A word on my grading-- I tend to rate things more harshly than others-- even Netflix has recognized this and always estimates my ratings as lower than most users. If I give something a C, it's not that I didn't like it-- I just thought it was "average." By definition, most things are average. :)
Books--Nonfiction
*Esther and Ruzya: How My Grandmothers Survived Hitler's War and Stalin's Peace (Masha Gessen)-- I liked this book less than I expected. It is interesting in that it provides a window into a seldom seen segment of the past-- Jews in Russia during WWII and Stalin's reign-- but I didn't find it compelling. I think it would appeal more to those with some type of personal connection. C+/B-
*Enrique's Journey (Sonia Nazario)-- A friend recommended this to me as a follow-up to the movie Sin Nombre. Nazario tells the story of Honduran teenager, Enrique, who sets off on the dangerous journey to enter the US illegally and find his mother (who left when he was five). Nazario went a Pulitzer for the newspaper series on which this book was based. It's well-written, well-researched and shows the human side of a topic of much debate. A
*Made from Scratch (Jenna Woginrich)-- I thoroughly enjoyed this book, partly because it is so different than anything I've read. Part memoir and part how-to guide, Made from Scratch is the author's chronicle of living more self-sufficiently-- from raising her own chickens to creating her own entertainment. She offers lots of practical advice on how you, too, can join the fun. Am I now playing my own dulcimer and sewing my own clothes? No, but now I do want some chickens and an Eglu. A
*Angry Conversations with God (Susan Isaacs)-- Wow, I could have written this book-- if, you know, I were more disciplined about writing anything and a little bit funnier. Anyways, Isaacs decides that if her relationship with God is supposed to be like a marriage, they need marriage counseling....so she finds a willing therapist (a former pastor transitioning into counseling) and begins the process of therapy. Parts of this book are utterly hysterical (though probably funnier if you have a church-y background), but overall, the book is raw and surprisingly powerful. Highly recommended, especially to those who have felt hurt by "The Church." A
Books--Fiction
*Push (Sapphire) --I saw the trailer for the movie that coming based on this book, and I decided that it looked like a worthwhile read. The writing style makes reading this book a bit frustrating, but the payoff is worth it. I'm going to be lazy and just add the summary from Amazon.com to give you an idea about the story: "Claireece Precious Jones endures unimaginable hardships in her young life. Abused by her mother, raped by her father, she grows up poor, angry, illiterate, fat, unloved and generally unnoticed. So what better way to learn about her than through her own, halting dialect. That is the device deployed in the first novel by poet and singer Sapphire. 'Sometimes I wish I was not alive,' Precious says. 'But I don't know how to die. Ain' no plug to pull out. 'N no matter how bad I feel my heart don't stop beating and my eyes open in the morning.' An intense story of adversity and the mechanisms to cope with it." The movie, entitled Precious, will be out in the fall. B
*Goodnight Nobody (Jennifer Weiner)-- I haven't read any of the author's other books, but I thought this might be a fun foray into Chick Lit. I was so bored that I gave up half-way through the book. I don't know who murdered the soccer mom, and you know what? I don't care...not one little bit. I think the sequel will be called Goodnight Mush. D
*Handle with Care (Jodi Piccoult)-- This is the most recent Piccoult book, and it concerns a family who has a child with osteogenesis imperfecta. Early in college, I volunteered at a special needs preschool and met a child with the same condition-- very scary....like dealing with a little person made out of fragile china. I thought the book was decent-- compelling to read but not especially satisfying in the end. C-
*Tenth Circle (Jodi Piccoult)-- Another Piccoult book, this one is about a young teen who is raped (?) and the aftermath. C
*Nineteen Minutes (Jodi Piccoult)-- Before and after a school shooting. C
*My Sister's Keeper (Jodi Piccoult)-- I think just about everyone has heard of this book now that it's a movie. A couple uses the help of a geneticist to concieve a child to be a perfect donor match for their daughter with leukemia. B
*Plain Truth (Jodi Piccoult)-- An Amish girl is accused of murdering her baby right after his birth. C
*Vanishing Acts (Jodi Piccoult)-- I think this might be my favorite Piccoult thus far. It's about a noncustodial parent kidnapping his child. B+
Because I've recently read 6 Piccoult books, you might conclude that I really adore her books. I don't. I like them. They're fast reads, and they capture my attention. I don't love them though. After having read 6 of her books, there's definitely a theme of ethics and ethically "grey" areas....also, that in the "right" ("wrong?") situation, anyone is really capable of doing anything, even what he or she thought he'd never do. They'd be interesting to discuss in an ethics class.
