a nice bonus chapter to this classic film

The Making of The African Queen Or How I went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall and Huston and almost lost my mind by Katharine Hepburn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"The Making of The African Queen" is a really nice and personal recollection by Katherine Hepburn of her experience of making the film. Having just read the novel on which the film is based, i really appreciated some of the behind the scenes insights and tales. Also, it was nice to see some of the personal impressions of Huston and Bogart, and Lauren Bacall. This book is a nice bonus chapter to this classic film, for which Bogart won his Oscar.

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great to read the story that inspired the film

The African Queen by C.S. Forester
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A pretty cool story about the two least likely to meet and become friends doing just that, and more. Some parts were too detailed, but realistic. After seeing the film many times, it was great to read the story that inspired it. And it was great picturing Bogart and Hepburn on every page.

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rich and pleasant to read

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is another title that appears several of my "top books" lists. Ms. Cather's writing is rich and pleasant to read, as it was in My Antonia and O Pioneers! The descriptions of nineteenth century New Mexico and the southwest US and the many cultures and personalities are full and three dimensional, and also rich. But the overall context centered around the Catholic archbishop missionary and his travels and cohorts was less interesting to me. I suspect that the story sheds light on the reality of life in the church in that era and context, but i found it secondary to the rich descriptive writing used in the story.

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