I hope you dont think I was ignoring you... The month of Sept and the month of May always prove to be very busy when you have kiddies in the house. There are 3 of them in my house. I will not bore you with the ins and outs of parenthood in the 21st century. As busy as I would try to make you think I am, I still managed to read a lot. I did not however, tell any of you about the books I read. So here they are briefly:
My Lobotomy by Howard Dully. My sister in law, Suzi, recommended this book to me. I was lucky enough to find it in my library on the shelf! No waiting...Very touching memoir of a man who was given a transorbital lobotomy at the age of 12.
Push by Sapphire. This is the story that the movie "Precious" was based on. It is written as a memoir by a skillful poet. I will tell you it is very difficult to read because of the content but the author truly gives hope to a life that is just shattered with abuse. After getting thru this book and "My Lobotomy", I truly felt lucky to have been raised by the family that adopted me. I am not sure what my life would have been like. I will always be grateful to my family. My parents are now both deceased. And even though I didnt always show it when I was younger, I was able to express to them how lucky I felt during my childhood...
The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz. This is book number 4 in a fun series. If you havent read any of these, summer is the perfect time to start from the beginning of the series. A fun, quick and addictive read that will survive the noise and activity of a rec center or yardful of children. Join Izzy, Rae and the rest of this family of Private Investigators snoop around another case...
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld. This is my favorite of the last few books I have read. My friend Kate Bernardo recommended this one to me. We tend to enjoy the same types of books. It is a story of a First Lady. It takes only a few sentences to realize its Laura Bush. It is, of course, fiction. And the names and places have been changed to protect "the innocent" shall we say...It is a great book and I loved it. The author did great research on the lives of American First Ladies. No matter what your politics may entail, you realize that we all start out as two people in a relationship and we try to share a life together...
Well thats it for now. I have still been going to the movies. I started reviewing movies with a local comic here in town. We record the reviews and he puts them on his youtube page. I have linked them to my Facebook Profile. As soon as I figure out how to post them here I will do it. For now you can view them by going to www.youtube.com/simplytim74. Look for "He saw, She saw". There are a few of them.
Summer is here in Northeast Ohio. Grab a book and catch some sun...
Monday, June 7, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Paying Tribute
Book review of “Lit” by Mary Karr
I have a Facebook friend who is a poet. I will call her Saadia. I have never met her in the “real world”, but I trust her opinion. We enjoy a few of the same authors. A few months ago she recommended a memoir to me. The book “Lit”, by Mary Karr. Saadia posted that I must read this book. And you all know how much I love a good book.
Turns out that Mary Karr is a poet. Saadia is a poet. I knew I was going to have to find this book and read it. So off to my friendly neighborhood library I went. Reserved it and waited only a day for it to arrive.
I must say, I had a little trouble getting into it at first. I knew I needed to give it a chance. I usually cruise through books quickly, but this was a memoir, someone’s life, so I gave it some respect.
“Lit” is actually Karr’s third memoir. She has a lot to say. She is funny and honest. All kidding aside, it is a very serious subject. It is about Mary’s road to sobriety and surrendering to a higher power. All this thru motherhood and coming to terms with her own childhood. Mary Karr is a tough Texan. I love her. And by the end of this book I could feel myself crashing as I looked back at the last 10 years of my life. Becoming a mother. Getting divorced. Getting remarried. Burying my mother. For the record, 10 is just a number, I think anyone could look back and be overwhelmed as they try to examine a period of their life and take it all in…
Every chapter has a title and a quote from literature. I loved this. A memoir written by a poet, lends a different level of depth. She truly has a gift and I am so glad she shared…
Over the years I have read a few books about performers who were party animals. Brilliant actors who partied and drank themselves thru their “mundane” life off the stage. These stories are interesting but I cannot read too many of them. Curiosity is not enough… Mary’s story was different. As I said, it took me a while to get into this book. I had to try to be loyal to Saadia’s recommendation, I had to keep reading the book and get attached to it. I did. I was searching for empathy, not just reading out of curiosity. Mary became a mother. I found my empathy…
Motherhood came to me when I was 35. I am lucky to have two wonderful daughters. They truly changed my life and I know they are a gift from God. They are still young enough for me to remember accurately what new motherhood was like…
“Lit” really becomes an excellent book when you are in her journey and struggle thru recovery. It seems, and I have heard this from a few alcoholics, that the “not drinking” part is not difficult. It is the struggle to find meaning in their life without it that is difficult. Staying on that path. Asking for help and trusting in a higher power. Surrendering.
Mary’s retelling of this period in her life is so poignant. It really moved me. Life goes on while you struggle. Parents age. Relationships waver. There is never enough money….She recalls many people that influenced and helped her. And she began living the life she always wanted.
