Saturday, March 31, 2012
Beatles Talk
I saw this on blogland this morning - sooo cute. You do need to have the volume up, for it to make sense.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
What I Thought I Knew - Alice Eve Cohen
I read about this little book on Blogland, and got it out from the library on Monday, and started it Monday night at 11pm and had it finished by an hour and a half later, ready for sleep time.
In this memoir we meet Alice, who at age forty four is finally settled in her life. With a new partner after a divorce, a job teaching and a loved daughter she finds herself with bloating and abdominal pain. Visits to various doctors are unable to find the cause, and so she is sent for a CT scan, where it is found that she is six months pregnant.
With no prenatal care, multiple risk factors and minimal health insurance it becomes difficult to find a doctor to take on her care. Then with a varied diagnoses of problems with the baby, we get to follow Alice along with all of her choices and questions regarding the birth, adoption, abortion, marriage. breast feeding and family life.
I enjoyed this little book, as she is honest and open to talking about all the crazy questions that must come up when you are surprised by a late pregnancy, especially when you are told you are infertile.
4/5
Monday, March 26, 2012
Music Monday - Adele "I'll Be Waiting"
I saw Adele interviewed on the tele last week. What a lovely girl and an amazing voice that sounds better live than on the CDs. Can't say that about many other artists, especially all the lipsinking band of girls - bluhh.
I'd buy tickets to see her if she toured. There aren't many artists I would like to see - but I would have to think Adele would be my number 1.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Shoe Sunday
Anyways these cuties are from Topshop and are 25 pounds each. There is free shipping if you spend 100 pounds, so four pairs would be a good deal for next summer, or if you live somewhere hot, they would be perfect for right now.
Good to see some cute flat summer shoes, hidden away between all the crazy high heels that no one can walk in.
Your Voice in My Head - Emma Forrest
Emma Forrest moves to New York at 22 to be a journalist, and finds herself in a series of bad relationships and dwindling self esteem. Bouts of bulima, cutting and suicide attempts put her under the psychiatric care of Dr R,
Unaware of his illness, she is suprised to read an email from Dr Rs brother in law announcing his death. This sends her on another downward spiral as she seeks alternative care and guidence.
In the end though, I was just annoyed with the girl. I didn't find her story a fairy tale or romantic. It was just sad and confused, and she was lucky that she could function with all of her issues. She was lucky to be able to hold a well paid job, and maybe a lot of her success was due to a celebrity relationship that kept her in the public eye.
2/5
Lone Wolf - Jodi Picoult
I was looking at a few reviews of Jodi Picoults books on Goodreads, and was surprised at the backlash of lots of people who haven't enjoyed her books. I understand they're not for everybody, but I was suprised at the amount of venom injected in some reviews.
I must admit to loving The Pact and The Plain Truth, but then she kind of fell out of flavour with me. I do like the family part of the story, but the lawyer/court part sort of drags on and I could do without it, as the stronger part of the story is always about the main characters reacting with each other.
In Lone Wolf, a father and daughter are involved in a road traffic accidents that results in the father Luke Warren with a head injury and in an extended coma. Cara Warren, is 17 and looked after her father for six years, but has been injured herself in the accident, resulting in surgery and pain relief. Hearing of the accident, her estranged brother, Edward returns from where he is teaching in Thailand to help look after the family. After doctors describe the poor prognosis for their father, they find it difficult to agree on how they precede with their care.
In the back of the story, we hear about the lives of wolves as Luke Warren has spent the past few decades living in the wild with a wolf family and looking after a pack in captive care. He learns their ways and becomes accepted by the wolves, but is away from his own family much of the time, and is not sure anymore where he fits. I liked this storyline, and did wonder why the family did not refer to it more often. If your father was a man who lived outside, loved the wild - he would hate to be trapped in a hospital bed - he would want to be free.
I liked the story, but I like hospital tales and feel like this is a discussion more families should have. Should talk about what they would want to happen to them, what they would want their family to do in similar circumstances. 4/5
MWF Seeking BFF - Rachel Bertsche
At first I thought this book was a bit American look at me story, but once I got through the beginning chapters I began to enjoy the journey. Rachel is newly married and moves with her husband from New York to Chicago. Once there, she finds herself without a best friend, someone she can just ring and ask out at short notice. So she gives herself a year and goes on a friend hunt.
Trying to use any opportunity to make friends, she decides to search many avenues to finding new girlfriends, which comes across much like dating and finding a man. I thought it was a bit silly, but speaking to some girls at work in similar circumstances, I think many people find it hard as they get older to make new friends. We all have lots of acquaintances, but it is so much harder to find a friend that you want to share secrets with, or can rely on in a crisis.
So for that I think it is worth a 4/5.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Sunday, March 18, 2012
My Week with Marilyn - Colin Clark
I was glad that with this one that I had seen the movie first, which is often the wrong way round, but the story was much the same, except I think that the movie captured the youth of the author in a much fresher clearer way.
It is the true tale of Colin Clark, a young privledged young man who works for Sir Laurence Olivier on his production with Marilyn Monroe in the late 50s. As an assistant on the film, he finds himself becoming more involved with Ms Monroe, evetually spending a lost week with her.
Short and sweet, it an interesting glimpse of the crazy world surrounding this amazing woman.
3/5
Summer Daydreams - Carole Matthews
The one benefit to the flu fairy visiting is not feeling guilty about lazing around in bed reading, instead of doing gardening or other chores. However, this bug hasn't really let me concentrate on much. I had begun this one earlier in the week, and was looking forward to being able to get stuck in.
It is the rather simplistic story of Nelle, who works in the local fish and chip shop. She dreams of bigger things and after a failed attempt at college, she sets up business making handbags.
