Tuesday, January 24, 2012

"Run" by Ann Patchett

A book review.


  I recently finished listening to the audio book of "Run" by Ann Patchett. I enjoyed it quite a bit. As usual, her characters were beautiful and human. I love how many of the characters in her books have really unusual jobs. The characters in my screenplays always have the most stereotypical, boring jobs because I'm too lazy to research a job outside my comfort zone. Most of the time, their jobs aren't terribly important to the story, so I don't worry about it too much. But I think in the future, I'm going to try to write a character who's more defined by his/her job. I think that would be interesting, and a good excercise for me. It definitely had interesting effects on the characters in this book.
     Unlike some of Patchett's other books, this one felt like it built to a realisting conclusion that became a natural ending. And the title is perfect. One of the best titles for a book I've read. ***

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Another Reason Why the World Hates America

Lucky kids.


I've had a subscription to Lucky magazine for more than a few years. It's a more down-to-earth Vogue, but without the interesting interviews. I don't know, it makes me feel more girly getting a fashion magazine every month, and I enjoy imagining myself as the fashionista I clearly am not.

In this month's magazine, I was sent a Lucky kids supplement. You know, in case you're worried your kids will get made fun of if they don't show up to their first day of kindergarten in Dolce & Gabbana. They seriously have Gucci and Burberry ads FOR CHILDREN. It makes me queasy. And really? Like that kid's not hiding that wolf-eared scarf monstrosity in his backback the minute he's out of Mom's sight.

And then, there's the worst headline: "I want my kid's hair color!" Um, it is your kid. You probably gave him/her the color hair they have. Is there really much to be jealous of here? If it's not your hair color, it's probably your significant other's, and really, on what magazine would you ever, ever read: "I want my husband's hair color!"? Because that would just be sad. Almost as sad as Lucky kids.

Note: I wrote this post months ago and somehow forgot to publish it. Since then, another issue of Lucky kids has been included in my subscription. The madness continues.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Golden Globes 2011

Again, I don't care who won any awards. It's all about who won the award of looking best on the red carpet. My picks, starting with two HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Tilda Swinton. I love your style. You march to your own drummer and end up looking fantastic more times than not. This was SO CLOSE. I love the color. And the hair, the hair is dynamic. But I hate, hate, hate the skirt. If this had been paired with pants, it might have been my favorite look of the night.


Evan Rachel Wood. Your makeup looks better than it has in a long time. I think I might even be able to see actual skin on your face, and that is a blessing. The color of your dress is amazing. And it sparkles! And I love sparkles. But then it tries to turn into a bird at the bottom, and I just can't get behind that. It's like performance art for a story about the mermaid that fell in love with a bird or something. If it was all sequins, I would have loved it. Heck, if it had been all green feathers, I probably would've loved it. But I don't care so much for the hybrid.


Okay, so onto the great stuff. Here are my 5 favorites of the evening, in no particular order:

Salma Hayak. I love the gold on the bodice, and I love the black shiny lines on the skirt. This looks regal, like a modern Cleopatra. LOVE.


Nicole Kidman. I love how structured this is. It also strikes me as Egyptian looking. Hmm. Maybe I'm on a Nile kick...
Only about five people on this planet could pull this off, and lord bless us all that one of them chose to actually wear the dress in public.


Sarah Michelle Gellar. And now for the exact opposite of the Nile. This is normally a dress that I don't care for, but add the crazy print and I'm on board. It's so fun. And the hair and makeup are perfect for the look.


Emma Stone. This dress rocks. I love the detail on the shoulders, then the magenta on the side, and the slit that's not vulgar. I know, everyone loved the eagle at the waist. I won't fault her for it, but I don't think it elevated anything. The dress was already good enough on its own.


Charlize Theron. I usually don't like nude dresses. Snore. But this one is just pink enough and so floaty, and then sexy with the slit. This reminds me of a better version Gwyneth Paltrow's Oscar-winner, probably because of the color and the low neck.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Books I Read in 2011

This year I'm going to blog about each book as I finish it, because none of these books is going to get the attention or criticism it deserves. Mostly because my memory is very, very poor.

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
***   = Excellent & Worth a Read
**     = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
*       = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

Let's just go in the order I read them. I should say "read." A fair number of these were audio books (have I mentioned that I have a long commute?), which is a different experience from reading a book, but not so different that they can't be judged under the same criteria. I try to listen to only unabridged audio books, but sometimes a book was too enticing and only the abridged version was available.


