DoJ: Imperfect Bliss: A Novel

Imperfect Bliss: A Novel by Susan Fales-Hill

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Imperfect Bliss is an interesting edition to the Austen-inspired collection. Set in suburban Washington D.C., this contemporary, chick-lit follows Bliss Harcourt, a divorced mother and graduate student, on her path of rediscovery. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are very recognizable in Harold and Forsynthia Harcourt, a British professor of the history of science and a Jamaican-born Anglophile. Jane Bennet has transformed into Victoria Harcourt a thirty-five year-old librarian, who can't seem to love any man. The two younger Harcourts, Diana and Charlotte, are a mish-mash of the three youngest Benets, clamoring for attention in all the wrong ways, including being the star of a reality-TV show reminiscent of The Bachelorette and a sex-tape scandal.

What really intrigued me about this book was the fact that the Harcourt family dynamic was the center of the plot, not the romance between Bliss (Elizabeth) and Dario (the Latino TV director, Darcy). In fact Dario was such a flat and uninteresting character, I really didn't want Bliss to end up with him at all. I would have been much happier with Bliss realizing that she could be happy without a man after all three of the happily-ever-after potentials (ex-husband, dashing older professor, and Wickham character) turned out to be duds. The romantic aspect of the novel just seemed so forced and slapped on to the end that I was left feeling completely unsatisfied, especially after all of Bliss's feminist, politically correct, and self-actualized leanings in the book, especially when dealing with her mother and younger sisters as well as the lessons she tries to instill in her four year-old daughter, who reminds me of the little girl from Hope Floats.

So while the handling of the Bennet/Harocurt family dynamic was intriguing, the half-hearted attempt at romance left me feeling cold.

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Review: Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon

Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon by Melissa Anelli

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



A wonderful, insightful look at the fandom of Harry Potter from an insider's perspective. Anelli gives parallel histories of the Potter phenomenon: her own personal journey from novice Potter reader to super-fan, webmistress of The Leaky Cauldron as well as the stories of J.K. Rowling, the series' inception, and various big players in the Potter fandom. Covering topics like fan fiction, wizard rock, spoilers, and book challenges, Harry, A History gives an enthralling look into the deep and diverse Muggle world of Harry Potter. This well written guide will give any Potter fan back stage glimpses to the real world of Harry Potter, and the forward from J.K. Rowling doesn't hurt.

On a personal note, this book opened my eyes to the breadth of the Potter phenomenon. I'm what I like to call a periphery fan, not a FAN in the purest sense of the word. I obsess privately, don't own much merchandise, and only geek out once in awhile. This book makes me wish I had taken greater part in the greater phenomenon while it was still fresh and ongoing.

Favorite quote (context - Anelli's private interview with Rowling several months after the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:

"I have one last question: What does she [J.K. Rowling] hope people will take with them about this time?

She pauses, but then the answer is right on her tongue.

'When all the fuss and hoopla dies away, and when all the press commentary dies away, I think it will be seen that the phenomenon was generated, in the first instance, bu kids loving a book. A book went on shelves, and a few people loved it. When all of the smoke and lights die away, that's what you'll be left with.

'And that's the most wonderful thought for an author.'"



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Review: Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work

Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work by Tim Gunn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I loved it! Tim Gunn's unique voice really comes through in this advice/tell-all book. He expounds on his philosophies of good behavior, ambition, teaching, and even parenting. The book is deeply personal as Gunn's family dynamics (including his father's relationship with J. Edgar Hoover) and professional life play a major role throughout.

A must read for any Tim Gunn fan going through withdrawal when Project Runway is not airing.

Favorite quotes from the book:

"But let us not be swept up in this tide of rudeness. This book (in addition to being a fun excuse to tell some of my fashion-world stories) is a call to arms, a manifesto for kindness, generosity, and integrity. I hope will join me in trying to make society a friendlier, more polite, and less aggressive place."

"Also: If you're going to yell demands for food into a room full of strangers, you'd better be as fabulous as Diane von Furstenburg if you expect to get away with it."

"There are times for protest, for civil disobedience, but on a day-to-day basis, it's best to avoid bringing out the big guns."

"Never try to resolve an emotional conflict over food. I recommend ordering drinks instead - with neither ice nor olives."

"Why bitch-slap someone unless you're leaving the planet for good? Don't burn bridges; you might need them later."

"If I were a waiter and someone talked rudely to me, I know I would be seriously tempted." I would never intentionally put someone's life at risk, bu half-a-dozen laxative tablets disolved in a cup of coffee would be sweet payback, indeed."

"I can't imagine a more aesthetically offensive item of footwear than Crocs. That little strap! I shudder."

"I also have no problem if you want to find a cave and have someone roll a boulder in front of it. To each his own."

"Call me a schoolmarm, but few things make me angrier than people not taking care of library materials." ~A man after my own heart!

"But let's talk some more about the bad ones, because they're the most fun to gossip about, and they deserve a little public shaming."



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