A Happy Scary Halloween to ALL!!!!

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Stargazer by Claudia Gray

I'm so glad I found this series!

One Line Review: Stargazing while sucking blood and yet choosing sides!

Summary: Bianca has returned to Evernight, but without her love Lucas. They must keep their love secret for they are from two separate worlds. She soon learns that Evernight is haunted and that they are coming for her and she must choose sides in order to survive.

Review: Claudia Gray wraps my finger around all of these characters. Even the ones we're not supposed to care about we end up doing just that. Lucas and Bianca are star-crossed lovers but not in a creepy I'm going-to-stalk-you sort of way (like Edward anyone?). And like I said in my review of the first novel in the series, I just really love Claudia Gray's new take on the vampire lore! Enjoy!

TV Thursday- Present Favorites

TV Thursday is a meme that explores the wonderful world of television!

Last week I talked about my childhood favorites so this week I thought I would focus on my favorites right now that are not new this season.

1. Medium (2004): One who communicates with the deceased. Allison Dubois is that person (based on the life of the real Allison Dubois). She's a wife and mother of three and works for the Phoenix District Attorney's office helping them solve crimes. She never gets sleep since the deceased always haunt her dreams so she can give them rest. This isn't your typical crime show; it's a character-based show. We see her life as a mother and wife; we see her husband and how he deals with his wife seeing dead people and now possibly his daughters. It's just great family drama! Check it out on CBS Fridays.





2. Bones (2005): Based on the life of real forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs. We have Temperance Brennan working at the Smithsonian Institution and partnering up with an FBI agent, Agent Booth, along with her team of squints to solve crimes when the corpse no longer has flesh, only bones. Once again this a character driven drama with humor thrown in. David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel have amazing chemistry. Just be aware that the stuff they show is pretty real-looking...my mom gets queasy and my hubby sometimes. But if you can stomach it it's a great show! Check it out on Fox Thursdays.




What are your top favorites? Be sure to leave a comment and your link! Thanks for reading and participating!

Halloween Movies!

I picked up so scary movies to watch over this last week for the Helluva Halloween Challenge! Some were intense, some were a bit funny, and some were just dumb.

1. Dial M For Murder (1954): A man plans to have his wife murdered after learning of her affair, but things don't go according to plan...This was a fun mystery about how to get the husband for attempted murder! Great!

2. Cape Fear (1962): An ex-convict seeks out the man who put him in prison for eight years to seek revenge...This one has Gregory Peck in it and I just love him. This was an excellent scary, suspenseful movie! I was nervous til the very end!

3. Drag Me to Hell (2009): Don't mess with Gypsy ladies! Christine refuses to extend an old ladies mortgage payments and becomes cursed! Soon an evil spirit begins stalking her for three days until she will be finally dragged to Hell! This one was just fun, not terribly scary, but a bit funny and in a few spots suspenseful!

4. Dark Water (2005): A mother and her daughter move into an apartment and soon they are haunted by a little girl who died in the complex. I did not like this movie at all. It wasn't that scary and the storyline was just dumb. Don't recommend it to anyone.

5. What Lies Beneath (2000): After a woman's daughter heads to college she begins to be haunted by a spirit. She decides to find out why she's being haunted/who is this spirit? Michelle Pfeifer and Harrison Ford are excellent in this...it's truly creepy and suspenseful!

6. Night of the Living Dead (1968): The Zombie Apocalypse is upon us! It's like War of the Worlds, but with zombies! A really fun movie!

7. 1408 (2007): John Cusack plays a writer who defuncts haunted places and so when he gets a postcard about the room 1408 in a New York hotel he accepts the challenge...can he get out alive? I loved this movie! It was creepy and suspenseful all in one! Based on a short story by Stephen King...he's always spooky and scary!

Wondrous Words Wednesday

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Bermudaonion's Weblog where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. If you want to play along, grab the new button (or the old graphic), and join the fun! (Don’t forget to leave a link in your comment if you’re participating.)

From Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

Desultory: p. 151 " Tiny little dots of snow drifted down one at a time, the alley only getting a desultory sprinkling."

Wavering, unsteady.

Origin: 1575-85, Latin de- + salire 'to leap'

From Stargazer by Claudia Gray

Groused: p. 144 "'There's nothing to do in Riverton', Raquel groused as I linked my arm in hers and drew her toward the waiting bus."

