Mirkwood Reflections

Library Overload

2012-01-28T17:35:00.000-05:00

It's one of those weeks when the library showers abundantly upon me!

Drums of Autumn, the fourth Outlander novel, came to me in audio CD form. I've been waiting for it for weeks (via interlibrary loan)! I adore listening to Davina Porter read Gabaldon and popped the first CD in the computer right away.

Also in from interlibrary loan:

The Real Oliver Twist: Robert Blincoe: A Life That Illuminates a Violent Age by John Waller (a compelling history of the lives of workhouse children in the industrial revolution). This title was mentioned in the fascinating At Home by Bill Bryson. And since I recently read Oliver Twist, this caught my attention.
North by Northanger (or, The Shades of Pemberley) by Carrie Bebris - 3rd in a series of mysteries featuring Mr. and Mrs. Darcy
An Experiment in Criticism by C.S. Lewis - this was recommended by the instructor of The Art of Reading course I just completed.
I've been wanting to re-read Francine Rivers' Mark of the Lion trilogy, so I thought getting that on audio would help me accomplish that. But apparently I didn't request them in order since the 3rd volume arrived yesterday. Can't listen to that without #1 and #2! lol

I love interlibrary loan!

A beautiful library in a nearby town is a quiet convenient place for me to log some work hours while waiting for David to be done with Robotics league. But it's filled with such horrendous reading temptations! I've resisted until this past Tuesday. I even had to get another library card to use this library, bringing my total to FIVE library cards. Yes, I belong to five different libraries!

The first book I read from that library is The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis. Originally written in Danish, this thriller tells of a Red Cross nurse who finds a naked preschooler in a suitcase stuffed in a public locker.

Grabbed The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half by Stephanie Nelson. Because I know I should work harder at couponing, this one caught my attention. Gonna skim through and see if a thorough reading would be helpful.

A bright yellow book caught my eye - Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness. Written by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein, this book covers the topic of choices and how we make them - good and bad.

Skimmed through What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life (ageless secrets of style) by Kim Johnson Gross and decided it wasn't worth my time to really read. Also skimmed through Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn't Cook from Scratch -- Over 120 Recipes for the Best Homemade Foods by Jennifer Reese and decided I want to OWN this one. Who wouldn't want to make their own marshmallows? :-)

Of course, I am also still finishing The Count of Monte Cristo (abridged) for the Brit Lit class I am co-teaching, as well as just beginning The Turn of the Screw by Henry James for book club.

Even if I only read all day long, I don't think I can get through all these! LOL I will do my best!

December Reads

2012-01-01T23:07:00.002-05:00

December was a productive month for reading fiction! I managed nine books!

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson - 12/1/2011
Good - Thriller
Christine has amnesia - the kind in which every day starts as a blank and she can't remember two decades of her adult life.
The premise was intriguing, but the added mystery kept me guessing right until the end. Enjoyable!

The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson by Jerome Charyn - 12/10/2011
Good - Historical fiction
A meandering first-person look into the passionate crooked mind of Emily Dickinson.
I wanted to like this novel more than I did. I wanted to like Emily Dickinson much more than I did. But she comes off as selfish, insane, and immoral, though with a muddled note of genius. From what I can tell, this is more fiction than it's not anyway.

Henry Tilney's Diary by Amanda Grange - 12/11/2011
Excellent - Historical fiction
Starting at age 15, Tilney writes of his family life and eventually meeting Catherine Morland in Bath.
I adore Amanda Grange's Austen hero diaries and I've been eagerly awaiting Tilney's diary since I favor him above all other Austen heroes. Tilney did not disappoint me! Loved reading his side of the story. I think I only have Wickham's Diary left to read (and of course, HE isn't an Austen hero as such!).

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich - 12/14/2011
Excellent - Fiction
Stephanie comes back from Hawaii with a mysterious photograph that lots of bad people want. Plus Joyce Barnhardt is missing, presumed dead.
Back on track with #18, Evanovich's bounty hunter heroine Stephanie Plum finally realizes she can't forever keep two guys dangling on the line. I enjoyed Eighteen a lot!

The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon - 12/18/2011
Excellent - Fiction

Jamie Fraser and Lord John travel to Ireland to investigate an army officer for a court martial and become embroiled in a Jacobite plot.
OK, so you should know up front, The Scottish Prisoner is one of the Lord John novels. (In case you aren't a Gabaldon junkie like me, Lord John is a gay character from the Outlander books - rather a main character.) I read one Lord John novel back a few years ago and it wasn't my thing really, so I've avoided reading any further ones. Until now. I read online that this novel (and all the Lord John books actually) give more detail about the Outlander storyline. So I decided to bite the bullet as it were and give it a try. Glad I did! I know more about Jamie Fraser than I did before, as well as some of the minor characters in the series. And I just skipped over any parts that made me squeamish. There weren't many.

Suspense and Sensibility (Or First Impressions Revisited) by Carrie Bebris - 12/22/2011
Good - Historical fiction
Lizzy and Darcy take Kitty and Georgiana to London for the Season, where Kitty meets the cheerful debonair Mr. Dashwood. But he soon undergoes a puzzling and distasteful change.
A nice light mystery involving Austen characters and with a touch of the supernatural. I am working my way through the series. This was #2.

Black Silk by Judith Ivory - 12/26/2011
Fair - Historical fiction
A Victorian rake falls in love with his guardian's widow, but she is not interested.
This was recommended on an author blog I sometimes read as an example of an unusual romance. I liked the story but found the writing awkward and pretentious.

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon - 12/28/2011
Excellent - Historical fiction
Claire travels back to find Jamie and the story eventually makes its way to America.
I listened to Davina Porter's skillful audio recording. Wow, every time I re-read one of Gabaldon's books, I am just amazed by the depth of her plots and the detail of her writing. Love it! This was my 3rd time reading Voyager.

Cemetery Girl by David Bell - 12/29/2011
Good - Thriller
12yo Caitlin disappears when walking her dog, but reappears 4 years later. Her father needs to know where she has been.
Just found out I can borrow library books on my Kindle, so I wanted to test out the process. This title was one that looked good for a test. Interesting story. I didn't really like the way it was written, but it was certainly a page-turner!

Reading Reflex: The Foolproof Phono-Graphix Method for Teaching Your Child to Read by Carmen McGuiness
Excellent -Non-fiction
I've been working with Suzy out of this book since last spring. It's really been helping her gain confidence in her reading. It was recommended to me by a friend who is a certified teacher with additional training in Reading. WELL worth the money and time!

What are YOU reading!?

November Reads

2011-12-11T11:13:00.001-05:00

Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier - 11/6/2011
Excellent - Historical Fiction
A tale of 1790's London with Mr. William Blake (poet) and Mr. Philip Astley (circus) along with a family from Dorsetshire
I tend to enjoy Chevalier's portrayals of famous historical artists. This one was slightly different as Blake and Astley were secondary characters to the children that formed the basis of the story, but still interesting.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - 11/10/2011
Good - Classic
Ten year old orphan Mary Lennox comes to live with her uncle in England and discovers an unkempt garden behind a locked door.
A re-read for me, as well as a book club selection. If you've only ever read a children's version (or heard the Focus on the Family radio play), you will find this different. I was motivated this time to do some research into Burnett and her involvement in spirituality and the "New Thought" which is the basis for the "Magic" in the story.

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens - 11/16/2011
Excellent - Classic
Nine year old orphan Oliver Twist runs away to Victorian London and falls in with a gang of pickpockets.
I read Oliver Twist over the summer in preparation for the class I am teaching and I re-read it along with the students. Loved it even more the second time through.

Pride and Prescience by Carrie Bebris - 11/26/2011
Good - Historical fiction
Mr. and Mrs. Darcy find themselves caught up in a controversy regarding the mental competence of the former Miss Caroline Bingley, now married to an American, Mr. Parrish.
An interesting mystery but a bit more on the occult side than I would have preferred. Bebris has written a mystery as a counterpart for each of Austen's novels, and I plan to search each of them out.

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian - 11/28/2011
Poor - Thriller
Chip Linton, an airline pilot whose plane crashed, moves to a small New England town with his wife and twin daughters where he is haunted by the ghosts of three who lost their lives on the flight. The friendly people in their new town all seem to have greenhouses and have a special fascination with the twins.
Starting with Bohjalian's Midwives, I've searched out several of his novels, but this one disappointed me. I almost returned this far-fetched story to the library before I finished reading it, and now I wish I had.

Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin - 11/29/2011
Excellent - Biography
Heavily documented and interesting biography of Regency author Jane Austen
Started reading this as research for my NaNoWriMo book and read it slowly over the course of a few weeks. Lots and lots of factual material here, as well as some speculation.

A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - 11/29/2011
Good - Classic
The 1st Sherlock Holmes novel, in which he meets Watson, takes rooms at 221B Baker St. and solves a murder that has ties to the Salt Lake City Mormons.
I'd decided not to read any more Holmes stories after disliking The Hound of the Baskervilles, but I am pleased that I chose to ignore that decision. Because the BBC Sherlock series was based in part on this introductory Holmes novel, we chose it to read both for Brit Lit (that I am teaching) and for Rollicking Readers (book club). I enjoyed it far more than Baskervilles and plan to read more of Conan Doyle's work.

What are YOU reading!?

October Reads

2011-11-24T17:07:00.001-05:00

I only was able to finish 1 book in October. But I had several others in various stages of progression.

The End of Molasses Classes: Getting our Kids Unstuck by Ron Clark - 10/1/2011
Excellent - Non-fiction
101 Extraordinary solutions for parents and teachers

If you are a parent or a teacher, or if you care at all about education, I highly recommend this book by one of the founders of the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta. He is a creative educator and seems completely committed to ensuring that kids become all they can be!

September Reads

2011-11-24T16:52:00.001-05:00

Twelfth Night, or What You Will by William Shakespeare - 9/3/2011
Good - Classic
Gender-bending comic tale of shipwreck, love, and mischief.
Read this for the Brit Lit class I am co-teaching. We also went to see the play at Grand Valley State University - excellent! Very funny. Always remember Shakespeare is meant to be watched, not read!

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell - 9/20/2011
Excellent - Non-fiction
Some interesting thoughts on how successful people got that way, and some myths debunked.
I found this book so intriguing that I assigned it to David. Did you ever wonder how some people seem to "make it big" and others just don't?

A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller - 9/26/2011
Excellent - Non-fiction
Best book I ever read on prayer - what it is, what it isn't, how to do it, why to do it
Such a wonderful practical book on prayer that I began reading it again as soon as I finished it. I have it on the Kindle but I bought a copy for Bob. And I am going to have the kids read it too.

A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter by William Deresiewicz - 9/26/2011
Excellent - Non-fiction
Great insights into each of Austen's novels, making them relevant to the modern American.
I really enjoyed this book. The author relates his life experiences to each of Austen's novels, as well as discussing them in such an interesting relevant manner that I devoured the book. Not many men commit to reading Austen, but more should.

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas - 9/30/2011
Good - Classic
D'Artagnan comes to Paris to join the 3 Musketeers and is caught up in plots of intrigue and betrayal.
I didn't enjoy this book as much as I'd hoped to. And the new movie is not much like the book at all! We read this for book club.

Only 5 books in September and 2 of them were for outside commitments.

August Reads

2011-09-03T20:26:00.000-05:00

The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner - 8/7/2011
Excellent - Nonfiction
Why even our best schools don't teach the new survival skills our children need - and what we can do about it.
What an eye-opening book! This will make a big difference in what I require of my own children for high school. If you are at all concerned about education not preparing children for the real world, you should read this. It's not about homeschooling at all. Instead, it is about how even the "best" schools are not giving students the skills they need to succeed.

You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know by Heather Sellers - 8/13/2011
Good - Memoir
Heather has prosopagnosia, aka face blindness, that prevents her from reliably recognizing people's faces.
Heather Sellers teaches at Hope College, the second book I've read by a professor there. She has an extremely interesting story stemming from her condition, but I didn't find it particularly well-written or compelling in style.

Discovering the History of Your House and Your Neighborhood by Betsy J Green - 8/14/2011
Good - Nonfiction
Detailed manual on researching the history of your house (old or new)
Interesting reading. If I only had time to research this.....

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens - 8/18/2011
Excellent - Classic
Oliver Twist, an orphan in Victorian England, runs away from the orphanage to make his way in London.
I am teaching this book for the Brit Lit class we are offering at co-op, so I wanted to prepare for it. Not sure I've ever read it before now, though I've seen a couple of movie versions. Really good - excellent intro to Dickens (I've already read Little Dorrit which is more difficult.) I am excited to teach it!

The Living Stone by Jane Orcutt - 8/18/2011
Good - Inspirational Romance
Leah's husband and small child are killed in a drunk-driving accident.
A predictable and poignant Christian romance novel.

The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson - 8/24/2011
Excellent - Inspirational Romance
Mary-Margaret has always wanted to become a nun, but her friendship with the troubled neighbor boy leads to a divine calling that changes her life.
This book was recommended to me by my mom who told me it would be unlike any Christian romance book I've ever ever read. She was right. NOT predictable. NOT your run-of-the-mill formulaic romance. Samson challenges the reader by giving us an unusual heroine and an even more unusual hero. I loved it and want to read it again, to experience its many layers while already knowing how the story turns out.

So, what are YOU reading?
(If you are reading this, I challenge you to comment!)

July Reads

2011-08-13T19:48:00.000-05:00

Treason at Lisson Grove by Anne Perry - 7/8/2011
Good - Fiction
Pitt is away in France and Charlotte goes to Ireland to clear his superior's name.
I was glad to see a new Thomas Pitt novel by Anne Perry and enjoyed it a lot!

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett - 7/12/2011
Good - Fiction
Dr. Marina Singh travels to the Amazon jungle to search for clue to a colleague's death.
I love Ann Patchett's writing. It makes me think. But now I KNOW I never want to go to the Amazon rain forest. :-)

True Grit by Charles Portis - 7/18/2011
Good - Fiction
14yo Mattie Ross decides to avenge her father's murder.
Our August book club selection is traditionally a contemporary novel and True Grit was this year's choice. It was very compelling.

32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny: Life Lessons from Teaching by Phillip Done - 7/23/2011
Excellent - Memoir
Short essays describing timeless truths of a teacher's life and of childhood
I started this book months ago and kept it in the car for those moments of waiting since the short essays fit that perfectly. Finally I brought it in the house and finished the last part in one evening. Mr. Done seems like a great teacher! And he has the knack of making classroom events relate to everyday life.

The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen - 7/24/2011
Good - Inspirational Romance Regency
Mariah lives in her aunt's gatehouse, apart from her family due to a youthful indiscretion that cost her reputation.
My mom recommended this as a light fun read and it was! Interesting Christian fiction with a few nods to Jane Austen.

What are YOU reading?

June Reads

2011-07-24T12:03:00.000-05:00

The Message Bible edited by Eugene Peterson - 6/2/2011
Excellent - Nonfiction
Modern paraphrase of the Bible. Took me several years to read it.
I really liked the fresh perspective that reading this paraphrase brought to my Scripture knowledge. Reading this took me much longer than I intended, but I am really glad I read the entire thing.

How to Be Perfect by Daniel M. Harrell - 6/5/2011
Excellent - Nonfiction
One church's audacious experiment in living the OT book of Leviticus
This was an interesting read. Leviticus has a bad rep among Christians. This small group, all from one church including the pastor, decided to try to live Levitically for a month. I enjoyed reading it.

The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendie McClure - 6/19/2011
Excellent - Nonfiction
Wendie's lifelong obsession with the Little House books drives her to learn as much as she can about Laura Ingalls Wilder and then go on a trek to most of the Little House historical sites.
Interesting from beginning to end. I think I read it all in one lazy Sunday! Some surprising revelations about Little House and Laura. I found some things about the author I could really relate to and some things that were totally NOT me, but it was all engaging!

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - 6/24/2011
Excellent - Classic
An orphan girl comes by mistake to Green Gables on Prince Edward Island, Canada, and finds a home.
This was a re-read for me, for book club. In fact, I think I've read it twice before. I appreciated it far more this time through. If you read Anne as a child, give it a read as an adult. I think you'll find a much richer story. If you've never read it, why not?!

The Tempest by William Shakespeare - 6/24/2011
Excellent - Classic
A sorceror who was cheated out of his title commands a tempest to cause a shipwreck.
This was a book club read. I'd never read this play before and I enjoyed listening to it. The free Librivox recording was only 2.5 hours long and a treat with so many great narrators taking the parts.

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich - 6/26/2011
Good - Fiction
Stephanie runs afoul of Grandma Bella who puts the vordo curse on her, and dead bodies keep appearing in the empty lot where the bail bonds office used to stand.
I always eagerly await the next Evanovich and this one did not disappoint. Lots of Ranger (for those of you "in the know") made me very happy! Eighteen is coming out early - in the fall!

May Reads

2011-06-10T12:59:00.000-05:00

Now You See Her by Joy Fielding - 5/5/2011
Good ~ Mystery
Middle-aged and in the middle of a divorce, Marcy travels to Ireland on what was meant to be a second honeymoon and sees what appears to be her daughter who was declared dead two years before.
I enjoyed this - I needed a captivating mystery and this was just the thing.

The Illumination by Kevin Brockmeier - 5/7/2011
Fair ~ Fiction
What if pain manifested as light that everyone could see? A handwritten journal serves as the common thread that links several otherwise unrelated vignettes in this book that has no clear resolution.
The vignettes were entertaining, and the premise promising, but I kept waiting for something to tie everything together at the end.... and..... and.....
Don't bother.

