Book Review: The Christmas Tree Farm (Book #3 in the Dream Harbor series) by Laurie Gilmore (Spoilers)

Right off the bat, I definitely feel that I should preface this review by saying that despite The Christmas Tree Farm actually being the third book in Laurie Gilmore’s Dream Harbor series, I read The Christmas Tree Farm without having read any of the other books in the series, since each book in the series is written as a standalone book with a guaranteed happy ending. That being said, here are my thoughts on The Christmas Tree Farm.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed The Christmas Tree Farm for the most part. I felt like it had a very interesting premise, with Kira impulsively buying a Christmas tree farm, essentially sight unseen, even though she hates Christmas, using the money that she had received from her trust fund to buy it, and then struggling to make the whole idea work out for her in a new town where she initially struggled to fit in, when it came it to not only finding ways to bring in business for the Christmas tree farm, but to also cope with living in the incredibly rundown house that she had bought along with the Christmas tree farm; which interestingly enough seemed to come at least already somewhat furnished when she bought it. It was also interesting to see Kira dealing with all of this while also having a long-distance relationship with her twin, Chloe. These things made Kira a very nuanced, well-written, and likable character.

 

Bennett was also a very interesting and well-written character, especially when it came to his almost desperate need to help people in need. This quality really helped make Bennett a complex, well-written character, much like Kira was. He also had a complicated relationship with an ex-girlfriend of his that really kept me guessing how that might all factor into the plot of the book in the long run, but it ultimately was just used as another example of his desperate need to help people. I was honestly really relieved that not too much drama came out of his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, like I was expecting it would.

 

Book Review: The People We Hate at the Wedding by Grant Ginder

Right off the bat, I have to confess that I originally bought Grant Ginder’s The People We Hate at the Wedding on somewhat of a whim and read it for the first time back in 2017, and I’m so glad that I did, because this ended up being a really great book, in my opinion. I honestly hadn’t even heard of this book until I saw it at Target one day. As soon as I read the plot synopsis that’s on the cover, I immediately knew that this book was right up my alley. I thought about whether or not I wanted to buy it for several hours, and I bought it later that same day; which is something I don’t necessarily do when it comes to books that are written by authors that I’ve never even heard of. I’m much more likely to buy books rather spontaneously if they’re written by authors that I’m already familiar with and have read some of their other books. I’m also incredibly ashamed to admit that this review was originally written for the most part after I read the book for the first time back in 2017; but because I find the proofreading part of writing rather tedious, I never got around to proofreading and posting this review while the details of the book were still fresh in my mind. I finally decided to reread the book recently after finding out that Amazon made a movie adaptation of the book; which I’m planning to watch now that I’ve reread the book. That being said, here are my thoughts on the book.

 

Despite what the book’s title might suggest, The People We Hate at the Wedding is ultimately not first and foremost about a wedding. At its core, this book is about a dysfunctional family; and the problems that they have, with both each other and in their own personal lives. Eloise’s wedding simply serves as the backdrop for the conflict within the family. I have to say that while I absolutely love the title The People We Hate at the Wedding, I still think that it’s the book title equivalent of a clickbait headline for an article on the internet since the titular wedding plays such a small role in the book in the grand scheme of things. However, I still think it’s a pretty clever book title that was definitely effective when it came to getting my attention as I was looking around at Target and originally discovered this book.

 

While I personally loved this book, I don’t think that this book is necessarily for everybody, especially if you’re not a fan of books where pretty much all of the characters are rather unlikable people. Personally, I honestly love books, TV shows, and movies that feature unlikable characters, as long as the characters are written with the intention of them being unlikable, and they’re well written, and it's handled well by the author. When it comes to TV shows, my favorite comedy is definitely It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and all of the characters on that show are all truly terrible people. If characters come across as being unlikable due to bad writing, then I usually end up not liking the book all that much. For example, I don’t think that Ana Steele from E.L. James’ Fifty Shades trilogy is meant to be an incredibly annoying and unlikable, she just comes across that way due to terrible writing. That being said, I did think that Ana came across as being much more likable in Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian, even though the book was still horribly written.

