Details about Estelle Getty brought to mind Alec Baldwin’s quote highlighted in @Caitlin_D’s review of his memoir Nevertheless (2017): “I realized then that the movies really do enhance certain actors, making them seem like something they really aren’t at all.” In this case, Estelle Getty was made to seem more with it than she actually was: She was just terrible at remembering her lines, causing many re-shoots and delaying production. It’s a wonder she ever considered carrying on by starring in The Golden Palace (1992). Read the full review
Love the Title and Cover, Not So with the Story
As far as steamy romances go, Secrets and Sensibilities isn’t one, similar to Julia Quinn’s romances in which steamy sex scenes have no part in the storyline. Unlike Quinn romances, though, Secrets and Sensibilities also lacks interesting characters, witty dialogue, romantic courtship, and sexual sizzle. Bland, flat, and boring best describe a story that began with great potential. Read the full review
Surreal (Other than Dali) Is Not for Me
“I just don’t get it,” was my response to reading my first Haruki Murakami, his six-story collection, After the Quake (2002), set in the aftermath of the Kobe Earthquake of 1995. Prior to reading this book–the result of a work-related book club–all I was aware of was that his novel 1Q84 (2013) was quite the sensation and is still on many’s “To Read” pile. As such, my expectations for this author were high. I quickly began to readjust my expectations, however, after reading the first […]
Celebrating Human Computers
One of the strongest arguments made in support of same-sex education relates to the benefits for girls. During the middle school years, pre-teens become more attuned to where they fit in the social order. For many girls, this means that being perceived to be “smart,” particularly in math and science, is not an asset. As such, they begin to “dumb down” in math and science to become more desirable to the male sex. It is no wonder, then, that I was thrilled that Hidden Figures […]