June Reads

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - 06/04/09
Excellent - Fiction (999 Category: 9 and Counting)
Mariam and Laila are two very different women, brought together by war and cruelty, but they forge an enduring bond.
Finally finished this. Had to actually get the novel instead of finishing the audiobook, as audiobooks don't fit well into my life right now. That aside, this was WONDERFUL! Poignant, eye-opening, terrifying, hopeful, and more. I recommend it whole-heartedly, and actually several of my friends have also read it and concur with my assessment.


The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde - 06/12/09
Excellent - Play (999 Category: Vintage Volumes)
Jack and Algernon both pretend to be Ernest Worthing, a fictional wastrel of a younger brother, and both fall in love with women who only will marry someone named Ernest.
I've read this before, but read it again for book club. It's a quick, easy, humorous read. LOVE the movie; it's one of my favorites. Wilde was wrote it as a satire; the subtitle is "A Trivial Comedy for Serious People."


Mr. Knightley's Diary by Amanda Grange - 06/14/09
Good - Romance (999 Category: Serendipity)
First-person account of Mr. Knightley's love for Emma Woodhouse (Austen's Emma, retold in diary format)
Emma was my least favorite Austen novel, and I wasn't sure I'd like Mr. Knightley any better in this diary told from his perspective. However, I found him quite endearing and even liked Emma better by the end!



Roadside Crosses by Jeffery Deaver - 06/17/09
Good - Suspense (999 Category: Kindred Spirits)
Kathryn Dance, a CBI agent and kinesics expert, tracks down a serial killer who leaves roadside crosses before killing his victims.
Kathryn Dance is an interesting protagonist; she isn't your garden-variety 'perfect' cop. I find the addition of the kinesics (the interpretation of body language) an intriguing addition to the suspenseful novels Deaver is known for.


The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - 06/24/09
Excellent - Fiction (999 Category: Screen Time)
Amir grows up motherless in Kabul, Afghanistan, and his father seems to favor Hassan, the son of his longtime servant.
No, I haven't seen the movie yet. Hope to soon, now that I've read the book. I preferred A Thousand Splendid Suns, but this book was equally as gripping. The protagonist was less likable, but very well-sketched and the clash between the American and Afghani cultures was compelling.


The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - 06/29/09
Good - Fiction (999 Category: Screen Time)
Re-Read: The relationship between Henry and Clare is complicated by his genetic abnormality that causes him to time travel involuntarily.
I read this book five years ago, but the news of the film's release next month motivated me to read it again. It's a good thing I did, because I remembered barely any of it. (I'm really bad that way! Poor memory!) Intense, confusing, and utterly captivating! Don't read it if you are easily offended, as there is a bit of language and the characters are sometimes amoral. However, the plot's intricacies make up for it.

On to Finger Lickin' Fifteen (Evanovich) and Frankenstein (Shelley) and more for July....

What are YOU reading???

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre?

OK, if you're not a vampire fan, skip this post. Yeah, just click the X now. :-)

But if you're like me - a Jane Austen fan and intrigued by the Twilight series, you're probably still reading. Therefore, you may be interested in the new book by Amanda Grange, Mr. Darcy, Vampyre.

Amanda Grange says, "The idea for the plot of Mr Darcy, Vampyre came to me when I was rereading some of the classic Gothic novels of Jane Austen's era. I was starting to write Henry Tilney's Diary, Henry being the hero of Jane Austen's Gothic novel Northanger Abbey, and I wanted to put myself in the right mood." (Lisa says: I cannot WAIT for Tilney's Diary!!!)

"As I read The Mysteries of Udolpho, and as I followed the heroine over the Alps and into Italy, I found myself thinking, What if Lizzy and Darcy went to the continent for their wedding tour? What if they visited a remote castle and then went across the Alps to Italy? And what if, in those far flung locations, Lizzy discovered that Mr Darcy had a secret?"

Interested? I am! I've read a couple of Amanda Grange's Austen men diaries and they're good!

It comes out in August. Here's Mr. Darcy's Vampyre-blog to whet your appetite.

A to Z Website Meme

Found this meme on my friend Penny's blog. Each letter is to stand for websites, urls, etc, that you frequent. This should be interesting...

