Happy Holidays To All, From My Friend, Nicholas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      Two days ago, Friday, I had a pre-Christmas visit with my friend, Nicholas, and just look his luxurious new bed.  Doesn't he look cute in it!  I am telling you, girls, Nicholas is ready for photo shoots!

                                         He hugged my right foot, put me through my paces, running up and down his town house stairs, several times, then sat with me, while I rested.  I petted him, and gave him my special chin scratches, which he just loves.  It made me feel so good to see Nicholas.  He sends his love to all.

                                          Following the visit, I went with Nicholas' owner, also named David, to a screening of the new "West Side Story."  A post will be coming during the week, but let me say, at this time--I was enormously impressed.

                                            If only Nicholas had come, too.  I know he would sit next to me, poised, and sit through the entire movie.

                                           And he would mask up, too, darlings!  He is a cat with sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, Join Us Saturday Night, As Svengoolie Presents That 1958 Favorite, "How To Make A Monster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   This is a nice, warm, human story about a disgruntled studio make-up artist, understandably upset after being given the heave-ho after 35 years.  I get it, girls; believe me.  But the extremes he goes to outdoes any lengths to which I might go. 

                                      Robert H. Harris is Pete Dumond, the disgruntled employee.  Nine years later, he would give another memorable performance in 1967's "Valley Of The Dolls.  This is a horror movie, but there is some reality.  Because real actors are used as the murderers.  Gary Conway, who did play in "I Was A Teenage Frankenstein," reprises his role here. AIP could not get Michael Landon to come back and do a 'Teenage Werewolf' reprise, but Gary Clarke, as Larry Drake, ably fills in.  The saddest character in the film is Rivero, played by Paul Brinegar. He is Dumond's personal assistant, and he gets treated like dirt.

                                         One has to believe that a component in the make-up of the monster actors has a hypnotic ingredient whereby Dumond can get them to do anything; namely get even with those who terminated him by killing them.

                                              Some magic happens near the end, but I won't tell you.  However, the viewer does get a glimpse of some of AIP's greatest make-up creations--the Saucer Man, the She-Creature, and my personal favorite, Cucumbo!!!!!!!!!!!!   Who always, and still does, deserve a second movie.

                                               See those teeth in the poster?  Those are Cucumbo's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                 So, join us Saturday night, for this special favorite!

                                                 Little Pippin is so excited.  He has never seen this before.  He cannot wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                  Let's all make a monster Saturday night, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      
                    

Girls, To Spice Up Your Christmas, Try Steve and Eydie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      I grew up with Steve and Eydie (listening to them, that is) but just because they have moved on does not mean their magic cannot be experienced.  Their song, "That Holiday Felling," combined with their rendition of it, makes it the sexiest Christmas song out there.  My favorite lyrics are "Let's s roast chestnuts by the fire. /Any little thing you desire."  Such double entendre, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      And the song is full of them.   And the duo brings a nice romantic bravado to all the other carols they sing.  It is purely a secular album; no "O Holy Night!" here; they keep it warm, but light.  I have a feeling they have recorded and performed religious carols elsewhere; their voices are too good.

                                       This is the definitive Steve and Eydie Christmas album.  Let me give

you a sampling with that classic song.  Herre it is!

                                            Have the cuddliest of Christmases, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

"Holy Coming Out, Batman! Why Can't I Dress Like Carolyn Jones As Marsha, Queen Of Diamonds????????????????????

                                           Too bad Adam West and Burt Ward as Bruce Wayne and his young ward, Dick Grayson (wink! wink!)  did not have that conversation.  It would have hurled the TV series in an entirely different direction.

                                              A strange way to introduce a book column, girls, but then it has been a strange year for Fiction.  Of the fifty selections in Fiction of "The New York Times 100 Most Notable Books Of 2021," I have read only eighteen, which is low for me, and the books I want to read are even lower in number.  Here, let's take a look--

                                                                       

                                                 1. "Burnt Sugar," by Avni Doshi--Trouble in India, mother and daughter conflict; this one has my attention, darlings.   A debut novel, but one having all the elements that press my buttons.

