Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

Like my dad, I have never met a wedding I didn't like. The drama, the rules, the complex family dynamics never fail to fascinate me. I don't even need to know the participants personally, I am just a fan of a good wedding story. So, when I found out Anne Tyler's latest novella was about a wedding, I could not wait to read it. "Three Days in June" follows the story of Gail Baines as she navigates the days before and after her daughter's wedding. Like author Elizabeth Strout of "Olive Kitteridge" fame, Tyler creates socially awkward characters doing mundane things, and turns you into their biggest fans. During the course of the novella, Gail loses her job at a school, is forced to deal with her ex-husband and his tag-a-long cat, and is inexplicably not invited to her daughter’s bridal spa day. "Three Days in June" pairs the joy and anticipation of a wedding, with a group of people who are nervous and uneasy around each other. This book demonstrates that weddings are not just about the bride and the groom, but about the celebrants as well who come together to witness the nuptials, for better and for worse. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Zagreb Noir: A short story collection edited by Evan Srsen

If you are reading this on Thursday June 5, then I am in Croatia. I have wanted to go to Croatia for a long time, but other countries such as Thailand, Brazil and Argentina seemed more pressing. Now finally is the time for Jeff and I to see what so many of our friends have been talking about. We will be going to Dubrovnik, Hvar and Split, by way of Frankfurt. As I was packing before the trip, this book arrived from Amazon. I was surprised because there was no gift note, and I had not told that many people where Jeff and I were going on vacation. I could not stand the suspense. I logged into my Amazon account, and began a lengthy chat to uncover the identity of the sender. Finally, when the bot said, “The sender was Kathleen Marshall.” I now had my answer. My sister knows that I like to read a book set in the destination where I am traveling. This was a perfect gift. “Zagreb Noir” is a dark collection of short stories set in Zagreb, which is the capital of Croatia. The collection incorporates the Eastern European history of the county along with a modern perspective on what the city feels like today. Hopefully I am reading this book on the island of Hvar with a Rakija, or fruit brandy, in my hand under a blue umbrella. Zivjeli! To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks

Recently a beloved nurse at my hospice passed away unexpectedly. It was shocking, even for a group of people who deal with death every single day. He loved theatre and travel, and was one of the best nurses I have ever worked with. He was only 60 years old. We had so much more to talk about. The same week he died, this book popped up in my Libby library app. "Memorial Days" by Geraldine Brooks is the story of how she learned of the unexpected death of her husband on the streets of Washington D.C. He was just 60 years old, too. These unexpected deaths almost seem like some cruel magic trick, which coincidentally collided in my life the same week. How was I to make sense of this? One minute the person is laughing, eating, working and planning for a future, and the next minute he is not. Sadly, there is no way to prepare for death, unexpected or anticipated due to illness. In the face of her grief, Brooks was not able to mourn in comfortable, safe and traditional way. Instead, she was faced with the nuts and bolts of death, which for her looked like frozen credit cards, cancelled insurance policies, and mountains of things to figure out as a fresh widow. The idea of actually going back to work, and writing for a living, paralyzed her. She was haunted by the life she had with her husband, which was robbed from her in a single phone call from a terse hospital employee. "Memorial Days" is her meditation on how she found a way to mourn her husband's death, and move forward with her own life. The grief will never go away but she finds a way to make it easier to hold. “Memorial Days” is a tribute to her late husband, as well as a testament to her own strength as a woman and a writer. As for my nurse, Patrick, we will miss you and you will never be forgotten. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed To Get Old by Brooke Shields

I think this is one of the greatest titles ever of a memoir. It says so much in such a sassy, ironic yet accurate way. How can we as a society, who treasures youth and fitness above all, allow an iconic child model and actress, and now super star, to age gracefully. That is the point of the memoir, growing old is difficult for everyone, especially someone who is in the public eye. The book provides not only humor, but also some realness into the life of Shields as an actress, mother, wife, businesswoman, and public figure. We see her fighting with her daughter over designer clothing, discussing sex as a 50-something-year-old, and even waking up to Bradley Cooper's face in an ambulance after she had a seizure. She is one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood, but you get the sense, after reading this book, that she does not take herself as seriously as everyone else does. "Brooke Shields is Not Allowed To Get Old" is a fast-paced fun read that not only gives us a glimpse into her life, but the life of so many mothers juggling careers, with kids at college, and a decades-long-and-successful marriage. She is now 59 years old and I would say, "Bravo, Brooke. Keep up the good work." To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld

In high school and college, we are routinely assigned short story collections to read. However, adulthood does not come with similar assignments. Far too may short story collections go unread in favor of soapier romances or more complicated historical fiction books with a movie deal. So here is a shout out to a new short story collection from novelist Curtis Sittenfeld. "Show Don't Tell" centers around the themes of marriage, family, relationships and all of the messiness associated with middle age. Take the cast of "Thirtysomething" and age them 25 years, and this cast will come to life. The characters are extremely relatable, and yes many went to prep school. If you don't know the person directly, you probably met her or him at your last college reunion. These people are either us right now, us yesterday, or us tomorrow. In the capable hands of writer Sittenfeld, we want to follow them anywhere just to see where they will end up. Smart, funny, well-educated and complicated is how the stories in "Show Don't Tell" paint portraits of our aging selves. We try to raise our children, take care of our parents and strive for love, sex and happiness in the middle of it all. This is a highly entertaining collection of short stories written by one of the best and the brightest of her generation. Here's to reading more shorty story collections this summer on the beach. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism

Oh my goodness. This is everything I want in a memoir. Money. Drama. Secrets. Lies. Weirdness on private jets and more! Lawyer Sarah Wynn-Williams, originally from New Zealand, lands her dream job in 2011 when she is hired to work in global policy and government relations at the rising social media company Facebook (now Meta). In the beginning, she believed Facebook was going to change the world for the better, socially and politically. Almost immediately Wynn-Williams begins working closely with Mark Zuckerberg, and later, Sheryl Sandberg. While working for Facebook she also gave birth to two children, but the stresses of her job and parenting seemed to mix like oil and water. The culture at Facebook demanded she have no outside life at all. She worked for the company until she was terminated in 2017 after a series of cringe-worthy misogynistic experiences and personal humiliations. In one of her lowest moments in the company, she is scolded during a performance review for not being fully available to the staff when she was not only on maternity leave, but also literally in a coma. From meeting with world leaders to gifts of sexy lingerie from her boss, Careless People is an insider's sneak peek into how a social media platform became one of the most powerful empires in the world. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety by Jimmy Carter

My friend Bob from Northwestern told me to read this book, and I do not take recommendations from friends lightly. I see them as marching orders. He said this was riveting and he couldn’t put it down, and I found it the same way. “A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety” was written by our 39th president as he looked back on a life well lived. Jimmy Carter died in December of last year at the age of 100, passing after his beloved wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in 2023. His four short years in The White House from 1977 to 1981 were significant but truly just a small portion of what his life was all about. This book explores his second and third acts, as well as his young life in the Navy and as a peanut farmer. Who knew about his career in the Navy as a submarine lieutenant who nearly lost his life twice? He writes about the influence his parents had on his life in rural Georgia, and how his marriage to Rosalynn became a true partnership that included incredible humanitarian efforts. After those four years in the White House, Carter was just 43 years old when he walked out having been defeated by Ronald Reagan. Carter had 57 years left to live, and that marks the longest retirement of any U.S. presidents to date. He did not spend those years watching television or playing golf. He dedicated his life to public service, and the establishment of the Carter Center in Atlanta which promotes human rights. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, and traveled around the world advocating for peace, the eradication of disease, as well as affordable housing with Habitat for Humanity. He is the only president who has ever lived to be 100 years old, and by all accounts he used his time wisely working long hours to help others. “A Full Life” describes a wonderful and admirable life indeed. Thank you, Mr. President for your service. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

How To Read A Book by Monica Wood

This is a book that seems to be on everyone's list lately, and I couldn't wait to dive in. A book about the power of books and second chances? Count me in. The novel follows Violet Powell, a 22-year-old who is released from prison after serving less than two years for a drunk-driving accident that killed a local Kindergarten teacher. While incarcerated, Violet was part of a prison book group guided by former English teacher Harriet Larson. To help Violet make the transition back into the world following her release, Harriet befriends her. When the two women cross paths at a local bookstore with Frank Daigle, a retired machinist, the story takes an even odder turn. Set in Abbott Falls, Maine, this is a story about how books can help heal people and, in their own way, strangers can heel each other as well. There is something so charming about this book that I didn't want it to end. When Violet gets a job working in a research lab with talking parrots, the feathered friends become part of the narrative, too. Violet's journey to getting her life back on track is inspiring, especially when it is encouraged by new friends like Harriet and Frank. You just want to praise them all for finding such kindness in this complicated, messy world. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Meant To By by Emily Giffin

