Best of 2018 - Books and Movies

I managed a good solid 106 books read in 2018, and these are the outstanding ones, the ones I will remember.  The Last Girl by Nadia Murad,  Nadia won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 for telling her story about being kidnapped from her home by Islamic State and the abuse she endured.  Harrowing, and hard to read, but an amazing story that is hard to believer this occurred in our modern world. 

Circe - just amazing story of a witch Circe, who is banished to a remote island in Greece in the time of heroes, gods and nymphs.  Easy to read and like one long poem.  It made me want to learn about classical Greek stories.  Almost.

Every Note Played is one of Lisa Anthonys finest books.  Richard Evans is a concert player whose world changes drastically with the diagnosis of  ALS.  I cried at the end and could still tear up thinking about the story.

With the End In Mind.  If like me you are a mega fan of Atul Gawandes Being Mortal, this is the companion piece to that.  Everyone should read it. 

The Tattooist of Auschwitz -  although this is a fiction book, the saddest part is that it is based on truth and my heart just broke to read this story.  As the distance from WWll increases, I find these stories more and more compelling.  The hardships that these people endured are truly almost impossible for us to comprehend in our lazy lifestyles. 


2018 was the year of the flu for me, and post viral coughing has excluded me from the cinema from August.  I have got rid of my cough and then my bestie has been snuffling away from October.  The ones that have stuck with me are A Quiet Place - a scary movie about monsters who track you down if you make any noise.  Science Fair was one I saw at the Film Festival and follows a group of international high school students who attend the International Science Fair.  I was blown away by their brilliance and work ethics and it makes me less scared of the future.  Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri - just when I was getting a bit bored with dramas, I thought this one was a stunner. 

So Happy New Years to you all and wishing you a healthy and happy New Years and all the best for 2019!!!

Dark Sacred Night - Michael Connelly

This feels like the handing over of the torch.  From Detective  Harry Bosch, who after a lifetime in police he is now entering a forced retirement to Renee Ballard, who has been banished to the graveyard shift after complaining about harassment by her boss.  In this new book, they meet up to work a cold case of a young girl killed in strange circumstances years earlier.

Michael Connelly is one of those authors who shows up and delivers in his books with good pacing and quick and believable banter, and somehow manages to suck me into a story within a page or two.  A good way to end 2018. 4/5

Middle Aged Lady Movie Night - Blockers

I went into this one thinking it was the typical American comedy that started with two funny jokes, then tried to turn serious and just got boring.  It surprised me by actually being pretty consistent throughout and one that both teenagers and parents would be amused with.  It is basically the story of three parents who try and stop their three daughters losing their virginity on prom night.

In a modern day of texts and cell phones, it modernizes an age old comedy scenario and I did laugh out loud at a couple of scenes.   4/5

Best Foot Forward - Adam Hills

Adam Hills is an Aussie comedian that always makes me smile when I capture his routine on the television, and on a few chat shows that I have seen him on.  Based in the UK, he pops up on Live at the Apollo and other shows that are broadcast here.  I saw him interviewed on tv about his book, and was pleased to see it sitting on the library shelves.

He writes mainly about growing up in Australia, a quiet life as he felt a bit isolated due to his prosthetic foot.  Working in Radio and on tv his dream was to be a comedian like the comics he heard with his dad.  His experiences meeting Billy Connelly were pure gold. 4/5

Becoming The Supervet - Noel Fitzpatrick

It is always interesting to read a book like this, about someone who has had a lifelong passion for what they do.  Noel Fitzpatrick was a bit of a lonely boy growing up on a rural Irish farm, who develops an persona of Vetman - someone who protects and looks after all animals.  He has gone on to specialize in Neuro and Ortho cases, to develop new procedures and new prosthetics for animals, lecture in the UK and Us and open his own hospital, as well as appearing in The Supervet on television.

As I've got older I can't watch many shows about animals being in pain, but have watched a couple of his shows and you have to admire his dedication to trying to do the best for the dogs and cats and people he looks after.   I didn't realize until I had read the book that he is trying to integrate the sharing of information and techniques between human and animal medicine.  4/5

Music Monday The Fairytale of New York - The Pogues

Well it is finally Christmas Eve here in the city.  Lucky old me has to work right through this week, and after coming off of night shift last week, I have only had about 3 hours of overnight sleep at the weekend, so will be fast asleep by the time Santa arrives.  I love this song and enjoy that it has become such a classic over the years. I was lucky that  I got to sing along to The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl singing it live in London in the 90s at a music festival I went to.  Lucky old me.

Merry Christmas Everybody!!

Coming Soon - Well Maybe Next Year

It's looking like there will be a good collection of movies to see in 2019.  Or wait for them to come out and watch them at home.  Hopefully 2019 will not follow 2018 - the year of the 3 month cough which put me into quarantine and restricted me from going to see movies, lest I disturb the other customers.

Middle Aged Lady Night At the Movies - Breathe

Ahh a Saturday night on the couch again.  I got this one on itunes and had 12 hours left before I lost my money (99 cents), so thought I had better watch it.  I had wanted to see it at the cinema when it was out, but for a variety of reasons I missed it. 

Breathe is based on the true life story of Robin Cavendish, a disability campaigner who sort to make life better for so many, who were restricted to living in hospitals due to their needs for respiratory support.  After an attack of Polio, Robin has to rely on a ventilator to breathe for his, and this tells of his story, his life with a loving wife and son, and the support of many friends.

It was a sweet story and better than I had expected, and I must admit to a tear in my eye at the end.  4/5

I'll Be There For You - Kelsey Miller

Look, I'm not sure if this is the definitive book about the history about the TV show Friends, and the cultural phenomenon that it became.  I think, that is the authors experience of it, a woman now in her thirties that grew up with it on tele, but rediscovered it more in reruns.  I sort of feel my own experience is a bit more relevant, as I watched them all weekly, the old school way when we had to wait a whole year after a cliff hanger for the new series, and was the same age as the actresses on screen, wishing that I had their fab New York apartment and life style and haircuts and clothes, and boyfriends.

I think we all fell a bit in love with Friends, and even after years of reruns it still makes me smile, at its silliness and innocence.  I didn't learn a whole lot from the book, most of which I knew already, but it was a quick read. 3/5

The Switch - Joseph Finder

Michael Tanner is having a bit of a tough time.  His wife has moved out and his coffee business is struggling to bring in new clients, and the bills are building up.  After returning from a work trip, he ends up picking up the wrong laptop at the airport and his troubles are about to get serious. 

Often I find that my enjoyment of a book is linked to being able to visualize the story in my head, and in this one I couldn't help but think it was more like a  movie turned into a novel, with fast paced action scenes.  I am not sure that I fully believed the story and the twists and turns seemed a bit unrealistic to me, but it would make a good movie with a good everyman type of actor in the main role. 4/5

Notes On A Nervous Planet - Matt Haig

Matt Haig has had his own issues dealing with anxiety and depression which he has written about in previous books.  In this book he looks at why rates are rising and affecting so many people around the world and what changes we can all do in our own lives to make things a bit more peaceful.  It is not all yoga and meditation, but doing things that make you happy, putting the phone down, switching the news off, going outside, visiting friends and spending time with pets.  It might all seem sensible stuff, but sometimes we need to be reminded about the importance of taking time for ourselves, and just to breathe and relax.  4/5

Home Body - Joanna Gaines

I could live in every house in this lovely book.  I have only recently discovered Fixer Upper on our local television, and I have to admire both Joanna and Chip Gaines for their enthusiasm and love for each other and their children.  Like all shows of its like, I am sure there is a big team helping out on each renovation, and although led by them it is not something that they do alone.  Joanna Gaines styling though is on point for each and every home I have seen, with a farmhouse rustic touch combined with a modern clean style and I could just step in and happily live in each one.

A book I would happily have on my own shelves and it would make a lovely gift for my friends.  5/5

Music Monday - Little Drummer Boy - David Bowie and Bing Crosby

Christmas Carols are beginning to be played everywhere you go at the moment.  I could do without Snoopys Christmas being played 10 times a day, but do enjoy some of the more traditional songs.  I hadn't seen this one before and enjoyed the combination of both singers.

Becoming - Michelle Obama

Like most of my favorite biographies, Michelle Obamas focuses mainly on her childhood and growing up in a small flat in Chicago, where her father and mother work hard to provide for Michelle and her older brother Craig.  Her eloquence and humor shine through in this book,  and all parts of it were interesting to read, especially as I knew so little of her back story.  From living with a father who had MS, but never took a day off work sick, to piano lessons with the foreboding aunt who lived downstairs, to the young law student who one day had to mentor a young first year law student, to the White House where she tried to raise her two young daughters in as normal a family unit as was possible.  You have to admire her for stepping up and for trying to be as normal as possible, when all eyes were on her, when many were waiting for her to fail.  For trying to make the lives of children better, to get them to eat better, to move more and to work with families of service men and women. 

A great read, that felt like it was written by a friend telling you about their life.  One of my favorite reads of 2018. 5/5

Middle Aged Lady Movie Night - Skyscraper

A Saturday night at home means once the chores are done and dinner served up, it is time to plonk myself down on the couch and watch a cheap movie on the Apple TV while drinking some cold  beverage and chewing on some cheap sweets.

 Not looking for any high brow viewing tonight, I was happy to watch The Rock Dwayne Johnson fling himself round this super high rise that is burning with his family in it.   Being neither a fan of high rises or fire , but an admirer of Dwayne Johnson and disaster movies I felt that this might be one that I might enjoy.  However I found it a bit dull and slightly too formulaic.  It was like the producers had sat in a room and ticked off too many boxes- Asian setting, fit and toned baddies with an accent, injured war hero, super cute kids, action sequences tick, tick, tick.  However  like most modern action movies, they somehow forgot to write a compelling story.  Still watching Dwayne Johnson is always a pleasure.  3/5

Survivor - Harry Borden

A deceptively powerful and moving book, it is primarily a book of portraits that the author took over a period of five years.  Each is a photo of a Holocaust survivor, and each is accompanied by a simple statement from each sitter.  At the back, there is a description of each person - where they grew up, and what they experience during the war, and their life other.  Haunting small stories that made me quite teary, especially the stories from those survivors who were children at the time. 

It is especially poignant as the years go by, as more survivors die and so many of their stories will be lost to read such a book. 5/5

Music Monday - Oh Sherrie - Steve Perry

I stepped into a taxi at midnight the other night after a long and busy shift, and this song started up.  I hadn't heard it in years but it got my toes tapping and I desperately wanted to sing along.  I think I've reached that turning point of enjoying the golden oldies radio station. 

In Pieces - Sally Field

I enjoyed this memoir more than I expected to.  Rather than being the typical celebrity tell all, this is the story of the real Sally Field, the one that grew up with a rather sad childhood, with few friends and a bit neglected by her actress mother, with a step father who bullied and abused.

The little I knew about her came from shows and movies, but I nothing about her background or life.  Primarily this book focuses on her childhood and young adulthood with 2/3 of the story about her life until age 30, and then skimming over the last 40 years.  I did like that it was not full of boring meetings or stories about obscure plays and shows which I am normally left skipping pages to get through. 

I felt she let all of her vulnerability show in this book, describing the times when she was abused by people who should have taken care of her by family members and people she worked for or were in relationships with.  4/5

How We Made

I found a little series tonight on the Guardian website called How We Made.  There are a variety of small articles about how certain songs/tv shows/Magazines/films  were made or inspired.  I enjoyed reading How We Made All Creatures Great and Small and How We Made One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest.  I didn't know that Michael Douglas produced One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, or that it was filmed in a real Mental Hospital with patients used in the movie.  Interesting facts.

Music Monday - Let It All Go - Birdy + Rhodes

I have heard Birdy sing before, she has a lovely voice, but I had never heard of the guy but their voices go nice together.  Dreamy video.

