Most Likely To:

I was destined to pick up the book Most Talkative: Stories from the Front lines of Pop Culture by Andy Cohen.  When I began working in libraries over 2 decades ago, one of my friends said, “ but YOU can’t work in a library!  You talk too much.” 

Our author Cohen definitely talks.  From an early age, he struggled to fit into his family. His mom’s advice was “just humor your dad and go toss the damn ball!”  But it was television that he loved, especially soap operas and Charlie’s Angels.  His passion for all things television led him to a career working as a producer and creating shows.   

I’m not going to pretend to be a big fan of television, but I did get a kick out of the author’s insider—if irreverent-- views of popular shows.  He got his first big break when he clinched an interview with his all-time favorite TV  personality, the much-married Erica Kane.  In relating his lunch experience with his idol Susan Lucci  he said,  “I imagined little cartoon birds fluttering down to pick up the hem of her mink coat so it didn’t drag on the ground.”

The book rambles around discussing “shirtless Tuesdays” on the set of 48 hours and slogans of “I love Botox” from the stars of The  Real Housewives Of Orange County. By the closing chapters, the reader happily buys into Cohen’s statement when speaking of his  internship at Morning News—“unlike five o’clock Julie, I couldn’t  get enough of the place.  I would have happily lived out of a sleeping bag in the mailroom.”   

He would have, and added another chapter to the book.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

I was so prepared to hate this book.

Hate, hate, HATE,  because I was ready for it to say all the things that are wrong with women and society—fixations on our body, looks, etc. selling our soul to the devil to be a size zero. “ I HATE THIS BOOK! I HATE IT!” I screamed inwardly as I carried it to the checkout desk. Ahem, and I was checking it out, why????

And so began my fickle relationship with the book Six weeks to OMG—get skinnier than all your friends by Venice A. Fulton

I opened the book and within 30 minutes I was being sucked into it like a sweet vanilla milkshake through a red straw.

I was surprised. Mesmerized. The text was easily, effortless whipped-cream readable and entertaining.

It was also chock full of  easy to remember cues on how to conquer your weight issues, for example: POM=Period of Movement with entire sections devoted to “how to use your pom poms.”  Delicious!

And, because I AM human, since his philosophy AGREES with things I already hold to be true, perhaps he is NOT the devil!  “Quick fixes don’t work, but the right quick improvements can lead to permanent weight loss.  No one is born fat, or destined to have cellulite,” so promises the author. Quick fixes—well 6 weeks is pretty quick if you ask me.

Whether it’s discussing  the difference in eating a banana with green spots and one with Leopard spots or how to START acting like a hottie, the topic is mouth-smacking tasty.  

Who is this guy anyway?  He’s an expert in nutrititon and exercise physiology who has dedicated himself to helping his high profile clientele keep their bodies fit and healthy.  OK, so he’s not God so I’m sure he doesn’t know everything, But this is a  pretty good  read.

And because he was so blunt , I actually LIKED HIM:

Drugs? No.

Complicated diets? No.

Anorexia? No.

Throwing up? No.

Exercising 20 hours a day? No.

By the time I read the mouth-watering  section “The Truth About Cellulite Cures,” I was hooked.  By the way, here’s the spoiler, according to Mr. Fulton :  cellulite cures don’t work.

Lull me to sleep, and no one gets hurt!

It will likely never win a Nobel Prize for great literature.

But when I picked up Fern Michael’s Southern Comfort I was not looking for great literature—I was looking for diversion, entertainment, escape!

And that’s what I found.

Detective Tick Kelly has gone AWOL and wound up in a bottle after a tragedy involving his family.  He sobers up, becomes a best-selling author, and finds himself attracted to a beach visitor, Kate, who just happens to be a special agent.  Kate’s biological clock is ticking, her former boss is a bungling idiot, and an abandoned child are all thrown into the mix to keep the reader turning those pages.  Does the talking parrot hold the answers to the area’s human trafficking problem?  Does Tick’s twin brother fall for Kate’s best friend?  Can you stay awake until the last page?

I will admit that the dialog was sometimes, um, too predictable.  As was the plot. But predictable,  is not always a bad thing.  Sometimes I need a story where all the strings are neatly tied and everyone is smiling in the finale.  Sometimes I just need exactly what the title promises:  comfort.

What Happens in Vegas..........

You’d have to be living on the dark side of the moon to not have heard of the hoopla created by E.L. James’ 50 Shades of Grey.

