WWW.WEDNESDAY

 

 

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger. I didn't expect holly jolly from an author known for thrillers, and this one is dark. It's about Madeline, a small-town entrepreneur who bears scars -- one on her face and one on her soul. She was the victim of an assault years ago and one day, when she least expects it, a true crime podcaster comes into her bookstore to buy a Christmas gift ... and to reopen her case.

 
2. What did you recently finish reading? In the Best Families by Rex Stout. A dog is murdered. I get very upset when pets are in peril, and something just awful happens to a dog in this one. I wished I'd been warned about that going in. The thing of it is, I became obsessed with seeing the cruel bastard brought to justice. I got what I wanted.

 

One outstanding thing about this entry is that Lily Rowan has a bigger part! Lily is Archie Goodwin's best girl, and she is drafted into joining the usually all-male team. It's nice to see her take part in the action and acquit herself so well.

3. What will you read next? I don't know.

 

 

 

I screwed up

In terms of consumer traffic, it's either feast or famine at the card shop. It'll be me and sales lead on duty, sprucing up the store and enjoying the carols and then POW! The door opens and shoppers magically appear. Some ask for assistance, which means that often, instead of two of us at the registers, there's only one. 

Our customers are uniformly pleasant and patient. I am grateful for that, because I remain slower than I would like at the register. 

Monday, I screwed up. A 30-something woman wandered in and walked around the store for a while. Then she grabbed a basket and started to shop. She bought a little of everything. Roll wrap, ornaments (buy 1, get 1 50% off), jigsaw puzzles, crafting kits ... all kinds of stuff, many different shapes, some of it breakable. Her final tally was over $200. 

I was slow but careful. Especially with her ornaments. I brought the two big bags around the counter and handed them to her. She thanked me for my help and, after spending over an hour with us, she disappeared out the door. I went on to help those in line behind her.

When the rush was over, I turned around and reached for my water bottle. That's when I saw it: one of the $25 jigsaw puzzles she paid for but I forgot to bag.

Katie, our new store manager, pulled up the transaction but since the customer wasn't a rewards member, she couldn't access the name. We just had to wait until the poor woman got home, unpacked her purchases, and noticed the puzzle was missing. 

It took her about an hour to call. It was at the end of my shift. Lanie, who came on to relieve me, was the one who took the call and said the customer sounded "pleasant, not at all mad."

That's nice, but she still had to drive all the way back to the store to get what she'd paid for.

Yesterday was only December 9. My last workday before Christmas is December 19. That gives me a lot of time to make more and similar mistakes at the register. I suck.

Photo by Danny Lines on Unsplash

 

Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: Hurt So Bad (1980)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) Do you have any aches or pains this morning? I'm doing this Friday PM, but I'm going to make a daring prediction. Come Saturday morning, my arthritic left knee will hurt. I was on my feet a lot Friday, and that knee can protest the morning after.

2) In this song, Linda Ronstadt complains that her ex doesn't get what she's going through. Have you recently felt misunderstood? Right after the election. One of my coworkers, Jen, was very emotional about it and asked me what I thought happened. I told her that I thought Trump's commercials were better and his media buys were smarter. I watched the playoffs and the World Series and his spots were on all the time. Sports are a great place to advertise because viewers can't fast forward through the commercials, plus each spot closed with the same catchy tagline. Anyway, Jen thought I was praising the content of the commercials and of course I most adamantly was not. I thought they were misleading and divisive. I was just speaking objectively as a veteran of more than 40 years in advertising. Those Trump commercials were quality and obviously effective, albeit toxic, work. They just were.

3) Now let's put a positive spin on it: Is there someone in your life who gets you completely? Not anymore. This is why I miss my friend John. He got me completely. To look at us, that might surprise you, because we appeared to be opposites. He was over 6' tall, I'm not much over 5'. He was black, I'm white. He's was gay, I'm straight. He was agnostic, I'm Christian. He was the oldest of four, I'm a middle child. Yet I was so comfortable with him. Nothing I ever did or said got so much as a raised eyebrow. It was all good. He died in April and I think I will miss him forever.

4) Linda recorded a best-selling album in Spanish, and has also performed in French, German and Italian. How many languages do you speak? Just only English.

5) Linda once dated George Lucas of Star Wars fame. Who is your favorite Star Wars character? I only ever saw one Star Wars movie and that was plenty. However I shall answer with Luke Skywaker, because Mark Hamill retweeted me once.

