I had no free time during October and as a result, I did not read as much. Two digital books and one hard copy book (re-read) it was! This is what I read during October:
Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger
Weisberger’s follow up to The Devil Wears Prada (discussed on the blog here) is set against the meatpacking nightlife boom of the mid-aughts. It was a fun, easily digestible read that took me away from reality for an hour a day, at least as long as I had an opportunity to do pick up the book.
I am really working my way through of Lauren Weisberger’s bibliography.
Diamonds and Rose by David Quinn
Of course I preordered Diamonds and Rose by David Quinn!
In all seriousness, the other book about the franchise series, The Housewives, is better. The initial book on the topic is less in kahoots with the network that hosts the series.
Every chapter is traces the origins of each location into its present day. I was disappointed with the brevity of the RHODC chapter, which was only about fifteen pages long. Also, it neglected the Salt Lake City entry, as well as the future of the series. Of course, we just found out about the Bravo-acknowledged Real Housewives of Dubai exactly one week ago. (Bravo does not seem to acknowledge any other foreign city franchises: Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Cheshire, Vancouver, Toronto, Athens, Napoli, Nairobi, Lagos, Johannesburg, Durban, Bangkok, Jersey…and more [!])
Sex and the City and Us by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
I remember the first episode I ever watched of Sex and the City. My best friend from high school (later maid of honor at my wedding) and I watched season four, episode two, titled “The Real Me” one night prior to an early dance practice to which we both had to report. This episode has so many good cameos and guests: Heidi Klum, Ed Koch, Kevin Aucoin, Alan Cumming (who I then mistook from Paul Reuben’s alter ego, Peewee Herman), Tony Hale, and one of my favorite comediennes, Margaret-FREAKING-Cho. This is also the episode in which Stanford and Anthony were fixed up. The writers were playing the long game with that match.
Clearly, I vividly remember this episode and I was always certain that many other gals (and guys!) had comparable memories about their introductions to the series. Upon reading the experiences of the author of Sex and the City and Us, particularly how she recognized certain things about the series that she wanted to experience firsthand, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong is a gal with whom I identified.
I initially became aware of her book Sex and the City and Us via The Bradshaw Boys podcast. Despite the trio’s obsession with the one-and-done character, Capote Duncan, and his supposed swipe of Carrie’s v-card (when we all know it was Seth Bateman on the ping pong table in a smelly rec room after half a joint), they are hilarious and I wholeheartedly recommend giving their podcast a listen. Last month, the Boys had a SATC trivia drawing for Ms. Armstrong’s book. While I think I was blacked out at the time as I cannot recall the question, I was later notified that I won a signed copy of the book.
The book was fantastic and worth the re-visit. Easily digestible, yet not simple. I especially enjoyed reading about the origins of the Candace Bushnell’s column. I very much romanticize about 1990s New York City and her New York Observer columns are excellent primary source material, as was the recounting of her experiences in the book.
I marked up the book and turned down page corners, but how about instead of reviewing my comments on the blog, you just go buy the book and read it yourself? I know I will definitely re-read this book again and I recommend everyone else – guy or gal – to read this book as well.
