Might have been better if not read by the author.
Putting in a bookbox

The audio box arrived today (along with Batty14's audio box). Glad I had lots of CDs and Tapes ready. Thank you, MyssCyn, for the bookbox and the labels. Now I know what everyone is talking about. How generous you are!!

I am replacing this book with In Harm's Way by Doug Stanton on CD.

Also, is there a BCID # for the book box?

I have to agree with MyssCyn -- the author was boring and not funny. I can't figure out why I finished the book. Only thing I can say it is because it was short.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

going in Carlissa's CD only bookbox

Selecting this from Carlissa's all-CD audiobook box, even tho the reviews from MyssCyn and booklady are less than enthusuastic and I don't like the negative title. This is supposed to be "hilarious" with "witty riffs" although booklady did not agree. I've heard of Ephron for years but never read anything by her, so here goes....

Finished it tonight. Excellent. I've gotta disagree with the journalers above. I liked the author’s witty, sometimes self-snarking reading style. I liked her honesty and accessibility. I even (which is uncharacteristic of me) didn't mind her spoiled, rich girl worldview. I especially liked “Me and JFK,” “Me and Bill,” and “Rapture.” The last is about being carried away reading a good book. I liked her list of things she's learned along life's road.

Usually I loathe women writing about dreary/vain topics like spreading hips, botox, aging hair, etc. I almost didn’t read this because of the title. But, in Ephron’s hands, her self-revelations about aging came across as palatable and non-cliché, user friendly. And most of the essays were not about this theme. I will say that “Blind as a Bat” scared me, as my own vision is not doing too well. The final essay about "the Big D” was very poignant, and Ephron’s bewilderment was refreshing. She admitted to not having a single word of wisdom or “answer” -- just grief.

Adding this to Big John Lefty's all-CD audiobook box

Picked this out of BigJohnLefty's audio CD bookbox, as this is a popular title that I've read about. Let's see if I like it.

It's perfect timing to listen to this as I just saw the movie Julie & Julia a few days ago, (with free pass from my bookclub!!) and Erphron's name is all over the movie. With that and her other movie credits, I'd expect more from the book, but unfortunately for me, the book is not very funny and the topics (like the one about her house) not very interesting. The ones about handbags, and reading, are quite good, but overall the book just doesn't live up to my expectations.

Now sending this to Mellion108, hopes she will belong to the "like it" camp.

Thanks, azuki! The audiobook is here. I'll listen/read and pass along to someone else.

I really enjoyed some of Ephron's essays and really didn't enjoy some of them. It's a tossup.

I like her observations, and I especially love the honesty that comes through in these writings. I don't really relate to anything having to do with botox or plastic surgery or purses or whatever, but I absolutely loved her story about her time as an intern in the JFK White House—this one essay is worth listening to the entire collection, and I can say that I was snorting with laughter through most of the telling. And, as someone who often felt let down by him, I really enjoyed her rye take on her "relationship" with Bill Clinton. Her thoughts about cooking and food missed the mark for me. I'm not a cook and absolutely loathe anything to do with cooking, but that's less about the quality of the writing here and more about my personal preferences. "Considering the Alternative" is also one of the essays I really liked in this collection. I also liked her musings in "What I Wished I'd Known."

Ephron's mother gave her a bit of advice that I think a lot of people would benefit from: Never marry a man you wouldn't want to be divorced from.

All in all, this is a decent little collection. I might have enjoyed reading it more because Ephron's narration often sounds valium-induced and because I could more easily skip some of the essays that didn't appeal to me (the purse story had me gritting my teeth). I think this is less "thoughts on being a woman" and more "Nora Ephron's thoughts about her life" since there are many things in there that a lot of us just can't relate to (spending thousands and thousands of dollars on body maintenance? really??). But Ephron's dry wit shines through, and that's what makes this worth the listen.

Controlled release to a friend while traveling.