I'm having a very hard time understanding how quickly time is going. Seriously. It's February. I feel like it just New Years day yesterday. Weird. I'm a little sad that winter hasn't truly been winter, but I am also grateful because less ice on the road is just fabulous. Now that I look at the list of books and movies, I'm pretty sure I know where January went...I spent it reading books in between watching movies!
Movies:
In January, I saw several movies: Sisters, Joy, The Hateful Eight, Sherlock: The Abominable Bride, and Revenant.
Sisters was mostly hilarious. There were a few moments where it felt slow, but I laughed so much I didn't even care. Everyone in the movie did a great job, and as funny as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler always are, I have to say, I think John Cena stole the show (much like he did with his sensitive boyfriend role in Trainwreck). If you often find a couple of hours of crude eccentricity make you feel better and make your cheeks hurt from laughing, definitely rent this movie when it comes out on DVD.
Joy was a good movie. If I rank the Jennifer Lawrence/David Russell movies, Joy would be my least favorite, but it was still good. (American Hustle being in the middle, and Silver Linings Playbook being the best - and infinitely rewatchable.) It's not that Joy was boring or poorly acted...it was actually quite well done. I think what I didn't like was that it didn't really take me away from reality. Again, it was still a good movie and I did enjoy it and I'm glad I saw it, but it's not one I'm anxiously awaiting the DVD for...not like I did with SLP.
The Hateful Eight. Wow. So, full disclosure, it takes so long for Tarantino to release a film that I forget all the things I do not like about him and his films in between seeing them. This was an extremely bloody, violent movie...with moments of shocked hilarity...but mostly just incredulous looks at the screen. I had a moment where I saw something bad coming...and I waited and waited and waited and then it seemed the moment had passed and all was fine. Then POW there it was...extreme disgusting goriness all up in my face in glorious wide screen. Hand up in front of eyes, out loud "eeewwww" - loud enough to make the guy sitting in my row laugh at me. It was very Tarantino. And in the way I have a soft spot for that particular brand of movie, I did like this, but I do not want to see it again. (Note to self: try to remember you don't really need to see his films before his next movie...but I know you won't, so maybe just remember to take some nausea meds first.)
Sherlock! SHERLOCK! Of course I paid money to see a TV show on a big screen. And it was totally worth it. I love, love, love the BBC's Sherlock and this was a great return to the show. I wish they would've shown both Luther episodes like that in December...hang on while I talk about Luther. Have you seen Luther? What's that? No? NO?!?!?! STOP READING THIS AND GO WATCH LUTHER! LOVE IDRIS ELBA! LOVE HIM! Ahem, sorry. Anyway, Sherlock both picks up where it left off and takes us on a trip in the way back machine (kind of like a Tardis, cause, you know) so we get a jumbled crime-line and jumbled dress/mannerisms. It was fabulous. I can not wait for the next season to come to PBS. In the meantime, I have those two Luther episodes, the three Luther seasons, the three Sherlock seasons, the two seasons of The Paradise, and a season of Poldark to keep me sane. (Hi BBC! Love all the things you do! Feel free to send me free DVDs!)
Revenant is a very good film. I really liked it despite not ever wanting to see it again. Leo might win the Oscar, which will be ok I guess, although others might be better...I really feel like he actually acted hard though. I mean, when would Leonardo DiCaprio ever be subjected to any unpleasant environment? Never, right? The bear also did a fantastic job in the movie (no spoilers). But the one person who ought to win an award? Tom Hardy. They made him actually look unattractive and he stayed that way throughout the whole thing. That is stupendous makeup work because I didn't actually think it was possible. Well done team...but don't do it again. Leave the pretty alone please. Anyway, ruthless film. Definitely engrossing. I didn't read the book and I don't remember enough of that history period to comment on accuracy, but it did take me to the time and place, so well done on that too.
Books:
I was less books than movies last month...and that's ok. In January, I read: Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes; Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini; At the Water's Edge by Sarah Gruen; The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner; and It Ended Badly: 13 of the Worst Breakups in History by Jennifer Wright.
