'The Testaments' by Margaret Atwood (Chatto & Windus, 2019)
So, where do you start with probably the biggest book of the year, in terms of anticipation, hype and sales? Was there anything more to 'The Testaments' by Margaret Atwood than outstanding branding and an expertly co-ordinated, multi-platform promotional campaign? Well, here are my thoughts, for what they're worth.
07 December 2019
03 November 2019
Love Fools (Nearly)
'The Love Delusion' by Nicola Mostyn
Last year, I thoroughly enjoyed Nicola Mostyn's chick-lit-adventure-comedy-fantasy mash up 'The Gods of Love', so you can imagine how excited I was when a follow up was announced. So, did 'The Love Delusion' leave me smitten all over again?
Frida McKenzie is the most cynical of all divorce lawyers, independent, self-assured and, above all, really great at her job. So great in fact that she's rapidly rising through the ranks of 'The Love Delusion', a movement determined to rid the world of it's illogical obsession with love. Frida's even become the lawyer of choice for new converts and been given the chance to meet the movement's founder, the elusive R. A. Stone. Everything looks rosy, until a chance meeting with a strange yet familiar protestor plants a seed of doubt in her mind. Where did the Love Delusion come from, and why can't she remember her life before it? Who is this strange man and why is there a photo of them together hidden in her home? Could it be there's something important that she's somehow forgotten?
Last year, I thoroughly enjoyed Nicola Mostyn's chick-lit-adventure-comedy-fantasy mash up 'The Gods of Love', so you can imagine how excited I was when a follow up was announced. So, did 'The Love Delusion' leave me smitten all over again?
23 September 2019
Movie Magic Michael
'Who is Michael Ovitz?' by... erm... Michael Ovitz
Who doesn't love a good Hollywood movie? If you've ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes to make the magic happen, then 'Who is Michael Ovitz?' might be just the book for you.
Super-agent Michael Ovitz was once one of the biggest Hollywood names you hadn't heard of. As joint owner of innovative creative agency CAA, he worked 24/7 to recruit and package perfect combinations of talented writers, directors and actors to work on films and TV shows in the '70s, '80s and '90s. Thanks to his eye for great talent and an alchemist-like instinct for mixing the right creative ingredients, Ovitz was often at the birth of box office gold. His deals led to hits like 'Rain Man', 'Ghostbusters', 'Jurassic Park', 'Tootsie', 'Schindler's List' and the epic TV mini-series 'Shogun'. Not bad for a kid from the San Fernando Valley whose career began as a Universal Studios tour guide before he talked his way into a post in the William Morris Agency mailroom. But though this story takes place in the City of Angels, Ovitz was no saint, and his hard-nosed work ethic, drive and often blinkered focus on making the deal made friends into enemies and enemies into friends. By the end, his reputation had taken some hard knocks and gossip was rife. In this book, he aims to set out his side of the story.
Who doesn't love a good Hollywood movie? If you've ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes to make the magic happen, then 'Who is Michael Ovitz?' might be just the book for you.
Super-agent Michael Ovitz was once one of the biggest Hollywood names you hadn't heard of. As joint owner of innovative creative agency CAA, he worked 24/7 to recruit and package perfect combinations of talented writers, directors and actors to work on films and TV shows in the '70s, '80s and '90s. Thanks to his eye for great talent and an alchemist-like instinct for mixing the right creative ingredients, Ovitz was often at the birth of box office gold. His deals led to hits like 'Rain Man', 'Ghostbusters', 'Jurassic Park', 'Tootsie', 'Schindler's List' and the epic TV mini-series 'Shogun'. Not bad for a kid from the San Fernando Valley whose career began as a Universal Studios tour guide before he talked his way into a post in the William Morris Agency mailroom. But though this story takes place in the City of Angels, Ovitz was no saint, and his hard-nosed work ethic, drive and often blinkered focus on making the deal made friends into enemies and enemies into friends. By the end, his reputation had taken some hard knocks and gossip was rife. In this book, he aims to set out his side of the story.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)