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As a fellow woman in the entertainment industry, Lucy is such an inspiration to me and I always love learning more about her. I adore her in I Love Lucy of course, but there is so much more to her story. This book is fairly short and doesn't go into great detail, but it's a wonderful overview of her life and I definitely learned a lot. It's also full of beautiful photos and I can't wait to add a physical copy to my collection so I can fully appreciate them.
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I really wanted to read this book since I am a huge I Love Lucy fan , however, there really wasn’t any knew information in this book .
I just reviewed Lucille Ball Treasures by Cindy De La Hoz. #LucilleBallTreasures #NetGalley
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This is an entertaining run-through of Lucille Ball's life. It includes incredible photographs of Lucy's early life, married life with Desi, their children, and her later life, and details interesting stories and anecdotes.
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A very fun book about one of my favorites from the screen. I just loved all the photos that were included also. Great for any fan or collector.
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I would like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty.
First and foremost, I've always loved Lucille Ball from watching reruns of 'I Love Lucy' for a better part of my life and found so much fascination with how well Lucille did her comedy timing down to a science. This book was very intriguing read, some information I did already know through other documentaries but I absolutely loved the little snapshots of each time in her life to go along with the segment and the different moments in her life were a nice glimpse into the person herself. I had a lot of fun reading this and would recommend to anyone interested in reading about her.
My Rating: 4 Stars
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I have always been a fan of the Lucy show and of her as an actress, so reading this book was good. A short easy read about her life from Jamestown hustling to find work to help her family to being a model and then catching a few breaks and moving to Hollywood. From there it was parts it “B” movies and marriage until she and Desi decided to do T.V. which that part of the story was fascinating. The rest is about her marriage and children, divorce, and the rest some of it you may know or not. Either way a good book about a fascinating woman.
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I LOVE Lucy! Learning about her early life from this book was so interesting. I loved all the pictures in this book and how much they added to the story.
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Everyone knows Lucy -- and Lucy shows are such a generational bridge that I had to stop and get this book immediately when I saw this book come up. It was a love letter to Lucille Ball and her career and cared for as Lucille would have liked -- bad things happen but hard work will continue to overcome whatever problems arise, looking at the bright side, keep on keeping on. It didn't gloss over the bad things but it didn't dwell on them either. I loved this and love seeing how everything from fashion to advertising changed over the course of her career.
#arc
#netgalley
#lucilleballtreasures
#welovelucy
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I have always been a huge fan of Lucille Ball so was thrilled to get this beautiful book that has an incredibly compelling layout. There are many beautiful photos and one-sheets (movie posters) from her career as well as family photos. I had listened to podcasts about her so knew some of the information, but I was very impressed with how well written and concise this book is yet still covers a lot of territory. A beautiful book that honors the legacy of Lucille Ball.
Thank you to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Chartwell Books for an ARC and I left this review voluntarily.
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4 stars!!
Ms. Ball was a beautiful person and beloved entertainer. Her story is intriguing and the photos captivating.
I voluntarily read an advanced copy.
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I Love Lucy was one of my mother's favourite shows. I grew up watching it with her and have watched it with my own children. It's a classic and it's all thanks to Lucy. She MADE that show.
Lucille Ball was and is iconic for so many reasons. She was a woman ahead of her time. Strong, talented, funny and smart are all adjectives to describe the larger-than-life Hollywood star but before reading this book I didn't really know all that much about her before her sitcom days.
Lucille Ball Treasures is full of incredible photos, stories and information about her entire life, from childhood to the early stages of her acting career and beyond. This is the perfect book for die-hard Lucy fans and biography buffs.
Thank you Netgalley and Quarto Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review!
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This is the ideal gift for any Lucille Ball fan! I loved the gorgeous photography and glimpse into the life of this national treasure. Highly recommend!!
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I received this book as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity.
What a fun and endearing book about Lucille Ball.
The photos and page layouts are what make this book so special…just look at that book cover!
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Most people know Lucille Ball from her television shows 'I Love Lucy' (1951 -1957); 'The Lucy Show' (1962 - 1968); and 'Here's Lucy' (1968 - 1974). However Lucille broke into show business long before television comedies put her in every living room. This pictorial biography, filled with great photographs, chronicles Lucille's career, and provides a look into her private life.
Lucille Ball, born in 1911 in Jamestown, New York, inherited traits from both her parents. Lucille's mother DeDe Hunt Ball was an artistic woman who played piano, and Lucille's father Henry Ball had a good sense of humor and bright blue eyes. Lucille's father died when she was a toddler, and Lucille grew up in a household with her mother, her brother Fred, and her grandfather Hunt - all of whom remained close throughout their lives.
Lucille wanted to be an actress since she was a child, and DeDe encouraged her daughter every step of the way. At the age of 17, Lucille moved to New York City to study acting, and tried out for every stage production available. Failing to get acting roles right away, 18-year-old Lucille - a beautiful platinum blonde at the time - became a model. Soon afterwards Lucille became one of the Hollywood 'Goldwyn Girls', a stock company of female dancers that gave many actresses their start in show business.
Lucille soon moved on however, and author Cindy De La Hoz writes, "Although [Lucille's] earliest roles had done little more than add beauty to the background of a scene, Lucille volunteered to do anything and everything the other 'glamour girls' did not want to do, such as scream and make funny faces." Thus Lucille came to the attention of show business moguls, and started her movie career with bit parts, which morphed into small roles, and then became star turns. This is fully catalogued by De La Hoz, with photos to accompany the text.
