Journal Entry 1 by bookczuk from Charleston, South Carolina USA on Wednesday, February 22, 2006

My girlfriend Liz lent me a copy of this. I liked it so much I got this one to BookCross. It's not a deep or profound book, but is a funny, touching tale of a boy's love for his family and life.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
Hailed as a triumph by everyone from the New York Times to Sports Illustrated©, Billy Crystal's 700 SUNDAYS is the crowning achievement of an amazing career. A poignant, hilarious, and personal portrayal of his youth, Crystal's play broke Broadway box office records and failed to leave a dry eye in the house.
 

Journal Entry 2 by bookczuk from Charleston, South Carolina USA on Sunday, February 26, 2006

Funny. funny man. I found myself snickering and giggling at some of his throw away lines. I had to read about a dozen of them out to mr czuk...grandpa's tea drinking, toots and farts, mother of the lesbian bride, "the face", Billy discovers his boy parts...

But the thing that blew me away was that his family founded Commadore records, the fabulous jazz record company. And all the musicians Billy knew when he was a kid. Mr Billy and Miss Billie go see Shane--Billy's uncle produced "Strange Fruit". Wow- talk about some of the greats being the touchstones of your life. Blows me away.

Passing this on to bumma and then to mr czuk and boyczuk if interested. 

Journal Entry 3 by bumma from Charleston, South Carolina USA on Thursday, March 02, 2006

Grateful that bookczuk handed this to me. Laughed all the way till the end. Wish I could have seen and heard the play. Imagine telling Louis Armstrong to try to clear his throat! 

Journal Entry 4 by bookczuk from Charleston, South Carolina USA on Saturday, March 11, 2006

700 Sundays is ready to travel. Thank you for joining the ring. The list is posted on my bookshelf and in here, the book, so you can see where you fall. If there's a problem, let me know and we can reshuffle.

1. When you receive the book, journal it so we know it's arrived with you!

2. If you can, please try and read and journal within a month or so

3. If it's going to take longer than this, or if you have any problems, just add a journal entry to the book. This lets us all know what is
happeneing

4. PM the next person on the list for their address and post the book to them (Adding another journal entry or amending your last journal entry with posting date, again this just lets everyone know where the book is!) And if at all possible (this is only for US, I think), splurge on the delivery confirmation so that you know for sure it got to the destination in case the recipient forgets to journal. :) If you're unable to, I understand, but it does help keeping up with the book when traveling.

Thanks so much, and I hope you enjoy Billy!

MaryZee; US
allysther; APO, Intl
WelshHelen; UK, Intl
Trelk; SWZ; Intl
BountifulPots; US, Intl
veleta-; Spain
bean-frog; UK. Intl
Alive; US, Intl
FeralReader; US, Intl
bakerwhencan; US, US
jamesmum; US, US
fsr44; US, Intl
otakuu NZ, Intl
glade1 US
then back to me
 

Journal Entry 5 by bookczuk from Charleston, South Carolina USA on Saturday, March 11, 2006

Packaged and ready to go out in the mail to MAryZee either tomorrow or Monday.

ETA: Mailed MArch 13, 2006 

Journal Entry 6 by maryzee from Taneytown, Maryland USA on Friday, March 17, 2006

This arrived safely today. I'll be able to start it in a few days. 

Journal Entry 7 by maryzee from Taneytown, Maryland USA on Saturday, March 18, 2006

I loved this book! Thanks so much for sharing it, Bookczuk.

I've enjoyed Billy Crystal's humor for many years. I remember when he was on Saturday Night Live, although I wasn't a fan of SNL then (my sense of humor has changed over the years). I remember his early days on Soap, although I wasn't a fan of that show either. Hmmm, I'm starting to wonder how I ever became a fan of his? His movies, I think. Loved When Harry Met Sally, also City Slickers, and Mr. Saturday Night. And of course, the great Oscars shows.

This memoir was really special, such a close-knit extended family. Lovely memories going way back. I would have loved to see this show, I'm so glad I had a chance to read this book.