You can guess what happens, stuggles and rip offs start, will she stay with her partner, will she ignore her daughter, will she find happiness and will she become rich?
It was ok - I just felt a bit cheated as it felt a bit of an old chick flick story, one I feel I had read before. 2/5
Shoe Sunday
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Crazy Stupid Love
Ahhh the dreaded dromedy (drama/comedy), where the movie tries to be both funny and serious, which for me always falls flat in one area. I had picked this one for a weekend movie night, but the flu fairy thought to visit me for Friday - so lucky. So popcorn was off the menu, as my throat felt like sandpaper. Instead it was tissues and a lemon drink on the couch.
Steve Carrell plays a middle aged father, whose wife has decided that their marriage is over. After only being with one woman, he decides to enter the bar scene, and needs a bit of guidence from his new wingman, Ryan Gosling. I enjoyed the other actors Julienne Moore and Emma Roberts are always entertaining to watch.
It was a 3/5 - I was mildly entertained, but not over excited by this one.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Lake of Sorrows - Erin Hart
I know I have read the series out of order, reading book one then three and now this one, the second story about Dr Nora Gavin who digs bog bodies. I enjoyed this one for the most part, as the stories around the bodies they find buried in the bogs are interesting.
The ending though for me was a bit of a disapointment, I hate when the main character is attacked/trapped/tortured/imprisioned by the baddie. It just annoys me, you don't hear of that happening in real cases.
Still parts of it were gripping and I like the Nora/Cormac relationship that is brewing. 3/5
Monday, March 12, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Keep Calm and Carry On
I saw this one on http://www.blogography.com/ today. Such a sweet little movie, it bought tears to my eyes. Keep Calm and Carry On.
Shoe Sunday
Friday, March 09, 2012
Thursday, March 08, 2012
My Week with Marilyn
Tonight we went to see this movie as a fundraiser for Dress for Success, so the cinema was filled with lots of chatty middle aged women, the perfect audience for this movie.
We didn't expect to get sucked in by Michelle Williams as Marilyn, but she did a great job, reminding us in lots of moments of the luminescent beauty of Miss Monroe. She certainly earned her Oscar nomination.
So this is the story of Colin, who decides he wants to work in the movies, and ends up assisting Laurence Olivier as he makes a movie in London with Marilyn Monroe. Starting off as a gofer, Colin then ends up becoming an essential friend and spending a memorable week with the lovely actress.
Wonderful to see all these talented UK faces in this movie. Perfect to sit in the cinema with a glass of bubbles like us - oh except for the 4.9 earthquake we had in the middle of the movie (we're ok - it was just a shake).
4/5
11.22.63 - Stephen King
It has probably been a good decade and a half since I picked up a Stephen King novel. I'm not a big fan of the brick book either, as I hate wading through long drawn out stories with page after page describing the landscapes or boring conversations. But, I left my prejudices at the door and decided to embark on this new book after reading a few reviews.
Jake is an ordinary high school teacher who gets the opportunity to travel back in time to 1958. Based with knowledge given to him by a friend who discovered the portal to the past, and research from the current time, he becomes focused on stopping Lee Harvey Oswald killing President Kennedy.
On the way he meets a wide variety of characters, and in this brick of a story, sometimes there is too much time spent on some of them. I found some areas of the book drawn out and too many pages spent describing people and places, and then other areas rushed over. Sooo many pages to read to get to the end, and then the last chapters that deliver the real punch of the story are short and quick.
Still I did rush to pick up my Kindle and keep reading and I did feel sucked into the story. For that it is worth a 4/5.
Q's Legacy - Helene Hanff
I loved 84 Charing Cross Road, it still remains one of my favorite books and the story still touches me to this day. This book, is the story of the influences of Helene Hanff and her writing, and the impact the publication of 84 had on her life.
She lived a pretty modest life, living in a studio apartment most of her adult life, and only making it to London after Frank Dole had died, which made me tearful. She is a talented writer and I enjoyed this little tome, it made me want to search out a copy of 84, and see if I can get a copy of the DVD movie.
3/5
Not Buying It - Judith Levine
Judith and her partner spend a year, trying to buy only the essentials and not spend any money on clothes, books, movies etc. `A great idea, and it gives you lots of interesting ideas to ponder. For me, I have wardrobes and cupboards already full to the brim, yet it is addictive to head off to the shops and look for more stuff. In the end though, it all feels overwelming.
After moving last year, I realised that I didn't need so much stuff and gave lots to the charity shops and tried to trim down. I have also tried to avoid the shops at weekends, although internet shopping is very tempting.
Worth a read if you are thinking of cutting back, and saing a few bucks. 3/5
Monday, March 05, 2012
Sunday, March 04, 2012
Shoe Sunday
Saturday, March 03, 2012
One Day On Earth
One Day on Earth - Global Screening Trailer from One Day on Earth on Vimeo.
I hate that reality TV is soo not reality. We seldom get to see a vision of realistic real people on TV or in movies, just plastic Barbie and Ken doll looks. I like real faces, and real stories, and I spied this on blogland tonight. A movie about One Day on Earth - stories from 10.10.10. Beautiful.
When She Woke - Hillary Jordan
Hannah Payne lives in the future, and after being caught having an abortion, she is punished by being chromed. Waking up, all of her skin has been turned bright red, letting everyone know of her crime and making her isolated and scorned by all, including her family.
Once she begins to fend for herself, Hannah begins to question her religous upbringing, her faith, her past relationship and finds new friendships and experiences. It was this part of the book that I found the most interesting, the development of her character and growth. The world isn't always black and white, and she begins to see lots of grey.
A 4/5 for this first of the autumn reads.
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