Why did you not tell me there is a Harry Potter Prequel?

Apparently I live on a different planet than most geekdom fans. Although, I can tell you all about the Disney Star Wars sequels and the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special, I had NO IDEA THIS HAPPENED! Why did no one tell me???

This apparently came out in 2008 and I was… hmmm… I was… I have no idea what I was doing but it wasn’t reading the prequel to Harry Potter, that’s for sure because NO ONE TOLD ME! I am pretty sure I wasn’t on Facebook yet and my kids were still young-ish. Had I known, I would have read it immediately. Why you ask? Because Sirius Black is a delicious male character. Not Gary Oldman from the movie because the same sex appeal is just not there. But Sirius Black from the books? Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

He is the ultimate bad boy with a good heart. Every girl’s dream when I she isn’t dreaming about George Clooney or Mark Messier or Doctors or Mr. Big or Mr. Darcy… anyways….

This prequel was too short, but so smart-ass fantastic, just like you’d expect James and Sirius to be. Only 6 pages long, it left me wishing for more. The worst of it? J.K. Rowling writes a note ” Not the prequel I am working on, but this was fun!’

DUDE! Ouch! I am sure it would be WAY better than A Casual Vacancy, that was just boring. At any rate, I had a taste of what I had been missing for a while. Now back to my regularly scheduled book Solar by Ian McEwan – with a little Pride and Prejudiced on the side.

You can get a free copy of the prequel here.

Related articles

• J.K. Rowling on a Marauders prequel (magnaefamae.com)

Mindless Reading creates Mindless Creatures

Yesterday was a huge milestone for my boy and  me. He passed his Driving Learners Test and now has a permit to drive with a licensed driver in the car. He came out of the test office, stood in front of me an did a little happy dance jig. Wow… 17 years ago, I whined about wanting a baby – not this man-child with the deep voice, goatee, size 13 feet and giant that stands before me. I look at him through mother’s eyes and melt. I look at him through strangers eyes and feel pride. His dad and I did good.

It made me think about all the books I have read and characters who were bad parents and characters who were great parents.

Best parent character award goes to Atticus Finch – from To Kill a Mocking Bird

Worst parent award goes to… hmmmm There are SO MANY!! From Scarlet O’Hara to the Evil Step Mothers in fairy tales, from Old Nick in Room to Mum in Hidden. Robert from 101 books agrees with me. He is on a quest to read great literature and is learning great is subjective. He also is learning that parents in books make bad choices. He has a great commentary about it so click here to read more.

Characters in books usually offer bad parenting advice, so my advice is to learn from them in the “what not to do” category. That is what is great about books. They teach you things, shock you, make you smile and even laugh. Take the time to learn critically from books, don’t just absorb them and think because it was published, it makes it a great read. It doesn’t.

The prime example is Shades of Gray. Read more books if you think this one was great. There are better books out there, I promise you!

This leads me to the Goodreads Giveaways I have received. The latest book I read was Alys, Always by Harriet Lane.

This book is about a newspaper editor who comes upon a car on a country road in England. The car has turned on its side and there is a women trapped. The editor approaches the car to help and her life changes forever from that moment forward.

The first chapter was EXCELLENT! It was a short story in itself, and quite frankly should have been kept that way. The rest of the chapters were dull, boring and I would have stopped reading if two things did happen:

1. I won it with the implied intent I would review it.
2. It was billed as having a twist and being suspenseful.

I can assure you there was no plot twist, there was no suspense and I could care less how it ended. It was predictable. The people reviewing it are giving it rave reviews  - mostly because it is a romance - blech - a poor one at that, and they won this book and likely feel obligated to give it a good review. This book took me forever to get through because of dullness. Read the first chapter and call it a day. OR find a great book and read that one.

I have started my second Goodreads Giveaway book called We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo. It is slated for publication 5/21/13. 19 pages in and I cannot put it down. It is about the life of 10-year-old Darling and her friends living in Zimbabwe. The culture will shock you North Americans. I am hoping this riveting read will continue throughout the book. The reviews are consistently stellar. Alys, Always had spotty reviews, so I am hopeful.

I am also reading the Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. This one is more for work and personal growth. It talks about how the brain develops habit and how you can use this knowledge in business and personal life. I am fascinated by it! For all you Dr. Bruce Perry fans, this would be interesting to you. It is for me.

So tell me, what great read is on your shelf right now?

