day 3.344

what i love (this week)

the song

i found tessa and the typecast's "hold on 'til morning" where i find all my music, in an ad. it's the perfect summer-sounding song to get you through this intro-to-winter weather everyone but california seems to be experiencing now.

the show

i know we won't get to see the full kim and kris fallout, but i can't resist. i watched the kardashian empire rise and i'll watch it fall.

the movie

it's the one movie i saw in the last week that didn't include in my mass review yesterday, so ... here it is? it's the best looking of the saga- director bill condon isn't in to the whole shaky cam, dark and dreary look that the previous directors adopted.

the look book(s)

this week i'm bringing back the books. it's been a while since i've reviewed a recent read and that's because, well, i haven't read recently. but this week, copious amounts of travel time let me knock out two great reads (and, fyi, both will make great gifts). first, mindy kaling's is everyone hanging out without me (and other concerns). i love a good title, especially one i can relate to- this is a question i ask myself all the time- is sure to reel me in. the promise of laughs? even better. kaling, who you might know as kelly kapoor from the office, offers life highlights, starting with her life as a chubby androgynous suburban kid to popular-girl-in-her-head to struggling artist to the fame and fortune of hollywood. it'll have you laughing from cover to cover, with plenty of relatable stories and insight into the office you never knew you needed.

robert rave's conversations and cosmopolitans, co-written by his mom, jane, is another hard-to-put-down read. i've raved (pun fully intended) about rave's fictional works spin and waxed before, but this book's a little different. c&c is a memoir following rave's relationship with his mom post-childhood. it all begins with rave finally coming out to his mom and weaves through the duo's strengthened bond as they navigate weight watchers meetings, new york nightlife and life's little miseries together, all with a side of snark and loving humor. if you have a mom, or know someone who has a mom (that means everyone if you didn't catch on), this is a must-read.

day 3.160

book review: lies that chelsea handler told me

first my horizontal life. then are you there vodka? it's me, chelsea. followed by chelsea chelsea, bang bang. now, lies that chelsea handler told me. handler continues her climb up the new york times' best seller list with her latest offering. too bad she didn't write it herself. lies is a compilation of essays penned by chelsea's staff, friends and family chronicling different - big shocker here - lies she's told them over the years. a different familiar face (well, technically, name) writes each chapter, each one more absurd than the one it follows. after each "victim" tells his or her story, chelsea adds a paragraph explaining her relationship with the person. the book lives up to its predecessors, but because it isn't written by handler herself, it lacks a little of the laugh-out-loud factor. if you're new to handler's books, don't start with lies. reading the first three first will make the references - and additions - to earlier stories that much better. but, if you've joined chelsea's absurd journey through bed sheets, beach chairs and belvedere cocktails, then by all means pick up lies that chelsea handler told me. you won't be disappointed.

day 3.155

book review: sweet valley confidential

they're back. the twins who made it cool to read return to your bookshelf in author francine's pascal's sweet valley confidential. it's been 10 years since we last saw jessica and elizabeth wakefield- and a lot has happened. no longer bffs, the duo are now sworn enemies fighting silently from different coastlines. elizabeth's made the move to nyc, struggling to become a writer. jessica's planted herself in sweet valley, where she's playing the role of happy homemaker ... to (SPOILER) elizabeth's ex. the beach read follows the wakefields through their journey to reconnect and find themselves. if you weren't an avid fan of the original series, chances are you'll find it hard to keep up with pascal's unending onslaught of series references. the early chapters- split between the present and flashbacks- help those who aren't familiar catch up, but the stories not worth a first-timers, well, time. while just a few more than 200 pages, sweet valley confidential drags on-and-on, running in circles to a very predictable resolution. the side players seem under-developed (maybe because their histories can be found in the original books?) and the pop culture references are outdated (betsy johnson as the hottest designer? really?). unless you're a sweet valley o.g., or desperate, don't bother picking up the book- just wait for juno scribe diablo cody's big screen adaptation of the original books.

book review: bossypants by tina fey

now this is a book i can get behind. tina fey's foray into the publishing world is the perfect book to kick off summer reading season. it's short, it's fast-paced and- most importantly- it's hilarious. bossypants features a collection of essays spanning fey's (cartoonish) life, and teaches you how to raise a smart, funny, awkward, virgin daughter. no, really- fey promises that herself. fey is her self-depricating best when revisiting her childhood and early days as a struggling comedian, which make up the meat of the memoir. the book's slowest parts come near the end, but they're still peppered with funny asides and pictures (a picture book for adults!) as to not make you want to kill yourself. everyone- young, old, male, female or transgender- will find something to like (and laugh at) in bossypants.

