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.

 

Book Chat - 3/21/2024

Reading continues. It’s a nice way to pass the time when traveling or waiting. More importantly, it’s usually good entertainment. 

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

A woman wakes up in the hospital after falling off a piece of exercise equipment thinking she’s 10 years younger and pregnant. The journey of the resolution of her amnesia follows. (Two thumbs up)

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

Four young siblings visit a fortune teller who gives them the dates of their deaths. Can they each control their destinies? (Very good)

When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin 

What happens in a small town when a beloved little girl who needs a heart transplant gets hit by a truck? And how did an onlooker know just what to do? (A 5 hanky read)

She May Not Leave by Fay Weldon 

A look at the issues working mothers face. I had a hard time getting into this book. It’s supposed to be satirical, and I guess it was, but it didn’t really grab me.

MK out.

 

Movie Monday - 3/18/2024

And now, we’re back to the normal movie watching period of the year.

After watching Priscilla, I finally realized why I’ve never really liked Elvis Presley. He was a jerk. The film portrays Elvis and Pricilla’s relationship. Since Pricilla Presley is listed as an executive producer of the film, I believe her. It was kind of sad to watch.

Suncoast, starting Nicole Parker, Laura Linley and Woody Harrelson is a semi-autobiographical story. Parker plays Doris, a young woman caring for her terminally ill brother. He is moved to a hospice facility where one of the other residents is Terri Schiavo. It was good.

Good streaming series:

Feud: Capote vs. The Swans - Hulu

The Gilded Age - Season 2 -Max

MK out.

The Academy Awards 2024

The Oscars are tonight. Again, there are too many films nominated for Best Picture. I would definitely delete Poor Things from the list right off the bat. Of the rest, one can argue reasons why a particular film deserves the nod. I prefer to stick with five and my nominations would be: American Fiction, Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro and Past Lives (even over Oppenheimer). There’s wonderful acting in Oppenheimer, but Best Picture? No.  

I did get to watch The Color Purple! This adaptation is very good. I still like the one with Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey the best. 

In the acting categories, everyone nominated deserved the honor. I really don’t have any favorites.

For Best Picture, my vote goes to Barbie.

Y’all enjoy the show.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 3/5/2024

I’ve seen all the movies nominated for my favorite categories except for The Color Purple. I don’t think I’ll be able to watch it before the Oscars, but I’m not too worried about it.

Leeann Morgan I’m Every Woman is a filming of one of her stand up shows. It’s pretty funny, or should I say yummy? #ifykyk

In The Zone of Interest, the commander of Auschwitz and his family live right outside of the camp. They live a rather idyllic life next to the most horrific event in human history. It’s hard to watch them, actually. It was sobering.

Streaming Series:

Pachinko - Apple

One Day - Netflix

That’s it for now.

MK out.

Book Chat 2/29/2024

Y’all! I have one Elin Hilderbrand book left to read and then she publishes her LAST book later this year. What will I do after I read that one???

Reunion Beach by Elin Hilderbrand and others

This book is a collection of short stories to honor Dorothea Benton Frank by several authors she mentored or inspired. All are good.

Endless Summer by Elin Hilderbrand

This book is a collection of Elin’s short stories; some published before and some not. I have previously read all the published ones, but it was nice to read them again.

MK out.

Book Chat - 2/16/2024

I’ve been trying to savor the last few books by Elin Hilderbrand, that except for the first couple, I’ve been reading them roughly in order of publication. I don’t want it to end!!!

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand

Mallory and Jake spend one weekend a year together, as in the movie Same Time, Next Year. For the rest of the year, they live out their respective lives apart. I loved this book so hard. I felt like I needed more…

And then…

The Sixth Wedding by Elin Hilderbrand

We get to hear what happens next with our beloved characters. It was a short story, but much needed, in my opinion. I loved how it ended.

MK out. 

Movie Monday - 2/12/2024

The last week was rather moody. The weather has been inconsistent and not very inspiring. I did watch a few movies, but I read mostly.

In Rustin, Colman Domingo plays the title character, who helped MLK, Jr. organize the 1963 March in Washington. It was good.

Fair Play examines gender roles. Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich play Emily and Luke, a recently engaged couple. They both work for the same hedge fund. It’s a rather cut-throat and toxic environment and only the best man can win. It was intense.

Good Streamers:

Upload Season 3 - Prime

MK out.

Book Chat 2/8/2024

I’ve read eight books so far this year, although one was that short story of which I talked last week. I am not planning on keeping this pace every month. I’ve got a dash I need to manage.

The Starfish Sisters by Barbara O’Neal

Oh my, what a story. Two longtime friends who’ve been estranged the last few years are thrust into close proximity by a situation. Long kept secrets and misunderstandings stand in their way. Will they be able to overcome the past and become friends again? Read it and see.

The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis

A rare-book dealer has the ability to feel the echoes that a previous owner imprints on a book. She comes across a beautifully bound volume that has no author or publication information. The contents are very personal and she sets out to find out more about it to return the book to its rightful owner. It was good.

MK out.

 

Book Chat 2/2/2024

January was a good month to read books around here…

Where Waters Meet by Zhang Ling

A woman travels to China to learn more about her recently deceased mother. I found it a little harder to follow than a previous book I’ve read by this author, but it was good.

Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid

A woman discovers love letters from her husband’s paramour and shares them with paramour’s husband. Together, the two work to understand their respective marriages. It’s a short story and it’s very good.

The Better Half by Allie Franks

A woman is poised to have the successful and orderly life in which she worked hard to attain, until an unexpected event threatens to topple her. It was good.

Troubles in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

In the last installment of this trilogy, the FBI gets involved as the Steele family learn more about the husband/father they apparently didn’t know as well as they thought. It was a satisfying end to the story.

MK out.

