This Week – Hoppy Easter

April 12, 2020April 12, 202026 Comments

Fave Pic IMG_E3945 We heard the Easter Bunny was going to be doing a drive by and Gage went out a few minutes before I did. I went out just in time to get this photo and then stand around the cul-de-sac talking to neighbors. It was nice to see some familiar faces after so many weeks in the house.

Highlights We’ve had some very nice sunny days and two snowy days, one with a bad storm with hail. Hopefully, it will decide to be spring soon.

Monday was the start of the online remote learning and was an adjustment, but now that we know what we’re doing we’re both really liking it! And he was able to see both his reading and his math teacher in a Google chat. He loves to talk to adults, kids not as much.

I made a trip to his school, the gas station and curbside pickup for dinner one night and otherwise we’ve been here. We’re fortunate that we have everything we need and we’re with people we love. I worry about those in difficult situations and need to look for ways I can help. I know some friends are sewing masks. Have you found a way to help during this time? Gage and I have written lots of notes and sent lots of snail mail.

The Knife of Never Letting Go review

Books read American Dirt Read this for my book group and it was a difficult read for me right now. I liked it, but my mind is craving fluff and fun right now.

Books reading The Art of the Handwritten Note: A Guid…

Movies Watched

On the Small Screen We finished up season 3 of Ozark – crazy as ever! And we’re all caught up on Survivor. I wasn’t feeling well yesterday and spent most of the day in bed except for an hour to see the Easter Bunny and decorate some nature eggs and I was able to watch the BBC Pride and Prejudice miniseries. It had been too long. (I’m feeling fine today but now Jason has a migraine)

Plans for the rest of the day? Cooking, cleaning, and celebrating Easter with some crafts and church at home.

What are your Easter plans?

I’m linking up with theSunday Salon at Readerbuzz.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

April 7, 2020April 7, 202013 Comments

The Knife of Never Letting Go. Finished 4-3-20, rating 4.75/5, dystopia YA, 512 pages, pub. 2008

Chaos Walking Trilogy, book 1

Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him — something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn’t she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd’s gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is. fromGoodreads

When I started reading this one I hated it. I disliked Todd and I didn’t understand why some of it was written phonetically. By the end I still had the phonetic question, but Todd turned into a character that I loved. Todd is being raised by two dads in Prentisstown, a town in the New World made up only of men, when he is forced to flee for reasons he doesn’t understand. He is the last boy in town. As he escapes he finds what he thinks is a girl, but doesn’t understand how this can be since all of the women were killed by the Spackle in the war. And he is accompanied by his faithful dog Manchee whose thoughts you can also hear.

The unlikely threesome run for their lives and the chase takes them to new towns with facts long hidden from Todd and astonishing to the girl, Viola. The men and women they encounter change their view of the world and shed light on the inclinations of people that is truly alive and well today. Manchee, my favorite character, is all things a good dog is, loyal, clever, and loving.

This may not sound like it’s in your wheelhouse and I get that. I remember reading all of the rave reviews when this came out 12 years ago, but didn’t think it sounded like something I’d be interested in. I was wrong. I got sucked in and the book kept it’s hooks in me the entire time. The book is over 500 pages long and as I finished I still wanted to keep reading and immediately order the next book. I’m still waiting for it to arrive. Not that I’m impatient or anything.

I know a few of you have read this already and loved it, but if you haven’t I suggest you give it a try. Please give it at least 50 pages before making up your mind. You’re welcome.

This Week – Lock Down, day 1,792

April 4, 2020April 14, 202016 Comments

Fave Pic We went by a friend’s house for his birthday and it was nice to see some fresh faces, even if it was through a glass door.

Highlights I used Instacart AND got a Whole Foods delivery this week. While I didn’t get everything I wanted for Gage I got enough that I can avoid the grocery stores for another few weeks.

We also went on a bear hunt. In our community people put teddy bears in their windows for the kids to find when they were walking by. I saw online that some people had started to put eggs in windows too, so we decided to get in the car and drive around our town. Gage kept a tally and, while we were out in the quiet streets we saw the Easter Bunny getting into the bed of a pickup truck. He waved and made our day.