I know Shonda Rhimes first and best from Grey's Anatomy...and reading her blog posts after each episode in the early days. I liked her style from the get go. This book though, it's something else. Have you ever randomly picked up a book and started reading and within the first chapter, you knew, you knew, that this was someone who got you even though you'd never met and never will? Year of Yes is my new touchstone. It is the way to find yourself back to a good place when you're down on yourself. It is as inspirational as Shonda Rhimes is herself. Reading her own story was much better than watching her shows (and given the ratings, we know Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and How To Get Away with Murder are very well watched). I checked it out from the library and as soon as I turned it in, I went directly from the library to the store and bought my own copy because I never want to be without it. It's happy and sad; funny and moving; and very, very uplifting. She makes you feel better about you while making herself feel better about her own self. It is a really great book.
I'm not a huge Leah Remini fan...I've never really watched anything because she's in it. But, she left Scientology. And wrote a book about it (Troublemaker). Therefore, I wanted to read it. Since I didn't know much about her, I didn't know she'd been with her faith since her childhood. She definitely dropped a lot of names, but I think she was probably pretty honest about how she felt and her perceptions of life. It would've been better to read in the summer, poolside. It was kind of like reading an article in one of the magazines in the checkout line, only it was much longer of a read with better pictures.
At the Water's Edge was a good book. It's been several years since I read Water for Elephants, so I didn't remember any of her style or anything. This one takes place mostly in a small town in Scotland, near the Loch Ness monster. The main female character goes with her husband and his best friend to this town to find and document the monster. I have always wanted to go to Scotland and go where I might be able to see Nessie (in the meantime, I want this to keep the dream alive) so this book appealed to me more than some others. It was very, well, human. The problems, the solutions, the reactions of people in war time. I don't know...I don't want to give anything away...it's just a really good read.
The Geography of Bliss has been sitting on my bookshelf since 2011 (the receipt inside told me so). Eric Weiner travels to some of the happiest places, and least happy places, in the world and writes about it. Most of you know that reading a travel book is dangerous for me...I start planning trips to all the places in my head. I enjoyed it and I liked his take on happiness in different places being different things. I was left a burning need to go Reykjavik, Iceland (http://www.visitreykjavik.is/). If you can handle the extreme desire to travel it gives you, this is a fun book to read.
It Ended Badly was very well done. Some of the historical breakups, I was very familiar with (Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII and Katherine Howard, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Lucretzia Borgia and Giovanni Sforza) and others were learning experiences (Edith Wharton's sad life, the horrible, no good, very bad Norman Mailer, and so on). It was a quick read...just 13 stories...she did her homework and Wright's way of writing is like talking to your friend about another friend's breakup. It was another good read.
Well, that's it for January. February is starting strong...we'll see how long that lasts. Happy Super Bowl and Oscars month!
Friday, February 5, 2016
Sunday, January 3, 2016
The books of October, November, and December 2015
Yeah, I know. Lazy. But, I was trying to get a lot of things done. So, better late than never, right? It finally got cold outside, so it feels more justified to sit in front of the computer and type up some blogs.
I did make some things, and it was fun. But in an effort to just catch up, I'll just do the books and the movies. There's not loads, so hopefully this will be a quick read (quicker if I can't remember back too far).
Movies:
Crimson Peak has Tom Hiddleston in it. Initially, that's all I needed to know. But it ended up being a fairly solid ghost story and the sets were beautifully done (it was Guillermo, so think the beauty of Pan's Labyrinth) and it was a good time. I wasn't freaked out, I wasn't upset by gore. It was just a ghost story that was pretty to look at and therefore, enjoyable to me.
The Martian was just as good as the book. Despite my anti Matt Damon feelings, I really, really enjoyed this one and rooted for him (knowing the outcome made no difference here...I still was wanting things to get better). I still feel a little like "enh" when it comes to this story line because it's been done a few times now and really, Sam Rockwell in Moon will always be my baseline for this, but I did enjoy the Martian despite myself.
Spectre was a Bond movie. I know a lot of people are bored with the genre, but I still liked it...adding Christoph Waltz as a bad guy always ups the interesting factor. Did things blow up? Yes. Was there massive flirting? Yes. Was Bond hot and in nice clothes and drinking and messed up in the head? Yes. So, it was a Bond movie. No surprises really, although they did try and I was a little taken in by it. But I sat through it and enjoyed it. I think my barometer for truly judging Bond movies is long gone. I just enjoy them for what they are: eye candy.
