Scandalized

Finished July 7

Scandalized by Ivy Owens

This romance novel was a page-turner. The main character Georgia (Gigi) Ross, an investigative journalist for the L.A. Times, has been travelling for hours after working on a big story in London. Her last flight, from Seattle to Los Angeles is cancelled, and there is a big line of people waiting for a hotel room. While waiting at the airport, she sees a man that she is sure she knows from somewhere, and it finally comes to her when she is in line for a room at the hotel. He is Alec Kim, the older brother of her best friend from early childhood to grade eight, when the friend's family moved away. When he recognizes her after she introduces herself, and offers to help, she finds herself fighting her fears to accept. 

Her fears are partially due to the story she's been working on, a private nightclub in London, where it appears that people have been taken advantage of in some pretty awful ways. She's worked hard on investigating the story, but it has also meant that she's seen some pretty dark stuff, especially to women at the hands of men. But Alec seems to be a nice guy, and she had a crush on him back in the day, so she accepts his offer. 

When it appears that the attraction is still there for her and the feelings seem to be reciprocated, she finds herself having a night to remember with him. It is only the following day that she realizes that there was another reason that he looked familiar to her. 

As the connection continues, she finds that there is a tie-in to the story that she's working on, but Gigi has to be careful of journalistic ethics around this important story, and what it might mean to involve him, even if he agrees. 

I liked the chemistry that came across between Gigi and Alec, and the connection from the past that made everything both deeper, and uncertain. Uncertain because she isn't aware of his life since then, even though his life has been one that the public has scrutinized in detail. I also liked the friendship Gigi has with her roommate Eden, which showed another element of her life. 

A great read. 

Unscripted

Finished May 28

Unscripted by Davis Bunn

This fast-moving novel is set around the California movie industry. There are two main characters that we get to see the thoughts of. One of them is Danny Byrd, a line producer who has a good reputation for getting things done on schedule. The other is Los Angeles lawyer Megan Pierce who has been working with a entertainment law firm, working long hours and putting up with a lot of abuse as she's developed a lot of experience. 

As the book opens, Danny is in jail. John Rexford, aka Johnny Rocket, Danny's partner in business and friend since childhood has seeming left town with the investment money for their latest production. Due to Danny's trust, he also had access to Danny's personal accounts and cleaned them out as well. Without access to funds, Danny has relied on a court-appointed lawyer to this point and his outlook isn't hopeful. But as he gets called to meet with someone unexpectedly, he finds he has a new lawyer, paid for by someone who has chosen to remain anonymous, and she is working with another law firm that seems to have a different atmosphere from the L.A. based ones. 

As Danny finds his feet and jumps at a new chance to make a film to get a fresh start, he finds both old friends in the industry who are still willing to support him, and new ones in Solvang, the small town he finds himself based out of. 

This is a story of fresh starts for not only the two main characters, but also others, like the Emma Sturgis who is still mourning the loss of her father. 

This novel had me caring about the characters and wanting to know what happened with all of them. I also enjoyed the setting of Solvang and the community that came together there. A great read. 

Beautiful Ruins

Finished October 13
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

This story begins in 1962 in a small Italian village, Porto Vergogna, a village accessible only by boat or a difficult path from the cliffs above. A young American starlet, Dee Mornay, arrives and the young innkeeper, Pasquale is stunned by this development. No one comes to the village, with the exception of an American car salesman, Alvis Bender, who is trying to write a book, and who served in Italy during World War II as a young man and the men controlling hotel interests in other nearby villages don't like this development. Dee Mornay has apparently been sent there by Michael Deane, a man associated with the movie shoot of Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. But when the visit that Dee is expecting does not arrive and her diagnosis of stomach cancer is questioned, Pasquale goes to Rome to find answers.
The story continues in the present day, when Michael Deane is producing reality television, and his assistant Claire Silver is trying to find a script that will draw him back to movies. With a hopeful playwright who knows Italian, and a man trying to find a woman from his past, the stories come together in a remarkable way.
There are all kinds of subtleties here as well. With the village name's English translation being Port of Shame, and the theme of jealousy arising throughout, this is a novel of chances, of love lost and regained. There is humour and sadness, and surprises throughout. A wonderful read.

Rin Tin Tin

Finished September 10
Rin Tin Tin: the life and the legend by Susan Orlean

This book is the culmination of years of research by Orleans, and it shows.
The book describes the life of Lee Duncan, the original owner and trainer of the dog Rin Tin Tin. We see the life of the real dog Duncan brought back from France after World War I, and the on-screen persona in both film and television. Orleans gives a picture of the movie and television business over the years, and shows the various players involved from producers, screenwriters, and directors to co-stars.
She shows how the fame of Rin Tin Tin spread internationally, and how it grew to change the landscape of dogs as they moved to become pets more than working animals.
We see how the persona of Rin Tin Tin was embraced by generations and in different countries. We also are shown how the this love grew the popularity of German shepherds and a dynasty of Rin Tin Tin descendants.
Duncan was initially driven by pride in his dog and wanting others to recognize the uniqueness of Rin Tin Tin, but that grew to include encouraging others to train their own dogs. Duncan always connected with the love between children and their dogs, and this influenced his choices in film and television projects.
Orleans has taken an immense amount of research, both personal interviews and boxes and boxes of papers. She looked at artifacts from the commercialization of Rin Tin Tin, and most interestingly her own motivation to tell this story. From a child's love of a figurine, to this wonderful and extensively researched book, she acknowledges her own role in the Rin Tin Tin story.
From the personal to the legend, Orleans covers all aspects of this story over the course of almost a century. This is a book for dog lovers, those interested in social change, and those who just love a good story.

Sunnyside

Finished September 2
Sunnyside by Glen David Gold
This has been my bedside book for quite a few months now, and I'm glad to say I've finished it. I enjoyed most of it, but it is a very complex novel with several storylines.
It begins on November 12, 1916 with a day where there were sightings of Charlie Chaplin in many places (a real historical happening). The book follows not only Chaplin himself, but also Leland Wheeler (aka Lee Duncan) a young man who witnesses one of the sightings and risks his life in trying to reach Chaplin. Leland has a dream of being on the big screen, and despite several setbacks, never lets that dream go. We also follow another young man, Hugo Black, who goes on to be an American soldier fighting in Russia, an extension of the first World War that is little acknowledged. There are several other figures we move on at different times: generals, actors, young women with their own agenda, but the three young men, Chaplin, Leland, and Hugo are the primary focus.
With scenes from Hollywood to Germany, France to Russia, the environment varies widely. We see the rise of actors' rights in Hollywood, the terror and tragedy of World War One, the bleakness of the Russian campaign. We see the loss of dreams and the achievement of dreams. We see families and the dynamics that take place within them. There is sadness and joy here, and much to take in.
The author has included historical figures and events along with fictional ones, and it is interesting to see the linkages. We see the beginning of the career of Rin Tin Tin here as well.
I enjoyed this book, as it got me thinking differently about many things and awakened me to events I didn't know of.