Already Home by Susan Mallery

June 21, 20169 Comments

Already Home. Finished 3-29-16, rating 4.25/5, women’s fiction, pub. 2011

Unabridged audio read by Teri Clark Linden. 10 hours 33 minutes.

After nearly a decade as a sous-chef in a trendy eatery, and fresh off a divorce from the owner, Jenna Stevens is desperate for a change. So when she spots a for-lease sign in her hometown, she impulsively decides to open her very own cooking store. Her crash course in business is aided by a streetwise store manager and Jenna’s adoptive mother. But as soon as she gains a foothold in her new life, in walk her birth parents—aging hippies on a quest to reconnect.

Now Jenna must figure out how to reconcile the free-spirited Serenity and Tom with the parents who raised her and decide whether to open her heart to a man who just might be the best thing to happen to her in years. All without sacrificing her newly found dreams. In the end, Jenna will find that there is no perfect family, only the people we love.… from Goodreads

I went in expecting a romance, and while this did have the feel of romance, it was so much more than that. Jenna (I’ve always loved that name) has been left by a jerk of a husband and decides to go home and on a whim buys retail space for a cooking store, with no retail experience or plan at all. Her first order of business was hiring the most interesting character in the book, Violet, and the two of them form a successful business and friendship.

Jenna enjoyed a close and loving relationship with her parents and had no interest in finding her real parents, even after they showed up in her store. The story of two families coming together was sweet and heartwarming. I didn’t always love Jenna, she seemed clueless much of the time, but the cast of characters (especially her half-brother Dragon) made this a fun and touching novel.

If you love reading about family dynamics, especially those with likeable aging hippies, then you should give this one a look.

June Matinee -Me Before You

June 18, 20163 Comments

Last month 57.14% of you voted to watch Me Before You this month for our first Monthly Watchathon.

The movie is based on the bestselling book by JojoMoyes. Sorry I’m getting this up so late, before I left for vacation Genius was winning and that didn’t come out until this weekend.

So, since we’re a little late and you may have seen it and even written about it already, let’s keep it simple. I’m going to offer up a few questions for your post, feel free to answer just one or all.

After you post your review, leave the link in a comment AND add one question to add to mine. I’ll add both to this post.

Questions-

Did you read the book first?

Who was your favorite character in the movie and if you read it too was it different from the book?

In the end, did you understand Will?

I’m off to see the movie tomorrow and then I’ll add my review. I look forward to seeing what you all thought.

Quiz winners!

June 15, 20164 Comments

As the first round of Quizzes comes to a close we have a winner

Nise from Under the Boardwalk who wins an $18 B&N gift card

and another winner

Tara from Tales of a Book Addict who was the randomly selected winner and will receive a small bookish prize from me soon.

Congratulations 🙂

Thank you all for participating. Starting next week, Wednesdays will be home to my new Movie Meme and Movie Watch posts. Quizzes will most likely return this fall.

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

June 13, 201611 Comments

Eligible. Finished 5-15-16, rating 4/5, romance, 492 pages, pub. 2016

A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice

This version of the Bennet family—and Mr. Darcy—is one that you have and haven’t met before: Liz is a magazine writer in her late thirties who, like her yoga instructor older sister, Jane, lives in New York City. When their father has a health scare, they return to their childhood home in Cincinnati to help—and discover that the sprawling Tudor they grew up in is crumbling and the family is in disarray.

Youngest sisters Kitty and Lydia are too busy with their CrossFit workouts and Paleo diets to get jobs. Mary, the middle sister, is earning her third online master’s degree and barely leaves her room, except for those mysterious Tuesday-night outings she won’t discuss. And Mrs. Bennet has one thing on her mind: how to marry off her daughters, especially as Jane’s fortieth birthday fast approaches.

Enter Chip Bingley, a handsome new-in-town doctor who recently appeared on the juggernaut reality TV dating show Eligible. At a Fourth of July barbecue, Chip takes an immediate interest in Jane, but Chip’s friend neurosurgeon Fitzwilliam Darcy reveals himself to Liz to be much less charming. . . .