Lucille got to know Cuban musician/entertainer Desi Arnaz during the filming of 'Too Many Girls' (1940) and it was love at first sight. Lucille would say, "I fell in love with Desi, wham bang, in five minutes." The attraction was mutual, and the couple courted, then wed in November, 1940.
Around this time, MGM Film Studios decided to give Lucille an 'overhaul' and she ended up with more colorful clothing, different make-up, and flaming red hair. Meanwhile, Lucille and Desi continued their independent careers, but really wanted to work together.
After many negotiations with the studio, Lucille and Desi became Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on 'I Love Lucy' in 1951, and immediately became America's favorite couple. Costars Vivian Vance and William Frawley, who played Ethel and Fred Mertz on the program, added to the show's popularity.
De La Hoz writes, "Above all, no one failed to recognize that the true hero of the 'I Love Lucy' success story was Lucille Ball herself. After nearly twenty years in Hollywood and a movie career that was fruitful but did not make her a household name, Lucille finally found the character she was born to play."
Desi was also instrumental in the success of 'I Love Lucy.' Lucille once said, "I had always known Desi was a great showman, but many were surprised to learn he was a genius with keen instincts for comedy and plot." Desi was also a major force in turning the couple's production company, Desilu, into a thriving television empire. De La Hoz goes into great detail about 'I Love Lucy', with great photos from the program.
Lucille and Desi had two children, Lucie and Desi Jr., which completed the family. But the couple's enormous workload - 39 episodes of I Love Lucy per season as well as movies and other commitments - along with Desi's philandering, strained the marriage. Lucille has acknowledged, "We had everything, Desi and I, two beautiful children, our own show, even our own studio. That's when everything began to come apart." The couple divorced in 1960, though they remained cordial and cooperated in raising the children.
Lucille went on to perform on Broadway and in feature films, and continued her television work with 'The Lucy Show' which co-starred Vivian Vance and then Gale Gordon. Lucille then went on to do 'Here's Lucy', with Gale Gordon and her children, Lucie and Desi Jr.
After her divorce from Desi, Lucille met and fell in love with nightclub comedian Gary Morton, who could make her laugh. The couple wed in 1961 and had a long and happy marriage.
During Lucille's long career she worked with a 'who's who' of Hollywood personalities, and De La Hoz mentions many actors, actresses, writers, directors, producers, dancers, choreographers, acting coaches, etc. Many of these people were close friends of Lucille's, who seemed to like everyone she met.
Lucille died in 1989 at the age off 77. De La Hoz writes, "The outpouring of public grief from all corners of the world was unprecedented. To the millions who had grown up with Lucy, it was like losing a member of the family. The woman is gone, but her legacy of laughter will never die, as proven by each new generation that discovers - and falls in love with - Lucy.
This is a wonderful book for fans of Lucille Ball.
Thanks to Netgalley, Cindy De La Hoz, and Chartwell Books for a copy of the book.
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Oh how I Love Lucy!!! This is a great book that takes you through her life from a child to her last days. It gives great details about her work and her personal life and lots of great pictures! Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.
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"I'm a big Lucille Ball fan who's used to being disappointed. The three aspects that the media often focuses on tend to be the least interesting about the Hollywood icon: her marriage to Desi Arnaz, "I Love Lucy," and being an older actress in the industry. "Lucille Ball Treasures" avoids the pitfalls in past Ball bios by centering on Lucille Ball, the tenacious talent, not just the star of the namesake sitcom.
I knew her beginnings were humble, but I didn't realize she was her family's breadwinner. It was inspiring to learn that, even while taking in the industry and failing to capitalize off a "big break," she was successful enough to provide for herself and her family. As an actor gearing up to get back into "the business," I loved reading about Ball's climb up the A-list ladder. There's a lot of valuable information covered about Hollywood standards and politics.
By the time "I Love Lucy" hit the silver screen, Lucille Ball was already forty years old and had been performing for more than two decades!
The book is filled with breathtaking photos, many of which I'd never seen before. Paired with the timeline of the biography, it sometimes felt as though the words and images aligned to tell a deeper, more textured story. "Lucille Ball Treasures" illuminates the impact that Lucille Ball left on the industry, as well as the ways that she and Desi Arnaz innovated thirty-minute situation comedy.
This book doesn't come out until 10/21/2023, but I've already pre-ordered my copy. It's a great coffee table book, and you don't have to be a diehard fan to appreciate the writing and photographs.
Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC"
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I recently learned that Lucille was a distant cousin of mine, a few times removed. I realized that I wanted to learn more about her, besides the show I loved to watch reruns in the early mornings before school in the mid-2000s.
This book covers the major points of her life, from birth to death. It includes gorgeous photos of her throughout it all. Her personality is portrayed so thoughtfully. This was such am endearing read, and I highly recommend it.
Rest in Peace Lucille ❤️
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This was a beautiful book detailing facts about my favorite redhead. Even though I’ve read many biographies about Lucille Ball, it’s always fun to pick up a few new details and the pictures are wonderful! A great addition to any Lucy fan’s collection. If you get the ebook version, be sure to read it on a large screen to get the maximum benefit. Thank you to NetGalley and Becker and Mayer for the opportunity to read this advanced copy..
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I really only know Lucille Ball from The I Love Lucy Show. This beautiful book covers her life from beginning to end, and she was so much more than that.. The book at approx 200 pages is the perfect length and is filled with gorgeous photos of Ms Ball through the years
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Wow! This gorgeous, informative book about Lucille Ball is perfect for any Lucy fan. I love the included quotes, layout, stunning images, details about Lucy’s life, and the overall vibrancy of this book. It’s wonderful!