bookishjen Amanda Pellegrino, Book Reviews, Books, Family, Fiction, High Society, New York city, PR and Public Relations, Relationships, Religion, Religious Extremism, The Social Climber, Thriller, Uncategorized

Book Review: The Social Climber by Amanda Pellegrino

Social Climber: One who attempts to gain a higher social position or acceptance in fashionable society.-Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Eliza Bennett appears to live the ideal life. She has a glamorous career with a New York PR agency. Her closet is filled with designer frocks. She works out at the best boutique health clubs. And she lives in a gorgeous penthouse apartment with her fiancé Graham Walker who comes from very rich old money family. Their high society wedding is just a week away.

So what’s the catch? Well, Eliza isn’t exactly what she claims to be, and some much of this unfolds in Amanda Pellegrino’s delicious novel The Social Climber. And as this story unfolds, people in Eliza’s well-heeled circle aren’t exactly what they seem either.

Unlike Graham, Eliza did not grow up wealthy and privileged. She grew up quite the opposite. Born Elizabeth, Eliza came from a deeply religious and some would say backward farming family. Money was tight, and Eliza was often clothed in hand-me-downs and poorly fitting clothing sewn by her mother. Mostly homeschooled, Eliza dreamed of a better life and this comes to fruition when she goes to Covenant College.

Now Covenant College is hardly Berkeley. It’s ultra religious and very conservative. There is a slew of rules and regulations the students must abide by or else they will receive demerits. Of course, the students do find away to have their fun. Eliza’s roommate is Ruthie. By Covenant’s standards, Ruthie is a bit of a rebel. But she and Eliza become true blue friends. Ruthie helps Eliza break out of her shell, and her less than stylish wardrobe. Eliza does well academically, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t get up to all kinds of merrymaking-partying, drinking, smoking weed, and losing her virginity. But the fun and games end when Ruthie disappears. Eliza is crushed, not knowing what has happened to her bestie. Will she ever know?

Years later, Eliza is kicking ass and taking names in the Big Apple. She’s made the best connections, and has a big rock on her left hand. But she is still haunted by Ruthie’s disappearance, and has something up her designer sleeve. Hmm, could it be revenge?

The Social Climber’s chapters take turns telling of Eliza’s background and college life at Covenant and the current time leading up to her wedding to Graham. Though Eliza is desperate to hide her past even though she’s gone to great lengths to ingratiate herself to the upper crust, and appears to move in their circles nearly seamlessly. Yet, as the wedding date approaches, Eliza soon realizes there is something not quite right with the family she’s marrying into, and possibly her fiancé, Graham. And in the end, there was a twist that I did not see coming.

Though Eliza is probably not the most upfront protagonist you’ll come across, you are compelled to learn more about her and how her story plays out. And though at first The Social Climber comes across as just another chick lit book, it ends up being a very satisfying thriller.

bookishjen Book Reviews, Books, DVDs and Videos, Fiction, History, Jeremy Hawkins, Movies and Film, Pop Culture, Retail, Show Business, The Last Day of Video, Uncategorized, Video Stores

Book Review: The Last Days of Video by Jeremy Hawkins

Back in the day, long before streaming, the only way you could see a movie you actually had to watch in at a movie theater or hope you could catch a rerun on the TV. That all changed when video cassettes came out in the 1980s. Finally, you could go some place and check out one of your favorites or you had chance to find a new cinematic treasure. Sure, we checked out movies from chains like Blockbuster or Hollywood Video, but many of us have fond memories of going to our local independent video stores where you could rent out everything from monster hit movies to indie gems to the classics, and so much more. The staff of these treasured places were true film buffs and very knowledgeable about various genres. They were committed to the craft of film and shared that commitment with other film buffs.

Nowadays, Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, and the indie places are misty memories. Though you can stream movies via various services, maybe find a Redbox at your local grocery store, or maybe check out videos/DVDs from your local library. But being able to peruse the shelves of your favorite video store was truly a glorious thing.

Author Jeremy Hawkins takes us down memory lane in a time where video stores were waning, Netflix was sending out videos through the mail, and streaming was in its infancy in his funny and heartbreaking novel The Last Days of Video.

Wax Waring is the proprietor of the indie video store Star Video in the fictional college town of Appleton, North Carolina. For the longest time, Star Video is where the denizens of Appleton rented their tapes and then DVDs. Now its the year of our Lord 2007, and there is a threat on the horizon. A Blockbuster is opening up not far from Star Video, and Wax and his employees are not happy about this development.

Wax is a hot damn mess to begin with. He’s misanthropic, incorrigible, and a little too fond of getting drunk. But being a huge movie buff since he was a kid, Star Video should be Wax’s passion. Wax has dealt with a lot of obstacles in his way, and a Blockbuster is just another obstacle, a huge corporate behemoth that threatens Star Video and Wax’s way of life. What can Wax do to make Star Video survive this horrible onslaught?

Along for the ride are two of Wax’s employees at Star Video, Alaura and Jeff. Alaura is a rapidly aging manic pixie girl crossed with a goth. She has a penchant for getting involved with Mr. Wrongs and different types of religion looking for a sense of belonging (which also inspire her tattoo collection). But she does have enough sense to keep Star Video running as smoothly as possible (not always easy with Wax’s outbursts and frequent drinking and hangovers). Jeff is new to both Star Video and Appleton. He’s a student at Appleton University, a film buff begrudgingly studying business, but wanting to know more about different kinds of movies, and is developing a mad crush on Alaura, an older women.

The threat of Blockbuster behooves Wax, Alaura, and Jeff to save Star Video. There are also other situations that threaten their beloved video store, including a faith based video distribution company that isn’t thrilled about some of the videos Star Video rents out (porn and R-rated movies), and a weird life training cult that nearly sucks in Alaura. And then there is Netflix mailing out DVDs and the advent of streaming.

Wax, Alaura, and Jeff conspire different ways to save Star Video. One includes an old high school chum of Alaura’s a once rising star film director who sadly has released a couple of flops and is now seeing the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock.

Will Star Video survive or will it end up in the dustbin of cinematic and retail history? I absolutely loved The Last Days of Video. The characters are fully-sketched, and despite being total screw ups, you can’t help but root for Wax, Alaura, Jeff, and Star Video. This book made me nostalgic for one of my favorite independent places to rent videos, Video Adventures (RIP) on Milwaukee’s lower east side. Whether you remember the last days of video or just think of those days as ancient history, The Last Days of Video is a great read.

bookishjen Book Marks, Uncategorized

Book Marks

Governor Pritzker of Illinois signs anti-book banning bill into law.

Diversity is on the rise in children’s literature.

86-year-old returns George Orwell’s “1984” to library 65 years late, saying it needs to be read “more than ever”

Robert Gottlieb, celebrated editor of Toni Morrison and Robert Caro, has died at 92.

Texas officially bans books with alleged “sexually explicit” content and demands book ratings from vendors.


bookishjen Book Reviews, Books, Carla Anne Ernst, Community, Family, Friendship, Life Without Pockets, Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Sex, Transgender, Uncategorized

Book Review: Life Without Pockets-My Long Journey into Womanhood by Carla Anne Ernst

The transgender community, both trans women and trans men, have been getting a lot of attention, some of it good and some of it quite vicious. Though transgendered people have existed forever, In the past few years transgendered people have come to the forefront of our consciousness. They include people like Caitlin Jenner, Elliott Page, Chaz Bono, and Rachel Levine. We’ve seen transgendered people in TV shows like “Pose” and “Orange is the New Black.” Movies like “The Crying Game,” “Boys Don’t Cry,” and “Transamerica,” and one of my favorites, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” Though the trans community has gained acceptance there are still far too many people hostile towards trans men and trans women. Most transgendered people are just trying to live their lives.

One trans person I once knew was Carla Anne Ernst. I met Carla at my Unitarian church several years ago. It was an open secret Carla was transgender. And she was welcomed with open arms at our church. But she was so much more than a trans woman. She was also a talented writer and musician. And I gained a great deal of knowledge about Carla’s journey as a transgendered woman in her memoir Life Without Pockets: My Log Journey Into Womanhood.”

Carla was born to a loving and large Catholic family in Glencoe, Illinois. From her earliest memory Carla knew she was born in the wrong body. She just knew in her very soul, she was a woman. Of course, she didn’t transition right away. She lived as a boy, and then a man for quite a while. She did well in school, played sports, had lots of friends, found music to be a passion, and later went on to college and made a career in the communications field. She was even married twice and had children. Of course, the marriages didn’t last, but Carla remained a devoted parent to her children.

