12 February 2010

my valentine to nora ephron

first, a note. (this post is a wordy one.) i must admit i sometimes hesitate to rave enthusiastically about something i really like. i think twice about posting my true feelings of newfound love in fear you'll try it too and for some strange reason bitterly disagree with me and wonder what was she thinking? and then decide we can't be friends at all. which is never a good thing. but if your friends can't tell you the truth than who can? doubt must be tromped upon. so i will continue praising my latest discoveries; good books, dvd rentals, recipes and lipstick shades in hopes of your continued indulgences. of course, it's okay to agree to disagree with me. but please know that this is my blog and i will rave if i want to. thank you.



i just dropped nora ephron off at the library.
it was a really sad goodbye. hugs and sobs.

i just finished her book, i feel bad about my neck. (i am four years late in reading this, but still, i really really loved it.) it being the type of book you don't want to end. it being the type of book you call your mother about. (mine had already read it, of course.) it being the type of book that makes you think. it being the type of book that makes you want to write a book report about it and send it to the author, signed with love. it being the type of book that makes you want to write a book yourself. i love books like that. nora weaves life into stories so perfectly. i would tell you to read this book but instead i'm going to urge you to listen to it like i did. (i realize now i do indeed need an actual copy of the book to colorfully underline, quote from, refer to and lend out.) still, hearing nora ephron read her own unabridged words is like picking your girlfriend up from the airport. why a famous writer, producer, director new york gal would be visiting me in idaho, i don't know. just sit back and listen to her amusing life stories and in short, become best friends forever.

it's really nice to drive around with nora amidst the usual goings-on of normal life. she will wait for you while you run into wal-mart. she will notice your new shoes and make fun of your pathetic excuse for a ponytail. she'll treat you to an egg mcmuffin and laugh about the bumper sticker in front of you. it'll remind her of a funny story. she is full of funny stories that will make you laugh. you'll forget your ho-hum ordinary life while listening to hers.

this book, while seemingly written for aging women to commiserate about the joys of getting older, is still completely enjoyable for a woman of a younger generation. number one, she talks all about new york city, about living there and loving it and justifying big purchases, like monthly rent. number two, she reminds you that–famous or not so much famous–we're all in the same boat. we all laugh about the same things and think about the same things and complain about the same things and care about the same things. number three, she talks about cooking so much so you will want to tie one on and make something very gourmet. i love her descriptions of her cooking styles throughout the years. number four, she quotes when harry met sally. enough said. number five, fyi. she is the very iconic figure who wrote harry met sally, among other fabulous movies, so you already love her. you already have soo much in common. you already have so much you want to tell her. you two practically have a secret bff handshake in the works.

number six, while completely lovable, nora is sarcastic, witty, and whiny, which makes her genuinely charming and just like your real life friends. number seven, the way she describes real life is downright dead on. that thing about emery boards, yes ma'am. and rapture with books, amen. you can totally relate to her, even if your life is completely non-parallel to her glamorous one. how can someone so famous and fabulous be so normal? this is why nora is so perfectly fun. number eight, she talks about her marriages, the kennedy era, her hatred for carrying a purse, her various jobs, her desk (with a waste basket built into it), and being addicted to the internet. i love the part wherein she calls herself a mouse potato. yes, yes, i nod. i too am a mouse potato. and if you are reading this online, than you are probably one too. oh nora, we are a fan club full of mouse potatoes.

i found myself chuckling with my new bestie while rolling around town in the car with benji boy bopping in the backseat. we had a good old time together. i never wanted her to leave. in the last pages (or cd tracks) she settled onto a serious subject. and in her light hearted way, nora talks about death. i found myself all weepy. having lost her mother and best friend she talked about them and made me miss them too. in sentence form, she gives you a short description of what missing a loved one can feel like. i gulped and wiped my tears and stayed in the parking lot a bit longer on a snowy evening just so i could hear the rest of her story. oh nora. of course she left me smiling. and then like that, her story stopped. the book ended all too soon. nora and i went our separate ways and i snapped back into life. but still i am thinking of her. like a memorable movie, i keep thinking of funny lines and laughing aloud when no one is around.