I want to thank Mary Karr for this book. She is an honest and brave woman. Reading this book also me made look back and recognize what it takes to try to live the life you have always wanted.
I also want to thank Saadia for her passionate recommendation. You can find Saadia and her poetry at www.SaadiaOnline.com .
I have a Facebook friend who is a poet. I will call her Saadia. I have never met her in the “real world”, but I trust her opinion. We enjoy a few of the same authors. A few months ago she recommended a memoir to me. The book “Lit”, by Mary Karr. Saadia posted that I must read this book. And you all know how much I love a good book.
Turns out that Mary Karr is a poet. Saadia is a poet. I knew I was going to have to find this book and read it. So off to my friendly neighborhood library I went. Reserved it and waited only a day for it to arrive.
I must say, I had a little trouble getting into it at first. I knew I needed to give it a chance. I usually cruise through books quickly, but this was a memoir, someone’s life, so I gave it some respect.
“Lit” is actually Karr’s third memoir. She has a lot to say. She is funny and honest. All kidding aside, it is a very serious subject. It is about Mary’s road to sobriety and surrendering to a higher power. All this thru motherhood and coming to terms with her own childhood. Mary Karr is a tough Texan. I love her. And by the end of this book I could feel myself crashing as I looked back at the last 10 years of my life. Becoming a mother. Getting divorced. Getting remarried. Burying my mother. For the record, 10 is just a number, I think anyone could look back and be overwhelmed as they try to examine a period of their life and take it all in…
Every chapter has a title and a quote from literature. I loved this. A memoir written by a poet, lends a different level of depth. She truly has a gift and I am so glad she shared…
Over the years I have read a few books about performers who were party animals. Brilliant actors who partied and drank themselves thru their “mundane” life off the stage. These stories are interesting but I cannot read too many of them. Curiosity is not enough… Mary’s story was different. As I said, it took me a while to get into this book. I had to try to be loyal to Saadia’s recommendation, I had to keep reading the book and get attached to it. I did. I was searching for empathy, not just reading out of curiosity. Mary became a mother. I found my empathy…
Motherhood came to me when I was 35. I am lucky to have two wonderful daughters. They truly changed my life and I know they are a gift from God. They are still young enough for me to remember accurately what new motherhood was like…
“Lit” really becomes an excellent book when you are in her journey and struggle thru recovery. It seems, and I have heard this from a few alcoholics, that the “not drinking” part is not difficult. It is the struggle to find meaning in their life without it that is difficult. Staying on that path. Asking for help and trusting in a higher power. Surrendering.
Mary’s retelling of this period in her life is so poignant. It really moved me. Life goes on while you struggle. Parents age. Relationships waver. There is never enough money….She recalls many people that influenced and helped her. And she began living the life she always wanted.
I want to thank Mary Karr for this book. She is an honest and brave woman. Reading this book also me made look back and recognize what it takes to try to live the life you have always wanted.
I also want to thank Saadia for her passionate recommendation. You can find Saadia and her poetry at www.SaadiaOnline.com .
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Girl Crush
Book Review of “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett.
I love it when someone recommends a book to read. It happens anywhere. A total stranger sizes you up in about 5 minutes…You could be standing around at a bookstore looking at the biography section. Someone will walk up and toss a great memoir at you. Or you could be watching a favorite show on HBO such as “In Treatment” and the main character is telling someone about a great book. I read “The Memory of Running” last year because it was talked about on that show. It was my favorite book last year….
I work at a donut shop. Amy Joy Donut. It is not a hipster joint, it’s a coffee and donut shop in Shaker Hts, Ohio. On Cleveland’s east side. An integrated, middleclass neighborhood. I love it. Gets me out of the bubble I reside in…
A few weeks ago a woman came into the shop, bought a cup of coffee and sat down. She had some time to kill. Not a regular customer. I was chatting with a few of the regulars that were in. I had a book with me and we were dishing about it. I wish I could remember what it was…Anyways the woman joined in our conversation. She asked me if I had read “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett. I hadn’t, but I put the title in my phone. I stopped at the library and reserved it. It is still in hardback and on the bestseller list…
I was fortunate to get it last week. I finished it in a few days. I don’t want to say that I couldn’t put it down, but it is a quick read. The story shifts first person every few chapters. Kathryn Stockett does a great job of taking you back to three women’s lives in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960’s.
“The Help” is about three women in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962. Aibileen is a black maid raising her 17th white child. Minnie is also a black maid but tends to lose her jobs because she has a sassy mouth. Miss Skeeter is a 22 year old white woman. She returns home with a college degree and finds that her beloved maid, Constantine is gone.
