JUDY from BBC Films, Calamity Films, Pathé UK, Twentieth Century Fox

JUDY
 from
 BBC Films, Calamity Films, Pathé UK, Twentieth Century Fox

✯✯✯✯                                                                Review by Astrid Galactic

Not the definitive Judy Garland story but worth seeing Judy none the less. Much more of a vignette of Judy's life. This is a BBC production that focused on Judy's latter days in London with only a peek at Judy's early life. Just enough for the viewer to have an understanding of what influenced her psyche throughout her life, warts and all. We know that Judy Garland was a very gifted and talented performer who suffered from many abuses, both towards her as well as of her own making. This film manages to provide a nice balance of showing us those conflicts with a bit of sweet sugar to keep the film from being nothing but sadness. I left the theater with feeling both sadness and happiness which is what I believe the filmmakers were striving for.

Renée Zellweger's performance was astounding as Judy. What impressed me even more was that she performed her own vocals. Have no idea how much of them may have been tweaked in the studio but they wouldn't have been that good if she didn't have some sort of musical talent in the first place. It was also very clear that Zellweger did an incredible amount of rehearsing and studying of her character before filming. She managed to capture Judy's nuances such as body movements and facial twitches that only enhanced the storytelling. Worth seeing the film just for Renée's performance if nothing else.

Must also give a mention about the wardrobe. Very accurate stylings for the period. It was evident that they actually studied that exact period in time as well as what Judy may have actually worn rather than lift what other's have portrayed in the past as too often happens in film. Lots of gorgeous fabrics such as brocades and colorful prints which were all very lush and appropriate for a star of her stature.

All in all, if you lower your expectations just a bit of the film before viewing, you will be well rewarded with what is still an interesting portrayal of a slice of life of the iconic Judy Garland.

Judy
2019
BBC Films, Calamity Films, Pathé UK, Twentieth Century Fox
Director: Rupert Goold
Writers: Tom Edge (Screenplay), Peter Quilter
*Based on the stage play "End of the Rainbow"

KICKING FINANCIAL ASS by Paul Christopher Dumont

KICKING FINANCIAL ASS

 by

 Paul Christopher Dumont

✯✯✯                                                                   Review by Astrid Galactic

Trying to keep your financial house in order is one of life's more daunting tasks yet ever so necessary. Kicking Financial Ass is a guide to help you do just that. Paul Christopher Dumont takes you through many of the various aspects of finances one must tackle from early in life through retirement as well as a way to psychologically look at how you look at finances and what you need to make you happy. 

Personally, I found this book to be a mixed bag of advice. Some very good while I found a few things not all that accurate or maybe forced to fit an outcome. Like so many other books on personal finance, it tended to lean towards being way too cookie cutter by totally ignoring so many other demographics and factors that exist in real life that just did not fit any of these guidelines. Some of the numbers were also way off. All too often, I found myself trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. Good advice for the square pegs but impossible for the round ones. 

Early on in the book, Dumont mentioned that his intended audience was for millennials. After reading the book, it really is best marketed to millennials as much of it didn't do a whole lot to be all that helpful for anyone older though could help those younger. That's all fine and good but I feel that there should be some notation of that on the cover. 

The book is not an one size fits all guide by any means but still contains some basic understanding that is very useful. Rather than nitpick on specifics, I think it's best to do what financial advisers always suggest (which, oddly wasn't mentioned in the book) and to diversify. In other words, diversify your financial reading material and hone it all down to what suits your own personal life circumstances. Also understand that what might work today in Dumont's suggestions may not work at all in the future. Extract what you can from the book to help set you off onto the road of personal finances but keep learning and paying attention to any changes and warnings along the way.


Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of the book for a fair and honest review.