And yet, first impressions can be deceiving. from Goodreads

I read this book for book club and, as luck would have it, Curtis spoke at a local library a week before our meeting. She was funny and charming and those of us that attended really liked her. I waited until after meeting her to start reading the book and am glad I did. She stressed that this was a fun ‘romp’ not an exact retelling of Pride & Prejudice. This helped frame the book and that description was used a few times at our book group meeting. Everyone really liked it. Here I am with Curtis…

As for the story itself, it was good, but I did have one major issue from the beginning. Elizabeth had spent most of her adult life involved with a married man. It just didn’t mesh with my vision of Lizzie and it took me a while to get past it. Sittenfeld did a good job of making Pride & Prejudice ultra modern. She took on hoarding, reality tv, artificial insemination, transgenders. Hardly a current hot button issue not included.

There was chemistry between Liz & Darcy, and Liz’s family was something to behold. A modern, beach romp for sure and P&P fans will enjoy visiting with old friends.

Sundays (or a week) with Gage at Kiawah Island, South Carolina

June 12, 2016December 27, 20168 Comments

We travelled by car with my parents down to Kiawah Island Golf & Tennis Resort so that Jason could spend 2+ hours playing tennis with the club pros everyday, as part of his 40th birthday gift. Kiawah is an interesting place. I didn’t realize before we went that it was a popular alligator hang out spot. These signs were everywhere on the island…

We saw three in our time there, one in the water on the golf course! Needless to say I was cautious when walking by myself or with just me and Gage.

On the drive down we spent a few hours in Charleston. I would’ve liked more so maybe we’ll have to plan a second trip.

Gage wanted his picture taken with EVERY cannon in Battery Park, but I fell in love with the trees.

We had some lunch at the Southend Brewery & Smokehouse and headed for the pier where Gage found this fountain…. Our time in Charleston was fun, but too short.

Kiawah Island was lovely (sans the alligators) and we had a relaxing week staying in one of the villas. Gage built sandcastles on the beach, swam with Daddy, and just chilled out.

The restaurants on the island were all great and able to handle Gage’s allergy restrictions. Jason and I went out for a date on our last night there and this was out pre-dinner spot. Not bad, right?

If we are friends on Facebook you probably saw that Gage had some carsickness both coming and going but this was the backseat when we were almost home from the long drive…so the trip was a success 🙂

Now on to trying to catch up with seven days of responsibility neglect!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

June 3, 20162 Comments

The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Finished 5-13-16, rating 3.25/5, YA, pub. 1999

Unabridged audio read by Noah Galvin. 6.25 hours

Charlie is a freshman.

And while he’s not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can’t stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

This is a book that has been embraced as a modern YA classic and for good reason. Charlie is a naïve, but insightful, high school freshman who is quite a loner after losing his best friend and he took a leap of faith in befriending Sam and Patrick, older and more worldly students. Charlie fits into their circle of friends because he is older and wiser than his years, even if he tends to cry and become flustered easily.

The book is a series of letters written to a virtual stranger over the course of the year. It masterfully touches on many serious problems that kids are dealing with, like suicide, abuse, sex, sexuality, abortion, drugs. I think this book would speak to mature teens and start much needed conversations. I liked Charlie but, maybe because I listened to this in too many sessions too far apart, I was ready for it to be over, hence the average rating. I honestly think that’s just me because, looking back, I really have no complaints.

I’m interested in watching the movie, mainly because I’d like to see Emma Watson as Sam.

A look back, June 2010

June 2, 2016June 2, 20165 Comments

In January I began a Kay inspired Bookish Nostalgia feature that I call A look back. I’m revisiting my 2010 blogging life and see what was going on. So far, this has been a lot of fun! If you care to revisit your own blog in June 2010 and want to share your favorite post, I’ll add it here.

I posted a respectable 22 times. I wrote a half-year round up where I lamented only having read 44 books, lol (I’m currently at 23). I posted 3 quizzes (one of which I reposted yesterday), 3 Monday Movie Memes, listed 9 giveaway winners, wrote about my favorite film #12 Four Weddings and a Funeral, and reviewed 7 books! I posted a Baby-to-Be Update that on any other month would have been my favorite post, but not this month. Why? Well, Jason and I took a trip to France to visit friends 🙂

My favorite Book– Black Water by T Jefferson Parker

Merci is a homicide detective with her eyes on the sheriff’s office someday. This will be hard since decisions made a year ago (in Red Light) have alienated her from half of the police force of Los Angeles. When a case comes in about a probable murder-attempted suicide involving a fellow officer Merci is reluctant to believe the officer guilty, even though evidence points in his direction. When the officer survives, but with bullet parts littering his brain, the case becomes more complicated since he remembers little to nothing about the crime and what he does remember may or may not be true.

