This isn’t a D.N.F.—it’s an N.D.F.: Narcissistic Dumpster Fire.My Time to Stand: A Memoir by Gypsy Rose Blanchard is so full of contradictions, I’m half convinced the co-authors were actively working against her. Here’s the problem: when it comes to Gypsy Rose Blanchard, facts are optional. They don’t matter to her, and they definitely don’t matter to her “gyp-babes.” It’s not just contradictions on the page—though there are plenty of them. ...
General Reads
Book Review: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson | Netflix Did It Better
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is a classic I picked up after watching the Netflix miniseries. It absolutely boggles my bookish brain that the Netflix adaptations—both The Haunting of Bly Manor and The Haunting of Hill House—somehow outshine the source material. Though it hurts my literary soul to admit it, I think Netflix actually did it better. How could I, of all people, betray my inner bookworm and say a screen version is ...
Book Review: The Turn of the Screw by Henry James | A Classic That Crosses the Line
I don’t even know where to start with The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. I hate sounding like a broken record every time there’s a disappointing book to discuss, but sometimes that’s just the truth. Occasionally, a book is so frustrating that when you sit down to write your thoughts—to convey them and connect with another reader who might feel the same—you want to get it right. Yet, sometimes the words fail because it’s hard to sum up your ...
Book Review: Jaws by Peter Benchley | Nasty Ellen Overshadows the Shark
I have to be perfectly honest: I have no idea where to start with this review, so I guess I'll just begin here: Dun… dun… Dun… dun… Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun Get ready to dive into these shark-infested waters because, honestly, I was rooting for the shark to win in this book. Let me make myself clear: the characters in this book are absolutely revolting. I’m specifically pointing to Ellen— and I’m ...
Book Book Review: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline | Characters Flat as a Pancake
*Orphan Train* by Christina Baker Kline seemed like the perfect read-along to tackle with the bestie. For those of you who’ve known me for many moons, y’all probably remember the shenanigans Fizzy and I got into over on the now-retired blog, *A Simply Enchanted Life*. I got divorced. She got older. I got chonkier. Life happened. So some of y’all might not know the bestie. Let me fix that: her name is Fizzy. She writes over at ...