I don't think I will ever run across a picture of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and not pause.Their love story is so well documented but that does not take away at least for me the fairy tale nature of their romance. Their courtship whipped paparazzi into a frenzy long before the Kardashians and Hailey and Justin Bieber were on the scene. They were American royalty, and their tragic death in that plane crash, along with her sister Lauren, is something I will never forget. But what if an author could bring them back to life, if only for a book. What if their story took a different path then the one we all are familiar with. "Meant To Be" is a work of fiction loosely based on the Kennedy love story but this time through the eyes of Joseph S. Kingsley III and Cate Cooper. Emily Giffin, a very prolific author who publishes a new book every two years, tells this story alternating between Joe and Cate's point of view. Joe's privileged upbringing is contrasted to Cate's more modest, single parent childhood. His life was expected to be one of achievements and victories, while not much was excepted nor anticipated from her. However, when she discovers modeling, doors begin to open for her. She meets Joe, who is on his own journey to create an identity for himself, separate from his affiliation with his famous mother and father. The fact that she had a posted of him in her childhood bedroom raises some red flags for him. But they are drawn to each other from the beginning. But can their love survive the press and the secrets from her past? "Meant To Be" is a charming romance and gives us a glimpse into the passion and the obstacles of the real life John and Carolyn. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

I have to be honest, this book made me very anxious. It made me want to crawl into my bed with a bag of corn Doritos and watch "All My Children." But sadly, the shows of my youth and my favorite salty snack are no longer available. Now we have smartphones and the internet, for good and for bad. "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt is a deep-dive into how smartphones, social media, and big tech have ruined the mental health of our children. Gone are the days of children riding their bikes and playing outside because they are now too busy inside making content for Tik Tok. The author outlines how the abundance of technology has caused our children to suffer from depression, anxiety, self-harm, as well as suicide. He makes a strong case explaining how this happened and also advocates for how to bring about change for the future generations of children to come. He says that the only solution is to protect our kids from a smartphone/technology based life. While I found this book educational, I also found it very myopic, failing to praise the benefits of technology. Where would my daughter Lily, who is disabled, be without her iPad? She would not be able to stay home alone, and thus not be able to experience true independence. She would not be able to stay in touch with friends nor relatives in other states. And she would not be able to be supported by a community of people who believe in her strength and faith. The iPad for her has been life changing. So "The Anxious Generation" is a book to read, and also a book to discuss and debate as well. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Connie: A Memoir by Connie Chung

When I was young, there were not many female role models in the world of television journalism. Only three who stand out to me: Barbara Walters, Jane Pauley and Connie Chung. In a field plagued by not only misogyny but also overt racism, Chung became a trailblazer by being the first Asian woman to host the evening news on CBS. "Connie: A Memoir" is a witty, intelligent, deep dive into one of the true icons of network news. She is the youngest of 10 children, and the only one born in the United States. The others were born in China, where the only three boys in the family died young. Her parents put incredible pressure on her not only to succeed, but to succeed financially to support their own lifestyle. She was a hard worker but also an ambitious one. Despite being passed over by various men including Dan Rather, she never gave up or doubted her own worth. She just moved on, determined to play in a field dominated by white anchormen. Along the way she helped and encouraged other women, and became the inspiration for hundreds of Asian women across the nation who were named Connie in her honor. Her life behind the camera is equally interesting and includes insight into her long-time marriage to television personality Maury Povich, as well as their two daughters and one son. This book is not only a well-written memoir but also a historical analysis of the broadcasting business over the last five decades. Well done, Connie Chung. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Live Fast by Brigitte Giraud