A - Agent Query

B - Blogger

C - Cake Wrecks
D - Dressup Me (Suzy goes here)

E - Enchanted Serenity of Period Films

F - Facebook

G - Gmail

H - Homeschool Freebie of the Day

I - Image search @ Google

J - Janet Evanovich

K - Keep Vid

L - Lego (that'd be my sons)

M - Michigan Works!

N - Netflix
O - Oakland Comm. College Job Postings

P - Picasa

Q - Query Shark

R - Retail Me Not (coupon code site)

S - Sparkpeople

T - Tracfone

U - Upside Down Text

V - Voyages of the Artemis (Diana Gabaldon's blog)

W - Weather

X - Xboxwife

Y - Youtube

Z - Zazzle (to find fan-made tee's and other items)

Now, I better go get some REAL work done! lol

Booking Through Thursday - Sticky

I saw this over at Shelley’s, and thought it sounded like a great question for all of you:

“This can be a quick one. Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.”

1. Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
2. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
3. How to Talk so Children will Listen and Listen so Children Will Talk by Faber and Mazlish
4. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
5. Blessed Child by Ted Dekker
6. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
7. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
8. Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright
9. Joseph by Joyce Landorf
10. The Family Bed by Tine Thevenin
11. The Hurried Child by David Elkind
12. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
13. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
14. Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
15. Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella

I never include The Bible on these sorts of lists, because I figure that's sort of a no-brainer, but clearly it would top the list.

That took me a bit more than 15 minutes because I kept getting interrupted. The list is in order of what I remembered, and it's heavy on non-fiction and childhood fiction. Some were hard because when I thought of the book, I realized I was REALLY thinking of the movie (P&P, for example) and it wasn't the book that was sticking with me, per se.

May Reads

Because I neglected what I SHOULD have been doing this month (but that's another story), I got a LOT of reading done this month - 9 books. That's the most in any month so far this year. This included my first book in my C.S. Lewis category, which I'd been procrastinating.

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult - 05/02/09
Good - Fiction (999 Category: 9 and Counting)
Sterling High School is torn apart by a mass shooting.
I'm never quite sure if I like Picoult or not, but this was definitely a compelling read. If you like heavy fiction, this may fit you well.

Deep in the Heart of Trouble by Deeanne Gist - 05/04/09
Good - Inspirational (999 Category: Kindred Spirits)
Essie has accepted her spinsterhood, but then Tony Bryant comes to town. But is he too good to be true?
This historical Christian novel is a sequel in the edgy Christian fiction category. Realistic people with realistic problems and who don't always make good choices despite being Christians.

The Martian Child by David Gerrold - 05/06/09
Good - Fiction (999 Category: Screen Time)
Based on a true story, the author adopts a “hard to place” eight-year-old who believes he is a Martian.
Read this because I'd seen the movie and loved it. The book was sooo different from the movie; what a surprise, right? But it was still quite good, and I am in awe of the author's commitment to adopting this emotionally impaired child.

Twelve Times Blessed by Jacquelyn Mitchard - 05/10/09
Good - Fiction (999 Category: 9 and Counting)
43yo business owner True Dickinson meets a younger man and falls head over heels, but at what cost to her well-ordered life with her son?
Interesting story, but there were a few things that bothered me, one being the caricature hypocritical Christian homeschool mom.

Sex God by Rob Bell - 05/13/09
Good - Non-fiction (999 Category: Faith)
Exploring the endless connections between sexuality and spirituality.
Not as ground-breaking as I'd hoped. I didn't learn anything new until the last chapter. And no, it wasn't about technique! LOL

The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott - 05/14/09
Good - Classic (999 Category: Vintage Volumes)
Orphaned Edith grows up kind and good, but poor. When she is faced with a difficult choice, how will it affect her future?
Not Little Women, that's for sure!

Captain Wentworth's Diary by Amanda Grange - 05/22/09
Excellent - Romance (999 Category: Screen Time)
First-person account of Captain Wentworth's love for Anne Elliott (Austen's Persusasion, retold from Wentworth's perspective, in diary form)
Ooooh, loved this! Captain Wentworth is my 3rd favorite Austen hero and this made me love him even more.

Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis - 05/27/09
Excellent - Sci-Fi (999 Category: Mere Jack)
Ransom is kidnapped, drugged, and taken into space.
Re-read. I remembered reading this a few years ago and remembered loving it and wishing I'd read it earlier in life. Didn't remember too much else about it though. Wow, it's awesome! Even if you don't particularly enjoy sci-fi (as I don't), I think this is worthwhile.

The Barbarian Way: Unleash the Untamed Faith Within by Erwin Raphael McManus - 05/31/09
Good - Inspirational (999 Category: Faith)
How to be a “barbarian” instead of a traditional Christian, understanding how to give your heart to Christ instead of living the “safe” Christian life.
My pastor recommended this book a while back and I finally got around to reading it. The author offers a challenging perspective on the traditional Christian way of operating and suggests that a more fulfilling way to live would be to deviate from the "safe" road and into the more dangerous path. Quite a bit to chew on here.

After 5 months of participating in the 999 Challenge, here are the statistics:
5/9 Nostalgia - Books I Read As a Child and want to Read Aloud to My Children
7/9 Kindred Spirits - Books By Favorite Authors
3/9 Vintage Volumes - Book Club Books (RR & BB)
4/9 9 and Counting - Titles with Numbers
4/9 Screen Time - TV/Movie Tie-ins
5/9 Serendipity – Unplanned books I want to read
1/9 Literacy - Non-fiction about Books, Writing, or Reading
4/9 Faith - Spiritual Life
1/9 Mere Jack – Books by (or about) C.S. Lewis
34/81 (yikes, not halfway yet! I've got a month to get to the halfway point! That means 6-7 books in June. Very do-able! Whew!)

Oklahoma! (1999)

Since watching Oklahoma! (1999) this past weekend, I have recommended it to several people and the response is usually something like, "There's a new Oklahoma!?" Well, 'new' is a relative term, but since the film version most people are familiar with is more than fifty years old, it seems appropriate here.

Yep, FIFTY. The Shirley Jones movie came out in 1955, folks. That's been a few years. More than time for a remake, I think.

I was already aware of this production since I'd seen a little bit of it on PBS's Great Performances a few years back. At the time, I was put off by the fact that it was NOT a movie adaptation, but rather a filmed stage production. The audience is sometimes visible, even purposefully visible. The sets are typical, although nicely conceived, theater sets - painted backdrops, simple props, etc... At the time, this turned me off and I didn't watch much of the show. (I've read recently that this production was actually filmed on a soundstage and the audience shots are intercut to make it seem like a live production. Whichever it is doesn't really matter - it's more like a stage play than it's not.)

So, be prepared for that and then you won't miss, as I did, the wonderful performance given by Hugh Jackman as Curly.

Yes.

I said Hugh Jackman.

The man can sing. The man can dance. The man can act. And he's easy on the eyes, too. (OK, perhaps that last one is a bit of an understatement.) And he did Oklahoma! on film in 1999. So for 10 years, most of us have been unaware of this musical gem, but no longer.

If you are unfamiliar with Oklahoma!, Curly is the male lead character, a cowboy on the Oklahoma frontier. As Curly, Jackman sings number after number. He dances. He carries the entire production with effortless panache.

Laurie, the female lead, is adequately, but unmemorably, played by Josefina Gabrielle, a relatively unknown actress/dancer who seems rather old to be playing the naive Laurie. Her singing is lovely, but she just doesn't have any chemistry with Jackman or with Hensley. The performance that seemed to match Hugh's performance in depth and skill was given by the actress playing Aunt Eller, Maureen Lipman, an award-winning veteran actress. I also enjoyed performances by Vicki Simon (a wide-eyed Ado Annie) and Shuler Hensley (properly repulsive as Jud Fry, but played with a poignant frightening depth). (Aside - I found it interesting that Hensley played Frankenstein's Monster in Van Helsing - another film in which Jackman had the main role.)

You'll need three hours to enjoy this simply staged, but beautifully rendered production. My children watched with me and it kept their attention most of the time. There were a few scenes that may require some parental guidance - the subject matter may be a little risque. Obsessive love, pinup photos, a girl "who cain't say no", Jud's murder plot.

But the songs! Oh, the songs! I've known most of them by heart since I was a young teen. If you don't know them, you simply must!

So if you only ever watch one version of Oklahoma!, make it this one! I will be adding this DVD to my collection very soon.

