UPDATES

Movies

Mama Mia- dvd

My niece txt me one night and asked if she should watch this movie and said “Heck yes”. Love this movie so much and own it. I saw it in the Theater w/Sylvia and Rachel Hammond and Randy Brown Martin and it was so much fun and girly and w/ great ABBA songs. It’s a must see, especially since it has COLIN FIRTH!!!

                                                                                                                                                                 

Firefly- Netflix

I was home sick for 3 days in Aug. and so I started this series. I had wanted to watch it before just ddnt get around to it. Well, I’m so glad I did. I love it so much and its on my list to buy now!!! It was created by Joss Whedon (buffy series) and it has  a space/western motif w/ awesome characters and a great themesong. It was only on for one season which I’m not sure why cause it was great. 

Serenity- Netflix

this was made after the Firefly series ended. I think they weren’t expecting it to be only one season so they had to end it all for the fans. This wasn’t as action packed as the series but it was good to see everyone back for the movie and to have some closure. 

The Lakehouse- Netflix dvd

This is a repeat movie for me. It has Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves and it was quite good the second time around. The first time I felt confused when it ended with all the time differences and time catching up etc. But it’s a good love story w/ a good ending. 

Roswell- Netflix

OMGosh…..I wanted to watch this series when it came out, but never did. It actually had 3 seasons and once again…..a series that I got so hooked on. It has a great themesong by Dido (which is now my ringtone) and just the characters and storyline was just so great. I was really sad when it ended. Almost more sad than I was when Buffy ended and I wanted to turn around and watch it all over again. 

Eat Pray Love- theater

This is a Julia Roberts movie that was ok. It had a good storyline and it was well done but I think I would’ve liked the book better. 

Books

I actually ran out of books for little bit! Shocking I know and then I got 8 books in one shot.....so there will be more next time!!!

13^th reality- James Dashner

I read a book of his awhile back called the Maze Runner so I decided to try another one of his books and it was pretty good. It’s a juvenile book about a boy that receives strange letters one day wanting him to accept a mission where he will save the world. Along the way he meets new people and discovers new realities in our world. It held my attention and it would’ve been fun for Dylan to have read it when he was about 12. I think there might be more books….need to check that out. 

Molokai’- Alan Brennert

This book was given to me by one of providers and it turned out to be a great read. It’s set in the late 1800’s in Hawaii and a little girl who contracts leprosy and at that time anyone who had the disease was shipped to another island. She had to leave her family and go to this strange land and she was only 7 yrs. old.  The story goes through her life on that Island and it has happy moments, sad moments, very sad moments and is just a great read. 

Austenland- Shannon Hale

*Another Shannon Hale and she did not fail. I finally got this one from the library and finished it within a few hrs cause I couldn’t put it down. Luckily it was Saturday so I actually had the time to read that long. This book is about a woman who is obsessed w/ Mr. Darcy and is given a trip to a resort called Austenland which happens to be all about the Jane Austen. It’s for “desperate” women who are looking for their form of Austen man. You get three weeks of dressing, acting, walking, exercising, dancing, whisting and speaking Jane Austen. That is literally my dream come true. It was a fun book w/ a good ending and when I finished it, I went online and bought from Hastings ($1.98 used) right away. Haha!!!

TV

There's not much going on in the land of Tv.  Reruns and just two shows Big Brother and Americas got talent that is almost over. But my calendar is full of Fall shows coming up!!!!

August bookclub

New day Tues. 8/24/10 (just this one time)

This months book club was held at Rebecca Lybbert’s house and the book was Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. 

 If you remember….our very 1^st bookclub was the Hunger Games and this book is the 2^nd of that series. The last time I read it was a year ago when it came out in Aug. (sidenote…I was reading this 2^nd book before the 1^st book became big w the group some months later…just saying) So, it was alot of fun reading it again. I had forgotten some key parts and had the ending kind of wrong. The meeting was lead by Jody Clark who had some very interesting questions and ideas about the book which always makes a meeting worth going to. Once again though….not everyone had read the book, so discussion was kind of limited. Next months book is Mockingjay….the 3^rd and final book of the series. It was sort of planned to have these books back to back for our bookclubs and we actually had our meeting on the day Mockingjay came out.  While writing this I have of course already finished the new book, but I’m not talking about it until after this months bookclub. Sorry!!!!

updates!!!!!

