The AVENGERS! Only Funnier

I confess I haven't seen a single superhero film (aside from Batman,) and I don't read comics, so I feel a bit out of the loop. I've missed out on all the Hulk and Ironman films... not even seen Thor! So my approach to The Avengers was with virgin eyes. It burned my eyes :-( Being one who does not pass up the opportunity to watch films guided by Riff Trax, I saw The Avengers this past weekend with my friend. I don't think I quite understand what happened. I doubt I'll remember the whole film, but in guidance with the third-party commentary, it was amusing in the chuckle department. I will not be seeing this film again (at least I hope not): 2/5 Stars. Seriously, the Riff Trax made this movie tolerable for me.

Oh! I forgot Captain America! How could one forget Captain America?

Silver Linings Playbook

I've taken several days to really think this through. I enjoyed Silver Linings Playbook, mostly because the actors were convincing. Basically, there isn't a sane person on screen, so it's funny, sad, heartwarming, and heartbreaking, all at the same time. Where the film falls short for me is length and would I want to watch this again? Yeah, probably... but it did feel a bit long. Approaching this movie I was expecting something a little more light-hearted or humorous. I found bits funny, but there is a clear seriousness to the film. 4/5 Stars.

Towns of Paper... or something

I'm encouraged to start reading more of Mr. John Green since I loved The Fault in Our Stars so much. Paper Towns was a bit of a miss for me. I wasn't such a fan of the characters, except for the spunky, clearly out-of-her-mind, Margo Roth Spiegelman. Though she's absent a nice chunk of the novel as her old high school comrades go on a manhunt for her through a series of clues which she left behind. One may think that her parents would have had her institutionalized after the first dozen times she ran away from home, but now that she's a "responsible adult" (not even out of high school), she's free to do whatever she wants. No need to file a Missing Persons report or anything. 3/5 Stars.

Slumdog Millionaire

Netflix said I would "totally love this movie". It didn't say it in those words, but I figure that's what they meant by the projected 4.5 star estimate. I'm giving it a 3/5... I want to give it a 2.75, so I'm upping the score to a 3. I don't know what the appeal was for this film. It just didn't click for me. Slumdog Millionaire is coined as a "feel good" movie, but I spent most of my viewing time feeling sorry for everyone. Even the finale was a bit too much.

Tree of Codes

Tree of Codes ends with notes from Jonathan Safran Foer pointing out reasons behind making a die-cut book. I feel this should have been in the front of the book. I don't think this would have given anything away (I've never read The Street of Crocodiles, so I'm not so sure if it aids to the "story"). By "story" I mean Tree of Codes is more of a long poem than a novel. Lovely and intriguing, but honestly forgettable. 3/5 Stars.

In which I read Naked

I read Naked... by David Sedaris. I enjoyed it, more-so in the last few short stories, but sure I liked the book. Honestly don't have much more to say about this book. I felt a little let down just because I was expecting a gut-buster, or at least one story which made me laugh so hard I began to suspect I could be incontinent. Nope. 3/5 Stars.

The Triplets of Belleville

Here we have a crossbreed of the detail and quirkiness of a Hayao Miyazaki animation, (think Spirited Away or My Neighbor Totoro,) with an old-fashioned Mickey Mouse flick, and a dash of Pixar. Also it turned out French... but with little to no dialog. I figured, Netflix seems to think I'll like this movie, and I'm in the mood for an animation! I highly recommend The Triplets of Belleville, especially if you're in animation. This is silly, serious, exciting, hilarious, bizarre... everything. This is also a cute Paris verse New York comparison. I wouldn't recommend this for younger kids... maybe 11 or 12 and up: 5/5 stars. This film does require your full attention. I made the mistake of trying to work on some illustrations while attempting to watch. The movie viewing experience won.

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece

A purely innocent yet realistic outlook. My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece should be read for Jamie's voice alone. The title alone is a little off-putting, which I was personally drawn to to tickle my morbid tastebuds. Don't let the title trick you; Annabel Pitcher's prose is just quiet enough to handle the delicacy of a deceased sibling/daughter. The logic and comprehension of a 10 year-old reads as authentic.

I'm a tiny-bit cross about this novel - it's "young adult" themed, though flat-out expressed through a middle grade voice. It's hard to place a novel of this nature. I felt the same way while reading Jo Knowles' See You At Harry's. The Tragedy of My Sister Live on the Mantelpiece is offset by Jamie's passive and simpler attitude/maturity level. I recall Fern being slightly older, though she is clearly more mature, mentally.

Jamie's parents were distraught to the point where they were no longer parents. To me this lack of parental/emotional support felt grounded, but incredibly depressing. Whenever his father would peek out from his bottle, I would think how would I have gotten through this? I most certainly would have shriveled up, or needed a significant amount of counseling, but that's just how I couldn't relate to Jamie. 4/5 stars.