Suicide Note: an Interview with Author Teresa Mummert

We all know how I feel about authors. They are my rock stars. There is something so amazing to me about having the ability to create a world in your imagination, invite others along for a peek and have them be caught up in your imaginary world. I know it is hard work, rewrites and edits, feedback – good and bad, but once I get writing, I lose myself in it. So the idea of being paid to write is somewhat of a fantasy for me.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to interview New York Times Best Selling Author, Teresa Mummert about her latest release Suicide Note, out on book shelves March 15, 2013. She was gracious enough to oblige me and is providing a gifted Kindle e-copy of her new book Suicide Note when it is released to one of my lucky readers! That means you! Contest closes March 14^{th, 2013,}  at NOON Mountain Standard Time To enter the Book Giveaway, simply click on CONTACT me (above) with your name, preferred email address and leave a blog comment below. I will randomly select one winner on Thursday, March 14, 2013 at Noon MST. Good luck, and spread the word!

 

 

Thank you for stopping by my blog for this interview! I can’t tell you how excited I am about this and the giveaway.

The premise of your book Suicide Note is found on the website , “A soldier returning for mid-tour leave decides to stay with a cousin in Maine after his fiancé leaves him for someone else while he is away at war. His cousin is going through his own devastation and is struggling to pick up the pieces and move on with his family. As they try to help each other through the pain, Shane’s path crosses Jenn’s and he soon learns that everything happens for a reason.”

ET:  Suicide Note has been getting amazing reviews! Will it only be released in ebook format?

TM: It will also be available in paperback on Amazon.

 

ET:   Is this entire story from Shane’s perspective?

TM: It alternates perspectives so you can see what each character is going through while they are apart.

 

ET: How is it different writing from a male perspective than a female one?

TM: I tend to have the female characters wear their sleeves while the male characters keep their feelings inside.

 

ET: Being a writer sounds like the perfect flexible career since you follow your husband around for his military career. I understand this is a fictional story, but was it inspired through your experience as a military wife?

TM: Some of the experiences come from real life situations. The soldier on the pool table is a perfect example of that. It actually happened in Afghanistan to a soldier while my husband was deployed. The soldier survived.

 

ET: Does this kind of story happen more often than we would like to think about because of the transient and stressful life in the military?

TM: Everything in the military seems to move in fast forward. People marry younger and of course that can cause a lot of problems down the road. It is a highly stressful lifestyle and not everyone is cut out for it.

 

ET: Are you a big believer in “Everything happens for a reason”? Can you give me a personal example?

TM: I think no matter what happens in your life you can choose to make the best of the situation and grow from it. It is hard moving from place to place and being alone the majority of the time, but I have also made some amazing friends that I would not have met otherwise. I consider myself very lucky to be a part of it all.

 

ET: This is not your first book; I believe Suicide Note is your 6th book? You tend to write series. What is the underlying reason for turning a book into a series?

TM: Suicide Note will be my sixth book. When I write I like to picture the story in my head as a movie. The story ends but there is always so much more that can happen and I become very attached to the characters.

 

ET: Is the book concept serial based? Or perhaps the characters needed more room to tell their story? How do you decide which books will be serial and which will stand alone?

TM: It really depends. I start out only planning to write one novel but if the characters are still stuck in my head I will continue their story.

 

ET: Will Suicide Note be a series?

TM: Suicide Note is written as a stand-alone novel. I have tossed around the idea to write another from a different character’s perspective but I most likely won’t do that. I have too many projects on my plate. Jenn and Shane’s story is over.

 

ET: I noticed on your web page you have 6 more books waiting to come out. Can you tell me about your writing process?

TM: I write the novel that is currently stuck in my head. I start by creating the characters. Once I know what type of people I want them to be I create a playlist of songs that help me get into the emotional state of each one. From there I write until I get everything out that I think needs to be told.

 

ET: Is there a particular character that you feel more attached to than any other? Why?

TM: I really felt I could relate most to Jenn from Suicide Note. I put a lot of real feelings into the characters that I have felt during deployments and things of that nature.

 ET: Thank you so much for coming by to talk to me and my readers! This was a fantastic experience!

TM: Thank you so much for taking a chance on my novels! It means the world to me.

Visit the links below to find out more about Teresa Mummert

TeresaMummert.com

Facebook.com/TeresaMummert

Suicidenotenovel.com

Facebook.com/suicidenotenovel

Twitter.com/teresamummert

Suicide Note will be released march 15, 2013

Contest closes March 14^th at NOON Mountain Standard Time. To enter the Book Giveaway, simply click on CONTACT me (above) with your name, preferred email address and comment below. I will randomly select one winner on Thursday, March 14, 2013 at Noon MST. Good luck, and spread the word! March 15 a person will be chosen randomly via randompicker.The winner will be notified via email and the winner will receive a gifted copy from Amazon to their email.