My favorite post and my favorite pics will combine. Read all about our France trip. We visited friends in Lyon here and went on to Paris here. In a fun self challenge, I chose 6 favorite photos from the ones I posted.

Since it’s French open time this one is fitting! Being there was a thrill.

Pere-Lachaise Cemetery was perfection and a who’s who of famously deceased. We only had an hour or two but I could have easily spent a whole day there.

I still remember the breathtaking thrill of standing in the Sainte-Chapelle, built in the 1200’s.

Lyon from above.

Gorgeous French countyside.

Have you been to France? Share your pics! Looking at these posts has made me want to make another trip!

Retro Dr. Seuss Quiz – guessing closed

June 1, 2016June 13, 20168 Comments

This will be the last quiz for the summer. I’ll be spending as much time as I can entertaining my KINDERGARTNER! He graduates from Pre-K today, where he has been with much of the same staff for three years and I anticipate some tears (mine, not his).

This quiz is from June 2010 and you just need to guess the Seuss titles.

No Googling or looking at other commenter answers. Yes, we’re going by the honor system Play every week or just one time, you are always welcome 🙂 It only takes once to be eligible for a prize.

Leave your guesses as a comment. Good luck!!

1-Happy Birthday to You 2-The Sneeches and Other Stories 3-Oh, the Places You’ll Go 4-Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories 5-And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street 6-Dr. Seuss’ Sleep Book 7-Horton Hears a Who 8-How the Grinch Stole Christmas 9-Daisy-Head Mayzie 10-The Lorax

May’s movies

May 31, 2016April 8, 20174 Comments

Please tell me if you saw anything worth seeing this month!

Another month and another chance to contribute money to charity. 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 $.

I hope that you will take a few minutes to participate when you can each month. It’s fun for me and for everyone else who reads it. I’m not looking for a critical review, just a few words about how you felt about the movie. This is ongoing so you can leave your 5 words anytime.

The Nice Guys, 2016 (Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice,Margaret Qualley, Matt Bomer, Keith David, Kim Basinger) Grade B+

The trailer captures the vibe 🙂

Minions, 2015 (Voices-Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Alison Janney) Grade B

Villain lovers save the day.

Captain Ameica:Civil War, 2016 (Chris Evans, Rober Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremey Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd) Grade B

No shortage of fighting superheroes.

June Movie Watch-a-thon Choices

May 25, 20166 Comments

Okay, movie peeps, let’s vote on something we’d all like to watch in the theaters in June. I’ll post my thoughts at the beginning of the month with some discussion questions. When you write your post I’ll figure out how to use Mr. Linky (seriously, someone may have to walk me through that) so we can share. I have a few ideas on how to keep the conversation going that I’ll address in that first post, but for now we need to vote on a movie.

I hope that you’ll vote for the movie that you are most likely to watch and write a post on, but I understand that life happens and I don’t want there to be (too much) pressure. For this first month, let’s keep it bookish. Next month I’ll have new and old movie options 🙂

Me Before You (based on bestselling book by Jojo Moyes)

Me Before You Poster Young and quirky Louisa “Lou” Clark (Emilia Clarke) moves from one job to the next to help her family make ends meet. Her cheerful attitude is put to the test when she becomes a caregiver for Will Traynor (Sam Claflin), a wealthy young banker left paralyzed from an accident two years earlier. Will’s cynical outlook starts to change when Louisa shows him that life is worth living. As their bond deepens, their lives and hearts change in ways neither one could have imagined.

Cast: Emilia Clarke,Sam Claflin,Janet McTeer,Charles Dance,Matthew Lewis,Stephen Peacocke,Jenna Coleman,Brendan Coyle

Genius

Genius Poster Renowned editor Maxwell Perkins (Colin Firth) develops a friendship with author Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law) while working on the writer’s manuscripts.

Cast: Colin Firth,Jude Law,Nicole Kidman,Laura Linney,Guy Pearce,Dominic West,Vanessa Kirby,

Septembers of Shiraz (based on a novel by Dalia Sofer)

Septembers of Shiraz Poster After creating a prosperous life in Iran, a Jewish family may be forced to abandon everything as a revolution looms on the horizon.

Cast: Adrien Brody,Salma Hayek-Pinault,Shohreh Aghdashloo,Ariana Molkara,Alon Aboutboul,Anthony Azizi,Navid Navid,Armin Amiri

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