Diane and Ann Hood at Larkinville in Buffalo, NY Oct. 5, 2016. Ann Hood is signing The Book That Matters Most.

Patti Abbott recently reviewed Ann Hood’s Morningstar: Growing Up with Books (2017) (you can read Patti’s review here). I love books where writers discuss the books that affected them the most so I immediately ordered Morningstar.

“In 1967, when I was ten years old, our town finally got a library. I went there twice a week, walking past the children’s section and heading right for adult fiction.

I can still remember craning my neck to look at all those beautiful books. I whispered the writers’ names: Evan Hunter, Victor Hugo, Harold Robbins, Herman Wouk, Fred Mustard Stewart, Dashiell Hammett, Edith Barton, Dorothy Parker. So many books! At random I pulled one from the shelf. And then another. I fill my arms with books.

And then I read.” (p. 31)

Here is someone who really loves books! Sadly, Ann Hood did not get a lot of support or encouragement from her hardworking parents, especially her mother. “She [Hood’s mother] had dreamed of a beauty-queen daughter, a cheerleader, a popular girl. Instead she got me, a pageant dropout after just two trophies, too clumsy to be a cheerleader or playground star…” (p. 20)

Other than a Third Grade teacher who allowed Ann Hood to stay inside during Recess and read, teachers pretty much ignored her and her passion for reading. “When my ninth-grade guidance counselor asked me what I wanted to do with my Life, I told him I wanted to be a writer. Mr. Stone, in his brown corduroy suit and tinted aviator glasses, shook his head sadly, ‘Ann,’ he said, ‘people don’t do that.’

My eyes drifted to the shelves against the wall. ‘Then how do we get all these books?’ I asked.

Mr. Stone placed at the books for a moment, then told me, ‘All those writers are dead.'” (p. 51)

Despite little support or encouragement for her writing aspirations, Ann Hood–powered by all the books she was reading–managed to succeed with the advice of John Steinbeck and Grace Haley. Her first novel was published in 1987 and she’s been writing ever since.

Morningstar, chapter by chapter, shows how the writers Ann Hood read shaped her dreams and aspirations. Hood’s mother called her “weird” but Ann showed her and all the doubters she was something more…a lot more. Don’t miss this inspiring book! GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction: Growing Up with Books 13

Lesson 1 How to Dream: Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk — 33

Lesson 2 How to Become a Writer: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath — 45

Lesson 3 How to Ask Why: Johny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo — 64

Lesson 4 How to Buy Books: Love Story by Erich Segal — 80

Lesson 5 How to Write a Book: The Grapes of Wrath — 91

Lesson 6 How to Fall in Love with Language: Stanyan Street and Other Sorrows by Rod McKuen — 107

Lesson 7 How to Be Curious: A Stone for Danny Fisher by Harold Robbins — 121

Lesson 8 How to Have Sex: The Harrod Experiment by Robert H. Rimmer — 139

Lesson 9 How to See the World: Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak — 157

Lesson 10 How to Run Away: Rabbit Run by John Updike — 172

Acknowledgments — 185

Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads out there! I thought I’d give a shout-out to Art Garfunkel and his son’s album, Father and Son. Take a listen to Art Garfunkel and son singing “Time After Time.” Sounds good but Art Garfunkel has not aged well…

Track Listings:

If you’re in the mood for something completely different, you might want to give The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy a try. “Dr. Sleech (Stephanie Hsu) and Dr. Klak (Keke Palmer) are top scientists at THE SECOND BEST HOSPITAL IN THE GALAXY. Each day at work they’re confronted with seemingly unsolvable medical riddles while having to navigate the hospital’s more bureaucratic staff members, especially Nurse Tup (Natasha Lyonne).”

