Moulin Rouge

Saturday, July 12, Frank and I went to see the musical Moulin Rouge at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. The first half was very colorful and lively but I was so glad we had researched it beforehand to know what was going on. 

We are season ticket holders, but had a new experience this time. Frank was feeling a bit ill, so we did not return to the theatre after intermission. Instead we watched the show from a big screen in the lobby. This set up is for people who are not allowed to return to their seats if they are late and also for ushers to watch and get their cues for actions they must take. True, the situation was not as good as being in the live theater, but it did have several perks. We had more room, comfortable soft seats, and we could eat while watching. Also, it was interesting to observe the behind-the-scenes responsibilities of the ushers. As the saying goes, "If life give you lemons, make lemonade." 

Attending these events has become routine for us. We have this parking spot pre-purchase-on-your-cell phone system in place now, so the stress has gone from the "Where do we leave the car?" scenario. FYI, Frank recovered sufficiently that the drive home was uneventful. 

Ponder: Great Big Beautiful Life

Great Big Beautiful Life ©2025 is by Emily Henry, a New York Times best selling author. The novel was also a recommended selection from Reese's Book Club, which usually aligns with my reading tastes. Amazon readers rated this book 4.3 out of 5 stars. I read this book while on a trip and it was engaging enough to keep me drawn in, despite travel distractions. The overview presented on the front flap of the book cover is:

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century. 

Despite all the preceding accolades, I rate this book only three stars. Following are my misgivings about this novel that led to my somewhat average rating.

The interactions between Alice and Hayden are first amusing and later unbelievable. Initially jealously eying each other as competition for a juicy job, they grow to admire and appreciate each other's skills. Then they appreciate each other sexually - sort of - but not really - but, then again maybe - but perhaps, maybe not - really? - is that it?...

The early background of both Alice and Hayden is alluded to but never explained fully. Alice has/had an ill younger sister but the medical cause is never fully revealed. It is hinted that Hayden has a mother who possibly suffered from depression but hid it well. Perhaps these aspects of each of their lives were presented to give causality for each's actions and hesitancies. Yet I felt they were loose ends the novel never fully addressed.
 
The family background of Margaret Ives is convoluted, complicated, and hard to follow. Alice herself admits in Chapter 15.

"Right." It's going to be tricky keeping all of this straight. The book will need a family tree up front, with dates, for easy reference. "So, Frederick is1904, Francine is 1905, and then  Ruth Allen is born in secret in..." I check my notes. "Nineteen twenty-eight or twenty-nine?"

But once I could beat down my obsessive compulsive side that needs to understand all, I could let go and enjoy the story without absorbing the familial details. Future readers, your grasp of the family history is not critical for reading enjoyment. Learn to let go earlier on than I did.

The big reveal was a so-what for me. Not to reveal any spoilers here, but the climax was just a hillock in the foothills and not a mountain peak that had been summited. I was disappointed with the ending.

I will admit, that despite the challenging environment traveling often presents for reading, I was eager to soldier on and finish the book. Nevertheless, I rate Great Big Beautiful Life three stars.

★★★☆☆ Better than average; not a waste of time

Ponder: Just for the Summer

The premise of Just for the Summer ©2024 by Abby Jimenez follows the philosophy of opening a jar of pickles. The first person ties with all his strength, unsuccessfully, to open the jar. The next person who tries, twists if off easily. So it seems to be with Justin and Emma. Every person each of them dates, once they breakup, finds his/her true love with the next relationship. So here is a thought... What if Emma and Justin date each other? Then each is sure to find true love with the next person after they break up with each other.

Emma is a traveling nurse, staying only for short periods at each assignment. This arrangement suits her fine. As a child, she had a mother who would periodically abandon her for long periods of time and consequently she had learned to not count on people. Justin is a techy type guy and wants to recapture the conditions that have prevailed when each of them broke up with a former boyfriend/girlfriend. His spreadsheets of data to replicate situations — how many dates, type of kissing, favored activities, meal preferences — are amusing. The trouble is, he starts to fall for Emma and does not want to conclude the dating plan because it might end in them splitting up. Justin has commitments to his younger siblings that do not leave him unfettered to follow Emma in her shifting job locations. She can't stay; he can't go; hence the dilemma.

A fun twist to the plot is that Emma is staying on an island during this present assignment; access to and from it is limited to transport by a rickety pontoon boat. Each date is carefully planned and timed — and often thwarted. As the final date nears completion, Justin stalls and does not want to fulfill the agreed-upon-terms to end their relationship. This book. although enjoyable, did not appeal to me as much as a previous book I read by this author, Say You'll Remember Me, reviewed in my blog post for 7/14/25. Just for the Summer had more comedic situations that made me smile, but it dragged a bit for me in the middle. I cared about Emma and Justin. I just wanted them to get on with it already!

★★★☆☆ Better than average; not a waste of time

Ponder: Say You'll Remember Me

Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez ©2025 is a romantic comedy but it is not frivolous. I rate it four stars. The tension does not come from the guy being a chauvinistic pig nor from the woman being a belligerent women's libber.  The conflict arises from other stresses that accompany more serious issues. The author Abby Jimenez alerts the reader to this situation with an Author's Note at the beginning of the book.

Xavier is a vet who is working hard to establish his own private vet practice, with its associated long working hours and the financial debts inherent with a startup. He is self-made, having come from an abusive childhood. He lives and works in Minnesota. Samantha, as a social media manager, is a whiz at internet advertising slogans and campaigns. (Her clever ads for Murkle's Mustard kept me chuckling.) She has a mother in California who is suffering from late stage dementia. The family has promised her that she will live out her days at home. Samantha intends to relocate out of state, rearranging her life to assist her family in her mother's care.

Xavier and Samantha swiftly develop deep feelings for each other after just one, looong, date that both of them are reluctant to see come to an end. They are kept apart, not by foolishness, but rather by a sense of loyalty, unselfishness, and duty. The logistics to stay together are mind-bogglingly difficult to negotiate. At their parting for Samantha to move to California, she begs Xavier to forget her since long distance relationships rarely work out. But, alas, these two soul mates are relentlessly drawn to each other.

This was an engaging read for me which I thoroughly enjoyed and read over two days. (I started it late one evening otherwise I think I would have read it all in one sitting.) Romance novels are meant to be light reading; they are great to intersperse with more literary rated genres which can be harder reads. Indeed, some of the background topics of this book were serious but they did not drag down the overall tone. The back stories were as interesting as the romantic relationship. Say You'll Remember Me had enough angst to keep me reading but also had an abundance of magnetic motives that were refreshing above and beyond being merely sexual. Here is a review of this book from bookishelf which pretty much echoes my opinion but with more detail.  Can the title Say You'll Remember Me possible tie back to the dementia undercurrent? Ah... another small detail that made me like this book!

★★★★☆ Really good; maybe only one weak aspect or limited audience