Welcome to Mississippi

Happy Accident: reading two books at the same time, nestled in the same (hot, sweltering, I-never-want-to-go-there,) setting. I'm not going to compare The Adventures of Tom Sawyer to The Help, but I bring them up together just for one specific point: change/lack-there-of. In the approximate 100 year difference between these two fictional settings, there "ani't hardly no change" to some of the dialog. What I found so off-putting about some of the reviews for The Help, was that people simply didn't like it because the dialog "didn't sound authentic". This is after ignoring the fact that the novel was based on some true events and hearsay from Stockett's experience.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer I could swear up and down I had read in high school, but I remember non of that! I was creeped out... more often then I want to admit. If Tom were around today, he would be heavily medicated, probably spending hours in front of his Xbox playing the most violent games available. He's a pain, but a lovable pain, so I gave Twain a 4/5 stars.

Now The Help was even more interested in. I saw the movie earlier this year. I can say the film nearly follows the novel down to the details! There were a couple scenes omitted... I'm sure for pacing. I lied when I said I didn't really want to see the movie again... I'm actually dying to see the movie again right now! The novel is so vivid, I was so tempted on multiple occasions just to run out and rent the DVD again. Yes, the book is better because I felt much closer to the characters, but if no, don't skip on the film: 5/5 stars.

I walk away from these two novels with a temporary Sooouthern accent, and less desire to visit Mississippi (if I ever had any). The trip was alright, I do plan to revisit Mark Twain's world of Tom and Huck some time in the new year. And yeah, I'll have to re-watch The Help sometime soon as well.

Something about music

The thrill of the mystery swept me into the novel The Lola Quartet. It's really interesting that the simplest thing can set off so many people's internal alarms. I loved the mystery and the quiet unraveling of events, but I was completely thrown by the abrupt ending to the climax. I wanted to see things get worse for everyone, before things got better. There wasn't a single innocent character in the bunch (well, except maybe Chloe,) and I'd hoped for a little more exciting ending. So I'm leaving this novel a little disappointed: 3/5 stars.

Pi in 3D

"Very pretty," is what I took from the film version of Life of Pi. I was impressed with the quality of the 3D effects, and I was please with the tasteful handling of some of the more graphic incidences. Unfortunately, the film on it's own doesn't leave a lasting impression that one would get from reading the novel, which is a pity.

My sister joined me to see this movie; she had not read the novel, so lucky for her, she could experience the drama with virgin eyes. After viewing the film, I doubt she'd want to tackle the book format. "It's LONG" was her main comment. There was also a sigh, and she said she didn't understand where the movie was going about half-way through. Then we both trail off and start making comments and questions with reference to Richard Parker. "Where are you Richard Parker?" and "Where do you want to go now, Richard Parker?" and "RICHARD PARKER!"

Though the movie does follow the novel quiet closely, (of course cutting out some of the less colorful moments at sea,) the film is missing that existential experience. As it stands, Life of Pi is far from a short film, and I walked away feeling exhausted and barely amused. The 3D experience was nice in the beginning of the movie, but the 3D-ness is only obvious in a couple points throughout the remaining film. That seems to be the gimmicky trend in all of Hollywood, and would someone please make it stop? The film is well done, imagery-wise, but it somehow misses that feeling of enlightenment which makes the experience of this particular story necessary. 3/5 Stars.

The Book Thief

Sidebar: Considering my numerous quote and book information searches, one would think that I would have no problem spelling the word T-H-I-E-F by now. It's hit-or-miss. The Book Thief itself is a wicked hit. Highly, highly, highly recommended.

My hope is that this novel will catch on with schools, and begin reading this along side Alicia: My Story and Anne Frank's A Diary of a Young Girl. I have to confess I've never read Anne Frank's Diary. (It just never came up in our school's curriculum). It was even discussed in John Green's The Fault In Our Stars, so I feel like I'm missing out on something there. Though Alicia and Anne's stories are memoirs, Markus Zusak's novel feels so authentic, it should not be passed up. It has love, pain, humor, tragedy... what more do you need?

I think this is a novel that's still making it's way through everyone's reading lists. The novel itself, (unless purchased... or stolen,) is nearly impossible to get your into your lap. I really wanted to read it, so I was cornered into the audio-version. If it weren't due back at the library, I would have just started all over for a second run - it's really that entertaining! So much so, that I've taken to calling family and close co-workers Saumensch (F)/Saukerl (M); an insult from German loosely translated to the word "pig". From the context of the novel it comes off as a term of endearment. 5/5 Stars and also thanks for the new swear words!

Lost in... uh, just lost

There are a bunch of funny moments in the novel. Mostly quiet funny, but funny nonetheless. This is another one of those movies I had higher expectations for. I'm pretty sure the majority of the funny point of the film are glamorized in the film trailer. Now the soundtrack I taken aback by... very good sound surrounding this film:

I think that I would re-watch this movie/give it a second go-around if someone were wanting to watch it for a first time. I enjoyed it, but it's very quiet. I was expecting a gut-buster. 3/5 Stars.