Related articles

• Suicide Note by Teresa Mummert ~NEW REVIEW~ (flirtyanddirtybookblog.com)

My favorite books I read in 2012

I am not going to lie, 2012 was a craptastic year. But every dark cloud has a silver lining and I had a few of those. I achieved some goals, learned some hard lessons and made new friends. All of those belong in the win/win category of my story.

My Life Coach advised me to make a non-fitness goal this year. That was hard. A non-fitness goal made me feel weak. I looked at the things that were important to me and I decided convincing myself that I am intelligent was pretty high on the list. My non-fitness goal of 2012 was to read 50 books. Today is December 30th and I completed my last book today, just under the wire.  You can see the complete list of books here. That list shows 51 books, that is I am not sure whether to include Life of Pi. I read it 2 years ago and reread for book club. I got new insights out of it as I often do when I reread books, so I added it to the list. I also didn’t include the TON of reading material I read for University, that wasn’t for fun it was for marks which is fun in a different way, so that didn’t count either.

I decided to reflect back on my year of reading, trying out new genres and exploring topics that had been difficult for me in the past. I picked most of  these books because someone else read it and said, you might like it. Mostly it was true. If  i started a book and hated it, i stopped reading it. 50 books was a lot to get through and I wanted to enjoy my reading, after all this was suppose to be fun! This was a huge year for risk taking when it came to books and it paid off in droves! Here you have it, the Edmonton Tourist’s Top 11 books she read in 2012.

1. Book of Negroes by  Lawrence Hill. Yes it is an older book, yes it won the Canada Reads award, yes it shamed me as a human and Canadian. But the story was captivating and engrossing. I couldn’t put it down. This should be required reading in every high school on the planet. I missed her when I finished the book. She was remarkable.
2. Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Maybe I loved this because of where I was at the moment in my life but it struck a chord with me. It was my Eat, Love Pray of 2012. I want to read it every year to see if I learn new insights from it.
3. 11/22/63 by Stephen King. This was and is the only book I have read by him. I will admit to being scared of him. I have seen some of his movies and I don’t like feeling scared, but something about this book called to me. First of all it wasn’t scary! Secondly it had an element that lots of people think about, myself included, the chance to go back in time and fix a wrong that you did. Sadly there would be consequences  I loved this book, but it was loooooooooooong. Not a quick read.
4. Room by Emma Donoghue. This is not for the faint of heart. It was told through the eyes of a 5 year old boy and that made it seem less horrific because he didn’t really understand what he was seeing. A college girl is kidnapped and made to be a sex-slave for a creepy old guy and she is kept in ROOM. It made me think about how young children see their world and how they deal with pain and abuse.
5. A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron. A book club pal recommended this to me. It is from the perspective of a dog who reincarnates into several lives looking for his purpose. He takes the lessons learned into the next life. Brilliant book, I loved it. It was heart warming and not sad.
6. The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings. Better than the movie, although I thought the movie was great. I loved this man’s journey to discover what was truly important to him. The fact that I could vividly picture my future ex-husband George as the main character only broke my heart. I love how his relationship with his girls builds throughout the book. There is nothing sexier than a great dad.
7. The Unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. It was long listed for the Booker Prize and I heard about this from Laurie Greenwood on CBC Radio. I liked this book as it played like a movie in my head, but it wasn’t until the end when you find out what it meant, then looking back over the book made it brilliant.
8. Me before You by Jojo Moyes. I have figured this for some Chicklit fluff. Was I wrong! It had me torn in pieces thinking about the moral dilemma  Loved the two main characters. Great read!
9. Gone girl by Gillian Flynn. I had never ventured into mystery before, or a mystery like this one. I often found my jaw hanging open in shock and awe. I may have found a new genre I like!
10. Shop Girl by Steve Martin. I like his writing style. His other books were not as good as this one. I like how he captured the female character. I think it is hard for a man to write about females, I find them often unbelievable but I liked her.
11. A Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan. This was almost poetry and made me feel pretty. Lots of memorable lines and something I could really relate to. Heartbreak transcends gender.

It was hard to narrow it down to 11 but I found some authors who I will read again, I quite like Diane Chamberlain and Jennifer Weiner both new to me. And I had the pleasure of reading Maeve Binchy’s last book. She is my favorite author and of late her books had left me flat, I was not like the Father Flynn series at all. But a Week in Winter brought in new characters and was as lovely as Even Class. I shall miss her.