To grumble, complain

Origin: 1850-55, Perhaps from French dialectal groucer, from Old French grouchier

Teaser Tuesdays- Stargazer

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

"I kissed him again, more slowly this time, and that only intensified the kiss. Both his hands pressed against my back now, and we held each other tighter, and I started to wonder how much closer we could get--and then I remembered what it had felt like when I drank his blood."

p. 71 of Stargazer by Claudia Gray

Monday Movie Meme- Trickeration!

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

A weekly meme hosted by The Bumbles Blog!
This week's movie topic is all about Surprise Endings...

1. The Others (2001): This one had me guessing til the very end...and boy was it creepy!

2. The Village (2004): I would've said The Sixth Sense, but that's on a lot of people's lists...The Village wasn't nearly as well done, but still had me guessing and was surprised at the end like most of his movies!

3. Clue (1985): One of my all-time favorites! It's hilarious and so much fun...but there are three endings and some of them are a surprise!

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

ONE LINE REVIEW: Great concept, though a bit on the confusing side.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book. We have a teen girl who, with her dad, hunts the supernatural. But soon her dad's a zombie and she's left to fend for herself against the Big Baddies out there. She meets up with a partial werewolf and a half vampire who are trying to keep her safe from the super evil vampire Sergej who wants her dead because she's "special."

Like I said and interesting concept, but I just didn't like the book's writing style. Some parts were a bit confusing...I didn't understand what was happening until a bit later in some parts and there are some words that are just kind of odd...like we have Musak instead of music and wulf instead of wolf and no explanation why it was different. Not a big deal, just a bit confusing.

But since I find the concept so intriguing I'm still interested in the next book in the series; I just hope it's a bit more understandable.

Language: It also has quite a few f-bombs, just a heads up.

Fun Quotes:"The smell of apple pies didn't quite fill the house, but it was there, a thread under everything else. It was kind of hard to take Christophe seriously when he smelled like baked goods. I wondered if other djampjir smelled like Hostess Twinkies and sniggered to myself."

Part of the Helluva Halloween and R.I.P challenges.

TV Thursdays- Childhood Favorites

TV Thursdays is a meme formerly hosted by Bloody Bad, but she has now passed it on to me! This is my first meme hosting and it really won't bother me if no one participates (that's just so I don't get my hopes up!), but if you would like to be sure to leave a comment and a link to your post and if there are others participating be sure to check out their posts as well!

What were the TV shows that you just loved as a kid?

1. Care Bears (1985-1988)- I just loved the Care Bear stare! I'm also a sci-fi junkie and since they had some cool powers with their bellies...

2. Punky Brewster (1984-1988)- She was just sooo cool! And it was all so sad at the same, being abandoned by your mother with no family, but she sure knew how to turn tragedy into some fun and happy times. Plus the theme song was so catchy and happy!

3. Dungeons and Dragons (1983-1985)- All my nerdy brothers were into role-playing games and so they got me hooked! A bunch of kids get thrown into the world of Dungeons and Dragons as a fighter, barbarian, wizard, thief, etc! Throw in a unicorn and you got some fun stuff!

4. My Little Pony and Friends (1986-1987)- I loved the ponies! I got everything you could think of...My Little Pony Castle, Stable, etc! They rocked; lots of fond memories!

Book Review: Tea With Jane Austen by Kim Wilson

Summary:

Who would not want to sit down with Jane Austen and join her in a cup of tea? Here for the first time is a book that shares the secrets of one of her favorite rituals. Tea figures prominently in Jane Austen's life and work. In fact, the beloved novelist was the keeper and maker of tea in her family. Tea with Jane Austen begins with tea drinking in the morning and ends with tea in the evening, at balls and other gatherings.

Each chapter includes a description of how tea was taken at a particular place or time of day, along with history, recipes, excerpts from Austen's novels and letters and illustrations from the time. The book also reveals how to make a perfect cup of tea!

Review: This book was full of fun facts about what Jane Austen would've been eating and drinking! It was just fabulous. I even attempted one of the recipes: Modern Bath Cakes! They were super yummy. I would really like to get my own copy and try a few more of the recipes. This is a fun read for those who enjoy Jane Austen and the Regency era.