(eBook courtesy of NetGalley)

Non-Fiction

Finance

Paperback, 290 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1999132606

Publisher: Paul Christopher Dumont

Release Date: August 6, 2019

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HORROR STORIES by Liz Phair

 HORROR STORIES by Liz Phair

(Review to follow)

(ARC)

Autobiography

Memoir

Paperback, 272 pages

ISBN-13: 978-0525511989

Publisher: Random House

Release Date: October 8th, 2019

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THE VIEW FROM APARTMENT FOUR: ON LOVING AND LEAVING NEW YORKby Skip Rozin

THE VIEW FROM APARTMENT FOUR: ON LOVING AND LEAVING NEW YORK
by Skip Rozin

✯✯✯                                                                                                          Review by Astrid Galactic

The View From Apartment Four: On Loving and Leaving New York by Skip Rozin is a pleasant enough book, especially if a piece of your heart has a place in NYC; however, it's not as New York centric as its title would lead one to believe. Yes, it centers around the author's time as a tenet in this specific apartment in NYC, but the reader ends up feeling as though they missed a bit of the city during his autobiographical storytelling as he tells more about his life during those years rather than a lifetime's worth of explorations and nuances of the heart and soul of NYC. There certainly is some of that but not as much as one might hope for. 

We get to know exactly where the apartment is and the feel of its place within the building and neighborhood. We also get a little bit of an idea of some of the other residents within the building. We also get to know more about Skip, his desires and frustrations of becoming a writer in NYC. Eventually, a wife and kids enter the picture which has its own drama. The apartment has its part to play in the story but less and less of it actually involves NYC as the story is told. Still important but getting lost along the way. 

The pieces I liked best were when I got the feeling that I just happened to meet Skip in some NYC café where we struck up a conversation with each other and I learned that he was a writer with things to say. Once we drained our coffee cups, we decided to move on to get a drink in some local watering hole where he continues to regale me with stories of his quest to have his stories published while writing in his uptown apartment. Strolling along, peeking in shop windows and discussing tidbits about some of the buildings and areas we pass by, we reach the subway to go our separate ways and thank each other for a wonderful evening of many in the city that never sleeps. That flavor of NYC is what sometimes made this an enjoyable read. Unfortunately, there weren't enough of these. Maybe it was the title that had me expecting more. 

The one section I could have done without was when he elaborated on being a sports writer. Of course, I don't care for sports, so that left me cold, but it left me feeling that it didn't really belong. At least, not as detailed as it was. 

As mentioned, it was an enjoyable enough book but not quite the thrill that I was hoping for. 

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book for a fair and honest review. 

(NetGalley ARC/eBook)

Autobiography

Memoir

Paperback, 376 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1733156301

Publisher: 77 Street Press

Release Date: August 27th, 2019

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THE OTHER'S GOLD by Elizabeth Ames

THE OTHER'S GOLD by Elizabeth Ames

✯✯✯                                                                                                          Review by Astrid Galactic

Elizabeth Ames is a decent enough writer who understands the constructs of a good story but, in my opinion, loses it when it comes to her characters. In The Other's Gold, these four college roommates, who become lifelong friends, were a bunch of drama queens who had a penchant for pushing boundaries to the extreme. The whole book reeked of borderline personality affective disorder. By the time I finished the book, I realized that I really didn't like most of them and I found it unbelievable that all four of them stuck together over the years through thick and thin. 

Often I felt that they would take an issue that was questionable and take it to the most extreme of awfulness which eventually ended up destroying others' lives. I kept thinking that was the point of the book and would be realized later in the reading but it never really got there. It just got more personalized towards the women who all suffered from some sort of psychological dysfunction that always became the nucleus of the entire group. Or maybe I just got lost as I lost interest about 3/4ths of the way through the book. I did hit the wall for a bit and had to stop reading for a few days. Thought it was my tired eyes, but when I went back, I realized that I just wanted to run away and escape these crazy loons and their over the top drama. 

The other thing that disturbed me was that no matter how good any of the males were, I felt that they were, at very best, regarded as being a lesser species to any females. Personally, I find that very offensive. There were other issues that I felt were being pushed within this book that annoyed me but I'll let them go for now for fear of going off on a diatribe. 

The writing was sensitive and the pacing was good. Ames knows how to write what could be an interesting story. It's evident in her work. For the most part, it's the characters that need to be worked on and their reason for being within the book that need to be refined. Also, if she has an underlying story to tell, she needs to be much clearer. There were concepts there that I sensed were trying to come through but so hidden and confused that I'm not sure if I was forcing the book to make more sense than it did or if Ames just didn't clarify her ideas as clearly as she should have.

