#Ruth Hogan

[guessghost]

I finished The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan the other day and honestly I loved it. It was so full circle and overall heartwarming

Also I learnt alot of new words

But alsooo, heres a list of quotes from the book that really stood out to me and I just wanted to show y'all so enjoy

(my fav is the second to last one)

[andreabadgley]

Rainy caturday reading.

[jonathanpongratz]

Book Review: The Keeper of Lost Things

Book Review: The Keeper of Lost Things

  Hey Readers, How’s it going? Read any great books lately? Feel free to shoot me some of your recent faves in the comments! I’m still in the thick of the grad school semester, and there are projects every week! It’s seriously driving me nuts that both of my classes have all these little projects that keep taking up all my time. Anyways, today’s book review is all about The Keeper of Lost Things…

[chromarrays]

How it’s going

[droughtofapathy]

"Welcome to the Theatre": Diary of a Broadway Baby

Follies in Concert

June 20, 2024 | Transport Group Theatre | Carnegie Hall | Evening | Concert | Series | 2H 20M

FOLLIES FOLLIES FOLLIES. THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY YEAR. THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY LIFE(?)

Last night, Carnegie Hall was New York's hottest gay club as every one of us turned up to weep over Sondheim's breathtaking score, played by a divine 30-piece orchestra. Fifty Broadway actors shared the roles and songs of this wonderful show, culminating in a lineup straight out of our wildest dreams.

Though we were robbed of a Donna Murphy triumph with "Could I Leave You?" due to filming schedule changes, we received the impromptu comedy show of the year as Beth Leavel grappled with a broken mic stand and brought the house down anyway.

Kate Baldwin as another eleventh-hour addition proved to be the best moment of the night. Her "Losing My Mind" will go down in history as one of the most divine we will ever hear. Not since Marin Mazzie has a theatre been so rapt, so silent, so in awe. She's always struck me as a Phyllis, but now proves she has the range.

Jennifer Holliday does what she wants, and what she wants was a smooth and seductive "I'm Still Here" full of gravitas even as she meandered far from the written notes and rhythms. She turned a five-minute showstopper into a nine-minute showstopper complete with a standing ovation to open up act two.

Karen Ziemba led six of our finest dancing Broads over sixty (or even seventy)(Mamie Duncan-Gibbs, Ruth Gottschall, JoaAnn M. Hunter, Dana Moore, Michele Pawk, and Margo Sappington) in a "Who's That Woman" original choreography to a standing ovation.

So many thrilling performances, one after the other. I am deeply in love with Barbara Walsh now, and it's honestly a crime she and Carolee Carmello were so underutilized by only having "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs" (Phyllis and Sally don't get much singing in that number, and it's a tragedy). I need to seriously contemplate the Barbara-Phyllis/Carolee-Sally dynamic immediately.

I am now dead. I have ascended. I will never come back to earth again. But the final tributes broke me. The reveal that Sondheim said in a private zoom reunion that Follies was his very favorite original score. The late Harvey Evans' epitaph. Original cast member Kurt Peterson ending the concert with "hey up there, way up there, what'd'ya say up there..." All of it underscored by Sondheim's brilliant work. I am in tears all over again.

Verdict: My Soul Transcended Space and Time

A Note on Ratings

Full set list below cut:

Opening Weissmann Monologue: Hal Linden Beautiful Girls: Christian Mark Gibbs Don't Look at Me: Katie Finneran and Marc Kudisch Waiting for the Girls Upstairs: Thom Sesma, Stephen Bogardus, Barbara Walsh, Carolee Carmello, Grey Henson, Ryan McCartan, Julie Benko, Hannah Elless Rain on the Roof: Klea Blackhurst and Jim Caruso Ah, Paris: Isabel Keating Broadway Baby: Adriane Lenox The Road You Didn't Take: Alexander Gemignani In Buddy's Eyes: Christine Ebersole Who's that Woman?: Karen Ziemba with Mamie Duncan-Gibbs, Ruth Gottschall, JoaAnn M. Hunter, Dana Moore, Michele Pawk, and Margo Sappington I'm Still Here: Jennifer Holliday Too Many Mornings: Norm Lewis and Nikki Renee Daniels The Right Girls: Michael Berresse One More Kiss: Harolyn Blackwell and Mikaela Bennett Could I Leave You?: Beth Leavel Loveland: Chorus You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through: Fernell Hogan, Olivia Elease Hardy, Nina White, Miguel Gil Buddy's Blues: Santino Fontana with Lauren Blackman and Sarah King Losing My Mind: Kate Baldwin The Story of Lucy and Jessie: Alexandra Billings Live, Laugh, Love: Kurt Peterson (ft. John McMartin's original cane)

