A Dirty Year: Sex, Suffrage, and Scandal in Gilded Age New York Book Review

If one were to pick up a newspaper of any era, they are likely to encounter a scandal of some sort. It usually revolves around sex, power, and/or money.

A Dirty Year: Sex, Suffrage, and Scandal in Gilded Age New York, by Bill Greer, was published in 2020. The book opens in 1872. The New York Times has printed a series of articles that highlight the moral decay in the city. Among the many notable names of the period, the author includes the stories of Anthony Comstock, Victoria Woodhull, Susan B. Anthony, and Cornelius Vanderbilt.

This title is catnip. I could not put it down. The history nerd in me loved it. It had all of the hallmarks of a great tale with a group of characters who are complicated, human, and full of drama.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

A Dirty Year: Sex, Suffrage, and Scandal in Gilded Age New York is available wherever books are sold.

Thinking of the Food We Eat During the Jewish Holidays Takes Me Back

Daily writing prompt

Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?

View all responses

When I was a kid we used to go to my grandparent’s apartment for Shabbat and the holidays. My grandmother loved cooking. In my mind’s eye, I can walk into their building as if it were yesterday and remember everything as it was.

They have long since passed. But her recipes live on, as do the memories.

Flashback Friday: The Lake House (2006)

The reunion of two actors who are reuniting after working on a beloved film brings all sorts of expectations. We hope that the chemistry is still there. But what if it isn’t?

The 2006 film, The Lake House, reunites Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. Kate (Bullock) is a doctor who loves her work. But her personal life isn’t much to write home about. Alex (Reeves) is an architect, whose frustrations equal Kate’s. Unbeknownst to one another, they are renting the same lake house several years apart.

Despite the time difference, they start writing to one another and fall in love. But the only way to be together is to unravel the mystery of the forces that are keeping them apart.

I liked this movie. It is sweet and romantic without being over the top. Bullock and Reeves have the same chemistry that they had in Speed. I also loved the references to Persuasion. It made this romantic drama that much better.

P.S. Donald Sutherland passed away yesterday. Among his many roles was Mr. Bennet in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice. He could have played the character as a sarcastic smartass who riled up his family for shits and giggles. But there was a humanity and a heart under those one-liners. RIP.

Throwback Thursday: Ghostbusters II (1989)

Being a hero is not always what it is cracked up to be. To be lauded for saving the day is an ego trip like no other. But when that reputation falters, it falls fast and hard.

Ghostbusters II was released in 1989, five years after the original Ghostbusters film. After saving New York City from the giant marshmallow, the Ghostbusters are zeros. Unable to make a living from their former profession, they are forced to work odd jobs to keep the lights on.

They are pulled back into the biz when Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) and her baby are targeted by an evil from beyond the grave. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) and the boys must suit up once more to send this fiend back where he belongs.

As movie sequels go, it’s not bad. The narratives between the two films are well connected.

My only issue is the usual one. There are only two women with a serious amount of screen time: Weaver and Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz). Janine is a comical character and Dana is the love interest of Peter/damsel in distress.

Do I recommend it? I am leaning toward yes.

I Don’t Have a Specific Favorite Historical Figure

Who is your favorite historical figure?

It’s akin to a parent choosing a favorite child. I can’t name just one.

If I had to be more specific, it would be any woman who fought for our rights.

Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2 Review

This review contains spoilers. Read at your own risk if you have not watched part 2.

A good romance gets the blood pumping and the heart pounding. Part of this is the barriers standing in between the lead couple’s happily ever after.

Part 2 of Bridgerton premiered last week on Netflix. Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) are engaged and looking forward to a lifetime together. But there is one major issue: Penelope’s secret alter ego, Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews).

If I were to give part 2 a score of 1-10, I would give it an 8. Kudos to both Newton and Coughlan for navigating the choppy waters of their characters’ relationship. I could feel the love between them. But they both have some growing to do.