Teenagers I actually liked

Here's a novel I think may be destined to be a classic. I'm stepping away from this novel feeling the same way I felt after reading Catcher in the Rye. For me, you cannot ask for better teenage characters in a novel revolving around teens. Maybe they are a little too mature for their age, but they just have the best personalities. The Fault In Our Stars is and is not a cancer book. It is at times a tear-jerker. I can only describe it as witty, realistic and honest.

This is my first novel read from the John Green collection. I will peruse other novels in the future. 5/5 Stars.

In which we go on a literary drug trip

To start, I would like to paraphrase the first chapter:

The Green Wind bursts into September's bedroom and says "would you like to go to Fairyland, little girl?!" To which September shrugs and says "Sure!" She jumps onto the Wind's Green Leopard and out the window they fly (minus one of September's shoes). The following chapter progresses with the Green Wind reciting the "Do's" and "Don't"'s of Fairyland.

Again, just paraphrasing, but yeah - this novel is pretty trippy! Valente's novel is easily compared to the works of Lewis Carroll, in that "did I eat some psychedelic mushrooms before my read'n time?" way. For me, this novel was very slow going in the beginning. It took me several weeks, in fact, to get through the first few chapters because it was really that odd and thick with weirdness. Once September and A-Through-L officially get into Fairyland I was hooked (yeah, that's the "dragon's" name.... but that's not a dragon, he's a Wyvern. Yep! Learn something new every time I picked up this book!)

This novel is... something else! I can hardly wait to keep progressing into Fairyland with the next book in the series. I'm also curious about Catherynne Valente's other works. 4/5 Stars.

Nick and Norah

I was lured in by the supposed Infinite Playlist. Adorable, funny and yes, a good playlist. I'm actually surprised I've never seen this movie up until now. Cute is the word for it, but it is riddle with obnoxious teenagers with no curfews, no issues with "carding", and an unlimited tolerance for travel. So did Nick's band finally decide on a band name? I would probably watch this movie again, if not just for a listen, but it wasn't a big winner for me. The obvious target audience is my junior: teens, maybe early twenties. 3/5 Stars.

I could pretend I never saw this....

But then it wouldn't count towards my 50/50 Leisure Challenge. So I'll confess, I was hoping for a cute, witty, dark romantic comedy. It was long winded somehow. I was bored throughout. Sadly, there's a LOT of silly/humorous directions this movie could have gone in, but they just died... or perhaps they committed suicide? Hah... Nah, Damsels in Distress is lacking. I would not bother again: 2/5 Stars. On paper this sounds like a movie I would get a kick out of, but it fell very short.

When does the world end again?

I felt it was only appropriate to watch this movie before the "world ends". Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a mixture of cute, creepy, and whimsy, with a dash of obvious morbidity. Sad, but honest. I enjoyed this movie very much, as well as it's soundtrack. 4/5 Stars.

Stop picking on Rowling

I was forewarned into going into The Casual Vacancy, that J.K. Rowling's novel was "uninspired" even though she's been quoted by stating that this is the novel she just had to get out. This novel is for fiction-fiction readers only. If you find yourself favoring Romance, Sci-Fi, Horror... really any other genre, don't waste your time.

I have to say that I really liked this book! Rowling is perfect for character development. Every person sculpted from this novel is both loved and hated at some point. What's funny is that the entire novel revolves around a deceased man, whom the reader is never meets outside of the first chapter.

If you expect to pick this from your library anytime soon, you're most likely going to have to wait a while. When I got my hands on The Casual Vacancy, there was an 8-month wait list. The audio book format had a much shorter hold list, so I listened to the cd's in my car. To my American ear, this did make the book feel whimsical and light-hearted at first, but I got over that by disk 3 or 4. The novel is dark, revolving around gossip, local politics, drug abuse, and some other shady topics. I only recommend this to readers who genuinely enjoy ordinary people, having ordinary fiction lives. 4/5 Stars.

Wait... WHERE is Bernadette?

Oh Bernadette! You're awesome, but misunderstood. And funny. Yeah, you're funny.

For a novel that's written almost exclusively through written communications between characters (i.e. fax, letters, invoices, emails, texts, articles,) I got a concrete sense of the personalities of every character in the novel. The confrontation (via transcripts) of Bernadette's "intervention" was one of the highlights of this novel for me.

Things I didn't like so much: The finale, (in fact I think I've forgotten how it ended,) and Bee's sudden personality change once she went off to boarding school. Everything else made the novel worth the long wait list at the library: 4/5 Stars.

Finally a little Wes Anderson

I'm a Wes Anderson fan. The quirkiness of all his films delights me the way most films cannot. Religiously (by this I mean maybe twice a year,) I revisit The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. Favorites! Both of these films in particular I sat back and watched and thought "I like this movie!" I was hooked on the second viewing.

