Birthday Movie Quiz

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Thank you for your birthday wishes yesterday!  I had a very fun day with my wonderful husband.  See if you can identify these 10 movies that all contain a birthday.  Each one worth 10 points and you have until Thursday night to submit your answers. I hide your answers until then.

Here are the rules… 1. Open to everyone.  Play once or every week, that’s okay.  I’m happy to have you here today.

2. No cheating.  No googling, other internet searches or looking at other commenter answers.  Yes, we’re going by the honor system

3. Your first answers will be the only ones accepted.

Answers to last week’s quiz here.  Current Leaderboard here.

1. 2.

1. Sixteen Candles 2. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

3. Jim Carrey can only tell the truth because of a wish his son made on his birthday in this 1997 movie.  Liar, Liar

4.  5.

4. 13 Going on 30   5. The Game

6. Billy Crystal has just turned 39 (I know how that feels!) and is suffering from a midlife crisis (Good thing I don’t have time or energy for that now!).  He and two of his best friends decide to go west and participate in a cattle drive where they are a little afraid of Curly.  City Slickers

7.  8.

7.  Harold & Maude    8. Taken

9.  10.

9. Mrs. Doubtfire   10. The Royal Tenembaums

So, just how cool are book bloggers?

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Take a look at this…

So, just how cool are book bloggers?  Crazy cool!  Last week I pulled a small package from the mailbox and didn’t recognize the return address, although it looked familiar, and rushed inside to open it up and found this beautiful sweater for Baby Gage or Baby Tara.  It was knit by the wonderfully talented Jenny from Jenny Loves to Read.  Her kindness brought tears to my eyes and I can’t thank her enough for the time she devoted to our Little One.  Jenny is awesome and if you aren’t already familiar with her, you should check out her blog.  Thanks so much, Jenny!

I cheered for the readers of the read-a-thon yesterday and was sad that I didn’t get to participate myself.  My parents were in town to help celebrate my birthday.  It’s not until tomorrow, but I like it when the birthday celebration is  drawn out 🙂  Jason took the day off tomorrow and we are going to a continuing education lecture day.  Two of my favorite topics will be discussed – politics and books.  More details tomorrow if I think it’s interesting enough. 

Yes, that belly is 3 1/2 weeks from it’s due date 🙂

Good in Bed, by Jennifer Weiner

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Cover ImageFinished 10-6-10, rating 4.5/5, fiction, pub. 2001

“You called me fat in a magazine.  You turned me into a joke.  You don’t think you did anything wrong?”

“Face it Cannie,” he said.  “You are fat.”  He bent his head.  “But that doesn’t mean I didn’t love you.”

The box of tampons bounced off his forehead and spilled into the parking lot.

Chapter 1

Cannie has a good job as a reporter, close friends, a dog she loves, but she is unhappy with the extra weight she carries.  To make matters worse her ex-boyfriend of five years has just written an article in a national magazine titled “Loving a Larger Woman.”  Although she was the one to initiate the break-up she’s not sure she did the right thing and she makes some questionable decisions.

Cannie is a great character, full of humor, intelligence, laughter, and wit. It is light at first, but also addresses serious family issues with both of her parents that I found very real.  And the fact that the reality wasn’t all tied up with a pretty bow at the end made it great for me.  It managed to maintain the fun while still showing that not all things in the real world can be solved the way we want.  It is chick lit at its best, but moves beyond that to a heartfelt story about starting to love yourself.

This was a great debut novel and I’m not sure what took me so long to read it.  Oh wait, it’s the hundreds of other books I own.  Anyway, I’m happy to discover a new author who I look forward to reading.  My only complaint comes from the fact that I’m pregnant.  The pregnancy storyline was a little flat for me only because it felt like Weiner just took things from a pregnancy book and threw them in.  I’m sure that if you are not pregnant this would not bother you, but since I’ve had over eight months of living it it just didn’t ring true for me.  Still loved the book!

This is from my personal library and was chosen by Shanyn, Debbie, Em, and Mom.

“Hilarious, love her.”  Em

“I became an instant fan after I read this one.”  Debbie

“I love that book.”  Shanyn

Think of a Number, by John Verdon

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Think of a Number by John Verdon: Book CoverFinished 10-1-10, rating 4/5, thriller, pub. 2010

Do you believe in Fate?  I do, because I thought I’d never see you again-and then one day, there you were.  It all came back: how you sound, how you move-most of all, how you think.  If someone told you to think of a number, I know what number you’d think of.  You don’t believe me?  I’ll prove it to you.  Think of any number up to a thousand-the first number that comes to your mind.  Picture it.  Now see how well I know your secrets.  Open the little envelope.