Sending out to Allysther on Friday, 3/24. 

Journal Entry 8 by allysther from Waipahu, Hawaii USA on Friday, March 31, 2006

Yoy, the book made it just in time for the weekend. I look forward to reading about Crystal's life. 

Journal Entry 9 by allysther from Waipahu, Hawaii USA on Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Finished the book just a few minutes ago. What a wonderful way to remember his parents. A loving tribute to the family they built.

I grew up listening to comedy records. I had Bill Cosby, Alan Sherman, Vaughn Meader, and a few others. Billy Crystal's album came to me by way of the Columbia Record Club, and it rarely left my turntable. The tracks I avoided were the SNL skits. They were fine, but it was his personal humor that I loved. A few of those pieces are touched on in this book, and I was able to hear them fully. They took me right back to my bedroom, dropping the needle, hearing the hiss of empty space, and getting ready to laugh.

Thank you so much for sharing this book. It is on the way to WelshHelen. 

Journal Entry 10 by WelshHelen from Ponthenri, Wales United Kingdom on Saturday, April 08, 2006

Arrived safely today. Thank you to bookczuk and allysther. I have a couple of ring books ahead of this one but I'm hoping to get a lot of reading done over the Easter break :-) 

Journal Entry 11 by WelshHelen from Ponthenri, Wales United Kingdom on Thursday, April 27, 2006

I've always adored Billy Crystal from Soap days and I love him even more now having read this book. The title comes from the fact that his much-loved Dad died when Billy was 15 so he only had about 700 sundays with him and he tells the stories of some of those sundays in the book.

Having just been bitterly disappointed by the last book I read (The Sunday Philosophy Club), I wish that this one had been twice as long because it was brilliant! Though there were some parts that are more meaningful to Americans (he talks a lot about baseball and basketball and his heroes from when he was growing up, so I hadn't heard of most of these people) his love of life and family shone through. I must admit that I cried buckets when he wrote about both his Mum and Dad dying :-( but I'd laughed out loud just a couple of pages before.

Marvellous book, highly recommended.

I've requested Trelk's address and will post it on as soon as I get it.
 

Journal Entry 12 by WelshHelen from Ponthenri, Wales United Kingdom on Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Posted to trelk today. Thank you bookczuk for sharing. 

Journal Entry 13 by Trelk from Grand-Lancy, Genève Switzerland on Saturday, May 06, 2006

Just got it !

TBR very soon 

Journal Entry 14 by Trelk from Grand-Lancy, Genève Switzerland on Sunday, May 07, 2006

Just finished it. A really good book.

I thought the chapter about the lesbian wedding was really funny but very moving too, not to mention the way he describes how his mother died. I had shivers reading some parts of this book.

Of course, I also laughed my a** off more than a couple of times.

Thanks to bookczuk for sharing this one.

Edit : Shipped to BountifulPots on May 11th.

 

Journal Entry 15 by BountifulPots from Olathe, Kansas USA on Wednesday, June 07, 2006

I'm really excited to read this one, though I fear it's gonna make me cry a lot. Thanks so much for talking me into the ring, czukie! 

Journal Entry 16 by BountifulPots from Olathe, Kansas USA on Sunday, June 18, 2006

I was right, it did make me cry. Funny how you could always see his comedy through his tears, and always see his wistfulness through the laughter. That kind of family bond is hard to find, and is to be cherished when you have it. I've always liked Billy Crystal, but I've found a new respect for him through this.

I plan to mail this off Monday to Spain. 

Journal Entry 17 by veleta from Ourense, Ourense Spain on Monday, July 24, 2006

Caught and read. Interesting, funny and melancholic. I really liked it. What he says about being an orphan and the mould really touched me. I love some singers of jazz (Holliday, Amstrong and Cole Porter's anthems are my favourite), and felt really jealous when he explains how he met Billie Holliday, and all the unfairness of such stars scrapping for their pennies to make ends meet.

Thank you for sharing this book with me. Thank you for sending it from the USA. That you all. I hope that the rest of you will like this book as well. pm the next one for their address.