Update: I am officially done with the Everything Austen Challenge! I have read and watched all twelve on my list:
1. Pride and Prejudice (2005)
2. Pride and Prejudice (TV 1995)
3. Sense and Sensibility (1995)
4. Emma (Miramax 1996)
5. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
6. Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
7. Persuasion (TV 2007)
8. The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy by Mary Street
9. Pride and Prejudice: a Latter-day Comedy (2003)
10. Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange
11. Sense and Sensibility (TV 2008)
12. Intimations of Austen by Jane Greensmith

Extra Credit!
1. Lost in Austen (TV 2008)
2. Persuasion (1997)
3. Jane Austen For Dummies by Joan Klingel Ray
4. Mansfield Park (TV 2007)
5. Emma (TV 1996)
6. Northanger Abbey (TV 2007)
7. Bride and Prejudice (2004)
8. Pride and Prejudice (TV 1980)
9. Pride and Prejudice (1940)
10. Clueless (1995)
11. Miss Austen Regrets (TV 2008)
12. Mansfield Park (TV 1983)
13. The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater
14. The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)
15. The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
16. Mansfield Park (1999)
17. Tea With Jane Austen by Kim Wilson

Part of the Everything Austen Challenge.

Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Summary:

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step. Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone. Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken. Minny, Aibileen’s best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody’s business, but she can’t mind her tongue, so she’s lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own. Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

Review: This book tore through me from page one. I didn't really know how to react to it. I've never lived in the South nor was I alive during the 60s. I'm White and have basically lived in Utah all my life with hardly any interaction with other ethnicities. I mean, I have been around here and there...Spain, Guatemala, and Portland Oregon for a few years. So it's a perspective I haven't seen before and I could quite understand the characters' motivations. They risk so much, but why? I didn't feel the story or the characters were fleshed out as much as I would have liked.

I even headed on over to my book club without the last 15 or so pages read, including the author's note at the end. I never would have thought that something so tiny could change my whole outlook on the book. I really, really wish Kathryn Stockett placed her disclaimer at the beginning of the book rather than at the end.

Here's a bit of what she says:

The Help is fiction, by and large. Still, as I wrote it, I wondered an awful lot what my family would think of it, and what Demetrie (her maid while growing up) would have thought too, even though she was long dead. I was scared, a lot of the time, that I was crossing a terrible line, writing in the voice of a black person. I was afraid I would fail to describe a relationship that was so intensely influential in my life, so loving, so grossly stereotyped in American history and literature.

I was truly grateful to read Howell Raines's Pulitzer Prize-winning article, "Grady's Gift."

There is no trickier subject for a writer from the South than that of affection between a black person and a white one in the unequal world of segregation. For the dishonesty upon which a society is founded makes every emotion suspect, makes it impossible to know whether what flowed between two people was honest feeling or pity or pragmatism.
My feelings for The Help conflict greatly. Regarding the lines between black and white women, I am afraid I have told too much...I am afraid I have told too little. Not just that life was so much worse for many black women working in the homes in Mississippi, but also that there was so much more love between white families and black domestics than I had the ink or the time to portray.

What I am sure about is this: I don't presume to think that I know hat it really felt like to be a black woman in Mississippi, especially in the 1960s. I don't think it is something any white woman on the other of a black woman's paycheck could ever truly understand. But trying to understand is vital to our humanity.

This completely changed my whole view of the book. I see now what she was trying to get across. She never asked her maid Demetrie what it was like and she died before she could once she thought about asking. I think it is vital to TRY and understand, though, as a white person, I know I can never truly understand what it's like to be black, especially in a white society. I now feel that Kathryn Stockett was brave for writing this and now as I read through it again I will have a better understanding of where she was coming from and her motivations for her characters. Bravo! I feel this is one more step to breaking the lines of prejudice and hate.

Wondrous Words Wednesday

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Bermudaonion where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. If you want to play along, grab the new button (or the old graphic), and join the fun! (Don’t forget to leave a link in your comment if you’re participating.)

From The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

1. p.111 "Many jocular comments followed, as did another onslaught of 'heil Hitlering.'"

jocular: given to jesting: habitually jolly.

Origin: 1626: Latin jocularis, from joculus, diminutive of jocus

From Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

1. p.49 "They were more green than hazel now, cradled in the slightest of epicanthic folds, and even the caramel of his skin was something to hate him for."

epicanthic: prolongation of a fold of skin of the upper eyelid over the inner angle or both angles of the eye.

Origin: 1860-65. New Latin epicanthus epicanthic fold, from epi- + canthus canthus

Pemberley Ball RSVP

Greetings! I am Lady Godiva, wife of Lord Archibald of America. My dear husband is taking me over to his beloved home land of England and there we will be staying with our dear friends the Bingleys. I guess I should it's my homeland as well, but I was born here in the Americas. I met my dear husband when he came over for business.

