September 17, 2009

Cheryl, Oprah, Ernie and Whitney

Today's round-up of linky goodness starts off with Cheryl St. John, who now has a cover for her December 2009 release, Her Colorado Man. She also has a very nice post up today over at the Petticoats and Pistols blog where she talks about about the book, and the cover.

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Librarians and booksellers around the country are girding their loins in preparation for tomorrow, when Oprah is set to announce her next book club pick. There's been quite a bit of fiction released in recent memory that screams "Oprah" to me, and my best guess was that she'd pick The Help by Kathryn Stockett. However, speculation I've read online suggests I'm wrong and there's this
juicy morsel on Oprah's web site:
"She's never picked anything like this before!"
I'll admit it. When I read this my first thought was, "Maybe she'll pick a romance novel." Then I put the vodka bottle down and came to my senses. Ha!

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The last of the great Old School baseball announcers was honored at Comerica Park last night. Ernie Harwell is in his 90s, and has publicly revealed that he has inoperable cancer. Ernie was the Detroit Tigers radio announcer for a ton of years, and they had a nice video tribute last night, along with Ernie coming out between innings to give a little speech to the fans. You can see the whole shebang on the Tigers website in their video archives.

A couple of memories about Ernie. First, I hope I look half as good as he does if I live to be 90. He's still quite sprightly, and is a big advocate for seniors to stay active. He's a big "walker" and I seem to recall reading an interview with him years ago where he said he "always takes the stairs." My favorite Ernie call? Probably "Long drive to right....and it is a home run for Gibson!" from the 1984 World Series. Maybe that's because I live in southern California now, and Dodgers fans like to think that Kirk Gibson only hit memorable home runs for them.

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Big Sis is the family Metal Head. Lil' Sis is all about rap and hip-hop. Me? I'm the pop girl. I love good pop music, which means Top 40 radio has been downright painful of late. Well brace yourself bitches because Whitney Houston is back, having thrown off the yoke of "Bobbbbbbaaaaaaayyyyyyyy."

Yeah, Lil' Sis. I put that in there just to amuse you.

I saw the official video for Million Dollar Bill yesterday, and damn, I am totally digging this song. It's upbeat. It's dance-y. And it's got mad earworm properties. Work it girl!

24 comments:

Barbara said...

You know, I love love love Whitney's stuff from the 80's. The 90's...eh. That idiot Bobby Brown really ruined her career.

Tracy said...

lol Put down the vodka bottle Wendy - I don't think she'll EVER pick a romance. Now watch me be proven wrong - I hope I am. :)

Good old Whitney.

Amy said...

Welcome back, Whitney! It's about damned time. That's enough for me to pick up the album when it's released, cuz I've seriously missed her.

Katie Mack said...

Wow, Whitney looks so much better now than she has for oh, the past 15 years. So glad she dropped that loser. Now I'm getting the urge to listen to my favorite 80s Whitney songs again.

Oh, and I agree with Tracy - I don't think Oprah will ever pick a romance.

Kwana said...

Great Patsy vodka pic. LOL. I can't wait to see what this next book will be. Hmm. I was loving the Whitney interview. So moving.

Cheryl St.John said...

Maybe Oprah picked my book.


Wait. Stopping passing me the vodka, Wendy.

Thanks for posting my exciting new covah!

Leslie said...

Has Oprah ever picked a YA book? I'm not familiar with her book picks but since YA is so popular maybe she's decided to give the Oprah seal of approval. :)

And good for Whitney for kicking Bobby to the curb - best thing to happen to her and her daughter.

Nicole said...

Looks like it's going to be Say You're One of Them by Uwen Akpan.

Kati said...

OK, clearly Whitney has the BEST plastic surgeon EVAH. She looks magnificent.

And now that damn song is in my head. I blame you for this, Wendy!

JamiSings said...

What do you bet that Oprah picked Flow?

Seriously, that just seems to be the book she'd pick.

Rosie said...

Yes Wen you keep me on the cutting edge because I saw your tweet last night and checked out Whitney's latest. While catchy, I think it's sort of dated and don't know if it will catch on.

Oprah? A romance? I'd like some of that vodka you're drinking.

Wendy said...

Nicole said: Say You're One of Them by Uwen Akpan

Yeah, that's according to a leak via Ingram. And it probably is - because the price and publisher are a match. And if the leak is right? What a bunch of horse crap. That book sounds EXACTLY like something Oprah would pick. How is it "different?" It's a short story collection.

Whoop-de-frickin'-do.

But we'll have to wait until tomorrow for official confirmation.

And OMG - LOLOLOLOLOL Cheryl!

Kristie (J) said...

I just don't get all the hoopla about the Oprah picks. I really don't. Why does everyone go so gaga over her picks??? But then I don't get the whole Oprah worship thing anyway - sure I admire her for the success she has made of her self and her life - but the zeal of the admiration puzzles me.

Tara Marie said...

...Then I put the vodka bottle down and came to my senses. Ha!

If she actually picked a romance, we all would need the vodka to get over the shock. And honestly if she picked a romance, it would probably be melodramatic pap.

Wendy said...

Kristie: Because people are sheep. I have a theory that Oprah could pick bound blank pages smeared with dog poop and it would still reach #1 on the NYT Bestseller List.

I only care because I'm a librarian and I have to :P I'm sure the holds list will be off the charts when I get back to the office on Monday.

Big Sis said...

"I've been waitin' for a man to touch this place..."
Is that a slam at Bobby?

nath said...

I'm so disconnected, but how many times a year does she choose a book for her book club?

I have to say, I dislike having someone with such a power on people.

JamiSings said...

Wendy - Finally someone whom agrees with me! Oprah is not all that and the way people follow her disgusts me. Or the way they blindly follow any celeberty. Drives me buggy! I can still remember as a page overhearing people asking the reference librarian for "The new Oprah book." ARG!

Renee said...

Yeah, the Oprah books just aren't my thing. Now, what I'd be interested in is the romance novel people would recommend if THEY were Oprah.

Thanks for the Whitney. She's never been a favorite of mine, but it's nice to see her bouncing back so beautifully.

Wendy said...

Big Sis: Well, it's certainly not a ringing endorsement!

Nath: You know, I'm not sure. It's usually a couple of titles a year. Not nearly as frequent as when she first started her book club.

Jami: I tend to be bitter because so often her book club selections are my current Book That Won't Die. A big chunk of my job is monitoring the holds list, and I get bored when I see the same titles over and over and over again at the top of the list.

Renee: She looks fab doesn't she? I'm with Kati. I want to know who her plastic surgeon is! LOL

JamiSings said...

Wendy - Was it Nicolas Sparks or some other author whom actually got pissed off that Oprah wanted to make his book one of her picks? I remember there was a huge debate about it.

I don't get blindly following any celebrity. They are, after all, human beings, and therefore make mistakes. Yet people act like Oprah or any celeb you name is a god or goddess and can't do anything wrong. It's insane.

Wendy said...

Jami:
I think you're thinking of Jonathan Franzen. Oprah picked his well-received book, The Corrections and he was less than thrilled. I can't recall now - but if I remember correctly he did not appear on her show.

It's been several years though and my memory is shoddy.....

Lil Sis said...

Sorry - just now catching up on your blog - lots of stuff happening but I digress.

Thank you for the Bobbbaaayyy! Love it! :) I also love, "crack is whack!" :)

Cece Writer said...

eh she should have picked THE HELP--sorry best book I've read this year!

Amie