Transitioning began much later, and thus Carla tells us about her deeply personal journey from being a male to female. Carla is not hesitant about telling us some of the good and bad of being transgender. Not surprisingly, there were people who were not particularly thrilled with her decision to become a woman. But fortunately, she did find support among her family, her friends, her work colleagues, and her church community. She also found a collection of fellow trans women for which she could bond with and also have a lot of fun times. And when asked if there was one thing she missed about being man, she said, “Pockets.” Let’s face it, ladies. Our garments are often devoid of pockets. Am I right? But most of all, Carla felt peace. She was finally content with being her true self.

However, Carla is also brutally honest about the hostility and downright violence aimed at the transgendered community. There are so many heartbreaking stories of transgendered people being attacked and sometimes killed for being different. Transgendered youth and adults are often bullied and ostracized by society. Some are cast out of their families and estranged. Many deal with deep depression and other mental health issues. Some commit suicide, including one of Carla’s dearest friends for which this book is dedicated to.

Life Without Pockets is more than a memoir. It is also a primer of transgendered people. Though Carla will admit her story is very individual and personal, she provides interesting facts about transgendered people, which have existed since the beginning of time and can be found in literature, history, and all kinds of pop culture. You’ve probably met a transgendered person and didn’t know it. Carla also provides resources, facts, and figures about transgendered people for anyone seeking information whether they are trans themselves, know somebody trans, or just curious and want to know more so they can support the trans community. Carla also provides things you should probably not ask a trans person, like about their sex lives. How rude!

I’m sad to say, Carla died a few years ago. With all the intense prejudice and abhorrence aimed at transgendered men and women, she would be truly heartbroken. But I do think she’d find hope and solace to all the people who do support the transgendered community. Life Without Pockets is an important and timely book in building a bridge between the transgendered and cis-gendered public.

bookishjen 1950s, 1960s, Alix Kates Shulman, Book Reviews, Books, Feminism, Fiction, Marriage, Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen, Retro Reviews, Sex, Uncategorized

Retro Review: Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen by Alix Kates Shulman

When Alix Kates Shulman’s 1972 novel came out it was considered shocking and groundbreaking. It covered topics women coming of age in the mid-20th century weren’t supposed to talk about, let alone experience. These topics included premarital sex, adultery, abortion, and divorce. Though shocking over 50 years ago, Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen is thought in some circles to be a feminist classic. Intrigued, I decided to read Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen, and try to figure out why it’s so cherished among some readers.

Meet Sasha Davis. She is coming of age in Ohio during the 1950s and 1960s. She growing up in Ohio, and lives a very comfortable middle class suburb, and is beloved by her parents. For young Sasha, being beautiful and attracting a man is of utmost importance. Fortunately, she’s pretty and popular. She is at no loss finding suitors, and when she is crowned queen at the dance, Sasha feels she’s reached the the highest of heights.

After high school graduation, Sasha goes to college. Having lost her virginity to a high school boyfriend, Sasha has her fair share of lovers, including a much older and married professor. There are times Sasha acts as if the professor’s wife is a mere nuisance, not the one who is actually being cheated on.

Sasha marries her first husband, but marriage does not fulfill her in the way she wants and she cheats on him continuously. After their divorce, she marries once again, and on the surface things look great, especially after Sasha has two daughters and tries to play the contented housewife. But looks can be deceiving, and despite having a loving new husband and two healthy and happy little girls, you get the idea that something is amiss in Sasha’s life. And you wonder if this marriage will also end up in divorce, especially when Sasha’s best friend from college, Roxanne, leaves her husband (they “had” to get married because Roxanne was pregnant and it was still a time of shotgun weddings and legal abortions).

Sasha is no dummy. She’s educated and curious, and fortunately lives in New York City where she has access to museums, libraries and other intellectual pursuits. Still, being beautiful and having a man is of utmost importance to her, no matter how poorly some guy may treat her or how less than enthused she was by a lover.

For the most part, I liked Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen. Kates Shulman is a very detailed writer of a time I only know from history books and binge watching “Mad Man.” Kates Shulman is quite thorough of a time when women were only supposed to aspire to be devoted wives and mothers in pursuit of that perfect pot roast recipe. Things like divorce, pre-marital sex, adultery, STDs, and back alley abortions were talked about in hushed tones if at all. But all of these things are covered thoroughly in Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen. And though Sasha is quite the flawed protagonist and doesn’t seem to show a lot of growth from her teen years to her thirties, you can understand why this book was so damn shocking when it was released just over 50 years ago. Though I don’t think Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen is the feminist achievement some people have claimed it to be, I do think it’s an important book that captures a zeitgeist of some women of that time period.