Wow. I feel like I just wrote the post for April! The weather has continued its unpredictability...although, no more snow...which is good since we're close to the mid-way point of 2013. I mean, I'd be fine with cold all year, but I also like vegetables and fruit and I realize my eating habits would be radically messed with if the weather never changed. OK. Enough babbling.
So, not a lot of movies, crafts, or books this time around. But, I did catch up on some TV via Netflix and I helped with two garage sales! I also had to give up a larger-than-rent-sized chunk of money to fix my car (shattered and brakes are not words that go together), so not buying lots of books or going to the movies was fine by me...and my bank account.
Crafts:
I am still working on the same project I started back in March. It's ending up as a Christmas present, but I'm almost done with it and I'll be very happy to post the picture later this year. It's turning out really, really pretty. Knowing how close I am to being done also motivated me to start looking for my next projects...now my head is spinning thinking of all the things I could do!
Movies:
What? Of course! I totally saw that!
First up was Iron Man 3. I thought it was lots of fun. It's never going to be Oscar-winning material, but I was very happy with it. I felt like this was the first of the Iron Man franchise that really had a coherent storyline that didn't falter. Sure, physics would be a problem with a lot of that, but that doesn't mean I don't like to watch the craziness of robots flyin' and fightin'.
The week after, I saw The Great Gatsby. First, let me tell you, I do not like the book. I don't hate the book; it's just not one that I want to read again and again. To tell you the truth, I don't like many of the "classic" American writers. I mean, this book is a decent thing to read, but I only needed the one read. Enough time had passed since I read it...and since I saw the Robert Redford movie version...that I was ok seeing this on a book-to-movie level. Now I need to tell you something else. Baz Luhrmann could film himself reading the phone book and I would pay cash money to see it in the theater because he would Luhrmann-ize it. The phone book would spin into view as massive collage of photos of all the people in the book. People would dance around the frame of the film as their names were called. Glitter and champagne would flow freely from statues and fountains and random spots in fabulously decorated rooms housing the people. And possibly the word "Fabulous!" would be plastered on the screen in different fonts, to make sure you understand. So the end result was that I fell asleep for a few minutes near the beginning, but loved looking at the movie...except for that one part...you know, the part they showed twice, up close, that no one would ever want to see that close. Anyway, I really liked it. Seing it on a big screen as opposed to a TV screen is a good idea because Luhrmann's take of over-the-top opulence is crazy amazing.
Enough Luhrmann-love. The other movie I saw in the theater was Star Trek: Into Darkness. This was just as much fun to me as the first Abrams' Star Trek film. It was fun; it was funny; it was exciting; it referenced. It was all of the things I wanted. Well played, J. J. Abrams. Well played. No spoilers, but you know what happened, right? I mean, come on. Yeah it was different, but in a good way.
Books:
I said I was going to stop talking about what I bought right? Well, I didn't lie. But I do need to say that I pre-ordered Jen Lancaster's Tao of Martha and it shipped out today! SQUEE! Which sucks for my continued reading of the excellent Catherine the Great by Robert K. Massie, but it's nice to read hilarious books in between a heavy history tome (currently reading Laurie Notaro's new one along side it right now).
This month I (completely) read: Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls: Essays, Etc. by David Sedaris, Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris, and The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan. (Catherine the Great will be a work in progress for a while more...according to the Kindle, 45% is left.)
David Sedaris never disappoints me. The best thing about him is that I've had a couple of books on tape/CD, heard him on NPR a lot, and I've seen him do readings in person. That means when I read a David Sedaris book, I get to hear his voice in my head, reading it to me. And that makes it about fifty million times more hilarious. If you like laughter and essays about the little things that make everyone both different and the same, do yourself a favor and pick up one of his books. I've given away his Holidays on Ice as a gift before (more than once) and it makes an excellent gateway book...you read it and you want more. The funny is almost too much...don't take big sips of drinks or big bites of snacks while reading...there will be spit takes and/or choking from laughter.
Dead Ever After is the last Sookie Stackhouse book. Yep. That Soo-keeeh. I know these books are silly and I don't care. Once you can see those characters from the show in your head while you read the books, well, the one where Eric loses his memory will never leave you...in a very, very good way. So, we've know since book 11 that the 13th was the last. I've had time to process and I was ok with that. I also am completely fine with her ending...as a matter of fact, it ended well and appropriately given where she led us. I am in way disappointed that (a) it ended like that (no spoilers) and (b) that it's over. I can read my favorites (see above: Eric, memory loss...I believe that's book 4?) whenever I want and the TV show is still on, following no plot I've read before, so it's a win-win. Haters gonna hate, but that's a waste of time because of Eric...and Sam...and maybe Bill and Jason, but not as much as Eric and Sam.
The other book that got completely read this month was the third of Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles series. The fight with Chaos continues...the Kane kids (Carter and Sadie) get help from some very unexpected corners of the Egyptian mythology realm. Always a fun read, but you need to like Egyptian mythology...and maybe be able to get past how they channel their powers...when you read the descriptions of that, it has a 70s cartoon feel to it (remember Shazaam and Isis?), but it's still good. Definitely need to read the first two though.
OK, well, I gotta get back to watching The Voice. Peace out for now.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
The books of April 2013
Another month is gone...and with it, possibly the last of the snow for middle and southern Illinois (never say never). As predicted, the allergens changed and are out in full force. Time to change the allergy meds.
Crafts:
Craft mode hasn't really kicked in after all the frantic Christmas cross-stitching of last year. I'm very slowly working on the first Christmas gift of this year (the birthday is long past...she got a different gift instead). And I've actually already purchased a Christmas gift from another crafter. So, I'm well on my way to being so organized that I forgot I had these gifts for people and buy them something else later. Awesome.
Movies:
I only saw one movie in April, and it was a really good one: Oblivion. I've talked about my not-so-stellar feelings for Tom Cruise before, but in no way did he mess up this movie. It was a solid story; it was sci-fi, yet believable. Plus, when is Morgan Freeman bad? Pretty much never (I'm not talking about that one...what was it? Chain Reaction maybe? Ugh. That wasn't his fault.) When it comes out to rent...or if it's still playing right now, check it out.
Books:
I ended up reading more than I thought I would this month. Which is good. Because when I look at the crafts and movies section, I wonder just what the crap I did all month. Apparently I watched tv, dvds, and read, so I think it's all ok.
This month I read: Beautiful Chaos and Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Asgard Stories: Tales from Norse Mythology by Mary H. Foster, The Mystery of Mercy Close: A Walsh Sister Novel by Marian Keyes, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, Bossypants by Tina Fey, The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell, and Paris: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd.
The last two books of the Beautiful Creatures books followed up and closed the story nicely. I enjoyed the entire series as a whole. These last two books follow Ethan and Lena through more of the casters' worlds and the south's past. These tales are sad and funny and compelling. I don't want to give away spoilers, but there are definitely some surprises that aren't what you want to read, but when the story ends, the entire tale feels right...even with all that's happened in between. Good, evil, light, dark, love, death, love beyond death, demons, casters, ghosts, succubi, the civil war, and southern cooking all feature heavily in these books. Enjoy!
I was in the mood to read about Thor and Loki since the second movie will be out this fall. Asgard Stories was basically a quick peek into Norse mythology. Not all the characters were covered, but it nice to revisit the tales. I've enjoyed pretty much all mythology since my first intro to Egyptian mythology back in the third grade.
The Mystery of Mercy Close is great! I've waited for this book for a long time. I really enjoy Marian Keyes writing and I really, REALLY enjoy stories from her that include the Walsh family. I think Helen is the last of the daughters, so it was nice to finally read about her...and to get an inside look on what Keyes was going through during her depressive times that kept her from writing. It had to feel good to get that out there. In previous books, Helen was the biting wit, jealous and sarcastic, and possibly a bit spoiled, but through her own ability to persuade people to her way. In this one, Helen's grown up and has a real job (as real as she can have) and definitely real problems. The investigation she gets, to find the missing member of a boy band in the midst of a reunion/comeback tour is a fun twist to a crime novel. I can't actually say enough good things about this book...which is kind of what happens with most of Keyes books. So I'll stop. It's good...it's fun...it's explanatory about depressive behaviors...do yourself a favor and read it.
