The Proposal

Predictable chick flick, but I loved it. Very funny indeed. Betty White is wonderful. Sandra Bullock's dance around the fire with Betty White was hilarious. I cracked up! Ramon was an interesting surprise (the guy that plays Oscar from The Office). I thoroughly enjoyed the Alaskan setting. As Tina Fey once said as Liz Lemon in an episode of 30 Rock, "I want to go to there." Ryan Reynolds is soooo hot, especially in the nude. And Sandra Bullock has done a great job of keeping her body looking smokin', too. The nude scene with those two was great and oh so funny. The end theme, of course, if you love someone let them go and they'll come back to you, worked out really well. I will probably be buying this when it gets released on DVD. Romantic movies are my weakness. Oh, one more thing, I loved Sandra Bullock's hair in this movie. She's just gorgeous.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 3D

Cute animated flick. I don't think the 3D element was played up enough in the graphics, though, so I feel like I wasted my money on that. The family theme was played up in this Ice Age. The adult humor was good, but it was still child-friendly. There were a lot of sweet moments, and the action/adventure in the underground dino-world contrasted nicely with the feel-good stuff. I like how the T-Rex befriended Sid, that was cute. The cuteness factor went way off the charts. I did enjoy the movie, but I felt like there was something missing the whole time...not sure what, though.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Such a good movie. Shia LaBeouf was just as hot as ever. And Megan Fox steamed up the screen as well. The action was non-stop (some might think there was too much action), and the graphics and explosions were fantastic just like the first movie. I like the tie in to Egyptian culture. The love story between the leads was cute but a bit saccharine at times with the whole who's gonna say the L-word first thing. I saw this in an IMAX theater, and it was awesome! I hope there will be a third Transformers movie...I'm sure there will be.

East of Eden - John Steinbeck

Whew! That was an enormous book. Maybe I should ask the length before I ask for recommendations on what to read next time. That took forever. I mean I read fast, but there's only so many pages you can read in a lunch break.

Okay. Overall, I liked it. Messed up book. Messed up. Cathy/Kate was scary. She makes me think of the Joker. Just pure evil, and there's no way to plan around that craziness. No reasoning with it, and at points, no stopping it. I tried to explain the story to Josh, but there were just too many turns to explain. You'd just have to read it.

I liked his writing. Kept me interested while not a whole lot was going on. Seemed like he had alot to say behind what he was really saying, and on occasion he just pulls out of character and goes on with what he wants to say even though it doesn't seem to relate. Or maybe it does, and I'm just slow. Either way. I liked all the thoughts.

I'm still not sure about the ending. Did he bless him or not? I think maybe not? Was he saying he chose to do bad when he could have overcome it so he's not going to forgive him?

I loved Lee's character, and Samuel Hamilton's. I would like to meet some folks like them.

And for the quotes....

Pg. 130 - "Sometimes a kind of glory lights up the mind of a man. It happens to nearly everyone. You can feel it growing or preparing like a fuse burning toward dynamite. It is a feeling in the stomach, a delight of the nerves, of the forearms. The skin tastes the air, and every deep-drawn breath is sweet. Its beginning has the pleasure of a great stretching yawn; it flashes in the brain and the whole world glows outside your eyes. A man may have lived all of his life in the gray, and the land and trees of him dark and somber. The events, even the important ones, may have trooped by faceless and pale. And then - the glory - so that a cricket song sweetens his ears, the smell of the earth rises chanting to his nose, and dappling light under a tree blesses his eyes. Then a man pours outward, a torrent of him, and yet he is not diminished. And I guess a man's importance in the world can be measured by the quality and number of his glories. It is a lonely thing, but it relates us to the world. It is the mother of all creativeness, and it sets each man separate from other men."

Pg. 131 - "Our species is the only creative species, and it has only one creative instrument, the individual mind and spirit of a man. Nothing was ever created by two men. There are no good collaborations, whether in music, in art, in poetry, in mathematics, in philosophy. Once the miracle of creation has taken place, the group can build and extend it, but the group never invents anything. The preciousness lies in the lonely mind of a man." Hmmm...I guess this is technically true, but it seems weird to me. What do you think??

