Rating: 
Summary: Oh La-La... land ! by M. Boucher
Review: A genuine page-turner! From the instant FLAVOR OF THE MONTH opens, you're caught. Goldsmith takes you on a roller coaster ride through Hollywood (where three aspiring actresses make it big),and never let go. What makes FLAVOR... different from other «Hollywood» novels is that the author succeeds, besides having a cleverly crafted plot, and a witty, unique dialogue, in making you care about her characters. Especially the one of Sharleen Smith, the innocent Texan who has a hard time dealing with the price of fame. The scene where she is abused on the Hollywood hills is heartbreaking. It is written with such skills that you find yourself with a lump in your throat. This is Olivia Goldsmith second novel and a far better book than her previous one. Better written, better structuted, better plotted. It is «the» ultimate Hollywood novel. Imagine what La-La land could make of this one. It has to be a television mini-series, though. Two hours is not just long enough to capture the essence of that wonderful, impossible-to-put-down novel! Hats off, miss Goldsmith!
Rating: 
Summary: Too many unnecessary characters and too much name-dropping
Review: A lot of this book is pretty good satire, especially the 3/4 show, which is apparently a combo of Charlie's Angels & Twin Peaks. But as much as I enjoy Goldsmith's novels, she always has WAY TOO MANY unnecessary characters. Why, for instance, did we need the stupid people that run the makeup company, or all of those extraneous members of Mary Jane's theater group in New York? And the characters of Sharleen & Dean Smith were such insulting cliches of Southerners: dumb yokels who were easily taken advantage of, constantly used poor grammar in their speech, and OF COURSE their favorite program was The Andy Griffith Show--don't even get me started on the hillbilly incest! Lila's story was amusing enough, but again, far too many pages were used up writing this novel--Goldsmith could easily have trimmed about 400 pages. Jahne was the most compelling character, but the constant hammering home of the "beauty is only skin deep" theme got tiresome. And if it WAS only skin deep, why did the doctor only fall in love with her AFTER she became beautiful and famous? Is he supposed to be LESS shallow than Sam? Also, Jahne's so-called "scandal" didn't seem like much of a scandal at all. As if in Hollywood, A FULL-BODY SURGICAL MAKEOVER IS HOT NEWS! Give me a break! Out there, it's a way of life! However, if readers are just looking for a very long beach read, and don't dwell too much on the "morals", it's enjoyable enough.
Rating:
Summary: Too many unnecessary characters and too much name-dropping
Review: A lot of this book is pretty good satire, especially the 3/4 show, which is apparently a combo of Charlie's Angels & Twin Peaks. But as much as I enjoy Goldsmith's novels, she always has WAY TOO MANY unnecessary characters. Why, for instance, did we need the stupid people that run the makeup company, or all of those extraneous members of Mary Jane's theater group in New York? And the characters of Sharleen & Dean Smith were such insulting cliches of Southerners: dumb yokels who were easily taken advantage of, constantly used poor grammar in their speech, and OF COURSE their favorite program was The Andy Griffith Show--don't even get me started on the hillbilly incest! Lila's story was amusing enough, but again, far too many pages were used up writing this novel--Goldsmith could easily have trimmed about 400 pages. Jahne was the most compelling character, but the constant hammering home of the "beauty is only skin deep" theme got tiresome. And if it WAS only skin deep, why did the doctor only fall in love with her AFTER she became beautiful and famous? Is he supposed to be LESS shallow than Sam? Also, Jahne's so-called "scandal" didn't seem like much of a scandal at all. As if in Hollywood, A FULL-BODY SURGICAL MAKEOVER IS HOT NEWS! Give me a break! Out there, it's a way of life! However, if readers are just looking for a very long beach read, and don't dwell too much on the "morals", it's enjoyable enough.
Rating:
Summary: This book was so long................
Review: and I wish it was even longer. This is my all-time favorite Olivia Goldsmith. Her characters are so much fun to read about. This book is more like watching a movie than reading a book. It should be made into a movie. Miss Goldsmith, please write a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Thank Goodness, It's Not What You Think!