[kwebtv]

Barbara Rush ((January 4, 1927 – March 31, 2024) Stage, film and television actress. In 1954, Rush won the Golden Globe Award as most promising female newcomer for her role in the 1953 American science fiction film It Came from Outer Space. Later in her career, Rush became a regular performer in the television series Peyton Place, and appeared in TV movies, miniseries, and a variety of other programs, including the soap opera All My Children and family drama 7th Heaven,

In 1962, she guest-starred as Linda Kinkcaid in the episode “Make Me a Place” on The Eleventh Hour starring Wendell Corey and Jack Ging. In 1962–1963, she appeared three times as Lizzie Hogan on Saints and Sinners. In 1965, she appeared in a two-part episode of The Fugitive titled “Landscape with Running Figures” as Marie Gérard, wife of police detective Lt. Philip Gérard. 1967, she guest-starred on the series Custer.

She portrayed the devious Nora Clavicle in the TV series Batman. In 1976, Rush played the role of Ann Sommers/Chris Stewart, the mother of female sci-fi action character Jaime Sommers in The Bionic Woman.

She was a cast member on the early 1980s soap opera Flamingo Road as Eudora Weldon. In 1998, she was featured in an episode titled “Balance of Nature” on the television series The Outer Limits. She has continued to make guest appearances on television. In 2007, she played the recurring role of Grandma Ruth Camden on the series 7th Heaven. (Wikipedia)

IMDb Listing

[notmorbid]

the keeper of lost things.

dialogue prompts from the keeper of lost things: a novel by ruth hogan.

intimacy has always been a disappointment to me.

cleaning can be an act of love.

you must have loved [name] very much.

i'd say i'm pleased to meet you, but it would probably be a lie.

the wonderful thing about books is that they're films that play inside your head.

what's your book about?

are you sure you weren't adopted?

the air is thick with stories.

dress for yourself and marry for love.

a hush is a dangerous thing. it invites mischief.

i've never seen you cry before.

that's the last time i let you choose the film.

i just hope you'll be able to keep up with me.

i should've been a catholic. i do guilt so well.

the house is just somewhere i go when i can't be home.

i wonder what counts as a prayer.

the one thing we can always do is try.

is it safe to come in?

i wouldn't leave you this way. you're coming get me.

no one else knows. just you and god.

i'd love to hear the story.

old age is an unforgiving wingman.

you and i will take care of each other.

i don't think it, in my head. i just feel it.

what will you do without me?

there is a world outside. it's worth a visit, now and then.

do i look like i work here?

if you never get sad, how do you know what happy is like?

besides, everybody dies.

you always were completely spineless.

god, you look rough.

i don't think you're pathetic, just plain mean.

sometimes somebody has to say something, even if they're the wrong person to do it.

you deserve to be happy, but you have to make it happen yourself.

when did you turn into such a wimp?

no one's going to hurt you here.

i recognized your accent from the tv.

i'm trying to work out a dignified escape route.

you're the only one left, from the old days.

who on earth called you that?

things always look better in the morning.

what makes you so sure you'll die before me?

i'm not very good at clues. you'll have to make it clear and simple.

i'm sorry if you've tried to talk and i haven't listened.

[pikminenjoyer]

Read flowers for algernon for the first time and my god was that devastating

This means, however, it's time for a new read

[david-goldrock]

[instrumental opening]

[Verse A] They Found a time to break your heart, eh? And the world like nothing happened, is spinning, eh? what can I say? lets see No, I don't have any clichés to throw around anyway If it hurts, then it hurts I'm here, if you want it, you know, to drink, to pour your heart out It's hard to see you fade away And also, you know what? maybe it's too early to get dirty After all, maybe you will come back, maybe there will be another wedding Actually fuck it, bitch Come on, let them know it hurts Even for Peres they once broke a heart Man, what is he dealing with? Guilt, pity, lonely heart I understand it's a little hard to cheer up But I checked the statistics and hear me out:

