I watched 7 movies in May and 8 in June. And I streamed 5 shows over the two months.
Loved all of these- Cormoran Strike seasons 2 &3, Brigerton season 3, The Gentlemen season 1, Project Runway All-Stars season 20, and Is It Cake 3?
LOVED these movies
The Holdovers, 2023. Set at a prep school in the early 70’s where several kids get left behind over Christmas break. This quiet drama had all of the things you want in a movie. Paul Giamatti was so good!
King Richard, 2021. I took a little break from Will after the slap heard round the world, but I am interested in the Williams sisters and Jason is an avid tennis player. I thought this was a fascinating look into their childhood and the driven man who helped raise and train them. I wish it hadn’t ended where it did, but that’s just my 2 cents.
Champions, 2023. I love basketball and feel good movies, but, most importantly, representation matters! I’m so glad that we watched this.
REALLY LIKED
American Fiction, 2023. A professor/novelist wants a bestseller amidst much family drama. A smart look at the boxes we put people and things into.
The Fall Guy, 2024. A silly action-packed ‘romance’ that we all really liked on the big screen. Can’t go wrong with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt.
LIKED THESE
The After, 2023. This short film is amazing for what emotion is managed to fit into less than 20 minutes. Beautiful movie-making.
Hit Man, 2023. Forced to portray a killer for hire on the spot, Gary learns he has a flare for it.
The Garfield Movie, 2024. Gage wanted to see it and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s nice to see Garfield winning over new generations.
Unfrosted, 2024. Silly cereal movie filled with nostalgia.
Meh
Mother of the Bride, 2024. It’s always great to see Benjamin Bratt, but this romantic comedy fell a little flat for me.
Two if by Sea, 1996. I love both Sandra Bullock and Denis Leary, but in this they both play thieves working out some relationship issues and it just didn’t work for me.
June has been a good reading month, 6 fiction books, 2 nonfiction, and 10 picture books. I’ll do another post about the the 74 books I’ve read so far in a few days, but let’s get to my favorites of the month.
Favorites
I already wrote a post about this being on my favorites list here. This was a reread for me.
Don’t worry, be happy! Everyone could use some tips on how to increase the happiness in their lives and this fun book is just the thing. I loved it and have a few new tips and resources to check out. The illustrations and short entries make it perfect for daily reflection time. They cover the obvious (excercise, laugh, be grateful, turn of screens) and the unexpected (develop discipline, understand buddhist theory, get in flow, seek internal goals).
She was such an inspiration! Joining the Navy at 37 and retiring at 80, there probably won’t be another like her. Answers the question of why we call it a computer ‘bug’
It’s about the 1931 case Roberto Alvarez v. The Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove School District. I loved the story and the art and the 6 pages of photos and extra information at the end.
It starts with Ruth’s mother wanting more for her daughter and ends with her friendship with Antonin Scalia and showed everything she did in between to make this country one that treats women more fairly.
Also Good
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James. 4 stars, Spooky thriller, 327 pages, 2020.
There is a creepy, sinister, and forgotten feeling you get when reading about Fell, NY and The Sun Down Hotel. There are ghosts, killers, and missing and murdered girls. The book is a whole vibe.
One storyline is about Viv in 1982 and the second is about her niece Carly in 2017. Lots of parallels and mystery that will keep you reading. There are even a few boys! It didn’t love this one at first, but it didn’t take me long to be hooked.
I saw it all over my feeds, my husband told me I had to read it, my book club read it (I missed that month), and it’s STILL taken me over a year to read it. A talking octopus wasn’t really calling to me. But, dang, if I didn’t fall for that eight armed smarty, Marcellus!
Alternating, but connected, storylines about several struggling humans and one bored cephalopod make this a sweet, healing debut novel. Did I love Marcellus? Of course! Did I read through the other parts to get to Marcellus? Yes! Did I like the rest of story? After reading all of the parts I did indeed like the book, BUT it didn’t quite live up to the hype for me. The small mysteries kept the plot moving along.
