I don't know how I started reading "Whore Diaries II: Adventures in Independent Escorting." I think I got into a couple of pages and just kept on reading. Even though I am really not the target audience for this book, the first couple of stories were written well and kind of interesting that I said sure, why not, I will keep on reading. About halfway through the book, though, I kind of asked myself if there was more here in this book. Perhaps that isn't the point of the book - it was more like a diary, a collection of Tara and her experience with her clients. I get the impression that Tara loves what she is doing, and she loves sex. But I also sense a disdain towards her clients, I get an impression that she really does not like them as people. MY over all impression of the book: interesting for me in a clinical sense, thus I lost interest with the story after a couple of them. They all sounded the same to me after a while.
It's a Friday night and I was up for some unwinding and relaxation, so I instinctively put on Il Divo's new album "A Musical Affair," their newest album which is a collection of songs from Broadway musicals. I glance at the track listing and rolled my eyes. The song selection is on the uninspired side: songs that we have heard over and over. Can they inject some freshness into these? Well, yes, I think they did a good enough job. The arrangements, though conventional, is not tinny, thanks to the lush sounds of The Bratislava Symphony Orchestra. These four gentlemen fill the big pieces well, and the soars are high that you cannot help but be swept away by them. At times, I felt like I was hearing songs like "Tonight," or "You'll Never Walk Alone" for the first time. I was especially enchanted by "Some Enchanted Evening," as they were able to splice some sentimental shavings into the song. But I feel the real star of the album is its roster of name guests. My favorite is Heather Headley singing with them on "Can You Feel The Love Tonight." I think Headley is one of those singers who can breathe life and nuance to the phone book. Even Nicole Schezinger comes out great on "Memory," as trite as that song is. The duet with Barbra Streisand is nothing new, as devotees of hers have heard that from her 2006 Concert album. And Kristen Chenoweth shows her soprano chops in "All I Ask Of You," making the lyric "And Christine , that's all I ask of you" a little more poignant. I always criticize albums with boring song selections, but in this case, I think even the too-familiar can work. As long as the familiar is a loved familiar.
I was reading another Beth Harbison book ("Always Something There To Remind Me") when I chanced upon her more recent book. "Chose The Wrong Guy, Gave Him The Wrong Finger." Well, why not read these two books back to back, no? In this novel, the main character, Quinn Barton finds out on her wedding day that her soon-to-be-hubby has been cheating on her. The messenger of this news? Her fiancee's brother, who is also in love with her. So she becomes a runaway bride and leaves for Las Vegas with the brother. Cut to ten years later, and we find out it didn't really work out with the brother either. She is still loveless, after all these years. Then she is faced with both these gentlemen again. Harbison is an expert on these kinds of set-ups, but since I just read another book of hers with a similar plot, that may have been a disadvantage because I can sense quite a few instances from her drawing from a "formula." But I will judge this alone. This is readable, and engrossing enough for me to finish in about a day. And I liked the fact that there is a little bit of suspense in the end. (Though one look at the title of the book and there really shouldn't have been any surprise) It also feels just a bit hollow. I wonder if there was a chapter about the trip to Vegas for example, and if it was edited out. I felt there wasn't enough back story for the man she eventually ended up wth. It's as if we were being set up for something, only for us to be given a twist just for twist's sake.
I remember at one point in my life, I wore The Body Shop's Vanilla everyday that it became almost a signature scent. I remember it being a very gourmand kind of vanilla - sweet, intoxicating, tasty. I smelled good enough to eat. And as I look at my perfume collection, I do wonder why I have only a few vanilla-centric scents. Perhaps I grew tired of it? Tobacco, on the other hand is a favorite note of mine. It shows up on some of my recent favorites, like Serge Lutens Chergui, or the economically priced Spice Bomb by Vicktor & Rolf. Tobacco Vanille is up there on the "luxury" list. Tom Ford's Private Blend line is prohibitively priced, and I always try to resist it because of that. In Tobacco Vanille's case, I almost think it's worth it. This is a very rich fragrance, it *smells* expensive. You know and sense that there is a richness in the ingredients. It opens in an aromatic haze: tobacco leaf, gincer, maple, tonka bean, fermented fruits. It's all over the place yet blended so beautifully. As the perfume develops, it becomes even more denser: the vanilla pushes forward, and there is a liquor note (Rum? Brandy?) and combined with the strengthening tobacco gives a very dark impression. I can imagine this scent on a grandfather at his smoking room, wearing his smoking jacket (I think this would be a perfect scent for Hugh Hefner, for example) This would also fit a Wall Street mogul. I used to work with a couple of them during the 80s, and a couple of them smelled similar to this. But lest you think this is smells "old man," there is a sweet gourmand note (perhaps gingerbread) that makes this smell very now, very modern.On a cold day like today, I reached for this by instinct, and it is perfection. One spray on my scarf and the scent veiled me for the whole day. I know I use the term "modern classic" a lot, but this perfume really does fit that description.