Now, if I could just finagle things somehow to make Mr. Jackman consider playing Joseph.....

Top 100 Musicals?

I've been on a kind of musical kick lately, sorta jump-started by watching the High School Musical trilogy. I moved on to Oklahoma (1999) and Hairspray (2007) and probably will keep on going. If you know me, you know I'm nothing if not obsessive. lol So, I went searching for a good list of the best musicals. It was harder to find than one might imagine, but here's a list of the top 100 as chosen by the UK's channel 4. (None of the ones I've mentioned so far are on the list.)

That list was not easily copy/pastable, so I found another source for that and here's their introduction to the list:
"From the start of the new millenium, UK television channel, channel 4, ran a series of programs which ran through the top 100 of various genres, including films, film stars, war movies and musicals. the program was aired in 2003 and was made up of viewer votes both on their website and by phone. Channel 4 has a fairly youth based program strategy and perhaps this is why some of the entries are surprising, it is also clear to see which programs and films were in the media at the time. Below is their top 100 list of greatest musicals, some you may have never heard of and some stretch the term musical to and beyond its limits, but it is a great list all the same, and I wonder if you can guess which musical is voted the greatest musical of all time? Simply scroll down to the number one spot to find out!"

I've bolded the ones I've seen and noted if they were on-stage, movie version, or both. Feel free to copy the list and make your own choices. Also, I'd love your recommendations of any must-see musicals, either on this list or not.

100: Lets Make Love
99: Miss Saigon
98: Bright Eyes
97: The Cotton Club (I may have seen this movie, long ago)
96: Lullaby of Broadway
95: Breaking Glass
94: Sholay
93: How to succeed in business without really trying
92: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
91: Everyone Says I Love You
90: Cry Baby
89: A Little Night Music
88: For Me and My Gal
87: Million Dollar Mermaid
86: There's No Business Like Show Business
85: Funny Face
84: Ziegfeld Follies
83: A Star Is Born (Barbra Streisand) (movie)
82: Anything Goes
81: Yankee Doodle Dandy
80: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
79: All That Jazz
78: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
77: Porgy and Bess
76: Dancer in the Dark
75: Dil Se
74: Shall We Dance
73: Half a Sixpence
72: Godspell
71: Show Boat
70: Gigi
69: The Producers
68: Kiss Me Kate
67: Doctor Dolittle (movie)
66: Gypsy
65: The Jazz Singer (movie)
64: Easter Parade
63: Jailhouse Rock
62: Sweet Charity
61: Scrooge
60: Top Hat
59: Funny Girl (movie)
58: An American in Paris
57: Paint Your Wagon
56: Meet Me In St Louis (movie)
55: Hair
54: On the Town
53: Cinderella (movie)
52: Carmen Jones
51: Thoroughly Modern Millie (movie)
50: Hello Dolly (movie)
49: Muppets Take Manhattan (movie)
48: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (movie)
47: Summer Holiday
46: A Chorus Line
45: A Star is Born (Judy Garland)
44: Tommy
43: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (movie)
42: Starlight Express
41: Carousel
40: 8 Mile
39: South Pacific (can you believe I've never seen it?)
38: The Nightmare Before Christmas
37: White Christmas (movie)
36: Guys and Dolls
35: Oklahoma (movie, stage)
34: High Society
33: Fiddler on the Roof (movie, stage)
32:Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (movie)
31: Blood Brothers
30: Cats
29: Fame (movie - I think they're remaking this too)
28: Jesus Christ Superstar (movie)
27: Jungle Book (movie)
26: Annie (movie - 2 versions)
25: Calamity Jane
24: The Blues Brothers (movie)
23: The King and I (movie)
22: Evita
21: Little Shop of Horrors (movie)
20: Phantom of the Opera (movie)
19: Bugsy Malone
18: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (movie, stage - several times)
17: Cabaret
16: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (movie)
15: Les Miserables (movie)
14: The Lion King (I've seen the Disney movie, but isn't the Broadway show different?)
13: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More With Feeling (huh???)
12: My Fair Lady (movie)
11: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (movie)
10: Moulin Rouge (movie)
9: Oliver!
8: Chicago (movie)
7: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (movie with audience participation, several times)
6: Singing In The Rain
5: Mary Poppins (movie)
4: West Side Story (movie)
3: The Wizard of Oz (movie)
2: The Sound of Music (movie, stage)
1: Grease (movie)

Mamma Mia is not on this list (too new?), but I've seen that movie. What else is missing from the list?

What are your favorites? Some of the ones I need to make time to view are: Singing in the Rain, Oliver!, Evita, Cats, South Pacific, Carousel (may be remade with Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway), A Chorus Line, Gypsy, Kiss Me Kate, and Miss Saigon. What else should I see?

What musicals are you motivated to go see after viewing this list?

Booking Through Thursday - Gluttony

Mariel suggested this week’s question

Book Gluttony! Are your eyes bigger than your book belly? Do you have a habit of buying up books far quicker than you could possibly read them? Have you had to curb your book buying habits until you can catch up with yourself? Or are you a controlled buyer, only purchasing books when you have run out of things to read?

Well, yes, I definitely buy more books than I can read. In the past, I have occasionally tried a moratorium on book-buying, but it doesn't work too well for me. Books are too tempting! I also buy books for my children - probably more than they can (or want to) read. Since I usually buy my books used, at least it isn't a terribly expensive habit.

April Reads

I finished six books in April, including one really long one. I also listened to most of an audiobook.

Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues #3 by Donald Soboll 04/02/09
Good - Childrens (999 Category: Nostalgia)
The amazing boy detective solves 10 mysteries.
I read all the Encyclopedia Brown books when I was a kid. I read this one aloud to my kids.

The 100 Best Worldwide Vacations to Enrich Your Life by Pam Grout 04/13/09
Good - Non-fiction (999 Category: 9 and Counting)
100 Unforgettable possibilities for travel, divided into artsy getaways, volunteer vacations, learning retreats, and wellness escapes
I expected more from this book than I got. Seemed very politically correct. But my favorite ideas were: Assington Mill book binding & restoration class, sketchbook class with lewisblehrman.com, a variety of writers workshops, Plein air painting with paintinggypsies.com, research bottle nose dolphins blue-world.org, Italian art arthistoryabroad.com, safari surf school in Costa Rica safarisurfschool.com, ride horses to Machu Picchu's neighbor site manuexpeditions.com, cycle through the Austrian Alps austria.info, water sports in Fiji oars.com, bike across Cuba wowcuba.com


The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Reading Group by Patrick Sauer 04/22/09
Good - Non-fiction (999 Category: Literacy)
Conveniently organized guide to starting and running a book club covers topics like who to invite, what to read, and where to meet. Lots of book lists on many topics.
I thought this would be useful since we are doing a book club kind of by the seat of our pants. But the bulk of this book is reading selections in a variety of genres and I can find that information anywhere.


Daniel Deronda by George Eliot 04/24/09
Good - Classic (999 Category: Vintage Volumes)
Gwendolen Harleth is young, beautiful, and spoiled and finds herself inexplicably drawn to Daniel Deronda, the ward of a rich British aristocrat.
This was our book club selection for the month and it was HARD to get through, but worthwhile. The sheer length of the novel is daunting, as well as the intricate sentence structure and heavy vocabulary, but the story shines. The last 100 pages were filled with twists and turns suited for any modern novel despite it being written in the 1870's. The movie (starring Hugh Dancy and Romola Garai) was good too, but changed quite a bit of the book's storyline.


A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond 04/28/09
Good - Childrens (999 Category: Nostalgia)
A bear from Darkest Peru comes to live with a proper British family in London.
Another book I remember fondly from my childhood. Paddington's irrepressible personality is just as charming as I remember. The three younger kids were enthralled with this one. I highly recommend it as a read-aloud! There are a bunch more Paddington books that I'll look for at the library.

The Grand Finale by Janet Evanovich 04/29/09
Good - Romance (999 Category: Kindred Spirits)
Berry runs a pizza place and meets Jake while delivering pizza. A very funny romance.
I needed something light and really fluffy after reading Daniel Deronda. Saw this Evanovich at the library and snatched it up. Janet Evanovich wrote a few romance novels before authoring the Stephanie Plum series. I'd read a couple others and they were nice, but this was sweetly romantic and hilariously written. I could see shades of Grandma Mazur in one of the characters and cars kept getting stolen. LOL Nice to read when in need of something frothy or when Finger Lickin' Fifteen is still two months away from release!