Many of Skeeter friends are married with children. They have the Junior League and bridge games. They all have black maids. It is Jackson, Mississippi in 1962. Segregation in the south is the norm. Skeeter is not married or even engaged. In fact, she still lives with her parents. She would love to be a writer…
Skeeter gets a job at a local newspaper writing the Miss Myrna column. It is a household hints type of column. Since Skeeter has no talent in the domestic area, she asks her friend Elizabeth’s black maid, Aibileen for some hints. A writing project begins…
Kathryn Stockett paints a picture of how difficult this might have been back then. The lines were clearly defined. Skeeter is not sure she can follow these rules. She feels differently than many of the women in this town. And she is struggling to find her voice in all of it. She and Aibileen and Minnie come together to write a book about being a black maid and working for white families in the segregated south. It is a dangerous project that could put them and their families in great danger. But all are dedicated to this for their own reasons...
When I read a book, I am always searching for some character to empathize with. The main characters in this book are women. Different types of women. Different races. Different social classes. But all women. I have often thought that women should be able to relate to one another, no matter what, on some level. I try to be faithful to that notion. But I cannot even imagine what it would be like to have lived back then. To have such tolerated division among people, here in America.
I found the women and their strength lovely. And their passion to have their voices heard, (even anonymously), amazing. Women are tough and always have been. And women as mothers and sisters and individuals are to be admired.
“The Help” is a beautiful book. It is Kathryn Stockett’s first novel. She is from Jackson, Mississippi. At the end of the book she writes, in her own words, why she wrote the novel. I read that section twice before I actually understood what she meant. I am grateful that she wrote this book. I know there will be more great books from Kathryn Stockett. The honesty she gives her characters is magnificent. I look forward to reading more from her…
I love it when someone recommends a book to read. It happens anywhere. A total stranger sizes you up in about 5 minutes…You could be standing around at a bookstore looking at the biography section. Someone will walk up and toss a great memoir at you. Or you could be watching a favorite show on HBO such as “In Treatment” and the main character is telling someone about a great book. I read “The Memory of Running” last year because it was talked about on that show. It was my favorite book last year….
I work at a donut shop. Amy Joy Donut. It is not a hipster joint, it’s a coffee and donut shop in Shaker Hts, Ohio. On Cleveland’s east side. An integrated, middleclass neighborhood. I love it. Gets me out of the bubble I reside in…
A few weeks ago a woman came into the shop, bought a cup of coffee and sat down. She had some time to kill. Not a regular customer. I was chatting with a few of the regulars that were in. I had a book with me and we were dishing about it. I wish I could remember what it was…Anyways the woman joined in our conversation. She asked me if I had read “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett. I hadn’t, but I put the title in my phone. I stopped at the library and reserved it. It is still in hardback and on the bestseller list…
I was fortunate to get it last week. I finished it in a few days. I don’t want to say that I couldn’t put it down, but it is a quick read. The story shifts first person every few chapters. Kathryn Stockett does a great job of taking you back to three women’s lives in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960’s.
“The Help” is about three women in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962. Aibileen is a black maid raising her 17th white child. Minnie is also a black maid but tends to lose her jobs because she has a sassy mouth. Miss Skeeter is a 22 year old white woman. She returns home with a college degree and finds that her beloved maid, Constantine is gone.
Many of Skeeter friends are married with children. They have the Junior League and bridge games. They all have black maids. It is Jackson, Mississippi in 1962. Segregation in the south is the norm. Skeeter is not married or even engaged. In fact, she still lives with her parents. She would love to be a writer…
Skeeter gets a job at a local newspaper writing the Miss Myrna column. It is a household hints type of column. Since Skeeter has no talent in the domestic area, she asks her friend Elizabeth’s black maid, Aibileen for some hints. A writing project begins…
Kathryn Stockett paints a picture of how difficult this might have been back then. The lines were clearly defined. Skeeter is not sure she can follow these rules. She feels differently than many of the women in this town. And she is struggling to find her voice in all of it. She and Aibileen and Minnie come together to write a book about being a black maid and working for white families in the segregated south. It is a dangerous project that could put them and their families in great danger. But all are dedicated to this for their own reasons...
When I read a book, I am always searching for some character to empathize with. The main characters in this book are women. Different types of women. Different races. Different social classes. But all women. I have often thought that women should be able to relate to one another, no matter what, on some level. I try to be faithful to that notion. But I cannot even imagine what it would be like to have lived back then. To have such tolerated division among people, here in America.
I found the women and their strength lovely. And their passion to have their voices heard, (even anonymously), amazing. Women are tough and always have been. And women as mothers and sisters and individuals are to be admired.