Hunger Games: Mocking Jay part 2 was a fitting end. I remember not liking the last book at all and being surprised that part 1 was so engaging as a movie since the reading was so, well, boring. They wrapped up the series well...with me having no solid memory of what happened, I was still able to suspend reality and get into it. It was good until the very, very end. What is it with all the technology that we can not CGI a baby to save our lives (this movie, Twilight, etc.)? It's a real problem. Babies should not appear larger than the ADULTS holding them. Seriously.
A local theater did a revival showing of Meet Me in St. Louis for the holidays and it was the first time I've seen the whole thing. I loved it. Really loved it. A lot. It will be added to my Christmas viewings in the future. It's just a happy little movie with singing.
And now the big one. Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I've read the criticisms. I've listened to people (friends and strangers) complain. Here's the thing. I really liked it and thought it was good. It's supposed to be the same as the other movies. History is doomed to repeat itself in this universe or there is. no. story. Abrams is a fan and he did a great job balancing his fandom and going with a story we can follow. It's a hero story. And we have a hero. And yes, it's a girl. And yes, she's a fast learner, but we don't know enough of her background to really know who she is yet. People watch reality shows and believe them all the time. Why can't people just relax and enjoy a movie about a far away place that had some things resolved but you know good and evil will always be a thing, so just let it go and enjoy? If there's something to dislike, it's Kylo Ren. I mean, come on. He's whinier than Luke was at that age. And Luke was a world-class whiner (go back and rewatch if you don't remember). But because of that? We've gotten a couple of the best Twitter feeds ever invented: Emo Kylo Ren (@KyloR3n) and Very Lonely Luke (@VeryLonelyLuke). Even if you didn't like the movie, you should follow these. They're hilarious.
Books:
In the past three months, I read these: Alexander McQueen: Blood Beneath the Skin by Andrew Wilson, The Martian by Andrew Weird, Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson, Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling, The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood, Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink by Elvis Costello, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King, Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich, After Alice by Gregory Maguire, and The Grownup by Gillian Flynn.
Blood Beneath the Skin was a very in depth look into Alexander McQueen's life. This book made me pretty sad, but I'm glad I read it. I was beyond horrified to learn that many of his early collections were lost because they were simply thrown away. I mean, I know you don't always know someone is going to be big, but I feel like being a pack rat for something like a collection might be a good idea? It's really sad that he's gone. He was freaking brilliant at what he did.
The Martian (see movies) was a fun read. The book is what made me decide to see the movie even though it was a lot of Matt Damon. By now most of you know, a guy is thought dead on a Mars mission and so the crew leaves him there, but the story is of his survival on Mars. It's a good story and worth the time to read.
Jenny Lawson is awesome. Her second book, Furiously Happy, is just as funny as her first, but includes a lot of her struggles with depression. When you read her stories, you want to be her friend. When you read about her problems, you want to give her a hug. She's just fantastic. Read this book.
Mindy Kaling's second book, Why Not Me? is even better that her first one. Again, you get that feeling that if she lived close to you, you'd be friends. She's extremely relatable and highly entertaining. This is another one you should read.
It had been about forever since I'd read a Margaret Atwood book. The Handmaid's Tale might've been the last one? I had to look it up on Amazon since I read it in October, but as soon as I saw the cover, I was like OH! The Heart Goes Last was an interesting tale. Basically, the world has taken a crap on itself and there's now an experimental dual-city thing where people can go and one month you're in the nice town, living a nice life and the next month, you're in prison, providing services for the people in the town. At the surface, it seems like a good plan for rehabilitation for both people and places, but of course, like all these not-quite dystopian future books, people at the top get power hungry and things go very wrong. I enjoyed this one and I could see it being a mini-series on TV.
Elvis Costello's Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink was, hmm...interesting? It was over 600 pages of some self-indulgence, but he's someone I really like, so I was ok with that. It bumbles around his life and tells things, but never shows glorious insights or epiphanies...he's mostly just telling things that happens as he remembers them...like you met him in a pub and asked him random questions and he rambled out some answers. I can't really recommend it unless you just love Elvis Costello. Then you have to read it because he put all of it together, you know? Otherwise, you can probably skip it.
