Mirkwood Reflections

I managed TWELVE books in August! No coincidence that this is also the month in which I was LAID OFF and before school starts. lol New Moon by Stephenie Meyer - 08/02/08 Good - Young Adult RE-READ Edward leaves and Bella establishes a relationship with Jacob, but he also has a secret. Before the last book in the series came out, I chose to re-read the first 3. New Moon is #2. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer - 08/05/08 Good - Young Adult RE-READ Bella is in danger and Jacob and Edward must team up to protect her, but who will she choose? The 3rd Twilight book. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer - 08/07/08 Good - Horror After Bella's wedding to Edward, will she choose to remain mortal or become a vampire, and what effect will that have on those around her? The tone of Breaking Dawn is far different than the first 3 in the Twilight series, leaving me with mixed feelings. Meyer did a great job pulling all the threads of the story together, but more editing would have made the novel tight...

Saw this meme on the Pink Lemonade blog (Thursday Thirteen) and I just can't pass up a movie list challenge. lol My Top 13 Movies (if you ask me next week, it might change though - lol) 1 – Lord of the Rings (all 3) - Saw these repeatedly in the theatre and again on DVD 2 – The Scarlet Pimpernel - Sink me! I have loved Sir Percy since I was 16! 3 – A Knight's Tale - We will, we will ROCK YOU! 4 – Pride and Prejudice (1995) - Allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love this movie! If you're only going to watch one P&P, make it THIS one! 5 – The Incredibles - this is such a great animated movie - family friendly, full of adventure, humorous, beautifully executed! 6 – The Matrix - "Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself." 7 – Sahara - We're home free now! 8 – The Cutting Edge (1992) - A movie I can watch over and over and over.... Figure skating, an opposites-attract romance - sigh.... 9...

The kids wanted to see Nim's Island long before it came out and I read the book aloud to them this spring as a prerequisite for watching the movie. But the spring slipped by and the movie left theatres before we were able to carve out time to see it. When the kids' summer matinee schedule was announced for a local theatre, I was very glad to see it included Nim's Island . Today we went with a group of friends to see it and I am SO GLAD we did. What a wonderful movie! Who wouldn't want to live on this idyllic island, especially with most the comforts of home, including apparently high-speed internet! I'll admit to being very glad that Gerard Butler played both Nim's dad Jack and the fictional adventurer Alex Rover created by the writer of the same name (played by Jodie Foster). Lots of screen time for Gerry! Lots of appreciation from the moms accompanying their kids to this sold-out show! Nim (Abigail Breslin) is an eleven-year-old girl who lives on an unchart...

Watched Fool's Gold (Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson) last night. The reviews were terrible, but I liked the movie more than I thought I would. The spark McConaughey and Hudson shared in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days was missing, definitely, and the dialogue was mostly lackluster, although there were a few moments that made me giggle. But there was more to this movie than a shirtless lead actor. Perhaps it's just that I love a treasure hunting story? But I didn't find this movie's story any less plausible than National Treasure 2 , plus there was gorgeous scenery to look at. (I mean the ocean! The beaches! For shame! lol) The actress playing Gemma was pleasantly ditzy and sweet. I can think of several movies I enjoyed a lot less than this one, so for me it wasn't quite scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Rollicking readers - doesn't that sound intriguing? Rollicking Readers Book Club was started by my friend Darlene and me after we each watched the film Jane Austen Book Club . Despite our mutual dislike of the movie, we felt motivated to start our own club. One Austen work per month was our goal. Finished thus far? Emma , Persuasion , and Pride and Prejudice . Next up is Mansfield Park . Before this I'd only read Pride and Prejudice (which I adore). To be honest, I am finding most of Austen's other works to be a bit stultifying, but the company is great and the stories are romantic. Our meetings also include a viewing of the film version of each book and a lot of sassy conversation, as well as snacks! How can it go wrong? Our original intent was to read all of Austen's works; there are only six. But we're having so much fun, that we've already talked about what to do once we've made it through all of those. We intend to continue with other classics. Nine...

THIS is funny. Star Wars-themed election products (shirts, bumper stickers, etc.) I like the Wookie one best! And if the Obi-Wan bumper sticker had one of the actors on it, instead of the cartoon Obi-Wan, I probably would buy it! lol

Six books for July - not an impressive number. Did you do better than me? Cockatiels for Dummies by Diane Grindol - 07/06/08 Good - Non-fiction A guide to selecting and caring for a pet cockatiel Needed some more information on cockatiels and I adore the " for Dummies" series. Eat This, Not That! by David Zinczenko - 07/08/08 Good - Non-fiction Thousands of simple food swaps that can save you 10, 20, 30 pounds – or more Wow! This book is enthralling. Lovely color photos of foods draw you in and the information is excellent. Comparisons between food choices help the reader understand how to choose better foods that still taste good. Sections on fast food, chain restaurants, eating on holidays, and grocery shopping provide a well-rounded guide. Pick this one up! You won't be sorry! Journey by Angela Elwell Hunt - 07/08/08 Good - Inspirational The third volume in this series of the life of Joseph in Ancient Egypt – this one focuses on his sons Manassah and Ephraim. This on...

Saw Wall-E over the weekend - LOVED IT! Also recently viewed P.S. I Love You . Reviews will be coming for those soon. I also plan a review of the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. Just as soon as I finish reading Breaking Dawn !