Gilmore Girls: Behind the scenes scoop on Luke and Lorelai's wedding in the revival from TVLine's Michael Ausiello

Here's some scoop on Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life from this week's (Posted on 12/7/16) Ask Ausiello column.

Question: I know Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino has said she hasn’t watched Season 7 and therefore didn’t see how hurt Richard and Emily were after the Paris elopement. But (SPOILER ALERT!) after all the therapy and healing in the revival, how could Lorelai get married without her mom present again? —Katie
Ausiello: Get with the proverbial program, Katie. This issue was put to bed last week in my wide-ranging post mortem with AS-P. Towards the end of the Q&A, she confirmed that Emily was in attendance at the official nuptials (versus the impromptu, scaled-down evening-before ceremony you saw). And then in my follow-up story Sunday night, she explained that her original wedding plan — which was retooled for budgetary reasons — had everyone and their second cousin present and accounted for. “The wedding was originally a much bigger deal,” she said. “The wedding was a whole shebang. And then they took money away from us. Anything that has extras in it and costumes became a production nightmare. So we had to figure out how to make this wedding satisfying without doing ‘The Big Wedding.’” Speaking of which…

Question: You teased that you’d have some details on AS-P’s original wedding plan for Luke and Lorelai — so, spill! —Kate
Ausiello: The initial “shebang” was going to be “nuts,” she tells me, adding that it would’ve looked “less like a wedding and more like a Stars Hollow festival.” Among the proposed highlights: Lorelai would’ve sported multiple wedding dresses representing a variety of iconic looks — including the gown Jackie O wore when she wedded JFK. There would’ve also been “flash mob tricks.” As AS-P sums up: “It was going to be big.” In hindsight, the show’s fearless leader believes that smaller was indeed better. As she explained to me, “In paring all of the bells and whistles away, we get down to the crux of really what it is: It’s Luke, Lorelai and Rory. And that made it intimate and gave it more feeling.” Totally, 100 percent agree.

Link to the full article:‘Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life’: Lorelai and Luke Wedding Spoilers | TVLine

Gilmore Girls: Scoop on part 4 of the revival ("Fall") from TVLine's Matt Webb Mitovich

Here's some scoop on Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life from this week's (Posted on 11/15/16) Matt's Inside Line column.

I need some Gilmore Girls revival news! —Eric
Because… we have been skimping? Well, prepare to be blown away by the ending, and I’m not simply referring to The FFW. As Lauren Graham told Michael Ausiello, the climax of “Fall” — the closing installment of the four-chapter Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (Netflixing Nov. 25) — revolves around “a magical sequence” that was something of a beast to execute. “We were up until 6 am shooting it,” she notes. “It’s a whole giant sequence and there’s a lot of cool stuff in it.”

Link to the full article:‘Arrow’ Season 5 Spoilers — Oliver, Talia al Ghul, Russia Flashbacks | TVLine

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life: Official Trailer (HD)

Here's the official trailer for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. It looks like the Gilmore Girls revival is going to be absolutely amazing. :)

Gilmore Girls: Scoop on a possible release date for the revival from TVLine's Michael Ausiello

Here's some scoop on Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life from this week's (Posted on 6/27/16) Ask Ausiello column.

Question: Hello, longtime follower of yours. I am a huge Gilmore Girls fan and was hoping you might have some new and juicy revival information. At the very least maybe a release date? Thanks a ton. — Amy
Ausiello: Unconfirmed reports put the revival’s release at either the Tuesday before or the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I have no idea if either date is true, but the former makes a lot more sense than the latter. I mean, why would Netflix drop the four movie-lets at the end of a four-day weekend versus at the start? Of course, none of this really impacts me since I’ve already seen them all. I’ve also already read the Game of Thrones Season 7 premiere script and glimpsed the first 14 minutes of Star Wars: Episode VIII: Fall of the Resistance, so I think we can all agree I’ve come a long way since interning at As the World Turns.

