The Sound of Music, 1965
Most of the songs that I sang to Gage when he was a babe were from this movie. During college I watch this movie to help me fall asleep (yes, I know, weird). It remains one of my all-time faves and such a comfort movie. I did not like what they did to it when they translated it to tv last December.
TIE! The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell AND The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Sparrow is a must read! This book is not only highly entertaining, but also very thought provoking. What would your reaction be if you learned that NASA had just discovered music being sung from a planet four light years away from earth? Would it shake your belief in God or make it stronger? What if you were chosen with six others to travel to this planet, knowing that by the time you returned back (if you did) those important to you would probably be dead? What if you were the only one from the mission who made it back to earth alive? Russell blows me away with her first novel.
The Secret Life of Bees, it’s 1964 in South Carolina and Lily is a fourteen year old living with her abusive dad and the knowledge that she killed her mother. All she has of her mother is a photo and a picture of a black Mary with the words Tiburon, South Carolina written on the back. When she chooses to spring her nanny, Rosaleen, from jail they hitchhike to Tiburon so Lily can find the memory of her mother. What she finds are three African-American beekeepers that live in a pink house. The three sisters take in Lily and Rosaleen. Not a faulty note in this southern novel.
Anita Shreve
I first read The Pilot’s Wife and loved the complexity of it. I’ve read three more and really liked each of them.
Ben Stiller
Can you believe I’ve seen 25 Ben Stiller movies? I can’t! Some people don’t think he’s funny, but I love him and he makes me laugh every time. My favorites are There’s Something About Mary and Meet the Parents, but Gage loves the Madagascar movies so I get to hear him as Alex the lion quite often.
Stacy's Books 
I loved The Pilot’s Wife so much. Anita Shreve is one of my favorite writers.
Yay! I’m in good company then 🙂
The Secret Life of Bees is so good! Anita Shreve is hit or miss for me but The Pilot’s Wife was outstanding!
Of the four of hers I’ve read only one was average so I’m hoping the odds are in my favor 🙂
Favorite Stiller is Zoolander. Blue Steel!
I have a picture of my 3 year old making the perfect Blue Steel! I should have included it here 🙂
The Sound of Music is a great musical. I’ve seen the original movie, the remake, and a stage production–the original movie is still my favorite of the three. (I sang many of the songs to Mouse too! Still do, actually.)
I loved The Secret Life of Bees! I haven’t read The Sparrow. Everyone says I should, and I attempted to start it a couple times, but the timing just hasn’t been right.
You need to go into The Sparrow with no expectations, I think. I don’t know if I would have liked it so much otherwise. It’s different.
I’ve only seen the movie version of The Secret Life of Bees, although I have a vague memory of maybe reading it in an English class. That I was subbing in, not in one I took.
Love The Sound of Music too.
YAY I have The Secret Life of Bees on audio, might listen to it this week while I’m walking. I loved The Pilot’s Wife too!
Sound of Music and Secret Life of Bees! Great ones. I’m also a big Ben Stiller fan. I even loved his short-lived TV show back in the 90’s the Ben Stiller Show. Meet the Parents is one of my favorites.
Oh my goodness, The Secret Life of Bees is one of my favorite books and movies EVER!