“The Help” is a beautiful book. It is Kathryn Stockett’s first novel. She is from Jackson, Mississippi. At the end of the book she writes, in her own words, why she wrote the novel. I read that section twice before I actually understood what she meant. I am grateful that she wrote this book. I know there will be more great books from Kathryn Stockett. The honesty she gives her characters is magnificent. I look forward to reading more from her…
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Control Freak
Movie Review of "Hot Tub Time Machine".
I love to go to the movie theater. And me and my fav comic go to the movies 2 to 3 times a month. We try to choose a movie that would be great to see on the big screen. Some movies can wait for cable, demand or DVD. It was about time for us to see a good, mindless comedy. I wanted to laugh. But I can be pretty tough on the funny. For instance, I thought “The Hangover” was lame and am not afraid to tell anyone. It fell short of the premise. I think it won the Golden Globe last January only because the competition sucked… Although I am willing to give it another try on DVD. OK, ok , force me to look at that sexy Bradley Cooper for 2 hours again. I will if I HAVE to…I am going to see “The A-Team” because he is in it and for no other reason. I digress…
The movie we chose to see was “Hot Tub Time Machine”. I loved it. )For the record so did my fav comic, but he can write his own review). In fact, I want to be in the sequel so I can hangout with John Cusack. I have always loved his movies. I could go on and on about his stuff. I still laugh every time I think of “I want my 2 dollars” from “Better Off Dead”. And that movie was out around 1986. (1985, close enough). I graduated from Kent State University in 1986. HTTM (Hot Tub Time Machine) takes 4 guys back to 1986. So I was digging it…
HTTM is a movie about 4 friends. Three of them went to high school together. The 4th one is a nephew. Lou, (Rob Corddry), is a loser who likes to party and has alienated many of his friends. Adam, (John Cusack), just got dumped royally by his live in girlfriend. Nick, (Craig Robinson), has a wife that is a little too much in charge of everything. Jacob,(Clark Duke), is Adam’s nephew. He hangs out in Adam’s basement and spends too much time playing video games, etc. The 4 of them take a weekend getaway to a ski lodge they used to go to when they were in high school. Well, 3 of them were in high school. Jacob wasn’t even born yet.
The lodge is now a broken down dump, much like their lives. They stay anyways and get their old suite. They reminisce and party. Get drunk in the hot tub and POOF, end up back in 1986. While they are trying to get back to 2010, they realize they must retrace the weekend exactly as it happened in 1986 so they can return to the lives they left before they went into time machine….
Of course, they all decide that they can change their mediocre lives and be happier if they twist fate a bit. There are a lot of tempting ‘what ifs’ in the movie. Which got me to thinking…if I could go back to 1986 and change anything to tweak my future (which is now), would I? What would I have done differently…
I already said that I was in college in1986. Life was good. I was working on BS degree. I had a steady boyfriend who was a lot of fun. Drank a lot of alcohol. Worked out too much. Did a few things I shouldn’t have. But survived…
I write and talk a lot about enjoying the ride. Is the time spent worth the payoff. I may seem like a control freak but really I am your typical female, who like things done the way she likes them done. Now men will not understand that last sentence (unless you have gone down the same road twice)…But all the women know what I am talking about. And you have to live a little. Live deep into your 30’s or 40’s to get it. I am all about the ride…If it isn’t fun, I want to make it fun…Or I will pester you until I have fun. I am petulant sometimes. And a handful, at other times. And charming, the rest of the time.
So if I could change one thing that happened to me on a given weekend back then, I wouldn’t. I figure it got me here, writing to you all, for no money. And it is good enough for me. Why would I want to do anything else… I was broke in the 80’s. And I am still broke today. But I have everything I need. Good kids. Good husband who makes me laugh and cry. And he tests the boundaries of my sanity at least twice a day. So I have THAT going for me…
I actually have it pretty good….