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams is a book of short stories from Stephen King. Each story is different...and he gives an introduction about each story. I enjoyed this a lot...King has been having a little comeback with me and that's a good thing. Every fourth or fifth one is a dud to me, but for the most part, I've been liking the run he's having. Some of these stories wouldn't have been as intriguing without his introductions though. This might be worth your time if you have ever liked King. He's in a good stride right now.
Tricky Twenty-Two is the same as all the other Stephanie Plum books. Again, I'm not apologizing for reading these. It's always the same, her car always gets blown up, her grandma is always crazy, she's always torn between Ranger and Morelli, and these books always makes me laugh out loud. That's good enough for me.
After Alice is about Alice's friend, Ada, who also falls into Wonderland. She escapes her every day life and has a great adventure and helps to rescue Alice from an "off with her head" judgment. It was nice to visit Wonderland with a different guide. It was fun to see it through a different, more clear-headed voice. It also took a lot of Victorian Oxfordshire into the story, which I thoroughly enjoyed (we all know by now how much I heart England). A nice rainy day read.
The last one I finished in December was Gillian Flynn's short story, The Grownup. I was not a fan of Gone Girl, so this was me giving her another chance. This I liked much better, possibly because it was very short and to the point. She still leaves it open to interpretation, and I guess that's her thing, but it didn't bother me as much with this one. If you like her, pick this up if it goes on sale - hardback price for a book that short isn't worth it, but if it's cheap, like a couple of dollars, it'll be a good deal.
That's it! I've already been reading and seeing movies in January, so there should be a decent amount of substance for the next post. Happy 2016!
I did make some things, and it was fun. But in an effort to just catch up, I'll just do the books and the movies. There's not loads, so hopefully this will be a quick read (quicker if I can't remember back too far).
Movies:
Crimson Peak has Tom Hiddleston in it. Initially, that's all I needed to know. But it ended up being a fairly solid ghost story and the sets were beautifully done (it was Guillermo, so think the beauty of Pan's Labyrinth) and it was a good time. I wasn't freaked out, I wasn't upset by gore. It was just a ghost story that was pretty to look at and therefore, enjoyable to me.
The Martian was just as good as the book. Despite my anti Matt Damon feelings, I really, really enjoyed this one and rooted for him (knowing the outcome made no difference here...I still was wanting things to get better). I still feel a little like "enh" when it comes to this story line because it's been done a few times now and really, Sam Rockwell in Moon will always be my baseline for this, but I did enjoy the Martian despite myself.
Spectre was a Bond movie. I know a lot of people are bored with the genre, but I still liked it...adding Christoph Waltz as a bad guy always ups the interesting factor. Did things blow up? Yes. Was there massive flirting? Yes. Was Bond hot and in nice clothes and drinking and messed up in the head? Yes. So, it was a Bond movie. No surprises really, although they did try and I was a little taken in by it. But I sat through it and enjoyed it. I think my barometer for truly judging Bond movies is long gone. I just enjoy them for what they are: eye candy.
Hunger Games: Mocking Jay part 2 was a fitting end. I remember not liking the last book at all and being surprised that part 1 was so engaging as a movie since the reading was so, well, boring. They wrapped up the series well...with me having no solid memory of what happened, I was still able to suspend reality and get into it. It was good until the very, very end. What is it with all the technology that we can not CGI a baby to save our lives (this movie, Twilight, etc.)? It's a real problem. Babies should not appear larger than the ADULTS holding them. Seriously.
A local theater did a revival showing of Meet Me in St. Louis for the holidays and it was the first time I've seen the whole thing. I loved it. Really loved it. A lot. It will be added to my Christmas viewings in the future. It's just a happy little movie with singing.
And now the big one. Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I've read the criticisms. I've listened to people (friends and strangers) complain. Here's the thing. I really liked it and thought it was good. It's supposed to be the same as the other movies. History is doomed to repeat itself in this universe or there is. no. story. Abrams is a fan and he did a great job balancing his fandom and going with a story we can follow. It's a hero story. And we have a hero. And yes, it's a girl. And yes, she's a fast learner, but we don't know enough of her background to really know who she is yet. People watch reality shows and believe them all the time. Why can't people just relax and enjoy a movie about a far away place that had some things resolved but you know good and evil will always be a thing, so just let it go and enjoy? If there's something to dislike, it's Kylo Ren. I mean, come on. He's whinier than Luke was at that age. And Luke was a world-class whiner (go back and rewatch if you don't remember). But because of that? We've gotten a couple of the best Twitter feeds ever invented: Emo Kylo Ren (@KyloR3n) and Very Lonely Luke (@VeryLonelyLuke). Even if you didn't like the movie, you should follow these. They're hilarious.