As for next year? I am setting a goal of 20 books. This time I am going to explore fantasy. This is something that doesn’t interest me much but people yap on and on about it. Can’t say I hate something if I don’t give it an honest chance. I find it hard to wrap my head around weird names and bizarre settings. I like Sci-Fi so maybe I need to re-examine Fantasy, and by Fantasy I don’t mean that crappy 50 shades series. There is 2 days I will never get back.

So tell me, what is on your list for 2013? What is the first book you will be reading?

Related articles

• My Year in Books (2012) (thejkreview.wordpress.com)
• Whats Your First Book Of 2013 Going To Be? (bookjourney.wordpress.com)
• Reading Resolutions – The 2013 Edition (sffbookreview.wordpress.com)

Readers

Fiction – October 09 (Photo credit: Pesky Library)

Here it is 8:00pm Wednesday night and my children are buried deep in their books. They finished their homework hour ago, this is reading for fun. The house is silent except for the hum of the water cooler and refrigerator. The odd comment comes from one of the offspring and a giggle about the part of the book they have reached. They are both reading Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan. This is the latest from the Percy Jackson series that hooked my kids a long time ago.

There is nothing that gives me as much pleasure than knowing I raised readers.

It started when they turned one. I read Good Night Moon every night before bed. Children need lots of repetition. When we could talk about what was happening in the pictures we increased the books to two before bed. Eventually, we worked up to longer content and by the time my kids were in school, we were reading chapter books together. They would read to me for homework, then before bed, I would read to them. It was pure pleasure on my part. Together we read The Magic Coin, Charlotte’s Web, The Trumpet of the Swan, The Narnia Series and of course the entire Harry Potter series. We read classics like Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. I would choose stories that I loved from my childhood, like Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great and Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing.

Parent/Teacher interviews often had a book fair on the same evening. These fairs were library fundraisers for the school. I would always reward my children with a books of their choice. It was a big deal. Family nights were often a trip to the bookstore and a cup of hot chocolate. We learned that Alex Rider was a great series and Clementine made for great bedtime reading. The trick was finding books that appealed to my kids sense of adventure.

Then one day, the day came when my kids read on their own before bed. They would come and kiss me good night, and tell me they were going to bed early so they could read the latest adventures of Peter and the Star Catchers or Anne of Green Gables. Even as they entered high school, the stories changed and Michio Kaku and his physics books became more interesting than fiction, they still would read every night and complain if they were out of books.

On the “I have read these books” shelf, my kids have placed The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Steve Jobs, The Time Travelers Wife, 11/22/63, Tara Road and many other adult fiction titles. It makes me smile when they pick up a book they have already read because it feels like an old friend. The books that get revisited most often are the Peter and the Starcatchers series and the Hunger Games. Occasionally book #4 of Harry potter comes out or a companion book like Magical Beasts and Where to find them.

Dinner conversation sometimes revolves around books, “I never thought I would see the day when ‘underscores’ were used in dialogue.” Huh… I wasn’t even sure what that meant, but a meaningful conversation ensued. Both offspring have decided to take it slow with Mark of Athena because of the sadness that comes with finishing a great book. We have all gone through that mourning period when we think about the characters long after the book is finished. They each have several books in queue, but the one they are reading is currently the best. Perfect for a quiet Wednesday night at home.

What were some of your favorite reads as a kid?

Fifty Fifty Me: Playing Catch Up

I am 26 books in and I better get crack-a-lacking on my goal of 52. It seemed so doable when I made the goal now it seems exhausting. In an effort not to panic, I am just going to play it cool. Read them as they come. I have been reading since I finished Wild. I needed to digest wild and think about it. I just couldn’t plunk myself into the next book very easily. Once I did, there was no stopping me. I enjoyed the last book. When I really enjoy a book and then finish it. I need to mull it over. It is hard for me to jump right into the next book with the same eagerness to read. It took a while, but I was able to move on after Wild.

I have been laid up with Bronchitis this week and when you are on vacation, nothing sucks more than being sick for part of it. What that has done is free up some time to read. I read 3 books this week and started another. I caught up on movies as well, 6 to be exact.

The Books:

The first one was The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlaine. It took me a fair bit of time to commit to liking this book. The early beginnings had me wondering what all the hoopla was about amongst my Goodread friends. The main character in the early stages was 16. With that comes bad choices and impossible situations.I remember being 16 and like the character I made choices that effected my entire life – and not for the good. On some level I could relate to the character, but most of me wanted to forget being 16, being naive, being stupid and mostly being seduced by older men. I understood the bad choices but I am pretty sure I knew the difference between morally right and wrong. i had the benefit of family teaching me the difference. This character did not.