I got The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight because (a) the title intrigued me and (b) the Kindle version was a deal of the day one time, so I got it super cheap. It was such a delightful read. that I stayed up past my bedtime so I could finish it. The main character, Hadley, is the only child of a couple who split when her dad moved to England to teach. She and her mom were going to follow, but things happened and Hadley had been estranged from her father for many reasons ever since. But now her dad was remarrying and wanted her there. She missed her flight and took the red eye to London a few hours later. While at the airport, she meets a young, British man, Oliver, who's also going to London to see family. In the intense hours they spend together, they fall for each other and help each other get through very difficult and complicated family issues. It was a quick read, but a very good one.
Bossypants was also on a Kindle deal one day, so I finally bought it. It's Tina Fey, so of course, it is hysterical. Nothing earth shattering here...just that I like and respect her more after reading this book than I already did. Get it when you need some chuckles.
The Carrie Diaries is a re-read. I love, love, LOVE the series on the CW (which means it'll probably get canceled), but I didn't remember loving the book as much. So I read it again. It's a decent read, but really? I think you should watch the show. It's set in the 80s, so the music is fabulous. The clothes are era appropriate and awesome. The details of the things in their house for the era kind of blow my mind. Don't bother comparing this Carrie to the jaded Carrie we all know from Sex and the City. You can see the beginnings of how she gets there, but it's just more sweet and fun back in her high school days. Also, there are appearances by people as adult characters in this show that were on SATC as one time characters. Kind of fun to spot those things.
The last book of the month was a hefty one. Paris, by Edward Rutherfurd, was one that I got excited to read when I saw the blurb on the website. This book takes a handful of families and follows their slowly entangling lineages throughout about 700 years of the city of Paris. I think my favorite part was when they were building the Eiffel Tower...and then much later when Germany invaded and the Gestapo was in charge of much of Paris (not the resistance, bien sur!). You learn a lot about the city's geography and history as told through these families and their involvements with each other. It's a little over 800 pages, so be aware of what you're getting into, but I thought it was well done. I'll probably read another by him...all of his city/history books are fairly large, so I'll wait a while before tackling another.
That's it for April. I've already read a book (Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls: Essays, Etc. by David Sedaris) and am nearly a quarter of the way through another (Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie), so next month's list should be good. I also already saw Iron Man 3. Loved it!
Crafts:
Craft mode hasn't really kicked in after all the frantic Christmas cross-stitching of last year. I'm very slowly working on the first Christmas gift of this year (the birthday is long past...she got a different gift instead). And I've actually already purchased a Christmas gift from another crafter. So, I'm well on my way to being so organized that I forgot I had these gifts for people and buy them something else later. Awesome.
Movies:
I only saw one movie in April, and it was a really good one: Oblivion. I've talked about my not-so-stellar feelings for Tom Cruise before, but in no way did he mess up this movie. It was a solid story; it was sci-fi, yet believable. Plus, when is Morgan Freeman bad? Pretty much never (I'm not talking about that one...what was it? Chain Reaction maybe? Ugh. That wasn't his fault.) When it comes out to rent...or if it's still playing right now, check it out.
Books:
I ended up reading more than I thought I would this month. Which is good. Because when I look at the crafts and movies section, I wonder just what the crap I did all month. Apparently I watched tv, dvds, and read, so I think it's all ok.
This month I read: Beautiful Chaos and Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Asgard Stories: Tales from Norse Mythology by Mary H. Foster, The Mystery of Mercy Close: A Walsh Sister Novel by Marian Keyes, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, Bossypants by Tina Fey, The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell, and Paris: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd.
The last two books of the Beautiful Creatures books followed up and closed the story nicely. I enjoyed the entire series as a whole. These last two books follow Ethan and Lena through more of the casters' worlds and the south's past. These tales are sad and funny and compelling. I don't want to give away spoilers, but there are definitely some surprises that aren't what you want to read, but when the story ends, the entire tale feels right...even with all that's happened in between. Good, evil, light, dark, love, death, love beyond death, demons, casters, ghosts, succubi, the civil war, and southern cooking all feature heavily in these books. Enjoy!
I was in the mood to read about Thor and Loki since the second movie will be out this fall. Asgard Stories was basically a quick peek into Norse mythology. Not all the characters were covered, but it nice to revisit the tales. I've enjoyed pretty much all mythology since my first intro to Egyptian mythology back in the third grade.
The Mystery of Mercy Close is great! I've waited for this book for a long time. I really enjoy Marian Keyes writing and I really, REALLY enjoy stories from her that include the Walsh family. I think Helen is the last of the daughters, so it was nice to finally read about her...and to get an inside look on what Keyes was going through during her depressive times that kept her from writing. It had to feel good to get that out there. In previous books, Helen was the biting wit, jealous and sarcastic, and possibly a bit spoiled, but through her own ability to persuade people to her way. In this one, Helen's grown up and has a real job (as real as she can have) and definitely real problems. The investigation she gets, to find the missing member of a boy band in the midst of a reunion/comeback tour is a fun twist to a crime novel. I can't actually say enough good things about this book...which is kind of what happens with most of Keyes books. So I'll stop. It's good...it's fun...it's explanatory about depressive behaviors...do yourself a favor and read it.
I got The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight because (a) the title intrigued me and (b) the Kindle version was a deal of the day one time, so I got it super cheap. It was such a delightful read. that I stayed up past my bedtime so I could finish it. The main character, Hadley, is the only child of a couple who split when her dad moved to England to teach. She and her mom were going to follow, but things happened and Hadley had been estranged from her father for many reasons ever since. But now her dad was remarrying and wanted her there. She missed her flight and took the red eye to London a few hours later. While at the airport, she meets a young, British man, Oliver, who's also going to London to see family. In the intense hours they spend together, they fall for each other and help each other get through very difficult and complicated family issues. It was a quick read, but a very good one.
Bossypants was also on a Kindle deal one day, so I finally bought it. It's Tina Fey, so of course, it is hysterical. Nothing earth shattering here...just that I like and respect her more after reading this book than I already did. Get it when you need some chuckles.
The Carrie Diaries is a re-read. I love, love, LOVE the series on the CW (which means it'll probably get canceled), but I didn't remember loving the book as much. So I read it again. It's a decent read, but really? I think you should watch the show. It's set in the 80s, so the music is fabulous. The clothes are era appropriate and awesome. The details of the things in their house for the era kind of blow my mind. Don't bother comparing this Carrie to the jaded Carrie we all know from Sex and the City. You can see the beginnings of how she gets there, but it's just more sweet and fun back in her high school days. Also, there are appearances by people as adult characters in this show that were on SATC as one time characters. Kind of fun to spot those things.
The last book of the month was a hefty one. Paris, by Edward Rutherfurd, was one that I got excited to read when I saw the blurb on the website. This book takes a handful of families and follows their slowly entangling lineages throughout about 700 years of the city of Paris. I think my favorite part was when they were building the Eiffel Tower...and then much later when Germany invaded and the Gestapo was in charge of much of Paris (not the resistance, bien sur!). You learn a lot about the city's geography and history as told through these families and their involvements with each other. It's a little over 800 pages, so be aware of what you're getting into, but I thought it was well done. I'll probably read another by him...all of his city/history books are fairly large, so I'll wait a while before tackling another.
That's it for April. I've already read a book (Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls: Essays, Etc. by David Sedaris) and am nearly a quarter of the way through another (Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie), so next month's list should be good. I also already saw Iron Man 3. Loved it!
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The books of March 2013
March is gone. Easter was nice...and luckily, not nearly as snowy as the Sunday before it. Remember when snow fell in the winter? Yeah. Not this time.
That picture was about two and a half hours after it started snowing. This one is from the next day. I kept hearing some noises from outside, but I couldn't see anything on the balcony. Clearly because they weren't on the balcony, duh!
Crafts:
Movies:
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| Not even a week after the first day of spring. |
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| Put a bird on it! |
So, I haven't really done a lot crafts-wise. I worked a little on a scarf I started in December or something. I started a friend's birthday present...her birthday came and went and I am still working on her present. I'm thinking maybe I just get a substitute gift and use what I'm working on for her Christmas gift. Way to underestimate time needed! But, here's the one I made a while ago for another friend's birthday...she actually got her gift early (I finished it at like the beginning of February).