I Saw the Angel in the Marble by Chris & Ellyn Davis - 5/13/2011
Excellent ~ Nonfiction
A collection of essays on the purpose and delight-directed methods of home education.
I've been working on this (borrowed!) book off and on for several years.Well worth reading, it will change the way you think about education and life with children. I need a copy of my own and I'm going to start over. The only problem? Now, I realize I'm doing an awful lot of things wrong. lol

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin ~ 5/23/2011
Good ~ Chick Lit
Rachel falls in love with her bitchy best friend's fiance.
Really not my favorite book. Neither main character was very likable. We got to hear Rachel's thoughts, so she was clearly meant to be sympathetic, but, well, she wasn't.

The Slumber of Christianity by Ted Dekker - 5/26/2011
Excellent ~ Nonfiction
Awakening a passion for heaven on earth.
Dekker points out how the Church has fallen asleep and needs to remember our hope in Jesus is our eternal life in heaven, not our earthly blessings. Worthwhile and accessible read. I highly recommend this short book by the author of many Christian novels.

The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper - 5/26/2011
Fair ~ Classic
French and Indian War, frail white girls being guided to a frontier fort where their father is commander
Hated it. Only finished it so it wouldn't be the only book club book I hadn't finished! Wordy, boring, and pompous.

Bossypants by Tina Fey - 5/30/2011
Good ~ Humor
Musings on Life and Career from comedian, writer, and producer Tina Fey.
Tina is as funny in writing as she is on stage. Her liberal slant was off-putting at first to me as a more conservative reader (probably more like her Republican parents than Tina herself), but it seemed like she set aside her agenda and got down to the memoirs after the first chapter or two. I laughed out loud a lot. The reason I read this book was the last chapter "Prayer for My Daughter" which I had read online and loved.

LEFT Neglected by Lisa Genova - 5/31/2011
Good ~ Fiction
Career-driven supermom Sarah Nickerson suffers a traumatic brain injury and her life changes.
Such an unusual brain injury piqued my interest and I wondered how the author would treat the changes in this harried working mom's life. I enjoyed it, though I thought parts of the narrative seemed to be skipped over.

What are YOU reading?

April Reads

2011-06-10T11:49:00.000-05:00

I keep reading, but I've been forgetting to finish these blog posts! Here are my April reads.

Madame Tussaud: A novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran - 4/2/2011
Good ~ Historical Fiction
Marie Grosholtz works with her uncle in their Salon filled with wax models and has a front row view of the Revolution in France.
This one seemed like a bit of a chore to get through. I enjoyed it though, so perhaps that was just the fact that I hadn't had a lot of reading time and it was a LONG book. Marie was an strong and talented female character in a time when strength and talent in females was not so much appreciated. The plot was based on the true story of Madame Tussaud's Waxworks.

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok - 4/4/2011
Good ~ Fiction
Kim emigrates to America from Hong Kong and works in a sweatshop with her mother.
For about 2/3 of the book, I thought this was a true story. Instead of a memoir, though, this is a work of fiction based in the author's experiences as an immigrant child working in American sweatshops in the 70's. I was just amazed that such things could happen within my lifetime and in my country.

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell - 4/8/2011
Excellent ~ Classic
Molly grows up motherless in rural England in the mid-1800's. When she is a teenager, her doctor father remarries and Molly must adjust to life with a demanding stepmother and a stepsister with a mysterious past. The local gentry come to rely on Molly, but what will her future hold?
The movie was wonderful, and the book was really good as well. I didn't realize until after I started reading that this book was left unfinished at the author's death. The ending was reconstructed from her notes and conversations.

Waiting: the true confessions of a waitress by Debra Ginsburg - 4/12/2011
Excellent ~ Nonfiction
The author's memoirs of twenty years of waitressing in establishments as varied as a family-owned pizzeria, a dance club, and a ritzy restaurant.
I've never waitressed, but Ginsburg writes of her trials and tribulations as a waitress clearly so that I feel like I'm right in the restaurant watching her. She also obviously enjoys her work, as she has been a server for more than 20 years. Very interesting story.

Run by Ann Patchett - 4/19/2011
Excellent ~ Fiction
Teddy and Tip were adopted cross-racially and a car accident twenty years later changes their lives.
This one was a slow starter, but I'm glad I stuck with it. The relationships and characters were interesting.

Year of Wonders: a novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks - 4/25/2011
Excellent ~ Historical Fiction
Anna's village is infected with Plague in 1666 and the villagers, influenced by the local minister, choose to quarantine themselves.
This one gets a lot of critical acclaim and I almost thought of it as a young adult novel. It's too graphic for that, I think, though. I personally was displeased with the statement about religion but the novel was well-written and interesting.

What are YOU reading?

March Reads

2011-04-03T15:52:00.003-05:00

Clara & Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland - 3/1/2011
Fair - Historical Fiction
Clara is a designer at Tiffany Studios around the turn of the 20th century.
I listened to this on audiobook and I didn't particularly like the narrator. It was a good story, though.

GOVERNESS: The Lives and Times of the Real Jane Eyres by Ruth Brandon - 3/2/2011
Fair - Nonfiction
This was more about the lives of several real women who were governesses at some point. So, more about the TIMES than the LIVES of governesses. Mildly interesting and somewhat lurid (because one of the women was Byron's mistress and another was the mother of Mary Shelley), but not what I expected.
I had expected something else, as this didn't seem like a fair account of the average governess. But I did learn a lot!

Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo - 3/5/2011
Excellent - Chick Lit
Emma Grant, college professor in disgrace, travels to England hot on the trail of some previously unknown Austen letters.
Enjoyed this a lot!

Persuasion by Jane Austen
Excellent - Classic
Captain Wentworth returns after 8 years at sea earning his fortune. Anne, who eight years ago refused his offer of marriage, is still in love with him.
I love this more every time I read it - this is my third time.

The Sherlockian by Graham Moore - 3/15/2011
Good - Suspense
A Sherlock Holmes fan solves a murder and gathers clues to find a lost diary of Arthur Conan Doyle.
Fanciful story that alternates between a modern Sherlock Holmes fan's search for a diary and fictional accounts of Conan Doyle's life. Interesting!

February Reads

2011-04-03T15:15:00.000-05:00

Margins are acting crazy again. Sorry!
Me and Mr. Darcy Alexandra Potter 2/4/2011 Good Fiction Bookstore manager goes on Jane Austen tour on a whim and, through a twist in time, meets the real Darcy. But he's not all she imagined. Interesting, if you need something light and Austen-related.

Emma Jane Austen 2/8/2011 Good Classic Spoiled rich Emma Woodhouse tries to make matches for everyone but herself. Loved Emma this time!

The Postcard Killers James Patterson & Liza Marklund 2/8/2011 Good Suspense A pair of killers roams Europe killing young lovers. Gory but interesting.

Northanger Abbey Jane Austen 2/10/2011 Good Classic Catherine Morland visits Bath for the 1st time and meets Henry Tilney Tilney is my fav. Austen hero!!!

One Tough Mother: it's time to step up and be the Mom Julie Barnhill 2/11/2011 Good Parenting Tips on parenting Took me forever to read this. Really, I started it a couple years ago and then it sat in my basket for a long time. It reinforced a lot of what I was doing but not too much new ground in this. This was recently reprinted with a new title.

Dragonfly in Amber Diana Gabaldon 2/15/2011 Good Romance 3rd RE-READ; Jamie and Claire must find their place in Bonny Prince Charlie's attempt to regain his throne. I just adore listening to Davina Porter read Gabaldon. LOVE LOVE LOVE!

400 Calorie Fix: The Easy New Rule for Permanent Weight Loss Liz Vaccariello with Mindy Hermann 2/15/2011 Fair Nonfiction Beautifully presented, but not very practical in my opinion. Includes pictures and recipes for four hundred 400-calorie meals, as well as a rationale for eating that way Pretty book. Not very helpful.

Secrets to the Grave Tami Hoag 2/19/2011 Good Suspense Someone has killed a young mother and left her 4yo daughter for dead. Seriously? I don't remember this at all from my description. LOL

January Reads

2011-04-03T15:00:00.000-05:00

Guess I never did a January or February post! Will remedy that now.
Beguiled by Deeanne Gist & J. Mark Bertrand - 1/2/2011 Good - Inspirational Suspense Dogwalker Rylee finds herself in the middle of a Robin Hood robbery and is implicated. Will reporter Logan Woods be an ally or an enemy? Not my favorite Deeanne Gist novel.

Sala's Gift: My Mother's Holocaust Story by Ann Kirschner - 1/3/2011 Good - Nonfiction As a young woman during WW2, Sala was placed in a Nazi work camp. She survived but never talked about her experiences until she gave letters she had saved for 50+ years to her adult daughter who then researched her mother's story. I never knew much about the WW2 work camps - very interesting and sad part of WW2 history.

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe - 1/18/2011 Good - Gothic Romance Emily St. Aubert is orphaned and taken from France to Italy by her aunt and eventually to the castle of Udolpho where strange things occur. Read this to better understand the Gothic novel and since it is mentioned in Northanger Abbey, this was a good one to start with!

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - ? Good - Classic Fanny Price goes to live with rich relatives. Liked this a lot better this time through. I think this is the most ignored of Austen's novels. I'd still like to slap Edmund though. Will I ever admire him?

Edge by Jeffery Deaver - 1/20/2011 Good - Suspense Hard to get into; the narrator is an officer in the Witness Protection Program and must keep his clients safe from a lifter that killed his mentor. I found it difficult to get into this novel, probably because it was unclear who the characters were and who were the "good guys" but I was glad I stuck with it.

Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde - 1/29/2011 Good - Fiction Thursday is now a mother and still trying to get her husband Landon un-eradicated, while dealing with problems in Hamlet and trying to keep the world from ending with a croquet match. I've really enjoyed the Thursday Next series. I think this is the 4th in the series. They're hard to explain because they are sort of 'Hitchhiker's Guide meets Nancy Drew meets classic literature'.

Best books I read in 2010

2011-02-12T12:21:00.004-05:00

These are the books I read in 2010 that I rated Excellent. I would recommend any of them to you. They are in the order I read them.

A Bride in the Bargain by Deanne Gist
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (But read Hunger Games 1st, ok? This is 2nd in a series)
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
Emma by Jane Austen
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon (part of the Outlander series, so start with Outlander)
Read It and Eat by Sarah Gardner
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Every Last One by Anna Quindlen
Let's Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Juliet by Anne Fortier

Yes, my list is a little heavy on the Jane Austen. That's because of the Austentatious class I am co-teaching at our homeschool co-op. But if you haven't read Austen (or if you read her once and didn't like her, or if you tried and couldn't get into it), I do recommend you try again.

I'd like to note that when I read Emma for the first time, I couldn't get into it at all. In fact, I opined that it had no relevance for the modern reader. After my 3rd re-read, I couldn't disagree more with my original opinion. So....onward and upward!

I read a few of these for book club, but I didn't rate EVERY book club book as Excellent, so these are the best of the ones we read in 2010 - Gone with the Wind, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Little Women, and Emma.

December Reads

2011-02-12T12:15:00.003-05:00

Well, this post is a little late, but I didn't read too much in December anyway.

Not Ready for Mom Jeans by Maureen Lipinski - 12/9/2010
Fair - Chick Lit
Immature and pretentious Clare Finnegan has her 1st baby and can't decide whether to remain at her job as an event planner or to stay home with her baby.
This was not a book I'd recommend. I did not like Clare at all and by the end, I didn't care if her baby was ever around her.

Juliet by Anne Fortier - 12/23/2010
Excellent - Historical Fiction
Julie Jacobs travels to Siena, Italy to track down her parents' mysterious deaths and gets caught up in a modern Romeo and Juliet mystery.
Excellent book recommended to ME by my friend Cathy. I think you'd all love it! Well-written, suspenseful, and not your normal storyline at all.

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella - 12/24/2010
Good - Chick Lit
Lexi wakes up in hospital with amnesia for the last three years and doesn't recognize the person she's become.
Again - another main character I didn't like much. She was not as bad as Clare from the earlier book, but Lexi was shallow and her morals were questionable. I have only read one Kinsella book that I enjoyed (NOT one of the Shopaholics) but if you like the Shopaholic series, you may enjoy this.

2010 Movies I've Seen

2011-01-02T11:41:00.002-05:00

I've divided this post into several categories, ranking the movies I've seen that were released in 2010.

ENJOYED IT - Would recommend
Toy Story 3
Ramona and Beezus
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Knight and Day
How to Train Your Dragon
Despicable Me
The A-Team
Iron Man 2
Inception
Diary of a Wimpy Kid

ENJOYED IT - Not necessarily for everyone (or guilty pleasures!)
Sorcerer's Apprentice, The
Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Charlie St. Cloud
Babies
Tron: Legacy (moved from the top category since I think this may be a love it or hate it movie)

INDIFFERENT - Not a lot of feeling one way or the other
Tooth Fairy
Robin Hood
Life as We Know It
Letters to Juliet
Leap Year
Last Song, The
Eclipse (The Twilight Saga)
Extraordinary Measures
Clash of the Titans
Dear John
Book of Eli, The
Alice in Wonderland

MIXED FEELINGS - Liked some parts, disliked something about it
When in Rome
Voyage of the Dawn Treader (The Chronicles of Narnia)
Losers, The
Just Wright
Eat Pray Love
Bounty Hunter, The
Back Up Plan, The

DISLIKED MOVIE - But you might like it. Not my thing. Or it was just a stinker.
Valentine's Day
Killers
Easy A
Going the Distance (only made it about 20 minutes in)

2009 Movies I Finally Saw

2010-12-30T11:50:00.002-05:00

Here are some movies that came out in 2009 that I saw on DVD during the past year. My reactions are given and I've put the ones I recommend in BOLD to make it easy on ya!

Amelia - bleh
An Education - bleh
The Blind Side - LOVED IT!
Bright Star - LOVED IT!
Couple's Retreat - a stinker
Dance Flick - a few laughs, but mostly distasteful
Extract - Yuk
Fame 2009 - Boring
The Hurt Locker - Turned it off a few minutes in
Ice Age 3 - can't remember if I actually watched it or if the kids just did, lol
The Lovely Bones - SO suspenseful!
Me And Orson Welles - Very good!
New Moon - um, well... It was Twilight.
New York I Love You - a stinker
Pippa Lee - good acting, rotten story
Precious - same thing as Pippa but worth watching
Sherlock Holmes - enjoyed very much!
Star Trek 11 - liked it far more than I imagined I would
Up in the Air - liked it until the ENDING - AUGH!!
Where The Wild Things Are - loved it!
Whip It - very compelling
The Young Victoria - A WONDERFUL MOVIE!

Fall Reads

2010-12-13T11:51:00.000-05:00

I've missed posting here monthly, but quarterly will have to do for now. Maybe soon I can post more regularly.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - 9/8/2010
Excellent - Classic Re-read (AUDIO version)
Catherine Morland visits Bath and falls in love.
I am so glad I read this again. The girls I am teaching are reading all 6 of the Austen novels this school year and I'm reading along with them, of course. Northanger Abbey was first. The reading experience was so much richer this time around. Listened to the librivox version.

I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman - 9/10/2010
Good - Suspense
Eliza Benedict is contacted by her kidnapper/rapist 25 years later because he wants her testimony to save him from the death penalty.
Interesting since it deals with the aftermath of a serious crime - not just the immediate results, but the long term effects on a victim's life.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - 9/20/2010
Good - Young Adult
Katniss becomes a reluctant leader in the Rebellion against the capital, but who can she trust?
The long-awaited third volume in the Hunger Games trilogy. I wasn't entirely on board with the direction the story went but the outcome was pleasing, if seemingly a little rushed.

The Last Lie by Stephen White - 9/25/2010
Fair - Suspense
Psychologist Alan Gregory has new neighbors and an "incident" occurs at their housewarming party that has the Gregory family concerned for their safety.
I once enjoyed reading the Alan Gregory novels by Stephen White, but this one was just not that good. The one before this wasn't all that great either. I doubt I'll make an effort to read the next one.

Every Last One by Anna Quindlen - 9/27/2010
Excellent - Fiction
Mary Beth has the perfect life but isn't sure she wants it until tragedy shakes her world.
Stayed up long past my bedtime reading, once the tragedy struck. I love Anna Quindlen and her books aren't at all formulaic.

The Exile by Diana Gabaldon - 10/17/2010
Fair - Graphic Novel
The backstory of Outlander told through the perspective of Jamie's relative, Murtagh.
OK - You know I adore Gabaldon. But I do not adore graphic novels. I tend to be not very observant of illustrations and this made it hard for me to read this. I did find the story interesting although some of the additions to the story seemed a little far-fetched.

Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert - September?
Fair - Memoir
The follow-up to Eat Pray Love telling of Gilbert's subsequent marriage
Wow, the self-absorbed rantings and tales of Elizabeth Gilbert continue.

Room by Emma Donoghue - 10/21/2010
Good - Suspense
5-year-old Jack and his mother are captives and he has never left the Room.
I loved this one - very original and told through the eyes of the little boy.

Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen - 10/25/2010
Good - Classic (AUDIO version)
Two impoverished sisters of opposite temperaments fall in love and face problems.
Another re-read due to my Austentatious class. I liked S&S better the second time too. Listened to the librivox version.

Let's Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell - 10/27/2010
Excellent - Memoir
A memoir of the friendship between the author and her best friend who died of cancer
Very touching and insightful book about the nature of friendship and the author's memories of her best friend, now deceased.

In the Still of the Night by Ann Rule - 11/2/2010
Fair - True Crime
Did Ronda Reynolds commit suicide or was she murdered? Her mother takes on the county coroner's determination of suicide.
Another disappointing read from a favorite author. I've loved Ann Rule's books for years, but the latest few have not been what I expect from her. The story seemed amateurish and clunky.

The Profiler: My Life Hunting Serial Killers and Psychopaths by Pat Brown - 11/4/2010
Fair - True Crime
Self-taught profiler (& former homeschool mom) Pat Brown describes her background, methods and selected cases.
This looked promising, but wouldn't you think a profiler would include her SUCCESSFUL cases in a book about her career? Well, not a single case in this book was solved with Brown's input. Most are still unsolved. So, all we have are her OPINIONS that her skill could have solved the crime. Those stupid police officers just don't believe her. Can you hear the sarcasm? The cases were interesting but no resolutions means that it's just frustrating to read.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer - 11/7/2010
Excellent - Memoir
During the famine of 2002, teenage Malawian William Kamkwamba had to drop out of school and began to study electricity and physics, eventually constructing a windmill out of scrap parts that provided electricity for his family.
This was a wonderful story about this young man's fortitude and ingenuity set against the backdrop of the recent famines in Malawi, Africa. It's told more like a memoir than a cohesive story, and is filled with a good deal of technical information, but the story is compelling.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell - 11/8/2010
Excellent - Romance
Pampered Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara must survive throughout the demanding Civil War and Reconstruction.
This was GREAT! Read it! (This was my third reading of this novel, I believe - once as a teen and once as a twenty-something and then now.) I read the first half in print and then listened to the second half.

The Danvers Touch by Elizabeth Lowell - 11/8/2010
Good - Romance
Photographer Cat meets rich ship-builder Travis Danvers and is assigned to photograph him for a book.
The Danvers Touch was recommended in a romance writers' resource as a good example of romance writing, so I found it on paperbackswap a couple years ago. Just now got around to reading it. It's rather an old book (1980's?) so the romance is a little dated, but I can see why it's upheld as a good example. Lots of purple prose, lol.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - 11/17/2010
Excellent - Classic (AUDIO version)
Elizabeth Bennet and the proud Mr. Darcy find that they must learn to put aside both their pride and their prejudice in order to appreciate one another.
The third re-read Austen re-read for my class. Loved this. I remember it being so hard to read the first time. I listened to the audiobook (free on librivox) and it was AWESOME!

Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig - 11/28/2010
Good - Romance
Authorized by Margaret Mitchell's estate, this novel tells the story of Rhett Butler from childhood and his love story with Scarlett O'Hara, extending past the ending of Gone with the Wind.
I was unaware of this authorized sequel until a friend told me about it at book club. I'd read Scarlett back in the day and it wasn't at all what I'd hoped. This novel tells of Rhett's life before Scarlett, continues with his perspective of the events of Gone with the Wind, and then continues. I thought it gave a little too much history and a little too much focus to other characters. But there were some interesting additions to the original storyline and the conclusion we all crave.

ScreamFree Parenting by Hal Edward Runkel - 11/20/2010
Fair - Parenting (AUDIO version)
The title pretty much says it all.
Great premise, a little too child-centered for my tastes, but by the end I thought Runkel had a good perspective. I listened to the audiobook and I'd rather have been able to see the page for this one.

Summer Reads

2010-09-25T16:09:00.003-05:00

Have not been doing well with updates here. Here are my summer reads. The comments in italics are my thoughts as of today, so some of the less memorable books won't be very detailed.

Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon - 6/10/2010
Excellent - Historical Fiction
Re-read (AUDIOBOOK)
My second time reading the latest book in the Outlander series. Loved it more listening to it. But you? You must start at the beginning.

Whiter Than Snow by Sandra Dallas - 6/17/2010
Good - Historical Fiction
Poignant tale of children caught in an avalance in a 1920's mining town
Very touching story with an interesting presentation. Each story is told independently and then woven together at the end. Loved it, though it was sad.

The Burning Wire by Jeffrey Deaver - 6/22/2010
Good - Thriller
Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs combat a perp killing people with electricity.
Better than the last Deaver I read which seemed to be slightly soapbox-oriented.

Read It and Eat by Sarah Gardner - 6/29/2010
Excellent - Nonfiction
A Month-by-Month Guide to Scintillating Book Club Selections and Mouthwatering Menus
Going to get a copy of this and use it for our book club. I loved the selection of books and the coordinating recipes.

Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles - 7/7/2010
Fair - Historical Fiction
Civil War Female Prisoners
Did NOT like this much. Though it was interesting at times, it was quite a downer.

Catching Katie by Robin Lee Hatcher - 7/11/2010
Fair - Inspirational
Katie comes back to Idaho from Washington DC with the intent of working for women's suffrage, but finding love isn't in her plans.
Anachronistic and pedantic. Wish it wasn't.

Friends of the Heart by Emilie Barnes & Donna Otto - 7/15/2010
Good - Inspirational Non-fiction
Growing friendships that last forever, written by real-life best friends
Enjoyed this. Started it a couple years ago and never finished. Unearthed it recently and devoured the rest.

The Passion of Artemisia by Susan Vreeland - 7/22/2010
Good - Fiction
A fictionalized account of the life of Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the few female post-Renaissance painters to achieve fame during her own lifetime.
Well-written and fascinating, though not especially uplifting.

Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens - 8/4/2010
Good - Classic
Amy Dorrit is raised in a debtor's prison in this rags-to-riches love story.
Book club selection. Dickens is wordy, but masterful at creating character descriptions and plot!

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - 8/4/2010
Good - Memoir
Liz travels to Italy, India, and Indonesia in search of peace and a path to God.
Wow, what a well-written and humorous ode to finding oneself (which is code in my book for S.E.L.F.I.S.H.N.E.S.S.)

The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg - 8/5/2010
Good - Fiction
A group of high school classmates gather for their 40th reunion.
I enjoyed this story and seeing how the classmates had changed in the 40 years since graduation.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zuszak - 8/10/2010
Good - Young Adult
A young girl grows up in Nazi Germany while her foster parents hide a Jew in the basement.
Again, not so uplifting, but very intriguing, especially in presentation. The narrator, for instance, is Death.

Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer - 8/15/2010
Good - Fiction
Sisters come back to their childhood home on Nantucket after life-changing events.
Rather self-absorbed tale of divorces, adultery, father-daughter relationships, etc....

Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott - 8/17/2010
Good - Fiction
Shocking details of the life of a teenage drug addict who pretends everything is normal.
I am not a big fan of Lamott's style, though she does have a way with words. The story, though, is startling and much like a train wreck you can't look away from. There are kids like this, I am sure, and I do intend to make sure none of mine are.

What Clothes Reveal: The Language of Clothing in Colonial and Federal America by Linda Baumgarten - 8/21/2010
Good - Nonfiction
18th and 19th century garments from the collection at Colonial Williamsburg are examined and explained in this photo-illustrated over-sized book. Very interesting!
I was fascinated by the details in this book. Did you know clothes were often taken apart for cleaning?

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows - 8/24/2010
Good - Fiction
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - almost completely told in letters, it's the story of an author just after WW2 who discovers new friends on the island of Guernsey in the English Channel.
Very sweet read! I resisted this at first because I didn't like the title. A couple friends suggested I would like it and I did!

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - 8/30/2010
Excellent - Historical Fiction
Re-read (AUDIOBOOK) Claire Randall steps into a stone circle and ends up 200 years in the past.
Here's the beginning you were looking for. If you haven't read it, you just might like it. A friend (who will remain nameless) recently told me she read it and loved it. She not only read the first one, but all 7. I just adore Outlander.

April & May Reads

2010-06-10T20:06:00.004-05:00

As you may have surmised from the lack of recent posts, life has overtaken me. The part-time job I've taken means less time for writing and much less time for reading. I have all I can do to keep up with my book club's selections. (And I have managed it so far, but the size of the Dickens volume I am supposed to tackle this summer has me quivering in a lump in a lonely dank corner.)

So, here are my April and May reads - pitiful list, though it may be.

Becca By the Book by Laura Jensen Walker
4/2/2010 Good - Inspirational
This was an inspirational romance and I neglected to write a summary. I remember it was about a book club, mostly about the non-Christian member of the club. I also did not realize it was part of a series of books and it wasn't the first one in the series, or I probably would not have read it.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Good - Children's (Read Aloud)
I believe this was the Newbery Award winner for 2009. Mysterious and engaging, the book addresses time travel and includes lots of references to A Wrinkle in Time. I read it aloud to my kids who loved it.

Emma by Jane Austen
5/16/2010 Excellent - Classic (Rollicking Readers)
A re-read of Emma was for my book club's April meeting, though I did not finish it before the meeting.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
5/29/2010 Excellent - Classic (Rollicking Readers)
My May book club selection was Little Women and I finished it the morning of book club. Note that it took me two weeks to read this one book. I highly recommend it - loved it! I don't remember loving it when I read it years ago.

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
5/31/2010 Good - Classic (Rollicking Readers)
Because of the length of the summer reading selection for book club, I thought I'd better read the June book as quickly as possible and move right on to the next one. So, I read Hound of the Baskervilles in two days. A very quick and entertaining read, but I don't really think of it as a classic. Hmmmm....

Mini Reviews - Weeks of April 4 and 11

2010-04-18T09:44:00.003-05:00

Titanic National Geographic special
This was really interesting - about how many errors were involved in the sinking of the Titanic. From the inferior iron rivets to a insulting comment made by the radio operator, so many tiny things contributed to the sinking of the great ship. It helps that I have been fascinated by the Titanic since I first heard of it as a child.

Law-Abiding Citizen
Found this one really distasteful. I don't watch a lot of "R" movies and this would be a good example of why not. Really gory vigilante justice film. Even Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx didn't save it. Save your time.

Alice in Wonderland
Watched this in the theater with my sister - her treat! Thank you, Janet! It was rather surreal, but that comes with the territory, eh? Both Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton fit that category neatly. A beautiful film - lots of vivid colors and interesting things to look at.

Sherlock Holmes
Not as good as I'd hoped, but maybe I was too tired to appreciate it fully. I did like it a lot, but I thought I'd adore it. But it was full of action and an interesting plot, with some super actors.

Welcome to Paradise
An "inspirational" film with Crystal Bernard and Brian Dennehy - I found it very rewarding to watch, though rather corny in spots and amateurish in its editing. Great message and I had the kids watch it too and they liked it.

Alice (2009 miniseries with Tim Curry)
Haven't quite finished this 3 hour miniseries yet, but it's an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Lots of famous faces including Tim Curry and Kathy Bates. I'm enjoying it.

Date Night
Went to the theater to see this with a friend -we both enjoyed it. You may too, depending on how you like your humor. ( Way more action in this film than I anticipated - it isn't a formulaic romantic comedy. Tina Fey and Steve Carell both were brilliant but understated and Mark Wahlberg was quite something to see. Taraji P. Henson was great as a no-nonsense police detective. And a great message made the movie really worthwhile.

The Breakfast Club
Watched this with David. Was surprised to realize this movie was rated "R". Didn't remember that! LOL Perhaps I've seen it so often edited for television that some of the more objectionable parts were edited out. Since we were watching on Netflix Instant, we got the full version, well worth the "R" rating for 1985 but a masterpiece nonetheless. How we get into the heads of each of the characters is quite amazing and I think the ending is perfection. We don't get to see a "happily ever after" - we get to wonder what happens on Monday. It's surely different watching this from a parent's perspective instead of a teen. I turned 19 in 1985 and in college, so was past the high school "thing" but the film delves deeper than just "high school". David doesn't even attend school (never has) but still related well to the characters and their dilemmas.

March Reads

2010-04-08T12:14:00.000-05:00

Five books in March. Fewer than I'd have preferred due to my new part-time job and to reading Wuthering Heights. See below...

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier - 3/3/2010
Good - Fiction
Elizabeth Philpott and her spinster sisters move to Lyme and befriend Mary Anning, a fossil hunter who discovers complete skeletons of never-before-seen creatures.
This was interesting, something different than usual. I love Chevalier's books.

Brava, Valentine Adriana Trigiani - 3/9/2010
Good - Fiction
Valentine's brother joins the business and they investigate production of the ready-to-wear shoe line, plus Valentine reconnects with Gianluca from Italy, and family secrets explode all over the place.
I liked this one better than the original Valentine novel. In fact, I've enjoyed this one more than any Trigiani I've read since Big Stone Gap.

Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte - 3/17/2010
Difficult - Classic
Classic tragedy of Heathcliff and Cathy - read it yourself if you want to know more.
Whew! Glad I read it. Glad I never have to read it again. Way way way different than I thought it would be.

The Lightning Thief Rick Riordan - 3/24/2010
Good - Children's
Twelve-year-old Percy finds out that the odd happenings in his life are due to his previously unknown parentage and he must complete a quest.
I read this aloud to the kids for two main reasons - I want to see the movie so I wanted to read the book first AND I'd heard from so many people that they enjoyed it. I also enjoyed it a lot and so did 3 of the kids.

The Kingdom of Ohio Matthew Flaming - 3/31/2010
Good - Steampunk
Time travel and steampunk, along with a mystery and flashbacks, are set in turn-of-the-century New York and the almost mythical, but apparently real, Kingdom of Ohio.
My first "steampunk" novel! Awwwww. What's steampunk? Think Sherlock Holmes.... Hard to define, but it takes place in the time of steam engines but it also incorporates wild inventions and/or sci-fi stuff like time travel. At least that's how I define it. LOL Enjoyed it!

I need something LIGHT to read. Thinking about a re-read of Stephanie Plum!

What are YOU reading?

Film Feedback - Wks of 3/7 & 3/14

2010-03-21T13:39:00.007-05:00

April 7 - I just realized I never posted this despite writing it on March 21. So, here you have it. lol

Last week, I only watched ONE movie. I know - can you even believe it? Not only that, it was a movie I've seen lots of times already - The Proposal. One of my new favorites. IMDB

This past week, I did manage a few more.

Went to the theater to see The Bounty Hunter. It was just ok. The funny moments were almost all in the trailer. I felt like Gerard Butler's character was too flawed to be a convincing romantic lead, though I do enjoy watching him on film. I like Jennifer Aniston too, and the supporting cast was also enjoyable. I felt like a lot of it was a rip off of Stephanie Plum - right down to the big blue classic car that Stephanie has to drive. But it was a nice outing with a friend, even if it was a rather forgettable film. IMDB

Our book club selection this month was Wuthering Heights, so last night we watched the newest film version (2009). The filmmakers made Heathcliff and Catherine FAR more sympathetic than they are in the book. In fact, the book has almost no likable characters at all. It does tell the story of the second generation, which apparently many film versions leave out. We were amused, as always, by identifying where we'd seen the actors previously, commenting on the costumes, the facial similarities of the actors to other famous people, and the differences between book and film. In short, we rollicked. IMDB

I also made time to finally watch New Moon (from the Twilight series). It was better than the Twilight movie in a number of ways, and I am looking forward to watching it with my posse so we can rollick it too. Heh heh IMDB

February Reads

2010-03-10T14:57:00.002-05:00

I've had this post half-written for a couple weeks. Thought I'd better publish it before the MARCH reads are ready to be posted. LOL

I found time to read 4 books in March - rather a small amount for me.

By a Lady by Amanda Elyot - 2/11/2010
Good - Chick Lit
CJ, an actress preparing to portray Jane Austen on Broadway, is sucked through a time portal to 1801 Bath England where she meets her role model and is in for a surprise!
I enjoyed this one - Time travel, Jane Austen, romance - what's not to like?

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte - 2/17/2010
Excellent - Classic
The mysterious new young woman who resides at nearby Wildfell Hall intrigues young Gilbert.
This was our book club choice for February and it was a pleasant surprise. I knew there were three Bronte sisters, but I'd never heard of this book, written by the Bronte who didn't write Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights. It was great - I highly recommend it!

The man who loved books too much by Allison Hoover Barlett - 2/19/2010
Good - Nonfiction
John Gilkey is a book thief who steals rare books just for the pleasure of owning them.
I felt the need for some non-fiction and this was an interesting choice, describing the actions and thinking of a rare book thief.

Don't You Forget About Me by Jancee Dunn - 2/20/2010
Good - Chick Lit
When Lillian's husband divorces her just before her 20th class reunion, she takes a leave of absence from her job as an NYC television producer and moves back home, only to find out that things haven't changed much since high school.
A nice diverting read.

Film Feedback - Wk of 2/28

2010-03-06T23:46:00.002-05:00

This week I started a new job working from home. It allowed me less time for watching movies - can you imagine? I still managed 5 films.

The 39 Steps - PBS Masterpiece Theater. Rupert Penry-Jones (better known as Captain Wentworth in Persuasion?). WWI. 'Nuff said? It was enough for me. :-D
IMDB

Dance Flick - Every now and then, I wonder if I ought to tell the world that I've seen a certain movie. This is one of them. Since I tend to watch dance-themed movies, I figured I'd get a lot of the jokes. Yep. I did. lol And I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that.
IMDB

New York, I Love You - Another one of those ensemble cast movies. Very strange one. It was more of a love story TO the city of New York, rather than a love story set in NYC or even about it. Short mostly unconnected vignettes - some amusing, some heart-rending, some romantic, some tragic, some hopeful, some thankful. Watched it because of some of the actors in it - Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, & Orlando Bloom (it's been a while, Orly!). If you like someone in the cast, don't expect to see much of them. If you have been to NYC (I haven't) or lived there, it will probably mean more to you than it did to me.
IMDB

The Genius Club - A Christian apologetics course set in a madman-wants-to-destroy-the-world plot. The Christian Baldwin brother is in this film. Um, Stephen? I just noticed this at the library and thought David would like it. I was right. He did. I watched most of it with him.
IMDB

Noise - The last couple weeks have been ones for watching unusual movies. Here's another one. Interesting story about a guy in NYC (again with the Big Apple!) who is being driven crazy by the noise and decides to become a vigilante. I skipped one rather sleazy scene, but the movie on the whole was rather thoughtful and intriguing. This was another I just grabbed at the library because the selection was rather slim pickings and I just wanted something I hadn't seen before.
IMDB

Film Feedback - Wk of 2/21

2010-02-23T22:20:00.011-05:00

Film Feedback Week of 2/21

Cities of the Underworld - watched a few more of these while I was working. Love the show!

State of Play - Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams in a political thriller that I really didn't follow very closely.

I Hate Valentine's Day - That actress from My Big Fat Greek Wedding in a rom-com that I liked better than My Life in Ruins, but not as well as Greek Wedding.