[chorus] This too shall pass Like the Kinley, like the Techno, like the Crocs This too shall pass Like the film, like Lior Miller, Samantha Fox This too shall pass Like the CDs, like the Walkman, you'll see soon, yo, yo Time heals everything, it heals everything If not all, the majority and that too will pass

[Verse 2] And the days pass slowly Suddenly the hardest is on Saturday Suddenly advice comes en mass They all became professors at Bassa (gloom\ depression) Look at the full glass I poured some whiskey in it, it will be enough for another hour I have no advice, because who am I? You're smart, you understand it's temporary Yeah, right, you'll be a little scarred Life is not seranga, not everything is smooth And as Hazal (short for "our sages may they rest in peace") said Love will come and at the end you will say twas luck" Until then, put a the head on a Dune Tuna's disc on the headphones I need you strong So when I'm down, remind me

[chorus] this too shall pass Like the Kinley, like the Techno, like the Crocs This too shall pass Like the film, like Lior Miller, Samantha Fox This too shall pass Like the CDs, like the Walkman, you'll see soon, yo, yo Time heals everything, it heals everything If not all, the majority and that too will pass

[chorus 2] Like the talk show, like Napster, Club Soda This too shall pass Like Netscape, like Blockbuster, Golden Channels This too shall pass Like the y2k bug, the Tamagotchi, you'll see soon, yo Time heals everything, it heals everything If not all, the majority and that too will pass

[bridge] Like Kapolski, like the pouch, the T.L.V This too shall pass Like the tyrannosaurus, like the grunge, a home line This too shall pass Like Ruth Gonzalez, Ronen Harazi, Dana Modan Like the Skinny, the Taverna, the Eden Band, Eyal Barkan Like Hulk Hogan, like The Hangover, Michal Zwartz, Richard Gere Hanoch Rosen, Sadem Hussein, Bureaks films, Karin Ofir Like Tel'ad, like the Poogs, the Macarena, the innocence Like the Scythians, Peter Andre, the Atari the loneliness

[closing] (Time heals everything, it heals everything If not all, the majority and that too will pass Time heals everything, it heals everything If not all, the majority and that too will pass Time heals everything, it heals everything If not all, the majority and that too will pass

[papermoonloveslucy]

THE DESILU DAIRY

Milk!  It does a sitcom good!

The Desilu Dairy is in business providing milk, cream, and yogurt to the Queen of Comedy!  Mooo!

At their Chatsworth Ranch, Lucy and Desi had a dairy cow named the Duchess of Devonshire. Devonshire Cream is a clotted cream dairy product produced from North Devon Cattle in Cornwall and Somerset England.

“The Elves” (1949) ~ Liz (Lucille Ball) and George (Richard Denning) arrive home from vacation to find that someone has been ordering strawberry ice cream from the milkman every day, and the pink trail leads to the doorstep of their new neighbors.

Upon arriving home, the Coopers notice that their porch has been painted white. Upon closer inspection, they realize it isn’t paint - but milk. Their ‘milk card’ has been tampered with to order strawberry ice cream while they were away - yet none is found. During the early part of the twentieth century, dairy products were usually delivered to homes, rather than shopped in a market. The milkman was part of daily life. Housewives would leave notes (or cards, as above) to request items outside their standing delivery order: Milk, eggs, yogurt, butter, and ice cream, were all offered. It was not uncommon to see back porches with milk boxes and or empty bottles ready to be returned to the dairy.  This service has all but disappeared in favor of supermarkets.

“The Sleigh Ride” (1949) ~ Mr. Negley the mailman decides to use his motorcycle to pull the holiday sleigh, but the load proves to much and the milkman’s old horse is pressed into service. Unfortunately, the horse stops at every milk stop on his route. In the days before milk truck delivery, the dairyman in rural America would deliver dairy products by horse and wagon.  

“The Gum Machine” (1949) ~ When George finds the cream for the coffee has soured, he insists Liz tell the milkman about it - stand up for her rights. The milkman arrives, delivers the milk, and then leaves. Liz chickened out. George calls him back to tell him Hogan’s Frolicking Milkmaid Cream was sour. The milkman (Hans Conried) says that Mr. Hogan will take it out on the cow!  He gives them free items instead of losing their business.