if you're a fan of chelsea handler's book collection, then bossypants is the book for you. if you're not ... then, well, you should be.

day 3.113

book review: the bedwetter

every time i travel, i always manage to do one thing - finish an entire celebrity memoir during the trip. this saturday's read? the bedwetter, by sarah silverman. the irreverent, chipmunk voiced comedian delivers comedy gold in her memoir, which features "stories of courage, redemption and pee." silverman's childhood, er, problem with bedwetting is the unifying device in the book, brought up more times than it probably should have been. overall, the book fits somewhere between the witty observations of david sedaris, and the hard-to-believe-they're-true stories of chelsea handler. you probably wouldn't want to pick up the book (which has been out since april of last year) if you're not a silverman fan - you'd probably find the humor a little off, and be confused by some of her implied references. the one thing missing from the book? an explanation of the comedian's break-up with late night host jimmy kimmel. the duo were together for nearly six years, yet the only references to him were in photo captions. how'd her editors (who silverman both thanks and eviscerates in the book) let that chapter of silverman's life not become a chapter of its own? check out the book if you want a quick, funny read. but don't expect too much.

day 3.32

book review: the hunger games trilogy

the hunger games trilogy is slated to become the next twilight or harry potter. the suzanne collins-penned trifecta already has a big literary following, and production on the first film in the series starts in just a couple of months - so, natch, i had to read it. the young adult series is super easy to read, and super fast paced. here's some background - 16-year-old katniss everdeen lives in futuristic panem, the country that inherited war-torn north america. panem consists of 12 unique "districts" (similar to our states) and a capital. after an uprising against the capitol some 70+ years ago, and the destruction of a 13th district, an annual "hunger games" is held and broadcast nationwide to remind everyone of the country's destruction. the hunger games consist of two tributes from each district competing in an area to the death, until only one tribute remains. it should be no surprise that, in the first book, katniss becomes one of those tributes. the first book follows her time in the games and (it shouldn't really be a spoiler, but just in case - spoiler alert!) the second and third books follow the after-effects of those games, which includes a second set of games for katniss and her co-tribute peeta. collins' stories are part anti-war allegory, part coming of age story. but don't worry - the stories aren't uber political, but rather a reminder of what war can bring. the books are filled with everything from political scandals to love triangles, giving every reader something juicy to hook onto. katniss' journey is filled with unexpected twists and turns until the very end; anything and everything you think you know about her world will surprise you, as will katniss herself. each of the books is not quite as good as the one that precedes it, but you'll want to keep going so you can know what happens. definitely check the series out if you want in on the next big thing to hit hollywood, or just want an easy fantasy read.

the cast of the trilogy has yet to be announced, so picture whoever you want as the characters. but, if you need some inspiration, the name being thrown around the most for the role of katniss is desperate housewives and nikita star lyndsy fonseca. and, after her oscar-buzz worthy performance in true grit, hailee steinfeld might be the next kristen stewart - but with better acting chops.

day 2.263

get waxed

i'm officially a robert rave fan. i read his first novel, spin, at the beginning of summer. and, to finish my summer out, i read his new one, waxed. waxed follows the trials and tribulations of three sisters as they run their own waxing salon, impresarios. carolina, sofia and anna (the three sisters) are all at different points in their lives - carolina is having all of the success in the world as the owner and operator of impresarios, but her life is void of romance; sofia finally struck a balance in her life, happy professionally and personally with her doting husband; and anna is bouncing back from a divorce, getting back into the routine of working and providing for her family. but things have to change, right? cheating boyfriends, cheating on boyfriends, emotional cheating, a transgendered five year old and an eccentric billionairess on her deathbed all get throne into the mix and turn the sisters' live upside down. while the book is a little slow to get into, it picks up. i think the slowness is the result of rave's attempt to write the opening chapters so vividly that they could be translated easily onto a movie screen. he gets over that habit once the book's action picks up, so much so that you almost wish it were longer.

