Yay! I Finished Reading Another Book

 

Long time readers to this blog know this lament all too well.   I don't read.   I buy books all the time.   And they pile up.   

Back when I was traveling between LA and NY ten times a year, my reading was a lot more prominent.   And even then.   I would get halfway through something and then put it aside for a year.   I even started this blog book report to jump start books into my hands more often.   Did that work?   Welp, the last time I did such a blog book report was in 2020!

Now I grabbed "The Boys" by Ron and Clint Howard as soon as it came out.   And I immediately cracked it open.   That was last October.   I just finished it a few weeks ago.   And, oddly enough, it had me riveted.   Or as riveted as I get.

Lengthy preamble aside, I loved this memoir.   Truth be told, I have always been a long time admirer of Ron Howard as he is truly one of the really good guys in Hollywood.   Once I saw him on line for popcorn with one of his kids at the Egyptian Theater for a showing of "Guns of Navarone."   I came this close to breaking my rule about not bothering celebs in person.   But, ultimately, my civility prevailed.   But I digress...

This is one of those memoirs that's sort of an oral history.   Ron writes a few pages and then brother Clint shares a similar memory.   Given the stature difference of their careers, Ron's pages are more plentiful than Clint's.   But the same theme flows through all of their words.

They are decent people largely because they were raised by some very grounded and decent parents.  That's the heart of this book and both Mom and Dad Howard linger in their memories on virtually every page.  They truly did a remarkable job raising two boys in the spotlight of Tinseltown.

Oh sure, there are some nifty tales about "The Andy Griffith Show" and 
Happy Days" and "Gentle Ben."   And Clint shares his arduous time as a strung-out teenager.   Indeed, the book only covers their years up to Ron's departure from "Happy Days."  If you're looking for juicy stories about his film directing, that might turn up in another book.    In this one, however, it's their childhood and young adulthood that is the focus.   And that's all because of the significant roles their parents played in their lives.

I heartily recommend "The Boys."   It's a quick read...and that's something coming out of my mouth.

Onto the next book in my pile.   And you'll probably hear all about it in 2024.

Dinner last night:  Salad.