Post Grad - Recommended by one of the librarians, and rather cute. About a recent college grad whose life isn't going quite how she planned.

Moon - Odd, odd, odd! Not quite sure I followed it all - the hazards of having a movie on while doing other things. Read a review that recommended it, but not sure *I* would give it the thumbs up.

Veggie Tales Pistachio: The Boy Who Woodn't - Cute! Love the silly song, and the Pinocchio parallels fit the story well.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - Book club movie! The book was better, but Toby Stephens is worth a watch!

Film Feedback - Wk of 2/14

2010-02-21T00:35:00.000-05:00

Northanger Abbey
My favorite Austen film! Probably because it's light-hearted and comic. Tilney is all that a gentleman should be, plus he's amusing and likes to banter. None of that smoldering broodiness that Darcy is so known for. It's also short, which is nice to be able to fit in an evening, unlike the very long Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth. You have to make an appointment with that one. (though it is an oh-so-enjoyable undertaking!)
IMDB

Cities of the Underworld
This History Channel TV show on DVD caught my eye at the library. I've always been fascinated with underground relics and ruins, especially after having toured the Underground Seattle as a teen. I find it almost unbelievable that all that can be underneath the pavement of modern cities. I watched 4 episodes - the first disc - and can't wait to watch the rest. You can watch some online at the History Channel website.
IMDB

Valentine's Day
The star-studded cast was the attraction here, not the least of it being Bradley Cooper. :-) I actually went to the theater this week with my good friend Darlene who is so much fun to watch movies with. The myriad stories were all intriguing and were tied together well by the end. Lots of movie "in-jokes" were sprinkled throughout the screenplay and that was enjoyable. One of the storylines went off-kilter, in my opinion, and left us feeling disappointed, but overall we had a fun time.
OFFICIAL SITE
IMDB

Whip It
Previews on other DVD's brought this one to my attention, plus it was filmed in Michigan, I've heard. I think Ellen Page is quite a good actress and I've been interested in Drew Barrymore's work for a while now. This story is one of the "I'm a teen who wants to make my own choices, despite what my fuddy-duddy parents say" sort of plots, but it's unusual in that what she wants is not beauty pageants as her mom has groomed her for, but ROLLER DERBY, which is rather an aggressive violent sport. Who knew? What I loved about it was the strength shown by the family unit, which did include a mom AND a dad, both very realistically portrayed. Juno was better, hands down, but Whip It was a nicely done, enjoyable, solid film.
IMDB

The Time Traveler's Wife
Saw this in the theater when it came out, but it just came out on DVD and I wanted to see it again. Read the book twice - completely fascinating. The movie misses some of the complexity of the relationship between Henry and Clare, but it still is both emotionally draining and satisfying. Warning - it's a tearjerker of a movie!
IMDB

Film Feedback - Wk of 2/7

2010-02-14T14:40:00.001-05:00

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Nope, I'd never watched this. HERESY WARNING - I am not a Sean Connery fan. (Apologies to all of you who just gasped aloud.) And the print ads I'd seen didn't interest me. But someone mentioned to me the other day that the "extraordinary" in the title really refers to super-hero-type qualities. Oh really? Like the X-men? Kind of. OK, then, I'll give it a watch. 'Twasn't bad!
IMDB

Whiteout
Chose it because I couldn't find anything else new at the library that I hadn't already watched. Premise - 1st murder in Antartica and female US Marshal has to investigate quickly or be left behind for 6 months of Antartic winter. I sort of stopped paying attention about halfway through.
IMDB

Castle
Finished watching Season 1 and I liked the latter episodes better than the first ones. Sometimes a season needs some time to get going. I really like how involved of a dad Castle is, I like the fact he's an author, and I do like the wordplay and flirting between Castle and the detective (Becket, right?) What I DON'T like are the gory beginnings with the intro of each episode's murder. VERY disturbing. I find I can't look at the screen.
IMDB

Picture Perfect
Didn't realize how old this movie was (1997) when I snatched it at the library 5 minutes before closing. The clues were the humongous mobile phones. LOL And then about a half hour in, I started feeling like I'd seen it before. Soon after, I realized, yep! I have seen this before. Ultimately a forgettable movie, I guess. And Kevin Bacon as the bad boy romantic character? Ewwww....
IMDB

2009 Movies I HAVEN'T seen (+4 I have seen by now)

2010-02-12T10:26:00.002-05:00

I know I see a lot of movies, but even I missed a few in 2009. More than a few, actually, since I didn't go to the theater very often. I've starred the ones I am really looking forward to viewing.

NOTE: I wrote this list a few days ago and since then, I've seen four movies from it.
Bright Star - Loved it and would like to watch again
Duplicity - Not my thing really
Extract - Even more not my thing
Star Trek 11 - Not usually my thing, but really well done!

Have you seen any of these? What'd you think?
I've starred** the ones I really want to see.
Aliens In The Attic
Amelia
An Education
Avatar 3D
The Blind Side**
Bright Star
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
Couple's Retreat
Dance Flick
Duplicity
Earth
Extract
Fame 2009
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Ice Age 3
Inkheart
It's Complicated
The Lovely Bones
Me And Orson Welles**
New Moon**
New York I Love You**
Pippa Lee**
Precious
The Road
Sherlock Holmes****
Star Trek 11
Terminator 4
Up in the Air**
The Velveteen Rabbit
Where The Wild Things Are
Whip It**
The Young Victoria**

What did I miss? (Make sure you read my earlier post of movies I DID see in 2009.)

2009 Movies I've Seen

2010-02-10T10:00:00.001-05:00

I've divided this post into several categories, ranking the movies I've seen that were released in 2009. (updated 2/12/10 with 4 additional movies)

LOVED IT - Multiple Viewings
17 Again
Confessions Of A Shopaholic
Management
The Proposal
Wolverine (X-men Origins)

ENJOYED IT - Would recommend
Adam
Bright Star
Julie & Julia
Monsters vs Aliens 3D
Star Trek 11
The Soloist
The Time Traveler's Wife
Up 3D

ENJOYED IT - Not necessarily for everyone (or guilty pleasures!)
Adventureland
The Hangover
Night At The Museum 2
Sunshine Cleaning

INDIFFERENT - Not a lot of feeling one way or the other
Easy Virtue
Hotel For Dogs
The Princess And The Frog
Race To Witch Mountain
Sugar

MIXED FEELINGS - Liked some parts, disliked something about it
(500) Days Of Summer
All About Steve
Bride Wars
Duplicity
Extract
Fanboys
Gamer
He's Just Not That Into You
Madea Goes To Jail
My Life In Ruins
New In Town
Taken
The Ugly Truth

DISLIKED MOVIE - But you might like it. Not my thing. Or it was just a stinker.
Education Of Charlie Banks
Fast And Furious 4
Funny People
Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past
G.I. Joe
Mall Cop
The Pink Panther 2
The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3

Watch for another post with 2009 movies I have not yet been able to view.

January Reads

2010-02-09T20:50:00.004-05:00

Eight books in January and most of them very satisfying!

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - 1/7/2010
Good - Sci-fi
Thursday Next, a British literary detective, has to track down the thief of a stolen Dickens manuscript.
Darlene told me about this series and it sounded intriguing. I enjoyed it, mostly because of all the literary references and how the story sets itself on its ear.

Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - 1/8/2010
Good - Fiction
Twelve years after Nan was fired, Grayer comes back into her life as a troubled sixteen-year-old who asks her to help his seven-year-old brother.
I chose this because I'd read The Nanny Diaries and found it horrifyingly mesmerizing, mostly because of the way the family treated their son. Now the family has two sons, but I found this story much less believable, though still interesting.

A Bride in the Bargain by Deanne Gist - 1/11/2010
Excellent - Inspirational Romance
Joe Denton needs a wife to keep his land in 1860's Seattle, so he purchases a mail order bride, who turns out to be Anna Ivey, an Easterner who has no intention of marrying.
Deanne Gist writes wonderfully edgy Christian romances. I have greatly enjoyed each one of hers that I've been able to find. Thanks to my mom for telling me about her! If you have never read Christian romance or stopped with Janette Oke, give Gist's novels a try. I think you'll be surprised by the "real" situations her heroines find themselves in, as well as the look she gives into the heart of her characters.

Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag - 1/18/2010
Good - Mystery
Several 5th graders discover a dead woman in the local park, the apparent work of a serial killer.
What a difference from the previous book. :-) I like reading about how serial killers are caught, fictional or true crime.

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain - 1/21/2010
Good - Classic
Tom Canty, a pauper in 16th century London, accidentally trades places with his look-alike, the heir to the throne of England.
This was the Rollicking Readers book club choice for January. FAR better than I anticipated, this story is not much like the Barbie movie, Princess and the Pauper. LOL Now I am reading it aloud to my kids.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - 1/22/2010
Excellent - Young Adult
Katniss and Peetah must travel to each of the Districts on the Victory Tour, but if they can't convince the Capitol they are still in love, terrible things could happen to their loved ones back home.
This was the second book in the series, which I was very glad to find since the first (Hunger Games) ended so obviously in need of a sequel. But this one? ARGH! Oh no! CLIFFHANGER ending! Loved the book, and can't WAIT for the third one.

Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey - 1/23/2010
Good - Young Adult Read Aloud
Menolly struggles with the forbidden desire to play her music, then finds a cache of fire lizard eggs after she runs away.
This was the read-aloud for my kids. The boys enjoyed it and the girls didn't at all! I'd read it as a teenager and was interested in seeing what I'd found enjoyable back then.

Thirsty by Tracey Bateman - 1/30/2010
Good - Inspirational
Nina is struggling with alcoholism, her rebellious teenage daughter, and her unrequited love for her ex-husband when she moves back to her hometown after 17 years.
I was very interested in this before it came out, as it was being promoted as the Christian alternative to Twilight, at least in some circles. It wasn't like Twilight at all, though there is a vampire element to it. Good read, but not really a book that would interest teens.

I'm challenging you to leave me a comment with the titleof your current read or a book you hope to start soon!

So, what are YOU reading?

Film Feedback - Wk of 2/1

2010-02-07T17:14:00.006-05:00

Since I tend to watch quite a few movies, I thought it'd be productive to review them briefly here. My schedule doesn't often allow for long reviews as I have done in the past (though I adore writing them) but I can at least give you a quick reaction to each one. Hope you enjoy!

Extract - Looked funny from the previews I saw on another DVD. Jason Bateman has made sort of a comeback and I liked him in Juno. This one was heavy on the drugs and sexual situations and left sort of a bad aftertaste. Don't bother with it.
www.imdb.com/title/tt1225822/

Duplicity - I don't normally like movies where the bad guys are the protagonists and this one had the added problem of me doing something else while I was "watching" it. So, I missed some key points I am sure, but I didn't really enjoy it. However, Clive Owen is nice. :-)
www.imdb.com/title/tt1135487/

Star Trek - I am not a Trekker. Not by a long shot. But I was told I had to watch this, and it was very watchable, even for the Star Trek newbie. I watched about half of it one night by myself ran out of time (yes, that happens even to me) so had to return it without finishing it. Watched it again with David more recently. He has no Star Trek experience at all, and he really enjoyed it, as did I. If you don't know, it covers the beginnings of Jim Kirk's career and how the crew of the Enterprise is put together. Lots of great special F/X in David's judgment. One bedroom scene was inappropriate for general viewing.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0796366/

Castle Season 1
Maryann lent me this and I have been sticking it in when I have nothing else to watch. I think I've watched 4 episodes so far. I can take it or leave it. It's about a male author (Castle) of murder mysteries who teams up with a female police detective, unwillingly on her part. They have chemistry that reminds me of Moonlighting (though not as charming).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219024/

Bright Star
Loved this! I didn't know much of anything about John Keats, the poet, before watching, and truly I am unsure how much was fiction. But this story was compelling and beautifully filmed. Want to watch it again! Warning: it's very sad!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0810784/

The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Read this book (and didn't really like it too much) but hadn't realized they'd made a movie. Guess it was a TV movie. Since Dermot Mulroney stars, I thought I'd give it a shot. The movie improved on the book, I think! Give it a try. It's about a doctor whose wife has twins, one with Down's Syndrome. He gives away the Down's baby without the wife knowing and tells her the baby died. Of course, this decision haunts his whole life and changes the life of the nurse who takes the baby.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0955298/

The Library's Gerard Butler Fan

2010-02-05T17:15:00.004-05:00

A librarian at one of the libraries I frequent heard me mention that I wanted to watch Gamer because Gerard Butler stars in that violent action flick. Not my normal type of movie. Hers either, but she is a rabid Butler fan and so we discussed his various movies for a few minutes.

The next time I came into the library, I found this note affixed to my stack of requested items.

"Lisa -
For my Gerard Butler fan. Check out Dear Frankie and Attila the Hun DVDs. Good Chick Flicks!
Christine, The Library's Gerard Butler Fan"

Are you giggling? I was! LOL We then had a chance to talk about those films in particular, which I'd already seen (of course!) and loved. Dear Frankie is a lovely movie and Gerard is particularly charming in it, especially because of his Scots accent shining through. Too many movies don't feature that. Attila the Hun is not a particularly good movie, but I enjoyed Gerard in that one as well.

And Gamer? Interesting premise. Pretty gory, in a video-game sort of way, but not the worst I've seen. And yes, Gerard is worth watching.

When I told Christine the Librarian about the upcoming Gerard Butler project in which he'll play Robert Burns, the Scottish poet, she seemed to have heart palpitations. Seems that, next to Butler, her reigning passion is poetry. Here is an article and another.

2008 movies I saw in 2009

2010-01-30T21:27:00.003-05:00

This is a list of movies from 2008 that I didn't manage to see until 2009 and my brief comments on each. Running about 50/50 on the Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down decisions.

1. Bedtime Stories (PG) (2008) (Adam Sandler, Keri Russell)
Didn't really like it, although my family really did. Guess I'm just not an Adam Sandler fan!

2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (PG-13) (2008) (Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett)
Disliked it quite a bit. Again, not a Brad Pitt fan, but the movie was just depressing and way too long.

3. Yes Man (PG-13) (2008) (Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel)
Usually I love Zooey and dislike Carrey, but I didn't like either of them in this much. Now I realize Bradley Cooper is in this so I may go back for another viewing. David really loved this movie though! Red Bull! Red Bull!

4. Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who (G) (2008) (voices of Jim Carrey, Steve Carell)
Finally managed to see this at our summer park Movie Nights - on a big inflatable screen. It was really good!

5. Australia (PG-13) (2008) (Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman)
Meant to see it in the theater, but skipped out due to weather. Wish now I'd made it! This one is like two movies in one - very long and two storylines, really. Have seen it four times now, I think. I don't really like Nicole Kidman and, by her own admission, her acting was terrible, but Hugh Jackman carried it. And that adorable child has a screen presence!

6. Quantum of Solace (PG-13) (2008) (Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko)
Hated it. Don't think I even managed to get through it. Too bad too, since I loved the first Craig-as-Bond film.

7. Slumdog Millionaire (R) (2008) (Dev Patel, Madhur Mittal)
Again, didn't like it at all. Depressing. Guess I like my movies cheerful and romantic. Wanted to like it. Probably should give it another try when I'm feeling solemn and in need of deeper inspiration. So many people liked it.

8. Rachel Getting Married (R) (2008) (Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt)
HATED IT. Well, at least the beginning. Turned it off after the first 10-15 minutes.

9. Changeling (R) (2008) (Angelina Jolie, Jeffrey Donovan)
This one I actually liked. Didn't love it, but I liked it and it made me think beyond the normal storytelling paradigm.

10. Fireproof (PG) (2008) (Kirk Cameron, Erin Bethea)
LOVED IT. Although Cameron was the only professional actor, I thought most of the actors did an excellent job of nailing their characters. The exception was the wife - thought she detracted from the film more than helped it. And the story was awesome. Made Bob watch it with me (he never watches movies) and he liked it too. Go watch it, if you haven't.

11. Nights in Rodanthe (PG-13) (2008) (Richard Gere, Diane Lane)
SOB FEST!!! Sad sad sad. But what do you expect from Nicholas Sparks? See it if you like a tearjerker.

12. Kung Fu Panda (PG) (2008) (voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman)
Watched it out of the corner of my eye while the kids watched. They loved it. I was pleased with it.

13. The Other Boleyn Girl (PG-13) (2008) (Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson)
I watched it, but I don't remember all that much about it.

Here are three I had wanted to see, but still haven't. Should I?
1. Mad Money (PG-13) (2008) (Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah)
2. The Tale of Despereaux (G) (2008) (voices of Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman) - Kids saw it, but I haven't.
3. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (PG) (2008) (Documentary) - David saw this but I haven't.

December Reads

2010-01-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, just haven't gotten around to posting my December reads yet! Thought I'd better get to it!

An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon 12/03/09
Excellent - Historical Fiction
Jamie and Claire travel to Scotland and back while continuing to participate in the American Revolution
I've waited for this book for YEARS and then when it was published, I was still re-reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes so I couldn't start immediately. Jamie and Claire only get better with age, and the cliffhanger ending makes me crazy!!! Can't wait to listen to the audio! I think Gabaldon's books are even BETTER in audio.

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen 12/04/09
Excellent - Memoir
Rhoda Janzen's Mennonite upbringing colors her approach to love, life, and religion. Humorous and insightful, though I didn't actually agree with much.
This book was a great example of an author having a compelling voice. Janzen was utterly charming and mesmerizing even when I didn't agree with a word of what she said. Her memories of her unusual upbringing captivated me and I am fascinated with her thought processes. HIGHLY recommended!

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare 12/12/09
Good - Play
What fools these mortals be - Very hard to summarize! LOL
I don't think I'd read this before. This was our book club selection for December.

