Sit, Parker, Sit

These next four were all okay, and I enjoyed reading them, but none were spectacular.Sit, Ubu, Sit: How I went from Brooklyn to Hollywood with the Same Woman, the Same Dog, and a Lot Less Hair by Gary David Goldberg. If like me you like to know obscure trivia about pop culture then you will love this book. Goldberg has been the producer/creator of several television shows (like Family Ties and Spin City), and this book reveals a lot of the back story. If you are not into that then I guess this book will be too much fluff for you.

As far as Nigerian fiction goes this is the best thing I have ever read, it is also the only thing I have ever read. It is part of my sustained effort to read more foreign fiction and overall I liked it, but I have a hard time seeing its mass appeal. Graceland by Chris Abani is the story of a young man named Elvis growing up in strife torn Nigeria and how he comes to terms with what it means to be a man and his relationship to his father and his culture.
Michael Gates Gill used to be somebody and he used to know people. He gives the impression he used to know everybody who was anybody, but I have the feeling he listed just about everyone he had ever met of note in this short book. He is also scared of black people, but he finds it can be okay to work with them and for them. And before I forget, I think he really loves Starbucks. None of this I will still respect you in the morning stuff, he wants to walk her up the aisle love. Even with these flaws I liked How Starbucks Saved My Life because of its central message. Happiness does not come from money, rather it comes from solid honest work that you love. If you have that the material things of this world really do not matter.
Last but not least I read an Oprah book. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides won the Pulitzer Prize and was a very engaging read. It is the story of an Intersex young woman who learns as a teen she really is a young man. But it is also a interesting multi generational Greek family drama. It also tries to be a short history of Detroit and its growing pains as a city. My problem is this, it never fully develops any of the three story lines to my satisfaction. I was left wanting to know more on all three avenues. To its credit, what it does tell is extremely fascinating and well worth the time to read. **NOTE: I read this after watching (yes I know) Oprah interview the author and several Intersex people.

FWIW - another penny - grand total 66 cents