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| Too bad the pattern called for sepia instead of sparkley. |
Gee, what *did* I do in March? Apparently, not much at all. I only saw two movies. I think maybe my brain is taking it easy and saving all the excitement up for the summer blockbusters (starting with Iron Man 3).
Jack the Giant Slayer wasn't the best movie ever, but I enjoyed it a lot. It was cast well and I enjoyed the new take on the fairy tale. Probably a very solid rental if you have kids who like these kinds of things.
The other movie I saw was Oz the Great and Powerful...or is it The Great and Powerful Oz? I don't remember. I do not like James Franco. I extremely dislike The Wizard of Oz original movie. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Given the rules they had (for avoiding copyright infringements), I think they did great with the known factors: the munchkins, the yellow brick road, the flying monkeys, etc. The land of Oz was amazing to look at and the monkeys were actually a little scary. The special effects, especially on the wicked witch, were very cool. I liked this more than I expected and could probably watch it again.
Books:
So, yeah, I totally give up on telling you what books I bought. With physical books and eBooks, who can keep track anymore.
But, I do remember what I read this past month: City of Dark Magic: A Novel by Magnus Flyte, The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates, Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Dream Dark: A Beautiful Creatures Story by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore, and Wolf Hall: A Novel by Hilary Mantel.
I read the back cover introduction for City of Dark Magic one day while browsing at Target. Prague, magic, devils, history, intrigue, mystery...of course I wanted it immediately. I got it on my Kindle for less money and when I needed something fluffy, it was there waiting for me. I really liked the book a lot...contrary to my BFF's opinion. I do believe that we agreed on one thing: the author totally used some old Lonely Planet Prague book or something to define the area and to represent the culture. Which is sad, but not everyone can afford to go to the place he or she is writing about...but maybe next time, grab the DK travel guide and the Rick Steve's travel guide. Between the two, it'll give you a better picture of the where and the what. Anyway, I did enjoy the fictitious background story on the author (I assume it's made up...because I assume the name is made up...what if it isn't? oh man, who would name his or her kid that? the questions never stop...). It's not the best book ever, but I found myself not wanting to put it down. It's a bit jumpy in plot and there might be a bit more subplot than needed, but still, kind of fun.
I found out midway through reading The Accursed that I had not read the whole description. If I had, I'm not sure I would've checked it out from the library. It really dragged on and on. The story ties the devil, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), Sherlock Holmes, Jack London, Grover Cleveland, Upton Sinclair, and so many more into the time when Woodrow Wilson was president of Princeton University. It takes the elite white families of the times and tears them completely apart through use of devilry. It was interesting...this social commentary on women's suffrage, racism, and other political concerns...amidst the small, uptight world of privilege. I think I bought into it because of the supernatural aspect, but as I read it, I just wish she'd left that out and called people out for their mistakes. But the manners of the time hadn't gotten that liberal as yet. I don't know...it was tedious reading (that's two things on Wilson now...and I'm feeling no more) and not what I thought it would be at all. I guess if you like Oates and know what to expect, have at it.
Beautiful Darkness is the second of the Beautiful Creatures books. It was a much quicker read than the first one as I already knew most all of the characters and the town. The story continues with the introduction of a few new characters, the rewriting of some history, and further details about the characters and the town's underground. Ethan is still the viewpoint and he's coming into his own more..not just solely focused on Lena. I continue to like how these women collaborate and write together. These books bring that world alive for me...and that is always a good thing.
Dream Dark is a short story based mainly on Link, Ethan's best friend. It takes place between the second and third books...probably more in the timeline of the second, but you learn about some things that are coming into play for the third book as well. Link was a full participant in the crazy light and dark showdown and got a little power to show for it. I think it's not necessary to read, but it's a nice transition and pretty short if you need some filler.
The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat was an interesting read. I thought it sounded kind of good from the brief description I saw, but it was more layered than expected. The Supremes are three best friends who have been friends since high school and are now in their later years. One sees and talks to dead people, one has a cheating husband, and one married a man she didn't love, but they love each other and take care of each other like nobody's business. These are complicated women living sometimes completely different lives from what they show everyone in town. Earl's is the local hangout when they're teens and becomes their place for Sunday brunch after church for the rest of their lives. The townspeople are woven in and out of the story really well and enhance the main story lines without clogging up the reading superficially...every one has a purpose...dead or alive. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this by the end.
Wolf Hall. OK. I like British history that has been fictionalized with discussions and events that we have little to no recorded information about. It's my thing. First, I feel in love with King Arthur stories. Next, it was the Sharon Kay Penman stories of the wars between England and Wales and France. Now, it's pretty much anything I can find on the topic. What I'm saying is that this genre is my guilty pleasure and I am always going to like it. I do understand that not everyone does. This one in particular is named after Jane Seymour's home, Wolf Hall. But, Seymour ages from small child to eighteen or so during the course of the book and she is in no way a major player. This book is about Thomas Cromwell's role in the time Henry VIII is divorcing Katherine, marrying Anne, and trying to keep his kingdom all to himself. Cromwell is a major player for a long time and I like how he is written here. There's dialog that goes on too long and occasionally the details are overwhelming, but I still liked it. It's a lot like reading one of the not-best-selling books by Phillipa Gregory. You can see all the potential, but there's something just a smidge off. But it's still a good read and I'm looking forward to reading the follow up, Bringing Up the Bodies, when it comes out in paperback.
Alrighty...time for spring...and completely different allergies. Later!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
The books of February 2013
So February went by quickly, but possibly not quickly enough? I don't know...I only just ended season five of Gossip Girl, so really, all I know about right now is the "scandalous lives Manhattan's elite".
Crafts:
I worked on two things this month, but only one can be shown at this time...the other will go up in the March post since I made it for a March birthday gift. This is a weelittle stitches pattern for the movie Hot Fuzz:
Movies:
February is part of winter and winter is cold. That's going to be my excuse for only going to see two movies this month.
I finally saw Amour at our local one-screen theater, The Art. So very depressing. And sad. And, well, slightly nap-inducing if I'm totally honest. I get why it was nominated beyond just the foreign film category, but really, it's not my scene. I knew it was going to be a downer, but I didn't know it was going to put me in a complete sadness funk.
But on the brighter side, I saw Beautiful Creatures. I'd read the book earlier...and as I looked through my blog, I couldn't find anything about it...oopsie! Well, I bought it last year and I think I might have read it in January...maybe? Clearly I don't remember. I know that I loaned it out before the movie started on 2/15/13, so it hasn't been that long ago. Anyway, the book and the movie are different, but most of the big moments are the same (some left out though). Everyone was fantastic, as were the special effects. I really hope they make the rest of the books into movies...the rest of the books that I have not read yet. I did actually really enjoy the book...it was another fairly detailed teen drama, but you got a real sense of the characters and no one was sparkley...althouth I bet her cousin could've pulled that off. They are witches, but called casters (casting either light/good or dark/evil), but the book lets you see there's more to it than just that. There are always shades of gray (50 perhaps? see what I did there)...for those seeing the movie and not reading the book, I will tell you that it ends on the same note, but in a very different way. I also enjoyed that it took place in the south (both old south and modern day).
Books:
I think I did that thing again where I bought books on the Kindle and then forgot what all I got. I can't remember if I bought a physical book...I'm thinking maybe not...
Anyway, the books I read this month: Here I Go Again by Jen Lancaster, Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling, Letters to Sartre by Simone de Beauvoir and Quintin Hoare, A Tangled Web (short story) by Mercedes Lackey, and Nighttime Tales Volume 1 by Clay Held.
Jen Lancaster just does not disappoint. With my own high school reunion looming ever nearer, this was just what I needed (and maybe repeated viewings of Square Pegs. Gross Pointe Blank, and Romy and Michele's High School Reunion). Mean girl learned nothing and was snotty to everyone all the time. Mean girl gets loaded at reunion and a chance to change some things. She goes back in time more than once...with butterfly effect repercussions. The story is of how she changes as she sees what she's done and said and how it affects people is really well done. Plus, with loads of 80s references thrown in, how could you not be lovin' every minute of it? (again, see what I did there?) Warning: you will have irresistible urges to listen to Whitesnake after reading this...give in to it...it's worth it.