 

Journal Entry 18 by bean-frog from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Thursday, August 24, 2006

This arrived last week, and I forgot to journal it oops, sorry!
Just finished it today, and have pm'd Alive for address. 

Journal Entry 19 by Alive from St. Petersburg, Florida USA on Saturday, November 25, 2006

I received this book 2 weeks ago from beanfrog.

I am so sorry for the delay to all. 

Journal Entry 20 by Alive from St. Petersburg, Florida USA on Friday, February 09, 2007

I am sending a post to FeralReader so I can send the book off.

Sorry for keeping the book so long.
 

Journal Entry 21 by Alive from St. Petersburg, Florida USA on Monday, March 05, 2007

A funny and touching love story of a boy and his family.
What touched me was when Billy Crystal said he had figured out he spent 700 Sundays with his Father.(won't tell you the rest.)
I am very sorry I kept this book so long.
Sent to feralreader today, via post office.

Enjoy and thanks bookczuk. 

Journal Entry 22 by FeralReader from Davis, California USA on Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Arrived in today's mail. Thank you, Alive! I am excited to be the next reader of this well-traveled and very inviting book. 

Journal Entry 23 by FeralReader from Davis, California USA on Sunday, March 18, 2007

I picked up this book yesterday morning and read it straight through (good thing it was a Saturday)!
I was introduced to Billy Crystal by his film "City Slickers," one of the very few I have watched multiple times (It's just wonderful to laugh out loud like that).

What a fascinating memoir of a family chock-full of eccentric characters living extraordinary lives.

Entertaining and inspiring his readers, Crystal shows us that the journey to the American Dream is well worth taking. With lots of hard work and perserverence, love, and some luck, one can create so much in this life.

I laughed, I cried, I really enjoyed this book. Thank you, Bookczuk!

Contacting the next reader on this ring... 

Journal Entry 24 by FeralReader from Davis, California USA on Thursday, March 22, 2007

Off in the mail to bakerwhencan today.

(USPS delivery confirmation #0306 0320 0004 0407 9437)

Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 25 by bakerwhencan from San Francisco, California USA on Thursday, March 29, 2007

Arrived! Thank you. Will post after reading. 

Journal Entry 26 by bakerwhencan from San Francisco, California USA on Thursday, May 31, 2007

I have admired Billy Crystal's work for a while and little did I know it spans so much more than what I see. He's much more of an artist to me now. A respectable, and loving man. The book was a pleasure to read.
I appreciate his sharing his history.

I mailed this to Jamesmum today.

Thank you for including me in the ring bookczuk!
 

Journal Entry 27 by fsr44 from Pawtucket, Rhode Island USA on Friday, June 06, 2008

Received this today from Jamesmum who, I guess, didn't journal it. But I'll bet bookczuk will be glad to hear this ring resurfaced a year later. I'll read it and speed it on its way. 

Journal Entry 28 by fsr44 from Pawtucket, Rhode Island USA on Monday, June 09, 2008

Both funny and touching, I enjoyed this very quick read. The early chapters suffer a bit from being read and not spoken (it helps if you can impersonate Crystal in your mind) but otherwise, it's lovely.
I'll PM otakuu and send this out as soon as I have her addy (it will be traveling via slow boat, though.) 

Journal Entry 29 by fsr44 from Pawtucket, Rhode Island USA on Saturday, June 14, 2008

Sending to otakuu. 

Journal Entry 30 by Otakuu from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Sunday, June 22, 2008

Arrived this morning by post from the US (Sent 14 June so quick trip) forwarded by FSR44. I am looking forward to reading this very much 

Journal Entry 31 by Otakuu from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Monday, June 23, 2008

I read this on a cold winter's day while snuggled in bed catching up on lost sleep. It made the perfect companion for such a day.

I have always adored Billy Crystal and have such fond memories of him in Soap so it was interesting to read just a little of his life story delivered with wit and love for those about whom he was writing.

I will contact glade1 for an address and the book will wing it's way back to the US.