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Valley of the dolls paperback5/30/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() “It didn’t disappoint,” writes Rebello in his Author’s Note of discovering “Valley” as a child. “Valley of the Dolls” is about three young women trying to make their way in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles and New York, navigating love and affairs, and eventually becoming addicted to barbiturates (“dolls”). “ Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!: Deep Inside Valley of the Dolls, the Most Beloved Bad Book and Movie of All Time” (Penguin Books) by Stephen Rebello celebrates the bad, the good, and the fantastic kitsch behind the phenomenon. (Judy Garland was originally cast in the film, but then proceeded to either quit the production or was fired for her part, Jacqueline Susann reportedly hated the movie, declaring it a “piece of s–t.”) At one point, the Guinness Book of World Records even declared it “the most popular novel in the world.” The 1967 film starring Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Sharon Tate and Susan Hayward also achieved a sort of hallowed “so bad it’s good” status, delighting viewers with its glitzy schlock status. Since then, it has sold more than 30 million copies and spent 28 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list, staying there for 65 weeks overall. The 1966 Jacqueline Susann novel “ Valley of the Dolls” was the top selling novel of that year, a dishy mix of drugs, sex and general escapades. ![]()
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![]() While I did pick some things early on it was still a very thrilling ride where you didn't know what would happen next. This was my first Robotham read & wow I'm not sure why! I really enjoyed this book. Very highly recommended! * But Books are Better Blog * The Secrets She Keeps is a tense, chilling and disturbing psychological thriller about secrets, obsession and the longing for the perfect life from a master of the genre. A tremendous exploration of social issues and the drives that make us who we are, as much as the horror of the truths that result in the tale's central crime. Of how much is hidden behind individual personas. ![]() ![]() The crime is not really the centre of the story in a way : the story is the unpicking of personalities and social constructs, of how damaged people can become as a result of the actions of others. It is a really well crafted story, and while it is not difficult to pick the direction it will take, it is intriguing to follow the clues and watch it unfold. Michael Robotham also does a fantastic job at writing from the female perspective - that mother-child bond is omnipresent throughout the novel and highlighted by some terrific writing. By the end of the book I really felt like I knew these characters and felt for their respective situations. The Secrets She Keeps is a great read that that me hooked all the way through. ![]() Once begun you won't be able to put this book down! * Brisbanista * ![]()
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Pierre boulle novels5/30/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() Boulle pointed out that he had created a fictional main character, but this was overlooked. The novel was a powerful amalgam of the author's memories, but was attacked by survivors who felt it misrepresented the facts. The Bridge On The River Kwai was a fictionalised account concerning Allied POWs who were forced to build the notorious "Death Railway". The first two attempts amounted to nothing, but Boulle's third novel became a multimillion global best-seller. Moving in with his widowed sister, he began to write from his collected scraps. After, despite being decorated as a war hero, he found himself down and out in Paris. During this period he kept a diary on scraps of paper. He became a secret agent, aiding the resistance in wartime China, Burma and French Indochina, met a married woman who became the great love of his life and, in 1943, was captured by Vichy France loyalists on the Mekong River, where he was forced into hard labour. French novelist Pierre Boulle was born in 1912 and trained as an engineer, working on British rubber plantations in Malaya. Sometimes the lives of authors are as exciting as their books. ![]()
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![]() He uses the "Star Trek" future as a launching pad to discuss the forefront of modern physics. ![]() ![]() Krauss boldly goes where "Star Trek" has gone - and beyond. Krauss, an internationally known theoretical physicist and educator, has written the quintessential physics book for Trekkers and non-Trekkers alike.Īnyone who has ever wondered, "Could this really happen?" will gain useful insights into the "Star Trek" universe (and, incidentally, the real universe) in this charming and accessible volume. ![]() What exactly "warps" when you are traveling at warp speed? What is the difference between the holodeck and a hologram? What happens when you get beamed up? Are time loops really possible, and can I kill my grandmother before I was born? Until now, fans of "Star Trek" were hard pressed to find answers to vital questions such as these. ![]()
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The Hanging Stones by Manly Wade Wellman5/30/2023 ![]() ![]() In effect, what Wellman was doing was saying that the Judge and de Grandin existed in the same WT universe: He mentions another Weird Tales alumnist's creation, that of Seabury Quinn's Jules de Grandin, without doubt the most popular character in WT's original run. But in this tale, Wellman borrows a page from Lovecraft's literary game. This tale was the last for the Judge for several decades because Wellman would create a new ghostbreaker of even greater popularity in John Thunstone. "The Half-Haunted" (writing as Gans T Field), a Judge Keith Hillary Pursuivant ghostbreaker tale, appeared in Weird Tales in September 1941. ![]() I suspect Manly Wade Wellman tried a little of this magic too. Later, August Derleth would take what was largely a game for HPL and tie it into a commercial package that featured monsters, weird books, and a shared world of dreams and terror. Not everyone at Weird Tales was included just the closest correspondents of Lovecraft’s. This was the beginning of the Cthulhu Mythos. Lovecraft's circle shared mention of their separate creations in the pages of Weird Tales, name-dropping here and there a friend's character or some other reference. ![]()