6) Steve Martin has spoken affectionately about Linda and their romance in the 1970s. Are you a Steve Martin fan? Yes, which reminds me I have to finish Only Murders in the Building before my Hulu trial ends.

7) Linda worked consistently and successfully with record producer Peter Asher throughout the 70s and 80s. Tell us about someone you enjoyed working beside. My former boss at the card shop, CeeCee. I just enjoyed being around her. She was a very positive person, very patient. Always assumes the best about people.

8) In 1980, when this song was popular, People magazine named author Stephen King one of the year's most intriguing people. Have you read any of his books or short stories? I've read Carrie and Dolores Claiborne. I'm impressed by how well he writes women characters.

9) Random question: Looking back on last week, would you describe it as exciting or boring? It was more exciting than I would have liked! I worked three shifts (when I've become accustomed to one) and then on Thursday I went to The Art Institute of Chicago with my friend Elaine. The lions out front are duded up for Christmas and we toured The Thorne Miniatures, a gallery of rooms created at 1:12 scale. They were enchanting. But I admit I'm looking forward to a very dull Saturday.

Read more about the rooms here

Thursday Thirteen #389

The "oh, yeah?" edition. The box of baking soda on my counter says it has "100+ uses." I only use it to kill odors in drains and in my refrigerator. But let's see if I can find 13 other popular uses while tooling around the web.

1. Teeth whitener. Now that I think of it, this was my high on my Grandma's list. She brushed with baking soda and salt.

2. Squeaky floorboards. Regularly sprinkle it on wooden floors and sweep away the excess. Eventually it will work it's way between the boards, reducing the shift and lessening the sound.

3. Clean your hairbush. Soak your brush overnight in a mix of baking soda and warm water. The baking soda will absorb residual hair product that clings to the bristles. (I should do this.)

4. Reduce itching. Make a baking soda/water paste and apply it to a bug bite or rash.

5. Relieve sunburn. Soak your reddened self in a warm bath that includes baking soda.

6. Rinse your produce. Immerse fresh fruits and vegetables in baking soda and water to remove pesticides.

7. Remove tarnish from silver jewelry. Soak it in baking soda and warm water for a few minutes, then buff dry.

8. Stretch that box of laundry detergent. For a standard load, try 1/2 cup of laundry powder and a 1/2 cup of baking soda.

9. Reduce toenail fungus. Create a foot bath by adding a tablespoon of baking soda to warm water.

10. Shoe deodorizer. Speaking of feet, sprinkle baking soda into your shoes, let it sit for a few minutes, and then shake it out.

11. Fire extinguisher. Hey! I remember this one from Girl Scouts! Pour baking soda directly on a small grease fire.

12. Reduce fatigue after a workout. Soak in baking soda and warm water to soothe aching muscles.

13. Unclog slow drains. First pour hot water down the drain. Follow with baking soda. (Some recommend baking soda and vinegar.) Finish with more hot water.

OK. If I could find 13 this easily, I guess I believe there are at least 87 more.

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

 

 

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? In the Best Families by Rex Stout. After a pair of biographies, I have fled back to Nero Wolfe's brownstone. Mrs. Sarah Rackham is a millionairess (and back in 1950, a million dollars was still a very big deal). She had a troubled relationship with her dad and a painful first marriage, leaving her with low self esteem and a distrust of men. So it's not really surprising that she would hire an investigator to check up on her younger, handsome second husband. Since she's quite rich, it's not surprising she'd turn to the best, Nero Wolfe.

Wolfe accepts what looks like a rather straightforward case of domestic surveillance but turns out to be anything but. Sarah's husband is involved with some very bad people, and now it includes murder, arson and kidnapping.

There's more tension and action in this one that I'm accustomed to in Nero Wolfe mysteries. Do I think this is a good thing? I don't know yet.

 
2. What did you recently finish reading? The American Duchess: The Real Wallis Simpson by Anna Pasternak. I've come across the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in books and articles all my life. Yet I knew little about them. Now I do. And here's my verdict: what sad, empty lives they led.

King Edward VIII comes off as shallow and impulsive. Spoiled and uninterested in the world around him. I think Wallis did the UK a huge favor by getting him off the throne before WWII. 