Pg. 143 - "You have a point, Louis. But some men are friends with the whole world in their hearts, and there are others that hate themselves and spread hatred around like butter on hot bread."

Pg. 160 - "That's why I'm talking to you. You are one of the rare people who can separate your observation from your preconception. You see what is, where most people see what they expect." This is a tough one b/c, at least to me, everything is already tainted by what you think of it. So it's leaning toward your preconception already. Takes a strong character or act to push it back the other way.

Pg. 255 " 'You're never satisfied to let the Testament alone. You're forever picking at it and questioning it. You turn it over the way a 'coon turns over a wet rock, and it angers me.'

'I'm just trying to understand it, Mother.'

'What is there to understand? Just read it. There it is in black and white. Who wants you to understand it? If the Lord God wanted you to understand it. He'd have given you to understand or He'd have set it down different.' "

Ha. I like this. I like to question things, but sometimes it would be nice to just accept.

Pg. 268 "And I here I make a rule - a great and lasting story is about everyone or it will not last. The strange and foreign is not interesting - only the deeply personal and familar."

Pg. 301 "But 'Thou mayest!' Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he has still the great choice. He can choose his course and fight it through and win."

Pg. 413 "It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure to the world."

Pg. 415 "They say a clean cut heals soonest. There's nothing sadder to me than associations held together by nothing but the glue of postage stamps." Boooooo.....I'd rather write that let it go.

Possession

This was an okay movie. I didn't think they built up the love enough between the two present day characters to where when they started talking dramatically to eachother I even cared. If you don't believe the love, then the cheesy love lines just sound fake. I liked the past poet guy better as a leading man. He looked his part. I liked the mystery being solved through the poetry. That's always nice. Riddles. I liked the ending, and the story moved along pretty well. Check it out if you're bored and happen to see it available.

Inkheart

This movie was so cute! If you're a nerd like me and love books and fantasy stuff, you'll love it. The characters in the books come to life whenever someone with the special gift called a silver tongue reads outloud. Then the whole movie is about the characters fighting eachother, and this guy trying to save his wife that's gotten stuck in a book. Very Neverending Storyish, and I loved it. Sigh. I love happy stories.

Austenland - Shannon Hale

My Jane Austen kick continues! This is the story of Jane, a quirky New Yorker who is gifted a fantasy trip to "Austenland" where she gets to pretend to live the life of someone similar to a Jane Austen character during Regency times. The "vacation" lasts about three weeks. Jane's trip is a fun escape, but she also uses the trip to try and prove to herself that romantic men like Mr.Darcy of Pride & Prejudice are not worth pining over and fantasizing about. There are several comedic moments (Mrs.Charming's attempt at proper British is hilarious with her "what-whats" here and there), and there are some surprising romantic twists and turns in the plot (and fun make-out sessions, too). The characters in this story aren't who they seem to be, and I was a bit confused by some of them at times. The author was able to pull the story together nicely at the end, and, even though the ending seemed liked it was put together quickly, it was a good one. I recommend this to anyone looking for an enjoyable, fast read...and I don't think Jane Austen fans will mind this bit of fluff.

Jane Austen Ruined My Life - Beth Pattillo

I love Jane Austen everything, and when I saw this book and read the first page, I knew it was coming home with me. I really enjoyed this story. It's easy to get into, the author's writing style is so relaxed and welcoming, and I wish the story hadn't ended. Persuasion is my favorite Jane Austen love story, and I'm so glad that the author chose to feature it the way she did in this novel. I wish I had my own Captain Wentworth!

Emma's story is uplifting, and I love how Beth Pattillo kind of paralleled her story with Jane Austen's in the book. I especially loved reading all the made-up letters and the fun tasks Emma had to complete. My favorite task was the last one at Chawton where Emma runs her finger across Jane Austen's writing desk when no one is looking. I can totally see myself doing that, and my heart beat even speeds up just thinking about such a rush! Oh man, to feel the power! I would love to visit all the places Emma went to during her research. Fun, fun!