The new Rowling book has had widely varied reviews. I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, so I had to get myself mentally prepared to read this book as if it was by a new writer. In a way, it was. Rowling creates another world, but this world doesn't have wizards and magic...it has mistakes and lies, deaths and decisions, and most of all small town humans and all their dirty little secrets. If you are able to deal with just the muggles for a while, you'll find that Rowling is still a terrific writer who pulls you into a world that's familiar and not at the same time. You won't really like a lot of the characters, but I bet you'll be able to relate to them as people you may or may not know in different forms. I didn't think I'd be able to like it based on what I'd heard, but I was wrong. I did like it. It's hard not to like a good book, even if you don't necessarily bond with the characters.
Admission 1: I did not finish Letters to Sartre. Admission 2: I don't care that I didn't finish and I don't think someone could pay me to go back and finish it. This time it was not the writing...it's letters between a couple...I get that. It's their relationship that made me not want to read it anymore. I just didn't like how they presented themselves and frankly their day-to-day happenings weren't terribly exciting to read about...paying fees, eating, walking, getting sick...these are things I can find out about by living my own life.
A Tangled Web was part of the 500 Kingdoms series. I love different takes/twists on classic fairy tales and myths...this was a good one. It combined Greek and Norse mythology into the Kingdoms, with the Tradition pushing the heroes and heroines into all kinds of trials. This was the story of Persephone and a side story of Brunhild. Very well woven together. I actually recommend all of this series if you like fairy tales...and most of Lackey's Elementals series as well.
Lastly, I read Nighttime Tales Volume 1, a book of short stories by my friend Clay. I didn't really know what to expect, but I enjoyed this quite a bit. I read them over a couple of days when I had time. For those of you who don't like scary books/movies, this isn't like that...more of a thinking man's thriller type of thing. Bad things happen, but it's not so detailed out that you can't read through it...I felt like a lot of it was open to my imagination and interpretation and I appreciated that. The first two stories are the ones that stuck with me more, but mostly because of my own preferences on what to read about. If you like to be a little spooked and like good writing, you should totally check this one out. It's only $.99 cents for Amazon Kindle now.
Well, that's it. Hopefully I'll see a few more movies in March...and read lots of great books!
Crafts:
I worked on two things this month, but only one can be shown at this time...the other will go up in the March post since I made it for a March birthday gift. This is a weelittle stitches pattern for the movie Hot Fuzz:
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| If you haven't seen it, you won't understand: SWAN! |
February is part of winter and winter is cold. That's going to be my excuse for only going to see two movies this month.
I finally saw Amour at our local one-screen theater, The Art. So very depressing. And sad. And, well, slightly nap-inducing if I'm totally honest. I get why it was nominated beyond just the foreign film category, but really, it's not my scene. I knew it was going to be a downer, but I didn't know it was going to put me in a complete sadness funk.
But on the brighter side, I saw Beautiful Creatures. I'd read the book earlier...and as I looked through my blog, I couldn't find anything about it...oopsie! Well, I bought it last year and I think I might have read it in January...maybe? Clearly I don't remember. I know that I loaned it out before the movie started on 2/15/13, so it hasn't been that long ago. Anyway, the book and the movie are different, but most of the big moments are the same (some left out though). Everyone was fantastic, as were the special effects. I really hope they make the rest of the books into movies...the rest of the books that I have not read yet. I did actually really enjoy the book...it was another fairly detailed teen drama, but you got a real sense of the characters and no one was sparkley...althouth I bet her cousin could've pulled that off. They are witches, but called casters (casting either light/good or dark/evil), but the book lets you see there's more to it than just that. There are always shades of gray (50 perhaps? see what I did there)...for those seeing the movie and not reading the book, I will tell you that it ends on the same note, but in a very different way. I also enjoyed that it took place in the south (both old south and modern day).
Books:
I think I did that thing again where I bought books on the Kindle and then forgot what all I got. I can't remember if I bought a physical book...I'm thinking maybe not...
Anyway, the books I read this month: Here I Go Again by Jen Lancaster, Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling, Letters to Sartre by Simone de Beauvoir and Quintin Hoare, A Tangled Web (short story) by Mercedes Lackey, and Nighttime Tales Volume 1 by Clay Held.
Jen Lancaster just does not disappoint. With my own high school reunion looming ever nearer, this was just what I needed (and maybe repeated viewings of Square Pegs. Gross Pointe Blank, and Romy and Michele's High School Reunion). Mean girl learned nothing and was snotty to everyone all the time. Mean girl gets loaded at reunion and a chance to change some things. She goes back in time more than once...with butterfly effect repercussions. The story is of how she changes as she sees what she's done and said and how it affects people is really well done. Plus, with loads of 80s references thrown in, how could you not be lovin' every minute of it? (again, see what I did there?) Warning: you will have irresistible urges to listen to Whitesnake after reading this...give in to it...it's worth it.
The new Rowling book has had widely varied reviews. I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, so I had to get myself mentally prepared to read this book as if it was by a new writer. In a way, it was. Rowling creates another world, but this world doesn't have wizards and magic...it has mistakes and lies, deaths and decisions, and most of all small town humans and all their dirty little secrets. If you are able to deal with just the muggles for a while, you'll find that Rowling is still a terrific writer who pulls you into a world that's familiar and not at the same time. You won't really like a lot of the characters, but I bet you'll be able to relate to them as people you may or may not know in different forms. I didn't think I'd be able to like it based on what I'd heard, but I was wrong. I did like it. It's hard not to like a good book, even if you don't necessarily bond with the characters.
Admission 1: I did not finish Letters to Sartre. Admission 2: I don't care that I didn't finish and I don't think someone could pay me to go back and finish it. This time it was not the writing...it's letters between a couple...I get that. It's their relationship that made me not want to read it anymore. I just didn't like how they presented themselves and frankly their day-to-day happenings weren't terribly exciting to read about...paying fees, eating, walking, getting sick...these are things I can find out about by living my own life.
A Tangled Web was part of the 500 Kingdoms series. I love different takes/twists on classic fairy tales and myths...this was a good one. It combined Greek and Norse mythology into the Kingdoms, with the Tradition pushing the heroes and heroines into all kinds of trials. This was the story of Persephone and a side story of Brunhild. Very well woven together. I actually recommend all of this series if you like fairy tales...and most of Lackey's Elementals series as well.
Lastly, I read Nighttime Tales Volume 1, a book of short stories by my friend Clay. I didn't really know what to expect, but I enjoyed this quite a bit. I read them over a couple of days when I had time. For those of you who don't like scary books/movies, this isn't like that...more of a thinking man's thriller type of thing. Bad things happen, but it's not so detailed out that you can't read through it...I felt like a lot of it was open to my imagination and interpretation and I appreciated that. The first two stories are the ones that stuck with me more, but mostly because of my own preferences on what to read about. If you like to be a little spooked and like good writing, you should totally check this one out. It's only $.99 cents for Amazon Kindle now.
Well, that's it. Hopefully I'll see a few more movies in March...and read lots of great books!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
The books of January 2013
Took me a while to get around to this...no real excuse, just didn't feel as much like writing as I felt like watching TV on the internets. But, I'm taking a break in the midst of my Gossip Girl marathon to post this so I can quit glancing to my right and seeing the book list on my desk, taunting me for my sloth-like existence.
Crafts:
Not quite the frantic pace I had going, but I still managed to make a couple of birthday things. For my friend who likes Macintosh stuff, I did a Google search and ended up free-handing Susan Kare's happy and sad Macs:
For my friend who enjoys cooking, I did a little theme gift. Some fancy salts and a very cute pattern from weelittlestitches that I altered just a little bit because it made me laugh:
Movies:
Crafts:
Not quite the frantic pace I had going, but I still managed to make a couple of birthday things. For my friend who likes Macintosh stuff, I did a Google search and ended up free-handing Susan Kare's happy and sad Macs:
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| So much better than the happy/sad theater masks. |
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| Ah, push it...push it real good! |
There were some good releases at the end of last year and the beginning of this one, so I kept taking advantage of that.
This Is 40 was, to me, freaking hysterical. I tend to like Paul Rudd in just about anything and this did not disappoint me. I know that if you haven't experienced some of the things in this movie, you probably won't like it, but trust me, at one time or another, you will experience at least one of these things. It's one of the things Judd Apatow does well...finding the humor, and the unbelievable insanity, in every day life. Not for everyone, but I really enjoyed it.