Chapter 4

Retired NYPD detective Dave Gurney is living in the country with his wife, Madeleine, and a hobby of using mug shots of serial killers to make art.  His inability to move past police work frustrates Madeleine and their marriage suffers.  Dave is contacted by an old college friend for help in finding who is sending him provocative letters.  Dave wants him to go to the police, but he refuses, so Dave helps him the best he can.  Only it looks like his friend is not the only one in danger and Dave is sucked into a state-wide investigation.

The hook of this thriller is the letters.  Each one predicts a number that the recipient will guess between 1 and 1000 and the letter always knows.  The letters also promise exposure for a past sin unless the recipient send money.  I’m not usually one to figure things like this out without a lit of help and this was no different.  Looking back there was one clue that could have made it less of a surprise, but I missed it.  The hook was a successful one.

I liked the mystery of it, but I also really liked the story involving Dave and Madeleine.  In thrillers there is rarely time or effort put into showing relationships, but this one did address a crumbling marriage and it did make me more invested in the book.  I wanted to know what would become of the couple.

This is a great debut and if you are a thriller or mystery fan, don’t miss it.  It would also appeal to puzzle lovers.  I don’t know if he plans on writing more books about Dave, but if he does I’ll be first in line.

I received this book from Jenners at Life…With Books.  Thanks Jenners 🙂

Scrambled Halloweenish Quiz

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It’s October!  That means my birthday, our anniversary, and Halloween decorating 🙂  I love fall.  See if you can unscramble these titles (5 pts each) and authors (5 pts each). They all contain a Halloweeny kinda word.

You have until Thursday at midnight to submit your answers as a comment.  I hide your answers until then.

Here are the rules… 1. Open to everyone.  Play once or every week, that’s okay.  I’m happy to have you here today.

2. No cheating.  No googling, other internet searches or looking at other commenter answers.  Yes, we’re going by the honor system

3. Your first answers will be the only ones accepted.

Last week’s Banned Book Quiz here.  Current Leaderboard here.

1. HET RVEAGYADR OKOB – LINE MIGANA – The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

2. ULMP OPSOYK – NATEJ VANVICEOH – Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich

3. KELESNOT WERC – SPHETNE NIKG – Skeleton Crew by Stephen King

4. NOS FO A TWICH – GORYREG GAMRUEI – Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire

5. NA HECO NI ETH NOBE – AANID BALDNOGA – An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

6. OTINGNH TUB STSHOG – HETB TRAPKEH – Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart

7. FINFOC CANRED – FRYJEEF VADERE – Coffin Dancer by Jeffery Deaver

8. GINTHAUN FO LILH USHOE – HIRELYS SACKJON – Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

9. LINGWIL PRITSIS – LISPHYL BEERCHIS – Willing Spirits by Phyllis Schieber

10. WRITREGHOTS – VISTAR RESTHARH – Ghostwriter by Travis Thrasher

Monday Movie Meme – Supernatural

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Feature Presentation…MONDAY MOVIE MEME
Share on your blog favorite movies with those witchy, surreal, psychic or alien happenings, linking back here at The Bumbles.
 
Here are a few that fit the bill.  I’ve listed them in the order I like them best.  And they have something else in common besides today’s theme.  Can you guess what it is?
 
 
These aren’t my absolute favorite supernatural movies, but so many of them have shown up here week after week that I decided to mix things up.  Can you guess the common thread?   I don’t think I made it very hard!
Visit the Bumbles for more supernatural movies.
 

Free Books for October

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In my ongoing quest to keep books moving out and not just in I give away a few books each month.  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.  These have all been read a time or two.

1. The Prize by Julie Garwood.  mass market romance.  B&N review.  for Linda B

2. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway.  mass market classic.  This copy is from college so it has some markings in it.  B&N review.  for Sarah E

3. Fortunate Harbor by Emilie Richards. ARC trade paperback.  B&N review.  for Misha

4. Contemporary American Short Stories. trade paperback. Never been read.  B&N review.  for Carol M

Happy Reading!

September’s 5 Word Movie Reviews

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So, September was a very slow month for movies.  It was a slow month for everything.  Sleeping is taking more time than usual and trying to get things done before baby comes is a priority.  We’ll see what happens this month!  It’s possible that baby could come a few days early and be an October baby, like me 🙂

If you’ve seen any of the movies leave me your 1-5 words in the comments and I’ll add them to the post.  Or, if you are feeling ambitious and want to do this on your own blog leave me a link in the comments and I’ll add it to the bottom of the post.   Of course,  you can always just comment.

