CBR11 Bingo: Cannonballer Says
I’ll Be There for You: The One about Friends; Kelsey Miller
Friends has been all over the internet this month in anticipation of the 25th anniversary of Thursday Night’s Must See TV darling. Kelsey Miller’s charming look into the television series has been on my list since my sister, Badkittyuno, read it a few months back but she is far from the only Cannonballer recommending this one.
“Some things don’t change. Friends is a reminder of that, and that’s why so many of us reach for it in times of grief or fear, when catastrophe strikes or when life seems suddenly unrecognizable.”
I think the most shocking thing about I’ll Be There for You and the whole 25th anniversary hooplah has been the realization that Friends premiered when I was 6 and a half. It went off the air two years before I graduated high school! Since my parents didn’t let my sister and I watch Dawson’s Creek I can’t imagine we were catching up with the Central Perk crew in elementary school- and yet, Friends is ubiquitous with my childhood and growing up. I guess I have TBS to thank for that.
Miller does a great job of tying her personal relationship with the show, particularly reruns at the gym, with the simple facts of the show. She gives background on Kaufman and Crane as well as brief overviews on the main cast members’ lives before landing their life changing roles. While I knew some facts, like Aniston almost missed out on the opportunity because she was already on another show, I didn’t know that Ross was written specifically for David Schwimmer or that Mathew Perry was also attached to another show that would have taken him away from Friends had it been picked up. There is a lot of emphasis on the casts steadfast rules of collective bargaining and I was intrigued to discover that the show was almost canceled due to contract disputes on more than one occasion. In fact, the comfort of Friends in the wake of 9/11 actually propelled it through to its eventual 10th season.
I’ll admit, Friends doesn’t hold up in the cold light of 2019’s day but it was a cultural phenomenon that no matter how hard I try to quit remains a(n increasingly) guilty pleasure. If you’re a fan of the show you should pick this one up. It is interesting, fun and full of enough little tidbits you’re bound to discover something new!
CBR11 Bingo: Summer Read
China Rich Girlfriend; Kevin Kwan
Sure summer officially ended on Saturday but summer lasts til mid October in Texas (it was 95 degrees this afternoon) so I think I am still in the clear. Regardless of the temperature outside China Rich Girlfriend is a quintessential summer read. There is fashion, family drama and fantastical locals involving several of the main characters from its predecessor Crazy Rich Asians as well as some new characters.
**Spoilers for Crazy Rich Asians**
It is two years after the first novel; Rachel Chu and Nicholas Young are getting ready to walk down the aisle when Nick’s estranged mother, Eleanor, drops a bombshell- she has found Rachel’s biological father, Bao Shaoyen, and he wants to meet her. Following their wedding the newlyweds go to Shanghai at Shaoyen’s invitation where they met Rachel’s playboy half brother, Carlton, and his fashionista girlfriend, Colette.
“Everyone claims to be a billionaire these days. But you’re not really a billionaire until you spend your billions.
Nick’s cousin, Astrid Teo, is still struggling with her marriage. While her husband has now found his footing in the business world things have not gotten any better. In Michael’s attempts to keep up with the Joneses of Singapore he has become emotionally abusive towards his wife. Astrid is also still friendly with her ex, Charlie Wu, but remains unaware of his involvement in all of Michael’s success.
In another plot line we have former soap star Kitty Pong, last seen marrying party boy Bernard Tsai in Vegas, trying to claw her way into Hong Kong society with the aid of a life coach to the elite. Her story line was probably the most ridiculous, and that is saying a lot, but the expansion of her character was entertaining.
I think, plot wise, Crazy Rich Asians was more solid but Kwan has created a fantastical world that is impossible not to enjoy!
