Information Vacation

Is reading something you don't have to think about "lazy reading"?  Is it a sign that you are losing your ability to concentrate?  Are you afraid that you've reached a point where you can no longer absorb new information or learn something new?  In today's media immediacy,  we are under a constant barrage of information.  Somehow we are supposed to juggle this with the ever-changing technology that has been billed as easier to use and more efficient.  Our brains are overloaded.  Sometimes we need an information vacation.
Some readers describe these books as "beach reads".  Others (reading snobs) refer to them as "mindless drivel".  Many people will say that they don't care what you're reading as long as you're reading something.  No matter what you may think about books that do not require too much thought, they are obviously a necessary commodity in today's world.  If they weren't, authors like Nora Roberts and Danielle Steel would no longer be in business.
Nora Roberts has written over 200 books.  She veers back and forth between  romance and romantic suspense.  Her romances are often set up as trilogies (or quartets) which focus on a family or a group of friends.  Many readers of romance enjoy meeting a core group of characters in the first book and then following each of them through their own happy ending.  Naturally, the happy ending is what keeps the romance readers coming back.
Jude Deveraux has written several engaging series of historical romances.  Recently she has been writing contemporary romances that tie in with a few of her older romance series.  This has sent more than one romance reader back the book archives so that they can experience the complete back story.  Mary Balogh, Julia Quinn and Johanna Lindsey have also started series with a core family group and then branched out and created additional series through friends and distant relatives who make brief appearances in the original series.  Lynsay Sands writes historical romances with humorous language and situations.  She also has the long running Aregneau vampire series which are paranormal romances that don't take themselves too seriously (no teen angst here folks).
There is nothing wrong or embarrassing about taking a break from "serious" reading and cracking open something light and refreshing.  Try a contemporary romance that's not too spicy like Kristan Higgins, Robyn Carr or Susan Wiggs.  Not all romances are just about physical relationships.  There are many authors in this genre who take the time to build an appealing setting, create characters that readers can relate to, and develop a believable relationship.  The list of authors is endless but there are many resources like all romance writers that can help you find your next relaxing read.  These stories can provide the brain relief from the constant pressure of today's "infomania" and allow the reader to relax anywhere.  Or as Phil of Duck Dynasty fame would say, they'll make you "happy, happy, happy".

Thanks for the Memories, Carol

The quality of the Carol Burnett show was such that it routinely brought families together for a shared belly-laugh.  One of the things viewers eagerly anticipated was the almost inevitable crack up of Harvey Korman (usually due to the antics of Tim Conway) during a skit.  On rare occasions, Carol herself would be unable to contain her reaction to their antics.  The PBS show, Pioneers of Television, gives insight into the show and the many talents of its cast.  Of all of the Funny Ladies listed, Carol continues to be an all-time favorite.
As was often seen on the show, Carol is an incredibly generous person.  She never demanded nor received all of the funniest lines.  She often played the "straight man" to the other talents on the show.  She built a lasting rapport with her audience due to the unique format of her show.  She could be funny, she could be dramatic, and she could sing with the best of them.
Carol has never been secretive about her childhood or family background.  In her memoir One More Time, she simply tells the facts as she remembers them.  It is important to her that people understand that despite the poverty and lengthy absences of her parents, she always felt loved.  This is a tribute to her grandmother "Nanny" (the person for whom her end of show ear tug was meant) and her great-grandmother "Goggy".  Eventually, Carol and her beloved "Nanny" moved from San Antonio, TX out to Hollywood, CA to be with Carol's mother.  Carol lived with her grandmother in a one bedroom apartment while her mother lived in another one in the same building.  This living situation caused Carol's bond with "Nanny" to become even stronger.  Her memoir goes on to chronicle her adolescence, college years, and breaking into show business.  The purpose of her writing about her life was not to boast about her rags to riches story.  It was a gift to her daughters.  This gift became a joint mother-daughter project when Carol and her daughter Carrie collaborated on the play Hollywood Arms which is based on the memoir.
Carol's generosity continues to shines brightly in This Time Together.  Here Carol reflects on her life in show business, the variety show and the multitude of talented people that she worked with through the years.  Carol remembers the years of breaking into the business and the people who helped her with fondness.  Her self-deprecating humor shines through as she describes the many talented people who worked with her on her variety show.  She even manages to make her firing (and rehiring) of Harvey Korman into a humorous vignette.
In Carol's latest book she highlights the relationship that she enjoyed with her oldest daughter, Carrie.  She fondly recalls Carrie's childhood then moves on to the terrible years when her daughter was entangled in drugs.  Here again, her focus is not on the tragedy but on Carrie's triumph as she struggles with her addiction and then moves on to attend college and forge a life for herself.  This life included success on the stage, television, and movies.  Carrie and Carol's relationship developed into a strong, loving, collaborative bond which is clearly seen in the joint emails and reflections that Carol shares with the reader.
Carrie requested that her mother finish the story that she was working on at the time of her cancer diagnosis.  Here again, Carol's generous spirit pulls through.  Though it took her several years to finish the project, she did indeed fulfill Carrie's wishes.  The story at the end of Carrie and Me becomes the epilogue of a full, rich life that ended too quickly.  Reading this book, the reader reflects that the precious relationship of Carol and Carrie is the very relationship that every parent and child would wish to have.
Don't remember the show?  Visit WENT WITH THE WIND PART 2 for a refresher of Carol's comedic genius.  It's not just the dress, everyone gets in on the fun.