MILKMAN: “You see, we can’t afford a radio program!”

“Valentine’s Day” (1949) ~ When Mr. Negley the butcher storms off, Katie the maid (Ruth Perrott) isn’t too bothered. She has a date with the milkman instead! She’s written him a poem which she left it in an empty milk bottle.

I love you, dear, don’t be surprised. Leave two quarts of homogenized!

“The Gossip” (1952) ~ When Lucy overhears a juicy story about Grace Foster running away with the milkman, Ricky bets her she can’t go without gossiping. To win the bet, Lucy enlists the milkman and a jealous Mr. Foster in her scheme. 

MILKMAN: “He’s after me!  All my milk’s gone sour!” 

Bobby Jellison played the milkman, the “cottage cheese Casanova” and “cow juice peddler” (as Bill Foster calls him).

MR. FOSTER: “From now on, we drink goat’s milk!”

“Lucy’s Bicycle Trip” (1956) ~ The gang bikes from Italy to France and takes shelter in a barn for the night. For breakfast, the farmer brings them bread and cheese, but the milk must come from the cow!  

Lucille Ball was able to produce one good stream of milk from the cow, but she didn’t think the lights caught the stream enough for it to show on camera. Writer Madelyn Pugh later said, 

"It was the mangiest cow I’d ever seen. I went down to the set, and Lucy said, ‘You wrote it, YOU milk it!’” 

Lucille Ball shared the cover of a March 1960 issue of “The Police Gazette” with a cover story claiming that “Milk Can be the Drink of Death”!

“Together For Christmas” (1962) ~ After trying in vain to share their holiday traditions, Lucy and Viv decide to go back to traveling to their respective relatives for the holidays. Lucy says she left a note for the milkman. 

Until the end of the 1960s or so, most suburban homes had daily milk delivery, which involved leaving milk bottles on the porch (sometimes in a milk box). If a customer did not wish to have milk (or other dairy products) delivered that day - or for a period of days - it was standard procedure to ‘leave a note for the milkman’.

“Lucy Discovers Wayne Newton” (1965) ~ Newton sings an ode to his dairy cow, “Bessie the Heifer,” a 1951 country-western novelty song.

Bessie turns up again in the final recording studio sequence - with all Newton’s other farm animals. 

“Lucy and the Countess Lose Weight” (1965) ~ On a lunch break at the health farm, Lucy and the Countess realize if they want a drink with lunch, they are going to have to milk a cow. 

To calm Bossie the cow while Lucy milks her, the Countess hums “The Blue Danube”. Lucy punctuates the downbeat with squirts of milk from the cow’s udder.  

“Guess Who Owes Lucy $23.50?” (1968) ~ Van Johnson sings “Happy Birthday to You” to Ethel - the prize dairy cow of a Texas oil tycoon. 

“Lucy the Shopping Expert” (1969) ~ Lucy teaches Kim about getting the best deals in the grocery store. In the dairy aisle, Lucy loses control of the nozzel on a can of whipped cream. 

“Lucy’s Lucky Day” (1971) ~ Lucy goes on a game show named “The Milky Way to Riches” that is sponsored by the Dover Dairy. 

When Mr. Larson the milkman (Billy Sands) rushes in with good news, Lucy teases him by guessing that Elsie the Cow had triplets. Elsie was the cartoon cow mascot of the Bordon Dairy Company from 1936 until it went out of business in the mid-1990s. Larson tells Lucy that she has won Dover Dairy’s customer of the year and will receive a free pint of raspberry apricot yogurt every week for a year.

“Lucy and the 20/20 Vision” (1971) ~ In order to pretend to be surprised by Harry at the door, Lucy acts as if she was putting out the milk bottle. At the time, rural delivery of milk and other dairy products to residential homes was common. In order to ‘recycle’ the milk bottles, homeowners would put the empty bottles on the porch at night, so the milkman could take them away early the next morning. A famous example of this was seen in the closing credits of the primetime cartoon sitcom satire “The Flintstones” (1960-66, inset photo).