Another morning I was looking out our kitchen window and saw a wild turkey running through our yard. That was a new one. While we’re all inside the wildlife is taking over 🙂

Reviewed Before I Go To Sleep

Books Read The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Wa… Oh man, I cried for 15 minutes around the 330 pages mark and I’m still sad about it. But I loved the book.

Currently Reading American Dirt

Movies Watched I really liked this one. I wrote a post comparing it to the book.

March’s Movies and $ for Charity

Watching on the Small Screen Survivor and Ozark season 3 have been our go to shows this week.

Puzzles Finished

Do you have a movie that you like better than the book?

Weekend plans Day drinking now that I’m not a teacher/mother/chef/maid for every waking moment? I set up Gage and Jason with a STEM project that my cousin sent and I’ve added some Bailey’s to my morning coffee 🙂

Book vs. Movie

April 3, 20208 Comments

Yesterday was my 20th Book v. Movie post and a comment by Kathy got me thinking. She mentioned that she wasn’t surprised that I liked the book better than the movie. As book lovers isn’t that generally true? So, I decided to look through my posts. Of the 20, 14 were clearly the book, 4 were clearly the movie and 2 were so close that if I allowed myself to call a tie I probably would have.

Then I got to thinking about a few of my favorite movies, the ones where I’ve read the book too, but clearly adore the movie more.

The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).jpg

What are some of your favorite movies that you love more than the book so I can add them to my watch list?

Book vs Movie – Before I Go To Sleep

April 2, 2020September 13, 202421 Comments

(2011) vs (2014)

I finished the debut work by SJ Watson last week and watched the movie with Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, and Mark Strong last night. I’m going to try and be as spoiler free as possible, which is hard to do with a thriller.

Story/Plot Christine wakes up every morning with no memories of her life, except for a few random memories from childhood. She goes to the bathroom where there are photos taped on the wall of her and her husband Ben. Every morning Ben goes off to work and she stays home. When the book and story begin she receives a phone call when from a doctor telling her where to find the journal she has started keeping that might help her understand what is happening to her. In the book her journal is written and in the movie it’s a video journal she keeps on a camera. From here there are similarities (the doctor, the best friend) and differences (the relationship with the doctor, the memories that come crashing back, the order of things, the accident, her occupation) but the vibe and intent is the same. What the movie missed was the day to day helplessness of her situation that kept this reader on the edge of her seat. Thumbs Up – Book

The Visual They both take place in England and in the book she lived in a city, but the movie has them out a bit and there are lots of shots from above showing the countryside. The movie looked a little more gloomy than what I pictured in the book, but there was no clear advantage either way. Thumbs Up- Tie

Characters vs Actors I love Colin Firth (the real Mr. Darcy) and thought he did a good job with the character. I thought Nicole Kidman was a good choice for Christine. I liked Ben Strong as the doctor BUT the changes they made with that character, his age and a few other relationship differences did make me think the movie missed an opportunity. I understand why they did it, but I would have liked to see the doctor a little younger as he was in the book, more like a Taron Egerton. Thumbs Up- book

The Ending The climax of the movie was similar with a few different choices that I’m willing to call a wash, but the movie really finished with the perfect pulling on the heartstrings moment. Thumbs Up- movie

And the winner is…the BOOK!

Other book vs. movie polls you can still vote on: (It Ends With Us) (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer) (The Sun is Also a Star) (We Have Always Lived in the Castle) (Good Morning, Midnight/The Midnight Sky) (Before I Go To Sleep) (The Little Prince) (Charlie St. Cloud) (Far From the Madding Crowd) (The Girl on the Train) (Tuck Everlasting) (Northanger Abbey) (Me Before You) (And Then There Were None) (Still Alice) (The Blind Side) (The Fault in Our Stars) (The Hound of the Baskervilles) (Gone Girl) (Jack Reacher) (Ender’s Game) (Carrie, the original) (Under the Tuscan Sun) (The Secret Life of Bees) (The Shining, the original)

March’s Movies & Money for Charity

April 1, 2020April 20, 20206 Comments

We’ve started Ozark season 3 and the first season of Bosch too. Considering that we’ve been at home for close to 3 weeks now it’s surprising how few movies I’ve watched.

