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.

 

 

Movie Monday - 11/4/2024

I don’t know about y’all, but I’m really tired of this election cycle. I am especially tired of politicians not looking past getting elected, then getting elected and still not getting helpful legislation passed. I thought going to the movies (yes, in an actual theater) to watch a film would take my mind off it all. I went to see Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci. The pope has died, and the cardinals have gathered to elect a new one. Guess what? There’s politics at the Vatican. It was entertaining and the ending was surprising. It was good.

  

Recent Streamers:

Kevin Can F Himself, Seasons 1 and 2 - Netflix

 

MK out.