A Thousand Splendid Suns (audiobook) by Khaled Hosseini 5-1-09
Good - Fiction (999 Category: 9 and Counting)
Two very different women's lives intersect in 20th century Afghanistan.
OK, I haven't exactly finished this one, but I need to finish it tout suite so I am putting it down. I am listening to the audiobook and it's very compelling. The characters are sharply drawn and the story is horrifying. How can stuff like this happen in the modern world? Well, it can if the Taliban governs your city. The narrator seems to be an Afgani woman and her performance makes the story even more poignant. (No, I haven't read The Kite Runner, but I plan to.)

WHAT ARE YOU READING?!

17 Again (2009)

Picture three very stressed-out ladies at the end of a very long day. What they need is something light-hearted, something humorous, something distracting.....

I've tried 3 times to write this review of 17 Again, but I just couldn't seem to move beyond "It's funny! We laughed and laughed. And, by the way, don't take your preteen to see this even if she does have a crush on Zac Efron."

But tonight I went again with two other friends and I think one more attempt at this review should bear fruit. There aren't too many movies that I pay full price to see more than once. (Lord of the Rings comes to mind! lol)

Maybe you've heard that the movie is just a rehash of a familiar plot - What would happen if you could go back to your youth and try it again? Movies along these lines are common - Freaky Friday, Big, Peggy Sue Got Married, even Back to the Future and It's a Wonderful Life.

Let's see. Mike O'Donnell had a promising high school basketball career, but tossed away his chance at a scholarship to marry his pregnant girlfriend. Twenty years later, he's alienated both his wife and his two kids. The last straw comes when he gets fired from his job instead of receiving an expected promotion. Is it any wonder he would prefer to return to 1989? Then, through some unexplained magic, he does return, not to 1989, but to his 17-year-old body.

Yep, seems pretty familiar stuff. So what does 17 Again have to add to this genre which contains some clearly superior films?

Well?

It's not a surprising story. One of my movie-going friends guessed every plot point before it happened. Did that make her enjoy the film any less? From her laughs and comments afterward, I would venture to say her pleasure in the film remained intact. Are we only amused by stories that have never been told? Aren't many (if not all) stories a reprise of some previously-described tale? So, even if a familiar plot is predictable, our satisfaction in the story is not necessarily lessened.

Some of the biggest laughs came from the subplot involving Ned, an endearingly geeky bachelor played with wide-eyed charm by Thomas Lennon. I won't spoil these giggles, except to say that if you have any familiarity with Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Dungeons and Dragons or any other Sci-fi or fantasy world, you will very likely adore Ned. As a Lord of the Rings fan and the mother of two Star Wars fans, I could certainly relate.

However, I found the greatest surprise of the movie to be the star, Zac Efron, who plays the young incarnation of the age-shifting Mike O'Donnell. Yes, he of High School Musical fame. I have never been counted a fan of the HSM franchise (although that may change!). Shall we say that my expectations were low? However, Efron seems to hit just the right balance between earnestness and satire. Charisma he has in abundance and it shines through, making this familiar plot something sparkling. The courtroom scene is a case in point.

Other items of note:
Michelle Trachtenburg and Sterling Knight both are enjoyable in the roles of Mike's two teenage children. I particularly liked Knight's awkwardness. Matthew Perry, as the adult Mike O'Donnell, gets almost no screen time. His name probably anchors the movie for most people my age, though, so I can understand the choice. Leslie Mann capably plays Scarlett, Mike's wife, although I didn't see much chemistry between her and either Efron or Perry.

This is not a movie for the preteen High School Musical fans. Some uncomfortable situations result from young Mike trying to repair his relationship with his daughter and wife who don't realize his identity. Use your imagination. A sex-ed class presents several topics that my own preteens would not understand, although the scene ends up favorably disposed toward abstinence. Some language and teen partying also contribute to the PG-13 rating.

And nope, the hairstyles are NOT from 1989. Sorry, no. Not even close. (Not referring to the coifs in these pictures, though.)

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, laughing and giggling through it twice, even after paying through the nose for full price tickets. I intend to buy it when it is released on DVD. And even more telling, I've started watching the High School Musical films! If you are in need of some stress relief, this may be your prescription.