The only thing I wish was different was the ending. I was hoping the author would have featured a little more about Adam and Emma reuniting in the epilogue. I was really rooting for Adam the whole time. Poor guy. Pattillo should have written more story so that Adam and Emma could get together again back in London and have a happily-ever-after. Those are always nice...but the final ending does suit the story and leaves the reader wondering what will happen next. Sometimes at the end of a really good book, it is nice not really knowing the rest. It made for a good "find yourself" type story, and even though there was not as much romance as I would have liked, it was still a satisfying, fun read. I'm definitely keeping it to read again in the future.

Stern Men - Elizabeth Gilbert

It started out well enough, but I lost interest halfway through. I couldn't finish it and took the book to my local used store for credit. Sorry, Ms. Gilbert. I loved Eat, Pray, Love, and I couldn't put it down, but I gave up trying on this story.

New In Town

Really liked it. It was almost like one of those cozy novels you pick up to keep you warm by the fire during winter. The Minnesota accents were too cute, and I loved the scrappers. They made me want to start scrapbooking myself. Harry Connick Jr. was perfect as the rugged handsome Ted, and he and Renee Zellweger had great chemistry. I'm not a huge Zellweger fan, but I think she was perfect as headstrong businesswoman, Lucy Hill. I especially loved the crow hunting excursion when Ted just about flipped Lucy upside down trying to help her get her zipper unstuck on her jumpsuit.

It's a predictable movie, but predictable can be a good thing during uncertain times like now. I like that there are some movies out there we can depend on for a good laugh, a good cry or just pure fun.

Killer Weekend - Ridley Pearson

Picked up the hardback at McKay's for six bucks. Definitely worth the price, but I had credit to use. :)

This is the first Ridley Pearson book I've read, and I really enjoyed it. It reminded me of James Patterson's books because the chapters were so short and the story was very fast-paced. Pearson's writing style is also very similar to Patterson's, but I think Pearson's language is a little bit more complex.

It's mainly a story about an underdog Sheriff, Walt Fleming, in a small town trying to protect the Attorney General, Liz Shaler, (whose life he saved eight years prior) from being assassinated at a conference where she plans to announce her candidacy for President. It all takes place in one weekend, and the killer's plot for assassinating the AG is pretty unique and kind of disturbing. There is also another side plot going on throughout the whole story involving some elite characters and a cougar. Yes, a cougar.

This was a good page-turner. I was a little confused in the beginning, though, because several characters were introduced at once so it took me a few chapters to get them all straightened out with their corresponding story lines. I pressed on, and I finished the book in about two days. It's a very fast, entertaining read but a little on the light side for being a suspense/thriller, but there are enough surprise moments that make up for that lightness. This would probably be a good beach read or something for the car or on the plane during a trip.

Passengers

Ok, the main character's fate is totally predictable right from the get-go, but how she finds out about herself is a decent mystery. I thought the creepiness factor of this movie was definitely up there, and the acting was good. Anne Hathaway never disappoints. Patrick Wilson was a nice treat for the eyes, and he did better than I expected. I enjoyed their little unethical romance. I thought the plane crash scene that was fully played out was good, and I am glad they showed the whole thing. I liked the ending of this movie even though it was a little too sweet. Good rental. I wouldn't be opposed to buying this if it was on sale.

Last Chance Harvey

A sweet middle-aged love story. This reminded me a little of the movies Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, only the characters are older and kind of sad but oh so charming and deserving of love. I love Emma Thompson and all her little acting nuances. She's just great. Dustin Hoffman is so pathetic in this movie which makes him more likable in an odd way, and I was rooting for him to come out on top. I love how he's shorter than Emma, it's cute.

I like that this whole movie takes place over the span of a short weekend in London, and it's mostly realistic. It's just so sweet. I don't know that I would watch this again. It's kind of depressing even though it ends on a high note. It's not the regular romantic comedy with all the hoopla and the jokes and the attractive young couples that we're used to seeing, but it's definitely more than worthy of sitting on the shelf beside or even above those predictable flicks.