*The Firefly in Amber (Diana Gabaldon)-- I know I said I wasn't that impressed with Outlander, but the characters grew on me so I decided to read the second book in the series. I actually think I like it better than the first, if only because it seems less "romance-y." I'm now listening to Voyager as an audio book. B+
*Peculiar Treasures (Robin Jones Gunn)-- Although I am not in the intended demographics for this book (probably high school students), based on the Amazon.com reviews, I think I am smack-dab in the middle of those who actually read it, i.e., those in their 30s who read the Christy Miller series as teens and just had to find out what Christy, Katie and Todd are doing now that they're in college and Gunn has decided to add another series! This is the first in the Katie Weldon series, and as such, focuses on Katie who is a senior in college. B
*On A Whim (Robin Jones Gunn)--The second in the Katie Weldon series. B
*As You Wish (Robin Jones Gunn)-- Another Gunn continuation book, this is part of the Christy & Todd: The College Years series. B-
*I Promise (Robin Jones Gunn)--The last of the Christy & Todd books. B-/C+
*Gardenias for Breakfast (Robin Jones Gunn)-- Another Gunn book, but this one isn't part of a series. Mom and preteen daughter go on a roadtrip to see relatives. It's an interesting story that highlights our own revisionist history, particularly with family members, and the need for forgiveness. B-
*Middlesex (Jeffrey Eugenides)-- Although I think the word is greatly overused, EPIC accurately describes this story of a Greek family's journey from Greece to Detroit, their secrets and motivations and the dormant genes that eventually surface. It's not a story about an intersex individual so much as it is a story about a family, generations of a family, their connections and relationships. A-
Movies--Theater
*Sin Nombre--It reminded me a bit of Traffic and Babel. As I mentioned in the book review, this is about a teen traveling illegally to the US. It also highlights the problems of gangs and how hard it can be to leave. Certain scenes reminded me painfully of one of "my" kids in particular. In Spanish, with subtitles. B+
*Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince-- If I weren't so familiar with the books, I probably would have liked the movie. As it is, though, I know the books too well, and the movie just annoyed me. I can understand the need to edit for time....but then why would they add random scenes that do not appear in the books? Grrr. Some of the special effects, particularly the cave scene, were very well done though. I'm still bitter that Cuaron only directed Prisoner of Azkaban. D+
*Away We Go-- Who knew that Maya Rudolph could act beyond her SNL skits? I didn't. She's pretty good too. A young-ish couple decides to look at various cities as possibilities for raising their soon-to-be-born baby. Sweet, funny, if not particularly memorable. C+/B-
Movies-- DVD
*Gran Torino-- I only rented this because my mom really likes Clint Eastwood and wanted to see it. However, I thought it was pretty good-- very good for the first 2/3...and then rather predictable. C
*Before Sunrise-- I enjoyed this movie, which I primarily watched as a prelude, due to my friend's insistence that I see Before Sunset (which is near the top of my queue)Boy meets girl on a train in Europe. Boy convinces girl to spend the evening wandering the city with him. Boy and girl talk for hours and hours...and then part at sunrise. I think the appeal is that almost everyone hopes for a situation like this, encountering someone to whom they can share without reservation. The problem is that in an actual relationship, that lasts more than 10 hours, feelings get hurt, conflicts surface, etc. But...it is a good movie. B-
*Frontline: Sick Around the World-- Well, it's not the most entertaining of the selections, but it is very informative about how universal healthcare works in several democracies around the world. Highly recommended. A-
*Twilight-- It was okay. Maybe a bit more ridiculous than the book, but it's so very "middle school girl" that I get the appeal. C
*Zach and Miri Make a Porno-- I like Seth Rogan and find many of his movies funny, if a bit in more taste. However, I didn't even think this one was that funny....just stupid. D
TV on DVD
*True Blood--I like this show a whole lot so far. I thought Alan Ball did a fabulous job with Six Feet Under, and his mark is apparent on this series too. I haven't read the Sookie Stackhouse books so I can't say if it closely follows the books or not. In terms of the show's "feel," I'd most closely relate it to Dexter....but with fangs. It's dark and edgy and likely to offend many sensibilities, but if you liked Six Feet Under, you'll probably like this too. A-
*Generation Kill-- I've seen about 3/4 of the season so far (though I'm not sure if it's an ongoing series or just a miniseries). It's about Marines in the current war in Iraq. Band of Brothers, this is not, but it's fairly good in its own right. B-
*Weeds, Season 4-- This show has always been a guilty pleasure, and it's one of the few shows that consistently has me laughing out loud. However, it also has a plotline, and I think that this season was even better than the previous ones. Towards the end of the season, there was even some issues of conscience. I can't wait to see where they go next season. A
*In Treatment, Season 1-- I love this. It's an HBO series about a psychologist and his patients. Each episode is a "session." I'm looking forward to Season 2's DVD release. A-/B+
TV on the TV :)
*Intervention (on A&E)-- Okay, the show may be a bit exploitative (but the people do get to go to some top-notch, expensive rehab centers out of the deal), but I like it. I like hearing the stories, seeing the photos of the person with the addiction when they were kids, seeing the family dynamics. I think it humanizes addiction. Also, many of the people make at least halting progress towards a different life. I think the show offers hope that even those with severe addiction can get better. When I was up in Maine last week, I watched an episode with my grandma and her sister, my 88-year-old Aunt Gertrude. Grandma has trouble following tv shows, but Aunt Gertrude watched with rapt attention and said at the end, "I like this program!" It's nominated for an Emmy. B
*Mystery Diagnosis (on Discovery Health)-- I am convinced that if I watch enough episodes, I will find out what's wrong with me. Either that, or I'll end up on the show with my own little episode. I'd prefer the former. A-
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