As the story progressed I became more enchanted with the choices she was making. Eventually she set her life back to the moment of 16 – because 16 haunts you forever if you made stupid choices. The character rectified it all, making a huge impact on everyone in her life. That was when this story became the type of book I love, not being able to pt it down. The climax was marvelous.

The second book I read was Me Before You by JoJo Moyes. Of all the books I read this week, this one I loved from start to finish. This was billed as a romance, but I never saw it as a romance. It was more about euthanasia and choices of others. I found this book to be a real metaphor for my life. No matter how badly you want something, other people’s choices affect you in a profound way. Wanting something bad enough and working towards that goal isn’t always enough when human choices are involved.  This is one of the hardest lessons I have learned on my Tourist journey. The characters in this book handled it remarkably well. It surprised me. Typically books turn out they would would hope them too. Maeve Binchy is a master of this never happening. The ugly duckling doesn’t become the beautiful swan, she just plods along, enjoying or dealing with what life throws at her. This is real life. You are dealt a hand and the purpose is to see what you make out of it, not throw them all away and get lucky by drawing a Royalflush. That never happens. I wish it did. So in an effort to find happiness, you look within – not externally. Buddha was right.

The final book was The Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. I really enjoyed the first book, but I was young and still hadn’t figured out stuff yet I thought I knew everything. I think I have moved beyond this type of book. I want more meat or substance from a book. The bottom line is I am busy, so I want a book that is worth my time, a book that makes me think. This book had New York going for it but that is no longer enough. 50/50 me challenge had opened my eyes up to new authors and genres. I can no longer go back to the books I loved in my youth.

Now that is not to say Young Adult books have left my peripheral vision. Fantastic Mr. Fox was recommended to me. I enjoy reading children’s books because I love to talk about them WITH children. Learning from children is an undervalued resource.

The Movies:

Since my love affair with the Avengers, more notably Tony Stark, I have watched 6 movies.

1. People Like Us
2. Bottle Shock
3. Single man
4. The Best Marigold Hotel
5. Blade Runner
6. Things you can tell by Looking at Her

Not only have my taste in books changed since the start of this project, but my taste in movies has as well. Lets just say, I appreciate art movies more than I did before. There isn’t one movie in that list that I enjoyed more than the others. I am crazy for superhero movies – not one of those is an action pack superhero movie with the exception of blade Runner. It comes close, but Harrison Ford got his ass kicked to often and there wasn’t enough swagger going on for my taste. When I watch sci-fi or action flicks, I expect the impossible. It’s fun to revel in the impossible for a while.

Isn’t he just delicious?

People Like Us and Bottle Shock had the nicest eye candy. I still have a thing for the new young Captain Kirk aka Chris Pine. He has swagger and is sexy in all his roles. A man with swagger is delicious. Single man surprised me. The Best Marigold Hotel made me laugh because those old birds are delightful! I loved this movie as much as Calendar Girls. But the movie that made me think the hardest was Things You can tell by Looking at Her.

What struck me was the mire these women were all stuck in. It made me think that although people’s lives look better from the outside, we are all the same.

 

My Friend The Reader just put me onto a great site that helps determine your next read. It’s called Whichbook.

You choose from a list of options what you feel like reading, Happy/Sad, Predictable/Unpredictable, Optimists/Bleak an d a myriad of other choices. Then it shows you which book best suits your mood. Sounds perfect for me! I will be giving it a try for my next book.

As for movies? I HAVE to get to the theatre to see BRave, Batman and Spiderman. Although, what was wrong with Toby McGuire’s Spiderman? Those were great movies! Ah well….happy reading!

 

Related articles

• Fifty Fifty Me: Wild (ragrobyn.wordpress.com)
• Fifty Fifty Me: Never Let Me Go (ragrobyn.wordpress.com)

Fifty Fifty Me: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

This week in an effort to participate in the 50/50 me project,(you can read more about it here) I finished one book and started two others. Who does that? Who reads more than one book at a time that aren’t text books? I guess I do. I am reading Sense and sensibility by Jane Austen and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I only watched 2 movies, I must be busy or something. I finished Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. I didn’t think I would get through it but look at me! I did it! Anyways…. on with the words!

The Book

I didn’t expect to enjoy Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. It was on my list of new genres to try and lots of people were talking about it. The creepy pictures caught my eye and I read a blog review that made me bump it higher on my To Read list.