She's more complex and interesting. Some say she a social climber who, like the dog who caught the car, didn't know what to do when she won her prize, the heart of the world's most eligible bachelor. I came away believing she always loved Ernest Simpson and thought when the King dumped her for a "suitable" bride – like Charles would supplant Camilla for Diana – she would return to the safety of that marriage. I don't think she expected or desired the attention of the world and the enmity of Great Britain. 

During WWII, Edward was made Governor of the Bahamas, where many soldiers were stationed and the injured went to recover, and Wallis did good work. But there are few similar episodes of altruism. How sad that the Duke and Duchess had decades media attention and the power that came with it and did so little good in world. Say what you will about Diana, but she worked to make lives better.

This was an interesting if not always pleasant book. I'm glad I read it.

 
3. What will you read next? Maybe something Christmas-y.

 

 

Teaser Tuesday

Here's how to play.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

This is from The Real Wallis Simpson by Anna Pasternak. I only knew the bare bones of her story but am shocked by how many echoes of Diana, Camilla, and Meghan I hear. With all the volumes, and volumes, and volumes written about The Royals, I wonder if they themselves know their own history, because it just keeps repeating. 

Wallis was vilified for generations. blamed for plunging the British Empire into crisis, so I found this quote of hers touching:

"Any woman who has been loved as I have been loved, and who, too, has loved, has experienced life in its fullness."

 

 

Sunday Stealing

 BOOKS

1. Has reading a book ever changed your life? There's one that taught me that, no matter how a life looks from the outside, you don't know how it feels on the inside. JFK: Reckless Youth by Nigel Hamilton takes the future President from birth to age 35. There are lots of Kennedy books available, and I've read many, but this one had a real impact on me. It's revelatory about how his childhood – the unending illnesses that plagued him, his parents' loveless marriage, brutal sibling rivalry with his idealized older brother – shaped him. I read this 30 years ago and have never been able to look at a photo of JFK without thinking of the pain, courage and loneliness behind the facade, and this book has made me more compassionate to others.

2. Do you prefer to read fiction or nonfiction? I bounce back and forth.

3. If you could be a character in any novel you've read, who would you be? Lily Rowan. She's a supporting character in the Nero Wolfe mystery series. Yes, she's an heiress and glitters in 1940s New York cafe society. But that's not why I want to be her. She's detective Archie Goodwin's best girl and I have a massive crush on him. Even better, Nero Wolfe actually likes her and lets her hang with the guys. I've always fantasized about life in Wolfe's brownstone – with its gourmet meals and orchid greenhouse on the top floor.

4. Has reading a book ever made you cry? Which one and why? Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larsen. She's the Kennedy who was lobotomized, which is tragic in and of itself. But in the many tellings of her often lurid saga, the thing that gets lost is that she was much loved by her three famous brothers. The book ends with a chapter titled "Rosemary Made the Difference," and includes all the laws that were shaped and passed by John, Robert and Ted Kennedy. I was on my evening commute when I got to it and tears were streaming down my face. We're all the better for her and she was never able to know or understand that.

 

5. How many books do you read a year? Between 35 and 50. Depends on how many really long books I pick up. This year, I plowed through both Streisand's memoir and Gone with the Wind and they were over 1,000 pages a piece. They each took me a month. (But I enjoyed them both.)

6. Name a book you had to read but hated. Moby Dick.

 

7. Why did you hate it? It's dense and dopey. Please don't come near me with that book ever again.

8. If someone wrote a book about your life, what would it be called? The Thing Of It Is. I'm told I say that a lot. Of course, one of my favorite authors, William Goldman, already wrote a book by that name. But whatever.

9. Have you ever written (or started to write) a book? Oh, I always have novel and short story ideas ping-ponging in my head. But I write fiction for myself and don't care if it's published or read. I was an advertising writer for 43 years. I don't need to write for public consumption anymore.

10. If you could pick a book you've read to make into a movie, what would it be? Siracusa by Delia Ephron. It's about two couples who take an ill-fated vacation to Italy. It's got a glamorous setting, the right number of main characters, and legit tension. Netflix, get on this!

11. What was your favorite book as a child? Abraham Lincoln by Ingri d'Aulaire and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire. When I was 6 years old, my family took a weekend trip down to Springfield to walk where Abe walked and I chose this as my souvenir. I read it over and over on the way home in the car and reread it for a book report. The illustrations are gorgeous and the stories made me feel like was Abe was my friend. (What better friend could you have?)

