Entertaining look at a lifestyle
581551
Wonderfully entertaining read about the Rat Pack. This book had more information about the lifestyle of the times than I thought it would.  It was a fast read and highly enjoyable.  What I did not expect, that was a pleasure, was the slight biographies of each entertainer that gave me a little background into each of them.  And how they came to be the Rat Pack and how it became disbanded and then how each came to pass.  It was excellent and I would recommend it highly.
1772267
To me, as a part-time real estate investor living in Hawaii, this was a very interesting read.  In fact, to me it was a 4-star, but even for general public, the topics, presentation, and life experiences described are worth at least 3-stars.  Stephany describes her entry into the male-dominated business world and the problems she encountered in proving her worth with each new step up the ladder and ultimately earning the respect of many prominent community leaders, not just limited to those in her own profession.

If one is familiar with Hawaii, her story is doubly interesting as she recounts her experiences with well known real estate moguls, and other business and community leaders.  It is an easy read, entertaining, and provides fascinating insight into the world of real estate here in Hawaii over the past several decades.
1312145
A recollecting of fun times as a late teen and young adult in the sailboat community on the Atlantic coast.  From school and family, through college and job with an engineering firm, the interest in sailing hovered and resulted in purchase, renovation, and a coming together of friends to crew.  From there, life devolves into a weekend mania for regattas, races, and other such fun.  Interspersed among the sailing are humorous anecdotes common to young men of an age.
Narrator Jack gives a fine performance.  Just like sitting dockside and listening to another sail nut rattling on about his experiences.
This book was an entertaining gift
4298585
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is entertaining. Bookstore owner and curmudgeon A.J. Fikry finds a baby abandoned in his store. He has grown cynical and old before his time, but when he adopts the baby, all that changes. I was reminded of Silas Marner and thought the plot might be a little predictable, but I was pleasantly surprised. The author made this story her own, and it has a number of interesting twists. The Storied Life champions the idea of people taking care of each other and, although the characters are flawed (the way people really are), it leaves the reader feeling hopeful. It's also a book that champions the value of stories and bookstores--right on! I enjoyed it. It's a good, easy read. Have fun.
4676571
This is a most interesting picture of a lifestyle long gone.  It is really incredible how the wealthy lived so totally in a world of their own. Written with candor and humor.  A really engaging story.
3871534
I like the authors style of writing and, of course, his subject; the alternative lifestyle away from the ratrace and statushunting. It shows a mind unspoiled by television and other media. Great!
4693897
A very entertaining account of an impoverished divorcee moving into a community of the rich, struggling to find her feet and forge a new life in a tumble-down old country house. It's a fun, medium-paced read with some good characters, plenty of animals, good lines and a romance subplot. Well worth downloading for a relaxing read, but I somehow felt the book just missed being as good as it might have been. I thought that there could have been more variance in the level of tension, and also that perhaps the book ran just a little long for its content.

Still, though, it's entertaining and the ending is very, very satisfying.
2082872
It is an interesting look at what the life of a recovering alcoholic is like.  It is equally entertaining from the perspective of a dog that has no self-controls in place at the beginning. A good read
2847724
Sans balcony, his description of, and demise of, the large theater screen with stage (and curtains to open and close a show) mirrored my little town's showhouse, which back in the late '90s was redesigned into a 2-plex with small screens and a mundane almost featureless (pun) interior design to look at while waiting for the show to start.

The author's observations hit upon a variety of topics, that kept me turning the pages and at the same time his mentioning some title of an old song or movie had me stopping, to visit YouTube, because it I just had to hear the song or watch a bit of movie clip - most that I knew, but a few were new to me.

I enjoyed the book, the writer did an excellent job in telling some personal stories, some serious, some humorous, and all interesting.
4953200
In fact, after reading this book, you might have several reservations about the next time that you stay in a hotel. Although, using some of the advice that Tomsky gives, it may be a better stay than you have had in the past.

In this memoir Jacob Tomsky describes how he ended up in the hospitality business. It is the old "life is what happens while you are planning something else." Tomsky tells about the ten years he has worked in hotels-the good, the bad, and the incredibly ugly. He is specific about his faults, his strengths, and when he is just lucky.

He also describes some of the memorable guests he has encountered. When talking about the industry, he tells you what it is like for all the employees--and why it is so hard sometimes for them to do their jobs. He also gives suggestions on how to be a pleasant customer and how to get some of the extra perks that everyone else seems to get. And he recommends the best ways to avoid the negative perks that some people manage to get.

Overall, an entertaining book about Tomsky's life and an educational book about the people in hotels that the "guests" see so briefly or don't see at all.
890444
The title was the clue that this book was more about life as it was being lived than any meandering nostalgic reflection of rock and roll days gone by. The story picks up at the tail end of a once glamorous and hedonistic life in the music world and plonks the reader beside the empty bottles and dirty ashtrays of the protagonist Lek who is meeting his mid life crisis head on - His distaste for modern music and his ex-wife- his complicated relationship with his teenaged son and a fast fading reputation are all thrown into the laundry along with a strange obsession for his son's English Language Tutor, a kind of Nymph from Northern Europe. I enjoyed reading this book for its dark humour and honest reflections, although at times I wanted to scream at Lek, I think that WAS the point.
1839144
This book provides an interesting view of life that could be useful to many people.
4172537
Wonderfully entertaining look at an 'expats' life on St. Croix.  It explains local customs as much as continental citizens' reactions to them.  Why is everything slower, less efficient, and  more openly corrupt in the islands?  Maybe you don't learn exactly why, but you enjoy coming close.
897197
Ms Turner's book is a nice easy read.  Not sure I appreciated all the drinking scenarios, but should have seen that coming from the title.  Her stories of friends, family and their escapades ring true to life and are told with an eye toward their comedic appeal.
2953309
Interesting "rags to ..." life.  Certainly not a conventional lifestyle, but fortunately, he found the place to live as he chose.  Author presented the subject(s) in a manner well suited to the person, place and occurrences.
3422638
The author captures the somewhat anarchic atmosphere and frenetic activity in Bishkek during this period in an entertaining story that has the ring of some basis in reality.  Set during the period following Russian abandonment of the country, the rebuilding of tribal influence and the efforts of the US to gain and use an airbase for supplying the the Afghan war, the story is a fascinating account of everyday and singular challenges.  From the descriptions of crumbling Soviet-era construction to the rational but sometimes unexpected behavior of local workers and officials, the author tells an interesting tale of trying to support U.S. interests in a decidedly foreign environment.  With adventures in the magnificent Tien Shan mountains and on the shorelines of Lake Ysyk-Kol and the challenges and foibles of local officials, there is something interesting going on all the time.  The book sheds some light on an alien (to westerners) culture in a geographically significant region and the challenges in dealing with it, in an entertaining package.  No real edge-of-our-seat thrills, but an entertaining yarn with realistic people struggling with realistic challenges.
3997907
Life experiences shape our path and choices. The author shares some of her "stories" that have motivated and influence her life. Using a funny and joyful narrative, the author transport us to her childhood, first job, close encounters with a rat, moving to USA and back to Nigeria; to show us life lessons. The quick read motive us to strive to do more with our lives even if is not in a straight line.