Ellen, This Is My Book Club

Goooooooooooooooooood morning, Ellen!

This is my book club. I’m the only one in it. You are about to read my current reading list, so I think, in a way, that now makes you a part of the book club, only because you’ve been hipped to the titles. But, hey! If you want to read along (and I hate to tell you this, but you’re already behind cuz I’ve completed one of the books), that would be cool! Feel free to leave feedback here about your thoughts on any of the chapters. I have to say that I got weepy over Al’s including my great-great-great-great grandfather, President John Adams, on page 136:
“Be just and good.” Yep. That’s my grandpop for ya! Always progressive in his thinking!

BOOK LIST
Finished:
NICKELED AND DIMED (by Barbara Ehrenreich)
…submitted by my dear friend, Sarah Jeansonne…this was a book that I’ve wanted to read since it was released. Once again, the Universal Wage would be a saving grace for millions upon millions of hard working people and families. I think President Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rush Limbaugh and the like should all have to sling burgers AND work in a Wal-Mart for three months to see how unrealistic their fews about minimum wage have been.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars and I think this should be reading material for all high school seniors. Which reminds me, I think the “Vagina Monologues” should be a must see for all high school seniors, as well.

Currently reading:

THE TRUTH….with jokes (by Al Franken)
…also loaned to me by Sarah

I’ve read Al’s other books, and actually laughed out loud on a plane ride home from Minnesota during “Lies…and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them”.

This one has started out slow. The “anonymous” letter was not funny, nor in the least bit entertaining, at the start. Took me awhile to warm up to the writing after such a stumbling prologue. However, the meat of the book is, once again, very informative and can, at times, be overwhelming with the amount of bad news. BUT! This is news we can all use because without it, we are being led hook, line (and their are a lot of lines in this administration…oh, they call them “soundbites”, but they are definately “lines”) and sinker like lemmings to the cliff.
The truth about the Swift Boat Veterans (who were unbelievably transparent at the time of their verbal lashings) is laid out in complete detail…and Al explains how John Kerry was derailed and unraveled in horrifying detail. I think his research team is impeccable.

Perhaps you vote Republican. Perhaps you think President Bush is dreamy and doing a great job. Well, as my great-great-great-great grandfather said, “Be just and be good”. If you want to TRULY understand this administration, and have a well-informed debate with me next time we meet, I suggest you get your noggin’ imbedded in this book and then we’ll talk. And if you insist I read anything by Ann Coulter, I’ll be happy to add it to my reading list and review her later. I am not afraid to read. It makes me smarter. And being smarter never hurt anyone, except maybe the guy in “Flowers for Algernon”. Such a sad tale.

RAW FOODS BIBLE
by Craig B. Sommers, N.D., C.N

Haven’t started this one yet, but I’m about to…right after I eat these eggs and bacon

SUPER SIMPLE STORYTELLING
by Kendall Haven

This is one of those books I bought on a whim after skimming through it. I thought it would be helpful with my public speaking. So far, so good! But the cover really needed to have been created by Stingray Design. Kendall looks like a super nice fellow, but his thumb
disturbs me. Or maybe it is the purple printing of the photograph. There’s just something unsettling about this cover.

LASTLY, last night’s film:

SHOPGIRL, by Steve Martin
starring Claire Danes, Steve Martin, Jason Schwartzman

I wasn’t too keen on watching this film because I had read the slim volume (also by Steve Martin), and thought it was alright.
But the film was quiet and lovely, much like “Lost in Translation”, about a young woman and the two male suitors who are
odd and amusing. Steve Martin’s character comes across as slightly threatening (is he a stalker? is he a serial killer?) until we get to spend more time with him and realize he is just a man incapable of saying the words we all want to hear. Jason Schwartzman is hilarious and endearing. He really takes his character to task. The way he drops the words we all want to hear had me chuckling for minutes afterwards.

Steve Martin plays the older suitor with finesse, and really reels himself in to portray an exasperating man who is always on the brink of
becoming just who we hope he will be. This was a super role for him, without NO physical comedy, which he can whip out so easily. Nice to see him STILL and using his eyes. Great job.

Claire Danes. What can I say about her except that:

1) I saw her live on stage in a minute theater in NYC with my friend Amiti Perry….Claire was one of three women performing “The Vagina Monologues”, and her energy is scintillating and warm. We laughed, we cried.
2) Ms. Danes looks so much like my animal rights, junior high life long friend, Alice Loper, mother of two. It is uncanny. Sometimes I would find myself thinking, “Alice…you’re doing alright, girl!” And then I’d mentally slap myself and say, “Snap out of it! Claire! Not Alice!”
Goodness!
3) Claire needs to do more films. She was obviously sleep walking through “Terminator III”…what an easy part for her. But this was a film where she really got to shine.

The only thing that didn’t seem to fit was Steve Martin’s narration…I didn’t mind the voice over, but HIS voice seemed nasal and thin, and it subtracted from the film.

Otherwise, I give this film a 4 out of 5. Definately a great stay at home with your honey date night film, or great for actors wanting to study sublime and intricate character portrayals by three very fine actors.