Zero Dark Thirty was a bit of a let down for me. I may have expected too much because I really liked Bigelow's The Hurt Locker. Also, as it was a true event that I knew the outcome, I guess it wasn't terribly surprising. I still jumped and gasped a little, but I had no where near the same reaction that I had with Argo, where I also knew the ending, but was completely freaked out and taken in by the intensity of it all.
Gangster Squad was some cheesy, mobster fun. Within the first five minutes, there's a medieval killing that is clearly meant to set the tone for the level of violence we should expect. It was brutal, and extremely over the top, but the acting was good enough, that I just enjoyed it for what it was. I don't know much about Mickey Cohen, but I do enjoy a good mob movie and a movie about old Hollywood. It was a win for me.
I love fairy tales. And I love that even at my age, someone's take on a fairy tale can still surprise the crap out of me. Hansel and Gretel definitely had some twists on the basic story as we've heard it. It was action-packed and lots of fun. For you watchful parent-types, it's also full of f-bombs, which was completely unexpected and really unnecessary to the plot. But other than the swearing, it was fun.
Books:
Again, I bought stuff on the Kindle (hurrah for holiday gift cards!), but I'll just list them as I read them. I also got the two cookbooks Plenty and Jerusalem by Chef Ottolenghi, The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan, Here I Go Again by Jen Lancaster, and I rebought my favorite book that I keep lending out and forgetting to replace, The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.
The books I read in January: Vlad by Carlos Fuentes, The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe, The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe, Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, and Theodore and Woodrow: How Two American Presidents Destroyed Constitutional Freedom by Judge Andrew Napolitano.
I also started a couple that I just couldn't read: Rasputin's Bastards by David Nickle and The Fall of the House of Dixie: The Civil War and the Social Revolution That Transformed the South by Bruce Levine. I got more than a quarter through the Nickle book before I gave up...the plot was very convoluted and the characters, at least a far as I got, were never themselves...they were always someone else inside their heads with memories that made no sense. The civil war book started out fine, but as I read, it became less intriguing. More of a filibuster-style retelling instead historical accounts...quotes from people alive at the time. I don't know...I might try it again later, but I clearly was not in the mood.
Vlad was a different take on the more recent vampire tales. Instead of cuddly, sparkly vamps, it harkened back to the original blood-thirsty, stop at nothing, evil vamp. Basically, evil vampire gets new place to live, completely destroys an entire family, and leaves you with the sense that the whole town will be dead as soon as he's done having his dinner. Not very uplifting, and more than a little sick, but a quick and frightening read.
The Poe short stories are the same as always...comeupance for the plotters and schemers. Never a tale that goes out of style. I don't think I'd read The Cask of Amatillado before, but it was good. I've always liked the red death tale. His short stories don't change too much and are always cautionary in their own way.
Notorious Nineteen sends main character Stephanie Plum out to catch skips, to continue to be confused by her feelings for both Ranger and Morelli, and to have more cars blown up. Evanovich has this particular genre down cold. I like reading these books...they are completely silly and totally fun. I can't even remember too much of what happened. I know there was a wedding rehearsal (and a hideous bridesmaid dress) she attends as a bodyguard while helping Ranger and an old-folks home scam that she helps resolve to everyone's benefit. Basically, the same old thing with different background stories.
Gone Girl was decent. It's got a major twist, so I won't say much about the plot. I did catch on to it, but wasn't completely certain I was right, so it kept me reading. The ending wasn't nearly as fulfilling as I would've liked, but overall, an intriguing read. I can see why it's been on the best seller list for a while now.
I saw Napolitano on the Daily Show a while back. I was interested in what he was saying about Theodore and Woodrow, so I reserved the book at the library. His arguments are sound and his review of the laws that were ignored and broken are very interesting. This is definitely not what I learned about our ex-Presidents, and while I do take things with a grain of salt, I came away feeling that the Judge is probably one of the few clear-headed people working on Fox News. From a constitutional perspective, this book was pretty fascinating. Not an every day read, but if you've got some time, and don't mind getting kind of angry at how political events change things, check it out.
Alrighty, I feel that more Gossip Girl is calling, so to kind of quote Kristen Bell's narrative prowess, until next time, xoxo.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Oscar Nominees 2013
The nominees for the 85th annual Academy Awards were announced this morning. Y'all know how I feel about movies. I'm totally going to comment.
Best Picture:
Amour
I actually would love to this, but non-big-city-living apparently keeps me from doing so. There's still over a month until Oscar night, so maybe I will get to see it, but I'm not holding my breath. I've heard wonderful things about it though. The only thing I can be judgey about is that it's nominated for best picture AND best foreign language film. Do we need to repeat like that? I mean, if this stayed only in the foreign film category, maybe the academy could've put the highest grossing film of 2012 on the list...the film that had something for everyone...The Avengers. I wouldn't expect it to win...it's too mass market for the academy. However, it was awesome on so many levels that I'm really peeved they didn't even deign to think to include it.
Argo
In my opinion, this has a shot. It was so well done and so engaging that even though I knew the ending, I was still on the edge of my seat, panicked that everything would go wrong. Will it win? Probably not. Should everyone see it? Yes!
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Months after I've seen it, I still have no idea how to describe this film. It was beautiful and horrible and sad and happy and ALL OF THE THINGS! I really liked it a lot, but I don't think it will win either. (Side bar: When I went to Target not long ago, I noticed this was on display with the children's movies. Just because a child is in the movie, don't think that it belongs with the cartoons.)
Django Unchained
I was kind of surprised to this nominated. I mean, sure, I liked it. But it's not something I'd think would be Oscar-worthy? I don't know. It's very gory and foul and, well, Tarantino's hands are visible all over it. And yes, I'm biased, I don't like him, but I still see his work because it's good in it's own way. But winning? This one was just an instant gut felt no to me.
Les Miserables
So gloriously depressing. I really loved it. This reeks of Oscar. In a good way. This is what you expect to see for a win. However, I'm not holding my breath here. There's an ex-President who may have something to say about it.
Life of Pi
This is one I haven't seen yet. A friend highly recommended it, but I was not interested. It's not showing here anymore, so I may be out of luck. This won the AFI award. I don't know if that has any bearing here or not.
Lincoln
Normally I wouldn't root for a Spielberg film, but this one was really, really, really good. I felt there was only one flaw with the whole thing...but I understand why they filmed it that way. See? Look at how I won't give spoilers even when we've all studied enough history to know the story :) I'm feeling that it's probably this one or Les Mis FTW.
Silver Linings Playbook
I can not tell you how surprised I was with this film. I absolutely loved it. It was really witty and you actually cared about the people and what happened to them. Very well done and completely worthy of the nomination. Shouldn't win though.
Zero Dark Thirty
This one opens here tomorrow, so it will be seen before the Oscars. I fully believe that it will be just as awesome as The Hurt Locker. I'm just not sure that they'll give Bigelow her due again so quickly. If I change my mind, I'll update this post.
Actor in A Leading Role
Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook - He was so great in this. But there was someone better...
Abraham Lincoln Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln - If our late, great President doesn't win this, there is something really wrong with the electoral system.
Hugh Jackman for Les Miserables - Again, really great in this. Perhaps my favorite Valjean since I read the book. But, I still don't think he'll win...unless he busts out the Wolverine claws and takes it from the announcers.
Joaquin Phoenix for The Master - I love Paul Thomas Anderson, but this is easily one of my least liked films of last year. Phoenix did a great job of looking hideous and making me dislike his character a lot.
Denzel Washington for Flight - Didn't see it; don't think he'll win. The DVD comes out February 5th, so I might end up watching it in time.
Actress in A Leading Role
Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty - Since I've not seen this one yet, I'm not sure how she does. Hopefully she's good though.
Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook - She was excellent in this, but Katniss is going to have to wait a few years before she gets her statue.
Emmanuelle Riva for Amour - Again, haven't seen it but have heard wonderful things. Reserving judgment.
Quvenzhane Wallis for Beasts of the Southern Wild - Hmm. This could happen. She was amazing in her role. Again, reserving judgment.