day 2.258

prostitution whore no more

well at least that's the word on the street. life & style magazine reports danielle staub, the center of the new jersey drama universe, will not be asked back should bravo greenlight a third season of the real housewives of new jersey. after two seasons of terrorizing the manzo/laurita family, danielle has reportedly been told the "explosive" reunion she filmed for the show's current season will be her last appearance with the current cast. this gives bravo the chance to bring back my favorite new jersey housewife, dina, who left the show because of its focus on danielle, and get back to a more fun, lighter show - like all the others. while danielle's antics have been ratings gets for the network, two seasons is probably as long as they could string her "storyline" out for. the mag reports staub has been telling people she's getting her own spin-off, but others say she's just putting the rumor out there in hopes it will come true. what would her spin-off document? she seems to have no life. another rumor floating around is danielle will cross state lines and pop up on the real housewives of new york. the new jersey villianess has supposedly been looking for an apartment in the city to move into after she sells the house she currently lives in (and reportedly lost in her divorce).

and lisbeth salander is...

rooney mara? the virtually unknown actress has been cast in the first flick in u.s. adaptation of the "millenium trilogy," the girl with the dragon tattoo. after filming the social network - that movie about the rise of facebook - with director david fincher, who is also directing the girl with the dragon tattoo, reportedly campaigned hard for the starlet. she joins daniel craig (as mikael blomkvist), robin wright (as erika berger) and stellan skarsgard (as martin vanger) in the series. i think it's good to cast an unknown and i have no clue if this is the right choice, but i hope it is. it would be quite the travesty should hollywood eff up this series. daniel craig is a little too pretty in my opinion to play the haggard journalist, but hopefully he can pull it off. the film is set to start production this fall.

day 2.238

book review: the millennium trilogy

yes, i'm talking about all three books. i'm sure you've seen the bright covers of the girl with the dragon tattoo, the girl who played with fire and the girl who kicked the hornet's nest at the bookstore, but you just weren't sure what to make of them. they sound bizarre - secluded hacker helps journalist break story? snooze. that's what i thought. wrong. i read all three books back-to-back (as i tend to do, i don't jump on trends until i can marathon them; see: twilight) and i couldn't put any of them down. the first book (tattoo) introduces the world of millennium magazine (hence the trilogy title), a unbiased news source known for breaking some of the biggest stories to hit sweden. when journalist and magazine partner mikael blomkvist is accused of libeling a power player in sweden, things go downhill for the mag. until he's recruited to break one of the biggest mysteries amongst a mysterious family in sweden. along the way, blomkvist enlists lisbeth salander, the aforementioned hacker, to help him crack the case. the next two books pick up a while after the events of the first and delve into lisbeth's world. she's been declared incompetent and put under guardianship for the mentally ill by the country, but was it all a big cover up? you'll have to read and see. the books read like a good movie - lots of action and unexpected twists. while there were some moments of predictability, i was kept entertained. i liked the first and the last book best, as seems to be the case with trilogies, and highly recommend them. and if rumors are true, a fourth manuscript exists. author stieg larsson died before his books were ever published, so chances of the rumor being true are slim to none. but we can hold out hope, right?

the series has already been made into a film trilogy - watch the first two films' trailers above - in its native sweden (the first flick is out on dvd and the second can probably be found at your local arts cinema) and production is to start an an american adaptation of the first film soon, to be released next december. i know i'll be watching the swedish versions asap and can't wait to see how these films translate into hollywood. my only worry is that kristen stewart is reportedly in contention to play lisbeth. lisbeth is a reserved character, but she's more than biting lips and staring upward. i hope they track down an unknown to play the part. as for mikael? i see liam neeson, but names like brad pitt and daniel craig are being floated around.

day 2.282

take a spin

if you loved (or even just tolerated) the devil wears prada, i suggest you check out spin by robert rave. spin hit shelves last august and i wanted to read it as soon as it was released because every review i had read about it had praised it as "the devil wears prada for guys." now that i finally got the chance to check the book out, i can say those reviews i read did not disappoint. spin tells the story of taylor green, a recent midwestern college grad who moves to nyc in order to find himself. it takes green falling into a job as a publicist for one of nyc's biggest power players, jennie weinstein. the story follows taylor's trials and tribulations as jennie's, well, bitch. the novel is actually a roman a clef (that means fictionalized reality people) about author robert rave's time working with former nyc pr queen lizzie grubman, who you might remember from her short-lived mtv series power girls.