The Other Woman - Sandie Jones

So Emily thinks that life is going to be pretty perfect when she meets handsome Adam.  The only thing is that he has another woman in his life - his mum.

It was an ok read - I enjoyed that it was not too drawn out and long.  I just couldn't help but be annoyed at Emily.  It just seems that who would put up with being treated like that?  I don't know, but I don't think I would be staying in that situation and in the end I was a bit over their story. 3/5

Friday Night

Friday night here at the house of Q and there is no energy to watch a movie tonight.  I have watched the news and Graham Norton and am ready to retire to my bed with the cat and my book.  I did watch this little clip on you tube and it never fails to make me smile and want to watch old movies over again.

Music Monday - Words Are Dead - Agnes Obel

I really do love the tones in Agnes Obels singing, and although it can be a bit difficult to understand what she is singing, it is lovely and gently background music, soothing and haunting at the same time.

The Survivors - Kate Furnivall

This book is set mainly in a Displaced Persons camp directly after the war.  Klara and her 10 year old daughter Alicja are just trying to survive, when Klara spots a face from her past who she knows will cause trouble.

I had trouble believing this story, it seemed a bit disjointed and I couldn't visualize Klara and what she got up to.  I felt like I needed a bit more backstory to understand why she made some of the decisions she did.  She also seemed to push her daughter into some pretty risky situations rather than protect her, and in the end I didn't like her much based on her choices. 

So I struggled a bit to get through this one.  2/5

Ninja Warrior

Oh my goodness I enjoy watching a bit of Australian Ninja Warrior thats on the tele at the moment.  I do have to watch it with my remote on my lap s there is a bit too much chit chat for me.  I don't need backstories or pictures of their family.  I just want to see them do the course.  By the way - I have no interest in doing the show myself.  My bones would snap and I would sink like a bowl of jelly on the first obstacle.

Music Monday - Henry Lee - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

I've always had a love for Nick Cave and his dark goth punk voice, with beautiful lyrics,  and that he always reminds me of a Victorian poet.  I was looking through Ticketmaster the other day and saw that he was touring.  None of my friends would be interested, so I bravely bought myself a solo ticket so that I can go and enjoy the concert.  I have never been to one by myself, and am actually looking forward to the show. 

Middle Aged Lady Movie Night - Mollys Game

Middle Aged Lady Movie Night has happened again.  This means the candles are lit, and the dent is made in the sofa and a movie is chosen.  Best of all it is a 99c special on Apple TV,  much better than spending $17 at the cinema.  I am sad and old now, and quite happy to enjoy the movie by myself at home, rather than getting dragged out to see it at the cinema.  As I seem to have the 200 day cough too, I haven't seen a movie at the theatre since July.

Mollys Games is a story about Molly Bloom, who was a promising young skier who has an accident injuring her spine,  finds herself in Los Angeles working as a waitress and an assistant to a guy who organizes Poker games with his friends every week, which he asks her to help run.   She then ends up running high end games with sports stars, actors, rappers and heads of business, taking in lots of money. 

Jessica Chastain is pretty mesmerizing in the lead role, I think she does a stellar job of making a pretty boring topic watchable.  I have no understanding of card games no matter how many times people have explained to me over the years, I have no head for remembering the rules or what cards have been played and gambling has no appeal to me whatsoever.

Then combining card games with law/court stuff makes it even more of a downer for me, two of the most boring combinations that I could think of it.  It is redeemed somewhat by having Idris
Elba as her lawyer,  and the combination of both of them working together made it a 3/5 for me.

Mind That Child - Dr Simon Rowley

I am a bit of a sucker for a medical memoir, and this one comes from NZ Dr Simon Rowley, a Consultant Pediatrician working in Auckland,New Zealand.  This one works well, combining stories about his own upbringing, his education, marriage and role as a father with stories of his patients and families.  He comes across as the type of doctor that we should admire, knowledgeable, sensible and open to learning from the families that he looks after.  4/5

Music Monday - Beneath Your Beautiful - Labrinth

This is one of those songs that I hear lots and always stop to listen when it is playing as it is so beautiful.  We could all use with a bit more beauty in our week -especially on a Monday.