12. What are you reading right now? At this very moment, nothing. Yesterday I finished a biography of the Duchess of Windsor called The Real Wallis Simpson. I think next I'll grab a mystery. Let's see what the library has for me!

John would have approved

When my mom died, my friend John didn't send a card or attend her funeral service. Instead he did something more lasting. He told me that you never miss your mother more than on your birthday, and since Thanksgiving and my birthday always fall close together, he predicted that holiday would be especially hard for me. From that moment on, he said, we would always spend Thanksgiving together. Him and me and his oldest friend Gregory, who I also know and like. Gregory had also lost his parents by this point, so John christened our celebration Orphan's Thanksgiving.

We never cooked. It was always at a nice eatery with a prix fixe menu -- always turkey. No short ribs or lasagna for us. And I had to dress up! John said he was sick of seeing me in Cubs t-shirts. Sometimes it was more than just the three of us. If you were an orphan, you were welcome. One year I remember Kurt joined us. He'd just lost his partner of many years and was still grieving. Kurt was off to Hawaii for Christmas, feeling a change of scene would help him heal. But he'd forgotten Thanksgiving. What to do on Thanksgiving. John to the rescue!

John died this past spring. The last time he, Gregory and I were healthy and happy together was Thanksgiving 2023. I wasn't sure Gregory would want to continue our tradition but he did! I was relieved and happy ... and a little afraid it would be sad that it would be just the two of us.

Only it wasn't. 

Early in the week, Will from my movie group asked if I had plans for Thanksgiving. His sister and cousins live in Long Island and he's going there for Christmas but he can't afford to fly out twice in a month's time. The neighbor he has been spending Thanksgiving with has Parkinson's and went into assisted living.

Before I invited him to join us, I checked with Gregory and got a thumbs up. After all, Will meets the criteria: he's an orphan. So there would be three after all.

I was a little nervous about it. Gregory and Will never met. Gregory can be nervous and shy with new people. What I didn't know is that Will is nervous with new people, too, but compensates by getting VERY blabby. So it worked out nicely. Will talked and Gregory was an attentive audience. I was especially happy at the end of the night when I saw them exchanging their contact information. Gregory is 71 now but in good shape but bored, and Will is going to try to get him a part-time job.

I feel like the evening unfolded just as John would have wanted it to. 

Photo by Enis Yavuz on Unsplash

November Challenge -- Day 30

 November Challenge: One thing you're excited for

Find the challenge here

The TCM Classic Film Festival this April. I've got my hotel room booked and the passes go on sale December 10. While it hasn't been announced yet, I suspect that they will show The Wizard of Oz on the big screen, a movie I haven't seen in a theater in decades. But whatever slate of classic films await me, I know I will discover new-to-me gems among the old favorites.

In addition to the movies, I'll get to reunite with classic film nerds I've met and kept up with via Facebook. I know it's fashionable to slag social media. I agree that since Elon Musk took over, Twitter has become a hellscape of hate and misinformation. But Facebook and -- to a far lesser extent for me -- Instagram have enabled me to keep up with people across the months and the miles so that when we meet again, it's like no time has elapsed at all.

 

 Photo by Andreas Rasmussen on Unsplash.

Saturday 9

 
Saturday 9: Thank You (2000)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This week's song begins with Dido complaining about her day, but then she sees a photo of a loved one that reminds her "it's not so bad." What was the most recent photo you took? We had Thanksgiving dinner at Cooper's Hawk Winery and they have a nice mixed drink menu. This is my Dark Chocolate (vodka, dark chocolate liqueur, and Bailey's).

2) She admits that between a hangover and her finances, she's got a headache. What's your go-to headache remedy? Advil (ibuprofen).

3) Though her given name is Florian, her family started calling her Dido when she was very young, so she considers it her "real" name. Which is not to say she likes it. She said being christened one name but called another was confusing when she was a little girl. Plus, since neither Florian nor Dido are common monikers, she didn't appreciate the way her names made her stand out at school. "I used to wish I'd been named Claire," she says. Do you like your name? Do you feel it suits you? Not especially. I think it lacks gravitas and sounds eternally girlish. I wish I'd been named Margaret or Elizabeth ... names that come with a variety of diminutives.