(1988. Cast- Ilan Mitchell-Smith, John Glover, Wallace Langham, Doug Hutchinson)   Grade B

Teen Bullies Cruelty. Different Ending.

(1955. Cast- Katharine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi)      Grade B-

Love Affair with Venice Continues.

Bittersweet affair in breathtaking Venice. (Stephanie)

The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss

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Cover ImageFinished 9-28-10, rating 4.5/5, fiction, pub. 2005

The floorboards creaked under my weight.  There were books everywhere.  There were pens, and a blue glass vase, an ashtray from the Dolder Grand in Zurich, the rusted arrow of a weather vane, a little brass hourglass, sand dollars on the windowsill, a pair of binoculars, an empty wine bottle that served as a candle holder, wax melted down the neck.  I touched this thing and that.  At the end, all that’s left of you are your possessions, Perhaps that’s why I’ve never been able to throw anything away.  Perhaps that’s why I hoarded the world: with the hope that when I died, the sum total of my things would suggest a life larger than the one I lived.

“Die Laughing” chapter

Leo Gursky, a man who escaped the Nazis in Poland before following the love of his life to New York City, is staring a lonely death in the face.  He has one friend, he makes a scene when in public so that people will remember him, and he is willing to embarrass himself just to be seen.  He is alone, the love of his life is dead and his son doesn’t know he exists.  Leo is full of wit and wisdom and sadness.  I just wanted to give him a hug.

Alma Singer is a girl who wants to know who her namesake is.  Her dead father had given her mother a book, The History of Love, and the woman in it, Alma, represented all women.  Young Alma’s search for the author provides the catalyst and the mystery for this original novel. 

The language is beautiful and the story bittersweet.  It is both funny and confusing, touching and depressing.  It came close to being perfect for me and I loved it.  It is very difficult to describe, but pick it up and take a look.  It may be just the unique voice you are looking for.

This is from my personal library and chosen by Vasilly, Heather, Mille, Alita, and Wendy.  Here’s what they had to say…

“Best book ever. Really. Please, please tell me this came from your Holiday Book Blogger Santa? I might cry otherwise.”  Mille (my very sweet Secret Santa :))

“You want to dig deeper into the book as you read.”  Vasilly

Banned Book Quiz

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It’s Banned Book Week.  Can you guess these 10 most challenged books of 2009?  10 points each (5 points title, 5 points author. You have until Thursday at midnight to submit your answers as a comment.  I hide your answers until then.

Here are the rules… 1. Open to everyone.  Play once or every week, that’s okay.  I’m happy to have you here today.

2. No cheating.  No googling, other internet searches or looking at other commenter answers.  Yes, we’re going by the honor system

3. Your first answers will be the only ones accepted.

Last week’s Stephen King Adaptation Quiz here.  Current Leaderboard here.

1. This four letter title is the first of the Internet Girl series and has been challenged for nudity, offensive language, being sexually explicit, and drugs. ttyl by Lauren Myracle

2. This children’s book is based on the true story of two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo who were given an egg to raise.  Banned for homosexuality.  And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson

3. First  lines- “August 25, 1991.  Dear Friend, I am writing to you because she said you listen and understand and didn’t try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have.”   The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

4. This beloved classic novel and film makes the list because of racism and offensive language.  My cat is named after the pint-sized heroine 🙂  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

5. Not only do many teen girls love this book, first of a very popular series of books and movies, their mothers do too.  This same author took one of my favorite girls names off our possibility list (Bree) by splashing it across the cover of her latest book 😦  Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

6. This classic made antihero Holden Caulfield a household name in the 1950’s.  The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

7. “When I was little, the great mystery to me wasn’t how babies were made, but why.”  So begins this tear jerker, often challenged for  being sexist, homosexuality, sexually explicit, drugs, suicide, violence, and offensive language.  My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

8. This YA book features Virginia, a high school sophomore who lives by the Fat Girl Code of Conduct.  Often challenged for offensive language and being sexually explicit.  The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

9. “You better not never tell nobody but God.  It’d kill your mammy.” First lines of this classic.  The Color Purple by Alice Walker

10. Jerry refuses to participate in the school’s chocolate sale and the Vigils make him pay the price in this popular school reading list book.  The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier