There are currently 275 books on my “Want to read” list on Goodreads. Because I do most of my “reading” in the car, I look for audio books. Not all of them are available in that format. There are quite a few that I may just have to go to the library and get the physical copy.
As I get close to finishing a book, I begin to scroll my list and look for the next read. As I do this, I try to remember my friends who have read it and rated it. I also try to remember if a book was highly praised in a Facebook reading group.
Miss Benson’s Beetle really is something that I don’t think I would have picked up for myself. However, I kept hearing what a great story it was. The reviews I read were mostly good and so I gave it a shot. Even though the book take place after World War II, it came on a lot of Historical Fiction lists.
Before I offer my thoughts, let’s look at the Goodreads Synopsis:
It is 1950. London is still reeling from World War II. Margery Benson, a schoolteacher and spinster, is trying to get through life, surviving on scraps. One day, she reaches her breaking point. She decides to abandon her job and small existence to set out on an expedition. The expedition is to the other side of the world in search of her childhood obsession. That obsession is an insect that may or may not exist–the golden beetle of New Caledonia.
When she advertises for an assistant to accompany her. The woman she ends up with is the last person she had in mind. Fun-loving Enid Pretty in her tight-fitting pink suit and pom-pom sandals seems to attract trouble wherever she goes. Together, however, these two British women find themselves drawn into a cross-ocean adventure that exceeds all expectations. It also delivers something neither of them expected to find: the transformative power of friendship.
All in all, I truly enjoyed the book. The adventure is full of surprises, shady characters and secrets. There are moments of suspense and moments that make your eyes well up. It was better than I had expected. I mean, it’s a woman looking for a beetle. I didn’t expect much.
My only issue with the book was that I hoped for more at the end. Without giving away anything, I will just say that I wanted to know a bit more of what happened after their trip. It wasn’t a bad ending, I just felt there may have been a loose end or two to tie up. Do they find what they are looking for? Do they find the elusive beetle? You’ll have to read it to find out.
Growing up, one of the things that is forever etched in my mind was waking up on Sunday mornings and Abbott and Costello movies would be playing on Channel 7 (WXYZ/Detroit). It was on those Sunday mornings that I was introduced to classic films like Buck Privates, Who Done It?, Africa Screams, The Naughty Nineties, and Hold That Ghost. Of course I loved all the Abbott and Costello “meet” pictures, too (Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and more)!
It wasn’t long after I first discovered them that I found one of the other stations played the Abbott and Costello cartoons after school. Even as a child, I could tell that Bud Abbott’s voice was his, and that someone else was voicing Lou Costello. I had no idea at the time that this cartoon was made in the late 60’s and that Lou had passed away in 1959.
In fact, I learned this week that there were a whole lot of things I didn’t know about him! I just finished a truly wonderful book about him, written by his youngest daughter, Chris Costello. A few years back, we became Facebook friends and she had posted that the audio version of her book was now available. I searched for it and got it to listen to on my drive to and from work.
I have had this book for sometime in printed form. It was on my “To Read” shelf for way too long. With all that I had going on in life, I found it difficult to actually sit and read for very long. So it sat on the shelf. When I recently discovered some of the audiobook platforms, I began to go back and search for audio versions of books on that shelf. When Chris said it was available, I was ecstatic.
Here is the Goodreads synopsis:
This intimate portrait of Lou Costello (1906-1959) offers a rare look at one of the most talented comedians of all time. Starting in the 1930s, Costello attained enormous fame touring the burlesque circuits with straight man Bud Abbott (1895-1974). Their live skits (including “Who’s on First?”), radio programs, and films made comic history. Behind the scenes, however, Costello faced numerous a bout with rheumatic fever that left him bedridden for months, the drowning death of his young son, and constant haggles with Universal Studios over its reluctance to adequately finance productions of Abbott and Costello films. Lou’s on First goes beyond Costello’s clownish persona to explore his Pagliacci, the private demons behind the happy public face, the heartbreaking moments in an otherwise storybook marriage, the business ventures soured by unscrupulous managers, and the true nature of the breakup of his twenty-one-year partnership with Bud Abbott.