I will not tell you how the movie plays out. I will tell you it is a movie about hindsight, missed opportunities and what if. It is a funny, funny movie that I want to see again. There are some great cameo appearances and a flashback from another John Cusack movie. The music is great. And the laughs are many. This movie accomplishes what it set out to do. Go see it if you want to laugh. That’s why I went. To laugh. And I did…
I love to go to the movie theater. And me and my fav comic go to the movies 2 to 3 times a month. We try to choose a movie that would be great to see on the big screen. Some movies can wait for cable, demand or DVD. It was about time for us to see a good, mindless comedy. I wanted to laugh. But I can be pretty tough on the funny. For instance, I thought “The Hangover” was lame and am not afraid to tell anyone. It fell short of the premise. I think it won the Golden Globe last January only because the competition sucked… Although I am willing to give it another try on DVD. OK, ok , force me to look at that sexy Bradley Cooper for 2 hours again. I will if I HAVE to…I am going to see “The A-Team” because he is in it and for no other reason. I digress…
The movie we chose to see was “Hot Tub Time Machine”. I loved it. )For the record so did my fav comic, but he can write his own review). In fact, I want to be in the sequel so I can hangout with John Cusack. I have always loved his movies. I could go on and on about his stuff. I still laugh every time I think of “I want my 2 dollars” from “Better Off Dead”. And that movie was out around 1986. (1985, close enough). I graduated from Kent State University in 1986. HTTM (Hot Tub Time Machine) takes 4 guys back to 1986. So I was digging it…
HTTM is a movie about 4 friends. Three of them went to high school together. The 4th one is a nephew. Lou, (Rob Corddry), is a loser who likes to party and has alienated many of his friends. Adam, (John Cusack), just got dumped royally by his live in girlfriend. Nick, (Craig Robinson), has a wife that is a little too much in charge of everything. Jacob,(Clark Duke), is Adam’s nephew. He hangs out in Adam’s basement and spends too much time playing video games, etc. The 4 of them take a weekend getaway to a ski lodge they used to go to when they were in high school. Well, 3 of them were in high school. Jacob wasn’t even born yet.
The lodge is now a broken down dump, much like their lives. They stay anyways and get their old suite. They reminisce and party. Get drunk in the hot tub and POOF, end up back in 1986. While they are trying to get back to 2010, they realize they must retrace the weekend exactly as it happened in 1986 so they can return to the lives they left before they went into time machine….
Of course, they all decide that they can change their mediocre lives and be happier if they twist fate a bit. There are a lot of tempting ‘what ifs’ in the movie. Which got me to thinking…if I could go back to 1986 and change anything to tweak my future (which is now), would I? What would I have done differently…
I already said that I was in college in1986. Life was good. I was working on BS degree. I had a steady boyfriend who was a lot of fun. Drank a lot of alcohol. Worked out too much. Did a few things I shouldn’t have. But survived…
I write and talk a lot about enjoying the ride. Is the time spent worth the payoff. I may seem like a control freak but really I am your typical female, who like things done the way she likes them done. Now men will not understand that last sentence (unless you have gone down the same road twice)…But all the women know what I am talking about. And you have to live a little. Live deep into your 30’s or 40’s to get it. I am all about the ride…If it isn’t fun, I want to make it fun…Or I will pester you until I have fun. I am petulant sometimes. And a handful, at other times. And charming, the rest of the time.
So if I could change one thing that happened to me on a given weekend back then, I wouldn’t. I figure it got me here, writing to you all, for no money. And it is good enough for me. Why would I want to do anything else… I was broke in the 80’s. And I am still broke today. But I have everything I need. Good kids. Good husband who makes me laugh and cry. And he tests the boundaries of my sanity at least twice a day. So I have THAT going for me…
I actually have it pretty good….
I will not tell you how the movie plays out. I will tell you it is a movie about hindsight, missed opportunities and what if. It is a funny, funny movie that I want to see again. There are some great cameo appearances and a flashback from another John Cusack movie. The music is great. And the laughs are many. This movie accomplishes what it set out to do. Go see it if you want to laugh. That’s why I went. To laugh. And I did…
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
We Are All Accomplices.
Book Review of “Saint John of the Five Boroughs” by Edward Falco
This book is the first novel I have read by Edward Falco. I will be sure to read the rest soon. When I picked this book up at my local library I was not sure what to expect. Saint John? I am Catholic so I of course thought of the New Testament…The Five Boroughs? Well, I thought New York City…I was close enough.
It is a nicely layered novel about a period of transition for a group of people whose lives are related by marriage, etc.
Avery is a college senior. An art major, in Virginia.
Grant is an artist from Brooklyn, New York.
Kate, Avery’s mother, is a widow, living in Salem, Virginia.
Hank, Kate’s brother-in-law, is married to Lindsey. They have an 8 year old son named Keith.
Now this seems like a lot of characters…But Falco introduces them at a nice pace. Each is clearly defined, and there is no confusing their storylines.
Early on Avery meets Grant under awkward circumstances, and they have a strange interlude. Afterwards she decides to move to Brooklyn with him and drop out of college.
At this time, Lindsey is unsure about her future. She and Hank have been married for sometime. Hank is older than her by more than a few years. They have an eight year old son. Her mother is deceased and her father is in a nursing home. She seems to be unsettled by the fact that her brother is involved in the war in Iraq. She is still searching for something…
Once in Brooklyn, Avery is very attracted to Grant’s world and his “artist life style”. But Grant is largely about his own darkness. But still, Avery is very happy. She meets some interesting people thru Grant. Avery finds a job at a restaurant and feels she is building a life for herself.
