July 15, 2008

• summertime reading.

  there is absolutely nothing better than reading a book. this past week, i discovered my favorite place to do so is on a beach.
  
  with the sand between your toes and a soft ocean breeze in your hair, the element of time standing still envelopes you.
  
  “go ahead, turn another page,” beckons the waves. and i did. a lot.
  
  that’s not to say the front porch, the couch, the car or the bed was immune to my reading, either.
  
  here are a few of the titles that i perused over my 10-day stint in Destin (and some i’m trying to finish up now that i’m home)

  
  

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  Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, by Julie Andrews
  

  Dame Julie Andrews shares her journey from a difficult upbringing in war-torn Britain to the brink of international stardom in America. Her memoir begins in 1935, when Julie was born to an aspiring vaudevillian mother and a teacher father, and takes readers to 1962, when Walt Disney himself saw her on Broadway and cast her as the world’s most famous nanny.

  Along the way, she weathered the London Blitz of World War II; her parents’ painful divorce; her mother’s turbulent second marriage to Canadian tenor Ted Andrews, and a childhood spent on radio, in music halls, and giving concert performances all over England.

  I have been a huge fan of Julie Andrews (granted, mostly of the image she portrayed in some of my favorite flicks, including The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins and Thoroughly Modern Millie) since I was a little girl. It’s been interesting to learn about her struggles and her triumphs, her successes and her failures, but most of all, I’ve enjoyed learning that she’s not practically perfect in every way — she’s perfectly flawed.

  It’s a fabulous read, although it’s difficult to get into at first (she goes through her family’s lineage, etc.)

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  Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn, by Donald Spoto

  
  
  Her name is synonymous with elegance, style and grace. Over the course of her extraordinary life and career, Audrey Hepburn captured hearts around the world and created a public image that stands as one of the most recognizable and beloved in recent memory. But despite her international fame and her tireless efforts on behalf of UNICEF, Audrey was also known for her intense privacy. With unprecedented access to studio archives, friends and colleagues who knew and loved Audrey, bestselling author Donald Spoto provides an intimate and moving account of this beautiful, elusive and talented woman.

  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this woman. I can still remember the first movie I saw with Miss Hepburn. It was My Fair Lady, and I was about 10 years old. She simply captivated me, which was probably a feat in itself, considering the length of it! (Other Audrey flicks I adore: Paris, When it Sizzles, Sabrina, Roman Holiday, and of course, Breakfast at Tiffany’s!)

  As with most biographies, there are a few unresolved timeline holes, but the 350 pages of Audrey more than makes up for it.

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  Why Women Should Rule the World, by Dee Dee Myers

  

  What would happen if women ruled the world?

  Everything could change, according to former White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers. Politics would be more collegial. Businesses would be more productive. And communities would be healthier. Empowering women would make the world a better place—not because women are the same as men, but precisely because they are different.

  Blending memoir, social history, and a call to action, Dee Dee Myers challenges us to imagine a not-too-distant future in which increasing numbers of women reach the top ranks of politics, business, science, and academia.

  This is one that I’m still working on. I picked it up for two reasons: 1. I love “the West Wing” and she was a consultant for the show (and who C.J. Cregg is mostly based on) and 2. the title is simply intriguing! I’m about a quarter of the way through, so far, and I’m enjoying it. It was difficult to get into on the beach (a little too heavy, if you know what I mean), but I’ve been soaking it up since coming home. It’s definitely been getting me through the first few waves of stress at work!
  
  
  

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  An Affair to Remember: the Remarkable Love Story of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, by Christopher Andersen
  
  

  It was one of the greatest romances of our time. They were both Hollywood giants in their own right, yet it was the nine hit films Katherine Hepburn made with Spencer Tracy that, in the eyes of the American public, defined them as Hollywood’s most celebrated romantic team. On-screen, the headstrong Tracy had met his match and she put him in his place. Off-screen, despite the fact that he never divorced his wife, Kate remained utterly devoted to the mercurial, sometimes violent Spencer as he battled his dependence on alcohol.

  This is another one that I’m continuing to work through. (I’m just about done with it, though.) A melding of two biographies in one book, it’s interesting to learn about Hepburn and Tracy’s lives separately, then of their lives together. It amazes me how they kept their relationship secret (barring a few whispers) for almost 20 years … and with little outward effort! Life was a different time then. Wordy at times, interesting always, I recommend this to anyone with an appreciation of old Hollywood.

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  as you can see, I have a penchant for biographies (and political books … go figure!) what are YOU reading this summer? any good reads to recommend?
  

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