The Outliers The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell - In this non-fiction book about the roots of financial success, Gladwell assumes that his reader thinks success, especially super success is an anomaly. One of the many theories he advances in the book is that the month or year that someone is born contributes to their success based on other demographic statistics. Another is that it takes 10,000 hours of practice or working at something before one masters it and is able to become successful doing it. There are also chapters about airline crashes and communication styles in cultures, and some other stuff. It's definitely food for thought, and I recommend it because it's interesting. I guess I never thought that people got rich by sheer luck. I already knew that there was an enormous amount of hard work and patience (something Malcom didn't cover in his studies) along with an impatience of personality to be successful. There is age old wisdom that preceeds Malcom's theories: Have you ever heard that......
Timing is Everything Hard Work and Luck will bring you Success The Early Bird Catches the Worm Hard Work is the Key to Success Do Something You Love Keep Your Nose To The Grindstone I just Wikied Malcom, and he's a guy who has benefited by his own place in time, by the great story about his family heritage which you will read at the end of The Outliers, and maybe even by his young appearance. Hard work and good timing have been in his favor.
Fifty Shades Darker by E. L. James - More of the same. Anastasia and Christian Grey continue their shenanigans. These books are kind of like the forbidden fruit of romance novels, but I'm still not ready to give up! What if you had a chance to be with the richest hottest guy ever? Except there is a bit of a downside to his lifestyle. Would you go for it? What could E. L. James possibly cook up for the third book in the series? I'll find out and let you know if it's any good. To be honest, there was nothing to miss here.
Amerian Pie 2 - In this follow up to American Pie, we find our boys and their girls home from college for the summer and looking for fun. They find it at a huge summer cottage with help from the always entertaining Stiffler. Not as memorable as the other American Pie movies, but worth the watch if you like the characters.
American Wedding - It isn't easy to make a good wedding movie any more since it's been done and done. This one is really fun, though, and Stiffler comes through in the best way throughout the movie. Who ever thought that Stiffler would be the favorite character. It's funny and sweet and I just love the band girl bride and Jim, and don't forget that Eugene Levy is in all these movies and adds just the right touch of craziness.
Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon - For some reason I didn't fly through this book, although it's very readable. It's about a married woman with two children who signs up to take an anonymous online survey that will pay her $1000. Maybe that's where I was a bit lost. I often take surveys, online and in person, and have never encountered the one that pays $1000! Wife 22 gamely proceeds to answer the questions on the survey as well as to cross some survey lines along the way. It's a good story about marriage written in a unique modern way.
If my little review seems stiff today, it's because blogger (blogspot) changed the game. There is a "new and improved" screen on which to write a post, and although the old screen was not a pretty thing, this new screen leaves much to be desired. First of all my preferred font is no longer available. Secondly, the box that says "edit posts" is gone. I actually started writing this post yesterday, and am unable to find my list of posts so that I can click into yesterday's writing and finish what I started. Already there are more steps to each action. I'm sure I'll get used to it, but the learning curve is annoying.
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter - Sydney Sheldon for the millenium. This was a real slog to get into, but there was just enough of a tiny spark to keep me reading. Then I got into it, but more because of what I had invested than because it was such a great book to read. Many story lines, many points in time and many characters. The cover is pretty and the end was sort of good.
American Pie - The "remake" of American Grafitti is a good movie! There are some iconic scenes that were referred to in American Reunion and it's fun to watch. It's about a pact made by four high school boys culminating in their prom night.