I can already see Moonrise Kingdom being added to the list. It's currently gauging a 4/5 on my star rating, but I foresee this movie being added to my favorites list. To be honest, it's already creeping its way into there. I can hardly wait to re-watch this film:

Dark Funnies...

Oh, come on! Tell me you didn't laugh at the BALLS Scene, too:

Of course I have a terrible sense of humor... but at the time of this rental, I was most certainly looking for something that would make me "ha-ha". What pains me most about Dark Shadows is that we can easily expect a sequel. Oh yeah... more balls! I like Johnny Depp and all too, but this is obviously not one of his greatest achievements. This wasn't the split-the-gut sort of humor I was expecting, but every now and then a good zinger comes through. 

It's worth at least a single watching, but yes, the film isn't GRAND. My original reaction after watching this movie was a solid 2, but the memories festered, and it was bumped up in rankings. I wouldn't be surprised if this movie crept into my personal DVD collection. If it helps, get a little tipsy before watching, you should have a blast! 3/5 stars.

People Like Us

I think I had higher expectations of People Like Us. Honestly, I can't tell you now what I was hoping to see, but this movie was most certainly on my WATCH list. The premise of the film is good... interesting. It's also kinda creepy because Sam is essentially flirting with his half sister through a nice chunk of the movie. I think what I found so off-putting is Sam himself. The beginning of the film feels rushed and throughout the entire film, we're stuck following around this scumbag.

There are a bunch of pros to this film:

1. The treatment of the camera is great (kudos Mr. Kurtzman).
2. I have no idea what the actor's name is... but the kid. He's witty while still punchable.
3. Elizabeth Banks
4. Michelle Pfeiffer (although I don't think she appears to be old enough to pull off being Chris Pine's Mother!
5. The ending made me clutch my heart and say "AWwwwWWW!

If asked, sure I'd watch this film again, but it's really one of those watch it once and I'm good to go movies. 3/5 Stars.

Speaking of funny....

I'm really fascinated with memoirs of comedians. Let's Pretend this Never Happened by the Bloggess herself, Jenny Lawson. I wasn't a fan of The Bloggess before reading her memoir, but I've been keeping up with her posts and Twitter feed since finishing her book.

I have to admit that it took me a while to really get into. The humor was feeling forced, but I rode through it. Jenny loosened up, and delivered an incredibly comical story of growing up with an eccentric father, obsession with taxidermy, living with a social anxiety disorder.... among other ailments. I was won-over by the chapter "Jenkins, you Motherfucker"... nearly wet my pants!

There are a couple heart-breaking chapters which truly humanizes the comedienne. I identify with her morbid sense of humor and thought-randomness. I've passed the book onto my mother, but I'm not so sure she'll be able to get past all the cursing. There is a lot of cursing, you Motherfuckers! 5/5 stars.

Expect humor and sadness

Limited interest in every other movie rental option brought me to this newbie film: What to Expect When You're Expecting. It's alright. Some of the humor of the movie just completely fell flat, and then there are moments when you just cry "Oh! Poor Anna Kendrick!" The brightest and most hilarious points usually Rebel Wilson as Janice.

This movie is enjoyable, and sometimes split-your-gut funny. This didn't strike me as a movie I'd want to watch over and over again, but it's most certainly worth a watch. I didn't expect liking it as much as I did. Cute and funny, but not GRAND: 3/5 stars.

Bossypants

The only real qualm I have about Bossypants, is that I want MORE. Tina Fey's autobiography is quite short, but not lacking!

As a young female, I identify with Tina's life story, though I don't think my personal life story would be quite as witty or interesting. The other difference being that I too (a nobody) am slowly, but surely trying to write a memoir, it is 100% about my scar. Fey may never divulge in her scar story, and why should she? That's not what her life is about. Bossypants is about Fey's (hilarious) climb to her celebrity status. It's about taking charge. It's also about being a new feminist: elegant with a spit of humor and attitude.

What's in her bio is awesome! I also listened to the audio-format for this book and I think more people should hear the way Tina says the word "awesome". That too is AWESOME. What holds me back from absolutely loving Bossypants is the need for more content. I walk away from this book thinking I want to hear more about Tina Fey. 4/5 Stars.

The life of tolerance

Potential film interest lead me to read the novel before hand... well, not so much READ as "digest" again, via cd's while I tore through my bedroom assembling pieces for my illustration portfolio. I would pass this book on the table at Barnes and Nobles, marked as a "Must Read". You've passed it too - it's sitting on that table year-round. I thought it was a lot of hype, as a lot of people approaching the text. Upon reading reviews of this novel, many say "Believe in the hype!" this note is true.