The Bingleys have invited us to a ball in Derbyshire at the Pemberley Estate and a Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy will be our host. I hear he has 10,000 a year! Alas, I fear I have not a chance since I am already married, but a lady may look, no? But I also have heard strange rumors about the Darcy family...brooding, proud, secretive, dark, and mysterious...I feel a slight shudder of fear...and yet longing...

Here is my beautiful gown with which I shall grace Pemberley Ball:













And I drew this little sketch of how I envision my Mr. Darcy:












To RSVP for yourself please head on over to Velvet's blog vvb32 reads for the official invitation and pertinent information.

Teaser Tuesdays- The Help

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser:

Now they's some unorganized talking on the radio, some people yelling, some fumbling round. I tense up like somebody watching us from outside. Somebody white. The KKK was here, five minutes away, to hunt down a colored man. I want a close that back door.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Monday Movie Meme- Westerns

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Hosted by the Bumbles Blog.
This week's movie topic is all about Westerns...

1. Silverado (1985): This movie is just a fabulous western; it's my favorite! Kevin Costner is just amazing in this one along with Kevin Kline and Jeff Goldblum!

2. Quigley Down Under (1990): Another one of my favorites! There's a price on his head. A girl on his mind. And a twinkle in his eye.

Book Review: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

From Shelfari:

The Uglies series is wildly detached from the world we live in today. A place far in the future that holds everyone in their place. The city is separated in two halves, one side is for the uglies, and the other for the pretties.
The future for every ugly is predictable, and for them exciting. Turn 16, get the operation. Sand your skin off, replace with new skin. Raise cheekbones, height, enlarge your lips, eyes and get to the other side of the city.
But what about the ones who don't want the surgery? They're the ones who get out. Out of the two halves of the city and into the wild, into the past, into our present. But for how long?

Review: I love post-apocalyptic reads...this one didn't disappoint. The only thing that bothered me was the main character Tally...she had too much of a 360 change from being the brainwashed ugly to the better informed one, but oh well, I'm still excited to finish the series!

I really enjoyed how three hundred years into the future things haven't changed that much. Everyone still cares about looking perfect and not being happy for who they are on the inside and not what they look like on the outside. I think it's a great story on learning to break out of society's ideas of beauty and to find one's own beauty and for that I really enjoyed this novel.

Book Review: Evernight by Claudia Gray

Evernight, published June 8, 2008

Summary: Bianca's parents are moving out to Evernight, a boarding school, to teach. But Bianca is comfortable where she is and has no desire to change schools so the night before school starts she decides to runaway that is until she meets Lucas, a handsome fellow classmate. And soon their secrets are set to tear their love asunder.

Review: I just loved this book. I really thought the story was going to go one way and then it went another! I was really surprised and I loved that about this book. I also really enjoyed her twist on vampires...you'll have to read to find out! I also found her writing style fabulous...showed us what was going on instead of coming out and blatantly saying it; she just let it flow like the reader was already supposed to know what was going on! It was fast-paced and fun!

I just received the second book in the series Stargazer and am so excited!

Here are some quotes I found exceptional:

"The silence between us stretched out, but it wasn't awkward. Sometimes there are people you can be quiet with, and you never feel the need to fill the gap with meaningless chit-chat. I'd only become that close to a couple people in my hometown, and I'd always thought it took years. Lucas and I were already there. "

"You're alive, Bianca. You still can't appreciate what it means, to be alive. It's better than being a vampire - better than anything else in the world. I remember a little of what being alive was like, and if I could touch that again, even for a day, it would be worth anything in the world. Even dying again, forever. All the centuries I've known and all the marvels I've seen don't compare to being alive."

"Thunder rumbled. My heart beat faster. I turned away from Evernight for the last time and looked back at the flower as it trembled upon its branch. A single petal was torn away by the wind. Pushing my hands through the thorns, I felt lashes of pain across my skin, but I kept going determined. But when my fingertip touched the flower, it instantly darkened, withering and drying as each petal turned black. "

Part of the Helluva Halloween and R.I.P. Challenges

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow Giveaway

Yeah, another book giveaway! This one is for Strange Angels:

Dad? Zombie.
Mom? Long gone.
Me? Well, that's the scary part.

The Real World is a frightening place. Just ask sixteen-year-old orphan Dru Anderson, a tough girl who has taken down her fair share of bad guys. She's armed, dangerous, and ready to kill first and ask questions later. So it's gonna take her a while to figure out who she can trust . . .