The beginning of this book was riveting. The Grandfather told crazy unbelievable stories just like my Grandpa did. This alone made me love him. As I became hooked, there was a moment when I thought this book might be too scary for me. Old me would have closed it and been scared of “What might have been”. New me sucked it up and kept pressing forward. I learned it wasn’t scary, but peculiar. By the end of the book I was so captivated I couldn’t put it down. I found it to be very exciting in a Harry Potter kind of way.

Don’t get me wrong, this is NOT a Harry Potter knock off, but is had a similar feel as the Potter books – well for me anyways. I enjoyed the quirky nature and time loops. The best part for me was the photographs that showed who the characters were. These wonderful vintage photos of children doing impossible things all through the magic of trick photography…or was it?

This is a great young adult book and I think my children would quite enjoy it. Only they never take my advice anymore.I wish I could be deep and insightful about how it effected me, but it was just a fun read. And it made me miss my Grandpa. Sometimes books should be just fun.

The Movie

I watch two movies this week. One at home snuggled under a blanket and one at the movie theatre with my

The Jane Austen Book Club (film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

daughter. We saw The Lucky One, based on the Nicolas Sparks novel. For the first time, I did not read the book first. It was enough for me to enjoy the beauty that is Zac Efron. His eyes are something else! The story was magical and fate driven. I need that in my life right now. Was it my favorite of the two? Not by a longshot. My favorite was The Jane Austen Book Club.

This movie was everything I needed to see this week. Women having intelligent conversation about well written books, helping each other through various crisis in their lives. I need a book club in my life. Every character’s life resembled one of Austen’s 6 books. They discussed strength of character, doing the right thing and struggles of life. Just like the Austen books themselves. The difference being the movie gave insight into lives down the road. Austen ends her books usually with the marriage…and they lived happily ever after blablabla…but do they? How could you not with Mr. Darcy? But i suppose Elizabeth Bennett found his stories tiresome after 30 years of hearing the same one over and over. So maybe it was just as well they ended when they did. Austen never married herself, so perhaps she did not know what to write having never lived behind those doors. The movie, however, takes you to a happily every after a few years later. That was nice but unneccessary. Life doesn’t have to be happy, and often isn’t. The point is to feel it and be present for it. Most of the movie was just like that. Real. Maybe that is why I liked it so much. It has moved into my top 10 favorite of all time, and it has me reading Sense and sensibility for the first time. I don’t love it like I love Pride and Predjuce…but her writing is exquisite none the less.

Related articles

• BOOK REVIEW: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs (readinginwinter.wordpress.com)
• My Review of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (thesouzapaloozablog.com)
• One Hundred & Twenty-Three (merrymahaffey.wordpress.com)

Fifty Fifty Me: Fifty Shades of Grey – Please don’t Judge me!

This week in an effort to participate in the 50/50 me project,(you can read more about it here) I finished one book and started yet another. I watched 3 movies and played taxi driver for my son. So watching Taxi Driver seemed very fitting. As for reading, hmmm. Joining goodreads as been helpful! I invite you to join it as well, and add me as a friend. You can find the link on the left of my WordPress page. I finished 50 Shades of Grey and started Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. I have been so tired this week I have no made much progress with reading, but you will be updated!  Anyways…. on with the words!

Book

I felt the world collective pressure to read 50 shades of Grey by E.L. James. The internet is such a buzz about this book I felt compelled to give it a read. It is the first book in a trilogy and can I just say, I will not be delving into the other two books. This book was for me, like reading a dime store romance with BDSM elements. It apparently was based on fan fiction of Bella and Edward from Twilight. There are stalker elements and controlling behaviour, none of which is done in a healthy light of course, but there is reasons for it and therapy is being sought. This is not great fiction, nor does it pretend to be. What it is…is… well… interesting. I am not the girl who is naive and easily shocked. I understand this book is tame by many BDSM standards. It did take me down a road that I was curious about and did it in a non-threatening way. I think that is why this appeals to so many women, and making so many men happy. It provides insight and tools to spice up a love life that may be less than interesting or stellar.

The rules of this relationship are clear and both parties go into negotiations about hard and soft limits. Speaking up for yourself is the underlying theme. Being your own advocate in situations that make you uncomfortable resonated with me. I have been needing to do that a lot.

All in all, this book was not for me. I rate it mediocre. I have moved out of the romance genre in my early 20′s and moved into books about people struggling to find their way in life. I am currently reading a thriller-ish book. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. The grandfather could be my own, so it hooked me from the start. I am not reading this as quickly as I normally whip through books, so I may or may not be finished next week.

