The question of time travel is filled with both potential and pitfalls. If you could go back in time, what would you do? Would it be to undo a personal mistake or change the course of history?
Having never read the book, I cannot say for certain how it compares to its small-screen counterpart. The idea of the story is extremely tempting. The problem is that I was just plain bored.
When the one you love does not respond in the same way, it may take some effort on your part to get them to reciprocate your feelings.
Licorice Pizza was originally released in 2021. In 1973, in the San Fernando Valley, Gary (Cooper Hoffman, the son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a teenage child star who is surprisingly mature for his age. Somehow, he can convince Alana (Alana Haim), a 25-year-old bored photographer’s assistant, to go out with him. They try to keep their relationship platonic, but it becomes more.
What I liked about this film was the positive depiction of Jewish women. Although it is entertaining, I don’t know if I would see it again anytime soon. Though it is nice to see a May/December heterosexual relationship where the woman is older than her male partner.
Do I recommend it? Maybe.
Licorice Pizzais available for streaming on Netflix.
Money and power, in the hands of the right person, can change the world for the better. In the wrong hands, it can be a corrupting influence.
Dynasty: The Murdochs is a new four-part Netflix documentary that follows the life and career of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his family. As Murdoch ages, the question of who will step into his professional shoes becomes even more prevalent. As the siblings vied for power, alliances are formed, and childhood bonds are severed or broken completely.
The best way to describe the narrative is akin to a car crash on the side of a highway. It is too tempting to pass by and, at the very least, take a quick look at the wreck that was a vehicle. It makes me feel sad that this clan has been torn apart, instead of putting the familial connection first. It goes to show (at least to my mind) that perhaps extraneous wealth is not what it is cracked up to be.
The smartest thing that the filmmakers did was to use a board game to illustrate the games Murdoch and his kids played to get to the top. It made the story that much more interesting.
Do I recommend it? Yes.
Dynasty: The Murdochsis available for streaming on Netflix.
Falling in love and (hopefully) spending your life with the right person can be a transformational experience.
The End of Romance, by Lily Meyer, was published earlier this year. Sylvie Broder grew up in an emotionally severe home. She learned joy from her late survivor grandparents, who believed in enjoying life to the fullest. Trapped in an unhappy marriage, she finds a way out via grad school.
Sylvie is not afraid to step back into the dating world. But love and sex are two different things entirely. Her philosophy is tested by two men whose personalities are on opposite ends of the spectrum: Robbie and Abie. Her resolve starts to chip away, forcing Sylvie to realize that she may have inadvertently opened the door to love after all.
What I liked about this book is that it wasn’t the goopy, dopey romance novel it could have been. The characters felt real. Sylvie’s arc wasn’t just about giving her heart away. It was about realizing that it was ok to have a relationship in which she could be herself and not submit herself to the point where her needs were never met.
Do I recommend it? Yes.
The End of Romanceis availablewherever books are sold.
When we are hurting, it is easier to stay locked within ourselves. It takes courage to reveal our true selves, even those parts of us that are unhealed.
The new four-part series, Seeking Persephone, is based on the book of the same name by Sarah M. Eden (who also wrote the screenplay). Adam Boyce, Duke of Kielder (Jake Stormoen), is in a bind. Unless he marries and has children, his title and property will pass to a distant cousin upon his passing. The problem is that his reputation does not exactly lend itself to young ladies and their mothers breaking down the door.
Persephone Lancaster (Ryann Bailey) has her own issues. Since losing her mother several years before, she was forced to grow up early and take care of her family. Living in genteel poverty, the chances of her catching the eye of an eligible gentleman are little to none at best.
Their relationship starts as a marriage of convenience. As they get to know one another, the walls start to crumble. But is it enough for a happy ending, or will Adam’s insecurities get in the way?
Bailey and Stormoen have superb chemistry. From the moment their characters met on screen, there was an electricity between them. With Eden writing the screenplay, this screen adaptation was not word-for-word copied from the text. But it was enough that anyone who has read the novel can easily follow along.