Is it true that your first real love never dies? That no matter what happens, the love of your love will forever be that, and you can never replicate those feelings with anyone else? These were the questions I were contemplating on my mind after finishing Beth Harbison's "Always Something There To Remind Me." Erin Edwards and Nate Lawson were High School Sweethearts. But a petty disagreement breaks them apart, and years later they show up in each other's lives, and it seems that everything is too late for them. To make matters worse, Nate married Erin's high school BFF, Theresa. But they both know that they have feelings for each other. Will all these obstacles be breakable for the name of true love? I think we would all be fooling each other if we said we didn't know how this story would end, but the fun part is getting there. Harbison does a good job of narrating how true love *feels* and we instantly get caught in the story and root for the main character(s) The story doesn't always ring true: there are some questionable decisions the characters make. But, the journey is color enough.
Last year, I finished watching the whole first season of "The Carrie Diaries," and I liked it. I didn't love it enough to obsessively wait for episodes, but I would binge watch after two or so episodes were recorded on my DVR. I liked the season finale, I remember: so many possibilities for great story lines with Carrie spending the summer in New York City. The second season picks up just a little further from that time: It's still Summer and Carrie and Walt are still in New York City, though the new school year - their Senior year - is looming. Carrie is still an intern at Interview Magazine, and is starting to be an expert in navigating the city. She is still kind of pining for Sebastian, who is in Castlebury. Walt has discovered himself: he has come out, at least to himself, and again he is navigating his new found realization and the city while in the city. But the best part of the season is the introduction of one of Carries' best friends: Samantha Jones, played by Lindsey Gort. Gort is fantastic - she has perfectly mastered the Samantha Jones persona, albeit the younger more-naive version of it. The episodes sparkles as they handle the city, and their shenanigans are cute fun. On Friday's episode (Episode #3: "Strings Attached") the kids go back to school in Connecticut, and I was less enthralled. Although it is mildly interesting to see how they handle life as they adjust back to suburban life, they (and we, as viewers) know that Carrie and Walt's heart was left in NYC. And the on-and-off again love angle with Sebastian is getting kind of tiresome: Carrie needs a new love interest, stat, as much appealing as Austin Butler is. I hope this series doesn't get lost in the CW shuffle: it's timeslot is in the dreaded Friday graveyard. I, for one, would love to see the transition from this Carrie to the ones we know and love from later years.
I'm a sucker for romantic stories, and I am an Anglophile, so you know I would love "About Time." Plus, it's from the creator of "Love Acually," and "Notting Hill," two movies I am very fond off. And did I mention that it is set in London, which is probably my most favorite European city, so all in all I was expecting a lot from this movie. Maybe because my expectation was too high that I found myself underwhelmed by it. It's a "time travel" story. Tim, played by Domhnall Gleason is summoned by his father on his 21st birthday, telling him that all the male members from his family can travel backwards in time, at specific times in their lives. So when he meets Mary (Rachel McAdams, luminous here) he pulls out all the stops, making sure their cute meet is perfect. The cute meet is my favorite part of a romance, so I was very happy that in here, they have several cute meet stories. But after they marry, the film loses its steam for me. While the story line between him and his father is earnest, it seems to belong in another movie. I have a major problem with Gleason's performance. While his nerdy, geeky persona was cute in the beginning, I felt it stilted the story later on, and I thought he lacked leading man screen presence that I was ambivalent about what would happen to his character. Plus, the message towards the end was a little too saccharine that I found myself rolling my eyes. But the movie made me think: we all have moments in our lives that we wish we could change, scenes we hoped we could change, but we should also realize that everything else changes after we do so. I wonder if this movie would work better for me on second viewing. Perhaps there was a lot I missed. For now, though, I could only half-recommend this.
