It Happened One Night, 1934
Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert were flawless in this slapstick romantic comedy. She, a spoiled heiress, and he, a reporter on the story, match wits and sparks fly. It won 5 Oscars (Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Writing) and is well worth checking out. One of my all time faves.
Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati
This is a must read for fans of Diana Gabaldon, or for those who love epic tales of adventure and romance. Elizabeth Cameron sails to New York in the late 1700’s to join her father; judge of a small mountain village called Paradise. It chronicles her journey from genteel England, to the rough laws and harsh prejudice of the New World. Paradise is full of unique characters, rife with hostility toward the Mohawk living on Lake in the Clouds. Elizabeth comes to be a teacher, but her father has other plans for her. To secure his own wealth, Elizabeth’s father intends for her to marry Richard Todd, the wealthiest man in Paradise. Instead, Elizabeth falls in love with Nathaniel from Lake in the Clouds.
Ian McKellen
His recurring roles of Magneto in the X-Men films and Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies have cemented him as the go-to guy for complex characters. He is fun to watch, even if he’s being bad. Do you have a favorite of his outside of these roles? I admit I’m not as familiar with his other movies as I should be.
Isabel Allende
I read her first book, The House of Spirits, and loved it. This 1982 novel, with strong women and magical realism, put this Chilean on the map. I’ve only read one of her other novels, Daughter of Fortune, and loved it too. I want to read more. Do you have a favorite Allende book?