I had a hard time getting into this one, but as it went on and I embraced the ridiculousness of a divorced mom with so little money her electric gets shut off becoming an inadvertent killer for hire. It ended up being fun, although I’m unlikely to continue with the series.
The colorful illustrations brought this story about Sam to life. This talks about so many aspects of being on the autism spectrum, but all to highlight Sam. I loved this one and it starts before he even gets diagnosed with tips for neurotypical kids in the back.
Peace by Baptiste Paul, Miranda Paul & Esteli Meza. 4 stars, fiction picture book, 40 pages, 2021.
efinitely for the younger child. I loved these gorgeous illustrations so much! So many great things showing what peace is, like pronouncing your friend’s name correctly and giving far more than you take. The last page talked about how war and violence around the world affects wildlife and nature. A wonderful discussion starter.
Good information for a younger girl to help understand her autism diagnosis.
She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica. 3.5 stars, Thriller, 330 pages, 2024
I took nurse Meaghan on a few walks this week and followed her story of caring for a coma patient while being concerned about Chicago’s serial attacker. I had a hard time connecting with Meghan and so the book was only okay for me. I liked the few twists in the second half of the book, but the end fell a little flat.
These were okay
Papa’s Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming & Boris Kulikov. Fictional picture book about the man who made the first submarine.
Yetta the Trickster by Andrew Griffing Zimmerman and Harold Berson. Four trickster stories for younger kids.
Anyone else spending more time in the air conditioning this week? We’ve had record highs here in Cleveland. We actually had a little rain this morning with a possible quick storm later and that makes my plants very happy.
This is the first summer since Gage was 4 that he’s had no summer camps. He is starting a new school in the fall and we’re doing some prep work with tutoring in the mornings. But we’re making time for excursions and time with friends in the afternoons so it’s been a nice mix.
I haven’t done a weekly check in for quite awhile. I’ve been trying to post more about books I’ve really liked and books from my Top 100 lists.
The Garfield Movie, 2024 was a surprise pick by Gage. He never watched the cartoons or read the comics but when I let him pick the movie we’d take grandma to this week this was the one. It was cute. I laughed out loud quite a few times.
On the smaller screen
We watched the 3rd season of Bridgerton. I’m a Lady Whistledown fan so I was happy for it.
The Gentlemen, 2024, on Netflix was not exactly my genre of choice, but once started I found it quite addictive. I don’t know if there will be a season 2, but if there is, I’ll be there!
Project Runway, 20 All-Stars. I haven’t seen every season, mainly because I forget about them, but I had recorded these last fall and just realized it, lol. It was a fun binge. I didn’t think Tim Gunn could be replaced, but I like Christian and he brings his own flair and success to the show,
So, give me a book, show, or movie recommendation! I’ll pick one to try this week and report back 🙂
The first of the Lucas Davenport series, Rules, of Prey, was published in 1989 and the most recent, Toxic Prey, this year. If you like police procedurals and thrillers, this is the series for you. I’ve read them all and there’s not a dud in the bunch. The last one felt especially timely and scary since it seems like it could actually happen.
He started as a Minneapolis detective, then worked special cases for politicians, and now he’s a US marshal. I love that he’s a tough guy, but he always has me rethinking moral decisions. He talks politics in relation to his job, but takes no side, a rarity. We’ve watched him meet his wife, adopt a child from a case, and have kids of his own. His friend Virgil Flowers and daughter Letty each have their own series, but I don’t read them. They both show up in this one so I don’t have to.
You can jump in anywhere in the series, but this is one that’s fun to read from the beginning.
I didn’t start reviewing them on here until book #24, but here are a few things I’ve said about the series…
Lucas, a detective, handles only those cases that the politicos need to have disappear. His role is more of a mentor as he works with the police all over Minnesota, but he still manages to get his hands dirty. He is great at what he does and possesses an authority that others look to in a time of crisis.
In this 25th book of the series, there is a shift of sorts that signals changes are afoot and it’s been this progression of Lucas that has made this a standout, must read series for me. As he turns 50 and the winds of local politics change direction it’s clear that Lucas has some decisions to make. This case involves his adopted daughter, Letty, and I love that she has had larger roles in the last few books.