This isn't a novel for the weak stomach. The Life of Pi is incredibly stunning while also very graphic (blood and gore-wise). This is also another Elegance of the Hedgehog style philosophical read. There's a LOT more visually stunning narrative in Martel's book, as opposed to Barbery's novel. One can't compare the philosophy and religious tones of Life of Pi to Elegance of the Hedgehog, but I can't help but point out that they are both rich with existential content. That's really all the two books share in common, so I'll end that thought here. (If one is considering a comparative essay, it would be easy to compare and contrast the workings of God, or caste systems of France & India, or even survival tactics.... just some ideas.)

Though about 70%-75% of Life of Pi exists adrift the Pacific Ocean, Martel's novel is hardly quiet or lacking in colorful activity. Before Piscine is stranded on the life boat, he has an incredibly rich growth through religion... or rather Religions. From the very start I was swimming in the theme of tolerance. Piscine's experience pushing the thought: We are all the same; we are of the same God. "Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything, are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat wearing Muslims."

That's what I take with me from Life of Pi: We are all struggling to survive as people and animals. Though we be different, it is all the same struggle. Whether you're a hyena, injured zebra, or a petrified young man, we're all in this together. 5/5 Stars - Read this! Also, I highly recommend as the audio-book format, as this is one of the best I've crossed.

Poetry for your soul

The One and Only Ivan is just plain beautiful! I can't stress enough how much I enjoyed reading this book. 5/5 stars! Just watch the book trailer - I was hooked from the start too:

A metaphor for bravery?

On the flip side of my novel reads, I've been dabbling in the Young Adult and Middle Grade sections here and there. I read See You At Harry's out of curiosity since this was one of THE books pegged to read this year, by everyone I seem to follow on Twitter. Also, I will be attending a Writer's Workshop later this month, in which Jo Knowles is one of the keynote speakers. I try to read up on future panels whenever I can.

Anyhow, Jumping Off Swings was a hit and miss for me, thus the reason for my 3-star rating. I love Jo's writing. She touches the reader just right, but felt there was something missing in the characters. Walking away from this book, I keep thinking "I want to know more". This is a YA novel about teen pregnancy. It's about just going for it. It's also about making me weep in the end (again)!

I Tweeted to Jo directly that her book made me cry, and she responded back with an apology. I honestly don't know if I meant that in a good way or not. The conclusion to the novel is not how I personally would have proceeded with a pregnancy as a teen. I think that's what struck me and I think that's what an actual teen reading this novel would really think about. This is a perfect example of a book which could be used as text in Sex Ed classrooms. You hand this off to 14 year old girl, she'll think deeply about her options.

Good-bye Batman!

"Hello" to the end of the Christopher Nolan series. It's a tough departure, but I honestly don't think I'll miss the franchise. Oh wait... I'm sure someone else has a Batman series in re-make mode at this point, because that's how Hollywood works these days, eh?

Reflecting on this movie today, I would rate The Dark Knight Rises about a 3, but my mind has been muddled with parody impressions of the film, so to be fair I give you my initial reaction. (This is tough to reflect on now, since I saw it opening/2nd weekend. It's my own fault for not addressing the movie sooner!) 4/5 Stars deserved for the well executed finale to the series. By this I mean that all ends were neatly tied together in a tight little bow. I do not crave more Batman, especially if I have to sit through another 2.5 hours of it.

TED!!

The teddybear... not the conference series.

Am I rating this film too harshly? Nah! If you've seen any number of Family Guy episodes, you've pretty much got the premiss of this movie. Ted is simple film about a boy growing up with his fallen-star talking teddybear/best friend. The movie is about their misadventures with weed and relationships.

Ted is hilarious, don't get me wrong... for the right toilet-humor loving viewer. Cleverly done, but I doubt I'll see this movie again any time soon: 3/5 stars.

When You Are Engulfed In Flames

So what DOES happen When You Are Engulfed in Flames? You get a dark-humor collection of short stories!

Not my favorite Sedaris collection, but I think that's what everyone says when they read this. I do recommend it, and it's featured some of my favorite shorts, for example "Buddy Can you Spare a Tie?", which a specific accessory is discussed on the David Letterman:

Overall 4/5 stars for the writing. Just to be forewarned this is a very morbid collection of stories. Though humorous, the overall tone is quite serious.

Please, no more Young Adult

I had high expectations before watching Young Adult. I mean, how can you go wrong with Charlize Theron? No criticism for the acting - that was well done, but I just couldn't find myself interested in the movie. What really sticks out for me is that we're forced to reconnect with people from a past (we) have no knowledge of; no concrete back story is revealed, other than what's told through the course of the film. It's hard to empathize with Mavis, which I suppose is the point.

In a way it's kinda nice that we're tagging along with someone who's never going to come out as a hero, but it's mostly depressing. Everyone grew up, then Mavis decides one day to back-track just because her old ex-boyfriend just had a baby. (Somehow she takes this as a signal that he wants her back in his life.) So she returns to her hometown and becomes the same self-absorbed person she was in high school. It's a sad train wreck, with occasional chuckles: 3/5 stars.

Salmon Fishing In Yemen

I got to watch this movie with my sister one evening, and my take away feeling was just that the movie was cute. I both liked and loathed the ending because it's really a film about adapting to your new environment, and trying something no matter how far-fetched the idea may be. Also there's a sorta-love story, which I felt muddied up the atmosphere of the film.

Salmon Fishing In Yemen? Yep! It's got Emily Blunt AND Ewan McGregor... awesome! But I didn't care for their back-and-forth so much, so it gets a meh: 3/5 stars.

Restless... I guess

Cute movie!

But I've taken a lot of time to think about Restless, since I saw it like... two-and-a-half months ago. Back then I was rating this film about a four, but I punched it down a notch thinking "Do I really want to see this again?" Meh!

I'd most certainly watch it for it's cuteness and close resemblance to Harold and Maude, or if someone wanted to see it with me, but I wouldn't run out and buy the film. (I would love that poster though... It has that perfect blend of morbidity and sweetness that I crave!) 3/5 Stars.

See you when you stop CRYING

Jo Knowles knows how to make me weep! From page... maybe 150, on through the end, I had to read See You At Harry's through tears. BIG tears! The fat ones that blur your vision.

Knowles strikes the reader down with grief, living with guilt/perceived fault, and also managed to squeeze in a coming out story. This novel is powerful and (obviously) heart-breaking. Across the board other reviewers keep saying how this is every parents' worst nightmare and they don't recommend it to parents, but I think that's wrong. Though, I too don't want my own mother reading this book, I wouldn't keep her from it per-sey. As tragic as this story is, it's also a wakeup call and a reminder about how precious life is. I wouldn't want to deny someone of that feeling - please read: 5/5 stars.

Look At Me

My previous review of Jennifer Egan's work was less than stellar. When I read A Visit From The Goon Squad, I knew deep down I'd have to revisit Egan's work. Honestly didn't think I'd read another one of her novels this year, but I was rewarded.

And how... I LOVE this novel! This is a brilliant work about identity and rebuilding your character. The book as two contrasting voices from characters baring the same name. The lives of the two Charlottes are knitted together in more ways than one. Look At Me came highly recommended to me and now I'm passing along the recommendation: 5/5 Stars.

Life Before Man

*Chuckles* My original (accidental) post title was called "Life Before Mad". Doesn't make much sense even regarding this book... There was very little emotion held to me. There were a few things I just couldn't get over, which is why I ultimately gave this book a two:

1. I'm puzzled by the need for Parts... 5 of them? There wasn't really any change in theme or anything.
2. So this was the thought of a "Modern Marriage" from the mid-late 1970's? Blug! Just an open relationship in which we (the reader) grow to (kinda) sympathize with the Home-Wrecker.
3. Speaking of the Home-Wrecker, non of the character were very likable. (I even grew to dislike Lesje... the least bitter character.) Or I just learned to hate or become board with the lot of them.
4. Character Chris (he off'ed himself BEFORE the start of the book,) is mentioned a lot, but at the same time is underdeveloped and comes off as less than a ghost.
5. A whole-lot of nothing occurs.

But you know, Atwood's writing IS good. It just wasn't enough to pull me through this novel any quicker. The ending was "meh," and I just struggled throughout to commit to the story. So I was bored and cared very little for this (what I guess you'd consider) love triangle. 2/5 Stars.

More Heart-Break

In the same jumble of movies, I picked up In the Land of Blood and Honey and Sarah's Key. I flirted with the idea of reading Sarah's Key, but there is was sitting on the shelf, waiting for me to rent it. I'd seen the trailer (below) for the movie and thought, "yeah I think I'll like this". I knew it would be tragic, but unlike Jolie's film, this one ends on strong ray of hope. What these movies have in common is the wrenching need to escape to freedom.

This movie is about a little girl's journey to rescue her brother from a secret locked compartment in their former apartment. There are a lot of movies about escaping from concentration camps but this one does stand out against the others: this films focus on discovery, and the puzzle of one's lineage are intriguing. 4/5 Stars.

In the Land of Blood and Honey

Horrifying, but still a must-view film. I knew very little about the Bosnian War. It's with Angelina Jolie's intention to draw light to the horror, all the while blending it into a "Romance". This isn't a lovely film, in fact the ending is very striking and heart-breaking.

Though I liked In The Land of Blood and Honey, I would not want to sit through it again. It most certainly needs to be viewed, but it's powerful, so watch out: 4/5 Stars.

No HELP in the world....

I never watched a trailer for this movie, which I regret... maybe. I bet I would have watched it anyway. There was very little sparking my interest at the rental shop, and for a 3/$10 deal, I had to grab something. Jenna Fischer's in it.... The end.

I had a lot of hope for A Little Help. Honestly, I can't remember the ending.... it was that exciting. Boring is the only word to describe this movie. 1/5 Stars... Sorry Jenna!

