Book Chat 12/30/2024

Before the end of the year, I wanted to catch up everyone with all the books I read in 2024. The total comes to 58.

 

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

A retired tennis legend decides to come out of retirement to prevent a younger current player from taking her record. I loved it.

 

Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt

Two women trying to escape their lives collide and one is killed. The one who survived is left with picking up the pieces of both of their lives. Good book – it kept my interest.

 

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

I bit supernatural, this book is about a woman trying to break the family curse. It bent my mind.

 

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo

Forty years of a family’s story is told in flashbacks after a hidden member of the family is introduced. It was very good.

 

After You by Jojo Moyes

I reread this book, because it’s been years since I read the first one and I wanted to read the third. After the death of Will, the quadriplegic man she had cared for, literally and emotionally, Louisa tries to go on with her life, as Will had encouraged. I liked it.

 

Still Me by Jojo Moyes

Is the big move to the US the right one for Louisa? Will her long distance relationship with Sam survive? In the last installment of the trilogy, we find out. It was good.

 

The Medicine Woman of Galveston by Amanda Skanendore

A young, female physician faces hardships at the turn of the century. She joins a traveling medicine show to support her son. I wanted to read it because it looked like it was about #mybelovedG. Galveston didn’t come in until about the last third of the book, but it came in with a bang. It was really good.

 

The Collected Schizophrenias by Esme Weijun Wang

The book is a collection of essays about the author’s experience in having schizophrenia. It was interesting to read.

 

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews

A widow running the family hotel faces losing it to her conniving brother-in-law. There’s murder; there’s romance; there’s mystery. I enjoyed reading it.

 

I’m not sure which book I’d say was my favorite of all the ones I read in 2024. Let me have a think, and I’ll get back to you.

 

MK out.

 

Movie Monday - 12/23/2024

Christmas is in two sleeps and today is Festivus! How is everyone doing? I’m over here waiting for Santa.

 

Blitz, starring Saoirse Ronan and Elliot Heffernan, is the story of a mother who sends her child from London to safety during the Blitzkrieg in WWII and his journey back. It was good.

 

Recently streamed series:

The Later Daters – Netflix

A Man on the Inside – Netflix

Happy Festivus, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Holidays to all!

 

 

MK out.

Movie Monday - 12/9/2024

I had a slow movie week, but I did see a couple.

The backstory of the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda becomes known in Wicked. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star in this wonderful adaptation of the book by Gregory Maguire. I liked it much better than the musical adaptation I saw at Fair Park many years ago. At the time, I felt the second act dragged. There was no dragging in this film. I loved it!

 

Thelma, starring June Squibb and Richard Roundtree (yes, Shaft), was a little slow to the warm up, but once it got going, it was fun to watch. A 93-year-old woman got scammed and she decided to go get her money back. In the end, it was cute.

 

Recently streamed series:

Cold Case: Who Killed Jonbenét Ramsey – Netflix

 

Bonus – the tree has been up since last Monday.

 

MK out.

 

 

 

Book Chat - 11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving Day, dear readers. I hope every one of you is having a wonderful day, enjoying it in the manner that makes you happiest.

 

In October, I read severable books. Let me tell you about three of them:

 

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

The book opens with the finding of a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Then, it goes back in time a few decades to tell the story of the people of Chicken Hill – a decaying neighborhood of immigrant Jews and African Americans, and the couple who help bind the community together. It was good.

 

Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall

A nine-year-old runaway meets up with an unlikely companion on the road to Nashville to find her mother. She learns a lot about life along the way. I enjoyed it.

 

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

This novel is about a woman who writes murder mysteries. She travels to the locations where the murders take place, hence the title. It was entertaining.

 

Y’all get back to your celebrations!

MK out.

 

 

 

 

Movie Monday - 11/25/2024

I had a good week of movie watching!

In Anora, exotic dancer Ani meets Ivan, a young Russian who is attending school in the US. They start spending time together. He even buys her favors for a week, during which time they get married. The news spreads to Russia and Momma is not happy. Plans to have the marriage annulled are set in motion. The lead actress, Mikey Madison did a good job. It was good, except too much naked for my taste. I can use my imagination just fine.

 

I hate to say it, but I became a little bored watching A Real Pain. Two cousins set out to take a Holocaust tour in Poland and a visit to their grandmother’s childhood home as a way to honor her. There is too much dialogue or something. Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin play the cousins. Jennifer Grey is also in the movie. It was alright.

 

Based on true events, Woman of the Hour tells the story of when serial killer Rodney Alcala appeared on The Dating Game. Anna Kendrick (who also directed the film) and Daniel Zovatto star. It was good.

 

Recent Streamers:

Frasier (Reboot) Season 2 – Paramount

Only Murders in the Building Season 4 – Hulu

MK out.

 

Movie Monday - 11/19/2024

I made it to the theater again last week.

 

In Small Things Like These, there’s a convent in a small Irish town that is harboring secrets. A man finds a girl locked in the coal room when he comes to deliver coal to the convent, but the nuns brush off the incident. The more he observes around him, the more uneasy he becomes. Memories of his past begin to haunt him as well. Google Magdalene Laundries and you will have the historical context. Cillian Murphy, Emily Watson and Eileen Walsh star in this well-acted film. I liked it.

 

I had never seen Beetlejuice, and it’s old, Y’all. I noticed it was playing on one of the movie channels. I watched it because I wanted to see the sequel that is out now. A couple who has recently died haunt the new owners of their house in order to make them leave. Gina Davis, Alex Baldwin, Catherine O’Hara, Winona Rider and Michael Keaton (plus more) star. It was mostly corny, but also pretty funny in spots.

 

That’s it for the past week.

 

MK out.

 

 

Movie Monday - 11/11/2024

Don’t faint - I saw another movie, again in an actual theater.

 

Here, starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, follows the inhabitants of a particular house through the years. It was different from what I had imagined. It took me a while to warm to it. It was good, but not as good as I thought it would be.

 

I hope I’ll get to see more movies this week. There are several good ones out there.

 

MK out.

Book Chat - 11/07/2024

Here are the September reads:

 

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

A woman checks herself into a nice hotel and finds herself right smack in the middle of a wedding for which she was not invited. It was good.

 

Summer on Lover’s Island by Donna Alward

An incident at the hospital caused a trauma physician to take a break. She visits her pregnant friend and is convinced to take over her friend’s practice while she is on maternity leave. Just when her life can’t get any more complicated, she finds herself having thoughts about her new boss. I liked it.

 

Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand

The last of Elin’s Nantucket books did not disappoint, but I’m sad I won’t be reading about new exploits of my favorite characters. This one has a bit of a mystery. A new couple comes to town and their parties are the hot ticket. One night, they are throwing a fabulous party on their yacht when they are alerted that their house is on fire. Then, it’s discovered that their assistant is missing. It was so good.

 

Let’s Pretend This Will Work by Maddie Dawson

A woman is invited to move to the town where her brand, new fiancé’s ex-wife lives while he returns to the house to care for her following a horrific accident. But, why won’t he let her help? It takes awhile, but she finally figures out what her next steps should be. It was alright.

 

The Reunion by Kayla Olsen

Two love interests on a popular teen series come back for a reunion movie. It was pretty good..

 

The Anti-Heroes by Jen Lancaster

An odd collection of characters witness the attempted robbery of their coffee shop. The unlikely hero informs them her bravery came from classes at Fearless, Inc. They decide to take classes themselves. It was very cute.

 

MK out.