The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale 12/17/09
Excellent - Chick Lit
Surprisingly deep story of an Utah housewife who meets by accident an actor she has admired from afar.
My sister Christy recommended this to me and I am so glad she did. Hale also wrote Austenland which I enjoyed, but this was far better! I laughed and I cried. Literally I was sobbing through the last hour of reading. But it was a good kind of cry!

Colonel Brandon's Diary by Amanda Grange 12/21/09
Excellent - Romance
The first-person account of Colonel Brandon's loves and life (from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen)
Another excellent read for December. S&S is not my favorite Austen since I could never really understand why Brandon chooses to love who he does. However, this (as all of Grange's diaries) really helps me understand and see inside the male protagonist. I love Brandon now! Can't WAIT for Tilney's diary! (not yet published)

A Christmas Promise by Anne Perry 12/21/09
Fair - Christmas
Gracie Phipps, age 13, aids a young girl in finding her lost donkey and in solving the mystery of her uncle's murder
I like Anne Perry's Thomas Pitt novels, but this one takes place before Gracie meets Pitt. It was not as good as I would have hoped.

The Rough Guide to Running by Lloyd Bradley 12/24/09
Good - Non-fiction
British guide to running; covers basics and and expert tips for running everything up to marathons
Much of this was British-specific, but I learned some new information and reading about running is motivating to me.

unChristian by David Kinnaman 12/25/09
Excellent - Non-fiction
What a new generation really thinks about Christianity
Another December book that I highly recommend. If you don't understand why people aren't going to church, read this. If you are over 35, read this. If you want to figure out what the unchurched are thinking or feeling, read this. It first made me angry, then it made me think.

U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton 12/27/09
Good - Mystery
Kinsey is put on the trail of the kidnapping and murder of a four-year-old girl 20 years before.
I can hardly believe that this is Grafton's 21st Kinsey Millhone novel! I enjoy each one.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 12/30/09
Excellent - Young Adult
Katniss is chosen to represent her district in the annual Hunger Games, a televised battle to the death among more than twenty teenagers.
Wow! I just adored this young adult novel. I really felt like the world Collins creates came alive for me. Katniss is a realistic heroine faced with some terrible situations and her feelings really ring true. I think this is a worthy read, but be warned that it doesn't really have an ending. But there is a sequel already published! I am reading it right now!

What are YOU reading? Have you read anything I've read?

November Reads

2009-12-06T00:04:00.004-05:00

I managed 6 books in November, while also writing my latest NaNoWriMo novel. I tend to avoid fiction while writing fiction, except for inspiring fiction that I'd like to imitate, such as Gabaldon's work. So, other than the two children's books, the only fiction I read was a Kathy Reichs novel, during a writing slump. Well, and Gabaldon, but that's a given, right?

Edward, Hoppy and Joe by Robert Lawson - 11/10/09
Excellent - Childrens
One of my favorites from childhood – Edward the rabbit, Hoppy the toad, and Joe the possum have many adventures.
My kids ADORED this read-aloud. I had hesitated reading it to them because of its age. It was rather old when *I* read it years ago. But it was very amusing and well-written. I think I shall have to read them more Robert Lawson. Perhaps Ben and Me and Rabbit Hill?

Until It Hurts by Mark Hyman - 11/16/09
Excellent - Non-fiction
America's obsession with youth sports and how it harms our kids
A review of this new book somewhere piqued my interest and I interloaned it. Quite eye-opening as to the dangers of specialized youth sports - both physical and otherwise. If you have a child who might ever play an organized sport, I do recommend this book.

The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson - 11/18/09
Fair - Non-fiction
The plot to kill the child king – a non fiction thriller
How could I not read this? I adore ancient Egypt, one of my obsessions since middle-school. And King Tut? So much mystery surrounds him. I found Patterson's take somewhat unbelievable. Patterson takes the somewhat unpopular view that Tut was murdered. He integrates the scenes from ancient Egypt with the life story of Howard Carter, discoverer of Tut's tomb, as well as some scenes from the present day. I find his writing somewhat brash, and don't really appreciate his style, so I didn't enjoy the book as much as I had hoped. It is short through, a quick read.

206 Bones by Kathy Reichs - 11/21/09
Fair - Thriller
Temperance Brennan, forensic anthropologist, is being sabotaged.
No more Tempe for me. I've struggled through the last one I'm going to attempt. I thought I used to like Reich's work, but maybe I never really did. I don't like Tempe or her story.

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell - 11/24/2009
Good - Childrens
A bet forces a boy to eat a worm a day for fifteen days
My kids had seen the recent movie and found it enjoyable, but say the book is nothing like it. I loved reading this aloud. Rockwell's style is irreverent in a boy-ish way and the story is very intriguing for kids. And not at all politically correct!

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon - 11/27/2009
Excellent Historical Fiction
RE-READ Jamie chooses to join the Revolutionaries
Audiobooks read by Davina Porter are woooooonderfulllllll and this one was no exception. The time just before the American Revolution is the setting for the 6th installment of the Outlander series. I didn't especially enjoy this book the first time I read it, back in 2005, so I had approached it somewhat dutifully. The seventh book (An Echo in the Bone) had been released, but I needed a refresher of ABOSAA before tackling it. Surprise, surprise! I thoroughly enjoyed it this time around!

SO WHAT ARE YOU READING?!

October Reads

2009-11-22T20:07:00.004-05:00

Finally - my October reading list! Only 6 books, but one of them is the longest book I've ever read. And I've been working my way through another of Diana Gabaldon's books on audio, though I didn't finish that yet. Read on....

No Need for Speed: A beginner's guide to the joy of running by John Bingham - 10/12/09
Excellent - Non-fiction [999 Category - Serendipity 1 (revised category)]
This couch potato turned back-of-the-pack athlete has uncovered the path to joy, contentment, self-discovery, and life-changing success, all by putting one foot in front of the other.
As you may know, I have started jogging this year and I'm certainly not fast. This book was very helpful in setting goals and realizing a healthy approach to one of my new activities.

Edmund Bertram's Diary by Amanda Grange - 10/17/09
Good - Romance [999 Category - Becoming Jane]
Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, told through the eyes of Edmund Bertram
I adore Amanda Grange's diaries of the Austen heroes. Mansfield Park is my least favorite of Austen's six novels, but reading this made me like both Edmund and Fanny more.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas - 10/24/09
Excellent - Classic [999 Category - Vintage Volumes]
Edmond Dantes is wrongfully imprisoned, but escapes and spends the next 10 years plotting and executing his revenge.
Wow, this was the longest book I've ever read - about 1400 pages. It probably deserves a whole blog post of its own, but as I've been neglecting poor Mirkwood for a while now, that likely isn't going to happen. If, like me, you'd only ever seen movie adaptations of the Count of Monte Cristo, this will be an eye-opener for you, and no mistake. The abridged version of the novel (usually around 4o0 pages) is no comparison, according to our book club discussion. The movie with Jim Caviezel is NOTHING like the book - at least not the second half of the movie. What a richly layered book - a masterpiece truly. But a test of my reading endurance!

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange - 10/25/09
Good - Romance [999 Category - Becoming Jane]
Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy are on their wedding journey, but Lizzy soon comes to realize that Darcy guards a terrible secret.
When I first heard of this, I was rather shocked actually. But the more I thought of smouldering reticent Darcy, the more I realized this was an intriguing prospect for a Jane Austen adaptation. And it was quite amusing! If you know Pride and Prejudice (book or movie) and like vampire books, give this a try!

The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald - 10/25/09
Fair - Childrens [999 Category - Nostalgia]
JD's brother Tom always is out to make a buck in their small Utah town of 100 years ago.
I liked this a lot better having it read to me back in the day. It has lost some of its relevance in the intervening years, I think. My kids liked it better than I thought they would, but it isn't going to make any of my top reading lists.

Mr. Darcy's Daughters by Elizabeth Aston - 10/31/09
Good - Romance [999 Category - Becoming Jane]
The five spirited daughters of Lizzy and Darcy come to London for the Season under the care of a cousin.
This one was amusing, but not as good as Mr. Darcy, Vampyre or any of the Amanda Grange diaries. If you need an Austen fan fiction fix, though, it will do. Quite creative in its premise, though Lizzy and Darcy are not in the story at all.

What are you reading?

September Reads

2009-10-11T19:18:00.003-05:00

Only two books in September!? What in the world?

Well, I've been trying to complete The Fiery Cross for a long time (see below), as well as The Count of Monte Cristo, which is 1400+ pages long. I worked on a couple other books too, but didn't finish them.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella - 09/04/09
Good - Chick Lit [999 Category - Nine and Counting]
Lara Lington's great-aunt Sadie has passed on, and even though Lara hadn't known her at all, the funeral disturbs her, and when Great-Aunt Sadie's spirit visits her, Lara's life is turned upside down.
I needed something light that I could FINISH, so I picked up Kinsella's new book. It was pretty good.

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon - 09/13/09
Excellent - Historical Fiction [999 Category - Kindred Spirits]
Jamie and Claire, along with Brianna and Roger, continue building their lives in pre-Revolution North Carolina.
I've been stalled in the middle of The Fiery Cross for months now, but I began listening to the audiobook again with renewed zeal, in hopes of finishing both FC and A Breath of Snow and Ashes before the new Gabaldon book (An Echo in the Bone) was released on September 22. I didn't make it. But, oh, how I love listening to Gabaldon read by Davina Porter!

Right now I am almost halfway through A Breath of Snow and Ashes (on audio) and about 1/3 through The Count of Monte Cristo. I have read one other short book in October. Stay tuned!

What are YOU reading?

August Reads

2009-09-01T13:59:00.004-05:00

The Penny Pinchers Club by Sarah Strohmeyer - 08/05/09
Good - Chick Lit (999 Category - Serendipity)
Kat thinks her husband is planning to leave her so she curtails her wild spending and learns to save with the help of a motley group of penny pinchers.
I love Strohmeyer's books! She always has a different take on the chick lit formula. Thoroughly entertaining.

The Fate of Katherine Carr by Thomas H. Cook - 08/07/09
Good - Mystery (999 Category - Serendipity)
When George Gates' young son was murdered, he lost his once-avid taste for mysteries, but he meets a retired police detective whose story of a missing woman piques George's interest.
Saw this one at the library on the new book shelf and picked it up based on the cover and title alone. Glad I did. It was compelling and interesting.

Everybody's Normal Until You Get to Know Them by John Ortberg - 08/10/09
Excellent - Non-fiction (999 Category - Faith)
How do flawed abnormal people such as ourselves master forces that drive us apart and come together in the life-changing relationships God designed us for?
This was AWESOME! I would love to do a small group study on this book. Anyone up for that?

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler - 08/15/09
Good - Fiction (999 Category - Becoming Jane)
Jane Mansfield, a Regency miss, wakes up in 2009 in the body of Courtney Stone and must learn to live and love in the modern world.
Saw this and its companion novel (below) mentioned someplace online and immediately requested them both. I read them backwards, however, so you may want to start with the FIRST one instead of this one. Very funny and an intriguing concept. Not your typical romance novel, but a must-read for any Jane Austen fans.

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler - 08/19/09
Good - Fiction (999 Category - Becoming Jane)
Courtney Stone, an LA career girl, wakes up in 1813 in the body of Jane Mansfield, a well-to-do, but on-the-shelf Regency woman.
This one should have been first. Oops! I thought Rude Awakenings was better, but I liked this one a lot too!

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy - 08/26/09
Good - Classic (999 Category - Vintage Volumes)
Marguerite St. Just, now Lady Blakeney, must save her brother by discovering the identity of the English hero The Scarlet Pimpernel, who leads a band of men that rescue aristocrats in the French Revolution.
This was our book club read for the month. I'd read it before a number of years ago and wasn't all that impressed then. I liked it better this time around and I think I'll look for the other one (Eldorado) that the wonderful Scarlet Pimpernel movie (1982) is based on.

l8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle - 08/27/09
Good - Young Adult (999 Category - 9 and Counting)
Third in the series, this novel told entirely in instant messages follows Maddie, Angela and Zoe through their senior year, as they deal with boyfriends, prom and their archenemy Jana.
I read the first two books and was fascinated by the way the story was told through only instant messages. Amazing, really! The story, however, was a little more mature than I'd recommend to the high school girls I know. If you want to get inside a teen's head (or at least this author's view of a teen's thoughts), this is a good way.

home safe by Elizabeth Berg - 08/28/09
Excellent Fiction (999 Category - Serendipity)
Helen is a writer whose personal tragedy has brought on writer's block has to deal with family situations and an unnerving surprise.
WONDERFUL! I was actually brought to tears several times. I've enjoyed Berg's books a lot and this was the best yet, I believe. I need to read it again someday so I can do more than gush praise for it! LOL

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell - 08/31/09
Good - Non-fiction (999 Category - Faith)
For those who need a fresh take on Jesus and what it means to live the kind of life he teaches us to live.
This book was recommended by several as life-changing, but I didn't find it so. Perhaps it's due to my unconventional "religious" (or NON-religious?) upbringing, but most of these concepts were not new to me. Bell's style of writing grates on me. All those one sentence paragraphs hurt my head! But I can see that the concepts Bell presents may be new ways of thinking for many raised in denominational churches. Give it a read - it's rather short and maybe you'll come away with some food for thought.

What are YOU reading?
I'd love to know! Leave me a comment.....

July Reads

2009-08-05T10:52:00.001-05:00

Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich 07/06/09
Good - Fiction
Rangeman is being sabotaged and Lula witnessed a murder and is being chased by inept hit men.
This eagerly awaited installment in the very funny Stephanie Plum series took me all of one day to zip through. Hilarious as usual, I could have done with a little more RANGER, but all-in-all, a very satisfying Evanovich. When does Sixteen come out? Oh yeah, JUNE. 2010. Sigh.

Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange 07/07/09
Good - Romance
Pride and Prejudice retold from Darcy's perspective, in diary format.
I love love love Amanda Grange's Austen hero diaries and this one is no exception. She thinks of much to add to enhance the story but doesn't compromise Austen's characters or plot. Absolutely CANNOT WAIT for Tilney's diary!

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 07/15/09
Good - Classic
Victor Frankenstein creates a monster and deals with the consequences.
I didn't especially want to read this, but Rollicking Readers was looking for something a little different to read, something not as romantic as our Austen and Bronte books. This fit the bill, but it wasn't at all what I imagined it to be. A very cerebral and philosophical chilling tale.

Complete Book of Running (Runner's World) edited by Amby Burfoot 07/16/09
Good - Non-fiction
Everything you need to know to run for fun, fitness, and competition
Whenever I start some new "thing", I always have to get some books about it. Jogging is no exception. This is a thorough overview of running as sport with quite a bit about competition and training that I mostly skimmed. A nice section on women's running rounds it out.

Island of Lost Girls by Jennifer McMahon 07/19/09
Good - Fiction
Rhonda witnesses a huge white rabbit abducting a little girl and joins the investigation to solve the crime.
Saw this at the library and couldn't resist the title and premise. An intriguing read, but rather serious by the end.

Bird by Bird: Some instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott 07/21/09
Excellent - Non-fiction
Author Anne Lamott shares her thoughts and advice on writing
I think Lamott is more famous for this book than for any of her novels (none of which I have read), however, this is a little gem of a book on writing. If you write fiction at all, give it a look. It won't take long to read, but its impact will be powerful.

Yes Man by Danny Wallace 07/22/09
Good - Non-fiction
Danny makes a rash promise to say yes to everything for a year!
Yes, this is the book the movie is based on. Yes, I think it's a true story. Yes, it was interesting and funny. Yes, the book was better than the movie.

The 5 Minute Face: The Quick and Easy Makeup Guide for Every Woman by Carmindy 07/26/09
Good - Non-fiction
Carmindy of What Not to Wear shares her tips and tricks for creating great makeup in 5 minutes.
I love What Not to Wear, even though I don't often get a chance to watch it. I had the opportunity to view a DVD of four episodes lately and was reminded how much I love Carmindy on the show. She seems very down to earth and does great makeup, which never looks fake or too glam. I found out she had written a book and just had to check it out! Useful tips and nice photos. I think, however, that the face may take ME more than 5 minutes, at least the prep part.

What are YOU reading?

Is anyone out there? Hallllooooooo.........

Rollicking Readers - Frankenstein

2009-07-26T10:00:00.001-05:00

Rollicking Readers Book Club had another great meeting last night! Only a few of our normal crowd was able to be there - seven of us, to be exact. We had a lovely dinner together on the patio. The husband of our hostess grilled chicken and burgers for us.

Our book/film of the month was Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, a little departure from our ordinary reading material, considering our book club was formed to read through all six of Jane Austen's novels. But we completed that task and are pressing on to other classics.

Our discussion was held after dinner and was lively and intelligent - lots of great points were brought up. (And I think EVERYONE there had read the book! WTG, ladies!) For the record, I believe that just about everyone agreed that the book wasn't at all what we had imagined it to be. Rather than being gory and filled with gratuitous violence, it was philosophical and thoughtful. I'm glad I read it, especially because I wasn't really looking forward to it.

The version we chose was a 3 hour film from Hallmark (Frankenstein, 2004) touted to be a faithful representation according to the reviews we read. All the major events of the book were included, mostly in the right order, and the ending was pretty much the same. HOWEVER, the characters' motivations were changed quite a bit and some of the dialogue given to other characters. Events were added that changed the impact of other events and that was a little disappointing. The movie was also moderately graphic in the way that the book was NOT - during the creation of the monster and, later, his bride, as well as during the murders. I closed my eyes for a lot of it, though. lol

Another great meeting to add to our repertoire!

If you are local, please contact me if you are interested in our book club. I'll warn you right now - we are a crazy bunch, but we love to read and watch movies and chatter!

June Reads

2009-07-07T23:10:00.005-05:00

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?

2009-06-21T12:58:00.004-05:00

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

2009-06-15T12:43:00.004-05:00

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

2009-06-04T09:51:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-01T14:26:00.007-05:00

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)

2009-05-19T23:35:00.003-05:00

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?

