Happy Sunday everyone! Hope you've had a good week. As you might have noticed, I've been watching movies like crazy. But it only occurred to me this past week that maybe just maybe I should be blogging about what I'm watching. What say you??? Should I blog about the movies I watch? I wouldn't necessarily clutter up this blog with movie reviews, but I should be able to find a place somewhere to share my thoughts! I've given it a go on Behind the Scenes with Becky...
My new "favorite" this week is She Stoops To Conquer (2008). This is a delightful British mini-series production of Oliver Goldsmith's play. You wouldn't necessarily think a play from the 1770s would be laugh-out-loud funny. But it is. Trust me.
Say what you will about the 2005 adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as a whole, but I can't help really liking the beginning. Surely I'm not the only one that gets "So Long And Thanks For All The Fish" stuck in their heads...am I?
I have a somewhat mostly random question for my readers...there are so many adaptations of Jane Eyre out there...which ones would you recommend and which ones would you not?
Movies this week:
David Copperfield
Oliver Twist
Double Dynamite
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
His Girl Friday
Pride and Prejudice 1980 (my review)
She Stoops to Conquer
What I read in a previous week, but reviewed this week:
Tom's Midnight Garden. Philippa Pearce 1958. 240 pages.
The Navel of the World. P.J. Hoover. 2009. CBay Books. 296 pages.
Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen. 2007. Bethany House. 412 pages.
What I read this past week and reviewed:
Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursu. 2006. 420 pages.
June Bug by Chris Fabry. Tyndale. 2009. 326 pages.
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. 1905. Signet Classics. 248 pages
David Inside Out by Lee Bantle. 2009. 184 pages.
Short Story: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald, just 31 pages.
What I read this past week and haven't reviewed yet:
Absolutely, Positively Not... by David Larochelle. 2005. 219 pages.
The Siren Song by Anne Ursu. 2007. Simon & Schuster. 435 pages.
Babymouse: The Musical (#10) by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm. 2009. Random House. 96 pages.
Babymouse: Dragonslayer (#11) by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm. 2009. Random House. 96 pages.
The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti. 2009. Simon & Schuster. 322 pages.
Sent (The Missing, Book 2) by Margaret Peterson Haddix. 2009. Simon & Schuster. 313 pages.
Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles. Candlewick Press. 2009. 230 pages.
A Map of the Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell. 2009. Scholastic. 273 pages.
What I've read and really, really need to review:
North Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson. 2009. Water Brook. 332 pages.
What I'm currently reading:
The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick
The Immortal Fire by Anne Ursu (the final book in the Chronus Chronicles trilogy)
Whirlwind by Cathy Marie Hake
What I'm just fooling around that I'm reading:
Putting the Amazing Back Into Grace by Michael Horton
Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran
The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
What I've abandoned:
Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini -- I guess it's time to admit that minus Errol Flynn this one just isn't working for me. I think the movie works better (for me) because they have enhanced the romance (which might have eventually made it into the book at some point, but was absent the first half at least) and they only focused on one or two plot lines. There is a lot less characterization in the book. I didn't feel there were any strong relationships. Whereas in the movie, I thought there were plenty of strong relationships and good characterization.
The Witching Hour by Anne Rice -- I gave it my best effort. And I'll say this, the modern story line starring Rowan and Michael, the part set in the present day...it had me at hello...and it kept my attention. All these "files" of the Mayfair witches....b-o-r-i-n-g. Which is just sad because I was over halfway through with this one, but there seemed to be no end in sight. It was almost like she set out to be as boring as humanly possible. To take an interesting story and suck all the life out of it.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler -- I tried with this one. I did. It kept my attention the first half at least. But then it became a bit too much. When every single chapter--or at least every single chapter up until the place I stopped off-- having to have a fire, burglary, assault, or murder, or death, or a catastrophe of some sort--it's just too much. I don't know about you, but I like to read books up till a safe place. Meaning I don't mind if a book gets a bit scary, if I can reach a place where it becomes 'safe' at least temporarily. I don't want to leave my main characters frozen in a horrible, horrible place when I close the book. Or perhaps more importantly, I don't want to dream about them being in that horrible, horrible place.
Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell -- I was reading this one for my reading group. But the time for discussion has come and gone. And I didn't quite finish it. (Though I was over halfway through.) I've read this one recently--last spring--however, and I don't feel the need to finish this one just for the sake of finishing it...again.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
5 comments:
:( First of all, I'm so sorry to hear that you had such bad luck with The Witching Hour. It's one of my favorite books. I've heard others complain about the same things as you, but personally, I loved it all. Oh well, just not one for everyone!
I share your opinion of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy though! Personally, I loved it! And I loved So Long and Thanks for all the Fish :) I sing it all the time, lol.
And you read Sent!!! Can't wait to hear what you thought of it!!!
Chris, I picked it up knowing that you loved it so much. I really really wanted to love this one. And for the first half I did. I read about three hundred or so pages in one sitting ;) But the "files" started to drag me down. Maybe I'll come back to this one later. Because I really am curious about the characters and what happens. It wouldn't be the first time that a second chance does the trick.
I'm SO glad I'm not the only one that goes around singing So Long and Thanks For All The Fish :) I loved the book, liked the 2005 movie okay--(loved the beginning though), and am hoping to check the BBC series out soon. Have you seen it by any chance? I know it is an 80s adaptation, but the Amazon ratings look good--much better than the movie in fact.
I thought of you a lot this week--what with the Witching Hour and Sent in my reading pile ;) I think you'll like Sent...I hope you do anyway!!! I really really loved it.
So long gets stuck in my head all the time too. ;)
Blogging about the movies you watch is a good idea. Why don't you dedicate a whole blog to movie reviews? I hope to start a blog on sci-fi movie reviews soon.
I'd love to see you write about films. I'm a huge film buff and my blog's made up of book and film reviews - I always love seeing others write about films too :-D
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