The Movie

This week I watched 3 movies. I started out with Taxi Driver and crossed that one off the AFT 100 list. THen I watched Bye Bye Birdie and Ballet Shoes. Could these three movies be any different? I am not sure if Bye Bye Birdie counts. I watched it when I was 7, but never saw it again since. It is no secret that I love musicals, Dick Van Dyke and the 60′s in THAT order. The dance sequences with Ann Margret were spectacular. The white dress with red polka dots and red flats that Janet Leigh wore in her dance sequence was so fabulous!I have only seen her in Psycho where she was a blond. Holy hottness was she stunning as a brunette!  Giving Ann Margret a run for her money. There were some great moments, the romantic leads were meh, and half the music was good. Was this my favorite? No, it came in third and THAt surprised me.

Ballet Shoes was a wonderful movie you should watch with your teenage daughter. It focuses on the importance of goals, strength of character, team work and support. Not one of the dreams was far fetched, and it showed that dreams come true only with hard work. I Loved this movie. It came in second.

Taxi Driver had a film noir feel to it, although I am not sure if it is classified as one. If it is, it need more narration

from De Niro. Can I just say, that man is AMAZING! I remember the scandal with Jodie Foster, her age and her role playing a prostitute. Let’s just say the times have changed and teen prostitution is no longer a taboo subject – at least in my circles – it is seen as a tragedy and a form of abduction and abuse. I think this may have been the first movie to show the seduction nature of the controlling pimps. Regardless whether it was or not, it sure got people talking about it. The seediness of New York was very fitting for this movie. After I finished it my immediate thought was, huh…wierd. But the inner struggles and character development was fantastic. I enjoyed this movie more the next day after thinking about it, then I did while watching and digesting it. If you haven’t seen it, it is on the AFI 100 for a reason. Simply amazing.

Next week I am looking to fulfill my girl talk need by watching The Jane Austen Book Club. It seems perfect for me and I am wanting to read some Austen, I haven’t read all 6 of her books so I think I might tackle Sense and Sensibility or Mansfield Park. It is only then I can say I have read all her books thoroughly.

Happy Reading and Happy Watching!

Related articles

• Fifty shades of no way (healthsass.blogspot.com)
• Eye Film Institute & Taxi Driver Sound (booktunes.wordpress.com)
• Fifty Shades of Grey: My Rant on Crappy Books and the People Who Buy Them (bookclubbabe.wordpress.com)

My Favorite Reads of the Year…so far

Books (Photo credit: henry…)

It is research day in my world today. Do I like it? Not this kind. Do I want to do it? Are you kidding me? It is a sunny blue sky day and I am stuck on my computer researching stats for school.

Whose big fat idea was it to further by education in my 40′s? Oh… right… that would be me. STUPID STUPID STUPID!

I am in the midst of my Spring Break. Ahhhhhhh I have loved almost every minute. I have had brilliant conversation with new friends, I have slept a crazy amount of time and I have swam my little heart out. 6km so far this week and yes my core hates me.

What I have done is read read and I read some more! I have embraced my ipad and downloaded a ton of books. This has helped me in numerous ways.

1. I need to unwind from my crazy life
2. I need to learn more vocabulary. I love the feature on the ipad where I tap the word, highlight it and tap define. What is good for me is it reaffirms I did know that word! Yeah me!
3. I am enjoying time spent in New York, Seattle, Tehran (well maybe not so much Tehran but the cottage by the Caspian Sea) Hawaii and San Diego.

I went through a period where I just read blogs. I found new blogs and devoured them. I read old friends and enjoyed them. I am still keeping up with the blogging world, but books have come back to me. I think it is because of some de-stressing I gave my brain this year. I shut it off and enter the world of fiction. It is more luxurious than I can even articulate. The afternoons at my house are spent in silence while me and the offspring read. So far this year (since January 1, 2012) i have read 15 books. This is not including the books and texts I need for my classes. Those are corporate political thrillers hahaha ummm okay, not thrilling but interesting.I don’t keep track of those, I just reach from the pile and start, make notes, then analyze . Uh the dull and boring life of a student.

What I did keep track of was what I have read so far for fun! I get this from my dad. He keeps track of books out of necessity. The man reads about 50+ books a year. He does not wish to read repeat offenders. Therefore he keeps a list. I want to read 52 books this year, hopefully more, but a book a week is hard with my school reading schedule. I am taking the summer off from school so I hope to lay in my hammock and read the summer away. Sounds decadent!

Of the 15 so far, I will list my top 5.

5. Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat

This is a true account/memoir by the author. At the age of 16 she became a political prisoner of the Islamic Government under the Ayatollah Khomeini. She talks about prison life, executions, life as a Christian in a Muslim world. It was enlightening and sad. I could relate to her on many levels. This is a worthwhile read and gives an excellent view into the religious strife in the middle east.

