Book 6- Flapper
6. Flapper, by Joshua Zeitz. A fairly short and quick read, but stuffed with a lot of information on the era and the people who defined it. What I really liked is how Zeitz connects the dots on why the seemingly sudden shift from the more conservative Victorian and Edwardian to the free-wheeling Jazz Age. The chapters take the reader through the early, middle and end of the Roaring Twenties. Of course, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald figure prominently as the ones who essentially defined the 20s and the iconic flapper. Also loved learning about Lois Long, the columnist who went by "Lipstick," and stars such as Colleen Moore, who helped define the flapper look and attitude. The book also goes into the evolution of the movie scene, the fashion scene, the start and rise of conspicuous consumerism, and some of the movements that tried to counter this era's emphasis on gin and jazz- obviously with little success. It wasn't until the Great Depression that the flapper and the era that celebrated her faded away. A fantastic read for history buffs.
Didn't finish: Shit, Actually, by Lindy West. I thought the premise was promising: a tongue-in-cheek review of movies, comparing them to The Fugitive, heralded by the author as the best movie of all time, bar none. I got through one and a half chapters before giving up. The first chapter wasn't too bad- if the whole thing had been along this level I probably would have finished at least. But the second chapter, the review on Love, Actually (obviously where the title comes from), descended to puerile and even a bit mean. Don't get me wrong- I don't care for Love, Actually. I saw it once, thought it was OK but not something I'd watch again. But the humor in the book was not to my taste.
Currently reading: A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking, News for the Rich, White and Blue, by Nikki Usher (have about a chapter to go), and I Am Malala, by Malala Yousefzai