IMDB Page
Screenit Review
Plugged In Review

Three Quick Reviews of Forgettable Movies - Yes Man, Bedtime Stories, Duplex

Three quick reviews of forgettable movies...

Yes Man had some charming moments and some that had my teenager literally rolling on the floor laughing. But Zooey Deschanel, usually drily exuberant, didn't shine like she did in other films. Carrey was Carrey, so if you usually like him, you'll find this amusing. A couple objectionable scenes prevent me from giving a wholehearted recommendation.

Yes Man review at screenit.com

Duplex - I'd never heard of this film, despite it being fairly recent. Turns out there was good reason. A promising beginning quickly degenerated into not-so-humorous pratfalls and silly jokes. Eventually the storyline went right where I thought it would. Despite a twist at the end, it left a sour taste in my mouth. Don't waste your time.

Duplex review at screenit.com

Bedtime Stories - I expected more than the flimsy storyline and flat jokes. Sandler was himself, and that's ok. We expect it. Keri Russell seemed to be trying too hard. The bedtime stories themselves were amusing, as well as how they played into Skeeter's life. The English dude playing Sandler's best friend was a shining spot in the otherwise mostly dull film. My kids liked it. And we're all walking around quoting, "It's freeeeeeee....." Whatever.

Bedtime Stories review at screenit.com

The Widow's Might

I'd like to go see this movie, but it's not playing in very many cities. I'd have to drive about 90 minutes. Hmmm....


60 Second Trailer Spot, Widow's Might from John Moore on Vimeo.

Booking Through Thursday

Some people have a number of them on the go at any given time, perhaps a reading in bed book, a breakfast table book, a bathroom book, and so on, which leads me to…

1. Are you currently reading more than one book? Right you are!
   
2. If so, how many books are you currently reading? Oh, wow. Um. Six, I guess. Seven if you count what I'm reading to the kids. Some of them more actively than others.
   
3. Is this normal for you? Definitely. I usually have at least one fiction and one non-fiction read going.
   
4. Where do you keep your current reads? All over the place? One on the end table, one in the bathroom, the rest stacked either in the library basket or here and there around.

What about you? I'd love to hear your answers - blog them, facebook them, or just leave them in the comments!

March Reads

Eight books again in March. Making good progress toward the 999 Reading Challenge.

Deadly Reunion by Florence Case - 03/09/09
Poor - Inspirational
Police officer Angie is sure that Warren Detry killed his wife and is now planning to kill Angie's sister and maybe Angie as well. Can her former love Boone protect her?
I really wanted to like this book which I won in a blog contest, but I just didn't. I found it confusing and cliched.

Soup by Robert Newton Peck - 03/09/09
Excellent - Read-aloud
Misadventures of Robert and his mischievous friend Soup are described in this pithy and humorous memoir
This is one of the books from my own childhood that I'm reading aloud to my children. Not politically correct at all, but very very funny!

Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani - 03/14/09
Good - Fiction
Valentine Roncalli is apprentice to her grandmother, a master shoemaker and owner of the Angelini Shoe Co in NYC, an 100 year old financially unstable company that makes custom wedding shoes.
I liked this Trigiani better than the last one I read (Rococo), but I don't really relate well to any of her characters. I find their world intriguing, however, and that sustains my interest.

Hungry Planet: What the World Eats by Peter Menzel & Faith D'Aluisio - 03/15/09
Excellent - Non-fiction
What do people eat in the course of a week. Photography and essays about 30 families from 24 countries answer that question.
Everyone should at least peruse this book. Amazing photos of families from all over the world and of what they eat. Most striking are the photos of each family pictured with the food they eat in a week. Accompanying essays are fascinating and stuffed with information. Suzanne was especially fond of paging through this book and I shared tidbits from it with all the kids.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell - 03/19/09
Good - Classic
Margaret Hale moves with her parents from the bucolic South of England to a manufacturing town in the North, where she finds life to be very different.
I love the BBC miniseries based on this book and chose this title for book club based on my love for the movie. I'm glad I read it, but I like the movie better! I'll read more Gaskell eventually.

Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult - 03/22/09
Good - Fiction
Charlotte and Sean's daughter Willow was born with a debilitating illness and they are offered the opportunity to file a lucrative wrongful birth lawsuit.
Picoult writes thoughtful fiction and this was no exception. Not particularly uplifting, but mesmerizing all the same.

Soup and Me by Robert Newton Peck - 03/23/09
Good - Childrens
More misadventures from Soup and Rob.
Did you realize there are a large numbers of sequels to Soup? I knew about this one and a couple more, but I had no idea how many there actually were! This was another nostalgic read-aloud and my kids adored it!

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C.S. Forester - 03/29/09
Good - Fiction
Midshipman Horatio Hornblower of the British Navy has a series of adventures which ends in his promotion to Lieutenant.
Clearly I read this because of my interest in the British Hornblower TV series. There are many Hornblower books by Forester, mostly (all?) written in the 30's. This one was added to my library's collection the year I was BORN. Heh. It's the sixth written in the series, but the first one chronologically and tells of how Hornblower comes to join the Navy and his first adventures there. Most of the TV series plotlines come from this novel, although the television scripts don't follow the book very closely. Anyway, if you like exciting tales with a wholesome aspect, you'll like this. I've requested the audiobook for my sons who enjoy listening to books on tape.

Currently I am reading Daniel Deronda by George Eliot and listening to A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. I am also perusing a book on manuscript revision.

What are YOU reading?

February Reads

Twice as many books are on my list in February as there were in January. Eight total this month

Mortal Danger and Other True Cases by Ann Rule 02/03/09
Good - Non-fiction (999 Category: Kindred Spirits)
Several true crime cases
Whenever I see a new Ann Rule book, I pick it up. This one was written as sort of a cautionary tale, even more so than most of her true crime retellings.

Wagered Heart by Robin Lee Hatcher 02/08/09
Good - Inspirational (999 Category: Kindred Spirits)
Bethany's preacher father has moved the family to Montana where she meets a handsome rancher named Hawk, who seems to have a chip on his shoulder about church.
Christian romance novel set in the American West in the late nineteenth century. Very enjoyable read!

Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality by Donald Miller 02/08/09
Excellent - Non-fiction (999 Category: Faith)
Thoughts and musings to stretch you on subjects ranging from grace to romance to worship.
I was all prepared not to like this because a friend had given it such a bad review. However, I found it refreshing in many ways. I was not enamored of the author's disjointed conversational writing style at first, but it grew on me!

The Note by Angela Elwell Hunt 02/09/09
Good - Inspirational (999 Category: Serendipity)
A plane crashes in Florida and a newspaper reporter has the task of finding the recipient of a note that washes up on a beach near the crash site.
Another enjoyable read. I guess this has been made into a movie. I put it in my Netflix Q.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 02/20/09
Excellent - Classic (999 Category: Vintage Volumes)
An unloved orphan is sent to boarding school and then takes a position as a governess.
How did I never read this? I did watch a film version some years back, so I remembered many of the basic plot points. Not many surprises for me because of that. What DID surprise me was the blatant Christianity present throughout the novel. That doesn't come through in any of the film versions, according to my fellow book club members. I highly recommend this. (And Bronte is far more readable than Austen!)


Start Your Own Blogging Business by J.S. McDougall 02/23/09
Fair - Non-fiction (Not for 999)
A quick overview of how to generate income from blogging
Quick overview. Very quick. And I suspect much of the advice is already outdated. But it gives me food for thought and a place to begin.

The Borrowers by Mary Norton 02/25/09
Excellent - Childrens (999 Category - Nostalgia)
A family of 3 little people live underneath the floor of an English house around the turn of the 19th century
A lot of chapters in this little book! I read it aloud to my children, but soon realized I'd better double up on chapters or we'd be reading it until summer! They all enjoyed this classic story that I also loved as a child.

The Bodies Left Behind by Jeffery Deaver 02/26/09
Good - Suspense (999 Category: Kindred Spirits)
Sheriff's deputy Brynn McKenzie is sent to check on a dropped 911 call and is soon on the run from two killers.
I love Deaver! This book is not part of the Lincoln Rhyme series, but the characters are realistic and engaging, even the criminals. A "cat-and-mouse game" is how the end flap describes the book and this is apt. Very suspenseful!

What are YOU reading!?