isn't she a beaut? much like the devil wears prada's miranda priestly "exposed" on vogue's anna wintour, spin's jennie reveals what all goes on behind the doors of lizzie grubman p.r. the whole time i was reading the book, i assumed it was about lizzie. my speculation was confirmed in the book's final chapter when *spoiler* jennie purposefully drives her car into a hamptons-esque restaurant. lizzie grubman famously drove her suv into a party in the hamptons. click. although, grubman denies the novel is more than pure fiction and not about her and rave hasn't confirmed or denied who jennie really is.

definitely check the book out if you want a quick read that is laugh out loud funny. it's filled with sarcastic wit and tongue-in-cheek references to the world of celebrity. and if you're a young adult interested in media industry, i think the book gives a pretty honest account of what it really takes to get what you want.

even before the novel was published, speculation about a movie version began. while i don't know if someone has the rights to the film, i can't wait until they make this. author rave publically backed zac efron in the role of taylor and i can totally see it. here are some promotional clips for the book that give you a glimpse of what a film version would look like.

rave is set to release his follow up novel, waxed, in early august. waxed follows the lives of the employees at a - you guessed it - upscale waxing salon that caters to the rich and famous. i'll probably make it my final summer read before i have to head back to the world of learning.

day 2.280

want to get carried away?

it's summer and that means books. a lot of books (well, at least for me). the first book i've knocked out this summer is candace bushnell's sex and the city prequel the carrie diaries. the carrie diaries tells the story of sex and the city protagonist carrie bradshaw's senior year of high school in suburban connecticut in the 1980s. it's all about carrie finding her passion for writing and experiencing love for the first time. ironically, all the "sex" carries experiences is vicarious: she still holds her v-card at this point, a far cry from the carrie we've all gotten to know. but that's because this isn't the carrie bradshaw you know. aka this isn't sarah jessica parker. carrie bradshaw started out as candace bushnell's alter ego; the name was used in candace bushnell's auto-biographical weekly sex and love column that was compiled into the book sex and the city, which in turn inspired the tv series and movie franchise. like any adaptation, liberties were taken with the characters when they were thrown on screen. even though hbo's carrie was very similar to candace bushnell in the beginning, as the show progressed she developed into a completely separate person. i don't think the path carrie went down on screen is the same path bushnell would write for her. the carrie of the carrie diaries screams "i'm really candace bushnell." anyway, back to the review. the carrie diaries is pure fluff. it's a good summer/beach read, but is horribly predictable. i should keep in mind that diaries was written for the teen set and that might explain why it's so simple. the whole novel seems like a set-up for already-in-progress sequel. the best part of the book is the last line, which *spoiler alert* sets up carrie's first adventure in new york with none other than samantha jones (fyi: in the literary world, jones isn't a publicist, but in advertising). if you're a fan of the tv series, feel free to pick up the book, but don't think it's a have-to. diaries is carrie's coming of age story, but it could be anyone's. the writing of the book and style of the show are very different, which leads to very different experiences with carrie. the teen-prequel series will no doubt be made into a movie, so maybe just wait to see that. it seems like bushnell knows herself, but not carrie. at least not anymore.

day 2.237

book review: chelsea chelsea bang bang

this is the first time i've ever really done a book review on my blog, but i figured it was appropriate. i was flying back to school today (yep, spring break's over and it's back to too much work for me) and realized i didn't have a book packed to read - i wasn't interested in my school work at 9:30 in the morning. luckily the airport had a borders (i know that's not really lucky - more so normal - but run with it) and i knew what book i wanted. that book would be chelsea handler's latest offering, chelsea chelsea bang bang. i've read the late night comedian's two prior essay collections (my horizontal life and are you there vodka? it's me chelsea) so i knew i'd be up for this one. they're pretty quick reads - i was done with it by the time i got to my apartment at school - and super funny (duh). the only problem with them is that you look like a complete idiot giggling to yourself while reading. this is the first book to come out from chelsea since her talk show really took off, so a lot of the characters were a lore more familiar to me because i've seen them on tv. you don't have to imagine what they look like because you know. plus, this book includes pictures and who doesn't love pictures? this is also the first of handler's books to use her siblings real names. usually they're slightly tweaked, but apparently her sibs are now ok with people knowing who they are. it's actually part of the book's storyline. i definitely recommend chelsea chelsea bang bang, but forewarn you that it's a lot less about her promiscuous lifestyle (like its predecessors) and much more about the crazy people in her life. that's probably because handler was in a relationship with comcast boss ted harbert at the time. the duo have since split up, but their relationship provides plenty of lol's - i really shouldn't use that acronym according to chelsea, but oh well - and a good escape from the stress of the week ahead. check it out.