Origin Story - David Christian

                                                                    

This is one of those books that makes me realize that some people are incredibly smart, and in turn makes me aware of how little I understand. Origin Story is indeed the big history of everything as described in the title. It takes us out into space 13.8 billion years ago and describes what happens as the big bang brings our little earth into being, and how the beginnings of our planet and then live itself evolved. 

I have to confess that a lot of it was still over my head, but it was an interesting journey reading about how we came to be and our tiny little space in the universe. 4/5

Always Look On The Bright Side of Life - Eric Idle

Eric Idle is one fifth of the Monty Pythons Flying Circus, a group of comedians that started performing in the 1960s at University and went on to provide the now famous tv series from 1969- 1974.  In his biography we get to learn mainly about his young adult years, writing for other comedians and then his own group.  At the time their style of comedy was original and controversial, but became hugely popular in the UK and through out the world.

After the series finished there came several movies, and it was interesting to read about the development of these, namely Monty Python and the Holy Grail and The Life of Brian.  He certainly has led an interesting life, and with a large group of friends being from the entertainment world, his stories are littered with his friendships with George Harrison, Robin Williams, Billy Connolly as well as many others.  He came across as genuine and likable, and I think like all good biographies I enjoy the ones like this, that aren't too long and boring, and  where like Eric they have a huge love for their family. 4/5

Music Monday - Sunshine on Leith - The Proclaimers

I was lucky and got to see the Proclaimers play at a festival in London in the mid nineties.  You can't help but sing along to their songs, even if their accents can be a bit hard to understand at times.  Anyway I have heard they are playing here next year, and I have got my friends organized to join me in seeing them.   I'm excited.

The Love That I Have - James Moloney

This book is the first I have read by this Australian author, who usually writes childrens novels.   Although this one is aimed at adults, it felt like a young adults novel.  It centers around  Margot Baumann, who leaves school to take up her sisters job in the mailroom at a prison in the second world war.  As she collects the letters and reads some of them she realizes that the prisoners are real people with dreams and feelings of love, and one in particular touches her and she seeks out his letters as they are posted.

It was certainly a book written from an original perspective, and Margots story was interesting but I felt at times that it was a little unbelievable.  That she was so naive and unaware of what was going on around her got a little annoying to me.  3/5

A Spark of Light - Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors, and I enjoy most of her books.  This one tackles the subject of abortion and tries to discuss both sides of the argument in a fictional setting, making it a bit of an emotive read.  There are lots of stories presented, from the anti abortion protesters, the clinic doctor, the nurses, patients and police, primarily it is a story about Wren, 15 year old high school student who goes to the clinic with her Aunty Bex to discuss contraception as it is the one clinic in the state that will provide education and support.

All of the stories were compelling, and like most of her books it was easy to get lost in the characters lives.  I struggled though with the structure of the book, as it was written chronologically backwards, which as a tool I could see that it worked by unraveling more of the story as it was told.  I just found it all a bit confusing and this book took me much longer to read than I expected.  3/5

The Mercy

This is a bit of an odd little movie.  It is based on the true story of a weekend sailor Donald Crowhurst who enters a competition in 1968 to win a race to be the first sailor to sail around the world without any stops.  He gets assistance to build an untested boat, and has never sailed out on the ocean before.  After several difficulties early in the race, he stops and records vague readings on his position so that it looks like he is still busy competing.  Then his boat is found abandoned.

I always like Colin Firth, but somehow he looked old, tired and slightly constipated the whole time of this movie.  I guess we are all used to the English movie that is charming and sweet with a happy ending, so I felt a bit let down by this one.  The saving grace I think was that they got the look of the 1960s right, less Austin Powers and more muted palette of 1960s photographs that felt right to me. 2/5

Chocolat

A staycation break gives you the opportunity to laze about and catch up on reading and watching accumulated movies and shows.  My reading ability seems to have lessened, I can't seem to sit and concentrate for hours on end like I used to be able to do.  I can plonk myself in front of the television for hours on end, but find my reading is limited to an hour or so before going to sleep, although often I drop off after 10 minutes or so rather than. 