2009-05-17T12:05:00.005-05:00

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

2009-05-14T13:25:00.002-05:00

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

2009-04-30T11:06:00.009-05:00

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)

2009-04-22T00:21:00.011-05:00

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

2009-04-16T20:31:00.006-05:00

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

2009-04-16T09:22:00.001-05:00

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

2009-04-15T23:04:00.005-05:00

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…

Are you currently reading more than one book? Right you are!
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.
Is this normal for you? Definitely. I usually have at least one fiction and one non-fiction read going.
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

2009-04-01T23:14:00.003-05:00

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

2009-03-02T01:07:00.000-05:00

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!?

Howl's Moving Castle (2005)

2009-02-24T09:42:00.004-05:00

Howl's Moving Castle is one of those Japanese animated films that I've always discounted as clearly Not My Thing. I'll be really honest and admit that Moving Castle ended up in my Netflix Q merely because Christian Bale provided the voice of Howl. I have a slightly embarrassing habit of searching out as many of an "interesting" actor's movies as possible. I'm sure you'll forgive me this silly foible. Right? Right?

Whatever brought Howl's Moving Castle to our family is irrelevant; I'm so glad we were allowed the opportunity to view this unusual animated film! My entire family was fascinated all the way thought, even my husband who rarely sits through any movie that doesn't star Jim Varney.

The movie is originally Japanese but has been dubbed in English with well-known actors (Bale, Billy Crystal, Josh Hutcherson). We watched the English version, but I've been told that the Japanese track with English subtitles is very engaging and I do intend to check it out. Despite a Japanese origin, most of the characters look completely European, which I found surprising. The style of animation is not wholly manga (with those inevitable immense eyes), but achieves an engaging and sweeping style.

A loose plot structure makes the story somewhat difficult to follow, but most questions are answered, so give it some time. As I mentioned, the movie mesmerized each member of my family, from my six-year-old daughter to my fourteen-year-old son to my forty-seven-year-old husband. (Although he did proclaim it 'silly' on several occasions, the fact that he sat in the room for ALL of the film speaks volumes.)

The description of the movie involves witches and a fire demon which originally put me off, but having had Moving Castle repeatedly recommended to me, I thought we'd give it a go. For those of you that prefer to avoid mention of witches, demons, spells, and magic, this is not the film for you. If you have a more tolerant view of such topics, I think you'll be pleased at the light-hearted way this is handled. Despite serious difficulties faced by the characters, the magic plays a secondary role to the characters' own strengths and moral fiber.

Charming and sweet enough to please my daughters, yet filled with enough action to satisfy my sons and enough humor for my husband, Howl's Moving Castle is a gem. This is one I'd like to own!

IMDB page
Screenit.com Page

OSCARS - My commentary

2009-02-22T23:31:00.007-05:00

I haven't made a habit of watching the Oscars in recent years, but Hugh Jackman hosting was a draw I couldn't ignore. So, here are some of my thoughts thus far.

LOVED Hugh's opening number. The man can sing AND dance. What an intimate seating arrangement this year too - the front row is just a step from the stage! Anne Hathaway was delightful in her cameo.

I turned off the acceptance speech from Milk's screenwriter because my children were still in the room and he was going on about gay marriage. I did understand his heartfelt comments, however, and I read somewhere that he stated, rightly, that God loves everyone - gay or straight. True enough.

Because I hadn't yet turned it back on, I missed Wall-E winning Best Animated Film. I had really hoped Bolt might come out of left field and win. I enjoyed that film so MUCH more than Wall-E, but David was pulling for Wall-E.

I enjoyed the romance montage, other than the now apparently obligatory homosexual kiss.

Got a kick out of Ben Stiller dressed as Joaquin Phoenix per his appearance on Letterman.

The musical IS back! LOL Loved that song-and-dance number with Jackman and Beyonce, also featuring Zac Efron and his costar from HSM3 and Dominic Cooper (ditch the beard, Dom!) and Amanda Seyfreid from Mamma Mia.

I'm getting tired of hearing about Benjamin Button and seeing all those awards going to that film. Maybe once I've seen it, I'll understand? Those who have seen it tend to use words like "odd" to describe it. I wasn't thinking I'd ever really get around to it. But three awards says something, I suppose!

Annoying was the word for Bill Maher's thinly disguised rant that his film Religulous wasn't nominated for Best Documentary. (It wasn't the best one, Bill. Sorry.)

Will Smith was great! Who hasn't stumbled over their words and who couldn't wish for as great a recovery as Will's?

Loved the Jerry Lewis tribute. It made me cry and want to go watch Jerry Lewis movies, and I'm not really a fan of physical comedy! His longtime commitment to finding a cure for MD is commendable!

Also teared up a bit at Heath Ledger's win for Best Supporting Actor (The Dark Knight). His family accepted the award. I couldn't help thinking that, wherever he is now, he probably doesn't care a bit about getting the statuette.

OK, how about the gowns? Fashion? Loved Queen Latifah in navy, Penelope Cruz in sixty-year-old ivory and lace, Miley Cyrus - all tiered and beaded. Wow, there were a lot of white, ivory, champagne, and silver, grey, platinum dresses! I'm not crazy about one-shoulder gowns and there were a lot of those!

So, that's it! I was glad I watched. I've put Best Picture Slumdog Millionaire (total 8 awards!) on my Netflix Q, as well as Benjamin Button.

2008 Movies I DIDN'T see (but plan to....)

2009-02-12T15:48:00.000-05:00

Here's YOUR chance to give ME a review. This is a list of 2008 movies I wanted to see, but didn't manage to do it for one reason or another. All of them are on my To-View list.

Any on this list you'd recommend or warn against?

Bedtime Stories (PG) (2008) (Adam Sandler, Keri Russell)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (PG-13) (2008) (Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett)
The Tale of Despereaux (G) (2008) (voices of Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman)
Yes Man (PG-13) (2008) (Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel)
Australia (PG-13) (2008) (Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman)
Quantum of Solace (PG-13) (2008) (Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko)
Slumdog Millionaire (R) (2008) (Dev Patel, Madhur Mittal)
Rachel Getting Married (R) (2008) (Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt)
Changeling (R) (2008) (Angelina Jolie, Jeffrey Donovan)
Fireproof (PG) (2008) (Kirk Cameron, Erin Bethea)
Nights in Rodanthe (PG-13) (2008) (Richard Gere, Diane Lane)
Kung Fu Panda (PG) (2008) (voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman)
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (PG) (2008) (Documentary)
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who (G) (2008) (voices of Jim Carrey, Steve Carell)
The Other Boleyn Girl (PG-13) (2008) (Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson)
Mad Money (PG-13) (2008) (Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah)

2008 Movies on DVD

2009-02-10T23:26:00.002-05:00

Here is a list of 2008 movies that I have viewed on DVD. Some were ones I was really looking forward to (Fool's Gold, at least until I read the reviews), others were the luck of the draw (Eagle Eye, Maryann had it.).

The Duchess (PG-13) (2008) (Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes) - depressing
Eagle Eye (PG-13) (2008) (Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan) - better than I imagined!
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (PG-13) (2008) (America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel) - interesting, but I don't think this series of movies is for young girls
Space Chimps (G) (2008) (voices of Andy Samberg, Cheryl Hines) - We really liked this!
Journey to the Center of the Earth (PG) (2008) (Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson) - corny
Get Smart (PG-13) (2008) (Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway) - David's new favorite! lol I found a lot to laugh at as well.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13) (2008) (Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf) - Terrible. Do not bother.
Then She Found Me (R) (2008) (Helen Hunt, Colin Firth) - Loved this. Deeper than the normal romantic drama. It was raunchy in some spots though, deserving the R rating. However, I thought it was quite real.
Speed Racer (PG) (2008) (Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci) - Remember how excited I was for it? Sadly, this movie didn't do something quite right. However, I really liked it anyway.
What Happens in Vegas (PG-13) (2008) (Ashton Kutcher, Cameron Diaz) - Liked it more than I thought I would.
Made of Honor (PG-13) (2008) (Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan) - simply ok. The Scottish accents were the best part!
Baby Mama (PG-13) (2008) (Tina Fey, Amy Poehler) - This was hilariously funny!
Deception (R) (2008) (Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman) - Terrible, terrible, terrible. Even with Jackman and McGregor. Still terrible. I remember now why I usually just say no to R rated movies.
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (PG-13) (2008) (Frances McDormand, Amy Adams) - Um. Odd. Odd movie.
Definitely, Maybe (PG-13) (2008) (Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher) - Didn't really like this one.
Fool's Gold (PG-13) (2008) (Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson) - Liked it better than I thought I would from reading the awful reviews. It was sweet and funny in spots, but rather contrived in others.
Penelope (PG) (2008) (Christina Ricci, James McAvoy) - ADORED this one! Highly recommend!
The Bucket List (PG-13) (2007) (Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman) - Forgettable.
27 Dresses (PG-13) (2008) (Katherine Heigl, James Marsden) - Didn't really like, but I think that's because I didn't really like either of the main characters or their choices.

Movies I Saw in the Theater in 2008

2009-02-09T10:29:00.003-05:00

Here is a list of movies I saw in the theater in 2008.
Not a long list (eleven), but perhaps more than an average year? I guess I am going to the theater about once a month. Not too shabby. I still need to write reviews on several of them, but I've given you my 10 second recommendations instead.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (PG-13) (2008) (Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly) - Do you like Keanu or sci-fi? Then see it. If not, don't bother.
Bolt (PG) (2008) (voices of John Travolta, Miley Cyrus) - I didn't review this, but it was one of my favorite movies this year! GREAT FUN! Way better than Wall-E.
Twilight (PG-13) (2008) (Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson) - My review
The Dark Knight (PG-13) (2008) (Christian Bale, Heath Ledger) - My review
Mamma Mia! (PG-13) (2008) (Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan) - My review
WALL·E (G) (2008) (voices of Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight) - Worth a viewing.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG) (2008) (Ben Barnes, William Moseley) - Read the book instead.
Iron Man (PG-13) (2008) (Robert Downey, Jr. Terrence Howard) - My review
Nim’s Island (PG) (2008) (Abigail Breslin, Jodie Foster) - My review
Jumper (PG-13) (2008) (Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson) - My review
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie (G) (2008) (voices of Phil Vischer, Mike Nawrocki) - My review

Hmmmm... Interesting. Two G-rated movies, Two PG-rated movies, and the rest (7) are PG-13. No R-rated movies at all on this list. Hollywood, wanna pay attention to that?

Couple of Quick Reviews

2009-02-07T17:36:00.006-05:00

Couple of short reviews for you. Movie night at Maryann's last night!

Henry Poole Is Here PG (Luke Wilson)
Artsy sort of film that explores the issues of faith and believing in miracles. Also explores relationships between people. I hated the music and the artsy cinematography, but utterly enjoyed the characterizations of Henry Poole, Esperanza, the checkout girl, the neighbor woman, and her daughter. (Don't remember a fiancee and an overbearing mother, as noted in the summary on Flixster, but oh well.) Worth a viewing if you can overlook the strange camera angles and odd pop music. Lots to talk about here! (Or if you enjoy that sort of thing, then it'll be a movie you love!)

Henry Poole Is Here - IMDB page; No Screenit.com Page Available

Eagle Eye PG-13 (Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Billy Bob Thornton)
I liked this better than I thought I would. It's hard to tell you what it's about without giving away the plot, but this thriller is worthwhile. LaBeouf is intense and energetic as the young "slacker" Jerry and the supporting cast is excellent. Especially enjoyed Michael Chiklis as the Secretary of Defense. I'll let my 14yo watch this one.

Eagle Eye - IMDB Page; Screenit.com Page

January Reads

2009-02-03T14:14:00.003-05:00

I've been neglecting this poor blog! I'll try harder in the future!

Just four books in January. I tried hard, but reading time was scarce! I did write 27,000 words on my novel in January though!

The Falcon and the Sparrow by M.L. Tyndall - 01/13/09
Good - Inspirational Regency (999 Category: Serendipity – Unplanned books I want to read )
Dominique is hired as a governess to the son of an English admiral but has a hidden agenda as a French spy, a task she is forced into to save her brother's life.
I really enjoyed this Christian Regency romance! (Regencies are set at the beginning of the 19th century in England.) Far from your typical sappy Christian novel, this one dealt squarely with issues of faith and morality, rather than presenting a sanitized view of life. Both main characters were believable and likable.

Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich - 01/14/09
Good - Fiction (999 Category: Kindred Spirits - Books By Favorite Authors)
An FTA has absconded with a magnetometer and Diesel shows up to help Stephanie capture him, along with his own target, Wulf.
Oh wow, so FUNNY! I love Evanovich and this book was a laugh-out-loud romp through New Jersey. From the moment Diesel reappears in Stephanie's life to Ranger's ever-present black vehicles, every page was filled with humor.

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler - 01/25/09
Fair - Fiction (999 Category: Screen Time - TV/Movie Tie-ins)
Six very different people decide to read through Austen's works as they work through their own personal romance issues.
I'd seen the movie (and didn't really like it), but now that I've read ALL OF AUSTEN'S NOVELS (go me!), I thought it might be worth a read. I both really liked this novel and really disliked it. What I didn't like? The odd point of view (told 1st person plural, but I never really figured out who was speaking). The many flashbacks inserted willy-nilly. The gay storyline (although it was not as prevalent as in the movie. Also, the high school teacher/student romance was almost non-existent, although in the movie, it was much more serious and distasteful). What I liked? The characters! Reading about Austen's plots and characters and understanding it! Worth a read? Sure, if you like Austen.

The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity by Wm. Paul Young - 01/29/09
Good - Fiction (999 Category: Faith - Spiritual Life)
Mac gets a note from God after a terrible tragedy has overtaken him.
I didn't like or hate this as much as I expected. Several people I respect have really adored it and similarly, several people I respected have really disliked it. Other people had a response much like mine - lukewarm. I thought the story was powerful and some of the ways God is presented really made me think. However, I thought the theology was weak and not Biblically sound. The writing was just adequate, but not skillful. Do I recommend it? Yes, but with caveats. Be sure to line up the theology with the Bible. I don't subscribe to the "seeker" or "post-modern" views of Christianity, so I'm sure that those who do will find this a more agreeable read. And please remember, it's a NOVEL.

Booking Through Thursday - The Best?

2009-01-08T16:40:00.004-05:00

It’s a week or two later than you’d expect, and it may be almost a trite question, but … what were your favorite books from 2008? (It’s an oldie but a goodie question for a reason, after all … because, who can’t use good book suggestions from time to time?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, I'll do almost anything to procrastinate writing this week apparently. My plot has diverged and I need to choose which way to go. And I CAN'T decide! LOL So, here you get my list of the books I rated EXCELLENT in 2008.

If I get to the end of a year and I can't remember what a book is about, it really can't be all that excellent, can it? So, I'll write for you a short snippet of why I think the book is worthwhile.

MY FICTION PICKS

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson (Young Adult)
Ginny's eccentric aunt leaves her 13 blue envelopes with instructions to travel to England and further.
Ginny is an interesting character and so are the many people she meets on her travels. The premise is unique as well. How many people have an eccentric aunt who would leave them a treasure hunt of sorts as a legacy? As far as it being a young adult novel, I'm not sure. I was quite entertained, but I don't know that I'd want young teens reading it. Ginny makes some choices that I wouldn't want an impressionable young person to imitate.

A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist (Inspirational Romance)
Constance is kidnapped and shipped to the Virginia Colony as a tobacco bride.
Deeanne Gist has the talent to write a Christian novel that doesn't hit you over the head with preachiness. I love historical fiction and I love realistic characters. Gist blends all three qualities here for a novel that was a joy to read. Sensuality was not ignored, discussions of faith are frank but not corny-sounding. And the details about the historical setting excited me - learning about the tobacco brides, seeing the homestead that they were creating, familiarizing myself with traditions. Go read it!

Austenland by Shannon Hale (Chick Lit)
Jane is obsessed with Mr. Darcy as portrayed by Colin Firth in the BBC Pride & Prejudice to the extent that it interferes with her real life. Then she gets the chance to vacation in Austenland.
If you have a love for Mr. Darcy or for Jane Austen's works, then this is a fun read. Jane gets a trip to Austenland from, you guessed it, an eccentric aunt who leaves it to her in her will! LOL (OK, fictional characters have this happen more often than the rest of us, apparently.) She gets to dress up in Regency gear, live like she's on Regency House Party, and fall in love with a Regency guy. But which one? And how does she return to her normal life in the modern world?

Cook's Treasure Jennifer Cooper (Romance)
Reagan Sinclair vacations in Florida and meets a mysterious treasure hunter.
I read it. Loved it! You can't! It's unpublished. So, nyah nyah....

Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction)
Claire and Jamie settle on a mountain and their daughter Brianna finds love - 4th in the Outlander series; I listened to the audiobook.
If you haven't read Outlander, start there. I adore all of the Outlander books and hearing them on audio is a treat. The narrator does all of the accents and it's a masterpiece. Gabaldon is a genius at writing. She makes her reader (even me, who does not visualize) see the world she creates, with all the detail she includes.

Finding Hope by Brenda Coulter (Romance)
Hope befriends a rich heartless doctor but his lack of belief in God is a stumbling block to any further relationship.
Another Christian romance novel that doesn't beat you over the head with preachy statements or resort to implausible conversions. Instead we get a happily-ever-after tale with two fairly realistic and quite likable characters.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (Classic, Romance)
Fanny Price is sent to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins at Mansfield Park, but she is never quite part of the family.
This is the 4th Austen I read this year, but the first one (except P&P) that I really enjoyed. I didn't particularly care for the ending, but I enjoyed the characters and the plot.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Classic, Romance)
Elizabeth and her 4 sisters are encouraged to marry well
A must-read for everyone. How could anyone not love Mr.Darcy?