“Lucy, the Other Woman” (1972) ~ Lucy's milkman has a crush on her but his angry wife (Totie Fields) thinks Lucy is having an affair with the dairy deliveryman. Herbie Faye plays Lester Butkus the milkman. According to the insignia on his hat, he works for the Cloverleaf Dairy. This means that in the year since “Lucy’s Lucky Day” the Carter family has switched dairies. 

Mr. Butkas brings Lucy a free pint of banana fudge yogurt, adding to his wife’s conviction that he’s sweet as cream over Lucy.   

The Butkus living room. A milkman lives here! 

[maevesdarling]

Bonanza for fandom ask! (Or Hogan's Heroes if you prefer :) )

Omg thank youuu I’m actually just gonna answer both if that’s alright

The first character I first fell in love with: Hoss my beloved <3

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Cosmo the bartender, I know he’s only a background character and he has like three lines in the whole show but I just love him and I love when he randomly pops up in the background. In my mind, I have a whole ass background story created for him

Also Candy

The character everyone else loves that I don’t:  Marie, I don’t mind her but idk she just didn’t grasp my attention as much as Inger and Elizabeth did

The character I love that everyone else hates: I’m guessing many ‘old’ fans don’t like Candy bc he was Adams replacement so I’m going with Candy, love that guy

The character I used to love but don’t any longer: Adam, I still like him a lot but I definitely love his brothers (and Pa) a whole lot more

The character I would totally smooch: Hoss <3

The character I’d want to be like: Ben, I mean who wouldn’t, right?!

The character I’d slap: Gonna slap some sense into cousin Will and Laura 😤

A pairing that I love: Candy / Joe <3

A pairing that I despise: lowkey most of the canon ships in the show, I like some of them (Adam/Ruth, Hoss/Erin for example) but others I just can’t stand (Adam/Laura ifkyk)

The first character I first fell in love with: (to absolutely no one’s surprise) Hogan but LeBeau is a close second

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Marya, as a matter of fact, I disliked her when I started watching and even skipped one of her episodes, but on my first rewatch, I was like… you know… she’s actually an icon and we have no choice but to stan

The character everyone else loves that I don’t: /

The character I love that everyone else hates: Dunno how he stands within the fandom, but I really like General Burkhalter and I think he’s an incredibly interesting character

The character I used to love but don’t any longer: Uhh I can’t really think of one, I did used to like Crittendon on my first watch but now he’s getting kinda meh so maybe that counts

The character I would totally smooch: LeBeau

The character I’d want to be like: Hogan ofc

The character I’d slap: I’m going with the most obvious choice and absolutely slap the heck out of all the N**i characters 👊🏻💥

A pairing that I love: I love Carter / Newkirk but Hogan / Klink is a close second

A pairing that I despise: Not really despise, but I can’t wrap my hand around shipping Klink/Frau Linkmeyer in an actual romantic way

[marvelsswansong]

❣️ tag game ❣️

Tysm @zaypay for tagging me, it's very kind of you!

Relationship status: single af! Never been in a relationship either. Been on handful of dates.

Favourite color: used to be yellow but lately I'm really feeling black

Song(s) stuck in your head: i guess rn it'd be "sports" by Beach Bunny, "happier than ever" and "TV" by Billie Eillish and "chanel" by Frank Ocean

Dream trip: Spain, Italy and Greece i guess. Haven't been able to see much of Europe x oh and a road trip around Australia with @scrumptious-delusion

Last book you read: Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel by Ruth Hogan, Found it buried it in the back of the closet as it was given to me as a gift while ago but I never got around to it. So far I'm really enjoying it, the narrative structure is super unique and I really relate to the protagonist's strained relationship with her mother.

Last book you enjoyed reading: I really adored The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. It was a fascinating read into trauma, the author speaks not just about how trauma affects us mentally but neurologically and biologically, there were many interesting forms of therapy/treatment discussed and in general I learned a lot about my own self (since my ED is a manifestation of my trauma and I am actually receiving trauma therapy in the form of EMDR rn).

Last book you hated reading: can't remember the name but it was some investing book on financial markets. Was tryna read it to impress corporate law recruiters and to buff up my financial markets knowledge but it was so fucking boring. I'm really not a math and business person.

Favourite thing to cook/bake: I made a smoothie bowl this morning and HOLY SHIT IT WAS FANTASTIC I'm gonna make more 🥺❣️But I also make a killer banana bread, everyone I made it for gives me a 10/10.