Chocolat is based on the story of Chocolat, who in the 1880s became popular in Paris as a clown.  Born into slavery in Cuba, he escaped and found fortune and fame appearing in circuses in rural France and Paris.  A beautiful and sensitive portrait, it was mesmerizing to watch the actor Omar Sy perform - there is something so compelling in each scene he is in.  It was a bit shocking to see his treatment by his employers, the police and even his partner.  4/5

Nine Perfect Strangers - Liane Moriarty

9 people gather at a rural Australian retreat to refresh their lives.  Cellphones are turned off and all are hoping in some way to have their lives changed after 10 days of yoga and salads.  Some are here to save their marriages, some to lose weight, others to help grieve, a variety of reasons to escape and regroup.

I did enjoy the first half of the book, but felt the last half was a bit of a letdown.  It felt like the author had a great idea but was unsure of how the story would finish and it all felt a bit overworked to me and turned a bit into silliness, which was a shame.  Not my favorite by Liane Moriarty.   2/5

Music Monday - Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

I work with lots of young people in their early 20s.  It was surprising to find out that many of them didn't know this song, but I guess it is old, and they don't listen to music like many of us older folk did.  Hours of listening to the radio, listening to albums over and over and all the hits played at every party I went to gave me a pretty varied musical education.  I guess for young people now there are lots of different mediums fighting for time to entertain them, and it is a very generational thing.

The Dressmaker

Mmm - this middle aged lady viewer is a bit confused by this one.  Tilly (played by Kate Winslet) returns to the small country town where she grew up in as a young girl called Myrtle, as an adult with her sewing machine in hand.  When she was young, a bully who was taunting her ends dead and she is labeled as a murder and sent away.  Now she is back to find out the truth.

With a group of quirky locals she uses her skills as a dressmaker to make over the local ladies and add a bit of swish to the beige town. 

Kate Winslet is of course gorgeous and I always like her movies, and you can't be sad when you are seeing Liam Hemsworth with his shirt off.  I just found it hard to think of them as the playing the same age in the story.  What could have been a goodish drama just felt a bit over acted and over stylized to me. 2/5

Music Monday - Gloria - Laura Branigan

I was thinking of this song after hearing it on the I, Tonya soundtrack at the weekend.  I wouldn't have heard of it in years, but still knew all the words.  It was released in 1982 and still brings people to the dancefloor - at least us oldies!!

Book Art - Elizabeth Sagan

I found these beautiful pictures on Elizabeth Sagan Instagram.  She uses her book collection to make wonderful shots. 

I'Tonya

I'Tonya is a biographical movie following figure skater Tonya Harding.  From a brutal childhood with an overbearing abusive mother to a marriage as a teenager with an abusive husband, you can't help but admire the portrayal of Tonya by Margot Robbie.  Against all the odds stacked against her, she still managed to rise in the ranks of US figure skaters to be able to skate at the Olympics and was the only US woman to perform two triple axel  jumps in competition.

Of course the main reason she will be remembered, will be for her involvement with the injuring of her competitor Nancy Kerrigan.  I thought they did a great job of keeping the tension throughout the movie, and it rocked along with possibly the best soundtrack I have heard in years.  It actually had real songs that filled the radios throughout the time period, and I was singing along to Gloria and The Chain in my living room.  4/5

I'll Be Gone In the Dark - Michelle McNamara

I guess if you turned this true crime book into a novel, you might walk away from it thinking it unbelievable at the scale of one mans crimes.  I had to give it 5 stars, as I have thought about it often since reading it, although I must say it is a pretty brutal and intense read.  For over 10 years in California there was a series of burglaries, rapes and then murders that terrorized many neighborhoods.  Still unsolved and unlinked until years later, modern forensic evidence and with the ability of teams of people looking over case notes, professionals and amateur sleuths were beginning to recognize the patterns and mo of the attacker.

The author Michelle McNamara ran her own true crime blog and the search for this Golden State Killer became one of her pet projects.  Speaking to many of the investigators and detectives involved in the case as well as victims, she pieces timelines and stories together, searching for clues and evidence using the internet.  Sadly she passed away,  before somebody was arrested for the crimes in 2018 which makes the story all the more intriguing.  5/5

This Is Me - Chrissy Metz

I did actually finish reading this book last week, and at the time I enjoyed reading about Chrissy Metz, the actor who plays daughter Kate Pearson on the hit show This Is Us.  I like the show, and I enjoyed reading her book, although a week later I am struggling to remember a lot about it - although that could be down to my middle aged lady memory.

Most of the book focused on her pretty difficult childhood.  A stepfather that was unsupportive and a mother struggling to bring up her children.  A career where she spent most of her time fighting for jobs for others as an agent, when she was rejected time and time again but still believing in her dream to succeed. 

I was left with the impression of what a nice woman she is, how far she has come and still remains humble.  How by being out and about in her latex dresses and red carpet looks, other girls get to see someone who might look like them.  How being on a hit show - she is not just the joke fat girl - she gets to have real feelings and relationships.  4/5

Music Monday - Everybody - Choir! Choir! Choir!

I'm not a major fan of the Backstreet Boys - I think I was too old when they came out to enjoy a boy band, or it could have just been during a rocker phase.  Still I can see the joy in this song when sung by Choir! Choir! Choir!

Everything I Know About Love - Dolly Aderton

I guess I have to start by saying that I am 20 years older than the target audience for this memoir by Dlly Alderton, a Dating columnist for a UK paper - a modern day career.  Her stories of dating, casual sex and drug taking are peppered by amusing stories although somehow I came away thinking that the author was just a bit spoilt and it she could do with helping out some folks with real problems. 2/5

Paddington 2

Saturday night on the couch seemed a good time to watch a movie.  Paddington 2 was a sweet choice for this middle aged lady viewer.  It was a 99c special, but one I did enjoy more than expected and maybe more than the original movie.  In this story Paddington is looking for a present for his Aunt Lucy.  He comes across a special present that he is sure that she will love, but this means he has to go and earn some money.  I won't give away the whole story, part of the charm is not knowing everything about the story.

A worthy 4/5 for kids and grown ups alike. 

The Post

I saved this one up to sit and watch on a Friday night in as us middle aged ladies are prone to doing.  Meryl Streep plays Katherine Graham the owner/publisher of The Washington Post,who seems to be a lone woman surrounded by men who try to influence her decisions as she takes the company public to raise funds.  Tom Hanks is playing executive editor Ben Bragdikian who is trying to beat the New York Times to a scoop story about Top Secret information leaked about the US Governments involvement in the Vietnam War. 

It is a pretty intense drama, and I knew a little about the story before viewing the movie but I must admit to finding it pretty heavy going.  While all the characters are watchable and I have a soft spot for Meryl and Tom I found myself a bit challenge watching it.  I guess it is a part of American political history that doesn't really resonate with me.  The good thing was that I was a bit concerned about falling asleep tonight, and this has made me feel quite sleepy.  2/5

Do Not Become Alarmed - Maile Meloy

Liv and Nora are close cousins, who take their husbands and children away on a cruise.  When a day trip turns disastrous, everyone is forced to question their relationships and question everything.  The children find themselves having to think quickly to survive, while the parents are falling apart.

 At times I really enjoyed this book, and can easily see it as a movie that plays late on a weekday night, and at other  moments I became a bit frustrated as it seemed to skip over areas that I think weren't covered.  Maybe it just pays to not think too deeply and just go with the flow of the story. 3/5

Music Monday - Walk This Way - Jimmy Fallon, Aerosmith & The Roots

Om my goodness I really like this one, I know I say that with every song, but really these guys are so happy doing this song.  I love that they use school instruments, nothing fancy. 