4) In 2000, the year this week's song was on the charts, AOL merged with media giant Time Warner. In 2022 it was estimated 70% of us check our personal (not business) email daily. That's down from 74% in 2020. How often do you check your email? Several times a day. More often than I check my texts. When I'm home, my cell is either charging on the kitchen counter or languishing in my purse, while my laptop is always out and usually on.

5) "Thank You" is this week's song because November 28 was Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for this year? The gift of optimism. This has been a painful year for me and the losses weigh heavily, but I'm grateful that I have the God-given capacity to face forward and find joy in every day.

6) At the first Thanksgiving, there were no forks. Pilgrims ate with spoons and knives. How many forks were at your Thursday place setting? Two. One for the meal and one for dessert. Of course, that's because we were at a restaurant. At home, I don't do the multiple fork thing.

7) It's estimated that nearly 50 million pumpkin pies are baked for Thanksgiving. Was it on your Thursday menu? Not pumpkin pie. But the wonderful people at Eli's created a pumpkin praline cheesecake for the season.

You can order Eli's for yourself here

8) A recent poll revealed that we are a divided country, with cranberry sauce being named both most and least favorite Thanksgiving side dish. Where are you on this controversy? I give it a thumbs up.

9) The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday, the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season and sales. Walmart, Best Buy and Target all advertise heavily on Black Friday. If you could have a $100 gift card from one of those stores, which would you choose? What would you buy? Normally I would say Target, because it's my grocery store and well, more than a week's worth of free food would be nice. However Best Buy sells cordless stick vacuums and, with two cats, I find these light and quiet appliances life changing. (I scored a Black and Decker at kohls.com and between the sales price and a credit cardholder discount, it was just $98.99. Yay, me!)

I can't wait for it to arrive

 

November Challenge -- Day 29

November Challenge: Five weird things you like

Find the challenge here

1. Falling down rabbit holes. I look up a thing and then it takes me to another thing and before I know it, an hour is gone. For example, I recently stumbled upon a documentary about Lee Harvey Oswald's wedding ring. He took it off on the morning of 11/22/63 and left it, along with all his cash, in a teacup on the nightstand beside his sleeping wife and then went off to kill the President. The Secret Service took custody of it along with Oswald's other personal possessions. It languished in the home of a Fort Worth lawyer until upon his death it was returned to Oswald's widow. After all, it had no direct connection to the assassination. In 2013 she sold it at auction for $108,000, and now it's in the Dallas Sixth Floor Museum. PS Did you know Jackie's iconic pillbox hat from that day is still missing? It's true. Everything else she wore that day, right down to her blood-stained nylons, is locked away at the National Archives. But no one has seen the hat since Jackie removed it at Parkland Hospital. I have my suspicions ... (<<< I am such a nerd.)

2. Chocolate milk. I drink it every day. Yes, I really am 67. Don't judge me.

3. Breaking down boxes. It's my favorite part of my job at the card shop, yet nobody else wants to do it. When shipment comes in, and all the new merchandise is unpacked, there's always boxes to ready for the recycling bin.

4. Putting laundry away. It means I'm done with the chore and I feel accomplished.

5.  Eating my portions one at a time. Example: I finish all of my vegetables before I touch the main course. I don't see why this is weird, but people have commented on it, so it must be. (My icky grandmother used to spurt in frustration at family dinners.)

 

 Photo by Andreas Rasmussen on Unsplash.

November Challenge: Day 28

Find the challenge here

November Challenge: Somewhere you would like to move or visit

Move? No freaking way! First of all, this is where I belong. Yes, it gets cold in December, January (and sometimes February), but I appreciate all four seasons. Plus, I dislike heat way more than cold.

Second, there are advantages of living here. I learned this when my oldest friend decamped to SoCal and Reg and Henry moved to Key West. 

Public transportation. Reg and Henry seldom drove when they lived here but when they got to Key West they had to invest in a second car. My oldest friend found driving in SoCal traffic incredibly stressful. I don't even have a car.

The economy. Reg and Henry were, at one point, working five jobs between them to maintain a middle-class lifestyle. My oldest friend had a much tougher time finding/keeping jobs than she ever had here.

Climate. No, I don't mean weather. I mean politics. While Key West is very welcoming, the State of Florida, as a whole, is not. The Governor actually proclaimed that "Florida is where woke goes to die!" That's some ugly shit, as though diversity, equality and inclusion are somehow bad. Imagine being a tax payer in a state where your elected official dismiss you, as Henry and Reg (as a biracial gay couple) were dismissed by Desantis. I love it that, for all Illinois' faults, my state's vision matches my own.

