My Month in Movies: March 2010

ALICE IN WONDERLAND in 3D (2010)
19-year-old Alice returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter. Alice embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen's reign of terror. MY RATING: *** (Did not love the actress who played Alice and the 3D part sucked the majority of the time. Boo.)

OLD DOGS (2009)
Two best friends -- one unlucky-in-love divorcee and the other a fun-loving bachelor -- have their lives turned upside down when they're unexpectedly charged with the care of 7-year-old twins while on the verge of the biggest business deal of their lives. The not-so-kid-savvy bachelors stumble in their efforts to take care of the twins, leading to one debacle after another, and perhaps to a new-found understanding of what's really important in life. MY RATING: *** (Didn't hate it as much as I thought I would, so three stars for that.)

PASSENGERS (2008)
When therapist Claire Summers (Anne Hathaway) starts working with the surviving passengers of a plane crash, she discovers that their individual accounts of the tragedy differ significantly from the airline's official version. As Claire digs deeper for the truth, beyond the airline's sanitized statements, the survivors suddenly begin to vanish, leaving her swimming in a dark abyss of intrigue and conspiracy. MY RATING: *** (Very LOST meets Sixth Sense meets romance. Interesting.)

THE UGLY TRUTH (2009)
Chauvinistic morning show commentator Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler) makes his perpetually single producer (Katherine Heigl) the subject of a series of romantic tests in order to prove the theories on relationships he espouses on his segment called "The Ugly Truth." But will his experiments help her find love, or is she just a hopeless case? MY RATING: **** (Much wittier than I anticipated. Plus Heigl and Butler's characters remind me of me and John.)

TRAITOR (2008)
Tenacious FBI agent Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce) is assigned to pursue Samir Horn (Don Cheadle), an ex-Special Ops soldier who betrayed his country and joined the Al Nathir terrorist organization. But as he closes in, Clayton begins to second-guess Horn's true intentions. Jeff Daniels and Neal McDonough co-star in this intelligent and exciting spy thriller that also examines the beliefs and motivations behind terrorism. MY RATING: **** (Don Cheadle rocks. End of story. And this story is good.)

BRIDE WARS (2009)

Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway star as Emma and Liv, best friends who become worst enemies when they realize their respective weddings are scheduled on the same day at their dream venue -- the Plaza Hotel. It's no holds barred as these two bridezillas go on a ruthless rampage toward matrimony. The romantic comedy also stars Candice Bergen (as the wedding planner), Bryan Greenberg, Kristen Johnston and Chris Pratt. MY RATING: *** (I really thought Kate Hudson was terrible in this film. And I didn't care for her and Hathaway opposite each other. But it was still an okay film.)

SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON (1960)

After they survive a shipwreck during a storm, a family rafts itself to a deserted South Pacific Island, where they build a tree house and make due with their new environment, which includes marauding pirates. MY RATING: **** (Can you believe I had never seen this before? It was highly entertaining. Favorite part? The race on ostriches and zebras. Oh yeah.)

HEAD OVER HEELS (2001)
Recently dumped Amanda (Monica Potter) moves into a new apartment -- one with a bird's-eye view of stud-muffin Jim's (Freddie Prinze Jr.) digs across the way. Can Amanda and Jim's attraction survive the doubt Amanda harbors that the object of her affection may be … a murderer? Shalom Harlow, Ivana Milicevic, Sarah O'Hare and Tomiko Fraser play Potter's supermodel roommates. MY RATING: ** (Just SO trite. I could barely finish it.)


THE EDGE OF HEAVEN (2007)

When his father accidentally kills a prostitute, Nejat Aksu (Baki Davrak) seeks out her 27-year-old daughter, Ayten (Nurgül Yesilcay), to make amends. Nejat focuses his search in Turkey, but Ayten, who's part of a closely watched activist group, has fled to Germany. The lives of four Turks and two Germans are soon entwined as a result of circumstances beyond their control in this compelling drama, which earned Best Screenplay honors at Cannes. MY RATING: **** (I really liked how it seemed almost like separate stories at first but how it showed how they were all related, unwrapping it slowly.)