Movies
Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief- redbox

The book was alot better. I was excited to see this movie and though they did a good job w/it...they did leave some parts of the book out that I would've liked to seen in the movie, but all in all...I'm glad I saw it.

Valentines Day-dvd
there was alot of hype over this movie. It has a huge cast and a semi cute storyline. It's an ok movie. One of the endings of a storyline was really stupid and if you do or have watched I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about.












Stepfather-netflix

A total remake of an old film and it was really dumb. Not a must see!!!! I love how in these movies the kids try to tell the mom that man she moved into their home is not good but she doesnt believe them and all sorts of mayhem and murder happens and she's still none the wiser. I know its just a movie but...come on.

Familiar Strangers-netflix
(description courtesy of imdb.com) this is an off beat funny heartfelt story of family negotiating the changing relationships between parents and children, especially as those children grow into adulthood.
I liked this movie. It has Nikki Reed (Rosalie from Twilight) in it and that helped!





Drop Dead Fred- netflix

This is very funny movie staring  Phoebe Cates, Rik Mayall, Marsha Mason, Tim Matheson, & Carrie Fisher and its about a girl who's childhood imagainary friend comes back during a crisis even tho she's grown up now. It's a quirky and cute and I watched it many many years ago and it was fun watching it again. Rik Mayall is a member of the
YOUNG ONES

a british comedy I loved in the 80's,  so w/him in it, it's going to be funny.

Bedtime Stories-netflix

We saw this in the theater when it came out and we enjoyed it then. So we were bored one Sunday and watched it again. It was still good. I love Sandler movies, but this was nice watching one of his movies that didnt have any raunchy humor or language. A good family movie. And the Guinea Pig w/the huge eyes is so adorable.






To Gillian on her 37th Birthday-netflix

Peter Gallager, Claire Daines, Michelle Pfeiffer, Wendy Crewson, Kathy Baker, Freddie Prince Jr.  It's another star studded movie. Peter's character is a widower and he sees his wife on the beach and so he doesnt want to leave their beach house and get on w/life.
I remember watching this several times when it came out and I loved it. It was still good another time around.




Ponyo- netflix

This is Hayao Miyazaki's latest.(description courtesy of imdb.com) An animated adventure centered on a 5-year-old boy and his relationship with a goldfish princess who longs to become human. I love Miyazaki films so much and this one did not disappoint. It's a must see.






Buccaneers- netflix

This is a 1995 BBC mini-series from the book by Elizabeth Wharton. The story revolves around four wealthy and ambitious American girls, their guardians, and the titled, land-rich but cash-poor Englishmen who marry them as the girls participate in the London Season in search of a titled English gentleman for matrimonial purposes. It was worth watching!!!!





2012- netfllix

I have nothing good to say about this movie. It makes me mad just thinking about it. Several sources I found said the budget for this movie was around 200 million dollars. It's stated that the film grossed 160 mill in the US and 600mill internationally and it was ranked as the 5th highest ranking grossing film of 2009 and 33rd worldwide. I'm sure this all comes from one time sees at the theaters. I dont expect anyone would've gone back again and again to see this movie. Maybe little kids who dont know better. It was absolutely horrible. I couldnt even finish it. It was 2.5 hrs long and by hr 1 I was done. I just skipped to the very end to see how they ended it. The effects were horrible...the storyline horrible.....it's amazing how these people, with the earth is crumbling around them and buildings falling over, can manage to miss everything coming at them. I'm sorry but I thought it was just horrible.

TV
Summer is full of reruns and if it wasnt for a couple of shows it would so boring.

The newest show we like to watch is Seinfeld. It runs everyday and we DVR it to watch that night. I guess w/my Larry David kick right now....Seinfeld has become an interest again. and Dylan finds them funny too.  It's interesting to see how it has evolved from the earlier days when it had alot of Jerry's stage act in the show to the later where it's only mentioned that he's a comedian. In the beginning George is kind of the smarter one, giving Jerry advice on women but later shows have him a big bumbling buffoon. The show is an icon in pop culture and after watching them again....I can see why!


BOOKS
Due to time restraints, I havent had very much reading time. Busy at work....sleepy at night, etc. I even had to take back library books that were way overdue without reading them. SO not me. Anyway.....

I mentioned in the last update I was starting to read Adriana Trigiani "Valentine" series.
Very Valentine and Brava Valentine.

 Well, I got both of them read and LOVED IT!!!  Another set that couldnt put down at night. Such a great story with family and love and best friends and travel and finding oneself. SOOO GOOOD!!!

Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris

This is a vampire book which was published in 2001 and it's the Sookie Stackhouse series. It was pretty good. It's a world where vampires are accepted (sort of, there are those few of course who dont agree) but they walk around free, not hiding, some trying to be productive in society and Sookie, who can read human minds but not vamp minds, falls in love w/Bill the vampire. But murders afoot and people are blaming Bill. It's a love story w/an ending that I didnt see coming and I love it when that happens. There are more books in the series and it's also what the HBO series

TRUE BLOOD is based on.   I've never seen it....but netflix has it. Might have to check it out.

Princess Academy

This is a Shannon Hale book which has been used in our bookclub before so I decided to try another one of hers. She writes probably for the age range of 10-15yr olds but of course I enjoy any range of books and I did enjoy this too. She writes really well and keeps you interested in her stories. It's worth a read.






Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray

The main character is Ruth who loves to bake cakes and her idea of stress relief is to imagine herself in the middle of a bundt cake. She has to take on the stresses of not only her life but the other family members that come her way. It's a very cute book and as soon as I was finished...I passed it off to my coworker/carpool friend that I've been sharing books with. I also think it would make a great bookclub book!!!




Music
Backstreet Boys

Well the Backstreet Boys were in concert in Wenatchee this past week and it brought back soooo many memories. Dylan started liking this band when he was about 6 and the song "Backstreets Back 'alright'. I remember going to a Circuit City in Irving looking for the cd single to that song and he listened to it over and over. He liked them for a couple of yrs. and then it died away like so many other things but everytime I hear them it takes me back to the time of that little boy.



Duran Duran

When I was in my late teen years I was very much obsessed w/them. I loved John Taylor and my sister loved Nick Rhodes. I had everything Duran Duran. I even made my own earrings and necklace w/Johns face!! I was so sure that if only I could meet him, he would fall madly in love w/me and we'd get married.  I even had our kids names picked out. My sister and I actually saw them in concert I think it was in 84' in Austin. It was very,very surreal. Sometimes I think I imagined it but no....it was real. Anyway...My brother got me the cd of their greatest hits a few years ago and to this day I still love to listen to them.


 New Moon-Eclipse Soundtracks

Ive been wanting to get these soundtracks to go along w/my Twilight soundtrack but as Dylan can attest to...I'll put it in my shopping cart and then by the time I'm done shopping I've put it back.( I know...I am worth it but.......) So, a very good and dear and kind and wonderful friend of mine (who will remain nameless for now so that the copyright people can do no harm...haha) burned me copies and as I'm sitting here working on updating these blogs of mine, I have enjoyed listening to them. I'm loving what I'm hearing.
So many many thanks to....YOU!!!!

July bookclub

Once again I let the month go by w/out talking about the past months bookclub. And this one was very important cause July's book was MINE!!!!! We met at Jody's house and the book I chose was The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.

I really enjoyed this book when I read it. So what did the others think? There were only a few that read it all the way through, some read most of it and several that didnt even attempt it. In hind sight......it is a rather long book and I've realized that a summer bookclub is hard cause everyone (but me) takes vacations and has lots of  kid things going on. There was good feedback on the book. We had a great discussion and I was happy cause they were happy w/the book. For August....we are reading Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, 2nd to the Hunger Games. Jody picked this book because our next bookclub is on Tues. 8-24 and it coincides w/the release of the 3rd book...Mockingjay which will be chosen as Septembers book. Cant Wait!!!!

books and tv updates

Havent read very much lately….I started a book which I thought was the 2nd one to the “Great and terrible beauty” but then realized that it was actually the 3rd. haha
Then I tried to get through that one bookclub book which took forever.(or maybe it just felt like it)
Now I’m reading this new book which has 8 books in the series-and we all know how much I like that to happen- called the Outlander.

It’s been interesting. It’s long…..and there is of course the unnecessary sex scenes in it but it’s got a good story line to it.

I'm also working on Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani. So far it's good and I like this author. She wrote the Big Gap Stone series and I loved those.
She's a good writer w/out all the sex and violence and language. 

                                   Now for TV updates.

Big Brother BABY!!!!
That started this past Thursday and is my summer favorite. Its on 3 nights a week and is so much fun. New season, new cast. Already have picked the people I dont like and the ones that I do.

The Gates
This is a new show on Sundays about a gated community which is supposed to be really safe because of the gate but of course they aren’t that safe. This also has a vampire/werewolf/witch aspect to it. I’ve enjoyed it so far so I hope it does good, but experience tells it probably wont last long.