You know the drill, add your 5 words (or less!) to mine in a comment and earn $1 for charity. Once we get to $100 the person with the most reviews will choose the charity. Click here to see the past winners, the charities they chose and the other reviews you can add to. Anyone is welcome to join in at any time.

We’re at $34 right now. Your charity could be next

Wakefield poster.jpg Wakefield, 2016 (Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Garner, Jason O’Mara, Beverly D’Angelo) Grade B

Quirky, powerful story about grace.

Rocketman (film).png Rocketman, 2019 (Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard, Gemma Jones, Tate Donovan) Grade B-

Fantastical, sad musical about legend.

Sad, sweet and celebratory singalong. (Shelley)

Legendary performance about a legend. (Michelle)

Wonder Park, 2019 (Voices-Jennifer Garner, Matthew Broderick, John Oliver, Mila Kunis, Kenan Thompson, Ken Jeong) Grade C+

Imagination runs depressingly wild.

6 Underground, 2019 (Ryan Reynolds, Melanie Laurent, Corey Hawkins, Manuel, Garcia-Rulfo, Ben Hardy, Adria Arjona, Payman Maadi, Dave Franco) Grace C

Ghosts violently change the world.

Rat Race, 2001 (Whoopi Goldberg, Rowan Atkinson, John Clease, Cuba Gooding Jr., Seth Green, John Lovitz, Breckin Meyer, Kathy Najimy, Amy Smart) Grade C-

So much laughing by Gage.

Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson

March 30, 2020May 8, 20208 Comments

Before I Go To Sleep. Finished 3-25-20, 4.25/5 stars, thriller, pub. 2011

Christine wakes up every morning in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar man. She looks in the mirror and sees an unfamiliar, middle-aged face. And every morning, the man she has woken up with must explain that he is Ben, he is her husband, she is forty-seven years old, and a terrible accident two decades earlier decimated her ability to form new memories.

Every day, Christine must begin again the reconstruction of her past. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more unbelievable it seems. fromGoodreads

I still remember the hype when this came out all those years ago, back in the days when you got together with friends and gave hugs hello and goodbye. Christine has a condition where she wakes up every morning with no memories. Think of the movie 50 First Dates with Drew Barrymore. She has no memory of her middle aged body or face or the man in bed with her every morning. Each day she says goodbye to her husband as he goes off to work and she stays home doing…well, it’s hard to say exactly. Somehow she started seeing a doctor without her husband’s knowledge and he convinces her to start a journal and then calls most mornings to reminder where to find it. It’s through this journal that random memories start to stick. And it’s this journal that makes the book.

I liked this one quite a bit. It was a mystery and thriller wrapped in a slow paced amnesiac journal. That sounds fun, right? Well, it worked for me. Anything that can hold my attention right now aside from what’s going on in the world is a winner and this did just that for me. And, yes, there is a twist that makes it memorable.

Has anyone seen the movie?

This Week – Family Time

March 29, 2020March 29, 202013 Comments

Fave Pic Our cats could qualify as cuddly therapy cats during these cooped up weeks.

Highlights of the Week I don’t know. A month ago we scheduled work that needed to be done in our basement and still unfinished dining room and we decided to go ahead with the 2 day remediation since they wouldn’t really be in our living space. The 2 men came in through the front door already in masks and had direct access to the basement and dining room. They were here all week 😦 I was less than thrilled at the chemicals and the noise for every day of homeschool. I’m thankful it’s done and hope we can accomplish a bit more this week. I actually kind of like home schooling. As it is he’s only out another week unless the governor decides to extend it. I’ve already written to him telling him how I feel about it.

Having Jason working from home means that the three of us can have lunch breaks together which has been really nice. We’re hanging in there as best we can as the cases and deaths around our community continue to climb.

Finished Reading Title: How Not to Die Alone, Author: Richard Roper (review), Before I Go to Sleep review on Monday

Currently Reading The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Wa… American Dirt ‘

Watched

Watching Season 3 of Ozark, Survivor, and the Tournament of Champions on the Food Network.

Games Played We cleaned up our game cubby and are playing a game up a day until we’ve played them all once. This week we played – Rails and Sails Great Lakes, Labyrinth, Clue Grab & Go, Jacks, Hedbanz, Ticket To Ride New York, Yamslam, 20 Express.

I’ve linked up with the Sunday Salon this week. Stay healthy, my friends!

How Not To Die Alone by Richard Roper

March 26, 2020March 25, 20208 Comments

Title: How Not to Die Alone, Author: Richard Roper How Not To Die Alone. Finished 3-22-10, 3.5/5 stars, fiction, pub. 2019

Unabridged audio, 7 CDs

Andrew’s day-to-day is a little grim, searching for next of kin for those who die alone. Thankfully, he has a loving family waiting for him when he gets home, to help wash the day’s cares away. At least, that’s what his coworkers believe.

Andrew didn’t mean for the misunderstanding to happen, yet he’s become trapped in his own white lie. The fantasy of his wife and two kids has become a pleasant escape from his lonely one bedroom with only his Ella Fitzgerald records for company. But when new employee Peggy breezes into his life like a breath of fresh air, Andrew is shaken out of his routine. She doesn’t notice the wall he’s been safely hiding behind and their friendship promises to break it down. from Goodreads

I loved the quirkiness of Andrew and this book as a whole. His job was to go in to homes of people who died alone when the next of kin was not obvious. He goes into their homes and through their personal things to find information about who to notify or barring that, money to pay for their burial. I have no idea if the system in the US works the same way. It was both morbid and fascinating.

Andrew is 42, never been married and lives in an apartment overrun by his model train set up (not too far off what I pictured for Gage’s future during his model trains years). The only problem is that Andrew has been making up a family and home life for years. His boss and co-workers think they know all about his family and look forward to meeting them at an upcoming work function. Add to that mix Peggy, a new office mate who he has a bit of a crush on.

I did get frustrated with Andrew (how could you not?) and found the middle of the book a little too meandering, but the characters were fun and Andrew’s life from beginning to end was one worth rooting for. I’m glad I listened to this one.

This Week -Yikes!

March 21, 2020March 21, 202016 Comments

Fave Pic Lots of fun family game time this week. Our current favorite is Rail and Sails Great Lakes.

Highlights of the Week What a week, right? Gage is finally healthy and now we have to stay home. But, it nice to finally have my kid back to his happy self after a month+ of sickness. If we’re friends on Facebook you saw that my horrifying mistake when making dinner led us to discover that Gage may have outgrown his dairy allergy! Yay! And if we’re not friends, let’s connect. This is technically Gage’s Spring Break so the teachers can prepare lessons, but we got a packet of assignments last week so we started those. Gage loves a schedule and worksheets, both of which have helped make this week better. Jason had to go downtown for work one day but now he’s working from home indefinitely.

Finished Reading Title: Dear Edward (Barnes & Noble Book Club Edition), Author: Ann Napolitano (review) Title: Morning Meditations: Awaken Your Power to Change, Author: Norton Professional Books (review)

Currently Reading The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Wa…

Currently Listening Title: How Not to Die Alone, Author: Richard Roper I’m like 5 minutes from being done.

Puzzles Finished When we had to rid our house of everything a year and a half ago I had a lot of unopened puzzles, so I threw away all of the boxes and plastic, but put the pieces into ziploc bags. Now we have lots of mystery puzzles. It’s fun to try and figure out what we’re puzzling. You can see how many more we have left. Plenty for the quarantine!

Watching They made the kid happy.

We’re also caught up with Survivor. As the weeks have been stressful, I’ve switched from the Hallmark channel to the Food Network for my comfort food. It’s a bonus that Gage loves the shows too (not like the Hallmark channel, lol). He loves Restaurant Impossible with Robert Irvine.

Plans for the Weekend More of the same. Some families are choosing to not to have the kids visit grandparents at this time and I understand that. I also understand the importance of the visits for the littles and olds. Gage has had a few visits with my parents and he will have another this weekend.

Stay well, my friends.

I linked up in Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz.

Stacy's Books

books, movies, and boy

Author: stacybuckeye