Some of you already know where I am today, but if not feel free to guess. I’m starting out the day at the above location and ending the day at the below location. I have decided to be off-line for our relatively short trip, but you can come back on Tuesday for my review of Finger Lickin Fifteen. Be catching up with you later this week 🙂
Thanks to Trish for this very sweet award. She is relatively new to blogging and already proving herself an asset.
Thanks to Jenny for this wonderfully fun award! She is very sweet.
Rules:
Post 7 things you love.
Give award to 7 other bloggers who are creative.
I’ve been dieting, so I’m giving you 7 foods that I love that I have eaten very little of lately…
1. Pizza 2. Chinese food 3. Chocolate 4. Macaroni & Cheese 5. Baked ziti 6. Buffalo chicken wings with blue cheese 7. Cake
I’m passing along this Kreativ Blogger award to Fleur Fisher Reads. I love the books I find there.
And I received this Lovely award from Betty At Betty’s Books. She’s just revamped her blog, so take a look.
I’m passing this along to Iwriteinbooks. She is a recent discovery and I am loving her book reviews.
And Heather at Gofita’s Pages passed along this very cool award. I’ve just found Heather and think she has a very fun blog.
I’m passing this along to Beth Fish Reads. She’s a favorite of mine.
I really appreciate all the love from my fellow bloggers! Thank you all so much!!
1984
Cast – Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Schoeffling
Written & Directed by John Hughes
The enormously talented John Hughes died yesterday at the age of 59. He wrote and directed many of the movies that shaped my youth. At least four of his movies appear on my Top 100 list and Jason and I chose to watch one last night.
Samantha Bakes turns 16 and no one in her family remembers because they are all caught up in her sister’s upcoming wedding. Samantha is bitter and her day gets worse when she is dogged by a geek on the bus and at the school dance. She pines for the school heartthrob, Jake Ryan, and he begins to notice her too.
Why I love it – This movie is pure 80’s. The cliques, the angst, the non tech world, all work for a glimpse of the day. And the day was a lot less politically correct than it is today. It was funny to see just how much our vocabulary and awareness has changed in the 20 years since I was in high school (I cannot believe it has been 20 years!).
Molly Ringwald was wonderful in this movie. What girl hasn’t loved a boy from afar? Her vulnerability and lack of self-confidence was spot on. As hot as Jake Ryan was I always thought that she could do better. I hope she dated him, dumped him, and found a guy who appreciated her. But that’s just me.
And I have a great appreciation for Anthony Michael Hall in this role. He made us laugh every time he was on screen, which was often. King of the Dipshits, indeed. And let’s not forget Long Duck Dong and his scene stealing. Molly Ringwald was the heart of this movie and these two were the entertainment.
Here’s the short trailer for the movie. Take a few minutes and relieve high school and appreciate the genius of John Hughes.
Finished 8-4-09, rating 4/5, fiction, pub. 2007
There’s always a cost for denial. How high a cost depends largely on the importance of the truth being ignored…What I’m saying is that our actions, our choices have consequences that are sometimes impossible to predict. But when our actions and choices are based on fear and denial…well, nothing good can come of that. Ever. I had learned this the hard way. Was still learning.
Chapter 5
This is the sequel to Beautiful Lies and I think you need to read Beautiful Lies first. Not just because I always have to read books in the order they were intended, but because this book will make a whole lot more sense if you do. As a matter of fact, if you haven’t read BL, add it to your TBR list and skip this review until after you’ve read it.
Ridley Jones is back to her normal routine a year after her world fell apart. Her relationship with her parents is strained, as is life with her boyfriend Jake. She is still working as a freelance journalist in New York City, but her life takes another dramatic turn as the FBI show her photos that seem to prove that her biological father, Uncle Max, is still alive and being hunted for his crimes. Being used as bait does not sit well with Ridley and lots of bad choices are made.
I love the rambling first person narrative of Ridley. It draws me in and makes me care. Ridley is a complete mess, but one with courage and heart. She makes lots of bad choices and has questionable taste in men, but I am always rooting for her. She is wonderfully flawed.
I didn’t love this as much as I did Beautiful Lies, but it was a solidly entertaining follow up. Some of the story and inner dialogue felt a touch repetitive, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying Ridley’s journey.
Finished 7-31-09, rating 3.5/5, fiction, pub. 1979
“I see the blood, officer. But this body’s healing.”
The cops looked at one another and then moved in for a closer look at Carlos’s stomach. A large purple bruise spread across the skin, but the wound was closed.
“See?” said the examining paremedic. “Nothing.”
The team leader looked at Joseph, who stared blankly at Carlos. “You saw it! Tell them!”
“Yes, it was there when I…” Joseph stopped and the officer finished the sentence for him.
“When you put your hand on it.” The officer looked scared. He stepped back from Joseph and asked, slowly. “What’d you do anyway? What are you–some kind of magician?”
Chapter 8
Joseph Turner is a n ordinary man working construction on high-rise buildings in Manhattan. One day, while saving his friend, he falls 24 stories. Joseph walks away without a scratch much to the surprise of the onlookers on the street and he becomes a media sensation. Just as the attention starts to die down Joseph feels compelled to run into a burning building after the firemen have pulled out to rescue two children. All three are completely unharmed. Then he heals a gunshot wound and the world takes notice. Politicians and church leaders all clamor to gain the support of the cult hero and one organization takes proactive measures by kidnapping him.