Link to the full article:‘Once Upon a Time’ Season 6 Spoilers: Hyde and Regina — Ask Ausiello | TVLine

Gilmore Girls: Scoop on the possibility of Melissa McCarthy appearing in the revival and more from TVLine's Michael Ausiello

Here's some scoop on the Gilmore Girls revival (Gilmore Girls: Seasons) from this week's (Posted on 3/17/16) Ask Ausiello column.

Question: It’s been nearly three weeks since your last Gilmore Girls update. Anything new to report? —Nichole
Ausiello: That’s a bald-faced lie. Just yesterday I added a new name to our official Gilmore Girls cast gallery (it’s Slide 25). You should think twice before hurling accusations like that.

Question: I love that you love Gilmore Girls as much as I do! I loved all the news after the announcement of the revival, but now, nothing… Where is more news? There have to be some juicy bits from filming? —Diane
Ausiello: I promised AS-P I wouldn’t say anything, but, eh, screw it. It’s just too big. And I don’t feel right keeping it from you. OK, here it goes: In the final of the four installments, “Fall,” Lorelai [redacted] [spoiler] [spoiler] [redacted] [spoiler] [redacted] the [spoiler] [redacted] [spoiler] [spoiler] in [redacted] [spoiler] [spoiler].

Question: I know Yanic said it was just dinner, but please tell me you know more and that this is a sign of hope for Sookie and Lorelai to be reunited. —GG4Ever
Ausiello: It was a sign of two friends meeting for a bite to eat. Nothing more. Melissa McCarthy has made it pretty clear that she is unavailable to shoot a cameo in the revival.

Link to the full article:‘Legends of Tomorrow’ Season 2: Which DC Superhero’s Joining the Cast? | TVLine

Gilmore Girls: Scoop on the final four words of the finale and more on the revival from TVLine's Michael Ausiello

Here's some scoop on the Gilmore Girls revival (Gilmore Girls: Seasons) from this week's (Posted on 2/18/16) Ask Ausiello column.

Question: True or false: You have a red phone in your office designated specifically for Gilmore Girls scoops. Any more intel? —Kirsten
Ausiello: False. The phone is Isabelline, to match the color of the Stars Hollow gazebo. As far as fresh intel goes, I carved out an exclusive little AA nugget from my chat with Milo Ventimiglia concerning a showdown between his Jess and Matt Czuchry’s Logan. Specifically, will the Netflix revival treat us to one? “I don’t even know the answer to that one, honestly,” he admitted to me. “I’ve only read up to a certain point.” So, it’s not a yes. But it’s also not a no. By my calculations, that makes it a maybe. Scoop!

Question: Lorelai Gilmore. Give us something. Anything. We’ve been given a finger and we want the entire hand and the coffee it’s holding. Please. —Danielle
Ausiello: I didn’t find Lauren Graham’s “both of you” comment from our recent Q&A as ambiguous as many of you apparently did. I interpreted that to mean that the final four words are going to be delivered by Lorelai and Rory. I could be wrong, but that was my takeaway.

 
Link to the full article:‘Gilmore Girls’ Season 8 Spoilers: Netflix Revival — Logan and Jess | TVLine

Gilmore Girls: Emily related scoop on the revival from TVLine's Michael Ausiello

Here's some scoop on the Gilmore Girls revival from this week's (Posted on 2/6/16) Ask Ausiello column.

Question: Your Gilmore Girls articles have been a-mah-zing! I’m loving it! Thanks for being you! —Kelly
Ausiello: No, thank you, Kelly, for being the kind of individual who appreciates good journalism when she sees it. We need more people like you in this world. Oh, hey, speaking of G’Girls, I asked Kelly Bishop if she thinks Emily will ever be able to make room in her life for another man, and I saved her answer for Ask Ausiello on the off chance one of my readers complimented me on my coverage. Bishop noted that the first of the four 90-minute episodes, titled “Winter,” suggests that “four months” have passed since Richard’s death, adding, “So by the time you get to [Episode 4 aka ‘Fall’] a whole year will have passed. And I know from my experience, that the first year [after losing a loved one] is awful. But when you hit that first year you start to emerge from it.” In other words, if a new gentleman were to enter Emily’s orbit, it would likely be in “Fall” — which, as bad luck would have it, happens to be the one script Bishop hadn’t gotten around to reading (yet).