 

Movie Monday - 1/29/2024

The Oscar nominations were announced last week and after seeing the following films, I only have a handful left to watch before the ceremony. I’m mostly happy with the field of candidates for Best Picture. As a whole, the other nominations clustered around those films; so, there weren’t many outliers I have to watch for the acting awards. 

A frustrated writer is tired of not getting the recognition he is seeking in American Fiction. He decides to write a stereotypically Black novel to mock the process. I so enjoyed the story and the acting. Jeffery Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Erica Alexander and Leslie Uggams (yes, Leslie Uggams!) all did a great job. I loved it.

Killers of the Flower Moon is adapted from the nonfiction book of the same name that chronicled the plot to kill members of the Osage community to steal their headrights earned from oil deposits found under their land. I read the book a few years ago. Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser and Martin Scorsese star in this film and they were wonderful. It’s sad, but so good.

Poor Things - oh, what can I say about this film? It told a good story, but the method was intense. You get to see Emma Stone having a lot of sex; so, if that floats your boat, this movie is for you. Basically, a physician?/scientist? (Willem Dafoe) finds a dead pregnant woman (Stone) and conducts an experiment by taking out her brain and inserting her baby’s in its place.  Mark Ruffalo and Ramy Youssef also star. The theme is about women’s independence, which I’m all about, but that delivery…

Good Streamers:

Little Bird - PBS Passport 

MK out. 

Movie Monday - 1/22/2024

It’s been cold at Chez Merry Karma. That makes for good movie watching.

Rye Lane is a cute little movie about two people who meet while each are dealing with recent breakups. I loved the two actors who played the leads - Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson. Colin Firth has a small role. I really liked it.

Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan have standout performances in Maestro, a film about the complicated life of Leonard Bernstein. It was phenomenal.

Call Me Kate is a documentary about Katharine Hepburn. She was a force. I enjoyed watching.

Good streamers:

Fool Me Once - Netflix

MK out.

Book Chat - 1/18/2024

The theme for the first month of books I’ve read so far this year is “secrets.”

The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott 

This novel based on real life events tells the story of how the book Doctor Zhivago got published. It was good.

Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

After her husband dies, the wife discovers that her husband had a secret life. It was very good and there are sequels!

What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

We learn more of the story and the plot thickens. It was so good.

MK out.  

Movie Monday - 1/15/2024

This week’s selection is lackluster. I need to get my list out and start banging out the better films.

In All About My Father, a guy and his working class dad visit his new fiancée’s wealthy parents. Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro star. It was kind of dumb.

Dan Levy wrote, directed and starred in Good Grief. It’s about a guy who lost his husband. He takes his two best friends on a trip to Paris. The story was good, but the delivery did not impress me.

Recent Streamers:

The Crown Season 6 - Netflix

Friends from College - Netflix 

Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones - Netflix

MK out. 

Book Chat - 1/11/2024

I read 54 books in 2023.  Following are the last few I have not yet mentioned.

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Award winning author Joan Didion writes about navigating life after her husband’s sudden death during their daughter’s illness. I like Didion’s writing style. It felt as if she were in the room telling me her story.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley

An 84-year-old lady and her college dropout minder make a run for it. Exactly why they are running is not immediately clear to the minder or the reader. It was cute.

Olivia Strauss Is Running Out of Time by Angela Brown

Olivia finds out the date of her last day on Earth. She has some living to do, and sets out to do it. It was very entertaining.

Bittersweet by Colleen McCollough

Four sisters set out to become nurses in Australia after WWI. It was good.

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand

Two families gather on Nantucket for a wedding weekend. On the morning of the wedding, the bridesmaid is found dead on the beach by the bride herself. Many questions arise before they are finally answered. It was good.

Penelope in Retrograde by Brooke Adams

A woman trepidatiously comes home for Thanksgiving for the first time in many years. It doesn't help that she shares an awkward and unexpected ride share with her ex-husband. I enjoyed it.

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

A soon to be limited series on Peacock, the book tells the story of the Delaney family. After the wife goes missing, the community has theories about what has happened to her. Which one is true? The answer is surprising. It was very good.

See y’all next week.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 1/8/2024

The movies keep coming and I’m just getting more behind.

What Happens Later takes place over one night when two former lovers accidentally bump into each other at the airport and all flights are grounded. Meg Ryan and David Duchovny star as the couple who clearly still have feelings for each other. It was cute.

When I hear the description “black comedy,” I expect a few chuckles - there don’t have to be many. In Saltburn, there were none. It was twisted. The son of an aristocratic family invites a less fortunate classmate to spend the summer with him at his family’s grand home. Trouble ensues. The acting (Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver and Archie Madekwe are the mains) was phenomenal. Oh! I am mistaken - Carey Mulligan has a minor role and there was one line about her character that made me chuckle. It was definitely a psychological thriller, but so twisted! 

MK out.

Movie Monday - 1/1/2024

Happy New Year y’all! We have turned a page into a new chapter. I’m hoping all of you have a great year ahead. 

I’m determined to watch many movies in the coming weeks. There seem to be a lot of good ones out there this year.

In Anatomy of a Fall, a man has fallen to his death and his wife is the prime suspect because there are no witnesses. The film revolves around the wife having to prove her innocence. Sandra Hüller, Samuel Theis, Milo Machado Graner and Swann Arlaud star. The film is set in France. English and French is spoken throughout; so, there are subtitles. It was very good.

Past Lives is another subtitled movie about childhood sweethearts who reconnect as adults and realize that they were meant for each other. Greta Lee, Teo Lee and John Magaro star. The film is set in Seoul and NYC. The story is good and the acting is wonderful. It was great!

In other news, I ate black-eyed peas, cornbread, cabbage in my salad and roast pork. I think I covered all the bases.

MK out.