I loved the premise. Who is Joseph Turner and what was happening to him? Was it real or all a dream? Joseph was a great hero – strong of heart and mind, generous, open, kind, and non-judgemental. I really wanted to know what would become of him.
But, as much as I liked the premise and first half of the book, I was equally disappointed with the rest. It became so glaringly obvious in its intent that it turned me off. It became very heavy handed and the author’s problem with religion and authority was on display.
I thought the first half was original and fresh and the perfect set-up. I was caught up in the excitement and the questions, but the second half was all over the place. It completely lost its focus with its wide range of politics, hit men, the Catholic Church, healings, betrayals, the message of personal healing. It lost the heart of Joseph’s story, which is what I cared about.
It was a good book and I gave it an extra half a point for originality. This book was loaned to me by a friend who told me I had to read it. I’m glad I did.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) . Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
The fact is, I’d rather write a book than read a book. It’s like reading, only you get paid for it. Otherwise, it has all the same elements. I don’t know what’s on the next page. It’s suspenseful, yet I can control where it goes. It’s like interactive reading. Besides, I’ve already read books. A lot of them. Well, definitely more than seven.
the funny thing is…by Ellen Degeneres, page 2
I was flipping through a few books to see what I was going to take when we go to Vail on Saturday and this one made the cut.
In the past week I’ve seen the talented Alan Rickman in two movies, playing two very different characters. This week’s quiz answers are my 9 favorite Rickman films – I’ve even listed them in the order I like them best. I’ll give you the character he played and the year it came out. Leave a comment telling me the # and the name of the movie. No Googling – that’s cheating and no fun!
1. 2001, 02, 04, 05, 07, 09 Severus Snape (also stars Maggie Smith) Harry Potter films, Betty
2. 1999 Metatron (also starred Matt Damon) Dogma, Lisa
3. 1995 Colonel Brandon (also starred Emma Thompson) Sense & Sensibility, Beth Fish Reads
4. 2003 Harry (also starred Emma Thompson) Love Actually, Mary
5. 1988 Hans Gruber (also starred Bruce Willis) Die Hard, Heather
6. 1991 Sheriff of Nottingham (also starred Kevin Costner) Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Betty
7. 1999 Alexander Dane (also starred Sigourney Weaver) Galaxy Quest, Lisa
8. 2005 Marvin (voice) (also starred Mos Def) Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Hilarie
9. 2007 Judge Terpin (also starred Johnny Depp) Sweeney Todd, Kathy
Finished 7-31-09, rating 4/5, fiction classic, pub. 1843
“Bah!” said Scrooge, “Humbug!”
He had so heated himself with rapid walking in the fog and frost. this nephew of Scrooge’s, that he was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked again.
“Christmas a humbug, uncle!” said Scrooge’s nephew. “You don’t mean that, I’m sure.”
“I do,” said Scrooge. “Merry Christmas! what right have you to be merry? what reason have you to be merry? You’re poor enough.”
“Come, then,” returned the nephew gaily. “What right have you to be morose? You’re rich enough.”
Scrooge having no better answer ready on the spur of the moment, said, “Bah!” again; and followed it up with a “Humbug.”
Stave I
Ebenezer Scrooge is synonymous with old, mean miser. He cares more about money than people and he makes no apologies for it. Then he is visited by the ghost of Marley and his world turns upside down. During that fateful Christmas Eve, he was visited by three more spirits -past, present, and future. These visions of what was, is, and may yet be leave Scrooge a changed man.
I do not know how I have made it 37 years without ever reading this slight classic novel or seeing any of the movies (if I don’t count the Jim Carrey one). Actually, I never needed to because our culture has so blended this tale into it’s Christmas fabric that we all know about Scrooge and his cautionary tale.
My husband and I read this aloud to each other over a few weeks time and while some of the language made it challenging, the Bah! Humbugs! at the beginning and the Whoops! at the end made the reading fun. It was a challenge to see who could read it with more flourish. I think Jason won.
We both really liked this book. Jason liked seeing a changed man at the end and my favorite part was Marleys’s appearance as the door knocker. It was a fun read (even in July!) and I’m glad I finally read this novel, my first experience with Dickens. I enjoyed the writing so much that I am looking forward to reading more of his books. I’ve had a few on my shelves for years, just sitting there intimidating me. No more!
Leave a comment, tell me which book you want and I’ll get the book to you for FREE either by mail or personally if I’ll see you soon. The first one to request each book wins. Once you’ve ‘won’ the book I can get your shipping address if I need it. Also, you can come back and get a free book every month if you want. 
1. Destiny Unleashed by Sherryl Woods – paperback has been read a few times. Romance. B&N review here. for Linda B
2. The Harvest by Scott Nicholson – paperback read once. Horror. B&N review here. for Alexa
3. The Essential Keats selected by Philip Levine – small hardcover, never been read. Amazon review here. for gautami
4. Strangers From a Different Shore : A History of Asian Americans by Ronald Takaki – brand new trade paperback (won it in a bundle). B&N review here. for Staci
As always, Happy Reading!
Stacy's Books 