When Harry Met Sally is my favorite movie. I tell you this as a way of admitting that I cannot give an unbiased review of Nora Ephron. (And, seriously people, is it possible for me to give an unbiased review of anything?) Basically I love her so I knew I would love these books.
This first book is a series of essays on aging. I can’t say that I actually identify with a lot of her laments…yet. Obviously I am aging rapidly and I am well aware that my body is falling apart but Nora is twice my age so it’s just a different level of old.
This book is her latest and while it does deal with getting older I can really identify with it. The title essay is hysterical. She lists all these famous people she has met and situations she has lived through and then laments that she doesn’t remember anything about them. She talks at length about how she can never remember anyone’s name. This is a huge problem for me. I have taken to calling all males under the age of 20 “buddy”. I don’t even attempt to learn their names. This book also contains the essay on divorce that is honestly the best thing I have ever read on the subject. I blogged about it here.
Both of these books are easy reads. They are both just a collection of mostly short essays. Read one while the chicken is cooking. Read another while you are waiting for the kids to meet you in the school parking lot. Read one in the bathroom. Whatever. There’s no pressure. No big plot, no mystery, no characters you are worried about. It’s just a bunch of thoughts from a brilliant, funny lady. How can you go wrong?