Dru Anderson has been 'strange' for as long as she can remember, travelling from town to town with her father to hunt the things that go bump in the night. It's a weird life, but a good one – until it all explodes in an icy, broken-down Dakota town, when a hungry zombie busts through her kitchen door. Alone, terrified, and trapped, Dru's going to need every inch of her wit and training to stay alive. The monsters have decided to hunt back – and this time, Dru's on their menu. Chances of survival? Slim to none.

If she can't last until sunup, it's game over . . .

Sounds pretty good...I'm actually reading it right now! Head on over to Books Obsession to enter! Ends November 1st.

Movie Review: Count Dracula

Count Dracula (1977 BBC)

Director: Philip Saville

Summary: Based on the book Dracula by Bram Stoker Jonathon Harker heads to Romania to help a Count Dracula with his preparations to move to London. Soon he is held captive while the Count makes his way to England to ensnare Harker's fiancee and her sister. It's up to Dr. Van Helsing to figure out how kill Count Dracula and save Harker's fiancee!

Review: I was actually pleasantly surprised by this adaptation! It was creepy in all the right places and Dracula was pretty 'oogie.' I recently played the computer game Dracula that was also based on the novel by Bram Stoker so I was able to follow along pretty well. This definitely portrayed the sensual/sexual side to vampires; I can see why many would choose to become vamps! It was filmed in 1977 so it does have a bit of cheese factor to it, but overall I thought it was done pretty well. I'm not much up for a lot horrific gore so I was glad that they kept it down to a minimum. A very enjoyable movie for the Halloween season!

Part of the Helluva Halloween Challenge.

This Day in History

Patriots sting Loyalists at Shallow Ford, North Carolina

In the early morning hours of October 14, 1780, a contingent of approximately 350 Patriot troops from the North Carolina and Virginia militias engaged a group of British Loyalists, numbering between 400 and 900, at the Shallow Ford crossing of the Yadkin River in North Carolina.

Although they were severely outnumbered, Cloyd ordered the Patriot forces to attack; they gained the advantage when Loyalist leader Colonel Samuel Bryan was killed early in the battle. Without a leader, the Loyalists became disorganized and, realizing that defeat was imminent, they retreated across the Yadkin River, ending their reign of terror over the area. The Patriot militia lost one soldier killed and four wounded while it is believed that the Loyalists lost 14 killed.

The Battle of Shallow Ford is considered one of the most important battles for the Patriot cause to take place in North Carolina during the Revolutionary War. It lasted just under 90 minutes.

I find history fascinating and I thought I would share some info. I've found on the wonderful Internet!

Taken from This Day in History at History.com.

Wondrous Words Wednesday

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme (hosted by Bermudaonion) where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. If you want to play along, grab the new button (or the old graphic), and join the fun! (Don’t forget to leave a link in your comment if you’re participating.)

Taken from Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange

1. ormolu- "The clock, an ornate work of art made of ormolu and heavily guilded, struck the hour."

An alloy of copper and zinc used to imitate gold.

Origin: 1755–65; from French or moulu ground gold, equiv. to or From Latin aurum + moulu, past participle of moudre to grind from Latin molere.

2. miasma- "...but the ghostly miasma of autumn..."

A dangerous, foreboding, or deathlike influence or atmosphere.

Origin: 1655–65; From Greek míasma stain, pollution, akin to miaínein to pollute, stain

Taken from Evernight by Claudia Gray

1. peripatetic- "But now that Lucas said it, I could see that a peripatetic existence might be the same effect."

Walking or traveling about.

Origin 1400–50; late Middle English from Latin peripatēticus from Greek peripatētikós of Aristotle and his school, literally, walking about, equivalent to peripatē- (verbid s. of peripateîn to walk about, equiv. to peri- peri- + pateîn to walk; akin to path ) + -tikos -tic

Teaser Tuesdays- Uglies

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

Uglies by Scott Westerfield p. 303 "They pulled Tally toward the gate of the pen. She twisted her head around to look back, trying to think of words that would explain."

Son's Surgery Update

The surgery went well and he's doing better each day, but it's been a tough weekend. He's been in a lot of pain and thus nausea, vomiting, the whole bit, not sleeping at night. But today he was almost back to his normal self with his sweet smiles and laughs and playing again. So we're on our way! Thank you again to all of you for your sweet thoughts and prayers on our behalf!

Monday Movie Meme- Romance

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

A weekly meme hosted by The Bumbles...just leave a comment and your link and don't forget to look at the posts of those participating!

This week....Romance!

