What’s it all about, Toby Fleishman?

Lynda Davis
September 12, 2019
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Who wouldn't want to be married to Dr. Toby Fleishman? He's a successful hepatologist (liver specialist) whose only shortcoming is . . . well . . . he's short (5 feet 5 inches to be precise). The answer is . . . his wife Rachel, who had such a problem being married to him, she went off the deep end and walked out. Apparently, being married to a successful doctor who doesn't cheat and loves his children isn't enough for Rachel. In Taffy Brodesser-Akner's new (and first) novel Fleishman…

2019 Super Bowl vindicates this non-fan of football

Lynda Davis
February 4, 2019
3 Comments

Let me be absolutely clear right up front; I have zero interest in and no knowledge or understanding of football. In my opinion it's a violent, concussion-inducing game right up there with cage fighting. Any time I've tried to watch a game I'm bored to tears within four minutes watching overpaid fat guys run a few yards and fall down, or more often, get knocked down—then, get up, only to run and fall down again. I can think of four hundred things I'd rather be doing with my time than…

Fannie Flagg is more than Fried Green Tomatoes

Lynda Davis
January 26, 2019
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Most boomer gals loved the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. In fact, many of us have watched it several times since its original release in theatres in 1991 (Yikes—nearly thirty years ago!). With stars that included Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts, Sally Field and the wonderful Kathy Bates, the movie was a screen adaptation of an original book by Fannie Flagg. It was based on a real-life railroad whistle stop restaurant owned by her late aunt. Until a couple of weeks ago I didn't realize Ms. Flagg had written several other books…

What’s up in men’s underwear?

Lynda Davis
January 10, 2019
4 Comments

Have you taken a close look at men's underwear lately, other than what turns up in your weekly laundry? I had occasion to peruse the men's lingerie section of a major department store the other day and I can't tell you how much fun it was. The names the marketing people come up with to describe men's skivvies are just too hilarious. They surely deserve a Nobel Prize for creative fiction. The brand names are all riffs on size, power and even calibre! Check these out: Magnum Big Eagle Champion…

Anna Porter’s memoir is a gift to Canadian readers

Lynda Davis
November 19, 2018
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If you're a lover of Canadian literature, then you're in for a treat. Anna Porter, author of In Other Words, How I Fell in Love with Canada One Book at a Time, is an author and former publisher extraordinaire with a pedigree spanning decades in the book business. I first became aware of her in the early seventies when she was profiled in Canadian magazines and newspapers as someone to keep an eye on. As a baby boomer and working mother of two young girls Anna Porter moved in the…

Just don’t ask me to bring hors d’oeuvres

Lynda Davis
March 12, 2018
2 Comments

You're having a pot luck? Great. What can I bring? Dessert? Salad? Veg? NOOOOO! Not an hors d'oeuvre! That's the one thing I hate to do most in the world—right up there with washing the inside of my kitchen cupboards. Even worse, because it requires planning, specialty shopping, fiddling and figuring out how to keep everything fresh/crisp/moist/whatever. And my creations are never as fresh/crisp/moist or as visually appealing as what everyone else in the world can do so much better. It's like the time my coworker tore apart and rewrapped…