You have to really believe in magic when you read a book that has a lot of magical and enchanting elements. I guess you can say my taste gravitate more towards the raw and real. That is probably the reason why I didn't really enjoy Susan McBride's "The Truth About Love & Lightning." It's a fine novel: simple and charming. It has a great heart, but I just didn't get it. I couldn't connect to it, and thought the characters were underedeveloped. I know I am supposed to just give in to the unbelievable aspects of the story. I know that this is supposed to be illogical, and you just go with the flow. I blame me. I couldn't wait for the book to finish, and knew about its "twist" a couple of pages in. The funny thing is that I wanted to like it and gave it a couple of chances. Still, no sell.
A trip to the mall means a trip to Sephora, and as always, I am interested in some of the commercial perfumes. I walk up and down the aisle, but nothing calls, so I just spritz on See by Chloe, which I see was out at the end of last year. This is one of those perfumes that just by looking at the ad campaign, you can sense what kind of smell it will be. So, look at the print ad above: a young girl, wearing a leather jacket and panties. My take ? This would cater to a that girl, you know, the one who goes out at bars, shops at Bleecker Street, and pretends to eat a cronut. This makes sense, because See is Chloe's diffusion line, marketed towards a younger clientele. So, Voila! - the initial burst is fruity. Apples - more green apples - and a hint of pears. It's sweet, syrupy, a bit screechy. I sense just a hint of bergamot and ylang ylang, and I wish there were florals, but the tart apple dominates. This is fruit all the way, almost like a Hello Kitty fragrance, but in all fairness with more quality ingredients. I wore it and rolled my eyes, because, frankly, this is not just me. As it dried down, it turned more nutty, but I don't know if what I am smelling was my olive scented dry oil underneath. This is not an offensive fragrance by any means, but it is far from the most creative, so it is exactly how I expected it to be. Would I wear it? Sure, why not. I would never buy a full-priced bottle of it. But if I were, say, going to the mall, this may be the appropriate thing to wear then.
I was intrigued by the blurb of the book:
"This is a love story.
But it’s not what you think. This is not a first kiss, or a first date.
This is not love at first sight. This is a boy and a girl falling in
messy, unpredictable, thrilling love. This is the complicated route to
happiness that follows.
This is real. This is life. This is how to love."
Isn't that ripe for satire? But Kati Cotugno's "How To Love" isn't a bad as it is pretty...mundane. I thought it was more ordinary than anything else. Reena is a sixteen year old high school student who gets pregnant. Her boyfriend is her best friend's boyfriend before the bestie died. So, yes, there are complications. A story like this could have been so much better in execution and details, but here it just falls flat. It would also be easy to fall into the trap of getting mad at the character for falling again for the boy who is bad for her, but we all know that, in her case, bad will always be good.
I don't know about you, but for me, Johnny Mathis is synonymous to Christmas music. He has recorded a couple of them (if I am not mistaken eight album) And here he is, at age 78, releasing another one. And the voice, by gollly, is still there. It has thinned out just a little bit, it's still warm, supple, and perfect for these Christmas chestnuts. Even though I have heard all these songs before (some may be even by a younger Mathis) I never felt bored by him. As an album, I can't think of a bad track, and he is joined by very special guests that just make the album even better. Starting off the album is a duet with Billy Joel on "Christmas Song" and they show a connection in their duet. Later on, a duet with Gloria Estefan, though blandly arranged, is still not a throwaway because they blend well together. He also duets with Susan Boyle and the lilting arrangement here gives a lift to Boyle's wonderful soprano voice, and the over all effect is not as "heavy." It's a standout on an album of standouts. There are even swell originals here: a track with and composed by Jim Brackman, the title track, and "Decorate The Night," a modern soul track. But my favorite track is his "Merry Christmas Darling," which he sings with less sentimentality than normal, and the message of the song comes just a little more clearly. If you have loved and cherished your old Johnny Mathis albums, prepare to add another more to your collection.