A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas - I love Harold and Kumar. They get into their situations by accident, and their plan to make things right seems so reasonable at the time. In this movie, they are older and wiser, but even so, things get crazy as they try to straighten out the mess they've made in time for Christmas. It's an all star cast with Neil Patrick Harris and Santa adding to the fun. I love the inside jokes. There's a little girl in it who's hilarious, but if you're righteous about stuff, don't watch. If you're not righteous, this is a very funny and super fun movie. I loved it. Harold and Kumar always deliver a great buddy story. Don't wait for the season, it's on HBO now.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers - What a beautiful title for one of the more powerful stories I've read lately. It's about young and old people and families who make their lives in a slum near the Mumbai airport. Each character becomes someone you know and might understand in some way. As I read, some events were so emotional that I was glad they were taking place in a book. Right? Abdul, Asha, Manju, Kalu, One Leg and some of the other Muslim and Hindu garbage workers, as well as their slum, Annawadi, are a powerful statement of modern day poverty in what surely is still a third world country despite it's presence on the modern world economic stage. There was a surprise for me at the end of the book which made me even more sad, but which also causes me to recommend the book even more highly. Stories about life in India are so rich. Do read this one.
The Ultimate Gift - This movie takes its main character through greed to love. It's the story of a guy who has it all until circumstances and his grandfather give him a choice. If he accepts the choice or challenge, he will have the opportunity to receive the ultimate gift. One of those little known movies that turn out to be the best one you've watched in ages.
American Reunion - Here's a movie about the modern day American Pie boys attending their 13th high school reunion. It's not nearly as raunchy as I thought it would be and it's really funny and almost sweet the way the characters support each other. Fun to watch with a cast full of surprises. I'm going to watch the other two movies in the series.
Flipping Out - One of my favorite shows is back for another season on Bravo. There is something about Jeff Lewis. I love Zoila and am so happy for Jenny and her greek Dr. from Chicago. How fun!
Awkward - This is an MTV show about high school that I've been loving. The Inbetweeners - Here's a new MTV show about four guys in high school who don't quite hold up the wall in the cafeteria, but they aren't the popular kids either.
Drop Dead Diva - I love her! The title is all wrong for the show. It's a lawyer show about a blonde model who comes back to life in an unlikely body.
The Monkees - Loved it then love it now. Bittersweet to watch knowing that Davy Jones no longer walks among us, but no less fun and goofy. This was the innocent part of the 60s and 70s.
Real World St. Thomas - MTV has grabbed a lot of my viewing time. I always love shows that take place in southern California or on beautiful islands. The cast is lovable this season and perfectly intelligent and dumb as only twenty somethings can be. It's a great show this time around.
Beverly Hills Nannies - Eh. Not so much. Probably going to cease the series recording.
Keeping up with the Kardashians - Why do I love this show? I love their family love, and their honesty even when it seems a contrived for the show. There's always a moral, and just like in many real families, even though they make each other crazy, they always come through for each other and stick together. And they're beautiful, and they live in beautiful houses, and they live in beautiful southern California.
Million Dollar Listing - Doesn't matter if it's in Los Angeles or New York, this is a good show. I am partial to the LA version for obvious reasons (see above about the Kardashians).
Secret Millionaire - This is the one that makes me cry. Almost every time and I love it. There is so much goodness in the world, and it's everywhere, and there is more good than bad. This show demonstrates it.
The Good Daughter A Memoir of My Mother's Hidden LIfe by Jasmin Darznik - This memoir takes place in Iran in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and then in small part in America, where a daughter discovers a photo of her mother as a young girl. The photo raises questions about her mother's life before she married the girl's father. A long kept secret is at the core of this memoir, and as the secret is revealed, there is a window of time wherein choices are available to the discoverer of the secret. Is the secret so old that there is no more to learn about it? Or is the secret one that now out in the open, can free the people to know each other and knit their lives back together? I'm interested in what happens to the secrets once revealed, and what choices are made by the person to whom the secret is revealed. It's also a story of a different culture and different generations, and how there are always forward thinkers navigating backward societies. It's those forward thinkers that propel cultures ahead by believing in educating girls. Throughout this memoir, there is much to ponder, because theirs was a male-driven society. The girls get ahead almost as if they slip through the cracks by chance, but almost never by choice. This is definitely worth reading.
Her Heart On Her Sleeve: I live in a suburb north of Chicago, and I read, bead, make jewelry, sew, watch TV and movies, crochet, craft, decorate, go to house and garage sales, walk and go on beach walks, listen to music, take pictures, cook and bake, read, and write about all of it on herheartonhersleeve. I have a companion blog called Jewlery by Dianne Sophia at diannesophia.blogspot.com where I write exclusively about my jewelry.
Jewelry By Dianne Sophia: I have been collecting vintage jewelry since I was a girl growing up in Detroit, and have been designing and making jewelry for 15 years. I love to work with pearls and crystals, semi-precious stones, Sterling Silver and Gold, along with vintage beads and materials. I delight in combining shape, pattern and color in new ways. I'm inspired and influenced by my travels and experiences as a reader, writer, photographer and student of life. My blog herheartonhersleeve.blogspot.com chronicles my life in art and popular culture.
Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon - For some reason I didn't fly through this book, although it's very readable. It's about a married woman with two children who signs up to take an anonymous online survey that will pay her $1000. Maybe that's where I was a bit lost. I often take surveys, online and in person, and have never encountered the one that pays $1000! Wife 22 gamely proceeds to answer the questions on the survey as well as to cross some survey lines along the way. It's a good story about marriage written in a unique modern way. 
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter - Sydney Sheldon for the millenium. This was a real slog to get into, but there was just enough of a tiny spark to keep me reading. Then I got into it, but more because of what I had invested than because it was such a great book to read. Many story lines, many points in time and many characters. The cover is pretty and the end was sort of good.
American Pie - The "remake" of American Grafitti is a good movie! There are some iconic scenes that were referred to in American Reunion and it's fun to watch. It's about a pact made by four high school boys culminating in their prom night.
A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas - I love Harold and Kumar. They get into their situations by accident, and their plan to make things right seems so reasonable at the time. In this movie, they are older and wiser, but even so, things get crazy as they try to straighten out the mess they've made in time for Christmas. It's an all star cast with Neil Patrick Harris and Santa adding to the fun. I love the inside jokes. There's a little girl in it who's hilarious, but if you're righteous about stuff, don't watch. If you're not righteous, this is a very funny and super fun movie. I loved it. Harold and Kumar always deliver a great buddy story. Don't wait for the season, it's on HBO now.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers - What a beautiful title for one of the more powerful stories I've read lately. It's about young and old people and families who make their lives in a slum near the Mumbai airport. Each character becomes someone you know and might understand in some way. As I read, some events were so emotional that I was glad they were taking place in a book. Right? Abdul, Asha, Manju, Kalu, One Leg and some of the other Muslim and Hindu garbage workers, as well as their slum, Annawadi, are a powerful statement of modern day poverty in what surely is still a third world country despite it's presence on the modern world economic stage. There was a surprise for me at the end of the book which made me even more sad, but which also causes me to recommend the book even more highly. Stories about life in India are so rich. Do read this one.
The Ultimate Gift - This movie takes its main character through greed to love. It's the story of a guy who has it all until circumstances and his grandfather give him a choice. If he accepts the choice or challenge, he will have the opportunity to receive the ultimate gift. One of those little known movies that turn out to be the best one you've watched in ages.
The Good Daughter A Memoir of My Mother's Hidden LIfe by Jasmin Darznik - This memoir takes place in Iran in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and then in small part in America, where a daughter discovers a photo of her mother as a young girl. The photo raises questions about her mother's life before she married the girl's father. A long kept secret is at the core of this memoir, and as the secret is revealed, there is a window of time wherein choices are available to the discoverer of the secret. Is the secret so old that there is no more to learn about it? Or is the secret one that now out in the open, can free the people to know each other and knit their lives back together? I'm interested in what happens to the secrets once revealed, and what choices are made by the person to whom the secret is revealed. It's also a story of a different culture and different generations, and how there are always forward thinkers navigating backward societies. It's those forward thinkers that propel cultures ahead by believing in educating girls. Throughout this memoir, there is much to ponder, because theirs was a male-driven society. The girls get ahead almost as if they slip through the cracks by chance, but almost never by choice. This is definitely worth reading. 
