Movie Monday - 1/31/2022

We are about a week away from the announcement of the Oscar nominations. I’m sure I will have a frighteningly long list of movies I will need to see.

The Lost Daughter, starring Olivia Coleman is about a woman on a vacation in Greece who meets a young mother and sees something of herself in her. It was a bit of a psychological drama. The acting was really good, but it wasn’t my favorite movie of the ones presented today. The ending leaves one with a question.

Benedict Cumberbatch plays a nasty character in The Power of the Dog. Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee also star. A bitter man is mean to his brother’s wife and her son. (Can you guess who plays this man?) It was rather satisfying. I liked it.

Ben Affleck stars with Danielle Ranieri and Tye Sheridan in The Tender Bar. A boy without a dad grows up with his uncle and the regulars in his uncle’s bar. It was sweet.

In A Castle for Christmas, Brooke Shields plays an author who travels to Scotland in search of her roots and to lick the wounds inflicted by the reviews of her latest novel. She meets a duke with financial woes threatening to take away the family castle. The two don’t hit it off, especially when the author puts in a contract to buy the castle. Yada yada yada - practically a Hallmark movie but with highly improved production values. It was cute.

Latest Binges:

Emily in Paris, Season 2 (Netflix)

Us (PBS Passport)

After Life, Season 3 (Netflix)

Anxious People (Netflix)

Why Women Kill, Season 2 (Paramount+)

Stay Close (HBOmax)

That’s it for now.

MK out.

FO Friday 1/28/2022

The one in which I show you actual knitting finished objects (FOs), a few of which I should have shown way before now!

There’s been a dearth of knitting around here for the last year. After coming off of a year in which I finished nine sweaters (plus other stuff), I realized that I only finished 7 things total in 2021. Out of those, I only showed you a little girl’s dress and a sweater for me. Y’all saw one little boy sweater in progress that is not finished because I can’t find it. (Along with my Chia Goo interchangeable needle set. Let that one sink in.) There’s also another little sweater that I did finish, but it’s been waiting for buttons forever. It has not been seen by human eyes besides mine yet.

Without further ado, I present some FOs. I’m only posting the pictures and names with embedded links to my Ravelry page for each item, should you want more information. The link will hopefully open in a new window. 

Irish Mesh Cowl

Autumn is Coming Bandana Cowl

Honeybug Romper

Waffle Hat

Party of Five Hat 1

Party of Five Hat 2

The last two hats were made by yarn in a kit that was gifted to me. There were six balls of yarn and enough of each to make at least two hats. I’m thinking about gifting them to that couple.

MK out.

Movie Monday 1/10/2022

We should be finding out by the end of the month which actors and films have been nominated for Oscars. 

Betty White: First Lady of Television is a documentary about the larger than life gem whom we will all miss very much. She had quite a career, and managed to avoid becoming Hollywood. It was good.

In The Unforgivable, Sandra Bullock plays a woman searching for her younger sister after being released from prison after serving time for murder. It was really good.

Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield play the televangelist pair Jim and Tammy Bakker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. The film is based on the documentary of the same name. It chronicles the rise and fall of the couple. It was good.

That’s all folks!

MK out.

Book Chat 1/6/2022

I’ve been busy eating too much and the beginnings of undecking the halls, but… 

State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny

A new president is in the White House. Situations around the world are the result of the previous administration’s bumbling ineptitude. The Secretary of State, a vocal critic of the new president during his campaign, is an interesting choice for the position, but it’s quickly apparent that she was set up to fail. There are some real world parallels seen through a biased lens, but the story is action packed and well written. I liked it!

The Nix by Nathan Hill

This book is an epic novel and the writing reminded me of John Irving’s style. