Two Truths and a Lie

I'm writing about two books and a show and it makes me think of the game Two Truths and a Lie. One of the books I'm reviewing even has a scene in which a character plays the game, so it's top of mind.

Two Truths and a Lie is a common workplace icebreaker in which each participant shares, you guessed it, two truths and a lie about him or herself. The other players have to guess which statements are veracious and which are erroneous. I'll play with my readers now, and reveal the answer in my next blog post's postscript.

1. My name was changed two times on my birth certificate
2. I love cheese
3. I was a child actress

Speaking of actresses, my first book review is of Good Company, a novel about two friends who met as young actors. The book spans their lives from young adulthood to middle age, and the author spins a captivating web around the shady discovery of a hidden wedding ring. I serendipitously have much in common with a lot of the details of this book (and thankfully I don't relate to most of the bigger dramatic developments). But specific restaurants mentioned and other minitua are very familiar to me, and it made the read all the more enjoyable. Highly recommend.

After enjoying Good Company I read another novel by the same author, The Nest. The Nest is well-written but, frankly, I couldn't wait to finish it. I didn't particularly care for any of the characters. The subject matter of four grown siblings relying on their compromised inheritance was depressing to me. There was a spinoff storyline about one main character's kids that seemed completely irrelevant. I was surprised to see reviewers call the book funny. Overall? Not my favorite.

And now, showtime. Lately Hubs and I haven't had a TV series we've been into. It feels like we've exhausted all of the non depressing and non violent (my criteria) options. Fortunately there's always a documentary to check out. I heard of Inside Bill’s Brain, the Bill Gates three-part series, from Kris Jenner of all people. She mentioned it on the Foster Sisters' podcast. It was a legit recommendation. Bill Gates, or BG as I have taken to calling him, is of course a fascinating figure. His upbringing is interesting and much of the credit for his success is owed to his amazing mother. His work in disease control and climate science is revolutionary. I learned a lot from Inside Bill's Brain. The one thing missing for me was more detail about his personal life, which now takes on an extra level of intrigue given the recent divorce announcement. Melinda is featured prominently in the docuseries, but I wanted to hear more about their life at home, about their kids and how BG was (and is) as a dad. I guess I'll have to wait for a more intimate documentary or biography. But definitely worth a watch.

AES