1. The Mirror Has Two Faces (November 15, 1996)

Director: Barbra Streisand

I literally just fell in love with this movie. I watched this when I was 16 and I had no boyfriend at the time and I just identified with Rose in this movie. Handsome professor Gregory (Jeff Bridges) puts out an ad to meet someone whom he's not attracted to. In comes Rose...also a professor. He wants to meet someone he can share his life with without involving sex while Rose is dying to find her one true love. I always felt awkward as a teen and so I totally identified with the desire to find someone who would love me for me! Gregory slowly falls in love with Rose as they become best friends...marriage before love in this case! I love the ending as the credits roll and they are dancing in the streets of New York to show their love. It's so romantic!

Quote:

Gregory: "Rose, I want to be married to you."

Rose: "Gregory, you are married to me."

2. Pride and Prejudice (November 23, 2005)

Director: Joe Wright

This is the ultimate P&P movie adaptation for me! I absolutely love everything about this movie! It was just so passionate! I fell in love with Darcy from the get-go. Matthew McFadyen did an excellent job of Darcy. I actually really felt that he was in love with her; I could see how they eventually fell in love over that year despite not being around each other that much. And the ending....sigh....when Darcy is walking across the field at dawn with his overcoat...awww...sigh...and the music!

Quote:

Mr. Darcy: So this is your opinion of me. Thank you for explaining so fully. Perhaps these offences might have be overlooked had not your pride been hurt by my honesty...
Elizabeth Bennet: My pride?
Mr. Darcy: ...in admitting scruples about our relationship. Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your circumstances?
Elizabeth Bennet: And those are the words of a gentleman. From the first moment I met you, your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain for the feelings of others made me realize that you were the last man in the world I could ever be prevailed upon to marry.
[they look at each other for a long time as though about to kiss]
Mr. Darcy: Forgive me, madam, for taking up so much of your time.

Yeah, I just loved this scene in the pouring rain...so romantic...and about to kiss! Love it!

Book Review: Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange (Aug. 1, 2009)

Summary:

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre starts where Pride and Prejudice ends and introduces a dark family curse so perfectly that the result is a delightfully thrilling, spine-chilling, breathtaking read. A dark, poignant and visionary continuation of Austen's beloved story, this tale is full of danger, darkness and immortal love.

Review:

This was a light and fun adaptation of what happens after Pride and Prejudice. Why is Darcy so brooding and miserable all the time? Well, now we know...he's a vampire! Well, there's not a lot of vampire action, and she didn't quite portray Lizzy the way I imagined her in the original Pride and Prejudice, but it was still a fun twist and well worth at least one read.

Part of the Everything Austen Challenge, Helluva Halloween and R.I.P. Challenges.

Hiatus for a few days

My baby boy went into surgery today and so I'm taking a few days off to keep him happy and as pain free as possible. I should be back to my regular scheduled programming soon...

Book Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Published: 2005

Summary: Death marches across the world gathering the souls that leave this earth and he becomes enthralled with Liesel Meminger, a little girl that watches her brother die and is turned over to foster care. It's Germany on the verge of World War II. Liesel procures The Gravedigger's Handbook from those who bury her brother and thus begins her book thieving career. We join Death on her journey with new parents, book stealing, her boyfriend Rudy, Max the Jew in her basement, and the mayor's wife.

Review: This story drew me in from page one. Markus Zusak has a wonderful way with words.

"I walked in, loosened his soul, and carried it gently away." "Somewhere, far down, there was an itch in his heart, but he made a point not to scratch it. He was a afraid of what might come leaking out." "Burning words were torn from their sentences."

These are just a few sentences that convey his beautiful imagery in this book. This is a very different perspective on Germany during World War II and the Holocaust. It was great to see the side of Germans that were against Hitler and wanted to protect those that needed it. I felt that Zusak captured Germany during that time; what it was like to be a non-Jewish German, a young adult, poor, watching your world fall apart around you, seeing the cruelty of war and intolerance, and yet trying to make sense of it all. This is a story that needs to be told and it is beautiful, heart-wrenching, sad, and yet hopeful.

Dragon's Loyalty and Great Look Awards

Shpling!

Dragon's Loyalty award
Thanks to Velvet of vvb32 reads

The rules of this award are simple:

* If you have a blog, post it on your blog with a link back to the site who gave it to you.

* Leave them a comment on their site, email, etc. to let them know.

* If you don’t have a blog but have a website, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or other type account, post there with a link back.

* Pass this on to 3-10 loyal fans.

1. A Buckeye Girl Reads
2. Alternative-Read.com
3. Fishmuffins of Doom

I got this wonderful award from Jennifer at Between the Lines. Thanks so much!

