I was looking at my Goodreads account, and I had read a total of 78 books out of 100 books that were challenging me to read last year. This year, I am challenging myself to read 110 books, and I am hopeful that I will complete this goal. If not, then that’s ok. I had read some great books last year and wanted to share some great reads with you.
The world’s worst assistant by Sona Movsesian. I found this book incredibly funny because I literally laughed out loud at the Barnes and Noble I was reading the book. I enjoyed the personal stories that Sona shared about her journey in life and at work.
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears. I had to get the audiobook version because it was narrated by the amazing Michelle Williams. She was not disappointed in delivering Britney’s words and feelings. This book definitely made me rethink a lot of things about Britney Spears.
Deliberate Cruelty by Roseanne Montillo. This was the second book of the year I read, and it was totally absorbing!! For those who are waiting to watch Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, make sure to add this book to your list before you start watching the series!
A Child Called “It” by Dave Pelzer. I read this book during banned book week last fall. Because I try to read at least a couple of books off that list. I had not heard about this one until I was reviewing my own list while researching a blog post I was working on at the time.
My name is Barbra Streisand by Barbra Streisand. This book took me about a month to finish. Some parts were completely absorbing, but it was an overall joy to read. I recommend if you are a true fan of hers this book will complete be a joy to read.
Earlier this month, I finished reading Mildred Pierce, written by James M. Cain. Cain has written other memorable books that were turned into movies, such as Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and Serenade.
This was the first book I read by the author, but it was hard to choose which one of the author’s titles to start with. I am such a fan of the 1945 and 1981 movies The Postman Always Rings Twice.
However, I just finished a Mildred Pierce movie and miniseries binge. That it just made sense for me to finally read the novel. The movie and miniseries versions of Mildred Pierce offer different takes on the book, but both have outstanding acting. The movie, made in 1945, was directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Joan Crawford, Jack Caron, and Ann Blyth. Joan Crawford played the lead role of Mildren Pierce, while Ann Blyth played her daughter Vera.
Joan Crawford was so good at portraying Mildred Pierce that she won an Oscar in 1946.
The miniseries was made in 2011 and was directed by Todd Haynes (one of my favorite directors!!). It starred Kate Winslet as Mildred Pierce and Evan Rachel Wood as Veda.
Both adaptions are faithful to the book because they accurately make sure to have the viewer understand the rise and fall of Mildred Pierce. How hard it was for Mildred to find suitable work and how tough it was for her to become a businesswoman trying to survive during the Great Depression. This was one of the rare books that I sat down to read and did not move until I was done reading. This book was first published in 1941 by Knopf. When it was first published, many reviewers commented that it was “mild and tame” compared to the author’s other novels.
Personally, I am glad that I read this novel first from the author because when I was reading the book, it made me flash back to both the movie and miniseries adaptions. It also made me want to read other novels by the authors in the near future.
If you would like more information about the movie and the miniseries, I highly recommend this video by Be Kind Rewind. The video is below:
What books is everyone reading this month? Comment below!!!
Not many people are familiar with the name Bobby Driscoll. However, a lot of people do know this Disney classic Movie:
Bobby Driscoll was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 3, 1937. His mother was a school teacher, while his father was a salesman. Bobby only lived in Iowa for a small amount of time due to his father’s doctor’s orders to move away from Iowa to California due to his father ailing from handling asbestos from his job in Iowa.
Once the family settled into their new surroundings, Bobby’s parents rallied behind him to become an actor. Their dream finally came true when their baby’s son got Bobby an audition at MGM Studios for a role in a movie called Lost Angel, directed by Roy Rowland and starring Margaret O’Brien. From when he was six years old, he was a regular actor on TV and in movies. Disney studios cast him in live-action films such as Treasure Island and So Dear to my Heart.
(Pictured above Luana Patten with Walt Disney and Bobby Driscoll)
Bobby Driscoll and another child actor named Luana Patten were the first contracted actors for Walt Disney (Image below left to right: Burt Ives, Luana Patten, and Bobby Driscoll in Disney’s So Dear My Heart (1949)). He and Patten acted in various movies together, so it would be no surprise that you would see them in many roles and scenes. Newspaper outlets termed Driscoll and Patten working together as “Walt Disney’s Sweetheart Team.”
He was so well-regarded during his childhood acting career that he received an Academy Juvenile Award for two roles in “So Dear My Heart” (1949) and “The Window” (1949):
Here is a short clip of Bobby accepting his award that was given by Donald O’Conner:
Bobby is best remembered for his voice role as Peter Pan in Walt Disney’s Peter Pan, and it was, unfortunately, his last well-known role.
As all children do, Driscoll went through puberty and growth spurs, and Disney Studios cited that as a reason to end their contract with Bobby and their connection for any movie or tv roles for their studios.
Bobby found it incredibly difficult to find work outside Disney because many studios were still being perceived under Disney Studios’ eyes. Therefore, the studios did not consider him for more grown-up roles, and he mostly did smaller, lesser-known works in various TV shows.
From 1948 until 1957, he was able to find voice role work through radio and was part of various productions. During that time, his parents decided to remove him from Hollywood Professional School and enrolled him in West Los Angeles High School. That is when Bobby’s grades dropped, and he was constantly bullied because he was a child actor. He started to depend on drugs during that time and got into fights. To much of his parents’ dismay at how badly Bobby had adapted to the new school. They reversed their decision regarding schooling and re-enrolled him back at Hollywood Professional School, where he could graduate in 1955.
However, it did not halt Bobby’s drug use. And was dependent on such drugs as heroin and was already arrested for marijuana possession in 1956. He had no luck obtaining movie or TV roles and eloped in December 1956 to his girlfriend, Marilyn Jean Rush. They went on to have three kids. However, the couple divorced in 1960, and Bobby ended up cutting out any contact and relationship with his children due to his reliance on drugs.
He wanted to change his public image and be called Robert Driscoll. However, Robert still had troubles regardless and had some charges against him, such as assault with a deadly weapon and disturbing the peace.
In late 1961, he was formally sentenced as a drug addict and sent to the Narcotic Rehabilitation Center of California Institution for Men located in Chino, California. He was released in 1962 from there, and in 1965, after his parole expired, he decided to move to New York. He wanted to try acting on Broadway, but nothing fruitful was gained, so he became part of Andy Warhol’s The Factory in Greenwich Village.
Bobby excelled as an artist and created some art pieces at Warhol’s Factory. His last movie role was in 1965 for experimental director Piero Heliczer’s movie Dirt:
On March 30, 1968, Bobby Driscoll’s body was found by two boys who were playing in an abandoned East Village tenement. His body was found on a cot alongside two beer bottles and various religious items surrounding him. The cause of death was heart failure caused by hardened arteries due to mixed drug use. Police tried to go around the area where his body was found to have someone identify him, but no one could, so his body became unclaimed and buried in a pauper’s grave at Potter’s Field in New York City’s Hart Island. He was only 31 at the time of death.
In 1969, Bobby’s mother at the time inquired to Disney Studios for them to contact Bobby due to his father’s fatal illness. Disney Studios still had fingerprints and other identifying items in order to help her. The result was able to provide a fingerprint match for the New York City Police Department in aiding in locating the remains of Bobby in Potter’s Field. A sad ending to a talented person.
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