“We tell ourselves stories in order to live,” said one of my favorite authors, Joan Didion. It is a quote that so often is associated with not only Didion but also grief and loss. I thought about this quote as I was listening to Brigitte Giraud’s beautifully crafted novel “Live Fast.” Now this novel is not a pure work of fiction, rather is it based on an event that happened to Brigitte in 1999 in France. Her partner Claude crashed in a motorcycle accident on his way to pick up their son from school. He was just 41 years old, and the motorcycle did not belong to him. It was left in their garage by Brigitte’s brother for safe keeping as he went on vacation. In “Live Fast,” Giraud combs over the series of events that lead to the unlikely accident. Like a detective examining a crime, she goes over Claude’s workday as a music librarian, from the moment she found out he died, and through the type of Honda Fireblade motorcycle and its history of accidents. Heart-breaking, analytical, poignant and precise, the novel is clearly a therapeutic way for Giraud to work on her own grief, still fresh some 26 years later. What I loved most about this book was how matter-of-fact it was. There is no sugar coating the details of Claude’s life. There is only a retelling of the details of his accident. People come and go, and some die tragically. Claude’s body died, however, within the pages of Giraud’s book he will never be forgotten. His story, his life, and her love for him live on every time someone reads her book. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

A Great Marriage by Frances Mayes

I am having a Frances Mayes renaissance. Best known for her book "Under the Tuscan Sun," I recently picked up her book, "A Great Marriage," which was published in 2024. With my beloved San Rafael library under construction, I had to hike into the temporary location on 4th Street to pick up this treasure. I had just finished this book when my friend, Nick, coincidentally gifted me a bottle of Mayes signature olive oil and then sent along her recipe collection, "The Tuscan Sun Cookbook." So, all signs are now pointing me toward Frances Mayes, and I'm loving her. The novel "A Great Marriage" was an excellent page turner. When Dara and Austin call off their wedding in North Carolina just days before the nuptials are to take place, everyone is confused. When Dara fleas to California and Austin returns to his family in London, everyone is disappointed. They were the perfect couple, who had a bright future together until a woman from Austin's past returns. Dara is sent reeling and Austin is heartbroken. They cannot bear to be in the same room together, and face what could have been. What I loved about this book was the characters and their ability to adjust to the situation. Life is messy, and it so often does not turn out how we planned it. But those that survive it, with grace and flexibility, are often those who can hang on to true love. Follow the author @francesmayes on Instagram To buy this book on Amazon click here.

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida, translated by E. Madison Shimoda

I love anything Japanese. From clothing and food, to stationery and fashion, I just gravitate to anything that even has the hint of Asian flair. I love the country's organization, tradition, spirituality, and pageantry. So, when I saw this book, "We'll Prescribe You a Cat," I could not wait to dive, because it reminded me of a cat I once had named Tousle. When I met her, I was very reluctant, but the more I got to know her the more she changed my life. My suspicion of her was soon replaced by a very close relationship. In this book, the cat story starts in Japan. Tucked away on the fifth floor of an old building in Kyoto, is the Nakagyo Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. It is a place that draws people struggling with their jobs, their families, or their lives in general. Each patient, from a child to a geisha, is prescribed a cat to help cure what ails them. The cat then showers medicinal properties upon its owner, and turns the person's life around. The power of the human-animal bond is celebrated and provides a transformative experience for all who are willing to take a chance on hope. A bestselling book in Japan, this book is just what the doctor ordered. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel by Robin Sloan

When Jeff and I were in Buenos Aires in December, we went to a bookstore called El Ateneo Grand Splendid. Set inside an old theatre, the array of books is stunning, and on multiple levels with floor to ceiling books everywhere. I loved this store so much it almost made me cry. I didn’t want to leave, and I wish I had something like it in San Francisco. It was like my beloved Green Apple Books on steroids. In 2019, El Ateneo Grand Splendid was named the “world’s most beautiful bookstore” by National Geographic. I fall hard for a good bookstore, and even more for a novel set in a bookstore. “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour Bookstore” was written by one of my favorite authors, Robin Sloan. He wrote the book “Sourdough,” set in San Francisco, but before that he wrote this book also set in our city. His hero Clay gets a job at a hole-in-the-wall bookstore, where he sees customers enter, but leave without buying anything. He notices some of them check out books from mysterious corners of the store. Clay begins to track the patterns of the customers, and the mysterious happenings within Mr. Penumbra’s shop. Part mystery and part fantasy, this is a wonderful read. My only wish is that Robin Sloan would write more frequently. I love his books and cannot wait to read more of them. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke

I remember the day a few years ago when I got my new driver’s license. There was a small blue sticker included in the envelope, and if you put this stick on your driver’s license it identifies you as an organ donor. Without hesitation, I put the sticker on my license and proudly put it in my wallet. If my organs can no longer serve my body, I would consider it an honor and a privilege to donate them to another, or better yet a few different people. This is the territory of “The Story of a Heart” by Dr. Rachel Clarke, which my friend Page, who lives in London told me about. Clarke chronicles a real-life heart donation between two nine-year olds, Keira and Max, at the Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Cambridge, England. The story starts when Keira is in a horrific car accident with her mother and brother. All three are taken to different hospitals, and the prognosis for all three is grim. Keira sustained the most serious injuries. Keira’s dad and three sisters, not involved in the accident, rush to the hospital to Keira’s bedside. Her sisters cheerfully hug her, comb her hair and call her by her nickname “Bob.” However, despite showering Keira with love, it is clear she is not going to survive. She is placed on life support, with no hope of recovery. The hospital’s team approaches her dad with the idea of organ donation, and without much hesitation he and her sisters agree this is something Keira would want. All three showed such clarity, ultimate charity, and such awareness and maturity. It is beautiful. Immediately the transplant team go to their list of patients needing Keira’s heart and other organs. A boy named Max is then moved to the top of the list because of his age and chronically fragile heart. We meet the transplant team, see the parents of both children, and follow along with the ultimately successful organ transplant of Keira’s heart into Max’s body. Along the way the author also conveys fascinating information on the history of organ donation, which has come a long way. “The Story of a Heart” is a beautiful book and an important book. It demonstrates how tragedy can be transformed into hope and promise, even in the middle of great loss. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

From Under the Truck by Josh Brolin

Anyone who knows me well, knows that one of the things that made me anxious as a child was doing cameos in my dad’s TV shows and movies. I didn’t like being in front of the camera because then I was no longer his daughter, but rather one of his actors. Regardless, he insisted I appear in each one of his projects, because he wanted me to see what he did for a living. The complicated life of being the child of a Hollywood persona is the territory of Josh Brolin’s new memoir, “Under the Truck.” As the son of actor James Brolin, Josh spent his childhood not with his dad but rather with his mother. While his dad was making television shows like “Marcus Welby M.D,.” Josh was on a ranch in Paso Robles where he had little exposure to his famous father’s acting career. Through high school, Josh lived with this brother, James, and mother, Jane Agee Brolin. His mother was a drinker, and he explains she turned him into her drinking buddy when he was just 8 years old. His unconventional childhood came to a crashing end when his mother died young, and he opted out of the life on the ranch and pursued an acting career. An early stint in “Goonies” brought him into the limelight. He later became a familiar face in movies such as “No Country for Old Men,” “W.,” “Milk” “Wall Street,” “Labor Day,” and “Dune.” His memoir travels back and forth in time between his childhood, and present day, as he explores not only his mother’s hold on him, but also his complicated feelings about Hollywood, love, drug and alcohol addition, loyalty, and parenthood. Now the father of four children, Brolin credits becoming a dad with helping him comes to terms with his own tattered childhood. And he seems to be friends now with his own father, James and wife Barbra Steisand. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

“The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden

I loaded a few books on my tablet for Phish Mexico last month, but I could not help myself from bringing one paperback book. If my tablet runs out of power, and I am stuck with nothing to read, it would be one of my biggest fears. So, after picking up “The Housemaid” at my local library, it fit easily into my backpack. As many of you know, I don’t normally read scary books but this one interested me. Later this year it will be released as a movie starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried. The book is a page turner, to say the least. While other women on the beach in Cancun were trading copies of different Elin Hilderbrand books, I was shrieking out loud over “The Housemaid.” Set in Long Island, the book follows a young woman, recently released from prison, who goes to work as a maid/nanny at the home of a upwardly-mobile couple with one young daughter. When the maid, Millie Calloway, is hired to work for Nina and Andrew Winchester, she thinks her life is finally starting to turn around. She sees the position as a fresh start and way to rebuild her life. However, from the beginning something is off about the Winchester house, including Nina’s room upstairs that has a lock on the outside of the door. As handsome Andrew dashes off to work each morning. Millee is left to fend for herself against the erratic, Nina and her doll-like daughter, Cece. As this was my first McFadden book, I was beyond impressed how she took the reader down a well-crafted odyssey with unreliable narrators at seemingly every turn. Whether you are traveling soon to a desert island, or just want to read a good book under your weighted blanket, “The Housemaid” is one that will leave you saying, “What the heck is happening now?” And apparently, we can follow Millee again in McFadden’s next book “The Housemaid’s Secret.” To buy this book on Amazon click here.