The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

I loved this book. What can I say? I remember talking to a friend a long time ago and him telling me that Jonathan Franzen received some negative criticism on his previous novel and was all, you just wait and see, my next one is the next great American novel, and he miraculously lived up to his own hype. So, ten years later, I finally got around to checking it out myself, and I would have to agree. It's deeply dark, yet hilarious. Rich, colorful characters. The whole book felt genuine. I love the casting of Diane Weiss and Chris Cooper for HBO's pilot. But I'm not sure about Noah Baumbach. I know he'll capture the darkness, I'm just not sure about the funny, and that's what makes The Corrections special. Best book I read in 2011. ****

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I've picked this one up a couple of times but never made it through until this year. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's dark, but I think there's a rom com hidden in their somewhere. I'm going to try and dig it out. ***

The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

Liked the first half of the book, then my interest dwindled. I didn't like the ending, either. It's the same ending that's been done better in other classic novels. **

Room by Emma Donoghue

This started out promising as well, but I really don't get the hype with this one. Yes, it's a good idea. But I don't think the execution was the best. The character inconsistencies are too noticeable to overlook. The suspension of disbelief is too much. Also, I don't know why this story was set in the U.S. I mean, I know we've had terrible kidnapping incidents like the one in the book in the U.S., but the author was clearly not American, made blazingly clear by her word choices. I can't remember specifically, but it was akin to referring to the bathroom as the loo on more than one occasion. I just wish she would've set it in whatever country she's from because it would've been one less thing that rubbed me the wrong way. **

Waiting by Ha Jin

This one is tricky. The writing was solid, but I wasn't whisked away or sucked into the story. But, again, excellent writing. ***

The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro

Not as good as last year's favorite Runaway, but Alice Munro is a great writer and these short stories don't disappoint. ***

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

This was not as good as I'd expected. I loved The Grapes of Wrath and this one didn't hold up. Lots of very unnatural sounding conversations. Don't think Steinbeck would've made a good screenwriter. **

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (audio book)

Hmmm. I expected to cry and did not, which was probably good as I was driving. Maybe my focus was in the wrong place, but I just kept being pulled from the emotional center of this book from the author's name dropping. Hotel name dropping. I think I have a problem: my empathy runs thin for wealthy people. Or maybe my empathy runs thin for wealthy people who talk about having no money on their honeymoon and then saying eff it and going to the Beverly Hills Hotel. Um. And. No. That is not what not having money is. And then later living in the Beverly Wilshire for months at a time (this time it was acknowledged that there was money). Maybe if I didn't live in L.A. and know where and how much these hotels are. But, why all the hotel name dropping? And why did these small details emphasizing privelidge comletely push me away from the story? Death is death. Sickness is sickness. But my empathy isn't empathy. **

Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje (audio book)

So I was reading this book about these three characters, and I was wrapped up in it, and then it got all cliffhangery and we went to a different set of characters who were a snore and... wait for it... never went back to the original characters. When it comes to books & movies, I try to know as little as possible before experiencing. I change channels to avoid trailers, I don't read reviews. I don't read the backs of books before checking them out. Halfway through this book I read the back cover because I was confused on who this book was supposed to be about. And, wouldn't you know, the back cover described the first, interesting storyline, never to be resolved. So I wasn't crazy after all. *

The Rug Merchant by Meg Mullins (audio book)

Meg Mullins is excellent with dialogue. I wonder how many screenplays she written. If she hasn't written any, she should. ***

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris (audio book)

Perhaps not his best collection, but thoroughly enjoyable as always. And I love that he reads his own book. **

On Beauty by Zadie Smith (audio book)

Zadie Smith might just be my new favorite writer. Can't wait to read White Teeth. What a great voice. This one was another dysfunctional family saga, much like The Corrections, but funnier and not as dark. Which did not translate into a lighter read/listen. ****

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon (audio book - abridged)

I loved The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time, so I decided to settle for the abridged version of this. It has the trademark Mark Haddon humor. Didn't find the lead character as sympathetic as I would've liked to. But I suppose that added to the humor. Also, I don't know what was cut out, but this didn't feel abridged. So, good job, whoever edited this. But I'm not going to rate it due to the abridgement.

The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson (audio book - abridged)

This one, on the other hand, felt abridged. Mostly because it was really good and I wanted more. A serial killer against the amazing backdrop of the World's Fair. And a true story! Come on? This would be a movie if it wasn't so expensive to make. It made me miss Chicago and realize how little I know about a city I lived in for four years. No rating due to abridgement.

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (audio book)

An amazing collection of short stories. It's been months since I finished it, and the last line of the last story still haunts me. ****

The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett (audio book)

Not as good as Bel Canto, but a solid read. My only gripe is that I don't think Ann Patchett is very good at endings. She has rich characters, interesting plots, and then comes time for the ending and...yeah. Bel Canto's ending felt completely rushed and tacked on to me. TMA fared slightly better but it still felt too sudden. Amazing how a slightly-off ending can change your entire opinion about a book. ***

I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron (audio book)

Nora Ephron is my screenwriting hero and she could read the doodles on her napkin and I would think it was funny.***

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

2012 Resolutions


New year, new list. Perhaps a little less ambitious than last year.

* Write a 2 BROKE GIRLS spec.
* Finish first draft of outlined sitcom pilot.
* Polish THE RIGHT REASONS and TEN SECONDS.
* Finish first drafts of two new screenplays.
* Apply to Nickelodeon, Warner Bros, Tracking B, & Nicholl Contests/ Fellowships.
* Train for and run a 10K.
* Eat at 10 new (for me) acclaimed restaurants.
* Blog an average of twice per week.
* Read 12 books (at least).
* Quit biting my nails. REALLY.

Cheers to 2012!