Favourite craft to do in your free time: I guess writing! I write a lot (not even necessarily fanfic either).

Most niche dislike: people who scream at concerts. Don't get me wrong, shouting along to the lyrics is fine, but when I went to the Lorde concert there was this one bitch who kept on screaming (like she was being murdered) a million times out of nowhere. Like the song could be fucking writer in the dark and she'd still scream 🙄🙄🙄.

Opinion on circus(es): if they involve animals, I'm out. I think it's cruel to train and keep animals like elephants and tigers in cages for our entertainment. If it's like Cirque De Soleil and it's just people than sure, I'm in.

Do you have a sense of direction: in life, broadly speaking, I'd like to think so. I'm a very discplined and motivated person and I think I'm exactly on the path I wanted my career to go. If this is referring to navigation/maps then uh... 50/50.

Tagging: @scrumptious-delusion @haarringtons @lovelybarnes @sapphireplums @natti-ice @lovesandotherwords @beautecus @spideyspeaches (only do it if you want besties, just tagging some of my faves/mutuals/fave mutuals)

[thyramalie]

when you get this you have to list 5 books/book series you love. then send this ask to last 5 persons from your notifications. spread love.

Oh, how fun!

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

First Love by Ivan Turgenev

L'amant by Marguerite Duras

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

[rockislandadultreads]

More Read Alikes: Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

Lime green plastic flower-shaped hair bobbles - Found, on the playing field, Derrywood Park, 2nd September. Bone china cup and saucer - Found, on a bench in Riveria Public Gardens, 31st October. Anthony Peardew is the keeper of lost things. Forty years ago, he carelessly lost a keepsake from his beloved fiancée, Therese. That very same day, she died unexpectedly. Brokenhearted, Anthony sought consolation in rescuing lost objects - the things others have dropped, misplaced, or accidentally left behind - and writing stories about them. Now, in the twilight of his life, Anthony worries that he has not fully discharged his duty to reconcile all the lost things with their owners. As the end nears, he bequeaths his secret life’s mission to his unsuspecting assistant, Laura, leaving her his house and all its lost treasures, including an irritable ghost. Recovering from a bad divorce, Laura, in some ways, is one of Anthony’s lost things. But when the lonely woman moves into his mansion, her life begins to change. She finds a new friend in the neighbor’s quirky daughter, Sunshine, and a welcome distraction in Freddy, the rugged gardener. As the dark cloud engulfing her lifts, Laura, accompanied by her new companions, sets out to realize Anthony’s last wish: reuniting his cherished lost objects with their owners. Long ago, Eunice found a trinket on the London pavement and kept it through the years. Now, with her own end drawing near, she has lost something precious - a tragic twist of fate that forces her to break a promise she once made. As the Keeper of Lost Objects, Laura holds the key to Anthony and Eunice’s redemption. But can she unlock the past and make the connections that will lay their spirits to rest?

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

The summer that Nixon resigns, six teenagers at a summer camp for the arts become inseparable. Decades later the bond remains powerful, but so much else has changed. The kind of creativity that is rewarded at age fifteen is not always enough to propel someone through life at age thirty; not everyone can sustain, in adulthood, what seemed so special in adolescence. Jules Jacobson, an aspiring comic actress, eventually resigns herself to a more practical occupation and lifestyle. Her friend Jonah, a gifted musician, stops playing the guitar and becomes an engineer. But Ethan and Ash, Jules's now-married best friends, become shockingly successful - true to their initial artistic dreams, with the wealth and access that allow those dreams to keep expanding. The friendships endure and even prosper, but also underscore the differences in their fates, in what their talents have become and the shapes their lives have taken. Wide in scope, ambitious, and populated by complex characters who come together and apart in a changing New York City, The Interestings explores the meaning of talent; the nature of envy; the roles of class, art, money, and power; and how all of it can shift and tilt precipitously over the course of a friendship and a life.