Link to the full article:‘The Flash’: Griffin Grey Joining Season 2 — Spoilers in Ask Ausiello | TVLine

Gilmore Girls: Romance related spoiler on the revival from TVLine's Michael Ausiello

Here's some scoop on Gilmore Girls from this week's (Posted on 12/17/15) Ask Ausiello column.

Question: Anything new on the Gilmore Girls revival? —Maureen
Ausiello: What would you say if I told you that one of the main four characters (i.e. Lorelai, Rory, Emily or Luke) will be getting a new love interest? Spit it out, Maureen — what would you say?!?!?

Link to the full article:Is Cary Gay on ‘The Good Wife’? Robert King Answers the Question — Spoilers | TVLine

Gilmore Girls: Scoop on the status of the contract negotiations with the cast for the revival from TVLine's Michael Ausiello

Here's some scoop on the Gilmore Girls revival from this week's (Posted on 12/8/15) Ask Ausiello column.

Question: Any updates on how negotiations are going for the cast of the Gilmore Girls revival? —Christopher
Ausiello: Slooooooow. But Warner Bros. TV is apparently pretty confident that all the key players will sign on the dotted line since the sets are already being constructed!

Link to the full article:‘The Flash’ Season 2 Spoilers: Iris’ New Boss and… Love Interest? | TVLine

Gilmore Girls: Scoop on the possibility of a reunion movie being made from TVLine's Michael Ausiello

Here's some scoop on Gilmore Girls from this week's (Posted on 10/14/14) Ask Ausiello column.

Question: So now with Gilmore Girls streaming in Netflix, is there hope for a reunion movie? —Mindy
Ausiello: Great, Gilmore-obsessed minds think alike, Mindy. The conspiracy theorist in me suspected the Netflix deal was a precursor to a much bigger Gilmore announcement, but all my investigation turned up was a series of prolonged eye rolls and one really loud cackle. But I’m not ashamed. It takes a real man to carry a torch for Gilmore Girls.

Link to the full article:‘Glee’ Spoilers: Brittany and Santana Reunited in Season 6 — Brittana | TVLine

The Carrie Diaries: Casting related scoop from E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos

Here's some scoop on The Carrie Diaries from Kristin Dos Santos' Spoiler Chat for Thursday 11/8/12.

Dana: I'm already so excited for The Carrie Diaries? Got any scoop on what we can expect?
We can exclusively reveal that Gilmore Girls and Necessary Roughness alum Scott Cohen will be playing an Upper East Side father on the midseason CW series.

Link to the full article:Spoiler Chat Scoop On Gossip Girl Once Upon A Time Nashville 90210 And More | E! Online

ABC Family Renews Melissa and Joey and Baby Daddy, Orders More Episodes of Bunheads and Cancels Jane By Design

According to TVLine's Michael Ausiello, ABC Family has renewed Melissa & Joey, Switched at Birth and Baby Daddy for another season. They've also ordered additional episodes of Bunheads, while Jane By Design has been canceled. Here's an excerpt from the article:



The Bunheads extension (which is rumored to be around eight episodes) ensures that Monday’s episode will be a summer and not a series finale. The Sutton Foster-Kelly Bishop dramedy is expected to resume production in October and return on air in early ’13.

Melissa & Joey will be heading into its third season, while Switched at Birth and Baby Daddy will both be entering Season 2. (The second half of SaB‘s rookie season bows Sept. 3; Baby Daddy and Melissa & Joey wrap Season 1 and Season 2, respectively, on Aug. 29.)

Finally, the decision to pull the plug on the struggling Jane By Design comes just weeks after the show ended its first season with 1.2 million viewers and a 0.4 demo rating, representing half of its Pretty Little Liars lead-in.