I heard one comedian say, “The comedy community has a lot of trauma and pain.” A look at comedians throughout history will certainly show this to be true. Lou Costello had his share of tragedy and health problems.
Chris Costello was around 10 or 11 years old when her father died. She shares her memories of her dad, as well as stories and memories from those who knew him. As I listened to Chris share these stories, I learned about her father’s kindness to just about everyone he met that was in need. I learned that he truly did pay for Dean Martin’s nose job (and was sad to hear that he never really came around after that). I learned about the gambling that went on while making movies with Bud Abbott. I learned on the tragic death of his son and what that event did to Lou and his family. It was such an enlightening book.
I never really knew what brought the duo to their ultimate split. It was interesting to be able to know what was going on during the filming of certain movies as Bud and Lou’s partnership got close to an end. They were certainly professionals, because I would have never known that they were on the outs while some of those films were being made. They never looked like they were at odds with each other.
There are pros and cons to audiobooks. The pros of this one was that there are occasional audio clips from Bud and Lou and even audio from home movies. I don’t care how many times I hear Who’s on First – it will NEVER NOT be funny! It is a masterpiece!
This book made me laugh and made me cry. It is the perfect love letter to a comedic legend from his daughter. The “bad boy” from Paterson, NJ touched many lives, and his memory lives on there with a beautiful statue and memorial park.
Thank you, Chris Costello, for sharing these stories about your dad with me and the world.
I highly recommend this book to fans of Abbott and Costello! 5 stars!
For those who want to listen to the audio book, you can find it on all the major audio book platforms. You can also order through Chris the limited-edition 10-CD Collection with 8-pg “Costello Family Photo Album” which she will gladly autograph. You won’t find this set on Amazon or elsewhere as she self-funded this collection. For more info or to order email: accollectibles@aol.com
The past week has been one of change and challenges for me. I am usually not lacking things I want to write about, but the past few days have been … well, busy. I’ve jotted little random thoughts in my “possible blog” notebook but none of them really warrants a full blown blog. So I decided to throw many of them all together for you. Consider it a Blogging Smorgasbord.
(Mental note: Use Smorgasbord in a sentence today. Check!)
Afternoon Adjustment
One of the biggest changes for me has been the switch from midnights to afternoons. Things have been very busy at work and I know that there are a lot of things that I still need to learn. However, I’ve sort of settled in and have taken care of reviewing patient charts, scoring records, helping techs with hook ups and whatever else is needed.
It’s weird to see the “day people.” We see their names in e-mails and on orders, but to actually see them … it’s just weird. There is a small window of time between when the day folks leave and the night folks come in where the building is strangely quiet. It’s almost too quiet. I have had to make sure that I turn some music on in order for me not to get distracted by the silence.
My entire eating schedule is out of whack, too. I’m used to lunch at 11pm and dinner at 3:30am. Now, I am eating on what you would call a “normal” schedule. I also have to deal with the never ending supply of sweets and snacks from the day staff. It seems that there are always some kind of goodies on the break room table.
The best part has been being able to crawl into bed and hold my wife at night (when one of the kids isn’t in our bed!). In just one week, I feel like we have talked more like when we first got married. Both of us are rested, get up and have coffee together, and have breakfast and lunch as a family. It really is wonderful.
Date Night
Sam and I have a date night coming up this weekend. If there is ever any question as to whether I love her or not, this should prove that the answer is a resounding YES. Look, I’ve seen a few episodes of the Golden Girls here and there. Sophia reminds me of my Italian grandma. However, I wouldn’t go out of my way to see a “Golden Girls” stage show – unless my wife wanted to see it. She does and we are.
I don’t know much about the show. The Golden Girls – The Laughs Continue. I heard it is a bit “raunchier” than the actual show. My co-worker saw it tonight and said it was good. He promised to not give away any spoilers. He took his wife.
We were talking about how some people really got into it and were dressing up to go to shows like this. My wife has informed me that she has something for us to wear to the show. If I wind up in a wig and a dress, I will be sure to share pictures.
Did You Ever ….
This doesn’t happen often, but have you ever started a book with the impression that it was going to be good only to find it slow and not what you expected? I am listening to an audiobook that I borrowed based solely on the title. The unabridged audio book is just over 11 hours. I am three hours in and I am just now feeling like it might be starting to get interesting, but I’m not sure. I debated whether or not to just stop listening.