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (Classic, Romance)
Catherine Moreland is naïve and prone to romantic fantasy; in Bath she meets and falls in love with Henry Tilney and is invited to visit his family estate – Northanger Abbey
My favorite Austen (or tied closely with P&P for first)! Mr. Tilney is a hero I can really enjoy and Catherine is naive and sweet, but with that morbid streak that makes so many friends fun to be around. The plot is great too! Once you've read it, go watch the newest film version!

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (Classic, Romance)
The classic story of two sisters – one who feels everything deeply and the other who keeps her feelings well-hidden
My 3rd-ranked Austen favorite. Again, the ending bothered me, but the characterizations were so sharp that it was a joy to read!

Spiderweb for Two by Elizabeth Enright (Childrens)
A sequel to Four-Story Mistake – Mona and Rush are away from home, leaving Randy and Oliver at loose ends, but then a treasure hunt clue appears in the mail.
The Four Story Mistake is one of my all-time favorites and this follow-up is a joy as well. I read it aloud to my kids and they enjoyed hearing the details of the treasure hunt.

The Broken Window by Jeffery Deaver (Suspense)
Lincoln's cousin is arrested for murder, but has he been framed by an identity thief? CHILLING!
This one struck home, as it's a crime that really could happen to anyone. I love how Deaver builds the suspense. The characters are true to themselves, throughout the series, and likable even though they have obvious flaws and foibles, as do the rest of us.

The Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver (Suspense)
Kathryn Dance, a CBI agent and kinesics expert, interrogates Daniel Pell and then tracks him down in his subsequent escape
This Deaver is not about Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs as so many of his are. Instead, we get Kathryn Dance, who has built a career on knowing things about people by watching them. How do people act when they lie? When they're hiding something? Fascinating - and a great mystery to boot!

My Non-Fiction Picks:
Back for Seconds by Peter Bowerman (Non-fiction)
A second helping of “how-to” for any writer dreaming of great bucks and exceptional quality of life (a companion volume to The Well-fed Writer)
Read it, if you are interested in freelance writing!

How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author by Janet Evanovich (Non-fiction) Janet shares tips and tricks on writing – my second read-through of this book. Very practical and easy to read.
I adore Evanovich's writing and she's a successful best-selling author who started out writing genre romance. She answers questions on her website and expanded those into this how-to book on writing. Conversational in tone, amusing often, and always informational, this book has been a great help to me. I've read it twice.

Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer (Non-fiction)
Chris McCandless was a young college graduate with everything going for him, but he gave it all up to walk into the wild of Alaska.
The movie of the same name is based on this book and I was fascinated by it. It's not a happy tale, but an interesting look into the mind of someone who observed our modern society and rejected it wholeheartedly.

Jane Austen for Dummies by Joan Elizabeth Klingel Ray (Non-fiction)
If you've ever tried to read Austen and gotten confused about historical details or customs of the time, this is the book for you! Conversational in tone and very readable, this guide answered ALL the questions I had – and some I didn't realize I had!
I need to own this book. That's all I can say.

No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty (Non-fiction)
How to write a novel in 30 days
I had already written a novel in 30 days, almost a year before I read this, but it was actually very very helpful. If you plan to do NaNoWriMo (or write a novel on your own in 30 days), this book will be instrumental in getting you to your goal!

December Reads

2009-01-01T01:27:00.004-05:00

Nine December books! I was booking! (pun intended! lol) This made a 2008 total of 86 books, and that's the 3rd year in a row that I've read 86 - unintentionally!

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - 12/07/08
Excellent - Fiction
The classic story of two sisters – one who feels everything deeply and the other who keeps her feelings well-hidden.
I couldn't WAIT to read this, even though my book club won't be discussing it until January 31! I enjoyed it very much even though Marianne tried my patience and I think Brandon ended up with the wrong lady.

Cook's Treasure by Jennifer Cooper - 12/09/08
Excellent - Romance
Reagan Sinclair vacations in Florida and meets a mysterious treasure hunter.
My very good friend Jennifer wrote this book! I was so excited to be invited to read it!

Frontier House by Simon Shaw - 12/13/08
Good - Non-fiction
A behind-the-scenes look at the television series of the same name.
After re-watching this series recently, I wanted to read the insider view!

Northpointe Chalet (The Austen Series) by Debra White Smith - 12/21/08
Good - Inspirational
Kathy Moore, a young bookstore owner, meets Ben Tilman, a local pastor, whose father Kathy suspects of nefarious dealings. Based on Northanger Abbey.
Better than I thought it would be, although I didn't really like the main character all that much. She was much ditzier than Catherine Morland.

Buckingham Palace Gardens by Anne Perry - 12/22/08
Good - Mystery
Pitt is called to Buckingham Palace where a prostitute has been found dead.
A very good Thomas Pitt mystery novel!

Third Degree by Greg Iles - 12/25/08
Good - Mystery
Laurel Shields has just ended an extramarital affair and finds that her husband has an unexpectedly violent reaction.
This was more graphic than I prefer in a lot of ways. Also if you know me at all, you'll know that I'm not big on novels (or movies) that make the bad guys out to be the heroes. This was one of those, in my opinion.

The Gift of Christmas Present by Melody Carlson - 12/26/08
Good - Inspirational
Christine found her long-lost grandmother, but will the discovery be traumatic for them both?
I really enjoyed this! I like a nice sentimental novel around Christmas and this was perfect! Put it on your Christmas reading list for next year. Actually it's still the 12 days of Christmas right now, so go read it before Epiphany. I think I'll look for more novels by Melody Carlson.

Heartstopper by Joy Fielding - 12/27/08
Fair - Suspense
Sandy Crosbie moved to Florida with her family and then her husband left her. Now there's a serial killer on the loose.
I only rated this fair because I GUESSED THE MURDERER fairly early in the book. Usually Fielding slaps me between the eyes with an unexpected turn, but I picked up on some clues early on and figured out who it was.

A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist - 12/28/08
Excellent - Inspirational
Constance is kidnapped and shipped to the Virginia Colony as a tobacco bride.
This was an engaging and unusual read. Yes, it's a Christian romance, so you can guess how it ends, but it was a lovely ride and a historical novel with an unusual twist. Put this one on your reading list! Thanks, Mom, for telling me about Deeanne Gist!

What will you read in 2009? Care to join me for the 999 Reading Challenge?

999 Reading Challenge

2008-12-27T22:52:00.003-05:00

I enjoyed participating in the 888 Reading Challenge, so I went looking for a challenge for 2009.

The 999 Library Thing Challenge is very similar - Read 9 books in each of 9 categories for 2009.

Here is my list of books. You will see that some categories have more than 9 books. It's easier just to list them all than to try to pick and choose now. My final choices will depend quite a bit on what is available to me from the library.

Nostalgia - Books I Read As a Child and want to Read Aloud to My Children
1.The Borrowers – Mary Norton
2.Edward, Hoppy and Joe – Robert Lawson
3.A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L'Engle
4.Five Little Peppers and How They Grew – Margaret Sidney
5.The Book of Three – Lloyd Alexander
6.Dragonsong – Anne McCaffrey
7.The Great Brain – John D. Fitzgerald
8.Soup – Robert Newton Peck
9.Encyclopedia Brown – Donald J. Sobol

Kindred Spirits - Books By Favorite Authors
1.An Echo in the Bone – Diana Gabaldon
2.The bodies left behind - Jeffery Deaver
3.Plum Spooky – Janet Evanovich
4.The Master of All Desires - Judith Merkle Riley
5.The Oracle Glass - Judith Merkle Riley
6.The Water Devil – Judith Merkle Riley
7.Mortal Danger – Ann Rule
8.Fatally Flaky – Diane Mott Davidson
9.Dead Time – Stephen White
10.Very Valentine – Adriana Trigiani

Vintage Volumes - Book Club Books (Rollicking Readers & Bella's Bookshelf)
1.Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
2.Animal Farm by George Orwell
3.Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
4.Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
5.Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
6.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
7.The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
8.Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
9.To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
10.Dracula by Bram Stoker

9 and Counting - Titles with Numbers
1.Finger Lickin' Fifteen – Janet Evanovich
2.Nineteen Minutes – Jodi Picoult
3.One Tough Mother – Julie Ann Barnhill
4.A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini
5.A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
6.1900 House - Mark McCrum and Matthew Sturgis.
7.30 Days to Taming Your Tongue - Deborah Smith Pegues
8.7 Keys to Comprehension
9.Then There Were Five (The Melendy Quartet) - Elizabeth Enright

Screen Time - TV/Movie Tie-ins
1.North and South – Elizabeth Gaskell
2.The Martian Child: A Novel About a Single Father Adopting a Son - David Gerrold
3.P.S. I Love You - Cecelia Ahern
4.The Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien (3 titles)
5.The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
6.The Jane Austen Book Club - Karen Joy Fowler
7.The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
8.Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire – Amanda Foreman (The Duchess)
9.Yes Man - Danny Wallace

Serendipity – Unplanned books I want to read
1.To be announced
2.To be announced
3.To be announced
4.To be announced
5.To be announced
6.To be announced
7.To be announced
8.To be announced
9.To be announced

Literacy - Non-fiction about Books, Writing, or Reading
1.Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing – Patricia T. O'Conner
2.Books: A Memoir – Larry McMurtry
3.How to Write Irresistible Query Letters – Lisa Collier Cool
4.Book Smart - Jane Mallison
5.Book Lust – Nancy Pearl
6.1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die – Peter Ackroyd
7.Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Your Romance Published - Julie Beard
8.How to Read a Book - Mortimer J. Adler & Charles Van Doren
9.On Writing – Stephen King
10.Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott
11.A Book Lover's Diary - Shelagh Wallace and Scott McKowen

Faith - Spiritual Life
1.Blue Like Jazz – Donald Miller
2.Sex God – Rob Bell
3.I'm Fine with God, It's Christians I Can't Stand – Bruce Bickel
4.The Barbarian Way : Unleash the Untamed Faith Within - Erwin Raphael McManus
5.Pagan Christianity: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices :: Frank Viola, George Barna
6.The Slumber of Christianity : Awakening a Passion for Heaven on Earth :: Ted Dekker
7.The Law of Rewards – Randy Alcorn
8.The Way of the Master – Ray Comfort
9.Reaching for the Invisible God – Philip Yancey
10.The Journey of Desire – John Eldredge
11.The Spontaneous Spread of Home-Discipleship Christianity – Henry Reyenger, Jr.

Mere Jack - C.S. Lewis
1.Mere Christianity – CS Lewis
2.Problem of Pain – CS Lewis
3.Til We Have Faces – CS Lewis
4.A Mind Awake – CS Lewis
5.The Four Loves – CS Lewis
6.The Great Divorce – CS Lewis
7.Out of the Silent Planet – CS Lewis
8.Perelandra - CS Lewis
9.That Hideous Strength - CS Lewis

My Husband, the Movie Star!

2008-12-25T21:09:00.004-05:00

My husband shares his name with a movie star and sometimes I get silly questions about it! But now I can say,"YES, my husband is a movie star!" Well, it may be stretching the truth a bit, but he is onscreen for two seconds in the new DVD movie from Burns Family Studios - Pendragon: Sword of His Father.

Here's a screencap!

My son was also filmed as an extra in two scenes, but we didn't see him on the DVD. Maybe he ended up on the cutting room floor.

Booking Through Thursday - Winter Books

2008-12-25T20:25:00.005-05:00

No, no … this isn’t the question you’re probably expecting, that asks about your winter reading habits.

What I want to know today is … what are the most “wintery” books you can think of? The ones that almost embody Winter?

Well, my mind first goes to children's books.

The Big Snow by Berta Hader

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan

Grown up books that speak "Winter" to me? Hmmm.... I'll have to give that some thought!

Finished the 888 Reading Challenge!

2008-12-22T16:29:00.005-05:00

The 888 Reading Challenge was to read 8 books each in 8 different categories in 2008. I finished today!

My categories changed a good deal as did many of the titles I chose initially. That was within the rules. I didn't use any overlaps. I also read a few books that didn't fit any of my categories.

Here are my 8 completed categories with the 8 books I read for each one. Following that are the additional 18 books I read. 8x8+18= 82 books so far in 2008. I still have a few days to increase that total. In both 2006 and 2007, I read 86 books.

Anyone up for the 999 Reading Challenge??

Books Published in 2008
1.The Secret Between Us – Barbara Delinsky 1-24-08
2.Firefly Lane – Kristin Hannah 5-18-08
3.The Broken Window – Jeffery Deaver 7-22-08
4.Breaking Dawn – Stephenie Meyer 8-7-08
5.Say Goodbye – Lisa Gardner 8-8-08
6.The Keepsake – Tess Gerritsen 9-20-08
7.Sweet Love – Sarah Strohmeyer 10-15-08
8.More Than It Hurts You – Darin Strauss 11-1-08

Books Recommended to me by others
1.Hide – Lisa Gardner (my mom) 2-2-08
2.Beauty - Robin McKinley (Marta) 2-23-08
3.Courting Trouble – Deeanne Gist (Mom) 7-13-08
4.13 Little Blue Envelopes – Maureen Johnson (blog) 8-12-08
5.Darcy's Story: Pride and Prejudice told from a whole new perspective – Janet Aylmer (Darlene) 8-18-08 (also fits Austen category, but not an overlap)
6.Seducing Mr. Darcy (Marla) 9-23-08
7.A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith (sister Janet) 10-13-08
8.Cook's Treasure – Jennifer Cooper (Jennifer) 12-9-08

Young Adult Fiction
1.ttyl – lauren myracle 1-2-08
2.Eclipse – Stephenie Meyer 1-7-08
3.ttfn – lauren myracle 1-14-08
4.Diary of a Wimpy Kid: a novel in cartoons – Jeff Kinney 2-24-08
5.Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules - Jeff Kinney 5-7-08
6.Spiderweb for Two: A Melendy Maze – Elizabeth Enright 8-29-08
7.Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox - Eoin Colfer 10-29-08
8.From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler 11-22-08

Non-fiction
1.Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe – Todd Wilson 1-24-08
2.Into the Wild – Jon Krakauer 6-21-08
3.Cockatiels for Dummies 7-8-08
4.Eat This, Not That! 7-8-08
5.Threadbared – Kimberly Wrenn & Mary Watkins 4-26-08
6.The Butterfly Garden – Chip St. Clair 8-18-08
7.How Not To Look Old – Charla Krupp 8-29-08
8.Frontier House – Simon Shaw 12-13-08

Romance Novels
1.Let's Meet on Platform 8 – Carole Matthews 2-23-08
2.Love's Haven (Steeple Hill Love Inspired) – Catherine Palmer 2-27-08
3.Finding Hope (Steeple Hill Love Inspired) – Brenda Coulter 3-15-08
4.Finding Hope – Brenda Coulter 03-15-08
5.A Season of Forgiveness – Brenda Coulter 04-08-08
6.Strapless – Leigh Riker 6-1-08
7.The Dewey Decimal System of Love – Josephine Carr 8-10-08
8.Tumbling Through Time - Gwyn Cready 8-31-08

New Books by Favorite Authors
1.T is for Trespass – Sue Grafton 1-11-08
2.Plum Lucky – Janet Evanovich 1-20-08
3.Candy Cane Murder – Joanne Fluke 1-19-08
4.Charley's Web – Joy Fielding 04-12-08
5.Carrot Cake Murder – Joanne Fluke 4/23/08
6.Sleeping Doll – Jeffrey Deaver 4/29/08
7.Fearless Fourteen – Janet Evanovich 6/28/08
8.Buckingham Palace Gardens (Thomas Pitt Mysteries) – Anne Perry 12-22-08

Christian Novels
1.The Martyr's Song – Ted Dekker 1-1-08
2.Brothers – Angela Elwell Hunt 2-4-08
3.Claire Knows Best – Tracey Bateman 04-05-08
4.I Love Claire – Tracey Bateman 04-18-08
5.Scarlet Thread – Francine Rivers 5/5/08
6.Doesn't She Look Natural – Angela Elwell Hunt 5-12-08
7.Journey – Angela Elwell Hunt 7-8-08
8.Northpointe Chalet (The Austen Series) – Debra White Smith 12-21-08

Jane Austen novels (and related books)
1.Austenland – Shannon Hale 2-10-08 (recommended by Christy, but not an overlap)
2.Pride and Prejudice 3-16-08
3.Making of Pride & Prejudice – Sue Birtwhistle & Susie Conklin 4-30-08
4.Emma 6-18-08
5.Persuasion 7-12-08
6.Mansfield Park 9-14-08
7.Northanger Abbey 10-23-08
8.Jane Austen for Dummies - Joan Elizabeth Klingel Ray 11-13-08
9.Sense & Sensibility 12-7-08

END OF CHALLENGE!!!

Books on Writing or Reading (read only 6 books)
1.Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom – Ursula Nordstrom 1-20-08
2.How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author – Janet Evanovich 11-18-08
3.The Well-fed Writer – Peter Bowerman 2-8-08
4.Careers for Bookworms - Marjorie Eberts and Margaret Gisler 3-22-08
5.Back for Seconds – Peter Bowerman 6-22-08
6.No Plot? No Problem! - Chris Baty 11-28-08

No Category
1.Drums of Autumn – Diana Gabaldon 1-31-08
2.Twilight – Stephenie Meyer 7-28-08
3.New Moon – Stephenie Meyer 8-2-08
4.Finding God in Lord of the Rings – Kurt Bruner & Jim Ware 8-30-08
5.The Memory Keeper's Daughter – Kim Edwards 1-29-08
6.Alone – Lisa Gardner 2-12-08
7.The Almost Moon – Alice Sebold 3-2-08
8.Kill The Messenger – Tami Hoag 4-15-08
9.The Survivor's Club – Lisa Gardner 4-20-08
10.Vivaldi's Virgins – Barbara Quick 6-18-08
11.Lean Mean Thirteen – Janet Evanovich 6-19-08
12.The Princess Bride – William Goldman 6-20-08

Booking Through Thursday - Generosity

2008-12-18T21:13:00.003-05:00

Do you give books as gifts?