Naomi Watts for The Impossible - This just started in town so I've not seen it yet. I will though. I don't know that I'll be able to comment on her performance since the trailer makes me cry...I've got a feeling I'll be a sobbing mess and miss a lot of the movie.
Actor in A Supporting Role
Alan Arkin for Argo - He had the best line in the whole movie! I thought he was great, but he wasn't actually in the movie that much. Not sure.
Robert DeNiro for Silver Linings Playbook - Good, strong performance. Don't think he should win for it though.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman for The Master - As much as I want him to have a statue, I do not want it associated with this movie. Ugh. Not sure about this one either.
Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln - If there's a sweep, it'll include Mr. Jones. But, if there isn't and things are distributed a tad more fairly, then my vote goes to...
Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained - At it's core, this movie is about slavery and brutality in the south before the Civil War. But you don't see the main actor, Jamie Foxx, up for Actor in A Leading Role. That's because this guy totally stole the movie. He was so charismatic and genius that I could watch the violence over and over just to see him. My favorite. Fingers are crossed.
Actress in A Supporting Role
Amy Adams for The Master - Please. Just. No. Was she good? Yes. Is this what she needs an Oscar for? No.
Sally Field for Lincoln - This might be her best role yet and she's been around forever. Her talent in this can not be dismissed...she became Mary Todd Lincoln, hoop skirts, crazy, and all. This is the clear winner to me, but she definitely has harsh competition from...
Anne Hathaway for Les Miserables - Wow. Her tiny voice pushing out that song. I don't even think I noticed how hard I was crying until my collar was soaked. I'm ok if she wins this overMrs. Lincoln Sally Field. But just barely ok with it.
Helen Hunt for The Sessions - Helen Hunt is still in movies? Hunh. Who knew? Well, she must've been fairly good to get a nomination. I've not seen this one.
Jacki Weaver for Silver Linings Playbook - I'm not going to lie...I had to look her up to make sure I knew who she was in the movie. I was right. She played the mom. She was good. Not seeing the Oscar though.
Animated Feature Film
Brave - I totally loved this. It was very sweet and very cute. I followed all the Pixar rules...it will probably win.
Frankenweenie - I did not make it to this one, but I own the original short (it's on the The Nightmare Before Christmas DVD). I imagine it was great. But, I doubt it's winning.
ParaNorman - I did not see this one either...and I'm kind of sad about that because it looked really cute. Again, doubtful of a win.
The Pirates! Band of Misfits - Another no see that I actually really, really wanted to see. Oh well. I will rent it, but I'm seeing this winning either.
Wreck-It Ralph - This I saw. This I freaking loved. I would be ecstatic if it won...I do feel it's the main contender against Brave, and I don't think it's because those are the only two I've seen in this category. It was so funny and cute and had lots for kids and adults. I liked that the main character and supposed to be a bad guy. It was just as heart-warming as Brave, but in a different way. Come on, Ralph! (Plus, Buckner and Garcia theme song! That's retro gold people!)
Skipping Cinematography and Costume Design...even though I think there are some awesome nominees.
Directing
Michael Haneke for Amour - No idea..wish I knew :(
Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild - This is a definite maybe.
Ang Lee for Life of Pi - He definitely deserved his Brokeback Mountain win, but since I've not seen this one, I just don't know. He's directed some really amazing movies.
Steven Spielberg for Lincoln - Fine. Ok. Just give it to him.
David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook - I wish he would win for this. But it's really hard to deny the glory of all that is Lincoln. Sigh.
Documentary Feature and Documentary Short aren't categories that we get to see the films here before the Oscars...sometimes afterward though. Skipping them.
Also skipping Film Editing, Foreign Language Film (I've seen zero of them this year, which is so lame that I can't even deal with it), Make-Up and Hairstyling, Music Original Score, Production Design (go Hobbit!), Short Film Animated, Short Film Live Action, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing.
Music Original Song
"Before My Time" from Chasing Ice - I'd never even heard of this movie, let alone the song. I think that means I can in no way support it because of my ignorance.
"Everybody Needs A Best Friend" from Ted - Oh man, I really want this one to win. It would be even better if it was the thunder buddies song from Ted, but picking a longer song with less cursing is ok too.
"Pi's Lullaby" from Life of Pi - Listening to it just now...this is lovely. Could be a winner...but I think the winner is going to be...
"Skyfall" from Skyfall - I know people get tired of Adele, but this is a great song and was perfect for the movie. (Please note: If you have not seen Skyfall yet, you really need to do so. It was great. Should be out on DVD next month.)
"Suddenly" from Les Miserables - Wait. I forgot about this being nominated too. Maybe it wins. Who knows? WOLVERINE!
Visual Effects
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Normally I would root for this, but not this time. I gotta root for the one that needs to win awards...as well as all the cash prizes it has already amassed!
Life of Pi - I realize I've been typing over an hour, but I've still not seen this movie. I got nothing.
Marvel's The Avengers - This is the ONLY nomination for the BEST. MOVIE. OF. 2012. If it doesn't win this one award, I am going to be very saddened.
Prometheus - An excellent choice for this category. But I still want Avengers to win.
Snow White and the Huntsman - Really? Whatever. Not even Thor saved this movie for me. Actually, change a few words in this clip and you'll know how I felt about this movie.
Writing Adapted Screenplay
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
I have no idea who will win this one. Of the four out of five that I've seen, I would be happy with any of them (actually, knowing my luck, that mean Life of Pi would win). Five way tie? Can we do that?
Writing Original Screenplay
Amour
Django Unchained
Flight
Moonrise Kingdom
Zero Dark Thirty
Oh my gosh! That's another one that got completely hosed. Moonrise Kingdom was one my favorites this year. Please, please, please let it win its only nomination!
Well, that's my thoughts and feelings so far. I'm already planning out my Oscar evening...this year I'll honor Les Mis and have French food while I'm watching. Tune in February 24th on ABC to see who wins! (You might hear me rant from wherever you are, depending on the outcomes.)
Best Picture:
Amour
I actually would love to this, but non-big-city-living apparently keeps me from doing so. There's still over a month until Oscar night, so maybe I will get to see it, but I'm not holding my breath. I've heard wonderful things about it though. The only thing I can be judgey about is that it's nominated for best picture AND best foreign language film. Do we need to repeat like that? I mean, if this stayed only in the foreign film category, maybe the academy could've put the highest grossing film of 2012 on the list...the film that had something for everyone...The Avengers. I wouldn't expect it to win...it's too mass market for the academy. However, it was awesome on so many levels that I'm really peeved they didn't even deign to think to include it.
Argo
In my opinion, this has a shot. It was so well done and so engaging that even though I knew the ending, I was still on the edge of my seat, panicked that everything would go wrong. Will it win? Probably not. Should everyone see it? Yes!
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Months after I've seen it, I still have no idea how to describe this film. It was beautiful and horrible and sad and happy and ALL OF THE THINGS! I really liked it a lot, but I don't think it will win either. (Side bar: When I went to Target not long ago, I noticed this was on display with the children's movies. Just because a child is in the movie, don't think that it belongs with the cartoons.)
Django Unchained
I was kind of surprised to this nominated. I mean, sure, I liked it. But it's not something I'd think would be Oscar-worthy? I don't know. It's very gory and foul and, well, Tarantino's hands are visible all over it. And yes, I'm biased, I don't like him, but I still see his work because it's good in it's own way. But winning? This one was just an instant gut felt no to me.
Les Miserables
So gloriously depressing. I really loved it. This reeks of Oscar. In a good way. This is what you expect to see for a win. However, I'm not holding my breath here. There's an ex-President who may have something to say about it.
Life of Pi
This is one I haven't seen yet. A friend highly recommended it, but I was not interested. It's not showing here anymore, so I may be out of luck. This won the AFI award. I don't know if that has any bearing here or not.
Lincoln
Normally I wouldn't root for a Spielberg film, but this one was really, really, really good. I felt there was only one flaw with the whole thing...but I understand why they filmed it that way. See? Look at how I won't give spoilers even when we've all studied enough history to know the story :) I'm feeling that it's probably this one or Les Mis FTW.
Silver Linings Playbook
I can not tell you how surprised I was with this film. I absolutely loved it. It was really witty and you actually cared about the people and what happened to them. Very well done and completely worthy of the nomination. Shouldn't win though.
