The Six Books I Use To Help Drag Me Through Really Difficult Times

Some of these were even in my Amazon cart the day I met Jeff Bezos, and he still didn’t judge me.

Valerie Michaels
13 min readJan 2, 2021
Photo of the Vatican Staircase by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash

Back in March of 2007, I was very much alone at a gorgeous, highly exclusive Oscar Party that my 7 year old daughter had really been the one invited to. She was a cherished Malibu playdate for the granddaughter of Barry Diller and Diane Von Furstenberg, and since she really couldn’t be expected to drive herself there, I was lucky enough to be her plus one. At one point, some light rain started and the food had just been served making the lovely outdoor tables obsolete so I wandered into one of the rooms of their stunning Beverly Hills estate where a group of men were all sitting around the living room. Balancing a plate in one hand and purse, beverage and utensils in another, I expectantly looked to these casual men and waited for chivalry that never arrived. Starving, I plopped myself down on the floor and put my plate on a low coffee table. I decided to eat as fast as possible and then find my daughter to see if I had more social luck with the 9 year-olds. As soon as I sat down, a well-dressed, bald and seemingly nice gentleman arranged himself on the floor with his plate of food right next to me. Almost immediately, the entire room of men who had just been ignoring me…

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Valerie Michaels
Valerie Michaels

Written by Valerie Michaels

Media entrepreneur and documentary film producer. I write a lot about the past and random stuff I find interesting. Instagram: @mizzzmichaels

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