Her family does not hear from her often enough… Kate and Hank and Lindsey come to look for her in New York and many things change for all of them…
Much of this book deals with the effects of certain decisions we make. What manifests afterwards.
I often write of my desire to read about artists. To try to understand their life and what drives their creativity. This book reminded me of my late teens and early twenty’s. What a rush it was to leave home at 18 and head off to college. Back then I craved meeting new people. I remember how cool it was to meet certain people and find an instant attraction to them. Maybe because you saw in them, what you had always imagined you would be. There were certain things you wanted to experience. If only for just a short time. To be away from your parents. To be on your own. To try to make a life for yourself. A sort of maturity. A sort of redemption. Growth.
It was these kinds of things that “Saint John of the Five Boroughs” did for me. Reminded me of the growth that can occur in a short period of time. I really did enjoy this book. I guarantee that you will relate to some of the characters. You will be able to empathize with at least one of them. It is a story that will make you think, feel and remember…
This book is the first novel I have read by Edward Falco. I will be sure to read the rest soon. When I picked this book up at my local library I was not sure what to expect. Saint John? I am Catholic so I of course thought of the New Testament…The Five Boroughs? Well, I thought New York City…I was close enough.
It is a nicely layered novel about a period of transition for a group of people whose lives are related by marriage, etc.
Avery is a college senior. An art major, in Virginia.
Grant is an artist from Brooklyn, New York.
Kate, Avery’s mother, is a widow, living in Salem, Virginia.
Hank, Kate’s brother-in-law, is married to Lindsey. They have an 8 year old son named Keith.
Now this seems like a lot of characters…But Falco introduces them at a nice pace. Each is clearly defined, and there is no confusing their storylines.
Early on Avery meets Grant under awkward circumstances, and they have a strange interlude. Afterwards she decides to move to Brooklyn with him and drop out of college.
At this time, Lindsey is unsure about her future. She and Hank have been married for sometime. Hank is older than her by more than a few years. They have an eight year old son. Her mother is deceased and her father is in a nursing home. She seems to be unsettled by the fact that her brother is involved in the war in Iraq. She is still searching for something…
Once in Brooklyn, Avery is very attracted to Grant’s world and his “artist life style”. But Grant is largely about his own darkness. But still, Avery is very happy. She meets some interesting people thru Grant. Avery finds a job at a restaurant and feels she is building a life for herself.
Her family does not hear from her often enough… Kate and Hank and Lindsey come to look for her in New York and many things change for all of them…
Much of this book deals with the effects of certain decisions we make. What manifests afterwards.
I often write of my desire to read about artists. To try to understand their life and what drives their creativity. This book reminded me of my late teens and early twenty’s. What a rush it was to leave home at 18 and head off to college. Back then I craved meeting new people. I remember how cool it was to meet certain people and find an instant attraction to them. Maybe because you saw in them, what you had always imagined you would be. There were certain things you wanted to experience. If only for just a short time. To be away from your parents. To be on your own. To try to make a life for yourself. A sort of maturity. A sort of redemption. Growth.
It was these kinds of things that “Saint John of the Five Boroughs” did for me. Reminded me of the growth that can occur in a short period of time. I really did enjoy this book. I guarantee that you will relate to some of the characters. You will be able to empathize with at least one of them. It is a story that will make you think, feel and remember…
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Land of the Free
A movie review of “Ghost Writer”
I am still thinking about the ending of the movie “Ghost Writer”. (Which I will not tell you.) It is a film to be watched from the beginning to the very end...Stay away from any loose lipped friends who may blurt out the ending to you. Be wary of any morning show radio personalities who may give away the story. Before you see this film, do not read any “movie-spoiler” reviews. In this film, watching how the twists and turns play out is pure enjoyment. In this film, ignorance is bliss.
We went to see it Friday evening instead of our usual Saturday late matinee. I like it when the theater is almost empty. There was a good crowd at this show. And everyone paid attention until the very end. And it is well worth it.
Ewan McGregor plays a talented ghostwriter hired to write the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister, Adam Lang. Lang, (the very handsome Pierce Brosnan) and his wife and staff, are staying in a secluded New England Coast beach house. His wife Ruth, is played perfectly by Olivia Williams. His chief of staff, Amelia Bly, is played by Kim Cattrall. Forget the hot Samantha Jones from HBO’s Sex and The City. Ms Cattrall”s performance in this movie is far more enticing. She is smart sexy. One of the most provocative scenes is when McGregor follows behind (literally and figuratively) as she walks up the stairs in a black pencil skirt…
In the beginning of the film, we learn that the previous ghostwriter has drowned under suspicious circumstances. The Ghost (McGregor) is hired and brought to the secluded beach house to look at the manuscript and interview Lang. The manuscript is kept very secure, as is everything else in the large house.