                                                                             

                                                  2.  "Ghosts Of New York," by Jim Lewis--I have not read any of Lewis' work, but this novel-disguised-as-short stories format might work, mixing ghosts--whether they be supernatural or memory--and the city I live in and love--sounds like the material and I would connect.  I will let you know, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                

                                          3.  "Klara And The Sun," by Kazuo Ishiguro--This garnered a lot of attention when it first came out, mainly because of its author.  When I first read about it being about artificial intelligence, I thought this similar to the film "Her," which I disliked.  I resolved to stay away from this one.  I may have to give it a try.  If I do, girls, I will let you know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                

                                                4. "The Love Songs Of W. E. B. Du Bois," by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers--When this first appeared in the bookstores, I groaned at its length.  Do I really have to read this?  Forget Oprah; she means nothing to me.  But the length was staggering, and do I really want to invest my time in such an undertaking?  Well, it looks like I may have to.  Like 'Klara,' this may be another book I am forced into reading.  I have a heavy schedule already, but promise I will get to it, and let you know, but it may take a while.

                                                                                    

                                            5.  "Oh, William!" by Elizabeth Strout--Well, let's start with my loving to read Elizabeth Strout, having read several of her books.   There is a connection to 'Lucy Barton' here, too, and I just loved that, so this really is a MUST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I will pass on the word, darlings!

                                                                              

                                              6.  "The War For Gloria," by Atticus Lish--Shades of Joan Didion!  I say that, because I have to warn you, dolls, this is a dark one.  A father and son conflict, the boy coming to terms with himself, whatever they may be--all this while the mother is battling ALS!!!!!!!!!!!   Make sure you have something fun lined up after you finish this one, dears!  Definitely NOT a light read!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                

                                        7.  "When We Cease To Understand The World," by Benjamin Labatut-- What is it?  Thomas Pynchon?  A novel? Short story collection?  Both?  The last is what I have heard.  It is waiting in my pile, so I may give it a try before year's end.   If it is what I fear, please writers, keep writing cohesive novels--cc: Jonathan Franzen, Amor Towles, Donna Tartt!

                                                                             

                                             8.  "The Wisteria Society Of Lady Scoundrels," by India Holton--Well, thank God the author is not India Wilkes.  I have to admit the title attracted me because of its similarity to "The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Society," by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.  This looks like it could be a remedy for some of the darker books.  It concerns a niece trying to save her aunt from the clutches of a pirate and his henchman, and is set in Victorian times.  This catches my eye, darlings; I only hope it is as good as it sounds.

                                              And that is it!  Can you believe it?   In any other year, my "Must Reads" would number in the teens and twenties.  Not this year, so what is wrong?  In any case, dears, this should give you something to peruse, and others you have been warned about.  

                                                   Happy Reading To All!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                          

                                                                                  
                                              

                                                                   

Merry Christmas To All, From Dexter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         Dexter is one of the most lovable neighbors in our building, and let me tell you, he is the perfect house guest, and does not wear out his welcome.  Here he relaxes by his fireplace, sending Christmas cheer to all of you, out there.  Isn't he cute?  I just love him.

                                            People and animals, like Dexter, are what make Christmas special!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Holy Crap, Batman! Wait Till You See What Made "The New York Times 100 Most Notable Books List"--At Least Those The Raving Queen Read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        Let us start with all MY favorites, making the list.  As for the Ten Best, which will follow later, ugh!  Get through this first!  Let us take a look at what I have read.

                                                                        

                                           1.  "Afterparties--Stories," by Anthony Veasana So--Not my favorite short story collection--that honor would go to "Milk, Blood, Heat," by Daniel W. Moniz--but this collection, made bittersweet by So's untimely drug death after such a promising debut makes these tales of coming out, immigration, drugs, and life off the mainstream, so compelling that this volume deserves a place, and I urge you to read it.

                                                                                

                                          2.  "Beautiful World, Where Are You?" by Sally Rooney--How much more of this can I endure?  All three of Sally Rooney's books, which I have read, are the same; each character from each book could be interchanged and put into any other Rooney book, with no difference.  Go ahead, let the feminists attack me; I don't care.  What bothers me most about Sally Rooney is not that she cannot write; she cannot decide what kind of a writer she is--a novelist, or a playwright?  Make up your mind, Sal, because with this book, unless you improve, you have lost me.  Not recommended, girls!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                            

                                       3.  "A Calling For Charlie Barnes," by Joshua Ferris--Interesting this follows Sally Rooney, because, after his short story collection, "The Dinner Party," I resolved to give up Joshua Ferris, as I am now doing with Rooney.  Someone recommended this book to me, and I am glad I took a chance.  The best book since his first, Ferris makes the reader question the truth about Charlie Barnes by giving us multiple narrators, whom we may not recognize till near the end.   Which is the most truthful? 

Ferris leaves the reader to decide that.  But what a ride, and what points of view!  Don't miss this one!

                                                                                 

                                               4.  "Cloud Cuckoo Land," by Anthony Doerr--All who loved "All The Light We Cannot See" are sure to love this blend of science, whimsy, practicality, and yearn for a place in the clouds, which Doerr picks in a loving, but lucid, style, unseen since Eugene Field.  This transported me to realms I often wanted to remain in.  No book has done that as effectively for me Lewis Carroll's 'Alice' books.  To convince myself, I read those again, following this.  One of my favorites of 2021!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Grab it and whisk yourself away to another world!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                

                                                    5.  "Crossroads," by Jonathan Franzen--Hey, it is Jonathan Franzen; what more can I say?  Plenty, because while I read and admired "Purity," I really did not like it.  I LOVED "Crossroads."  With the Hildenbrandts, he is back to what he does best--dissecting American family life.  Set in Seventies, my teen years, the times and references resonated with me: Franzen gets it all right.  But his skill for language, dialogue and human vulnerability restores him to the King Of American Novelists. Those afraid Franzen had gone away need not fear.  He is back--and at full strength!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                 

                                          6.  "Detransition, Baby," by Torrey Peters--As woke as one can get, darlings.  Too bad this character study of three women grappling with socio-sexual issues did not engage me.  I will give you this--it was not a phony, like "The Other Black Girl," by Zakiya Dalila Harris.  I am willing to give Peters another chance.  Good for some, did not work for me.

                                                                                 

                                            7.  "Harlem Shuffle," by Colson Whitehead--I had so looked forward to this, but it is only half successful.  His depictions of Harlem of another era are beautifully written, but the gangster narrative is only half successful.  In going for something Doctorow-like, Whitehead gets lost along the way.  Still, the man is so gifted, this work is worth reading, just to keep up with him.

                                                                                   

                                              8.  "How Beautiful We Were," by Imbolo Mbue--I read this early in the year, having loved Mbue's debut, "Behold The Dreamers."   Its blend of political and racial tensions and climate change rang true without having a contrived agenda attached to it.   In the year of BLM, this was the best of all those books, and was both enjoyable and informative.

                                                                                   

                                                 9.  "Intimacies," by Katie Kitamura--I have no idea why this book has garnered so much attention.  Sally Rooney, I can understand, but THIS?  Shoot me, if you want to, but I am telling you girls.... fuhgeddaboudit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                    

                                           10.  "Light Perpetual," by Francis Spufford--After his triumph with "Golden Hill," I was not sure how Spufford's follow up would be.  This was another I read earlier in the year, and I am telling you, girls, were it not for the Big Blockbusters, this might have made my list.  A group of people, who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time--the bombing of a Woolworth's, that actually took place in 1944 London--travel back and forth in time, with the results being poignant, moving and insightful.  With Anthony Doerr's book and this, time travel and alteration were big topics this year.  Don't overlook this one!

                                                                                     

                                             11.  "The Lincoln Highway," by Amor Towles--Everything good you have heard is true, darlings.   Amor Towles has done it again.  An eighteen-year-old man and his precocious eight-year-old brother, embark on a road trip to California to start anew, but the trip turns into a determent that is unputdownable, and something out of the boys' adventure books us Baby Boomers grew up with.  I sped through every one of its six hundred plus pages, hungering for more.  Not to be missed, and I cannot wait to see what Towles does next.

                                                                                 

                                            12.  "The Magician," by Colm Toibin--Another gem.  I loved what Toibin did with Henry James in "The Master," so I was curious about how Thomas Mann would be dealt with here.  Not only did Toibin outdo himself, but he also made me want to read some Mann, whom I have managed, unintentionally, to avoid.  Perhaps I will do one of his novels next year.  "The Magician" mixes biography and fiction so seamlessly, I cannot wait to see who Toibin tackles next!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

                                                                                     

                                       13.  "My Year Abroad," by Chang-Rae Lee--What is this doing on ANY list?  Not much to say, here.   Overrated, unmemorable, overdone.  Forget it.  Lee and Gary Shteyngart both!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

                                                                                 

                                          14.  "Our Country Friends," by Gary Shteyngart--See above.  I am officially done with him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                       

                                             15.  "The Plot," by Jean Hanff Korelitz-- Unquestionably the thriller of the year; definitely Hitchcockian.   A once successful novelist, now cribbing in a low-end creative writing program in a third-tier liberal arts college steals a novel's plot from one of his successful students, now deceased.  Or is he?  Because someone starts come after him for this deed.  Who could have known?  The last several pages had me gasping, but should it really be on a literary list?  Think about it, girls, but don't let these comments stop you from reading it!

                                                                                

                                   16.  "The Prophets," by Robert Jones, Jr.--The South, slavery, and homosexuality!  Sounds improbable, right?  Maybe Toni Morrison, if alive?  Perhaps, but Jones, Jr. does a wonderful job with the touching relationship between Samuel and Isiah.  Why this did not turn up on more lists, escapes me, but it deserves the place here, and is well worth reading.  Perhaps the best of all the year's Black-centric novels!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

                                                                                 

                                      17.  "Razorblade Tears," by S.A. Crosby--Two young men, one Black, one White, are a happy gay couple, till one of them is murdered.  Their fathers, none the most accepting, join forces to seek revenge on the killer who did this, and what begins as a routine revenge tale turns into a meditation on insight, humanity, racial and gay acceptance, with a plot twist I never saw coming.  This one is the real thing, girls, thrilling entertainment, while touching on current social issues.

                                                                                 

                               18.  "The Sentence," by Louise Erdrich--Like "The Plot," this is a must for lovers of fiction.  I am ashamed I have not read Erdrich recently, and she is such a great writer.  Combining American Indian folklore and literary acumen, this tale centers on a bookstore (which Erdrich actually owns in real life) being haunted by the ghost of its most annoying customer. For those of us having worked in public service, think about that for a minute, darlings!  It is enough to drive one crazy!  "The Sentence" is both hilarious and touching, and Flora, the ghost, is the most delightfully addled character since Madame Arcati in "Blithe Spirit!!!!!!!!!!"  Which I saw onstage, darlings, with Blythe Danner!  The prose flows like a river in a novel both whimsical and moving. 

                                   Well, girls, that's it.  Only eighteen titles that I have read.  Lower than in previous years.  I don't know if that says more about me, or the publishing industry.  Anyway, look for, in future posts, the books on the list I WANT to read, the Top Five In Fiction Of  "The New York Times," plus my own personal Top Five.  Let me assure you, it is vastly different from "The New York Times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                       But isn't that just me, darlings??????????????????????????

                                               

                                      

                                                                                   

                                          

                                                                                  

                                                

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                     

                                                                          

                                                   

                                                                         

                                                                                  

I Don't Want To Jump The Gun, But............................

 

                                              Believe me, darlings, no one more than yours truly has been skeptical about the idea of remaking "West Side Story."  Though I prefer it on stage, I accept the 1961 film as definitive.

                                                Now, this was supposed to be released in 2020, but we all know what happened.  We could not go anywhere.  So, the film was shelved, and I was glad.  I had no faith in the project, and, after being disappointed by "Dear Evan Hansen" thought stage musicals should stop being adapted for the screen.

                              

                                      Earlier this evening, I heard a taste of the 2021 "Tonight," and all I will say is that I was impressed. Really.  I am not hedging my bets, or getting excited, but this just may surpass the low expectations seasoned Theater Queens have for the film.

                                          It is coming to our neighborhood theater, the Alpine.   I will give you a full report, once I go.