happy valentine's day to you nora the queen of hearts.

with love,
marta

perhaps you'll be paying tribute to nora this valentines.
a few favorites...

next up.. my life in france.

wishing you & yours a happy valentine's weekend. ours will definitely include some olympics watching and saturday chores. and some more pushing benji around in his boat (my laundry basket) and perhaps a sledding adventure. p.s. if any of you go to that valentine's day movie, i want to hear if it lives up to the hype. xo.

35 comments:

Monika Wright | I Love It All said...

you are amazing in the way you make our everyday lives seem like something everyone would want. makes me want mine more every time i visit with you. thanks from a growing older woman (46) who hasn't yet read, "i feel bad about my neck," but will and i do, somedays.

Ann Marie said...

i have not read this book...but your review has made it irresistable. love your passion for things, marta. it's so wonderfully contagious. and to top it all off you're a brilliant writer.

kh said...

I am on the prowl for a new book to read and ponder. This is a fabulous recommendation. Thank you.

beyond said...

i read this recently (i am years behind as well) then gave it to my mother who loved it too. thank you for a great review for a delightful book.

Lovely Little Nest said...

Ok, now I am definitely going to read this! Thanks for the extra push :)

The Schoonmakers said...

If you wrote a book, I would read it! Have a lovely Valentine weekend.

Destri said...

okay,fine.....i will add another book to my list. dang it. It is seriously two pages long. i'm not kidding.
maybe i'll just put it at the top.
Happy love weekend!

Abby said...

I love this post. Can't wait to download the audio version (cause I have no time to read these days). Thanks for the tip, reading your words makes me excited to get it!

Hannah said...

I just put the sound recording on hold at the library. So excited for another book to read. Just finished a couple fabulous ones myself.

Thanks for the recommendation.

dani said...

i love your blog, it is so inspiring, thank you for the awesome posts. i found your blog after we moved to idaho for my husbands grad school-we live in a small small town. i have read it over 2 years~and i just thought today i would say thank you.

Mozart's Girl said...

Marta, just found your blog through Dawn (Country Girl) and SO glad I did! Just wonderful. I remember Nora Ephron reading this book on our BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week slot when it came out - I agree, it's even better when you hear her! I just loved it. Great review! have a wonderful weekend...Rachel xo

Jessica said...

I lovelovelovelove this book. I've only been to NYC once, but after having a love affair with the city for most of my life reading this book I felt like I knew every little city scene and scenario she described. Love Nora Ephron.

Amber Lee said...

you write the best book reports.

i loved this book. the cooking parts and the purse part. really, how does she do it?

only since reading i've been watching my neck suspiciously, we have until we're what, 42 was it?

Simple Ink said...

Marta, I loved this book too! Great synopsis! Happy V-Day!

Tiffany said...

Oh Marta, keep on sharing! I love your discoveries. (And you're going to love My Life in France!)

Diane said...

Be sure you read it again in 30 years. It will take on a whole new life for you then.

My favorite chapter was her chapter on books and reading. On Rapture. I wrote about it here.

Also I love When Harry Met Sally. Quite possibly my all time favorite movie.

Kristy said...

downloading this from my library website as I type! can't wait to dive in!

thanks for the recommendation!

talesofahummingbird said...

you always make me excited about things - so keep on raving, lady...we are gobbling it all up, enjoying the always-fabulous recommendations and certainly embracing your ever-positive and always-inspired attitude. i'm thinking i've just found my mother's next b-day present (and i'll borrow it when she's done!).
happy valentine's day and thanks for all the great giveaway looks this month!

brooke said...