Apologies

I think I should apologize for the lack of posts. Though I haven't been VOCAL about my recent reads and viewings, I have been trying to keep up with the challenge. To be fair, I think the film side of my 50/50 is going to be a tough promise to push through. I said in the beginning of the challenge that I had my doubts, and honestly, I still do.

According to my Goodreads counter, I'm 5 books behind on my challenge... of course this is after taking a 1 month break from concrete reading. I'm confident that I can catch up with the reading portion of my challenge, but I am worried about viewing that many movies. I am much more committed to the book-reading portion of my challenge which is why I'm so far behind on movie-watchings. After my count, I've watched 22 films so far this year. Ooops! Actually, that number seems kind of high to me; may need a re-count.

So we're back to reading and watching. Whoo! My "leisure" challenge is a lot of work! ;-)

I have SPOKEN!

Earlier this year I watched (blegh) and reviewed What's Your Number. I'd like to point out that I have down-graded this movie from it's 2-Star Status to a 1-Star. Over time, the memory of this movie has popped up a few times... all times annoying.

I REGRET watching this movie! I honestly thought it would be funny, but I was wrong. It bothered me so much, that when I did in fact see a movie I considered a 2/5, I realized I was mistaken. I think I was rating the film a little to easily. I probably felt sorry for it.... or something.

No more - it's a One!

My darkest moment

I known the novel form of The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, but I've been tentative about reading it. From what I've heard it didn't translate well and can be quite confusing. Still kind of tempted... I mean it is floating around my bedroom somewhere. Considering how graphic the film was, (and this is the American version,) past experience with book-to-film pieces tells me the novel would be harder for me to digest.

I couldn't classify this as a horror, but it's very dark. You're dealing with a mystery which has rape and graphic murders smashed all together, so it's not the most desirable film for viewing. The length feels exaggerated by the complexity of the mystery. When it all comes close to the end, I didn't really want it to end, but at the same time I thought: "Whoa! Long movie!" And then I settled into bed and had a very difficult time sleeping that night.

Rating this movie for me is tough. I wouldn't want to watch it again, but I'm kinda hooked so I'd like to continue on with the series and see where this goes. The movie is worth a watch and it was very well executed, so I feel that I can't punish it for it's scary moments: 4/5 stars.

The OTHER Lady of Iron

By "Other" Iron Lady, I mean not the Statue of Liberty!

Settling into this bio pic, I knew next to nothing about Margaret Thatcher. Thank God for Wikipedia at my fingertips during the first bit of the film! Honestly desired to see this film more-so for the sake that Meryl Streep finally pinned Best Actress for her role. She did not disappoint.

I'm not British, nor was I "up" on current affairs while Thatcher was active, so I have an unbiased point-of-view of this film. She comes off as strong but delicate, eager while overwhelming, brilliant but stubborn. The film itself is very interesting and I have to say "kudos" to the reflective nature of the film. I enjoyed it very much: 4/5 Stars.

...And a Bad Movie

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot floating about the new releases. I even settled on watching Bad Teacher just to kill time and get some of my challenge accomplished. What watching this film accomplished: It murdered my time and made me care very little for Cameron Diaz. It does, however, point out precisely what is wrong with some school districts.

Yes, I know! It's my own fault for settling! Can't blame the film I did get like a chuckle in there (I think). 2/5 Stars

RE: Surfacing

The description of this novel read as "Part detective, part psychological thriller..." I was psychologically on the edge through the majority of the text. Something about being alone on an Island... with your three other friends... and you have no name. I felt vulnerable. ME. Creeped out! I half expected a bear to pop out of nowhere and slaughter everyone. Or Miss No-Name's father would turn up while everyone was playing bridge or gutting fish, and gun everyone down. BrrrrRRRrrrR!

Non of these things happened. There was a lot of awkward silence, sun-bathing, detective novel reading, canoeing, fishing (or lack-there-of,) and Anti-American ("Yankee") notions. Since I was such a fan of the writing, (and who would't love Atwood?) I'm progressing onto Life Before Man. On the dust jacket of this next read, the text points out that Atwood continues on with her gender role bending writing, which wasn't something I noticed in Surfacing until I read this comment. Other than an occasional slip of the word "groovy," its easy to forget that this novel was written in the 70's. Women's suffrage is ever-evolving, so nothing struck me as "out of the ordinary" about the protagonist's wilderness skills, life goals or attitude. I now see what I had missed during my reading experience and I just know I would have had a different outlook on this novel had I read it in the 1970's or early 80's (yes pre-dating my birth!) verses reading now in 2012.

I didn't think the book felt dated. I kind of reminded me of traveling to my hometown in Maine. The novel is relatable, even with the lack of technology. I connected with the protagonist, even though I never even knew her name. What I found so off-putting was something that probably could have been worked out through spacing, or the use of dig-bats: there were moments when the placement in time was difficult to decipher. The protagonist reminisced (often,) but the text just meshed together as one, so it could be difficult to place what was happening "now" and in memory. 3/5 stars.