The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins

Recently my husband and I went to see Phish in Cancun, Mexico. On the third night, I agreed to make Jeff very happy by going in very close to stage. To get one of these coveted spots, we had to get to the venue and grab our small plot of sand 90 minutes before the show. What I love about this plan, was that you get to meet interesting people while waiting, and you have plenty of time to talk. We met this couple from Alabama and the wife asked me to take a picture with her husband, as it was her 40th birthday. She was a little tipsy and as I was handing her back her phone she said, “Let Them.” I said, “Excuse me?” She said, “The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins. It is life changing! My mom and I both thought so.” I guess in the middle of a Phish show, I stuck out as a 61-year-old book lover, and I’m proud of it. She was not offering me a hit from a joint, or shot of tequila. She was offering me a book title! The irony is that I had already downloaded the book on my tablet to read by my favorite infinity pool across from Joe’s Deck restaurant at Moon Palace. I’m here to say the book is life-changing just as my Phish friend from Alabama suggested. Smart, innovative and really wise, this book is like no other self-help book I have ever read. The reason it stands out is that Robbins gives messy, uncomfortable and even cringe-worthy examples from her own life, and the lives of her friends and family, to make her points. And that is why this material is resonating with so many people. This book is honest because in a world of successful, slender, wealthy beautiful people, life is messy and out of our control. Robbins herself was once out of work and $800,000 in debt, while her husband’s career was tanking, too. But she found a way to make her plight serve her. She has written other books promoting her brand, but this book is perhaps a winner because it taps into the heart of people who are both winning and losing. Are you happy? Let them envy you and help them. Are you unhappy? Fine a way to make them let you back in. Do you want to be more driven? Let them be your source of inspiration. Are you down on your luck and need a lift up? Fine a way to let them lift you up. Stop worrying about what other people think, and forge your own path triumphantly. So many podcasters, authors and self-help mentors start out interesting at first, and dim over time. But I am here to tell you that Mel Robbin’s star is rising, and if you want to read a book that will shake up your life, read “The Let Them Theory.” To buy this book on Amazon click here

Cher: A Memoir Part One

If you are reading this, I am sitting on a chaise lounge in Cancun, getting ready to see a Phish show at Moon Palace. This is my umpteenth Phish show with Jeff. I stopped counting after I could recite the lyrics to “Bath Tub Gin,” “Farmhouse,” and “Simple.” We never intended to follow Phish to Mexico every year, but it has become a tradition because we like seeing live music together, especially at the beach. One of my first exposures to live music was watching the “Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour” which ran from 1971-1974. I loved that show so much. It was not just the music, guest stars and costumes, but the banter between Sonny and Cher that made the show so magical. They were sassy and irreverent, and just looked so cool together. Last week I finished all 16 hours of “Cher: The Memoir Part One” on audiobook. It was as exciting as Barbra Steisand’s memoir of 2024. Cher met Sonny when she was just a teenager. But the time she was 21 years old, she had had three miscarriages. Sonny was part husband and protector, but also part manipulator and psychological abuser. The book chronicles their early days making music that riveled the Beatles on the record charts, through their television series, and into their messy divorce. The fact she achieved her freedom from Sonny only to run into the arms of heroin addict Gregg Allman, is another sad misstep on the road to becoming Cher. But the one thing about Cher that holds true throughout the book is that she does not give up. When bad things happen, she does not wallow in them. She picks herself up, puts on her best Bob Mackie dress with sequins, and gets back on stage, as she should. Cher is a legend, and this book gives a wonderful insight into what it was like to be her during her years in television and married to Sonny. The book ends on the eve of her movie career, when she runs across old friend Francis Ford Coppola. Acting was a dream Cher had been keeping secret for a long time, and no doubt Part Two will follow her shining star onto the big screen. I can’t wait for Part Two. To buy this book on Amazon click here.