Zero Dark Thirty
This one opens here tomorrow, so it will be seen before the Oscars. I fully believe that it will be just as awesome as The Hurt Locker. I'm just not sure that they'll give Bigelow her due again so quickly. If I change my mind, I'll update this post.
Actor in A Leading Role
Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook - He was so great in this. But there was someone better...
Hugh Jackman for Les Miserables - Again, really great in this. Perhaps my favorite Valjean since I read the book. But, I still don't think he'll win...unless he busts out the Wolverine claws and takes it from the announcers.
Joaquin Phoenix for The Master - I love Paul Thomas Anderson, but this is easily one of my least liked films of last year. Phoenix did a great job of looking hideous and making me dislike his character a lot.
Denzel Washington for Flight - Didn't see it; don't think he'll win. The DVD comes out February 5th, so I might end up watching it in time.
Actress in A Leading Role
Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty - Since I've not seen this one yet, I'm not sure how she does. Hopefully she's good though.
Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook - She was excellent in this, but Katniss is going to have to wait a few years before she gets her statue.
Emmanuelle Riva for Amour - Again, haven't seen it but have heard wonderful things. Reserving judgment.
Quvenzhane Wallis for Beasts of the Southern Wild - Hmm. This could happen. She was amazing in her role. Again, reserving judgment.
Naomi Watts for The Impossible - This just started in town so I've not seen it yet. I will though. I don't know that I'll be able to comment on her performance since the trailer makes me cry...I've got a feeling I'll be a sobbing mess and miss a lot of the movie.
Actor in A Supporting Role
Alan Arkin for Argo - He had the best line in the whole movie! I thought he was great, but he wasn't actually in the movie that much. Not sure.
Robert DeNiro for Silver Linings Playbook - Good, strong performance. Don't think he should win for it though.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman for The Master - As much as I want him to have a statue, I do not want it associated with this movie. Ugh. Not sure about this one either.
Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln - If there's a sweep, it'll include Mr. Jones. But, if there isn't and things are distributed a tad more fairly, then my vote goes to...
Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained - At it's core, this movie is about slavery and brutality in the south before the Civil War. But you don't see the main actor, Jamie Foxx, up for Actor in A Leading Role. That's because this guy totally stole the movie. He was so charismatic and genius that I could watch the violence over and over just to see him. My favorite. Fingers are crossed.
Actress in A Supporting Role
Amy Adams for The Master - Please. Just. No. Was she good? Yes. Is this what she needs an Oscar for? No.
Sally Field for Lincoln - This might be her best role yet and she's been around forever. Her talent in this can not be dismissed...she became Mary Todd Lincoln, hoop skirts, crazy, and all. This is the clear winner to me, but she definitely has harsh competition from...
Anne Hathaway for Les Miserables - Wow. Her tiny voice pushing out that song. I don't even think I noticed how hard I was crying until my collar was soaked. I'm ok if she wins this over
Helen Hunt for The Sessions - Helen Hunt is still in movies? Hunh. Who knew? Well, she must've been fairly good to get a nomination. I've not seen this one.
Jacki Weaver for Silver Linings Playbook - I'm not going to lie...I had to look her up to make sure I knew who she was in the movie. I was right. She played the mom. She was good. Not seeing the Oscar though.
Animated Feature Film
Brave - I totally loved this. It was very sweet and very cute. I followed all the Pixar rules...it will probably win.
Frankenweenie - I did not make it to this one, but I own the original short (it's on the The Nightmare Before Christmas DVD). I imagine it was great. But, I doubt it's winning.
ParaNorman - I did not see this one either...and I'm kind of sad about that because it looked really cute. Again, doubtful of a win.
The Pirates! Band of Misfits - Another no see that I actually really, really wanted to see. Oh well. I will rent it, but I'm seeing this winning either.
Wreck-It Ralph - This I saw. This I freaking loved. I would be ecstatic if it won...I do feel it's the main contender against Brave, and I don't think it's because those are the only two I've seen in this category. It was so funny and cute and had lots for kids and adults. I liked that the main character and supposed to be a bad guy. It was just as heart-warming as Brave, but in a different way. Come on, Ralph! (Plus, Buckner and Garcia theme song! That's retro gold people!)
Skipping Cinematography and Costume Design...even though I think there are some awesome nominees.
Directing
Michael Haneke for Amour - No idea..wish I knew :(
Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild - This is a definite maybe.
Ang Lee for Life of Pi - He definitely deserved his Brokeback Mountain win, but since I've not seen this one, I just don't know. He's directed some really amazing movies.
Steven Spielberg for Lincoln - Fine. Ok. Just give it to him.
David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook - I wish he would win for this. But it's really hard to deny the glory of all that is Lincoln. Sigh.
Documentary Feature and Documentary Short aren't categories that we get to see the films here before the Oscars...sometimes afterward though. Skipping them.
Also skipping Film Editing, Foreign Language Film (I've seen zero of them this year, which is so lame that I can't even deal with it), Make-Up and Hairstyling, Music Original Score, Production Design (go Hobbit!), Short Film Animated, Short Film Live Action, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing.
Music Original Song
"Before My Time" from Chasing Ice - I'd never even heard of this movie, let alone the song. I think that means I can in no way support it because of my ignorance.
"Everybody Needs A Best Friend" from Ted - Oh man, I really want this one to win. It would be even better if it was the thunder buddies song from Ted, but picking a longer song with less cursing is ok too.
"Pi's Lullaby" from Life of Pi - Listening to it just now...this is lovely. Could be a winner...but I think the winner is going to be...
"Skyfall" from Skyfall - I know people get tired of Adele, but this is a great song and was perfect for the movie. (Please note: If you have not seen Skyfall yet, you really need to do so. It was great. Should be out on DVD next month.)
"Suddenly" from Les Miserables - Wait. I forgot about this being nominated too. Maybe it wins. Who knows? WOLVERINE!
Visual Effects
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Normally I would root for this, but not this time. I gotta root for the one that needs to win awards...as well as all the cash prizes it has already amassed!
Life of Pi - I realize I've been typing over an hour, but I've still not seen this movie. I got nothing.
Marvel's The Avengers - This is the ONLY nomination for the BEST. MOVIE. OF. 2012. If it doesn't win this one award, I am going to be very saddened.
Prometheus - An excellent choice for this category. But I still want Avengers to win.
Snow White and the Huntsman - Really? Whatever. Not even Thor saved this movie for me. Actually, change a few words in this clip and you'll know how I felt about this movie.
Writing Adapted Screenplay
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
I have no idea who will win this one. Of the four out of five that I've seen, I would be happy with any of them (actually, knowing my luck, that mean Life of Pi would win). Five way tie? Can we do that?
Writing Original Screenplay
Amour
Django Unchained
Flight
Moonrise Kingdom
Zero Dark Thirty
Oh my gosh! That's another one that got completely hosed. Moonrise Kingdom was one my favorites this year. Please, please, please let it win its only nomination!
Well, that's my thoughts and feelings so far. I'm already planning out my Oscar evening...this year I'll honor Les Mis and have French food while I'm watching. Tune in February 24th on ABC to see who wins! (You might hear me rant from wherever you are, depending on the outcomes.)
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
The books of December 2012
Well, that's the end of 2012 (wipes dust off hands). I'm ready for 2013. So ready that I already forgot I had plans this afternoon. Looks like I had a good idea to do this blog thing earlier in the day as opposed to later.
Crafts:
OK. Now I will post all of the items I made from about July through December that I gave away to friends as gifts. One or two may not have been opened yet...people, get on that! ;) So, no names, but lots of gifts!
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| I totally put a bird on it. |
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| "Nobody ever suspects the butterfly!" |
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| It's not a metal chicken named Beyonce, but it'll do. |
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| Joss Whedon...a genius even in stitches. |
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| Say it with flowers...or one flower...on a dishtowel. |
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| "I only lied about being a thief. I don't do that anymore." |
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| Invasion from space? I'd say ugh to that too. |
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| This monster looks ready to par-tay! |
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| Hoo can it be now? (I totally kept this one for me.) |
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| "Santa?! I know him!" |
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| Those meddling kids... |
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| Tea time! |
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| Every day is Thorsday! |
So that's it for the crafts section. Hurrah!