Review: Be advised this book is NOT about Six Sigma, the latest management consultant trend presently exploiting its way through corporate America. Six Sigma is indeed just another "flavor of the month," but this novel by the same name has nothing to do with that. Whew!
Rating:
Summary: Unrealistic but a kicker plot twist
Review: Fat, dumpy actress Mary Jane loses her man, her role and her self-esteem all in one fell swoop. She's on the verge of suicide when her mean grandmother conveniently dies and leaves her several thousand bucks. Hmmm, what to do with the windfall? How about full-body plastic surgery and a ticket to Hollywood?Throughout this book I wanted to smack most of the characters. They do the dumbest things to cover their foibles that it's maddening. But that said, I still enjoyed this book and read it voraciously. It's mindless escapism, not meant to make you think about anything, not so engrossing you'll read past your bedtime. Nobody is dumber than Sharleen, nobody is meaner than Lila's superstar mother and nobody is a bigger brat than Lila. But it was a pretty entertaining read - fast-paced and gossipy.
Rating:
Summary: Unrealistic but a kicker plot twist
Review: Fat, dumpy actress Mary Jane loses her man, her role and her self-esteem all in one fell swoop. She's on the verge of suicide when her mean grandmother conveniently dies and leaves her several thousand bucks. Hmmm, what to do with the windfall? How about full-body plastic surgery and a ticket to Hollywood? Throughout this book I wanted to smack most of the characters. They do the dumbest things to cover their foibles that it's maddening. But that said, I still enjoyed this book and read it voraciously. It's mindless escapism, not meant to make you think about anything, not so engrossing you'll read past your bedtime. Nobody is dumber than Sharleen, nobody is meaner than Lila's superstar mother and nobody is a bigger brat than Lila. But it was a pretty entertaining read - fast-paced and gossipy.
Rating:
Summary: WOW! CAN YOU HAVE 6 STARS?
Review: For a lover of crime fiction, this has got to one of the best books around that is definately not crime! I could not put this book down, I was even reading this at work! It was a very long book (800+ pages) but believe me, you will not notice it as you will just wanting to read one more chapter... This book is a real eye-opener into the beloved world of Hollywood and L.A. Even though this is a fiction book, you can't help but wonder if that what REALLY goes on in Tinsel Town (and I am SURE that it does!). This centres around the lives of three young actresses - Jahne Moore, Lila Kyle and Sharleen Smith, each with their own style, each trying to make it big in Hollywood, each with their own problems and secrets. I am definately not into books by Jackie Collins etc but this was one trashy, hilarious, sexy, excellent book that has a serious undertone and an insight into the false world of the entertainment industry. If you REALLY want to know what goes on 'behind the scenes' with all your favourite actors, producers and directors or if you just love a wickedly funny, trashy book, then definately do yourself a favour..pick this up, have a couple of days off work and READ IT!!!
Rating:
Summary: wonderful guilty pleasure
Review: For lovers of _The Bestseller_, you will also love _Flavor of the Month_. A delightfully witty, clever, creative romp through the lives of three women who stumble into great luck in Hollywood, and all the people who try to make money off them. I read this book on vacation after reading _Valley of the Dolls_, and I must say that I much preferred it. In fact, I could barely put it down. I have since sent it to all of my friends in the entertainment business. Even though it is about 10 years' old, it still feels very current (with the exception of one plot twist which is far less shocking these days than it was even 10 years ago). A great book.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful guilty pleasure
Review: For lovers of _The Bestseller_, you will also love _Flavor of the Month_. A delightfully witty, clever, creative romp through the lives of three women who stumble into great luck in Hollywood, and all the people who try to make money off them. I read this book on vacation after reading _Valley of the Dolls_, and I must say that I much preferred it. In fact, I could barely put it down. I have since sent it to all of my friends in the entertainment business. Even though it is about 10 years' old, it still feels very current (with the exception of one plot twist which is far less shocking these days than it was even 10 years ago). A great book.
|