THE EDGE OF LOVE (2008)

Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (Matthew Rhys) is torn between his free-spirited childhood sweetheart, Vera Phillips (Keira Knightley), and his fiery wife, Caitlin MacNamara (Sienna Miller), in this lush, fact-based period drama. Despite their rivalry over Dylan, Vera and Caitlin develop an unlikely friendship, but jealousy enters the picture when Vera marries William Killick (Cillian Murphy) and the threesome becomes a quartet. MY RATING: *** (I liked this period piece, full of love, jealousy, passion, vulnerabilities, and a life of war between countries and between lovers.)

IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU (1994)
In this charming romantic comedy based on a true story, a coffee-shop waitress (Bridget Fonda) gets a life-changing tip when a New York cop (Nicolas Cage) comes up short on pocket change and promises her half of his winnings from an unplayed lottery ticket. But when he discovers he's won a $4 million jackpot, his money-hungry wife (Rosie Perez) wants it all -- and she's furious with his plans to share the wealth. MY RATING: **** (Such a good romantic movie. Sigh.)


So what movies have you watched recently? Any recommendations?

FreeVerse: Surprise

This weekly event is hosted by Cara from Ooh...Books!. Today I would like to share a poem that I recently discovered.

Surprise
by Beverly McLoughland

The biggest
Surprise
On the library shelf
is when you suddenly
Find yourself
Inside a book-
(the HIDDEN you)
You wonder how
The author knew.

How many times have we felt that way? Is there a particular book that this poem brings to mind for you?

Talkin' about book covers on today's Book List

The Book List is just a short and fun meme that allows you to share books and make a list of books! Sorry it is so late today! I didn't realize I didn't have it scheduled to post automatically!

This Week's Topic is:

3 Favorite Book Covers

I found it hard to narrow it down to just three! You may already know I have an affinity for paths (Paths lead somewhere new, somewhere exciting, somewhere different, to different people and different places. Paths rock.) So, I chose 3 other cover elements that intrigue me.

1. A Disobedient Girl: A Novel by Ru Freeman

Why I Like It: I think backs turned to you are mysterious. I want to find out what they are hiding.





2. Anonymous Lawyer: A Novel by Jeremy Blachman

Why I Like It: It is creative. It is eye-catching. It is humorous. It makes me want to at least read the book flap or back cover and see what the book is about.




3. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Why I Like It: The story is about fallen angels and romance. It immediately sends the message that this book has a kind of mysterious mood to it. I also like that it actually has him in a falling position and that it is black & white, except for the feathers on the very top, which are red.



So what covers do you find beautiful, intriguing, fun, or just plain perfect for the type of story that's inside? Answer in your own post! Here's how:

• Write a post on your blog that is a list of 3 books pertaining to the topic above.

• You may include photos with your lists, especially if that helps illustrate your point.
  
• You link back to the week's post here on Lost in Books in your post so if someone else wants to play, they can find their way here.
• Then you come here and leave your link in the Mr. Linky so other people can find your post and your list!
• There is no obligation to post every single week. Participate when you can!
  

Sound fun? Then join in!



Upcoming Topics:
~3 Regrettable Book Covers
~3 Books I Should Love, But Actually Hate
~3 Favorite Eras to Read About

What I'm Reading on Monday

This meme is now hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey. You can leave your post with the Mr. Linky there.


Books I completed the past week are:
1. Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale by Donna Jo Napoli
2. Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner (ARC)

Books I am working on:
Fiction:
1. Scared by Tom Davis (pg. 23 of 283)

Nonfiction:
1. Serious Doubts: Why People Marry When They Know It Won't Last by Carl Weisman (pg.140 of 170) (ARC)
2. Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster (pg. 120 of 380) (just because I like her)
3. Talk to Me Like I'm Someone You Love by Nancy Dreyfuss (pg. 200 of 282) (ARC)


ARCs and Other Books For Review Coming Up Next (The "I'm So Behind" Pile):
1. Recovering My Voice by Aruni Nan Futuronsky
2. Children of Dust: A Memoir of Pakistan by Ali Eteraz
3. The Truth Lies in the Dark by Kristen Callender
4. Letters to Rosy by C. Ellene Bartlett
5. One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Reviews posted past week:
1. The Writing on My Forehead by Nafisa Haji (Book Tour) (4 Stars)
2. Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale by Donna Jo Napoli (3.5 Stars)
3. Searching for Whitopia by Rich Benjamin (4 Stars)
Books still needing to have reviews written or posted:
1. Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner (ARC)