I suppose it is my fault. I usually read the synopsis before deciding on reading a book. I never did for this one. Prior to blogging, I read the synopsis and afterward asked myself, “If I had read this before adding it to my ‘to read’ list, would I have actually wanted to read it?” I’m guessing not. I will probably listen a little longer just to see what, if anything, happens. At some point, though, I need to decide whether I want to finish it or not.
I Don’t Get the Hype
Someone posted the above on Facebook and I had to steal it. I truly don’t know how to take the hype surrounding the Barbie movie. My first thought is that Hollywood’s creativity is at an all time low and this was the result of someone scraping the bottom of the barrel for a movie idea. “Oooooo! I know! Let’s make a movie about Barbie and the various versions of dolls!” How does this idea even make it up the flagpole!?
Sam actually wondered if it would be something that Ella might like. Most people who did see it said it was probably not something to take kids to. It seems that this movie is made for adults who used to play with Barbie dolls or something. Urgh.
This leads to my second thought – adults are actually willing to pay big ticket prices to actually watch this in a theater. THIS is what the general public sees as “entertainment.” At what point do they just throw together two hours of 2 to 3 minute Tik Tok or Snapchat videos and market it as a “major motion picture?!” Sure, you can watch that crap on your phone, but if they did put it in theaters, you can bet that people would flock to see it. Next thing you know, some idiot Tik Tok “star” will get an Academy Award!
It has been a LONG time since there has been a movie that has come out that I would actually want to pay to see. I’ve been fascinated by the story of Hiroshima, so the Oppenheimer movie might be something I’d go see, but the reviews are mixed. I will probably do what I usually do – wait to stream it or rent it.
New Bluey? Yes, I Will Watch!
My wife says to me today: “Have you watched the new Bluey episodes yet?”
I shout back, “What?! Are they one Disney + already? I didn’t think they were airing in the US yet!”
Yes. There are new episodes. Yes. I will watch them by myself.
I learned a long time ago that it is totally ok for an adult to watch cartoons without kids. It keeps me young!
If you were to look at my Goodreads account, you would see that I am currently reading 3 books. A friend asked me how I could do that. I’m not sure why this seems odd to folks, but I am.
The first book I am reading, is my slowest read. That one usually sits on the night stand next to my bed. It is usually a book that is a “compilation” type book with many short stories or bits of information that I can read a page or two before bed. It is my “don’t have to think much” book. I usually fall asleep while reading it.
The second book is a true book, usually from the library, that I bring with me to work or two the doctor. If the book is good enough, then I will usually read a chapter or two once the kids are in bed.
The last book I am “reading” is an audio book that I play in the car on my way to and from work. With an hour drive both ways, it helps to pass the time and is a good way to get through my “to read” stack!
I have been keeping the library fairly busy lately with my book requests. They have been equally books and books on tape. Recently, I thought my reading was going to slow down because of my new car.
This is the first car that I have ever owned that does not have a CD player in it. Because of this, my usually stack of music CDs will now have to be transferred to a digital format and I’ll have to keep a thumb drive or external drive with my tunes on it in the car. This isn’t too big of a deal, as much of my music is already digital from when I was DJing.
However, the audio books I was getting from the library were all on CD. I walked into the library a day or two after I got my new car and returned three audio books. The librarian, who knows me from always being in there, commented that I must have listened to them all in one day. I explained that the new vehicle has no CD player. That’s when she told me about Libby.
Libby is an app that allows you to listen to audio books, ebooks, magazines and even videos! I can “borrow” an audio book for up to 21 days. My car connects with my Android Auto on my phone and the audio books play through the car radio. I had no idea this app even existed. My librarian told me that if there was ever something I couldn’t find on Libby, there was another app I could try called Hoopla.
What Libby doesn’t have – Hoopla probably does! All you need is your library card.
I have never liked to read digital books on a Kindle or a Nook. I love the feel of a book in my hand and I love turning actual pages. Listening to an audio book can be just as nice and I love that I can listen to them even when I am not in the car.
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 