Whatever Wednesday - Jaclyn Smith memoir

 cover blurb - From Charlie's Angels star, miniseries queen, and businesswoman Jaclyn Smith comes a heartfelt memoir chronicling the making of a global phenomenon and her story beyond the screen. 

1976 - Charlie's Angels ushered in a tv revolution. It featured three single female detectives. The stories revolved around fighting crime, not around supporting men.

Jaclyn Smith became a household name as Kelly Garrett in a tiny white bikini. But prior to that she danced on Broadway and was a commercial actress. A Breck Girl.  Max Factor cosmetics. She was a Texas girl  with  a dream, a lot of  ambition, and a willingness to say yes and work hard to learn her craft. 

This memoir is very pleasant to read. Smith seems fairly down to earth and very aware of her skill set. She presents humble but hard driven. Fortunately she came from  a very loving family - two caring parents and an older brother. That's unusual in the brutal Hollywood business.  There's a  lot I didn't know about her or had forgotten. She forged a huge brand partnership with K-Mart back before that was a real thing. She took the design work seriously and truly wanted women to  look good at a decent price.

Acting, entrepreneurship, a breast cancer fight, some marriages, and two  loved children - Jaclyn Smith writes it all down.  Plus she emphasizes her long term friendships with her original Angels - Kate Jackson and  the late Farrah Fawcett.  I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie is a very fun glimpse into a global star. 

Monday Moments - Into the Blue by Emma Brodie

 Into the Blue by Emma Brodie is an entertaining read with relatable characters and quite  the drama. 

In 2000, AJ Graves wants to work for SNL, but is stuck in a video store. Noah Drew ends up working with her. Why is this rich kid from the Drew acting dynasty slumming it in small town MA.  There's a crazy bond - first friends, then acting with his aunt Eudora as a coach.  She's from a cult favorite sci-fi show.

Fast forward to 2017 and AJ is hired to be in a reboot series of that sci-fi show. Who  walks in? Noah - now a Hollywood heartthrob.   cover blurb - As their on-screen characters grow closer every day, the lines between reality and acting begin  to blur.  They must confront the truth of what happened long ago - and face the devastating secret that will  send their lives careening apart. 

Brodie writes a compelling story filled with chemistry, yearning, and quite a journey.  AJ really has to dig deep to forge her success, while orbiting the Noah Drew magnetism. 

Finally Friday - John of John by Douglas Stuart

 John of John by Douglas Stuart was a slow start read that accelerated into a "must recommend to all". 

John-Calum Macleod (he goes by Cal) takes the  ferry home after an art school education.  Home is the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. Nothing has changed at his childhood home. His father, John, is a sheep farmer, tweed weaver, and lay preacher. He's also dismayed by Cal's long hair, strange clothes, and unwillingness to be SAVED (cover blurb)

Thank goodness for grandmother Ella, a cursing Glaswegian whose steady warmth helped Cal weather the sudden departure of his mother. (cover) 

Cal has a secret. 

John Sr. has a secret

cover  blurb - John of John is a singular novel about duty, passion, and the transformative power of truth. I admit I ended up surprised and pulled into the stories of both father and son. Quite the surprises. 

The book is powerful and well written. 

Here's an example of a delicious sentence:

And he could see, at the rocky cold bottom of her smile, pooling like syrup at the bottom of a sundae, she was storing, savoring, the delicious taste of revenge. 

Mic drop...........oh yeah.  So damn good.  This book is a treat and will surprise you, I promise. 

Whatever Wednesday - Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead

 Here's the third in his Harlem trilogy, and Cool Machine by Colson  Whitehead does not disappoint. 

cover blurb - This story roves all over NYC from Windows on the World to Sugar Hill, to show that in  New York and the lives of Whitehead's vivid characters, it's what's below the surface that reveals the truth. 

1981 - Ray Carney - business owner/ master fence has just been named Sterling Furniture's Northeast Regional Dealer of the Month.  His wife, Elizabeth, needs a loan for her new travel agency. The banks refuse her, so Ray gambles on one last heist.  It's always one more.... uh oh

1983 - Pepper, Carney's buddy and partner in crime, is feeling his age. But he takes on a bodyguard gig as a favor to Elizabeth. The art/club scene prove problematic, but Pepper knows the language of violence. 

1986  Carney has a chance to rescue his dead cousin Freddie's son.  But he's sworn he was going to stay straight.  Oops. One more deal with Pepper. Everything has to go down smooth.  Will it?

I love Colson Whitehead's writing. He's just so cool. He's funny. He creates the perfect Harlem/ NYC vibe. 

example A per me:   Ray's meeting a guy

You did not lam it in a second rate pizza joint. More unforgivable, their slices exhibited low structural integrity when folded and thirty seconds after hitting the paper plate bled out orange grease. It was shameful to pass through their doors. 

Treat yourself to some time with Ray Carney, Pepper, and quite a cast of characters. And find a decent slice of pizza while reading.  Enjoy!

Monday Moments - Look Around and Up

 A quick Monday reminder to wander, look around, and explore.  The Philly airport often has displays to catch the eye. They feature some artists, or just a colorful balloon display. 

 and when you do sit down to wait for your plane, don't just stare at your phone.

Look Up

This nice message made me smile - Shine Anyway

That's your goal  today - muddle along and shine.  September is almost over and the final quarter of 2026 begins on  Thursday.  Yikes!

Finally Friday - The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley

 Flavia de Luce is back, as well as her sister Ophelia, and Dogger the estate gardener. It's fall in Bishop's Lacey, England but not quiet. Ophelia is to be wed and there's excitement in the air. 

back blurb: Flavia muses, "A church is a wonderful place for a wedding, surrounded as it is by legions of the dead, whose listening bones bear silent witness to every promise made at the altar."

Flavia, age twelve, is an expert in poisons, and has amazing detection skills. Dogger has his own skills and secrets, and helps Flavia in her endeavors. Her first case is a doozy - there's a human finger in Ophelia's wedding cake.    What?  Who? Why?

Alan Bradley delivers quite a journey for answers in The Golden Tresses of the Dead.  It's a hoot to read. 

Whatever Wednesday - The Odyssey

 Better late than never to review  The Odyssey.    WOW - fantastic movie. 

I was hesitant due to the running time of 3 hours.  Sounded like a slog. Nowadays, I find some editing needs to be done. Whatever made me think I should question the director, Christopher Nolan? He knew what he was doing. 

So, on a steamy hot Sunday - 9/6/26 - I decided to spend my hours in an airconditioned movie theater. Time well spent.  The cinematography is gorgeous. The acting is tremendous. The story moves along well. Each travel chapter brought back memories from my honors English class in high school.  I was never big into Greek mythology, but retained enough to appreciate this film effort. 

Matt Damon is our hero, Odysseus. He is perfect in this role.  Tom Holland as his son, Telemachus, is very good. Anne Hathaway is Penelope, wife and mother. It's a quieter but important role.  She has faith that her husband will come home and staves off the suitors circling for power.  John Leguiziamo as Eumaeus, the blind seer, is tremendous (very worthy, I think, of a supporting actor nomination).  There is a much deeper cast who play Athena (Zendaya), Calypso (Charlize Theron), and more - all integral to Odysseus fights, and travels to return home. 

Big thumbs up and highly recommended.