THE SECOND BEST HOSPITAL IN THE GALAXY is wild and wacky! I know this isn’t ER or St. Elsewhere, or Grey’s Anatomy, but it’s way more fun. The 16 episodes will keep you amused! Check out the trailer above! GRADE: A

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles books have been sitting on my shelves for years. Finally, I decided this was the time to read one of them. I started with Game Over (2008). Detective Inspector Bill Slider investigates a murder of ex-BBC correspondent Ed Stonax. But, an enemy from Slider’s past, Trevor Bates (aka, The Needle), threatens to kill Slider and his fiancé, Joanna. GRADE: B

After finishing Game Over, I decided to binge on a few more of Harrod-Eagles’s Bill Slider mysteries. Fell Purpose (2009) begins with the body of once beautiful and brilliant Zellah Wilding. Zellah was strangled with a pair of tights. Bill Slider and his team investigate the teenager who was rebelling against her Christian family with a secret boyfriend. Slider interrogates Zellah’s friends but the identity of the mystery man remains problematic. Bit by bit, Slider and his team reveal Zellah’s secrets until they uncover the killer. GRADE: B

Body Line (2010) also starts out with a body: David Rogers was a doctor–handsome, charming, and wealthy. Who would want to shoot him in the head? Slider and his team talk to Roger’s many girlfriends and are baffled by the contradictory stories they’re told. The mystery of David Rogers leads the team into a world where nothing is what it seems. GRADE: B+

I was completely baffled by Kill My Darling (2011) when a paleontologist is found murdered in the woods. Slider and his team investigate the men in Melanie Hunter’s life and one by one eliminate them from suspicion. Why was Melanie murdered? What dark secret did she harbor that got her killed? Cynthia Harrod-Eagles faked me out (and Slider for much of Kill My Darling) and the conclusion is one big surprise! GRADE: A

I’ve been a fan of police procedurals since I read Ed McBain’s Cop Hater in the early 1960s. I went on to read all 55 books in the series. If you like police procedurals, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles writes an outstanding series! I’ll be reading more Bill Slider mysteries in the months ahead! If you’re interested in how Cynthia Harrod-Eagles came up with Bill Slider, she tells all here: https://www.cynthiaharrodeagles.com/bill-slider-mysteries/how-it-all-began/

THE BILL SLIDER SERIES:

Orchestrated Death (1991)

Death Watch (1992)

Necrochip / Death to Go (1993)

Dead End / Grave Music (1994)

Blood Lines (1996)

Killing Time (1996)

Shallow Grave (1998)

Blood Sinister (1999)

Gone Tomorrow (2001)

Dear Departed (2005)

Game Over (2008)

Fell Purpose (2009)

Body Line (2011)

Kill My Darling (2011)

Blood Never Dies (2012)

Hard Going (2014)

Star Fall (2015)

One Under (2015)

Old Bones (2016)

Shadow Play (2017)

Headlong (2019)

Cruel as the Grave (2021)

Dying Fall (2022)

Before I Sleep (2023)

Easeful Death (2025)

A few weeks ago I attended a Joan Osborne concert (you can read my review here) and since then I’ve been playing several Joan Osborne CDs. My favorite Joan Osborne album is Breakfast in Bed with its covers of many hit songs. Included on this CD is Osborne’s stirring rendition of “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” from Standing in the Shadows of Motown. Also great is Osborne singing “Heat Wave.”

How Sweet It Is is almost as good as Breakfast in Bed with Osborne singing standards like “I’ll Be Around,” “How Sweet It Is,” “War,” and “Everybody Is a Star.”

Also worth listening to is Righteous Love with songs like Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” and “Love Is Alive.” If Joan Osborne visits Western New York again, I plan to attend her concert! How many of these songs do you remember?

GRADES: Breakfast in Bed: A

How Sweet It Is: B+

Righteous Love: B

TRACK LIST:

1. “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination” (Gerry Goffin, Barry Goldberg)
2. “Ain’t No Sunshine” (Bill Withers)
3. “Midnight Train to Georgia” (Jim Weatherly)
4. “Baby Is a Butterfly” (Osborne)
5. “Breakfast in Bed” (Eddie Hinton, Donnie Fritts)
6. “Cream Dream” (Osborne)
7. “Natural High” (Charles McCormick)
8. “Heart of Stone” (Osborne)
9. “Sara Smile” (Daryl Hall, John Oates)
10. “Eliminate the Night” (Osborne)
11. “Break Up to Make Up” (Thom Bell, Linda Creed, Kenneth Gamble)
12. “I Know What’s Goin’ On” (Osborne)
13. “Alone with You” (Osborne)
14. “Kiss and Say Goodbye” (Winfred Lovett)
15. “Heat Wave” (Holland–Dozier–Holland)
16. “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” (William Weatherspoon, James Dean, Paul Riser)
17. “Everybody Needs a Friend” (Curtis Mayfield) (bonus track)

TRACK LIST:

TRACK LIST:

“The Call of Cthulhu” is one of H. P. Lovecraft’s most famous stories. After reading Gou Tanabe’s brilliant rendition of At the Mountains of Madness (you can read my review here), I decided to read Tanabe’s other artistic manga book.