4. Hidden by Cathy Glass

Cathy Glass is a Foster Parent in England. Their system does not seem that different from the system here in Canada. Her books chronicle the children’s stories of those she cares for. These are sad and heart breaking tales yet provide hope for the future and highlight the type of people who do so much good in this world. I know many of these children, not personally but metaphorically because many have been my students over the years. It gives a great perspective into WHY people behave the way they do.

3. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

It had me at the Lab on the cover. I was 4 paragraphs into the book before I realized the narrator was a dog. The life of a dog through his eyes. Let me tell you, dogs are smart and even more so once you read this. Everything they do makes sense and this fellow, Enzo ( Italian for Henry and will be the name of my next dog) has a wicked sense of humor and is loyal beyond all else. Loved loved loved this book. I had a smile on my face the entire time.

2. Room by Emma Donoghue

This story is from the perspective of a 5 year old. The story is of abduction and captivity and a child born because of it. Having it from his perspective lessened the trauma for me but was impactful just the same. I could not put this book down. Their escape was as exciting as any adventure story I have ever read. It shows how protective mothers can be and the bond between a parent and child. It was a beautiful story.

1. The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings

I have not seen the movie. I like to read the book first. This was the best read I have had in YEARS. I felt for the characters and their struggle in making the right decisions. I felt like I was in Hawaii with them. I was angry, sad, happy, horrified and then laughed. This book ran the gamete of emotions and in my books, that makes for a great read.

I have one more book where I wish to give honorable mention to. Stephen King’s 11/22/63 It was compelling, interesting and had a great ending. I didn’t place it in the top 5 because my eyes glazed over in the nitty gritty political parts. It felt too repetitive from history I already know. In sprite of that, I loved it just the same.

Next on my list?

Extremely loud and incredibly close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstein

The Fifty Shades series

The Salt Road by Jane Johnson

So tell me, What are YOU reading?

 

Related articles

• Book Review: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (sheilahurst.wordpress.com)
• Globe Book Club: Your guide to Prisoner of Tehran (theglobeandmail.com)
• Book review: ‘Room’ by Emma Donoghue (bethjinks.wordpress.com)

Blog it

Oh Mark Twain, I love how you make me think! I like that in a man.

The world is full of wingnuts and I am afraid I am one of them. I spent what little free time I have had over the past week catching up on reading your blogs. Not that I am saying you are wingnuts…except maybe one or two of you and you know who I mean…But reading about the events that happen in your lives. It makes the people in my life appear normal but shines a glaring spotlight on me. Yikes…

I use to be an avid reader when things went south for me before I started this Tourist journey. I don’t read as much anymore. It isn’t for the lack of trying. Sitting and focusing my attention on a single book, although decadent, has eluded me over the past year. I normally whip off a book a week but this year, I am lucky if I read 6 books for pure pleasure. I have read numerous research studies, text books, academic journals, children’s fiction but not as much for me. My 50 in 50 project is leaving me feeling like those books are homework. I’m just not feeling it right now.

My Beloved Great Gram used to read short stories. I never understood the appeal until recently. Having a great story that I can sink  my teeth into for an hour or less and have it be completed, what fun is that? I’ll tell you…It is about all my filled up brain can manage. A brief escape into the life of another before my reality consumes me again. I look at your blogs as my short stories. I have read about a woman’s pain after a betrayal so deep, yet she picked herself up, dusted herself off and continues to walk with head held high. I read about pirate adventures in Caribbean, some of which are pretty damn hot! I read about a fascinating gal in Idaho just chugging along doing the best she can. I read about a mom here in Edmonton who couldn’t be more different than I , yet we are the same.

Here I was bemoaning the fact I can’t get to my every growing list of books on my night stand. When the reality is, I am reading everyday as often as I can. Now that I am finished University until mid Jan, I can’t wait to read more. Rest my brain from thinking, analysing, collecting data, APA references and just indulge in your blogs and maybe a bit of author fiction in the form of an actual book or prehaps my e-reader.

The best part about reading for me is the way characters live on in my thoughts. Your stories are living on in my thoughts. I think about you often…creepy yes, but it is your fault, you are incredibly interesting to me! I learn from you and realize we all have the same struggles as we try to figure why we are here.Not only do you inspire me to read, but you inspire me to write. I have collaborative writing project I am working on and after a few good night sleeps, I will be eager to write down the ideas spinning in my head. So keep it up, clearly I need you in my life!

So tell me….what are you reading?