Secrets have power. The longer we hold onto them, the more power they hold over us.
Don’t Breathe a Word, by Jordyn Taylor, was published in 2021. In our era, Eva is an unhappy teenage girl who has been shipped from her home in New York City to Hardwick Preparatory Academy, a private boarding school in upstate New York. When she finally starts making friends and is invited to join the Fives, Eva jumps at the chance. But she begins to wonder about what they might be hiding.
In 1962, Connie is one of six students chosen to test Hardwick’s new nuclear fallout shelter. Her reasons, like many a young person, are about the romance. Specifically, Craig Allenby, who is a favorite of both students and staff. When the experiment goes wrong and one ends up dead, the consensus is to keep the truth hidden. If it gets out, the consequences could be far-reaching.
I enjoyed this novel. Like her previous works, the pacing kept me engaged, and the characters were well drawn. By the time I put it all together, it made perfect sense.
Do I recommend it? Yes.
Don’t Breathea Word isavailable whereverbooks are sold.
I enjoyed this book. When we talk about women of her generation, we usually start with their wedding day, with a brief bio beforehand. By focusing on the four years between 1949 and 1953, we see a more rounded picture of an American icon.
Do I recommend it? Yes.
Camera Girl: The Comingof Age of Jackie BouvierKennedy is availablewhereverbooks are sold.
My wish for this Passover for the Iranian people to be free. To be able to live how they want, dress how they want, pray how they want, choose their own government, etc.
To those celebrating later in the week, may you have a joyous seder.
When life becomes too much, sometimes all you need is a good BPD (British Period Drama) to make you feel better.
The Forsytes
The new series, The Forsytes, premiered last weekend on PBS. It is based on TheForsythe Saga series by John Galsworthy. In 1880s London, the Forsyte family is new money traveling up the social ladder. Anne Forsyte (Francesca Annis) is the matriarch. Her sons, James (Jack Davenport) and Jolyon Sr. (Stephen Moyer), run the family firm with the help of their sons, Soames (Joshua Orpin) and Jo Jr. (Danny Griffin). Soames is all about work, while his cousin has forgone his dream of becoming an artist.
On the home front, Jo Jr. has been married to socialite Frances (Tuppence Middleton) for a decade. He is raising her now 18-year-old daughter, June (Justine Emma Moore), from a previous marriage as his own. There is also Louisa Byrne (Eleanor Tomlinson), a former maid servant turned seamstress, whom he was involved with before his marriage.
Soames has just met Irene Heron (Millie Gibson), a ballet dancer whose world has just turned upside down. There is a palpable attraction, but is it enough to get to the altar and have a happy ending?
Having not read the original text or watched the previous series, this review is based on this adaptation. So far, I am enjoying this series. It has everything I could ask for: drama, romance, family troubles, beautiful costumes, etc.
The Countof Monte Cristo
Based on the novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo is the story of Edmond Dantes (Sam Claflin). A sailor who is about to marry a fisherwoman, Mercedes (Ana Girardot). The night before they are to say their vows, Edmond is arrested and accused of treason. Thrown into prison, he is advised by fellow prisoner Abbe Faria (Jeremy Irons) on how to seek revenge when he is released from jail. Abbe also warns that revenge, if gone too far, is an emotional poison.
Again, I have not read the book. My only knowledge of this story is the 2002 film. So far, I am enjoying it. Edmond is a man who goes from having it all to losing everything and becoming embittered by those who betrayed him.
Do I recommend them both? Yes.
The Forsytesaired on PBSon Sunday at 9 pm.The Count ofMonte Cristoairs on PBSon Sundayat 10 pm.
When we talk about the Holocaust, the number six million naturally feels overwhelming. How does a mind compute that this number of people were purposefully persecuted, starved, tortured, and murdered?
I enjoyed this book. It humanized the event, reminding readers that behind the numbers are real people whose everyday experiences were not different than ours today.
Do I recommend it? Yes.
Once There Was aTown: The MemoryBooks of a LostJewish Worldis availablewhereverbooks are sold.
Writergurlny 
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