Books:
In the past three months, I read these: Alexander McQueen: Blood Beneath the Skin by Andrew Wilson, The Martian by Andrew Weird, Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson, Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling, The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood, Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink by Elvis Costello, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King, Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich, After Alice by Gregory Maguire, and The Grownup by Gillian Flynn.
Blood Beneath the Skin was a very in depth look into Alexander McQueen's life. This book made me pretty sad, but I'm glad I read it. I was beyond horrified to learn that many of his early collections were lost because they were simply thrown away. I mean, I know you don't always know someone is going to be big, but I feel like being a pack rat for something like a collection might be a good idea? It's really sad that he's gone. He was freaking brilliant at what he did.
The Martian (see movies) was a fun read. The book is what made me decide to see the movie even though it was a lot of Matt Damon. By now most of you know, a guy is thought dead on a Mars mission and so the crew leaves him there, but the story is of his survival on Mars. It's a good story and worth the time to read.
Jenny Lawson is awesome. Her second book, Furiously Happy, is just as funny as her first, but includes a lot of her struggles with depression. When you read her stories, you want to be her friend. When you read about her problems, you want to give her a hug. She's just fantastic. Read this book.
Mindy Kaling's second book, Why Not Me? is even better that her first one. Again, you get that feeling that if she lived close to you, you'd be friends. She's extremely relatable and highly entertaining. This is another one you should read.
It had been about forever since I'd read a Margaret Atwood book. The Handmaid's Tale might've been the last one? I had to look it up on Amazon since I read it in October, but as soon as I saw the cover, I was like OH! The Heart Goes Last was an interesting tale. Basically, the world has taken a crap on itself and there's now an experimental dual-city thing where people can go and one month you're in the nice town, living a nice life and the next month, you're in prison, providing services for the people in the town. At the surface, it seems like a good plan for rehabilitation for both people and places, but of course, like all these not-quite dystopian future books, people at the top get power hungry and things go very wrong. I enjoyed this one and I could see it being a mini-series on TV.
Elvis Costello's Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink was, hmm...interesting? It was over 600 pages of some self-indulgence, but he's someone I really like, so I was ok with that. It bumbles around his life and tells things, but never shows glorious insights or epiphanies...he's mostly just telling things that happens as he remembers them...like you met him in a pub and asked him random questions and he rambled out some answers. I can't really recommend it unless you just love Elvis Costello. Then you have to read it because he put all of it together, you know? Otherwise, you can probably skip it.
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams is a book of short stories from Stephen King. Each story is different...and he gives an introduction about each story. I enjoyed this a lot...King has been having a little comeback with me and that's a good thing. Every fourth or fifth one is a dud to me, but for the most part, I've been liking the run he's having. Some of these stories wouldn't have been as intriguing without his introductions though. This might be worth your time if you have ever liked King. He's in a good stride right now.
Tricky Twenty-Two is the same as all the other Stephanie Plum books. Again, I'm not apologizing for reading these. It's always the same, her car always gets blown up, her grandma is always crazy, she's always torn between Ranger and Morelli, and these books always makes me laugh out loud. That's good enough for me.
After Alice is about Alice's friend, Ada, who also falls into Wonderland. She escapes her every day life and has a great adventure and helps to rescue Alice from an "off with her head" judgment. It was nice to visit Wonderland with a different guide. It was fun to see it through a different, more clear-headed voice. It also took a lot of Victorian Oxfordshire into the story, which I thoroughly enjoyed (we all know by now how much I heart England). A nice rainy day read.
The last one I finished in December was Gillian Flynn's short story, The Grownup. I was not a fan of Gone Girl, so this was me giving her another chance. This I liked much better, possibly because it was very short and to the point. She still leaves it open to interpretation, and I guess that's her thing, but it didn't bother me as much with this one. If you like her, pick this up if it goes on sale - hardback price for a book that short isn't worth it, but if it's cheap, like a couple of dollars, it'll be a good deal.
That's it! I've already been reading and seeing movies in January, so there should be a decent amount of substance for the next post. Happy 2016!
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