Girls They Write Songs About by Carlene Bauer

We moved to New York to want, undisturbed and unchecked. And what did we want? New York, 1997. As the city's gritty edges are being smoothed into something safer and shinier, two girls meet at a music magazine. Rose - brash and self-possessed - is a staff writer. Charlotte - hesitant, bookish - is an editor. First wary, then slowly admiring, they recognize in each other an insatiable and previously unmatched ambition. Soon they're inseparable, falling into the kind of friendship that makes you better, makes every day an adventure, and makes you believe that you will be extraordinary. Together, Charlotte and Rose find love and lose it; they hit their strides and stumble; they make choices and live past them. But then the steady beats in their sisterhood fall out of sync. They have seen each other through so much - marriage, motherhood, divorce, career glories and catastrophes, a million small but necessary choices - what will it mean to give up their dreaming together? That the friendship that once made them sing out shuts them down? And even if they can reconcile themselves to the lives they're living, can they survive the ones they didn't? As smart and comic as it is gloriously exuberant, Carlene Bauer's Girls They Write Songs About takes a timeless story and turns it into a pulsing, wrecking, clear-eyed tale of two women reckoning with the lives they've chosen and the countless ways they - and all the women they've known - have made them who they are.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . . Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life - steady boyfriend, close family - who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life - big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel - and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is. Will is acerbic, moody, bossy - but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

[booklovindogmom]

A Time to Read and a Time to Dance

A book review and my top six picks of the year! Happy Pub Day to Ruth Hogan! Her uplifting novel, The Phoenix Ballroom is out today. What a joy it was to read this story; there’s ballroom dancing, romance, regret and most of all HOPE! This and the the sweet taste of new beginnings is a running theme throughout her books. They are the reason I keep coming back to read her work. Hogan’s story is…

[dan6085]

List of the top 20 sports personalities of all time, along with explanations for their inclusion:

1. Kobe Bryant - Legendary NBA player, known for his competitive drive, impact on the game, and advocacy for women's basketball[1].

2. Hulk Hogan - Iconic professional wrestler, one of the most famous and influential figures in the history of wrestling[1].

3. Shaquille O'Neal - Dominant NBA player, renowned for his physical dominance, charisma, and successful post-playing career[1].

4. LeBron James - Superstar NBA player, considered one of the greatest of all time, with a massive global influence[1].

5. Muhammad Ali - Legendary boxer, renowned for his skill, showmanship, and social activism[1].

6. Michael Jordan - Basketball icon, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, with unparalleled success and influence[1].

7. Tiger Woods - Legendary golfer, who revolutionized the sport and achieved unprecedented success[1].

8. Serena Williams - Dominant tennis player, one of the most successful and influential athletes in the world[1].

9. Mike Tyson - Iconic boxer, known for his ferocious fighting style and larger-than-life persona[1].

10. Babe Ruth - Baseball legend, considered one of the greatest players in the sport's history[1].

11. Magic Johnson - Iconic NBA player, renowned for his leadership, passing ability, and impact on the game[1].

12. Peyton Manning - Legendary NFL quarterback, known for his intelligence, leadership, and success on the field[1].

13. Michael Phelps - Dominant swimmer, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 28 medals[1].

14. Venus Williams - Pioneering tennis player, who along with her sister Serena, transformed the sport[1].

15. Lance Armstrong - Controversial cyclist, who won the Tour de France a record seven times[1].

16. George Foreman - Legendary boxer, known for his powerful punching and successful comeback later in life[1].

17. Tom Brady - Iconic NFL quarterback, considered one of the greatest players in the sport's history[1].

18. Jackie Robinson - Groundbreaking baseball player, who broke the color barrier and paved the way for integration[1].

19. Joe DiMaggio - Baseball legend, known for his record-setting hitting streak and iconic status[1].

20. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - Successful NASCAR driver, who carried on his father's legacy and became a fan favorite[1].

These sports personalities have been included in the list due to their exceptional achievements, impact on their respective sports, global recognition, and lasting influence on the world of sports and popular culture.

Sources

[1] The Most Famous All-time Sports Personalities (Q1 2024) - YouGov https://today.yougov.com/ratings/sports/fame/all-time-sports-personalities/all

[2] The Power List 2023: The 50 Most Influential Figures in Sports https://www.si.com/sports-illustrated/2023/07/13/the-power-list-50-most-influential-figures-in-sports

[3] The 15 most popular athletes of all time have been ranked - GiveMeSport https://www.givemesport.com/most-popular-athletes-of-all-time/

[4] Top 20 Greatest Actors of All Time (The Ultimate List) - IMDb https://www.imdb.com/list/ls057029165/