McGregor is staying at a local Inn a few miles away from the beach house. A scandal is unleashed about the ex-Prime Minister’s counter terrorism tactics. Once this hits every news network and he is discovered in America, the media is all over the island. The Ghost is brought to the beach house to stay and write the book.
McGregor is not comfortable staying with any client. The intimacy is a distraction. But this arrangement does allow him to dig a bit. He discovers some odd things about Lang. He is led down a trail that gets him more involved that he wants to be.
This film is thick with paranoia. All the characters involved with Lang, apart from the Ghost, seem to function so well in this uncomfortable environment.
There are many interesting twists in this film. Roman Polanski has created a superb piece. This is a film I want to see again in the theater. It is beautifully shot. The score is haunting. It gives you all the thrills without any over the top scenes. It is a movie filled with content and not a lot of glitz with a great finish. A must see…
I am still thinking about the ending of the movie “Ghost Writer”. (Which I will not tell you.) It is a film to be watched from the beginning to the very end...Stay away from any loose lipped friends who may blurt out the ending to you. Be wary of any morning show radio personalities who may give away the story. Before you see this film, do not read any “movie-spoiler” reviews. In this film, watching how the twists and turns play out is pure enjoyment. In this film, ignorance is bliss.
We went to see it Friday evening instead of our usual Saturday late matinee. I like it when the theater is almost empty. There was a good crowd at this show. And everyone paid attention until the very end. And it is well worth it.
Ewan McGregor plays a talented ghostwriter hired to write the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister, Adam Lang. Lang, (the very handsome Pierce Brosnan) and his wife and staff, are staying in a secluded New England Coast beach house. His wife Ruth, is played perfectly by Olivia Williams. His chief of staff, Amelia Bly, is played by Kim Cattrall. Forget the hot Samantha Jones from HBO’s Sex and The City. Ms Cattrall”s performance in this movie is far more enticing. She is smart sexy. One of the most provocative scenes is when McGregor follows behind (literally and figuratively) as she walks up the stairs in a black pencil skirt…
In the beginning of the film, we learn that the previous ghostwriter has drowned under suspicious circumstances. The Ghost (McGregor) is hired and brought to the secluded beach house to look at the manuscript and interview Lang. The manuscript is kept very secure, as is everything else in the large house.
McGregor is staying at a local Inn a few miles away from the beach house. A scandal is unleashed about the ex-Prime Minister’s counter terrorism tactics. Once this hits every news network and he is discovered in America, the media is all over the island. The Ghost is brought to the beach house to stay and write the book.
McGregor is not comfortable staying with any client. The intimacy is a distraction. But this arrangement does allow him to dig a bit. He discovers some odd things about Lang. He is led down a trail that gets him more involved that he wants to be.
This film is thick with paranoia. All the characters involved with Lang, apart from the Ghost, seem to function so well in this uncomfortable environment.
There are many interesting twists in this film. Roman Polanski has created a superb piece. This is a film I want to see again in the theater. It is beautifully shot. The score is haunting. It gives you all the thrills without any over the top scenes. It is a movie filled with content and not a lot of glitz with a great finish. A must see…
Saturday, March 13, 2010
A Gift of La Dolce Vita
Book Review of "dating da Vinci" by Malena Lott
I just finished reading “dating da Vinci” by Malena Lott. And I have all these words and memories swirling around my head as a result of it. I love it when I read a book and I immediately want to tell everyone I know to read it. It is almost as if someone is paying me to do it. (I can dream right?).
The book is written in first person, my favorite. It is a story about Ramona, who is an English language instructor to immigrants, and her life as it transitions from a “Griever” to a “Normal” over a period of time.
Ramona is a 36 year old widow with 2 young boys, William and Bradley. We learn that her soul mate husband, Joel, died suddenly about 2 years ago. And Ramona is definitely still a “Griever”. She has divided the world into “Normals” and “Grievers”. Since Ramona is a linguist, as readers we enjoy just how much fun words really are and the joy of choosing the right one. She is also currently working on her dissertation, “The Language of Love”.