Current giveaways on this blog:
None this week

BOOK TOUR: The Writing on My Forehead by Nafisa Haji

BOOK #: 15
CHALLENGES: TLC Book Tours, ARC Challenge, 100+ Challenge, Countdown Challenge, A to Z Challenge, New Authors Challenge, Women Unbound Challenge
PUBLISHER: Harper Perennial
GENRE: Women's Fiction, Literary Fiction,
FORMAT/PAGES: Paperback/306
RATING: 4 Stars


From the Book Cover:
From childhood, willful, intelligent Saira Qader broke the boundaries between her family’s traditions and her desire for independence. A free-spirited and rebellious Muslim-American of Indo-Pakistani descent, she rejected the constricting notions of family, duty, obligation, and fate, choosing instead to become a journalist, the world her home.
Five years later, tragedy strikes, throwing Saira’s life into turmoil. Now the woman who chased the world to uncover the details of other lives must confront the truths of her own. In need of understanding, she looks to the stories of those who came before—her grandparents, a beloved aunt, her mother and father. As Saira discovers the hope, pain, joy, and passion that defined their lives, she begins to face what she never wanted to admit—that choice is not always our own, and that faith is not just an intellectual preference.
Review:

As you can guess, the cultural meat in this book is so juicy and I love it. I love reading about other cultures and learning. It is just so interesting to me. I liked learning about Saira because she was the rebellious one, the black sheep, so to speak, and I am definitely that person in my own family.

But Saira's rebellious nature is not the only aspect I liked about her. I like the way Haji had Saira deal with the conflict between being both American and Indo-Pakistani. I like the way Saira and her sister, Ameena, are complete opposites, yet they are sisters to the end. I loved Big Nanima, who was a beloved great aunt of Saira. They were so much alike and I would have loved to have a Big Nanima in my younger years who could help me feel more confident in my being my own person and not caring so much what everyone else thinks and says. I identified with Saira when she lost a parent and I empathized when nearly everything she knew came to a dramatic halt and she had to change everything to acclimate.

I think Haji wrote a beautiful, passionate, and impressive first novel. There were times when Saira would go off on a tangent that was not necessarily helping the story to move along. But overall I thought it very well-written and a book I can recommend.

Author Nafisa Haji is an American of Indo-Pakistani decent, just as her character, Saira, is in the novel. She now lives in northern California with her husband and son, but maintains close ties to Pakistan, traveling there regularly. She is working on her second novel. Visit her website.

Thanks so much to Trisha and TLC Book Tours for including me on this book tour! Visit TLC Books to find the other bloggers on the book tour.

Book Review- Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale by Donna Jo Napoli

FIRST THE STATISTICS:
BOOK #: 14
CHALLENGES: 100+, Young Adult, Year of the Historical, TwentyTen, Support Your Local Library, YA Through Decades, New Authors
PUBLISHER: Atheneum Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
GENRE: Historical Fiction, YA
FORMAT/PAGES: Hardcover/308
RATING: 3.5 Stars

Hush is based on an Icelandic tale and is about an Irish princess named Melkorka who is captured and taken aboard a slave ship.  She is thrown into a vastly different world- one where she must learn the rules, learn the new languages, and learn how to survive.  Melkorka does have one trick up her sleeve- she takes a vow of silence- which fascinates her captors and masters.  She realizes her silence is a source of power and quickly learns to use it to the fullest advantage.

The characters are well-defined and the descriptions are such that you can clearly see the world of Melkorka.  At first I thought she was a complete snob, but she grows to become more than that and becomes a stronger person than she was as a princess. 

The story didn't take any twists and turns that I didn't see coming.  In fact, I saw one of the big surprises at the end of the book about 100 pages before it was revealed.  However, I did enjoy Melkorka's determination and resilience in the face of trauma. 

I think this is a good book for a light, quick read.  But since it didn't have any surprises or true twists, I personally can't give it a higher rating.

Celebrating Women's History Month

In the U.S., March is Women's History Month. It grew out of a weeklong celebration of women's contributions and achievements started by the school district of Sonoma, California in 1979. How cool is that?


