Book Chat - 4/25/2024

“Books are our friends,” was something I would tell my brother, but I do not remember the context. I do remember telling it to my son when he was little, to teach him to treat books with respect and to handle them carefully.

The Paris Apartment by Kelly Bowen 

Set in WWII and in the present day, a young woman (Lia) inherits her grandmother's apartment in Paris that nobody knew she owned.  The apartment looked as if it had been abandoned long ago and not touched since. Lia sets out to discover why there were many valuable things in the apartment and to whom they belonged. It was very good.

The Women by Kristin Hannah

A young nurse joins the Army and is shipped off to Viet Nam. If that experience wasn’t harrowing enough, she returns home after two tours only to be treated shabbily. I loved it.

MK out.

 

Movie Monday - 4/22/2024

I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. In the meantime, I’ve been watching movies.

Ellen Burstyn, Jane Curtin, Ann Margaret, Christopher Lloyd, James Cann and others star in  Queen Bees.  An older woman has to relocate to a retirement community while her home is being repaired. It was adorable.

I rewatched Baghdad Cafe and liked it just as much as the first time. 

In My Sailor, My Love a woman hires a woman to help her struggling widowed dad to help him with around-the-house chores. It was good.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 4/15/2024

I’ve tried to sneak in some films this past week.

Generation Wealth is a documentary by Lauren Greenfield that examines our society’s obsession with money. When is enough, enough? I think everyone should watch it. It was fascinating. She also directed The Queen of Versailles, the documentary about the Siegel family in Florida. It’s another one of my favorites.

In The Miracle Club, a group of friends travel to Lourdes chasing after a miracle or two. It’s full of wonderful actors - Maggie Smith, Kathy Bates, Laura Linney, Stephen Rea. It was precious.

MK out.

Book Chat - 4/11/2024

So many books, so little time…I’ve read some good ones in the past couple of weeks.

The Way Life Should Be by William Dameron

A gay couple opens their two- bedroom cottage off the coast of Maine to the three children between them for what proves to be an eventful summer. It was good.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Set in Appalachia during the opioid crisis, the book follows the story of a kid facing so many challenges. Will he be one of the lucky ones? I loved it. It grabbed me from the first few sentences.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 4/8/2024

I only watched one movie this week.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a sweet coming of age story. Emma Watson, Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller star in this film I’ve been wanting to watch for a long time. It was good.

Good Streamers:

The New Look - Apple

Alice & Jack - PBS Passport

Happy Eclipse Day!

MK out.

Movie Monday - 4/1/2024

Not much movie watching in the past week - I’ve been reading some good books. I did rewatch The Good Girl. I think it’s Jennifer Aniston’s best role and best performance. Jake Gyllenhaal also stars. She plays a disillusioned housewife who starts a relationship with work colleague. It was so good.

Good Streamers:

Nolly - PBS Passport

MK out.

 

Book Chat - 3/28/2024

I have two books currently on the go and both are good. Here’s some recent reads:

Golden Hills by Jennifer Weiner

This novella tells the story of a woman running for office. Everything is going well until a person from her past shows up and could possibly upend the campaign and her chances for winning. It was very good.

Blank by Zibby Owens 

After an awesome story idea gets stolen and published, Pippa has no ideas for a second novel. Her advance will have to be repaid. At the off-handed suggestion f her son, she decided to “write” a book containing no words. She will title it Blank. Get it? It was so good.

I’m off to finish one of the books I’m reading.

MK out.