This award is meant to pat on the back the ones paying particular attention to their blog presentation, and god knows some of them looks awesome! Of course none of them are pretty empty shells, so there’s no shame to mention how nice their blogs are!

Here are the rules:
1. Post the award on your blog, with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 5 other blogs that your particularly like. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

1. Gerbera Daisy Diaries
2. Laura's Reviews
3. FLY HIGH!
4. Melanie's Musings
5. Lit and Life

Wondrous Words Wednesday

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme (hosted by Bermudaonion's Weblog) where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. If you want to play along, grab the button, and join the fun! (Don’t forget to leave a link in your comment if you’re participating.)

These words are all taken from Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange.

1. DENUDED: "There was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, splendid in size and shape, but so denuded of candles that it gave out no more than a dim glow."

To make naked or bare; strip. Origin: 1505–15 from Latin dēnūdāre. I figured this was the definition, but I don't think I've ever heard this one before.

2. INIMICALLY: "'You knew I was going to marry her,' said Darcy inimically."

Unfriendly, hostile. Origin 635–45; from Latin inimīc(us). Once again I guessed at this since it closely resembles enemy, but once again had never actually heard it before.

3. GENTIANS: Origin 1350–1400; Middle English gencian from Latin gentiāna; said to be named after Gentius, an Illyrian king.





4. HAREBELLS: Origin 1350–1400; Middle English

5. SAXIFRAGE: Origin 1400–50; late Middle English from Latin saxifraga (herba) stone-breaking (herb), equivalent to saxi-, combining form of saxum stone + -fraga, feminine of -fragus breaking

These last three are obviously flowers that I'd never heard of before so I'd thought I'd add the pics so now you know what they are too!

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

By late summer 1974, there had been no movement on my case. No body. No killer. Nothing.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

This is really gripping so far!

Monday Movie Meme-Fathers

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post at The Bumbles Blog in their Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Dads...

"John Bridger" from The Italian Job (2003) played by Donald Sutherland- How many dads are thieves and send their daughters beautiful jewels from Italy?? Plus their bond was so strong she agreed to seek revenge against the man who killed him.

"Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader" from Star Wars. We have too many actors for me to list them here! But he wasn't such a great dad. Let's see almost killed his wife and then wreaked murder and mayhem throughout the galaxy by slaughtering millions, including Jedi children. And tried to convince his own son to "go to the darkside."

Cinderella's Father from all the adaptations of Cinderella. How in the world could a guy who loves his little girl so much and seems to be such a nice guy marry the worst woman possible? Looks like he was a great dad until it came time to choose a new mother for "Cindy." Then off and dies and leaves her to be a slave during her formative years!

"Guido Orefice" from Life is Beautiful (1997) played by Roberto Benigni- What an amazing father that is able to save his son and keep his spirits up by convincing him their Nazi death camp is actually a game to be won. Beautiful story that leaves me bawling with horror and yet inspired with hope.

Fear Itself Challenge

Fear Itself Challenge hosted by Donna of Lit Bites. You need to choose three books that are in a category that you wouldn't normally read, thus the fearless challenge. It runs from July 1st to December 31st, 2009 and the books MUST be reviewed! Well, I'm going to read:

1. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (I want to like Dickens, but I've had a hard time getting into his books so here we go. I like the movies, so I'm hoping this is one I can get through.)

2. An essay or two by Ralph Waldo Emerson (I've shied away from him since high school, though I don't know why, so time to face my fear!).

3. One book or at least quite a few entries of poetry. I find poetry a bit too difficult since it makes you really ponder and think and delve...I'm not quite sure what yet, maybe some Keats, Shakespeare's sonnets, etc!

Book Review: Only Milo by Barry Smith

Nicole of Books and Bards asked me to be apart of the Only Milo book blog tour going on this month.

Here are the sites to check out this month:

The Charmed Bracelet (Oct. 1)

Me (Today)

Adventures of Cecilia Bedelia (Oct. 9)

Beth Fish Reads (Oct. 16)

Lit and Life (Oct. 26-27)

vvb32reads (Oct. 29)

Only Milo (September 1, 2009) by Barry Smith:

Meet Milo, a closet writer who emerges from his dull, SPAM-flavored retirement to become an unseen force in the literary world. But when Milo's illicit ghostwriting is nearly exposed on national television, his options are limited. In a world of egotistical, no-talent authors and duplicitous, back-stabbing publishers, how can Milo achieve the recognition he deserves?