Many of my friends have expressed surprise that the Public Library has multiple copies of this title.

The summary of the book posted on Amazon  goes like this:  “ literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.”

The book has been called “erotic fiction” which the web defines as fictional stories of human sexual relationships.  Currently, we have 61 holds on our 14 copies.  The book has been banned in some areas, and it remains in high demand.

And what is my point?

The Public Library tries to carry a wide array of reading genres.  Some of the selections on our shelves may not agree with my personal beliefs—or your beliefs.  However,  they continue to reside on our shelves due to demand and in the interest of having a balanced collection representing varying viewpoints.  And it is hardly a surprise that many well known classics and bestsellers, including Tom Sawyer, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, The Holy Bible, Diary of Anne Frank, and Ulysses, have been banned in some areas.

And who is reading 50 Shades of Grey?  That is no one’s business except for the cardholder.  Library staff keep no records of what a patron has previously checked out, nor do we reveal what any person has checked out at any time.  Your secrets (and mine) are safe!

Don't tell me how to raise my kids until you get YOUR child off the top of the flagpole!

To Facebook, or not to Facebook, that is the question.

Whether tis nobler to join the throng putting every birthday, grandbaby picture, and marital break-up out on cyberspace or to remain facebook-less, that is the question.

And if we do decide to go Facebook, do we take our kids with us?

Nickelodeon Group President, Cyma Zarghami, says, “I urge every parent to read this book.”  Nickelodeon.  Now we are in my comfort zone.

Talking Back to Facebook by James P. Steyer claims to be “The Common Sense Guide to Raising Kids in the Digital Age.”  We certainly need a large dose of THAT!

As you’d suspect, the book has tons of information dealing with online relationships, the risk of addiction, and child safety.

  What I didn’t expect was a foreword by THE Chelsea Clinton.  This cozy little insight into the Clinton family home and the part media played was the most intriguing part of the book.  But then again, I voted for Bill!

Should I ban violent video games?  Is my kid a cyberbully?  Who is my child texting?  Let’s cut to the chase—spend some time OFF Facebook and have a chat with your kids.  That’s the book in a nutshell.

I'm going home with YOU!

If there ever was a book that leaped off the shelf and straight into my willing arms, it is Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain by Elaine Fox. I am the queen of  positive thinking. Or so I thought.

Imagine my surprise when I opened this book and discovered that I have much room for improvement.

Stunning research in neuroscience suggests that we can influence our personalities to the extent that our lives are only as “sunny” or as “rainy” as we allow them to be.  Call me a control freak, but I like the premise of being in control of, instead of being controlled by my mind.

Actor Michael J. Fox claims that the book, “provides a mental map to the sunny side of the street.”  With sections devoted to “elusive optimism” and “reshaping our brains from fear to flourishing” I couldn’t put it down, not even to run grab another chocolate chip cookie.

A vote for me is a vote for??????????

I played French horn in the high school band back in the 70s.

I was terrible at it, but I surely loved band.

When we’d get ready to head for our competition events,the director would look at me, point a finger and say, “You with the French horn--  just pretend to play.  We want to win this competition!” 

Ok, I will confess that I was not musically gifted.

The secret I will confess to you, but never  to my  band director is that part of the reason I was so terrible is because I never practiced.

Face it.

You get better at what you practice.

That little axiom has no age limit.

If you want to improve yourself, it is going to take some doing.

The start-up of you by Reid Hoffman, purportedly teaches us how to “adapt to the future, invest in yourself, and transform your career.”

I totally buy into this.

The people around us change, industries change, we better be ready to “jump onto our lifeboat and regroup,” as the book suggests.

One of my favorite chapters of the book was “Do the Hustle.”

I’m pretty sure this book was not supposed to add comedic relief,but hey, laughter is the best medicine.  As the book theorizes, “No matter where you are in your career, there will be moments when you feel like your back is against the wall.  When you may be short on funds or allies or both.  When no one is knocking at your door inviting you to stuff.  These situations call for :  hustle.  (hustler is bad, but hustle is good.)

The book packs a really terrific pep talk.

Question for you?  why is it  so difficult for us to invest in ourselves? 

Doing so is not being selfish. Actually we are better equipped to help others when we have first taken the best care of ourselves.

Can I see the value of something even if it goes against my personal beliefs?

Welcome to the 2012 political season………………..