In The Electric Mist

It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great. I have become a big Tommy Lee Jones fan over the past few years, and I enjoyed his acting in this murder mystery/ghost whatever it was.... I thought John Goodman was a little on the sloppy side with his portrayal of "Baby Feet Balboni" (hilarious mob boss name, btw), Peter Sarsgaard was kind of funny and did an OK job. I was confused by his actual role in the movie. I mean, I know he helped to move the plot along alot, but he was drunk more than half the time, which was so annoying, and I couldn't understand what he was saying sometimes. I will say that Mary Steenburgen was a nice surprise. I think she's a wonderful presence in any film. The rest of the cast was only so-so with their acting, definitely not up to par with Mr. Jones.

The story was entertaining despite being confusing, and maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the actual book first. I don't know...I think the producers were trying too hard. I got the gist of all the story lines, but I think this could have been done better and neater. Glad it was only a dollar rental.

Jane Austen in Scarsdale - Paula Marantz Cohen

Add this one to the long list of books that I'm glad I read but probably won't pick up again. It's quick to read and has an interesting little story, but I wish there were more details in this one. Yes, yes, I know. I whine when there are too many details, and I whine when there are too few. This one had a great little lost romance story line going, but it finished up too quickly at the end. Give us more of that greatness! Paula built up the awkwardness and longing enough but then just barely gave us a consolation for reading it through.

I loved all the individual characters of the high school students and would have also liked to see more of them. Maybe a postlude a few years later with letters from the formerly crazy parents writing about how great their students were doing now that they were in the right school?

Anyways...I might look for more her in "Jane Austen in"....wherever series. It worked out well for a fast book while riding to New York state to see a wedding this weekend.

NEXT!

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

This movie sucked. I love stupid movies and I like the main actor guy, but it sucked. Scuba doobie dooo??? Seriously??? Stay away from this one. I was forced to pity laugh, and I laugh at everything.

Still Waiting.....

I ordered my book East of Eden on May 5th from half.com...and it's STILL NOT HERE! What the heck.. We're driving to NY on Friday, and I've got nothing to read. I'm going to have to pull one of the McKay's impulse buys out. Grrrrr.....

Angels & Demons

First off, it was interesting to see Tom Hanks in a speedo. I'm glad we got to see the normal side of his character, and I'm so glad his hair was not long in this movie because that was just an odd look for him in DaVinci Code. As per usual, Hanks did a great job in this film. He's got Robert Langdon down.

OK, I know he is the bad guy, but I especially enjoyed Ewan McGregor in this movie. His portrayal as the Camerlengo was perfect. He was so believable, and his transition from light to dark was very smooth. I haven't read the book in so long, and I almost cried when he went up in the helicopter with the antimatter, so, at the twist in the end, I was just as blown away as other audience members. I love that surprise element!

Now, I don't remember it, but I thought there was a bit of romance between Vittoria and Robert in the book. I didn't mind that nothing happened between the two in the movie because I was more interested in good defeating evil the whole time. I don't think that it would have fit very well into the movie anyway.

The only disappointment was the original fax in the beginning...I was hoping to see the one of the CERN guy's branded chest instead of just the plain word Illuminati on a piece of paper, but I guess Ron Howard wanted to keep the story moving forward without too much backstory, which is understandable.

Overall - Fantastic film! 5 stars! I actually think this movie is better than the book! The whole movie is action-packed and suspenseful, and I was even kind of scared during a few moments. All the historical information and ceremonial details were revealed and explained perfectly, and the artwork was very well incorporated. The setting was magnificent, and the graphics were also pleasing to the eye. The music and cinematography was wonderful, and I really like that the same music from DaVinci Code was used for this film. Ron Howard is an excellent director and should definitely be praised for this film. I enjoyed this movie ten times more than DaVinci Code, and that was my favorite of the two books. Angels & Demons is now my number one!

I was entertained by every second of this film and want to go see it again. I will definitely be buying this when it comes out on DVD!

Bride Wars

Very sweet movie. I was a little annoyed by all the bridezilla craziness, but I know Hudson and Hathaway had to act that way so they could redeem themselves as better human beings and better friends in the end. I like the change in direction of the plot towards the end for Hathaway's character. That is as specific as I can be without giving anything away.