I will be picking this up directly. How could I not with a review like that? No pressure!! I know I will love it. Thanks for giving me something to live for :-)

hoopty doopty said...

first, let me say thank u, thank u for writing your true feelings. why do we edit what we really feel? thanks for reminding me to not do that and that it's perfectly ok for me to write/feel what i want ~ as you said it's your blog. i just love this gentle reminder.
now, you probably had no idea that this post would invoke all of that now did you?
i never read the book either but want to now. i like the idea of listening to it. that would be fun to hear it.
i had no idea she did Julie and Julia. I so loved that movie. loved it!
cheers marta
x

KJ said...

nora is genius. I remember noticing the book a few years ago (was she on oprah?) and thinking it's probably a great read---if I were middle aged. Perhaps I'll put it on hold at the library, now that I know it's been returned!

katherine said...

I love this post. I've seen and passed by this book a hundred times at the library and bookstores. It was calling my name each time. That said, I just downloaded the eAudio version from my library website. : )

Holly said...

Now I feel this undeniable urge to run out and get this book immediately. In my PJs even.

But I'll wait. A bit.

Nora sounds like the perfect girlfriend.

I highly enjoyed My Life in France. Julia Child's take on life is refreshing.

Ramble said...

What a lovely post. I couldn't agree more with you about Nora Ephron. I am definitely a fan of her work.

This post was nostalgic, poetic, and informative.

Have a Happy Valentine's Weekend!

xo

Laura said...

Your excitement about things is really contagious! I love your posts like this, so keep 'em coming! As a lover of Nora Ephron's movies, I have wanted to pick up this book for years but thought it wouldn't be for me since I'm not yet at an age where I feel bad about my neck. After reading this post, I'll be visiting my library today to pick it up. Thanks, Marta!

fyi, I saw the Valentine's Day movie last night. It was all it should be - silly, funny, mushy, cute. If you're looking for a simple little movie to just sit there and enjoy, then I'd recommend it.

J. said...

Wow. I'll definitely have to read that!

Thanks for your blog comment! What a fun surprise.

Jordan and Jandee said...

Marta, so glad you loved this book as much as I did.....I reviewed it on my blog a couple years ago here: http://jordanandjandee.blogspot.com/2008/06/book-review-i-feel-bad-about-my-neck.html
But reading your thoughts made me remember all of the specific things I liked about it. I love how you pulled out all of those silly specific phrases I'd forgotten about -- I am definitely a mouse potato!

Krystal Celeste said...

Oh Marta, you so made me want to read this book. I think I'm sold lol. It sounds great. I love those kinda books that make you ache when you're finished because you so do not want to say goodbye to it yet. I will definitely be checking this one out. Thanks for the recommendation. :)

Jake said...

Loved that book!

Beth said...

Thanks so much for this post - I got this book out of the library this morning and already love it.

Erin {pughs' news} said...

I haven't read this book (nor have I ever heard of it) but I adore Nora Ephron's films, and after reading your review, I am most definitely putting it on my Amazon wishlist. Thank you!

You've Got Mail is my favourite of her movies. I love watching it with the audio commentary turned on. Love listening to Nora talk about the movie...

I don't usually comment, but I read your blog every day. It's a pure delight!
xo

sonya audrey said...

Randomly enough, this was a clue on Jeapordy last night. I think it was last night...sometimes my days jumble. Regardless, I got the clue thanks to you! I'm also going to add this onto my "to-read" list. Thanks Marta! :)

Julianne said...

OMgosh Marta, you're a great writer! Nora Ephron has been on my mind too probably because of Valentines Day. I just watched You've Got Mail again and I don't really mind all the product placement going on in that film because I actually like watching commercials . . . sometimes.

Amy said...

i saw valentines day last night, and i thought it was fabulous. i laughed until i cried.

Relyn Lawson said...

I absolutely loved this book and laughed myself silly. Since I read it last year, I've given it three times to different friends.

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