lot.
For a year end review of reading I’ve put those five at the top, and then below that the rest are listed randomly. I hope you can find a favorite of your own amongst this list and I thank you for your continuing support of Reading Wednesday and My Fab Fifties Life.
The Immoralists by Chloe Benjamen – if you were told when you were a child the exact day you would die, how might it affect everything about your life? So is the question Benjamen explores in the brilliant and unique novel The Immoralists. I loved this story.
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn – Just after the end of WWII a young, unmarried and pregnant Charlie goes in search of her missing cousin in Europe. Her search will lead her to horror stories of the war and eventually to her true family and friends. I loved this book.
11/22/63 by Stephen King – I never read Stephen King so I was shocked to find that this story became one of my favorite reads ever. Not just about the assassination of JFK on 11/22/63, but an unequaled time travel book about the choices we might consider if we could go back and change history – would we do it and what would the consequences be. I loved this book.
The Testaments – by Margaret Atwood – Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale continues to rank as one of my favorite books of all time, even after 30 years. So it was with both excitement and trepidation that I waited for the release of the sequel (finally). It was worth the wait. Every bit as compelling and incomparable, even pulling in some subtle nods to the politics of the USA in 2020. I loved this book.
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd – Kidd’s bold re-telling of the story of Jesus once again shows her chutzpa as a writer, her creative ability and incomparable talent to take the reader on a well-worn journey with an absolutely fascinating new twist. I love Kidd’s work and The Book of Longings did not dissapoint. I loved this book.
It was hard for me to only choose five for the list above. Because there were so many good ones this year. Here are 14 more of the very best from the 83 books I finished this year.
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