If the Fates Allow: A Short Story by Rainbow Rowell

 If the Fates Allow: A Short Story by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a short, sweet tale of family, romance and Christmas in the Covid era.

I enjoyed the wit laced throughout, and that main characters were socially awkward and didn't look like models. My people!

This is my first book by Rainbow Rowell, though I have one or two languishing in my Kindle library from past sales. I'll definitely be cracking the (digital) spine of those next year. Probably/maybe anyhow, who knows what I'll actually get around to doing next week, let alone in the next twelve months?! 

An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin

An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love Steve Martin, and have since I was young enough to think an arrow through the head was hilarious, and not because it was an ironic juxtaposition. That's some high comic art to a little kid! 

I'm a fan of his comedy, his movies, his Hulu series, his books — the man does a lot of things extremely well. Hell, A Wild and Crazy Guy was one of the first albums I ever bought. I even enjoy hearing him pick a banjo now and then. This book, however, was my least favorite by him. It's intelligent and interesting, but the main character never feels real to me. Or maybe I just don't connect with her. 

Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout

Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Damn, Elizabeth Strout can write! Beautifully developed, complex characters abound in this series of glimpses into interlinked lives, all having a degree of connection to Lucy Barton (the main character in a previous book by Strout, My Name is Lucy Barton).

Strout is amazingly insightful, able to delve deep into emotions and motivations and describe them for readers like few others can. Her work is intelligent and compassionate and, yes, grim as hell. But so, so good. 

What to Watch December 2021

Santa's not the only one delivering gifts this December; streaming services have a sackful of goodies, too! I'm looking forward to the third and final season of Lost in Space on Netflix, And Just Like That ... and Station Eleven (based on the outstanding book) on HBO Max, Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett on Disney Plus, and much more! 

As always, I've compiled a list of shows I'd like to see that are coming soon, and I'm sharing it here along with links to everything coming to those streaming services so you can go through and pick your own must-watch viewing. Most of what I've collected is on streaming, but a few shows can be found on old-fashioned network TV. And away we go! 

Sweet Virginia by Caroline Kepnes

Sweet Virginia by Caroline Kepnes
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This started out with a hinted at promise of a fun, light treat to read, but that promise did not hold long AT ALL. Mostly, it's plain obnoxious.

The author mentions Hallmark movies a lot, which initially seemed like it could be a cute(ish) theme. It wasn't. If there was a train to fun she could've taken a spin on using the theme of sweet 'n' cheesy Christmas movies, it departed without her. 

Then there's the boring, repetitive used of the phrase "the Baba." That's what the main character and her husband called their baby. And it seemed like sometimes they called the mother that as well? I don't even know wtf was going on with that constantly repeated word, really, all I know is it became grating to hear.  

Not All Diamonds and Rosé by Dave Quinn

Well, well, well, where to start with this one? It serves up a few tasty tidbits about the Housewives casts from all the cities (except Salt Lake), and I think hardcore fans of the show will find enough here to make it worth their time. But, honestly, there aren't as many big reveals or juicy behind-the-scenes revelations as I'd expected (much of it was things fans already know), while other shocking claims found in it didn't always ring true — and there's no attempt to follow up or verify those claims. Read this book with a gigantic grain of salt at hand (along with a glass of rosé, of course!).

This book is basically a straight-up oral history. Cast, producers and the like are interviewed, and their answers transcribed here. It's organized into chapters for each of the Housewives franchises.