Sharon Kahn (1) (1934–)

Some books, I am rereading at this time because I want to know how my thoughts on them have changed. This was one of those times. Others, I read and rated back when I thought the Goodreads algorithm meant something. I'm rereading books and it looks like I hate reading. I do not. On second read, five years from the original date, this book made me cringe. Nothing in it is funny. No one is likeable, and they are all cartoon characters anyway. Plot, subplots, and character choices are absurd, even for such an attempt at comedy. The emails as plot transitions are sooo cheesy and unrealistic. Jenny Trout's book "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" uses this device much more effectively. Plot contrivance would reign if this book actually had one, instead of Ruby whining about how much she hates Essie Sue, who rules the community. Essie Sue is so cartoonish and controlling that I'd be surprised if she -weren't- based off someone in the author's life that the author tried to disguise. And not -one- person stood up to her? Gimme some conflict, and someone to root for! Fax machines and emails were firmly in use in 1998, when this book came out. There are ways to make your work not look so dated and this one faaaaaillleddd hard. There's plenty of Buffy-speak in this. The title character of the TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" spoke in slang so stylized (unintentional triple alliteration, hah!) that an official guide to it came out. This book uses similar, and it DOES. NOT. WORK.
Rather than simply note, "I looked around the room to see if I wanted to say hi to anyone," (this is paraphrased, not a direct quote), Ruth thinks, "...if I should be hello-ing anyone." To "hello" someone? COME ON. Rather than "I eat something and wipe my mouth," Ruth "I napkin." Ruth -napkins- as a verb. OH MY G-D, YOU ARE SO CRINGE-INDUCING. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a sixteen-year-old girl from trendy Los Angeles who just moved to the small town of Sunnydale, California. You are a widow in her late forties with a somewhat odd fixation on your son's childhood, when he's fully grown, living in Eternal, Texas, who cannot stop jawing about New York. This book was insufferable. I'm glad I once got joy out of it… (mehr)

Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Choir, is the last of the Ruby, the Rabbi's Wife [Widow] mysteries. The mystery itself is fine, I didn't guess the killer. I enjoyed the usual temple politics. The trip to Canada by train was entertaining. The real problem I had with the book was Ruby herself. OK, she got out of a bad relationship that lasted half the series. She was getting into a good thing with a former interest. So why potentially throw that away with a cute guy she meets during the trip? I didn't like that at all. If the author hadn't given Ruby the relationship she had, even if the current guy was a bit jealous about the last one, I would have had no problem with the train flirtation.

Kevin the rabbi is still a tedious twit who keeps expecting Ruby to deal with his problems, including how he feels about a cute lady who is interested in him. Essie Sue, not even close to being daunted by her many fundraising failures, ramps up her annoyance factor for Ruby during this trip. Why hasn't her husband, Hal, dumped her?… (mehr)