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Rj yeatman5/30/2023 ![]() ![]() In this study, we have explored an assumption in which there exists a shift in playing strategy of enzymes from normal to a different biological condition (here cancer) by investigation of pattern alterations in the metabolic subsystem of four cancer cell types (in four cancer stages) using flux calculations and Gene Ontology analysis. ![]() Such enzymes behaviors are very similar to a competitive game where different players try to play for reaching a specific outcome, either by a cooperative or selfish strategy. So, it is reasonable to find metabolism variations within a cell in different conditions. Besides, every change in a biological system and its environment within a cell could lead to metabolism alterations due to natural cell response. In metabolism processes, enzymes are involved in a cooperative manner of step by step mechanisms trying to guarantee cell survival. ![]()
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Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks5/30/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() “When I started writing the project,” Parks said in a statement, “on Day One, I wanted to create something that we could experience together, whenever it was safe for us to be physically together again. Performed in the intimate Joe’s Pub music venue, Joe’s Pub, Plays For the Plague Year will be a theatrical concert featuring Parks’ music and plays, and is described as being “both a personal story of one family’s daily lives, as well as a sweeping account of all we faced as a city, a nation, and a global community.” “What emerged is a breathtaking anthology of plays and songs that chronicle our collective experience and the hope and perseverance that occurred throughout that troubling year.” On March 13, 2020, as theaters went into lockdown, Parks “picked up her pen and her guitar and set out to write a play every day,” says the Public in today’s announcement. ![]() The new work has its origins in the early days of the Covid pandemic. Parks is the Public Theater Writer-in-Residence. The casting was announced today by Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director and Patrick Willingham, Executive Director. The production will run through Sunday, November 27. 4 at the Public’s Joe’s Pub venue, with an opening night on Wednesday, Nov. Alicia Keys Stage Musical 'Hell's Kitchen' In Development At New York's Public Theaterĭirected by Niegel Smith, Plays For the Plague Year will begin a strictly limited three-week engagement on Friday, Nov. ![]()
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Lila marilynne robinson5/29/2023 ![]() ![]() Lila has multiple timelines, beginning with the story of Lila’s childhood and then showing her life in the present day in the town of Gilead, where she’s a minister’s wife. ![]() Critically acclaimed for its in-depth look at a complex character and its further exploration of the culture and characters of the town of Gilead, it is one of Robinson’s most acclaimed books, winning the National Book Award in 2014. ![]() Fusing the story of Lila and John’s life in the present day with flashbacks to her childhood on the run with the young drifter Doll, Lila explores themes of shame, loneliness, abandonment, and the past’s influence on the presence. As she begins a new life as the wife of a respected man, she tries to reconcile her traumatic past with the Christian worldview of her husband. American author Marilynne Robinson’s novel Lila (2014), the third part of the Gilead trilogy, focuses on Lila Ames, a young woman who emerges from a childhood on the fringes of society to become the wife of the Reverend John Ames. ![]()
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Trial by fire by jo davis5/29/2023 ![]() ![]() While researching for the villains in HIDDEN FIRE, I learned that it’s not uncommon for killers to work in pairs or teams, and I read several case studies that gave me goosebumps. My premise for the killers in HIDDEN FIRE began with a question: What if, very early on, one victim escaped the grisly fate intended for him, and never knew it? I have research books at my fingertips to consult and make sure the villain I’m creating is exhibiting the appropriate behaviors for his or her type of criminal. But I’m fascinated by the psychology of the criminal mind, what makes him or her tick. I love writing villains, and my friends will tell you that’s because I have a warped, evil mind! I throw myself into the role, really getting into their heads, and it’s sometimes a scary place to be. ![]() How difficult is it to write a villain? As the creator, are you able to detach yourself from their crimes or are you thrown into the maelstrom? The villains in this book are particularly heinous. ![]()
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Judy blume forever book5/29/2023 ![]() ![]() She recently clarified a statement made in an interview with The Sunday Times of London where she expressed support for fellow author J.K.Blume has been a household name since the 70s, and her commentary on popular culture continues to be as relevant today as ever.Judy Blume Forever, directed by Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok, focuses on the impact Blume's work has had on thousands of people, centering on the many letters she received from readers expressing how their lives had been touched by her work. ![]() What's the big deal? While 85-year-old Blume has mastered the art of crafting fictional stories, her latest project dives into her own life and career. Some notable titles include Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret Blubber and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Her career has spanned nearly 25 books for a wide range of audiences and covering a breadth of topics. ![]()
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