Women Who Won by Ros Ball. 4.25 stars. YA Bios, 272 pages, 2023
Such an inspirational book. These are some amazing women! Geared to YA, but great for adults too.There are amazing women in here and reading their stories is powerful. Each woman had a portrait page and 2 pages of bio with addition room for sources used for each one. Loved it!
Though some disregarded her, she had an inner confidence, saying, ‘I’ve never underestimated myself. There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious.’ —Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany
When asked what qualities have underpinned her leadership, Jacinda singled out being ‘really driven by empathy… when you think about all of the big challenges that we face in the world, that’s probably the quality we need the most’. —Jacinda Arden, prime minister of New Zealand
“I hear it all the time, it changed everything…Women thought, if she can, I can.” —Vigdis Finnbogadottir, president of Iceland
And, since I’m reading these stories, some showing how fragile democracy can be, this has been the most powerful statement so far by a woman whose own husband was killed by the previous president…
Cory served only one term, and, when President Fidel Ramos took over, Cory said it was ‘one of the proudest moments of my life… This was what my husband had died for… This moment is democracy’s glory: the peaceful transfer of power without bloodshed, in strict accordance with law.’ —Corazon Aquino, president of the Philippines
Agathe Uwilingiyimana, in 1993 became 1st woman to serve as prime minister of Rwanda. She was raped and killed along with her husband in their own home by Hutu soldiers.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Belarus. Her story is ongoing. Look her up and push back on anyone still romanticizing dictators.
Constance Markievicz, in 1918 was the 1st woman elected to British Parliament. She was elected from jail! And refused to swear allegiance to the king. What a story she has.
Diane Abbott, in 1987 she was the 1st black woman to be elected to the Uk House of Commons. “The thing that enabled me to go further and higher was entirely my education. Education is a liberating force.”
Berta Pipina, in 1941 she was the 1st woman elected to the Latvian Saeima. There was a coup from an authoritarian regime and she was sent to a Siberian gulag where she died. Between 1930-1953 1.5 million died in those Soviet camps.
Golda Meir, in 1969 she was the 1st woman elected prime minister of Israel. “There is a type of woman who cannot let her husband and children narrow her horizon.”
Dilma Rousseff, in 2011 she was the 1st woman to serve as president of Brazil. “The fact that I was the first woman president was a factor in what happened to me…I think it will be easier for the next woman president.”
Lessons- don’t vote for anyone who has attempted a coup, don’t vote for anyone calling for violence for political opponents, don’t vote for anyone who doesn’t think you have autonomy over your own body. And, if you’re living in one of the 70% of countries that have still have only been run by men, go forth and elect women.
This is a place of mystery, Daniel, a sanctuary. Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens….When a library disappears, or a bookshop closes down, when a book is consigned to oblivion, those of us who know this place, its guardians, make sure that it gets here. In this place, books no longer remembered by anyone, books that are lost in time, live forever, waiting for the day when they will reach a new reader’s hands. In the shop we buy and sell them, but in truth books have no owner. Every book you see here has been somebody’s best friend. Now they have only us, Daniel. Do you think you’ll be able to keep such a secret?” (p 5)
This is my review from when I first read this in 2010…
This is a book for book lovers just in case you couldn’t tell from the passage above. In 1945, Daniel is just a boy when his father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books hidden in the back streets of Barcelona and when his obsession with the mysterious author, Julian Carax begins. Daniel chose The Shadow of Wind to take home and he soon began to search out other Carax titles. Only there weren’t any. Someone had been destroying them all one by one. Daniel was sixteen when he began to search out the books in earnest and he was aided in his quest by the cagey and charming Fermin.
I couldn’t help but fall in love with Daniel and Fermin and I was drawn into the mess they got themselves into when they started asking questions about Carax. Why were so many people trying to keep the truth hidden? And who were the good guys? The characters they meet along the way heightened the suspense and I loved them all (well, I loved their addition to the story!).
I have the attention span of a gnat these days, but this book kept me reading every spare moment I had, even if it was only a few minutes at a time. I loved the drama, the mystery, the love, the Spanish setting, the wide cast of characters, and the love and respect of books shown in the story. This book has a little bit of everything and I loved it. Since I’m rating this a 5 it is obviously one of my favorites this year!
I’ve spent the last week listening to the audio and much of what I loved the first time was still there. The atmosphere, the characters, the stories, the mystery, and the absolute devotion to the written word all combine to make this a great read. I liked experiencing the book a second time and think the reading the words on the page is the way to go with this one. I’m keeping the book on my favorites list for now as I try to work through what belongs there and why, but I’m not sure it will stay.
“Books are mirrors – you only see in them what you already have inside you.”
“In the shop we buy and sell them, but in truth books have no owner. Every book you see here has been somebody’s best friend.”
The secrets lurking in a rundown roadside motel ensnare a young woman, just as they did her aunt thirty-five years before, in this new atmospheric suspense novel from the national bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.
Upstate NY, 1982. Every small town like Fell, New York, has a place like the Sun Down Motel. Some customers are from out of town, passing through on their way to someplace better. Some are locals, trying to hide their secrets. Viv Delaney works as the night clerk to pay for her move to New York City. But something isn’t right at the Sun Down, and before long she’s determined to uncover all of the secrets hidden…
There is a creepy, sinister, and forgotten feeling you get when reading about Fell, NY and The Sun Down Hotel. There are ghosts, killers, and missing and murdered girls. The book is a whole vibe.
One storyline is about Viv in 1982 and the second is about her niece Carly in 2017. Lots of parallels and mystery that will keep you reading. There are even a few boys!
I didn’t love this one at first, but it didn’t take me long to be hooked. I listened to the audio and Brittany Pressley and Kirsten Potter took turns narrating.
I loved Broken Girls last year and loved this one too, so I guess I have another author to read!
“The person who could be truly alone, in the company of no one but oneself and one’s own thoughts—that person was stronger than anyone else.”
“I put my book down, finding a Post-it note to use as a bookmark, because folding the corner of a page—even in a thirty-year-old book—is sacrilege.”
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Harlan four times, once in Houston and three times when he’s come to Cleveland. He is ALWAYS a hoot. He is charming, smart, and quick with the humor. You will never regret seeing him in person. I’ve read all of his books and have liked them all, some more than others. I first read Tell No One, a great place to start if you’ve never read him, and then read his first book and haven’t looking back.
Even if you’ve never read his books, you’ve probably seen at least one of his book adaptations on Netflix or Amazon Prime. They are always well done.
His thrillers are always full of twists and turns, humor, and fantastic dialogue. If you love thrillers, the kind that you can’t put down until you’re finished, this is the guy for you.
Myron is a smart ass, but one with a certain humanity and goodness and I am always rooting for him and his even bigger smart ass friend, Win, to save the day. And they usually do, but they do not come away unscathed. Myron is the heart and Win is the muscle and both are whip smart and loyal to each other. This series has a fantastic cast of characters and I love that time does go by and they are showing their age, but still kicking ass. I love all of these books.
Win got his own first person book.
And Myron’s nephew Mickey has his own trilogy. This was made into a fantastic series on Amazon Prime.
Wilde series
So far this only has two books, but I loved them both.
Don’t even start a Harlan Coben book unless you have time to read the whole thing. He’s been a favorite of mine since I read Tell No One (read it), but it’s his Myron and Win books that are my favorite. This is the 12th book featuring them both (13 if you include Win) and they’re both getting a little older, but still just as sarcastically fabulous as they e always been.
Myron was a star on the Duke basketball team and played one game for the Boston Celtics before a cheap shot took him off the court forever. So, he went to law school and opened his own sports representation business. The cast of characters in these books are so chock full of warmth and humor that you will fall in love with them. Personally, I’d read the books in order so that you don’t miss a minute, but you can read this as a standalone.
These are all thrillers full of twists and turns you don’t see coming. He’s the master. This one has a serial killer and some old scores being settled. And Myron’s parents are in Florida living their best lives with the help of edibles.
Stacy's Books 