I certainly related to Penelope’s journey of finding her voice and being comfortable in her own skin. It is a journey that is not easy and requires a lot of soul-searching. I admire Coughlan for her partial nudity at the beginning of the mirror scene and for standing up for every woman who does not fit the Hollywood/Madison Avenue mold.

The only issue is that, unlike past seasons, there was a lack of physical sexuality between Penelope and Colin. While I understand that it cranked up the tension, I wish that there had been a bit more.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Part 2 of the third season of Bridgerton is currently playing on Netflix.

One in a Millennial: On Friendship Feelings Fangirls and Fitting In Book Review

In their own unique way, every generation has accusations thrown at them. Whether or not they have legitimacy is dependent on the author(s) of the allegation.

One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In, by Kate Kennedy, was published in January. The host of the Be There in Five podcast delves into the culture and the millennial experience of coming of age in the 1990s and early 2000s.

I looked at this book from two perspectives: the girl I was and the adult I have become. With one foot in each lane, Kennedy expertly balances both in a way that speaks both of the past and the present. Having grown up in that time, I fully related to everything that she wrote about. It is enjoyable, charming, and hits all of the right notes.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In is available wherever books are sold.

The Heart of Rock and Roll Broadway Musical Review

A jukebox musical is an interesting subgenre within the world of musicals. Instead of using original music, the creative team has pulled from popular music. While some succeed, others make a good attempt to hit the mark.

The Heart of Rock and Roll is a new musical comedy that recently opened on Broadway. It’s 1987. Bobby (Corey Cott) tried for years to make it in the music industry. After coming to the conclusion that he was not going to become a rock star, he took a “regular” job and put his dreams away. Cassandra (McKenzie Jurtz) could have been climbing up the corporate ladder in Chicago. Instead, she returned to the family business to help her father, Chuck (John Dossett).

Set to the music of Huey Lewis and the News, Bobby and Cassandra are given a second chance to see their dreams become reality.

I have to give everyone involved with this show an A for effort. Obviously, the music is catchy. But the story is fairly predictable. I like that Cassandra is not just the love interest. Her career is important to her. As he usually is, Cott is magnetic on stage. Bobby is a dreamer who is still reaching for the brass ring, even with all of the obstacles in the way. Dossett’s Chuck is clearly dedicated to his work. But life has gotten in the way, putting his company in jeopardy.

But even with all of that, The Heart of Rock and Roll will not be in the pantheon of the greatest Broadway musicals anytime soon. It is closing on Sunday and frankly, I am not surprised.

Do I recommend it? Sort of.

The Heart of Rock and Roll is playing at the James Earl Jones theate in New York City until June 23, 2024. Check the website for tickets and showtimes.

BRATS Documentary Review

Every young generation has its own icons. They represent that era with its hopes, dreams, and faults.

In the 1980s, the Brat Pack was everywhere. Synonymous with the decade, their films shaped young minds and have forever defined the period. The new Hulu documentary, BRATS follows actor/director Andrew McCarthy as he goes back in time. Speaking to fellow Brat Packers Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, and Jon Cryer, they ask questions about what it meant to be included in this specific club and its legacy.

I enjoyed this film. I appreciated the tale that McCarthy told. It’s a story of young actors who rose above the early branding to gain respect from both the industry and the press.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

BRATS is available for streaming on Hulu.

To Be a Jew Today: A New Guide to God, Israel, and the Jewish People Book Review

Despite what some may say, religious and/or cultural groups are not a monolith. Within this specific group of people, there are disagreements, contradictions, and in-jokes.

To Be a Jew Today: A New Guide to God, Israel, and the Jewish People, by Noah Feldman, was published in March. Looking at different aspects of Judaism (past and present) Feldman explores the Jewish faith and culture in a way that leaves no stone unturned. The topics include Israel, “bad Jews“, and questions about the Almighty.

I liked this book. Written for the common reader, the author reveals the universality and commonality in both the faith and her practitioners. I would hope that anyone can relate to the details and the many intricacies of the Jewish faith.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

To Be a Jew Today: A New Guide to God, Israel, and the Jewish People is available wherever books are sold.