A Few Reviews – Good Reads and Watches

Between reading, writing, walking and the holiday weekend, I’m a little behind on blogging. 

Here’s a couple of short reviews as a catch-up:

Glitterati by Oliver K. Langmead

F. Scott Fitzgerald meets the Kardashian’s on steroids.  I almost stopped reading this in the first quarter of the book because the Glitterati, a class of people whose lives solely revolve around fashion and looks, gave me absolutely nothing to root for.  In a world where they’re not really sure what children are because childhood is considered traumatic and all trauma is erased from their memories, Simone and Georgie live their glamourous lives without questioning anything other than their outfits in the mirror.  Their every need is seamlessly provided and Uglies, people with no money or fashion sense, are avoided at all costs.  Simone finds himself in a bitter rivalry with Justine, another fashionista who steals his unintended new fashion sensation caused by a bloody nose, until a child dressed in – Gasp! – denim mysteriously appears in their meticulously kept garden. 

As the story progressed, I really had no idea where it was going and I was both intrigued and fearful of the building tension.  Gotta tell ya, I hated 1984, which had a similar vibe – if you haven’t read 1984 and are prone to depression, especially these days, DON’T.  So, I was halfway anticipating an ending that would have me throwing Glitterati across the room but I will tell you, without spoilers, that the ending is totally worth the read.  When all is said (or read) and done, it is a fairy tale for our times and some of the settings, especially Simone’s father’s house and the home of fashion designer, Karpa Fishh, rival the library in the animated version of Beauty and the Beast ❤

I ended up loving Simone, not only because he’s the hero of his own life, but for his vulnerability and the discovery of his own autonomous heart.

Long Story Short – Netflix

It’s a Wonderful Life meets About Time, in Australia.  A mysterious wedding gift sends Teddy through the first ten years of his marriage, jumping ahead to each year’s wedding anniversary in five minute bursts, so he can see clearly the mistakes he’s going to make, in not only his marriage but his friendships. 

Teddy, played by Rafe Spall, is a charming and slightly indecisive guy who was easy to root for right from the get.   The woman he marries, Leanne, played by Zahra Newman, loves him but definitely spends most of the time being the grown up, relationship-wise. 

I won’t give away the ending but I will say I sobbed at a turning point near the end.  I think because, at this age, I don’t need a magic gift to show me my mistakes and the paths not taken.  There’s no way to go back and make changes but I’m so fortunate to be able to take some time now and pursue my dream before it’s too late. 

No matter what your age or where you are in your journey, you’ll love these characters and take away perhaps a life altering lesson that’s more than worth an hour and 30 minutes of your life.

Maggie – Hulu Series

Maggie, played by Rebecca Rittenhouse, is a young psychic whose life is pretty complicated – she’s trying to establish her own business, deal with family and friends and navigate a love life.  I really liked her relationships with her psychic mentor, Angel (Ray Ford), her best friend, Louise (Nichole Sakura), and her parents (Kerri Kenney and the hilarious Chris Elliott). 

The through-line is a quick hook up she had with Ben, a great guy and high school history teacher she saw herself marrying in a vision.  The next morning, the vision had changed and she broke off the relationship, only to find, six weeks later, Ben and his on again off again girlfriend, Jessie, moving into the duplex she’ll need to share with them.  What can go wrong??!!

There are no bad guys but her mother is pretty annoying though well meaning and Ben’s girlfriend and sister are both a little self-absorbed.   There’s a bit of a romantic triangle and they’re the worst when both guys are sweet, funny and you can see the girl with either…  I particularly love the relationship she has with her BFF, Louise, who quit med school to teach yoga and whose main job seems to be dragging introvert Maggie out of her own head and into real life.

I binged this series in, like, 2 days.  It’s just fun and light and well written and dragged me out of my own head and gave me a pretty place to spend a few hours.

Feel free to share any great reads and watches you’ve discovered lately!

Current Reads and Watches

What I’m reading now (paper): Chef’s Kiss by TJ Alexander

What I’m reading now (Kindle): Enough Already by Valerie Bertinelli

What I’m binge watching: Only Murders in the Building Season 2 Hulu