Yes.

To everyone? Or only to select people?

Always to my children, sometimes to other people too. Even my husband, who isn't a "reader" by any stretch of the imagination.

How do you feel about receiving books as gifts?

In theory, I think it's great! In practice, I've often recieved books I have no interest in reading or have already read. I haven't made a practice of returning books, so they sit on the shelf or eventually get resold.

Booking Through Thursday - Treat

2008-12-18T21:11:00.003-05:00

What is the best book you ever bought for yourself?

I bought The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon for myself - brand new in hardcover.

And, why? What made it the best? What made it so special?

I don't often buy brand new (prefer used) and almost never hardcover fiction. I had read the first four books in the series and had to run out and buy the new one as soon as it came out. Made a special trip, paid full price. Enjoyed the book immensely!

Movie Viewing Update

2008-12-17T23:26:00.000-05:00

Wow, haven't posted much here lately. I've seen Bolt (LOVED it!) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (LOVED Keanu) in the theaters and plan to write reviews of both of those, when I can find the time.

Movies I've seen for the first time on DVD include:
John Tucker Must Die - not as awful as I assumed it would be
Journey to the Center of the Earth - Ditto
Sense & Sensibility (1995) - Excellent! Be sure to watch the deleted scenes!
Possession - Pretty good
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - Not too bad!
Get Smart - LOVED IT! Hilarious!

And I've seen these on DVD, but had already seen them in the theater:
Mamma Mia
The Dark Knight
Wall-E

Booking Through Thursday - Time is of the Essence

2008-12-11T10:46:00.002-05:00

1. Do you get to read as much as you WANT to read? (I’m guessing #1 is an easy question for everyone?)

No, I do not. However, I make time for reading anyway. I almost always read while I eat. (I can hear the gasps of horror now!) And sometimes I read far into the night.

2. If you had (magically) more time to read–what would you read? Something educational? Classic? Comfort Reading? Escapism? Magazines?

If I had more time to read, I'd read everything and anything. Staring at my bedroom bookshelf, I said to my husband the other night, "I don't ever think I'll get to read all those books!" I do make time for reading 60-100 books a year, plus magazines, but I could easily read twice that many and still never read everything I'd like to read. I'm getting more selective, now that I realize my time for reading is inevitably limited.

Booking Through Thursday - 5 for Favorites

2008-12-04T10:09:00.003-05:00

1. Do you have a favorite author?

I have several! Janet Evanovich, Ted Dekker, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jeffery Deaver, to name just a few. But for this meme, I'll choose Diana Gabaldon.

2. Have you read everything he or she has written?

No. After reading the first book in the Lord John series, I chose not to read the rest because I am not comfortable with that character's lifestyle choices. He is a character in the Outlander series and his character plays a major role, but was important to the plot. I didn't like him enough to read a spinoff series based on him.

3. Did you LIKE everything?

Everything that I read I liked except as detailed above. I love Outlander best, though. But all of the books in the Outlander series are compelling and absorbing. There are six now and she is writing the seventh.

4. How about a least favorite author?

Wow, that's hard. I don't tend to read books I don't enjoy. I hesitate to name names. I have avoided reading Harry Potter. How's that?

5. An author you wanted to like, but didn’t?

I really wanted to like the Shop-aholic books by Sophie Kinsella, and it wasn't really the writing that turned me off, per se. I just couldn't identify with Becky, the main character. She is shallow and places a high priority on fashion and that just isn't me. I did really like one other book by Kinsella - Can You Keep a Secret? For some reason, that one really resonated with me. Enough that I own a copy. And I only keep fiction that I really really like.

OK, that didn't really answer the question, did it? Let's try again.

I wanted to like Margaret Atwood. I really did. I read The Handmaiden's Tale. And, well... It wasn't all that. Not my cup of tea, as my mom said about a different book recently. It's been five years, so I really couldn't elaborate on that, but I haven't looked for anything else written by her and that should say it all, since I usually read everything I can find by a good author.

Now, it's your turn! Blog your answers, or email them out! Or just leave them in the comments. If you do the meme, I'd love to know about it and read your answers!

November Reads

2008-12-02T23:37:00.003-05:00

Just four books in November, but that's ok, since I wrote a book in November too! LOL

More Than It Hurts You by Darin Strauss
11/01/08 - Good - Fiction
A doctor suspects a young mother is hurting her baby.
This was a thoughtful sort of novel and it didn't end the way I expected.

Jane Austen for Dummies by Joan Elizabeth Klingel Ray
11/13/08 - Excellent - Non-fiction
If you've ever tried to read Austen and gotten confused about historical details or customs of the time, this is the book for you!
Conversational in tone and very readable, this guide answered ALL the questions I had – and some I didn't realize I had! The only issue I had is that it revealed some of the plot points in Sense & Sensibility, the only Austen novel I hadn't yet read. So, if spoilers bother you, read the novels first and then get the book. Then you'll want to re-read them all over again!

How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author by Janet Evanovich
11/18/08 - Excellent - Non-fiction
Janet shares tips and tricks on writing – my second read-through of this book. Very practical and easy to read.
I love Janet's writing and this book is so practical.

No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty
11/28/08 - Excellent - Non-fiction
How to write a novel in 30 days
I didn't think I would learn anything from reading this since I won NaNoWriMo last year, but my friend read it and recommended it. Very helpful tips, amusing anecdotes, encouraging words, and more! I also highly recommend it for anyone wanting to write a novel in a month or less.

WHAT ARE YOU READING??? Leave me a comment!

RedBlog Review of Twilight

2008-11-25T19:58:00.004-05:00

I have read a few reviews of the Twilight movie and most of them don't even address movie issues at all - focusing instead on the plot. The rest of the reviews are either written by obsessed fans, thus being totally slanted (for OR against), or by people who haven't read the books at all, thus missing the point of the series.

Here is the one of the only balanced reviews I have read - at the RedBlog. I'd love links to any reviews of Twilight that present both its positive and negative points.

My thoughts on the review: This is the one of the only reviews of Twilight: The Movie that actually addressed aspects of the film itself. Most of the reviews I've read focused on how unrealistic/annoying/strange the storyline is. That's a BOOK issue, not a movie issue; sorry, critics! One review compared Pattinson to James Dean - HELLO? That is just silly. Twilight is a sub-par film based on a first novel with a cultish following. I read all 4 books and enjoyed them, but I'm not obsessed with them. I also had low expectations for the movie and was quite disappointed.

Twilight (2008)

2008-11-21T19:42:00.008-05:00

Notification arrived that a review of Twilight should have appeared in this space before now (Sorry, C!), so here is my hurried-off-the-cuff-5-hours-of-sleep replica of a real review.

The Twilight series of books first came to my attention by way of a good friend. We made a trade-off bargain. I'd read Twilight and she'd read a book I'd been begging HER to read. I liked the vampire novel enough to read the two sequels. When the fourth book was published, I re-read the first three in order to read the fourth. (I couldn't remember them well enough to go on to the sequel without a re-read.)

I purposely didn't re-read Twilight before the movie, so as to avoid the book-movie comparison game that fans often must play. Then again, I'm not a typical Twilight fan, as Bella gets on my last nerve. To make matters worse, I am on Team Jacob. (I know - horrors!) So, my expectations were not perhaps the same as many Twilight fangirls. I hoped to enjoy the movie and perhaps to get a better insight into why people find Bella and Edward so compelling, since I don't apparently get the full extent of it through reading.

Several of my friends are also Twilight fans and we cooked up a plan to go to the midnight movie release. So, souped up on caffeine and hyped up after eating out, seven of us converged on the local theater last night to experience Twilight on the big screen. A midnight show gets out past 2 am, you understand.

So, what did you think of the movie? That question has been posed to me several times last night and throughout the day. Even though my expectations were not high, I felt that they weren't fulfilled. I didn't get any better understanding of the romance between Bella and Edward. I have heard speculation that the low budget of the film created some of the problems with the film, and that could be. But I think there are many issues that could have been solved without throwing more money at them.

I was disappointed in the casting of Robert Pattinson as Edward from the beginning. His looks don't come close to the ethereal angelic beauty described by author Stephenie Meyer. I was hoping that seeing him in action would change my mind, but by the end, I was convinced that the casting director had made a horrible mistake. As much as I hate to say it, the acting was not high caliber by any of the major characters.

Other problems? Special effects were poorly rendered. Key scenes and lines were left out or changed thus leaving the characters without their proper motivations. Pointless scenes were written and added unnecessarily. What's more? Scenes that should have been serious or sentimental instead elicited laughs from the audience. If anyone should grasp the nuances of your movie, it should be the fans that come out at midnight to see it. If they laugh when they should be crying? Not good. Not good at all.

There were things I did like. I liked the kiss. You'll know which one I mean. I enjoyed the baseball-in-a-thunderstorm scene. The school kids seemed realistic and I liked the interplay between the characters at school. I want Bella's hair. (Does that count?) Some of the secondary characters were spot-on with their portrayals - Billy, Charlie, James, and Jessica, for instance. I got a hint (only a hint, though) of the Jacob we may see in New Moon (TEAM JACOB!) and that was promising. I didn't detest the film, and I didn't love it. I suppose that leaves me feeling lackadaisical about it.

My poor sleep-deprived mind is now grasping at straws and I must conclude. Maybe I will be able to be more coherent another day and add to this review. Or maybe it'll just stand this way - a half-baked review for a so-so movie. Worth seeing? Depends on your level of commitment to the Twilight fandom. You decide.

Oh yeah, one more thing. Now I am on TEAM CHARLIE!!!

LINKS:
Plugged In review
IMDB page
Screenit.com Info - Coming soon

Tribute to John Williams

2008-11-10T12:28:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Film Chat for posting this video. We LOVE IT!

October Reads

2008-11-01T20:22:00.004-05:00

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - 10/13/08
Good - Fiction
Francie grows up very poor in turn-of-the-century Brooklyn.
My sister Janet recommended this. I surprisingly had not read it before. It was quite good, although not a light read at all. Wow, those people were POOR.

Sweet Love by Sarah Strohmeyer - 10/15/08
Good - Romance
Betty Mueller put her foot down when she saw her teenage daughter had a crush on an older man; twenty years later, she wishes she hadn't done it, so she hatches a plan to bring them back together.
I had wanted a light read after reading Tree Grows in Brooklyn and the cupcake on the cover of this made me think it would be. It wasn't. But it was good anyway.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - 10/22/08
Good - Classic
Catherine Moreland is naïve and prone to romantic fantasy; in Bath she meets and falls in love with Henry Tilney and is invited to visit his family estate – Northanger Abbey
This was for my Book Club and I really liked it! Henry Tilney is my almost-favorite Austen hero (after Darcy, of course!) Catherine is a lot like I was as a teenager, I think.

Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer - 10/29/08
Good - Young Adult
Artemis travels back in time to find a remedy that will cure his mother.
I've read all the Artemis Fowl books and I think this was one of the better ones. Of course, I am always a sucker for time travel. And there was even a touch of romance! After all, Artemis is now 14.

I am in the middle of two books about how to write. I also finished a book today that I had hoped to finish in October. I will be listening to Diana Gabaldon's The Fiery Cross during November (and probably longer!). I won't be reading much else because of NaNoWriMo.

For my 888 Reading Challenge, I am nearly complete. I still need to read one young adult book, re-read 5 books (maybe including Lewis's Space Trilogy or maybe The Mark of the Lion trilogy by Francine Rivers?), and read one Christian novel. Those will be my December reading goals. I dropped my Tolkien category and replaced it with a Jane Austen category. I do have some overlaps on my 888 list, which is allowable, but I had hoped not to do.

GO READ SOMETHING!

Rollicking Readers - Northanger Abbey

2008-10-26T14:25:00.005-05:00

A novel about reading? Why yes, that's what Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey really is. Catherine Moreland, a naive seventeen-year-old with a taste for Gothic novels, is invited to Bath (a resort town) with family friends. Befriended by several young people, she is then invited to Northanger Abbey, the sinister-sounding home of Eleanor and Henry Tilney. Her imagination runs wild due to all the novels she reads and her visit ends badly.

My Rollicking Readers book club discussed Northanger Abbey yesterday evening. Although not everyone there had actually READ the book, those of us that did enjoyed it. I know I did! I think I'm finally getting the hang of reading Austen! Our discussion ranged from the uses of novel reading in the plot to the difference of the hero from the average Austen hero to our enjoyment of the verbal repartee.

We then watched two versions of Northanger Abbey on DVD - one from 2007 and one from 1987. Oh my, what a difference! We found the recent version utterly charming, but the older one? Let's just say if that was the only version available, well then, none of us would be Austen fans.

The 2007 version features a charming Catherine Moreland who portrays a believable mix of naivete' and straightforwardness. The hero is witty and honest (and handsome and charming!) and the villains are pleasurably hateful. The costuming is beautiful and doesn't call attention to itself except where it should. The abbey is not as described in the novel and there were a few scenes that didn't match with the book, but it was a fairly good adaptation. Each of us was rightfully horrified at the treatment Catherine suffered at the hands of the villains and happily satisfied by the romantic ending!

If you want a laugh, and only then, you should borrow (not buy!) the 1987 version. The hero (see right) was not handsome enough and had a very effeminate manner. Plus he was wearing tan lipstick, I think! The actress who played Catherine had apparently attended the Over-acting School of Wide-eyed Looks, as her eyes widening and insipid smiles were about all the depth the viewer is treated to. That, however, is not as bad as the actress portraying Isabella who punctuated every line with a forced-looking saccarine smile. The hairdos! Oh my, the hairdos! The overdone makeup! Those red red lips! (see left) Definitely an 80's production. And the outfits! I particularly recall one broadly striped green suit that made the wearer appear to be a leprechaun. And the overdone Gothic-ness of the dream sequences - just terrible. Yes, I understand Northanger Abbey is a parody of Gothic novels, but I think this adaptation is a parody of itself. Just awful. However, we laughed our way through it!

September Reads

2008-09-30T23:33:00.003-05:00

I didn't read too many books in September, but I did write 13,000 words on a short story, so hopefully that counts for something!

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - 09/14/08
Excellent - Romance
Fanny Price is sent to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins at Mansfield Park, but she is never quite part of the family.
Took me a long time to get through this, but not because I didn't enjoy it. I really did! I think I'm getting the hang of reading Austen, actually. The love story is not the important theme in Mansfield Park, though.

The Keepsake by Tess Gerrittsen - 09/20/08
Good - Suspense
A murderer preserves his victims according to a number of grotesque ancient customs.
I enjoy reading Gerritsen's novels. She's a doctor turned novelist and she writes crisply morbid novels. What does that say about me? lol

Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready - 09/23/08
Good - Romance
Funny but bawdy story of Flip Allison, who travels back in time and inadvertently ruins the love story of Pride and Prejudice.
I needed a light read after the previous two, and this was it. My friend Marla told me about this book and I read the author's other romance novel when I couldn't get this one. Be forewarned - it's raunchy enough that I almost didn't post it on my reading list. But the humor of the story is winning and seeing the Pride and Prejudice universe turned on its ear was worth the smut, in my humble opinion.

I was hoping to have finished at least one other book. I'm about halfway through A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and I am reading a book of educational essays called I Saw the Angel in the Marble, but both will have to wait for next month.

GO READ SOMETHING!

Rollicking Readers - Mansfield Park

2008-09-28T23:38:00.005-05:00

Doesn't every woman long for a group of girlfriends she can laugh and cry and indulge with? These women are the ones you can be silly with, the ones who you can confide in, these are the ones who will even make you a cake on your birthday and sing to you!

Well, I am blessed to be part of just such a fabulous group of ladies - it's our Rollicking Readers book club. For the past four months now, we've been meeting every few weeks to eat and discuss one of Jane Austen's books. This month, our selection was Mansfield Park. Those in attendance vary from session to session, but we usually have eight or nine women on any given date.

I enjoyed Mansfield Park more than any of the other Austen works I have read thus far, save Pride and Prejudice. However, I am beginning to think that it's because I am learning to read Austen and becoming more comfortable with her language and style, rather than the plot and characters of Mansfield Park itself.

Fanny Price, the insipid and morally upright heroine, isn't truly very likable, although she is virtuous and loyal. Edmund, our clergyman hero, is even less likable; although he is high-minded and principled, he is too easily swayed by a beautiful face and a crafty attitude. Not Fanny's, mind you! The story isn't as much a romance as it is Fanny's coming-of-age story. Despite all of this, I did find it entertaining and enjoyable.

Our book discussion is always lively - many forthright opinions are given, not always in agreement, but always put forth for consideration with respect. We usually consider six or seven questions of varying degrees of seriousness regarding character, plot, motivation, style, and comparisons to Austen's other works. (Does it all sound very scholarly? It's not particularly. We are not very academic, but we all love books!)

Once we finish the literary conversation, we move on to viewing a film of the novel under discussion that evening. We sometimes forget to warn our newest members that we are not quiet movie watchers. In fact, we are downright cheeky at times! We talk to the movie, make silly comments, discuss the book further in comparison to the movie, and generally have a rollicking time. (Thus our club name!)

Two versions of Mansfield Park have been released in recent years and neither is especially true to the novel. We viewed the 2007 version and enjoying commenting on the historical inaccuracies, the bushiness of Fanny's eyebrows, and the absence or modification of many integral characters and scenes. I have seen the other (1995? 97?) film as well and it seems to perhaps follow the plot a little more closely, but diverges even more in the portrayal of the main characters.

So, we are soon done for this novel, and it's on to the next - Northanger Abbey. Care to join us?

Twilight trailer spoof

2008-09-28T21:23:00.003-05:00

A truly hilarious spoof of the Twilight trailer. (If you haven't seen the trailer, this will really not make any sense to you, so go watch it first! Click on videos and watch all of the trailers.)

Thanks, Jen, for (FINALLY) telling me about it! lol