A Philosophical Detour

I'm going to say I had the pleasure of reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery. Be forewarned (and this is also the reason for my scoring,) that this novel is thick with philosophy and not so much a plot-driven book. It. Is. Dry... at times. This is essentially what you get when a philosopher consciously decides to write a novel about the preciousness/lack-there-of qualities of life. The novel exists to provoke thought, and that it does well.

Listed as one of the 1,001 books to read before you die, I liked the premise of the novel and thought, "hey I'll like this!" I do, but it's most certainly one of the toughest books I had to wade through for the sake of personal enlightenment. The best excuse I could have for picking this book up at this time, is that I wanted to participate in a book club discussion on GoodReads... and I happen to own a copy of the novel. The better half of the group's discussion is an opinion pole on whether or not the book is classified as "pretentious". It's philosophical - the end.

At first I too rolled my eyes at the "Profound Thoughts" of a 12-year-old girl, but I got over that when I actually found Paloma relatable and struck by some of her notions. Renee was a much easier character to digest from the get-go, but every now and then, her tangents would put me to sleep. It's actually the overwhelming nature of the THOUGHTS that I ended up rating this novel a 3/5. I loved the ending, but I hardly see this as a novel I would want to pick up again and again.

France & Food Porn

Be forewarned: bits of Julia Child's bio are a little pornographic... food-wise. Another way to put it: DO NOT READ if you are on a strict diet. This isn't just a story about Julia's love for France, it's her life as told through food.

This was a tough book to get through because you have to stop and smell the bouillabaisse, and crudités, and boeuf bourguignon. Oh, great! I'm hungry again. Though My Life In France was incomplete upon Julia's passing, her voice is so authentic, one would hardly guess it was actually completed by her grandnephew. Julia's animated personality rings true from page to page, and at times a little much to digest.

Her life is far from boring, even though she drones on about politics frequently, as her husband was very active with the government while they thrived in France. Julia has a passion for France/the French that cannot be met by anyone I've ever met. There's a lot of "Frenchness" in my heritage, so I learned a lot through Julia, about myself in relation to food. I now know I can blame my chronic hunger on my genetic roots.

Julia's story is lovely and sweet, so I do recommend this for anyone interested in biographic reads. Enjoyable enough, though my frequent pauses pushed my interest in and out. 3/5 Stars.

Parody Films Count

I'm not going to sit here and admit that I sat through Breaking Dawn without laughing. I cheated, and watched this with RiffTrax commentary because I read the novel and I wasn't all that interested in watching the film itself. For my Memorial Day weekend I was in need of a little pick-me-up and this hit all the right funny notes!

If you like gushy love stories, then I do suggest this to you... without the snarky commentary. If if you love snarky commentary, I HIGHLY recommend this to you as I watched it. The pacing of the actors' lines are broken up so much that the comments are neatly nestled into the film as it rolls. The movie itself, I would give a 2/5... it's boring (to me,) and there was just a whole-lot of nothing going on. The funny part of me gives it a 4/5 - with parody commentary, it's a classic I'll watch again for giggles. And for archiving sake: 3/4 Stars.

The end of a series

This is a double-book review double-whammy. Within a week and a half I polished off Catching Fire and Mockingjay, which is what I'm calling the grand finale to my sudden interest in Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games world. The books are rated differently. As the reader, there are people and events you root for, but in the end, I'm also glad Collins didn't fall into clichés or take the stories on predictable paths. Read well. Written well. The end.

Upon single book-by-book reviews: Catching Fire gets 4/5 stars for the addictive qualities of the plot and drive. The best term to use here: it's a page-turner. It was a tough book for me to put down every evening. I found myself constantly fighting off fatigue just so that I could get through the next chapter... and then the next! What I applaud Collins for doing in this novel, is that she didn't fall into a "now everyone just work together"during the Quarter Quells. I wanted it, but at the same time, you think that would be too boring or logical. The story rides on conflict and removing that battle for life would have really flat-lined the series. As much as I said I didn't care for Katniss in the first book of the series, I felt for her more here.

Katniss lost me as the Mockingjay. In contrast to the light and airy feeling of the cover, this book was very violent and depressing. At times a bit "trippy", the novel reads as a giant nightmare. I was a bit disappointed in the ending of the novel and there were very few likable characters. The whole love-triangle completely flat-lined. The only hint of there still being any emotional attachment within Peeta, Katniss or Gale was towards the end of the novel. Even then it sounded more like a choice Katniss had to make, as she overheard Peeta and Gale chatting during very Twilight-esque scene in hiding. If there were to be a fourth novel in the series, it would be about Katniss's struggle against PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). This book receives 3/5 stars from me.

To rate the series as a whole, I would push closer to a 3 than a 4, but a 3.5 nonetheless. The ending leaves a very lasting impression on the reader (at least it does on me). Though it ends on a note of hope, it is still a very depressing series which makes it difficult to reflect on all the good that was within it.