Cynthia Weil (1940–2023)

Set in the pre-hippie summer of 1963 when Kennedy was president, the Civil Rights movement was in full swing, and the Beatles had not yet made it to America, I’m Glad I Did is an uptempo coming of age story complete with an entertaining slice of history that doesn’t avoid the serious issues of the day. Teenage JJ Green is determined to become a Carole King-like songwriter by getting a job at the famous Brill Building, but her father and Jackie Kennedy look-alike mother want her to follow show more in their footsteps and become a lawyer instead.

When JJ is offered a position as a music producer’s assistant, with payment being feedback on her songs, JJ’s parents reluctantly agree to a trial, but she will only be allowed to continue in the music field if one of the songs she’s written is recorded by the end of the summer. (No pressure!) Race relations, the early 60’s music scene, the payola scandal, murder and--of course--teenage romance all play a part in the story.

This is Cynthia Weil’s first novel, but she’s been writing songs long enough for Bob Dylan to consider her a master in the field. (Dylan mentioned her in his memoir Chronicles, and songs co-written by Weil with her husband Barry Mann include “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”, “Blame it on the Bossa Nova”, “Somewhere Out There”, and “We Got to Get Out of This Place” among many others.) While the tone is lively and humorous, one of the predominant themes is justice--which when capitalized as Justice is actually JJ’s first name. (Did I mention her parents are lawyers?). Weil’s real life experiences and inside knowledge give her story the ring of authenticity. A fun time trip. show less

What a great story. I enjoyed the casual writing style while journeying with the “Super Sperm Club” kids. This book shows that eclectic strangers can come together and connect like they didn’t think they could and at the same time grow to have a better understanding of themselves.

Novel 806 is a life journey for everyone involved. I liked getting to know KT, Gabe and Jesse. Cynthia Weil has create relatable teens who just like any other teenager doesn’t know where they fit in with show more life. Even as an adult I could relate to the quirky character traits of each kid.

The surprising Bio Dad was a joy to encounter. The journey to find him creative and wacky.
I hope whoever reads this book enjoys it as much as I did. show less

Lyricist Cynthia Weil was on CBS Sunday Morning awhile ago with her songwriter husband, Barry Mann. Their catalog is impressive and too many hits to list, if it's a popular song, they probably wrote it! One well known one is "You've lost that lovin' feeling".
Weil makes her writing debut with this novel, billed as a Young Adult novel. True, the main character is a teenager who has graduated from high school, but it would be of interest to anyone who is curious about the music industry. JJ is show more a black sheep in a family of lawyers, Not interested in being a lawyer, JJ makes a deal with her parents. If a summer job working at a publishing house doesn't get her a record deal for a song she wrote, she has to pursue the career path her parents picked. She meets a hot guy, no surprise. The pleasant surprise was the mystery involved, with the death of a well known but troubled blues singer. JJ meets her when she stays late, and Dulcie is the cleaning woman. Well drawn characters, engaging story. Recommended. show less

*I was given a copy by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I loved the premise of sperm donation kids looking for their biological siblings and their biological dad. Family doesn’t have to be who you were raised by, and family doesn’t have to mean DNA. Three great kids begrudgingly go on a road trip to find their bio dad, which is filled with unfortunate events along the way. Their growing familial relationships with each other were so wholesome and heartwarming. This book examines show more the importance of family and expands the definition of family. The magic of their character growth and the positive spirits of the siblings, especially Jesse, almost makes one believe in fate. show less