 America's Got Talent

My exchange student Victor and I started watching this last summer. There were a few good people on there like Barbara Padilla who made me cry each time she performed. She didnt win which was dumb.
So now it's a new season and for the same reasons I stopped watching American Idol....I'm not watching this one anymore. They spend too much time with the IDIOTS who just want on the stage in order to be the next William Hung.
This week it was Vegas week and I spent 3 hrs watching them put through some of the good ones but more of the bad ones. They criticize performers even to the point of telling one he could disqualified for going over his performance time and then put him through. This old lady got put through and she is horrible, cant sing, cant play but they think she's cute and funny. Really?????
Anyway....There really isnt anyone that holds my interest like Barbara did last year so I'm done.

Drop Dead Diva
This is a cute show. This perfect model w/ a perfect life dies and comes back in the body of this overweight, stressed out lawyer. We're into season 2 this summer and it's just a fun little quirky show.




Curb Your Enthusiasm
TVGN is now playing reruns from this HBO sereis created by Larry David  who created Seinfeld. He stars in the show and it's just daily stupid life stories. I love it...it's great....I'm glad I'm watching on TVGN so that they clean up.
It's my new show that I look forward to. 

Three Rivers
This CBS show came out at the beginning of Fall season last September. It's another hospital show w/ twist. They specialize in organ transplant. It was a good show....has Alex O'Laughlin whom I LOVE!!!!(he's from the Moonlight series) They took it off soon but it's been playing again w/new episodes on Saturday nights this summer.

The Forgotten
I really liked this show. Christian Slater totally redeemed himself in my eyes with this show. It's about a group that takes Jane/John Doe cases and in the end, finds out who they are and how they were killed. It was interesting and I loved all the characters. They took this show off as well. But the past two weeks there were some new ones. My niece said they're probably ones they didnt show before they took it off. If it doesnt come back...I will miss this one!!!

The Office
So this one has been around awhile and I've been watching it for awhile but I just had to throw this one in. The people who created this show are GENIOUS's. My DVR tapes this show's reruns everyday and we've also watched all the seasons either on dvd or Netflix and still cant get enough. On Tuesdays TBS has a 3 hr set and Dyl and I look forward to watching these even tho we've seen them a thousand times. I also keep several random episodes on my dvr list just in case we have nothing to watch, we always fall back to The Office!
Take a close look at this pic. It's so messed up!!!! love it

more updates and reviews

 

Remember Me –dvd This movie was really good. Kinda dark but with a cute love story and an unexpected ending. Of course it doesn’t hurt that it has Rob Pattinson in it. I do like how even with all the Twilight hype going on…he can make a movie and you don’t even think of him as Edward.

What a girl wants- tv This has Colin Firth in it…one of my most faves and I’ve never seen this before. So I sat down to watch it and it was cute and quirky with a good Cinderella storyline.

 

Avatar the last airbender- Netflix This is a 3 season series that Dylan actually got me hooked on. It’s a cartoon that was on Nickelodean awhile back.We watched all 3 seasons to prepare for the movie that would be coming out at the time and tho at first I balked at watching it, I ended up liking it very much and loving the characters. 

 

Last chance Harvey –Netflix I was unsure if I wanted to see this movie. It looked kind of boring, but I was bored one night and it does have Emma Thompson whom I love so I decided to give it a chance and it was actually pretty good. Not over the top WOW…but just nice with some good acting and a nice story line!

Dear John – dvd This one was ok. I don’t like Nicholas Sparks books but I did like The Notebook as a movie so I took a chance w/this one. It was ok. Typical storyline!

Toy Story 3 theater- The Toy Story movies have always been a favorite in our
house so of course we had to see the 3^rd.  It ended up tho w/Dylan working and ect. he hasn’t seen it yet but Sylvia and I went and saw it in 3-D. It was really good. I think they did great for a 3^rd movie. The bad thing is that at the end I bawled and bawled. I literally was trying to hold myself together as not to embarrass Sylvia. I even had a hard time leaving the theater and on the way home. I’m a sap, I know. We still have Dyls TS toys and w/him graduating this year it was a little tooooo close to home.

Shrek 4 –theater This was actually awhile ago and I didn’t comment on it. The last in the Shrek series and it was good. A little dark but good. I loved Puss as a fat/lazy cat. So funny!