Song For Rosaleen - Pip Desmond

Pip Desmond is a Wellington author who has has written this memoir about her mother.  From  a young doctors wife to a mother of six, Rosaleen Desmond had always had a busy and active life.  As she grew older she helped to care for her husband as he had a brain tumor, helped her children with their families and volunteered for many local organizations.  In her mid seventies, the family begin to notice that their mother is beginning to struggle with her memory and day to day tasks.

It is at times a pretty confronting read, as Pip and her siblings try to help their mother as her memory loss continues, and they try to keep her safe and looked after.  From living in a large family home with difficult access, they get her to a smaller home closer to family, then to a studio apartment at a care home.  I did like the stories about the family growing up, and this is just another part of the story, and an experience that many  of us will go through with our own parents. 4/5

Music Monday - A Heartbreak - Angus & Julia Stone

I am so in love with this song.  I haven't listened to a lot of music lately, more podcasts too and from work.  I did download  some songs this week to freshen up my playlists.  It must be the springtime,  and a few more days out in the sun need some more tunes.

The Joy Luck Club

Amy Tan has to be one of my favorite authors, writing stories about Chinese American families that are just beautiful.  It is hard to believe that this 1993 movie adaption of her novel The Joy Luck Club is  now  25 years old, but when I watched it this afternoon I still found it engaging and warm, and I think I treasured more the stories of mothers and daughters.  I also recognized that for many of us now, the stories about what people endured during the second world war belong to our grandparents generations, few of whom now survive, and these first hand stories are being lost.

So it still made me a little teary listening to the women tell their stories, to think of 15 year old girls being sent off to be married, to a mother being forced to leave her twin baby girls on the side of the road, to a mother having her son dragged away from just after giving birth.  4/5

Wonder

After weeks of illness I am trying to get back into the rhythm of things that make me happy, good books, movies, candles, good food, walks and all the things that I enjoy.  Tonight I splurged a whole 99c on this movie from Apple itunes to watch.  I remember seeing the ads and had the vague feeling that I got the book out from the library when they got it, but didn't get into it after a couple of pages so I sent it back.  Therefore I didn't have high hopes for the movie, or any idea of the story.

Sometimes it is nice to be pleasantly surprised and in a whole lot of ways.  Julia Roberts was sweet and natural in the role of mother, with a nice relaxed hairstyle and wardrobe.  Is it weird that I would like her to be my mother too, even though we are the same age?  I wasn't put off by Owen Wilson, who usually annoys me in any comedies I have seen him in.  He seems as he ages that he suits the more light dramatic roles.  Have you noticed that nothing changes about him in any role he plays?  Always the same haircut, similar clothes - like he just rocks up and plays himself.

Anyway the story is about Augie a young man with a facial deformity, who after being home schooled heads off to start middle school.  He is nervous and scared of being bullied, but has to step into school alone and try to find his way, find friends and make his way through each day.  A story about courage and friendship that although is more of a family movie is still sweet for all ages.  4/5

The Lido - Libby Page

Sweet and delightful come to mind when I think of this book.  It is the story of Kate who is 26, and living a lonely life as a journalist at a local Brixton newspaper.  She is offered the story of writing about the local outdoor swimming pool The Lido, which the council is considering selling to a big corporation.  She meets 86 year old Rosemary, who swims outside each day and shares her stories and her friendship with Kate.

Although a simple story in its premise, I liked the story about friendship and connection and about enjoying your life no matter what your age is.  I lived near Brixton many years ago, and can picture the parks and houses and this book reminded of lovely London summers.  4/5

The Death of Mrs Westaway - Ruth Ware

Hal is struggling to make things meet, working as a tarot card reader in Brighton she returns alone each night to her cold small flat, and is trying to hide from the landlord.  She opens a formal letter to let her know that she has been given an inheritance and must go to the Cornwall family home to find out what she gets. 

I don't know about this one, I felt it plodded along and promised thrills and mystery but somehow failed to deliver and I was a bit bored. 3/5