If it weren't for the fact that I'm committed to finishing a book once its started, I would not have seen the last word. From the beginning, I had so many hopes for this book because it was evident that Ames has a wonderful writing style, but as the characters broke down and fell apart, so too did the story as a whole. Don't get me wrong, I love reading about dysfunctional people. It just didn't work here, maybe because they were so annoying as well as there just didn't seem to be a ulterior purpose for telling us their stories. The book seemed a little to me like a broken necklace that held a few nice beads. Parts that could be laced together to make a beautiful work of art just broke apart and got lost without a real purpose of existing together other than that they had been roommates. 

(ARC)

Fiction

Paperback, 496 pages

ISBN-13: 978-0593152317

Publisher: Random House

Release Date: August 17th, 2019

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SAVING BUDDY: THE HEARTWARMING STORY OF A VERY SPECIAL RESCUE by Nicola Owst

SAVING BUDDY: THE HEARTWARMING STORY OF A VERY SPECIAL RESCUE by Nicola Owst

✯✯✯✯                                                                                                     Review by Astrid Galactic

If you've looked around lately, you'll have noticed that this world has gone to the dogs. There are dogs everywhere! On the beach, up and down the sidewalks, alongside you at dog-friendly restaurants, memes, dog prints, YouTube, commercials... you name it. You'll also find plenty of books on dogs. Why? Because we love them so much. One of those newer books is Saving Buddy: The heartwarming story of a very special rescue by Nicola Owst. 

One rainy English day, Nicola was out on a mission to pick up a horse rescue from a farm where quality of life was not one of the owner's goals. Seeing the disgustingly deplorable conditions of a couple of the animals, they ended up going home with two horses and one caged, feces covered, very abused Staffordshire Bull Terrier on the verge of taking his last breath. This tore Nicola's heart apart. She didn't ask, she just took the poor little boy who turned around and stole her heart. 

As with any animal rescue book, it's loaded with parts that will make you cry. You'll get most of your crying over with in the front of the book as Nicola talks about how she found Buddy, or Buddy Boy, and how badly he was abused. But as the book continues, you'll also find yourself weeping tears of joy as the story tells of healing and triumphs along the way. Not just for Buddy but also Nicola as she too was inadvertently rescued by Buddy after her own personal turmoils. 

Nicola's early life is a true Cinderella story complete with finding her prince with the prince being Buddy Boy. Actually, she found two as she eventually meets Jon, her husband, who is one of the good ones. Although, there was no glass slipper which was probably a good thing because Buddy probably would have just chewed it up. When Nicola was still just a young girl, her mother passed away leaving her under the care of her father who had become a broken man who quickly married the woman who would play the role of Nicola's literal wicked step-mother. Those tales of neglect and abuse too will wet your eyes. 

Fortunately for Nicola, she had a good network of others in her life who would eventually step in and help her along the way. Once she was just old enough to move along, she moved out and started to establish herself as an independent young woman. She still worked at the stable but also found other work to pay the bills. This was also when Buddy found a permanent place in Nicola's life. This is a tale of the true love of two partners saving the lives of each other through thick and thin. 

Buddy is still with Nicola and her family but slowing down as we all do with age. You'll read of their interactions at dog shows, various medical scares with both Buddy and Nicola, vacations with friends of both the two and four legged variety, and trips scaling mountains, as well as how Buddy was involved with Nicola making peace with her broken father. There's also plenty of information regarding animal rescue missions and some basic information on how you too can get involved. 

As sad as some of this book is, it was still a delight to read with many of its endearing stories and Buddy anecdotes. By the end, I found that I was ready to leave the book, though I found it to be the perfect length. All had been told and it almost started to get a little too much with the many dog shows and details involving rescue organizations. All good but any more would have ventured into the preachy zone. 

The world may have gone to the dogs but those best friends of ours are often who save us. No, they can't save the whole world but every saving connection is one dog step closer to saving each other. The story of Buddy Boy and Nicola is just one of those tales. 


Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the eBook in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

(ARC eBook)

Non-Fiction

Memoirs

Hardcover, 304 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1912624669

Publisher: Mirror Books

Expected Release Date: September 12th, 2019 (eBook);

                                            December 12th, 2019 (Hardcover)

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GRETCHEN: A THRILLER by Shannon Kirk

GRETCHEN: A THRILLER by Shannon Kirk

✯✯✯✯                                                                                                Review by Astrid Galactic

Living a life on the run often makes for an interesting premise for a novel. Gretchen: A Thriller by Shannon Kirk is such a novel that is packed with back history as to why one is on the run as well as where the run leads a character. This run takes 15 year old Lucy (as she's most often called in this story) around the country by her mother in an attempt to elude Lucy's father whom is claimed to want to take her off to a foreign country where women have no rights, where Lucy would be in great danger. 

Lucy has been on this run for her life for most of her life. Her mother never allows her to make friends, stand out, get too familiar with anyone or develop any sort of a normal lifestyle of her own because of her mother's intense paranoia which we don't learn the reasons for until well into the book. Once we do, the two are already deeply involved in yet another very weird circumstance that has other life threatening implications. By this time, Lucy has had it with not being able to settle down and make a friend that she refers to as a Jenny. In their latest rental, Lucy rebels and insists they stay in what originally seems to be an idyllic location in New Hampshire. A place to settle and put down some roots. 

One of the appealing reasons that Lucy finds in this place is that the landlord has a daughter, Gretchen, about the same age as Lucy. Both girls are desperate for friendship but it soon becomes evident that Gretchen is the much more needy one. Things get weird between the two rather early on and Lucy realizes that she must set boundaries as she continues to catch Gretchen sneaking up on her during Lucy's private moments. The girl, Gretchen Sabin, is just weird and doesn't seem to have any sort of understanding of how to be a friend, when to give space and how to properly react during various interactions. Gretchen is obsessed with puzzles and is very intelligent, yet there's clearly something else very disturbing about her. She has an extreme obsession about human bones, death and Dante's Inferno. Her puzzles, most of which she made herself, all contain these subjects and are framed throughout the equally strange house on the hill that she lives in with her concert pianist father. He's an oddball himself and very doting towards his daughter. 

When Lucy attends a dinner at Gretchen's house, the book takes a turn towards the creepy side. That was when Lucy gets to see how odd the house is as well as seeing this personal museum of Gretchen's bone puzzles. To be honest, this was when I totally expected to find out at some point later in the book that Gretchen and her father Jerry were cannibals and that all the bacon they fed her was made from long pig. Nope. It certainly would have fit though. 

As the story develops further, we get to meet all sorts of other characters, some whom are from Lucy's mother's past and eventually play a strong role within the rest of the story. Others are newer people who come into their present lives and play important parts but it's mostly those from the past who have the strongest impact. The most important character from the past is Laura who was a close friend to Lucy's mother for years at a camp the two attended as they were growing up. 

Things get somewhat convoluted as the story unfolds and, at first, seems to tell several different stories at a time. Of course, they all merge together once everything is revealed. My biggest problem with the book is that I felt that, after all was said and done, there were still too many loose strings. There was an awfully lot left out about the Sabin family and what made them tick in such a psychotic way. Oh, there's a history there and some of it is revealed but so much of the connection to the characters we got to meet was just so vague. In fact, some of it made no sense as to why they treated certain family members the way they did. A little reasoning would have gone a long way with the storytelling. It just seemed that so much was left out.

Outside of the story itself, I really loved the author's voice. The way she tells the story, especially while telling it through Lucy's eyes. There's a certain realness and down to earthiness that I could relate to.  I especially loved how she'd take a few extra words to get particular about some song, color, or item to set a scene that was otherwise unimportant to the story. These little descriptors helped to paint a picture of their environment and told us of pieces of her personality. The way Lucy spoke, or thought in her mind, made her come off as a likable person with a good sense of humor despite all the adversity foisted her way. 

Despite some of its holes, I found that I liked the book. It's definitely a real page-turner and kept my interest from beginning to end.

(ARC/eBook)

Fiction

Psychological Thriller

Paperback, 363 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1542041348

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: July 23, 2019

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