Movies:
This was a banner movie release month. I saw eight movies...and I'm going to see another one today (which I guess I should save for next month) and another one on Friday. Everything has been so good that I've not minded sitting in the theater for hours on end.
So the least liked film I saw in December was Killing Them Softly. I thought it looked interesting and I guess as a social commentary, it was. Everyone was just so filthy. No true redeeming qualities for them...and Brad Pitt delivering a speech about poverty and survival in bad economic times is a little unsettling since I'm pretty sure he makes more money in a day than most of the people I know.
Anna Karenina was very good. Yes, spoiler, it's a total downer. But, since it was expected, I wasn't as bothered. Jude Law was fantastic. And while it's not a ploy for everyone, I really enjoyed how they changed many of the scenes as if they were in a play (mobile scenery is always a good thing). I didn't quite buy the lack of carnage at the end, but it was still as dismal as expected. Yay Russian literature!
The Hobbit takes us all back to Middle Earth. And it's a fantastic place to be. As I watched, I wasn't as into it as I thought I'd be. I love the scenery and the additional places we'd not been before...and it was nice to see people from the other movies, but I didn't think I was affected by it. Until I found myself sitting on the very edge of my seat, biting my nails (not something I do), and sobbing...with about an hour left in the movie! It was very exciting toward the end and now I'm hooked and will have to sit through the other two parts. Peter Jackson is still a genius...don't think he isn't.
Hitchcock was a surprisingly good film. I love old movies and because this was about a maker of old movies, it had that feel to it. I didn't know much about the man himself...or the making of Psycho in particular, but I definitely want to know more. Watching this brought that love of older movies back and I ended up re-watching lots of films I'd not seen in a long time...mostly Stanley Donen pictures, but a couple of Hitchcock as well. (I prefer the Donen chatter...extremely witty.)
Silver Linings Playbook was another surprise. It kind of reaffirms that whole "there's someone for everyone" theory. Despite having characters with depression (and other issues), the whole thing was pretty uplifting and generally quite funny. I've not read the book, but I think this adaptation was wonderful.
So Les Miserables puts Anna Karenina to shame for being a downer. It's the first time I can remember seeing a musical in the movie theater that was actually a true musical...almost no talking at all...just singing. It's still a beautiful story and I completely loved it...but I kind of wanted to go home and bury myself in the covers and continue crying for days. Everyone was perfect for his or her part...which has got to be hard to cast for looks and actual singing talent. Very well done.
Jack Reacher was very fun. I hate when I end up liking a Tom Cruise movie. He irritates me, but he's a very good actor and always throws himself into the role. I've not read the books so I don't really know how it compares, but if you need a mindless action movie to cleanse your palette of all the depressing films that made you cry, this could be the right one for you. There were also a lot of very funny moments. It's a fairly typical action movie, but still entertaining with a couple of plot twists.
Lastly, I saw Django Unchained. I lump Tarantino in the people who irritate me list and yet I continue to see his movies. Like Cruise, he is amazing at what he does...and clearly willing to make an idiot of himself (Australian accent? Really?). The best part for me is that he usually gets killed off in the storylines including him, so it's kind of like he must know he's irritating on some level. The star cameos were pretty awesome and I laughed uncomfortably through many scenes. Tarantino is still very over the top with the killing scenes, so there's lots of blood...and, well, parts. I know he's getting some flack for making this one, but it's a good movie.
Books:
I bought a lot of things on the Kindle...hurrah for gift cards! Awakened (Vampire Awakenings) by Brenda K. Davies, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Berens, Loki by Mike Vasich, All the Lonely People by Jess Riley, City of Dark Magic: A Novel by Magnus Flyte, In the Devil's Garden: A Sinful History of Forbidden Food by Stewart Lee Allen, Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman and Robert Chandler, Letters to Sartre by Simone de Beauvoir and Quintin Hoare, Everyone's Reading Bastard by Nick Hornby, Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie, and Joseph Anton: A Memoir by Salman Rushdie. I have a LOT to read...
The books I read in December were all on the Kindle except for the first one: Eight Women Taking Pictures by Whitney Otto, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, All the Lonely People by Jess Riley, Everyone's Reading Bastard (short story) by Nick Hornby, The Columbus Affair by Steve Berry, and Enslaved by Ducks by Bob Tarte.
I hadn't read a Whitney Otto book in a very long time, so I was looking forward to this one. Eight Women Taking Pictures is about eight women who were photographers going back to the first world war up through the late 20th century. Each woman takes different kinds of pictures and each type of work has different effects on the later photographers. Each story is somehow intertwined with the others...like Otto did with How to Make an American Quilt. This book manages to tell those stories while also covering history, politics, and women's rights. I really, really enjoyed it. The book also managed to cut my arm as I read quietly on the couch as well as hit me in the face as I was reading in bed. Thus my move to the Kindle for a while...it felt safer.
When I was in my early twenties in college, I read Wuthering Heights for the first time. I had great memories of loving this book. Add another twenty years to my brain and it was a 180 degree reaction. I really did not like the book this time around. I guess I grew out of my angsty phase where things like this sounded so terribly romantic. It was just a chore to read through all of the petty outbursts and true and perceived injustices. This time I found that I didn't care about any of the characters at all and didn't really need them to have a happy ending, so that part was ok. Ugh. I'm going to try and reread more classics, but I'll be steering clear of Miss Emily for a long time. I do remember that I liked one of the sisters better...possibly Anne? Yes, it was Anne. Maybe I'll retry one of hers.
All the Lonely People was a cheap buy on the Kindle...the day it dropped another dollar, I grabbed it off my wish list (put there because somewhere - Twitter, blog, Facebook? - another author recommended it). This was pretty entertaining and had me laughing out loud. Basically, the main character feels her family is crap after a huge, food-flinging blow up at Thanksgiving. So she places an ad on Craigslist to find a new family for Christmas. The wacky crew she assembles become good friends and she grows up enough to get that she misses and needs her actual family too. A nice read during the holiday season.
The Nick Hornby short story was about a couple who split and the woman wrote about all of it in her weekly newspaper article. The husband became known simply as Bastard to the paper's reading base. It's from the man's point of view and it's kind of funny. Typical Hornby fare. Read it if you like him.
I got The Columbus Affair thinking it was the next Cotton Malone book. Turns out, the next Cotton Malone book comes out this May. This was another stand-alone. It did mention people and operations from the other books. I ended up liking this one as well as the others. The main character here is a washed up reporter who was stripped of his awards and reputation by a false story...that was actually fabricated by others to bring his ruin. That's the "b" story in this. The main story is about the fabled lost mine of Christopher Columbus...only it's much more complicated...was Columbus a Jew? Was he really searching for a place for Jews to live freely? Did he carry with him the fabled treasures of Judaism? One of the books he read and cited in this book is now on my wish list. The book takes place in Florida, Austria, Prague, and Jamaica. I enjoyed reading it and didn't really want to put it down...although, I did really want to reach into the book and slap the main character's daughter a few times. She was an extremely naive character who did all the wrong things and wouldn't listen to anyone who told her she was wrong. It takes nearly the entire book for her to admit to her mistakes. Her storyline isn't necessary worthwhile, but it ties in and compels much of the action, so I guess she's needed. Overall, Steve Berry continues to write books that I really enjoy reading...whether he includes the main character I know or not.
Enslaved by Ducks is a cute read. Bob Tarte writes about a few different things here and there. This book is about him, his wife, and their pet menagerie. They have bunnies, parrots, doves, starlings, geese, ducks, turkeys, cats, and various other birds in and around their house. He has absolutely no power against the animals and while he occasionally says no to his wife, they generally end up with whatever animal she feels they need. I didn't really come away wanting a pet, but I am slightly interested in a duck. For more than eating. They seem kind of like fun pets...except when they get sick. Normally animal stories end up making me cry because it's generally the end of the lives of the pets. In this book, they did lose a few pets, but they always had more, so it wasn't as upsetting. If you've ever thought you need to own a flying or non-traditional, non-flying pet, you should probably read this book first. It's fun, somewhat educational, and definitely cautionary in its own way.
Well, that's it for the year. I ended the year watching Gone with the Wind...possibly my all-time favorite despite it's flaws. You can take the girl out of the south, but you can't take the south out of the girl. Happy New Year 2013!
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