Link to the full article:Bunheads Renewed — Jane By Design Cancelled - TVLine



My thoughts: I absolutely love Melissa and Joey, Baby Daddy and Switched at Birth, so I'm beyond thrilled that they've all been renewed. Melissa and Joey and Baby Daddy aren't the best TV shows ever, but they are still pretty good and a lot of fun to watch after a long day. Switched at Birth is also a really great show, so I'm really happy that it's been renewed. I've only seen one episode of Jane By Design, but I really liked it, so I'm definitely kind of sad about it being canceled. As for Bunheads, I haven't watched that show, so I don't really have an opinion about that show other than it doesn't look very good based on the promos for the show that I've seen. I loved Gilmore Girls, but I'm not planning on watching on Bunheads.

Scandal: Season 2 Casting News-TVLine

According to TVLine's Megan Masters, Gregg Henry and Jillian Armenante have been cast in recurring guest-star roles for season 2 of Scandal. Here's an excerpt the article, which gives some details on Henry and Armenante's roles:



Gilmore Girls/Hung alum Gregg Henry — who can currently be seen on ABC’s Bunheads — joins the series’ sophomore run as Jackson, a wealthy Southerner who’s harmless… until you cross him. Jillian Armenante (Judging Amy), meanwhile, has been tapped to play a woman named Lucas who is described as “smart, well-spoken and brash.”

Deadine first reported the castings.

Other changes ahead in Scandal‘s second season (which bows Sept. 27) include the exit of Henry Ian Cusick and a series regular bump for Joshua Malina.



Link to the full article:Scandal Once Upon a Time Castings -- Season 2 - TVLine







My thoughts: It's been a long time since I've watched Gilmore Girls and Hung, so I can't remember what I think of Gregg Henry as an actor. I've never heard of Jillian Armenante before, but both of their characters sound really interesting, so I'm looking forward to seeing them on Scandal. Scandal is a really great show, so if you're not already watching it, then you should definitely check it out.

Bunheads: Scoop from E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos

Here's some scoop on Bunheads from Kristin Dos Santos' Spoiler Chat Daily for Thursday 4/5/12.

Diana in Nashville, Tenn: What do you know about this new ABC Family show Bunheads I keep hearing about?
Sheesh, how much time do you have? Not only does it star Broadway legend Sutton Foster as a Las Vegas showgirl turned dance teacher, Amy Sherman-Palladino is the producer! Maybe you've heard of her? She produced this little show called Gilmore Girls. Amy recently told us that Stars Hollow fans can expect to see a very familiar face in her new show. One of the main characters is "an ex-ballet dancer who is going to be played by Kelly Bishop," who Amy says she is "so thrilled" to be working with again. Intrigued? Check out the first promo that ABC Family has released here.

Link to the full article:Spoiler Chat Daily: Glee Prom Scoop! Plus Once Upon a Time, Gossip Girl and More! - E! Online

Parenthood: Season 3 Episode 7 Lauren Graham and Jason Ritter Preview-TVLine

Parenthood‘s Sarah and Mark (played by Lauren Graham and Jason Ritter) seem like the perfect, happy couple, so naturally, the show’s writers plan to send them through a romantic obstacle course, of sorts. In tonight’s episode (airing on NBC at 10/9c), Mark will face a lot of Bravermans, but the biggest challenge comes from someone outside the family.

TVLine caught up with Lauren Graham and Jason Ritter to talk about their characters’ romance, the challenges Sarah’s ex Seth (John Corbett) poses, and some extra treats for fans of Gilmore Girls and The Event.

TVLINE | What’s going on in Tuesday night’s episode? Jason, there are some pictures of your character out with all the ladies.
LAUREN GRAHAM | [Mark] gets introduced to the family at a big party that my brothers are having to launch their music studio. That’s a sweet part of this week’s show – that I’m all excited for him to meet my family. He’s not, like, partying with the ladies. [Laughs]

Exclusive Parenthood Video: Julia Makes a Shocking Discovery [SPOILER ALERT]

TVLINE | How does the family accept Mark? And what does he think of them?
JASON RITTER | I love them. And they’ve all been very accepting of me up to now.
GRAHAM | They’re happy for Sarah to be happy finally.