So we follow along with Ramona as she finds her way back thru her grief. This book is not only a “Ramona gets her groove back”. It is a story of how Ramon turns her sorrow of her late husband’s untimely death into joyful memories of his presence in her life. This story is layered with humor and family gossip. A fun read. I became attached to Ramona and her journey. Many of us have a Ramona in our lives. Or we are Ramona…
We meet many people in Ramona’s life. Obviously a hot 25 year Italian immigrant named Leonardo da Vinci…And some memorable friends, past students and relatives. Each one has closet full of back story that is very amusing for the reader…
I found this book at my local library. Seems I always have some business there. I had just returned a boring book and was just glancing at the shelf and “dating da Vinci” sort of caught my eye. I am always drawn towards a book that is about being involved with an artist. My husband is a performer. An artist. A comic. And definitely different to be involved with. But that’s my other blog….
As I read the book I soon realized that it wasn’t about being involved with an artist. Like Ramona, I have separated the people in the world in two categories. My categories are “Artists” or “NonArtists”. And I try to often figure out which one I belong in…I think by merely grouping the population, it moves me closer to the “NonArtist” category. But then again, the creating and writing of this blog inches me towards the “Artist” category. Talk about frustration from over thinking…
Truthfully this book did many things for me. It made me think, feel, cry and laugh…I love that Ramona is a linguist. I love words and their origin. I always have a dictionary close. I have been known to rewrite a sentence or thought over many times. There are scribbles of notes all over my desk…Think “over thinking” again…
This book reminded me that I need to feel…I recalled the people that I have lost over the years. And like Ramona, I have learned to have joy inside of me instead of sorrow.
Evidently I know that too much of my time is spent thinking. There are times when I cannot shut off my brain. I need to live in the moment more. Enjoy more of life. My funny husband always tells me I analyze things too much. Well, truthfully, he really tells me I “over analyze” him. But as I mentioned before, that’s my other blog….
I want to thank the author, Malena Lott, for a fun and beautiful tale. I will miss Ramona…And thank you Malena for reminding me to be charmed by life and all it has to offer…
.
I just finished reading “dating da Vinci” by Malena Lott. And I have all these words and memories swirling around my head as a result of it. I love it when I read a book and I immediately want to tell everyone I know to read it. It is almost as if someone is paying me to do it. (I can dream right?).
The book is written in first person, my favorite. It is a story about Ramona, who is an English language instructor to immigrants, and her life as it transitions from a “Griever” to a “Normal” over a period of time.
Ramona is a 36 year old widow with 2 young boys, William and Bradley. We learn that her soul mate husband, Joel, died suddenly about 2 years ago. And Ramona is definitely still a “Griever”. She has divided the world into “Normals” and “Grievers”. Since Ramona is a linguist, as readers we enjoy just how much fun words really are and the joy of choosing the right one. She is also currently working on her dissertation, “The Language of Love”.
So we follow along with Ramona as she finds her way back thru her grief. This book is not only a “Ramona gets her groove back”. It is a story of how Ramon turns her sorrow of her late husband’s untimely death into joyful memories of his presence in her life. This story is layered with humor and family gossip. A fun read. I became attached to Ramona and her journey. Many of us have a Ramona in our lives. Or we are Ramona…
We meet many people in Ramona’s life. Obviously a hot 25 year Italian immigrant named Leonardo da Vinci…And some memorable friends, past students and relatives. Each one has closet full of back story that is very amusing for the reader…
I found this book at my local library. Seems I always have some business there. I had just returned a boring book and was just glancing at the shelf and “dating da Vinci” sort of caught my eye. I am always drawn towards a book that is about being involved with an artist. My husband is a performer. An artist. A comic. And definitely different to be involved with. But that’s my other blog….
As I read the book I soon realized that it wasn’t about being involved with an artist. Like Ramona, I have separated the people in the world in two categories. My categories are “Artists” or “NonArtists”. And I try to often figure out which one I belong in…I think by merely grouping the population, it moves me closer to the “NonArtist” category. But then again, the creating and writing of this blog inches me towards the “Artist” category. Talk about frustration from over thinking…
Truthfully this book did many things for me. It made me think, feel, cry and laugh…I love that Ramona is a linguist. I love words and their origin. I always have a dictionary close. I have been known to rewrite a sentence or thought over many times. There are scribbles of notes all over my desk…Think “over thinking” again…
This book reminded me that I need to feel…I recalled the people that I have lost over the years. And like Ramona, I have learned to have joy inside of me instead of sorrow.
Evidently I know that too much of my time is spent thinking. There are times when I cannot shut off my brain. I need to live in the moment more. Enjoy more of life. My funny husband always tells me I analyze things too much. Well, truthfully, he really tells me I “over analyze” him. But as I mentioned before, that’s my other blog….
I want to thank the author, Malena Lott, for a fun and beautiful tale. I will miss Ramona…And thank you Malena for reminding me to be charmed by life and all it has to offer…
.
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