Category Archives: Reviews

April 4, 2015 · 8:58 am

Crystal is Still Foolin’ ‘Em

Billy Crystal 3

My introduction to Billy Crystal was as Harry Burns, in When Harry Met Sally, my all-time favorite rom-com. So when I read his book, Still Foolin’ Em: Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, and Where the Hell are My Keys? I was surprised to learn that he had also played for the NY Yankees, was an adopted little brother to Mohammed Ali and friend to Mickey Mantle. I had no idea that Crystal was also a director and had hosted the Oscars 9 times, or that he hosted one of them while also hosting the flu virus. Crystal’s account of turning 65 doesn’t make me look forward to it, but I certainly admire and somewhat envy his journey to get there.

Another thing I didn’t know about Billy Crystal—that he is such a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. I loved the entertainment history Crystal describes, especially regarding his movies (When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers, Analyze This, and Monsters, Inc. to name a few) and his experiences with Saturday Night Live, but it’s the special family moments and events he shares with thoughtful clarity, such as his daughter’s wedding, that brought tears to my eyes. Crystal’s perspective and memories on the 9/11 attack were also insightful and touching.

Like most of Crystal’s work, his book will make you laugh, cry, and groan. What a truly amazing life. My thanks to Billy Crystal for sharing it with us. Santa Barbara Winery’s Pinot Noir is an excellent accompaniment for this journey.

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March 21, 2015 · 10:14 am

Meiomi Pinot Noir and an Act of War

Act of WarBrad Thor has an uncanny knack for anticipating our next national security threat before it happens, which make his most recent thriller, Act of War, especially frightening. In the latest of his series with former Navy Seal Scot Harvath, Thor brings a long-standing enemy onto new territory—American soil—and Harvath must save the country he loves from a threat that skirts the boundaries of science fiction, and which, if deployed, would not only destroy the American way of life, but kill millions in the process.

Thor’s latest installment is nonstop action and you can’t help but wonder exactly where the line of his fictional world crosses into our modern reality. I’m not going to become a doomsday prepper yet, but Act of War certainly made me consider it.

Harvath typically prefers beer, but not being a beer drinker, I recommend Meiomi Pinot Noir. It’s light and slightly sweet—the perfect contrast to Harvath and his ongoing adventures.

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February 28, 2015 · 9:22 am

Chateau Montelena is the perfect complement to Gladwell’s David and Goliath

David and Goliath 2Dyslexia is a disability—or is it? Air raids destroy morale—or do they? David’s victory over Goliath was a miracle–or was it?

Starting with the biblical story of David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell provides a new perspective on how we traditionally think about what is advantageous and what is debilitating. He forces the reader to reconsider traditional assumptions about characteristics and situations as beneficial or detrimental. Circumstances and/or personality traits that are traditionally considered to be disadvantages, such as dyslexia, could actually be the x factor that creates success. On the flip side, factors traditionally thought to lead to success, such as attending elite schools, may in fact have the opposite effect.

Like Gladwell’s previous book, Outliers, David and Goliath uses thorough research and fascinating stories throughout a diverse range of times, places, and circumstances to illustrate his point that “much of what is beautiful and important in the world arises from what looks like suffering and adversity.” Chapter by chapter, Gladwell shows us how certain dynamics apply to and impact our realities in ways we may not perceive. These stories question modern assumptions and demonstrate the amazing human capacity to adapt and overcome.

In the 1970s, Chateau Montelena played the role of David to the Goliath of the French wine industry. It was the underdog in a blind wine tasting that started California wines on the road to the prominence they enjoy today. Their story is the basis of the movie Bottle Shock. Chateau Montelena is most famous for its Chardonnay, which is excellent. However, they also make an amazing Cabernet Sauvignon. Either of them would be a superb complement to this book. Enjoy, and happy reading!

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February 21, 2015 · 9:00 am

The Outlander and D’Autrefois

Outlander 3

Diana Gabaldon’s first book, a historical romance titled Outlander (you may have heard of it—Starz recently created a series based on it) was intended as practice, just to see what it would be like to write a novel. Though it tends to wander and one scene near the end is distorted and just plain confusing, overall it’s an interesting, if long, read. By “long” I mean 850 dense pages. By “interesting” I mean entertaining and compelling.

Her main character, Claire, is a capable, intelligent, stubborn woman who finds herself in circumstances out of her own time and any logical understanding. Her obstinacy, love, and compassion drive her to fight on and persist in mostly shrewd ways. Despite her experience as a wartime nurse, she repeatedly underestimates the dangerous nature of her new environment, mainly because it’s simply outside the realm of possibility in her personal experience, having been suddenly thrown from 1945 British Isles into 1743 Scotland, which was at war not only with the British, but internally between clans. In this largely uneducated society where burning witches at the stake was an acceptable and common practice, Claire’s modern knowledge and behaviors are inherently dangerous.

The historical aspects of Outlander were compelling for me and drew me along where the story, romance, or characters started to lag. The setting and Claire’s experiences in it made me wish I knew more about Scottish history, both so that I could better understand the nature and depth of the perils she might be facing and how her presence and actions might, or potentially may already have, impacted her modern day.

What to drink with an epic historical romance like Outlander? Well, Claire is treated to a wine she describes as a very strong and delicious rosé by one of the Scottish chieftains, but I’ve yet to be introduced to a British or Scottish wine. If you know of one that you would recommend, please comment so that I can try it. For now, I’d recommend a light French pinot noir called D’Autrefois. It’s flavorful and has a reasonable price point so you don’t have to make one bottle stretch 850 pages.

Enjoy, and happy reading!

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