The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

I think it was last year I finally read the book, and enjoyed it but wasn't wowed by it. My hairdresser had said it was a great movie, and I would love it, and to take a couple of kleenex. The selling point was of course Eric Bana, as Henry the time traveling librarian.

He did an awesome job, of traveling back and forth through his life, although I was a bit put off by his accent, and the very bad wigs at the beginning of the movie. I guess the book, gives you much more time to adjust to the idea to take in the thought of Claires life moving in a straight line, and Henry jumping to and fro into the future, and back into the past.

Still in the time given them, I thought they did a good job. The only things were that the house, and the paddock looked completely different in my mind, but that's ok, I can forgive the director for having a different vision.

I think the girls will love it, and for them I give it a 3/5, the boys will see it as a chick flick.

The Lacuna - Barbara Kingsolver

The Lacuna - Barbara Kingsolver (2009)

I had a sneaky suspicion when I got this book from the library, that I might not get around to reading it, a hunch, a feeling. I read a couple of quick reviews that talked about the book, how it would get to introduce Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo and Lev Trotsky.

I so wanted it to succeed, but I couldn't do it. I only made it to page 38, and I had to stop, it was making my brain hurt. Every paragraph felt like it was trying to cram too many words and images into it, I couldn't step into the pages and feel the story or hear the characters because of the frothy words.

So alas, back to the library it goes. Unloved, with barely a crease on it. So sorry big book, I so wanted to enjoy the story you held, but time is short, and I have another 6 books on my nightstand to read. You had your chance, and I am afraid you blew it. 0/5

Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella

Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella (2009)

I started this one with some trepidation, as I had trod the Chick lit book pile a few times this year, and for the most part was either disappointed, or unable to finish. Which is a shame, as sometimes the brain needs a rest, a rest from the constant wordiness of some literary prose.

Twenties Girl is certainly light fiction. Lara and her family attend the funeral of their great aunt Sophie, who has passed away at the local nursing home at 105 years of age. Lara, who has just finished a relationship, and struggling in her job, is looking for some help and inspirations and never expects her dead aunt to come to her aid.

A 3/5, for an extra light holiday read.

Knowing - DVD

Knowing - DVD (2009)

My fascination with Nicholas Cage is the same one I have with Liam Neeson, I like to look at the bad hair dye job/hair piece. As these guys age, they try to keep them at the everyman 35-40 year old age look, but it would look more real, done with a couple of grey streaks rather than a solid cap of black.

The movie, well I thought it was ok. I didn't bother to read the back cover or any reviews first, so that helps to keep the story fresh and free of others opinions. Nicholas Cage is the caring single father, who must keep his son safe. That's all I'm saying. Not going to give it away. Except it was ok, it was a typical disaster scenario, and there were no big surprises. So I can only give it a 3/5 too.

Breast Cancer Awareness - Got to make you smile!!

The Road to Lost Innocence - Somaly Mam

The Road to Lost Innocence - Somaly Mam (2008)

I'll have to start with giving this book a grand 5/5. Why? Well it is one that will stay with me for a long time. Somaly is a Cambodian girl, who at 16 years old is sold into sexual slavery by her grandfather. In this non-fiction book, she describes her plight during 10 years in various brothels in South East Asia, until she is rescued by a French Humanitarian Aid Worker.

After escaping the brothels, she then seeks to rescue other girls who have also been sold into brothels, many as young as 5 and 6 years old. The statistics are staggering in this novel, with one third of the prostitutes in Phnom Peng being a young child (pg 185) and that 1 in 40 girls born in Cambodia will be sold into sex slavery (forward).

The story is blunt, and its descriptions of the treatment of the girls is brutal and disturbing, but how can you turn away from what is happening to these girls? I think as well, that my stomach turns at the thought of people going to these countries on holiday to abuse small children. Shame on you, it makes me cringe that people could do such horrid revolting things to children, with such disregard for them and treating them like a piece of rubbish.

Even though I wanted to stop reading at several stages, it is such a powerful story, and you have to admire her courage for trying to force change. What an awesome job Somaly Mam is doing.

Born Into Brothels- dvd

Born Into Brothels - DVD (2005)

This documentry was the 2005 winner of the Academy Award for Documentry Feature. Zana Briski, is a New York Photographer, who goes to Calcutta to take pictures of the women working in the sex industry there. She finds however that she is mainly drawn to the children who live within the brothels, and helps to give them a voice by giving them simple cameras. The children often take stunning pictures of the world around them, and this movie ends up becoming the childrens stories.

Brutal and honest, I think a few preteens here could do with realising how hard life can be, and that they are lucky to have such a relaxed life her in New Zealand, with so many opportunities. 3/5

Jamie's Ministry of Food - dvd

Jamie's Minsitry of Food - DVD (2008)

I like Jamie Oliver, at least he is out trying to motivate people to cook, simple food, not crazy things with 50 ingredients and trying to outposh everyone with your tiny plates of lobster a la Top Chef.

In this DVD, he goes to one Northern English town to try and teach the town to cook. I couldn't believe how many people couldn't cook. Mothers who have kids who have never eaten a homemade meal and who let their families live on takeaways. It seems to be so common, and it shocks me how many blogging woman seem proud of the fact that they never cook.

I guess, I get takeaways maybe once a fortnight, but most nights I make some food from scratch, and most days get 5-7 servings of fruit and veg. I don't think cooking is hard, or it is as hard as you make it, and although my repertoire maybe small, it suits me fine. Most kiwi women would be the same with everyone cooking for themselves or their families.

You could sense Jamies frustration, at the lack of success of his programme, and I thought although his intentions were good, he had little support or backing. He should have gone to the schools first, and invited the parents there to participate. It did demonstrate though, how managing the basic skills gave so many people confidence to change their lives, just by showing them one or two recipes.

I'm going to give it a 3/5, and would much rather watch this than Gordon Ramseys Kitchen hell rubbish. I don't know why they keep making that stupid programme.

The Brightest Star in the Sky - Marian Keyes

The Brightest Star in the Sky - Marian Keyes (2009)

I felt like reading something light, and even though this was a doorstopper of a book, I had high hopes. I only managed to get 197 pages in, before I had to give up, and relegated it to the return to library pile. How disapointing, sad, depressing and wasteful it felt. I just couldn't feel for any of the many characters that she was writing about, I had trouble telling them apart and I didn't care what happened to them. It just felt sloppy and lazy to me, like she didn't invest any time in creating emotions for the, just time on the colour of their hair, or their style of clothes.

So, Marian Keyes, you score a sorry 0/5 from me. Which makes me sad.

The Glass Painter's Daughter - Rachel Hore

The Glass Painter's Daughter - Rachel Hore (2008)

Hello first book of December, first day of summer. Alas our day is once again drenched with relenting rain, and a mediocre temperature. Our Aussie pals are sweltering, and yet we have only managed a few days of sun. However, I shouldn't complain, as it was a long night of call, finishing just before 6am, so at midday I don't feel guilty about lying in and finishing my book, and starting a second one.

The Glass Painter's Daughter is one of those books that follows a pattern, of telling the modern story of Fran Morrison, a classical musician, who returns home to Westminster, London after her father has a stroke. His business, Minster Glass needs some help, and while there Fran becomes involved in piecing together an old angel her father has been working on.

While searching for information on the angel, she finds a Victorian diary belonging to Laura, who grieving for the loss of her sister, is searching for love.

Done well, these stories flow and feed each other, and I enjoyed that each main female character was not all soppy and lovesick, but thoughtful, independent and smart. So for that alone, I will have to give this one a 4/5, and I will be looking out for her earlier two works, The Dream House, and The Memory Garden.