The movie is predictable, but it is still fun and amusing, and I enjoyed the pranks. I liked the Vera Wang dress the best, by the way.

Blindness

I think there was a message in this film, but the delivery was terrible. I wish I hadn't wasted my time watching this movie. I couldn't stand Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo. I don't like that there is no explanation for why most everyone went blind. I couldn't stand the cinematography - it's not artful, it's annoying. It started off good, and I thought it was going somewhere...but it flopped. Don't waste your time.

The Uninvited

Definitely suspenseful and a bit scary and creepy, but the plot was predictable and so were all the twists in it. The girl who played Anna had distracting lips. I felt like I was watching an Angelina Jolie wannabe. There are holes in the story, and I didn't really enjoy it excluding the few frightening jumps it gave me. I wouldn't recommend even renting this. Get it as a freebie with a coupon or at a redbox on Mondays with a promo code like I did.

The Tale of Despereaux

The animation was definitely up to par with movies like Shrek and Monsters, Inc.

Aw, I thought Desperaux was the cutest with his big Dumbo-like ears. My heart went out to Roscuro the rat, though. He fell into such a dark hole (literally and figuratively), and all he wanted to do was make things right again. He's the real hero in my opinion. Yes, he had a downfall, but every hero gets lost once in a while.

I thought the three different worlds were interesting - Mouesworld, Ratworld and the human world - the plot that unfolds between them never lagged. Although, the soup story was kind of a weird way to start off, but it's suitable for youngsters and fits in with the G rating. I did think that for a G-rated film there were several moments that might waver on the scary side for small children, but there wasn't any bloodshed shown and the dramatic fight scenes weren't too harsh and didn't last long.

Overall, well done with likable characters, an engaging tale, and the moral of forgiveness shines brightly at the end. I'm glad I watched.

The Skeleton Key

I thought this movie would have a predictable plot and cookie cutter characters, but I was wrong. The entire cast delivered memorable performances, especially John Hurt who has maybe one line during the entire show. The story was engaging the whole way through, and the twists at the end were well played. I was so surprised by the turn of events, and good suprises always kick a movie's likability level up a notch for me.

I have to note that the creepiness of New Orleans has always served well as a backdrop for mystery films, and the plantation house in The Skeleton Key was almost like a freaky character itself adding to the spooky Hoodoo vibes throughout the film. I got this as a free rental, but I will probably buy this later.

Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris - Sarah Turnbull

Just finished our April book last night. I think it was our April book. Whatever it was, I just finished. I have to say this book was very cool to read after just being to Paris. I knew alot of the places she was talking about and had a better perspective on everything. Even if I was just an American tourist. :o) I can honestly say I wouldn't have eaten the things she ate with such enthusiasm. I might have tried, but they've got some rough looking stuff over there.

I liked the book, but it was probably much more fun to live than to read about. I like that it was someone's story. I always wonder how people remember that much about everything in that order. Surely she had a journal or something during this time. It would be hard to remember the details of everything.

I love when she told the guy off in the bakery! Too funny. And I love that she put Maddie on the back of the book in her author photo.

I could have done without all the food descriptions, but maybe that's a French thing since she talks about it so much in the book. How detailed they are about food. I found myself reading quickly through those parts to get to the mess-ups and action of the story. That's how Playing For Pizza was too! Maybe it's a European thing. Describing food just doesn't do it for me. I'd rather try it out myself.

Cute book. Glad I read it but probably wouldn't pick it up again. I would recommend it for Americans about to take a trip to Paris. You could probably finish it on the ridiculously long plane ride over, and you'd be all pumped to take on the city then.

Elegance - Kathleen Tessaro

I read this forever ago, but I think I forgot to comment on it. Lovely book. Kind of reminded me of a not so crazy shopaholic book how the girl kept spazzing in and out of doing what someone suggested and going back to her old habits. Easy to read and had fun romance parts, but the romance wasn't the main focus.

Good book. Check it out.