For Women's History Month this year I wanted to celebrate by highlighting some of my favorite women in history- teachers, activists, writers, and leaders who not only have helped to shape what I think of when I think of a strong, intelligent, and independent woman, but who I think are women who little girls should admire. Thanks to these women, and women like them, I was fortunate enough to be able to go to school, to go to college, to earn my own money, to vote, to voice my opinion, to dream with the hope of actually making my dreams come true and so can girls and women all over this country. Here's to women everywhere- you rock!


30 Women I think little girls should admire instead of symbols of stupidity and weakness

1. Picabo Street

Olympian medalist in snow skiing and the first American to ever win a season title in a speed event.

2. Shakira

Colombian singer who founded the Pies Descalzos Foundation, a charity that helps poor children all over Colombia get an education. She is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

3. Maya Angelou

She overcame a troubled past and became a famous poet and memoirist who has inspired countless others. Her six-part autobiography chronicles how she got from where she was to where she is now.

4. Jane Addams

In 1931, she became the first woman to win the Noble Peace Prize for her work with the poor in Chicago.

5. Aung Sau Suu Kyi

Has dedicated her life to freeing Burma from repressive dictatorship and to creating democracy without violence.

6. Chief Wilma Mankiller

Became the first woman to serve as Principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.

7. Gertrude B. Elion

She developed the AIDS drug, AZT.

8. Erin Gruwell

Teacher who founded the program Freedom Writers.

9. Adi Roche

Founded an organization that helps orphans of nuclear disaster.

10. Rosa Parks

International icon of resistance to racial segregation.

11. Helen Keller

First person who was both deaf and blind to graduate from college.

12. Audrey Hepburn

Actress and humanitarian, she was a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF and was given a Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work.

13. Elizabeth Blackwell

The first female doctor and she opened the first medical school for women.

14. Katharine Hepburn

Defied conventions set for females of the time and was a symbol of women’s independence and autonomy.

15. Rachel Carson

Her writings advanced the global environmental movement and a nationwide ban on DDT.

16. Princess Diana

Not because she married a prince! She also brought worldwide attention and awareness to AIDS and landmines.

17. Sadako Sasaki

At 2 years old, Sadako became a victim of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. She died of complications from it in 1955. Sadako inspired an international peace movement and became a symbol of the impact of nuclear war. Sadako reminds us that even victims can be heroes.

18. Eleanor Roosevelt

First Lady and champion of women’s causes, including chairing the committee that drafted & approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

19. Amy Biehl

So dedicated to ending apartheid in South Africa, that she lost her life to the cause.

20. Frida Kahlo

Mexican painter and political activist who lived with chronic pain her whole life. As a woman who lives with chronic pain, I can say that I admire her perseverance to live a quality life at all times, even when she was resigned to extended bed rest, which is challenging to do.

21. Corrie Ten Boom

A Dutch Holocaust survivor who helped many Jews escape the Nazis in World War II.

22. Lisa Ling

Investigative reporter for the Oprah Winfrey show, CNN and for National Geographic Explorer, where she investigates hands-on such stories and crises as China’s one-child policy, the Colombian drug war, bride burning in India, and gang-rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

23. Dana Torres

Olympic medalist in 2008 at 40 years old. You are never too old to realize your dreams.

24. Diane Sawyer

Television reporter and interviewer of such notable people as Manuel Noriega, Fidel Castro, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

25. Maria Montessori

ago

Italian physician, educator, and humanitarian who is best known for her philosophy and the Montessori method of education.

26. Luz Maria Rodriguez-Fernandez

Conducts cancer research to help understand the disease process.

27. Clara Barton

Organized and established the American Red Cross in 1881.

28. Anne Frank

A victim of the holocaust whose writings during hiding have given insight into the atrocities of the Nazis, the hardship of hiding, and to the bravery and soul of a teenage girl.

29. Ruby Bridges

In 1960, at 6 years old, Ruby became the 1st African-American child to attend an all-white school in the South.

30. Sylvia Earle

American oceanographer who founded Deep Ocean Exploration and Research in 1992 to further advance marine engineering. She was Time magazine’s first “Hero of the Planet” in 1998.


So what women do you look up to? Who inspires you? Who do you hope your children will look up to?