Sometimes you just read a book, and you get into it, and then you are finished with it and then you feel like, yeah, that was that. I wasn't expecting Theresa Paolo's (Never Again) to be a life-altering experience for me, but I wanted a little something with my time spent, too. This book almost made me feel like my time was wasted. Liz is in college and she sees her ex-boyfriend, the one that got away. Well more like the one who moved away and never called her black. Liz felt like she never had closure, and she is right, and this made Zach, her ex, much more attractive for her, of course. Oh, but she has a boyfriend, Joe. As the reader, you kind of know that Liz and Zach are probably meant for each other, but a little conflict would have been nice. Instead, we get a cardboard character out of Joe, her current boyfriend, so you are left with no struggle. There's a sub-plot about a school shooting to mix things up a bit, but the writer doesn't take a stand about the issue so I was shaking my head wondering what was the point. I mean, at least make the reader think a little bit about the issue. All these half-baked ideas really just made me shrug and want to move on to the next book.
Even though I love Tom Ford scents, I don't succumb to them. Maybe because of his gall with regards to pricing his scents. A private collection bottle, 1.7 oz, has a price point north of two hundred dollars at least, and I always say, even Serge Lutens is cheaper. I mean, who does Tom think he is? But I will admit - he does great scents, and I feel (because I do not know for sure) that he is one of these designers who actually *loves* scents. Even his creations with Estee Lauder and YSL were all stellar. I mean, we can credit (or blame) him for creating the oud phenomenon. So, where was I? Oh yes, today, I tried his Urban Mask for maybe the third time, and again, I liked it a lot, but wasn't emotionally attached to it enough to get it. Maybe I really do need a "proper" wearing of this, meaning, getting a separate sample and using it for a whole day. Today, it seemed weak. Last time I remember it was dirtier, skankier, and today it seemed almost...tame. There's musk in the beginning and it's glorious, I admit. But as I wore it, the scent became, for like of a better word, "cleaner."I get the black pepper in the beginning, but today it just disappeared instantly (maybe the slightly balmy weather is the culprit?) Then I got amber, and it's a weak one, the musk actually dulled it. This time 'round, too, I didn't get the jasmine, which I remember to be on the indolic side last time I wore it (That was its big appeal to me then) As time progressed, the musk became whiter, which kind of make sense from the packaging and bottle - and I am just projecting now, of course. Is this one of those scents that you become less and less enamored as you wear it? Maybe, and that is on the practical side a good thing, because it is saving me money.
You can never judge a book by its cover. I thought Natalie Standiford's "The Boy On The Bridge" was a nice light read, a young adult love story that's cutesy. Set in 1982, it tells a story of a young exchange student named Laura who accidentally meets a Russian boy named Aloysha (Alexei) and they fall in love. Pretty simple, right. But this is in the middle of the cold war, so we get into an internal conflict as to whether Alyosha's love is genuine, or is he just using her so he can get to the United States. It was going all well, and the book gave you a nice feeling until the last eighth of the book where it goes kind of dark and unexpected. It was stirring. I found myself deeply and unexpectedly affected by the fate of their love story. I also enjoyed the local flavor as I have been to St Petersburg in Russia and some of the places they visit are familiar to me. I found myself attached to the characters and the endign is heartbreaking.
I will never apologize for liking moat of Susan Boyle's *recordings*. She has a voice that is perfect for records. It's an accessible soprano, and she (or her producers) has a knack for choosing the best vocal arrangements that highlight her voice. Plus, she makes record that have an element of "old fashioned" flair while still appealing to modern tastes. She already has a previous album, and she has released another one for this year, titled "Home For Christmas." And maybe because she has home on the title of her album, I imagined this record as set in the villages outside London, England: you know those hearthy wholesome Christmas scenes like we see on those miniature villages. Most of these songs can be fitting music for those scenes. I especially love her slight lilt in her "I'll Be Home For Christmas," the person singing is upbeat and positive, in anticipation of a reunion with loved ones. And I love that she covers "I Believe in Father Christmas," a "controversial" Christmas song that is kind of bitter and angry. She duets with Johnny Mathis (the ultimate Holiday song singer, in my opinion) in "When A Child Is Born" and it's a perfect match. A slight misfire is her 'duet' with Elvis Presley in "O Come All Ye Faithful," because the track sounds just like two people singing together with no connection between them. But the rest of the album is a keeper: an angelic choral lifts up "Hark The Hearald Angels Sing," melancholia reigns supreme on "In The Bleak Midwinter," and the sparse arrangement highlights Boyle's beautiful instrument on "The Christmas Waltz." I think I mentioned recently that I have experienced a little bit of saturation with regards to Holiday music, but I listened to this straightaway and felt light and joyful afterwards. I think that's close to what truly is the real meaning of Christmas, ain't it?