“The Call of Cthulhu” is a cosmic horror short story by American writer H. P. Lovecraft. Written in the summer of 1926, it was first published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in February 1928.

Lovecraft introduces an incredible, ancient, powerful being who has the ability to sway the minds of humans to serve it. This also sets the Mythos on a course where beings like Cthulhu are the vanguard of a horde of extraterrestrial creatures who will arrive on Earth to subjugate and overwhelm mankind.

Once again Gou Tanable’s brilliant artwork illuminate the story and add impact to an already classic horror short story. Don’t miss this wonderful version of Lovecraft fiction! GRADE: A

Bill Crider was a big fan of the John Wick movie series. I admire the brutal and private world John Wick operates in–professional assassins–but unrelenting violence tends to wear me out.

Which brings us to the new movie, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina where John Wick actually shows up briefly.  Surrounding Ana de Armas who plays Eve Macarro–an assassin with ballerina skils–with incredible brutal action choreography and a wacky origin story, Ballerina pirouettes gracefully onto the Wickverse.

Ballerina is set between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023). Directed by Len Wiseman and written by Shay Hatten, Ballerina weaves wild storytelling–mostly revenge and retribution–with peaks into the secret world of assassins.

Ballerina is likely to be the top action movie of 2025. If this is your thing, you’ll like it…a lot. If not, just wait a couple of months and watch it on one of your streaming services. GRADE: B

Diane is taking me to a swanky restaurant for dinner!

Diane, Katie, Patrick, and I have seen several of the Broadway shows nominated for Tonys in 2025. Here are the contenders:

Early Favorites and Potential Winners:

Best Actor in a Play: Cole Escola (Oh, Mary!), George Clooney (Good Night, and Good Luck), and Denzel Washington (Othello) are potential winners. 

Best Musical: Death Becomes Her is a strong contender, with Maybe Happy Ending, Operation Mincemeat, and Dead Outlaw also in the mix. 

Best Play:.Oh, Mary! and The Hills of California are leading the pack, with English and Good Night, and Good Luck as potential contenders. 

Best Musical Revival: Gypsy and Sunset Boulevard are among the favorites, with Floyd Collins and The Last Five Years also in the running. 

Best Play Revival: Othello, Glengarry Glen Ross, Eureka Day, and Our Town are potential winners in this category. 

Best Actress in a Musical: Audra McDonald (Gypsy), Nicole Scherzinger (Sunset Boulevard), Megan Hilty (Death Becomes Her), and Jennifer Simard (Death Becomes Her) are being predicted. 

Best Actor in a Musical: Darren Criss (Maybe Happy Ending), Tom Francis (Sunset Boulevard), Jeremy Jordan (Floyd Collins), and Jonathan Groff (Just in Time) are among the early favorites. 

Best Actress in a Play: Sarah Snook (The Picture of Dorian Gray), Laura Donnelly (The Hills of California), Mia Farrow (The Roommate), and Sadie Sink (John Proctor Is the Villain) are being considered for this award. 

We are big fans of Maybe Happy Ending, Operation Mincemeat, and The Roommate. Will you be watching THE TONYS on CBS and Paramount+?

Diane and I saw the movie version of Good Night, and Good Luck back in 2005. We enjoyed the drama of the Press going after a demagogue like Senator McCarthy. We’re looking forward to seeing this stage version tonight at 7:00 ET on CNN.

“Good Night, and Good Luck is a historical drama play written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov. It is adapted from their 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck and focuses on the conflict between veteran CBS journalist Edward R. Murrow and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy. The play’s Broadway premiere in March 2025, directed by David Cromer, stars Clooney as Murrow, making his Broadway debut.

The play has enjoyed strong box office grosses, setting the historical Broadway weekly record. For the week ending May 4, 2025, the play’s gross of $4,003,481.50, made it the first Broadway play to surpass $4 million in a week.” That number doesn’t seem surprising with tickets to Good Night, and Good Luck going for over $1000. Will you be watching Good Night, and Good Luck tonight?