Stuff to do. There's always a movie or restaurant or program at the library that I can walk to. There's live theater and, of course, the Cubs just a short train ride away. If you're bored here, it's because you're boring.

Ah, but where would I like to visit? I'd like to go back. There are so many places I've been before that I'd love to return to, like the spas in Colonial Williamsburg and Hot Springs, Arkansas. And Graceland! Graceland was great fun. Hawaii was other wordly, I'd like to see that again, too.

 

 Photo by Andreas Rasmussen on Unsplash.

  

Thursday Thirteen #388

Giving a little love to Gen X. Ah, the sandwich generation, between Baby Boomers and Millennials. Born between 1965 and 1980, they are a smaller demographic so marketers and advertisers don't give them as much attention. But if I was still in the game, promoting insurance and financial services, Gen Xers are the ones I'd concentrate on. They're still working, so they have money, but they are looking at retirement. Many have aging Boomer parents and struggling Millennial kids to worry about. I imagine long-term security is top of mind. 

Anyway, I found these factoids about Gen Xers as consumers.

1. More than either Boomers or Millennials, they prefer shopping brick-and-mortar to being online.

2. This could be because Gen Xers are mindful consumers when it comes to data and privacy issues.

3. They are the group least likely to use online pharmacies. I suspect it's because they're suspicious of their data being compromised.

 

4. Gen Xers are the group most that pays the most attention to Facebook ads.

 

5. Similarly, they are the ones who are most likely to follow a restaurant, store, or product on social media.

6. They research before they spend money. These are the consumers who are most likely to check Yelp and Google and Angi list reviews. They're also most likely to post reviews.

7. Gen Xers will spend more for quality.

8. They also expect their products to last. They aren't technophobes but are slower to embrace new technology because they value durability in their phones and laptops.

9. Gen Xers love rewards. They are the demographic most likely to sign up for points, miles, cash back, etc. 

10. They expect/demand good service. This is the age group that gave us "Karen."

11. Women in this age group are the target shopper for QVC and HSN.

 

12. Nostalgia works best with this group. It's suspected that's why Disney has been so successful marketing to Gen Xers.

13. When it comes to travel, Gen Xers are the ones most likely to vacation in a group with either family or friends, making them the target market for VRBO and Airbnb.

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

 

 

November Challenge: Day 27

Find the challenge here

 

November Challenge: A quote you try to live by

 

 Photo by Andreas Rasmussen on Unsplash.

 

WWW.WEDNESDAY

 

 

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? The American Duchess: The Real Wallis Simpson by Anna Pasternak. Who was she, anyway? What's the big deal? I've heard about her all my life and yet I only know the bare bones of her story. 

I recently read a biography of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy which focused on what happens when a beloved man marries a woman the public doesn't approve of and I hear echoes here. Not to mention those other high-profile divorcees, Meghan Markle and Camilla Parker-Bowles. Then there's the bride the whole world approved of but who ended up miserable: Diana. 

But the woman who encouraged me to finally buckle down and read about Wallis was Elizabeth Taylor. They were friends, in part because Wallis was sympathetic to Taylor during her high-profile extramarital affair with Richard Burton. Liz was very loyal and continued to visit and correspond with the Duchess till the end of Wallis' life.

 
2. What did you recently finish reading?  Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger. This is a re-read for me. If I hadn't lived through their saga, I don't know if I would have believed it. The jewels, the furs, the yachts! The gala premieres and the Oscar nominations! Everything was so over the top, including the public's appetite for more, more, more about them.

 

Before everyone had cameras on their phones, paparazzi were especially pernicious and the two women they honed their skills on were Elizabeth Taylor and Jacqueline Kennedy. Their reign of terror reached its apex with the death of Princess Diana. One of the things I enjoyed about this book was how Taylor dealt with them. While Jackie got a court order to protect her privacy and Diana tried to manipulate them but failed, Liz just kinda sort rolled with it. Famous since the age of 12, she viewed the intrusion as an unfortunate part of her job. There's a bedrock sanity to Elizabeth despite the ridiculous excesses of her life and I admired her.

Also, Taylor and Burton were magic on film. That often gets lost and I also appreciated hearing about how classics like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and Anne of the Thousand Days came to be.

 
3. What will you read next? I don't know.