TVLINE | Seth has been stirring up a lot of drama in Sarah’s life recently. How does that affect Mark and Sarah’s relationship going forward?
RITTER | It’s tough. Exes are a very difficult part of any relationship. They’re harder to deal with than some new person that someone might be attracted to or not; there’s no history there, no old love there. So it’s difficult, especially because here’s someone who’s having a real problem with alcohol and now they’ve decided to get sober. So they’re returning to the person that they were when…
GRAHAM | We were connected.
RITTER | Exactly.

TVLINE | Is it going to strengthen Mark and Sarah’s relationship, as a result, or uncover some weaknesses in it?
GRAHAM | Both of those probably.
RITTER | Any time there’s any kind of pressure on anything, it changes it. Sometimes for the better. Sometimes for the worse. Sometimes for the medium between those two. [Graham laughs]

Exclusive: Parenthood Casts Life Unexpected Alum As Deadbeat Baby Daddy

TVLINE | Does Sarah have romantic feelings for Seth?
GRAHAM | It’s confusing. I’m not sure she’s sure. There’s a lot in not having had him healthy for so much of the marriage. I think there’s a fantasy, for her kids, wishing that their father was in the picture. And maybe that spills over a little bit into some feelings for him. I’m not sure she knows exactly what it is.




TVLINE | Mark’s been really understanding and calm about everything so far. Is he going to lose his cool soon?
RITTER | He does start standing up for himself a little bit more. He’s always been at least clear with her about what makes him uncomfortable and what he’s not excited about. She at least knows that he’s trying. He just really loves her a lot. He loves her that much, so he’s trying as hard as he can. He’s not going to throw away a whole relationship because it’s difficult. It’s tough for him, but…
GRAHAM | Or are you going to punch [Seth]? [Laughs]
RITTER | I would love to get one good clock in there and then run fast. [Laughs] You get to see the true mettle of a person when they’re challenged like that.

TVLINE | Jason, how long are you around for this season?
RITTER | Neither of us know. I’m happy to say it’s already been longer than I initially thought. That’s really, really nice. They’re giving our relationship an opportunity to get into more complicated areas, instead of just having to break it off because it gets weird and complicated.

NBC Increases Parenthood‘s Season 3 Order

TVLINE | Lauren, does it give you some anxiety knowing that Jason’s gig is probably temporary and Sarah’s likely going to have her heart broken?
GRAHAM | It does give me some anxiety because at this point, I’m so invested in this character, I personally don’t want to start over. And I’m not sure how they would split us up because it is so positive. Your guess is as good as mine.

TVLINE | Jason, at what point should fans move on from the idea of an Event reunion movie or miniseries?
GRAHAM | At the same point that the Gilmore Girls people should – never!
RITTER | [Laughs] That is still a possibility. When I hear for sure that it’s not happening, I will let it go myself, and I will spread the word to let it go. But until then… Every time I’ve started to feel like it’s not going to happen, I get a little email from one of the producers of it, saying, “We’re still working on it, so don’t give up.”

This article was written by Vlada Gelman.

Link to the original article:Parenthood Season 3 Episode 7 Lauren Graham and Jason Ritter Preview

'Vampire Diaries' star Arielle Kebbel heads to '90210' for some love-From Inside the Box-Zap2it

One of our many dearly departed "Vampire Diaries" favorites, Arielle Kebbel is headed for some sunny weather.

Kebbel's character, Lexi, was killed in Season 1 of "The Vampire Diaries," much to everyone's dismay, but we'll get to see much more of the actress when she hits LA in a recurring "90210" gig, as first reported by TV Guide.

She'll play Vanessa, a girl with a rather, uh, promiscuous past who still, occasionally finds herself making risky choices... some of which apparently direct her into the arms of one of "90210's" leading men. No word on which West Bev grad she'll be romancing, but we can expect to see Vanessa's first appearance in early December.

Fans will also remember Kebbel from a brief stint on "Life Unexpected" as Kerr Smith's here-comes-trouble sister. Obviously, we will forever think of her as Dean's (Jared Padalecki) too-young wife on "Gilmore Girls." (Poor Lindsay, never had a chance.)

This article was written by Carina Adly MacKenzie.

Link to the original article:'Vampire Diaries' star Arielle Kebbel heads to '90210' for some love - From Inside the Box - Zap2it