But Enough About Me: How a Small Town Girl Went from Shag Carpet to the Red Carpet

8 oz

Total: 3lbs 8oz






This is one of the funniest books I've read in quite some time. It is the true story of how Jancee Dunn got her start at Rolling Stone and tried to make a go at fitting in. The book is sectioned off in alternating chapters: one, is how to go about interviewing celebrities with great descriptions of different celebrity interviews she did herself and the pitfalls of certain questions and two, is her home life and how she tries desperately to be a Rock and Roll chick while being brought up by a very square family.

Jancee is just like you and me in other words. She was picked up out of her somewhat boring 80's life and thrust into the faces of celebrities such as Madonna and Ben Affleck. What to do? For starters she walked around with Ben Affleck doing her interview and ended up being described as his girlfriend (complete with pictures) in certain magazines. It's very easy to see how mags like US and People use pictures to make up their stories. And they do. A lot. She describes how being an interviewer for Rolling Stone put her in situations where the band she was supposed to interview, were more interested in getting her to do her first hit of heroin. She names names. With the exception of two completely ridiculous quotes that were given to her regarding a choking child and Sept. 11th. She couldn't bring herself to share those names because their reputations would have been smashed. She lists the quotes though, and they are priceless.

I highly recommend this book if you love reading about celebrities and getting the dirt on how journalists actually conduct themselves.

Forget About It

Forget About It: 10 oz

Total: 3 lbs



I became a huge fan of Caprice Crane after reading "Stupid and Contagious". I went so far as to write her a little note letting her know how much I loved the book. The same day I sent her the email, I got a long response back from her and an invite to a book signing. Caprice Crane is not only a fantastic and original author, but she's also friendly with her fans.

I loved "Forget About It". One thing that Caprice Crane does that I love so much is throw in pop culture references. I loved the fact that Jordan just happened to see "Regarding Henry" right before her car accident. I don't know how many people got that reference, but I felt so good that I did! I also loved that Jordan named her cockroach. That has been a running gag in my family for years (I've named intruding mice, and once a skunk). Caprice's characters are so easy to like (and hate.... Dirk!), and they remind you of your own friends and family.

I'm eagerly awaiting the third book from Caprice Crane. I know she will not disappoint and she will definitely entertain.

Lean hits it on the nose

Just finished: Janet Evanovich's "Lean Mean Thirteen". The book weighed 1 lb 2 oz

Total: 2 lbs 6 oz

Well, the title was right, this book certainly was lean. Lean as in not much to sink your teeth into. I really feel that Janet Evanovich has lost all of her steam with this series and is just putting books out there for the money. The story was thin, and the characters have not moved forward at all. If anything, they've moved back. I'm really disappointed in what she's done with the Stephanie/ Ranger/ Morelli triangle. Both men are now in a pissing contest over her and Stephanie is completely oblivious. Neither Ranger nor Morelli seems to care that the other one is trying to get her, yet I'm supposed to believe that they both care for her deeply. What had first been playful and fun to read (maybe in the first 8 of the series) is now just played out, boring, and totally unrealistic.

The only saving grace is that Grandma Mazur got another boyfriend for this book and he was a hoot. I'm now more interested in the side characters than I am in the main storyline. Oh, and a la Kramer on Seinfeld, you finally find out Tank's real first name.

I definitely will not be buying the next one when it comes out in hardcover. Janet Evanovich has just been downgraded to the Amazon special (used books for a penny).

Beebread stops by

Here is a poem by my dear friend Beebread-Florin:




"It's cold out here"
That's what you said.
You lit a candle,
Then went to bed.

I called you an idiot
You poked me in the eye.
As our house burned down
You baked a pie.

It wasn't very yummy
being pudding and ham
One day I'll learn
Our marriage is a sham.

You look like a bum
and smell like feet
You are particularly potent
In very high heat.

I should have known better
When I looked at your dad
That marriage to you
Would only end bad.

Suffice it to say
you live and you learn
So I threw you in the house
To watch you burn.

Readers in Thongs Challenge

I am participating in a contest called readers in thongs weight loss book challenge. You can read the rules at the website, which is being hosted by Matitwonky. The basic gist is to see how much weight in books you can read (lose) by the end of December. First up for me was "Kane and Abel" by Jeffery Archer. My first book weighed 1 lb 4 oz.

I was less than impressed with the book until the very last five pages. The book didn't seem to have any original ideas and I was disheartened by the time it turned into a full blown "Romeo and Juliet". I saw most of what was coming before it happened, that is, until the last five pages. I never imagined my entire opinion of the book could be swayed by the last few paragraphs. I'm very hard to please where ending of books are concerned (see Steven King for a plethora of examples), but I think this was the best example of how a book should end. No big red bows, no gripped to your seat shocker, just a perfect ending to a story of two men out for revenge.

Next up is "Lean Mean Thirteen" by Janet Evanovich, which I only started today and am already halfway through. I love her character Stephanie Plum, but Miss Evanovich really skimped here. The book is over 300 pages, but the margins are halfway into the page and the writing is very big. In reality the book is about 100 pages. Didn't weigh it yet, but I'm glad the publisher put it out in a book that is way too big for the story.

Happy reading all!!