This book drew me in from the beginning. We meet Milo, retired, loves Spam, but wants to get published. He soon starts dating a publisher, Margaret, who hires him to translate José Calderon's first novel from Spanish to English. Except the book his horrible and decides to use his own novel as the "translation." But when Calderon finds out and almost cracks under pressure on live TV, Milo knows he has to "take care of the problem." And so begins Milo's journey to gain the recognition he deserves and nothing will stand in his way as one by one those who stand in his way fall by the wayside.

It was shocking to see the callousness of Milo has he continues on his way to success. That was what was so incredible about this book. Milo is a horrific murderer and yet I care about the guy. I don't want him to get caught; I want him to be successful and find the happiness he's been looking for.

What will a person do to gain their heart's dreams? We come face to face with the demon inside us all. How many people do we step on to gain our dreams and desires, how many do we callously overlook and destroy? I thought this was a brilliant satire on how we can corrupt ourselves to the point of losing our souls. Yet, in the end, Milo finds success and happiness; just as in life when good things happen to bad people, or people less-deserving.

Barry Smith really shows us Milo, who he is, in only 256 pages. A fascinating read that makes you laugh and think! I say, a wonderful combination!

Thanks to Nicole, again, for letting me be apart of the Only Milo book blog tour and giving me the chance to read such a fun and thought-provoking book!

Movie Review: Disturbia

Release Date: April 17, 2007

Director: D.J. Caruso

It's sort of a modern retelling of Hitchcock's Rear Window with Jimmy Stewart. Teenage Kale loses his father in a car accident and blames himself, he thus starts acting out in school and ends up punching his Spanish teacher in the nose. The judge puts him on house arrest for three months during the summer. Well, if you're cooped up you're going to go a little loopy. So he starts spying on the neighbors with his high-tech gear with his best friend and his the new girl from next door. Soon they suspect their other neighbor to be a serial killer and are trying to find the proof. But what happens when their neighbor finds out they know??

I loved this movie. Fun suspense and story. Enough things to make you jump out of your seat, which is great. If you enjoy a good suspense movie try this one out!

Interesting Trivia:

The film's translation in Russia is "Paranoia."

Disturbia was filmed on location in the cities of Whittier, California and Pasadena, California. The homes of Kale and Mr. Turner, which were supposed to be next door to each other, were actually located in two different cities.

Memorable Quotes:

Ronnie: Oh my god, you've made the tower of Twinkie! Is that in a stalker's handbook somewhere?

Kale: So now you got the whole jock and bimbo population showing up? That will be fun. I just didn't think you'd conform so fast.


This goes toward the Helluva Halloween and All Hallow's Eve Challenge.

Book Review: Never Slow Dance With a Zombie by E. Van Lowe

Back of Book Summary:

Principal Taft's 3 Simple Rules for Surviving a Zombie Uprising:

Rule #1: While in the halls, walk slowly and wear a vacant expression on your face. Zombies won't attack other zombies.

Rule #2: Never travel alone. Move in packs. Follow the crowd. Zombies detest blatant displays of individuality.

Rule #3: If a zombie should attack, do not run. Instead, throw raw steak at to him. Zombies love raw meat. This display of kindness will go a long way.

On the night of her middle school graduation, Margot Jean Johnson wrote a high school manifesto detailing her goals for what she was sure would be a most excellent high school career. She and her best friend, Sybil, would be popular and, most important, have boyfriends. Three years later, they haven't accomplished a thing!

Then Margot and Sybil arrive at school one day to find that most of the student body has been turned into flesh-eating zombies. When kooky Principal Taft asks the girls to coexist with the zombies until the end of the semester, they realize that this is the perfect opportunity to live out their high school dreams. All they have to do is stay alive....

My Review:

I really loved this book, especially after coming off of Zombie Blondes, which I didn't like, to this one was wonderful! I really enjoy satires, books that go over the top to make their point. This book did not disappoint. We have Sybil and Margot who discover that all most all of their classmates have been turned into zombies. What does Margot want to do? She wants to be the most popular girl in school (though, she is the only one not undead!). While Sybil just wants to get the zombies to "declique" from their cliques! As Margot strives to rule the school and stay safe from the zombies her and Sybil slowly grow apart. Can they keep their friendship, cure their classmates, discover the culprit, and survive high school? These are the themes I experienced in high school. How to hold onto the good friends I've got and not worry about what the popular kids say, etc. How to make a difference in school? How do I survive? Granted, I never had to fight off zombies and live among them, but don't we all have a bit of zombie in us?

This is part of the Helluva Halloween Challenge and R.I.P. Challenge.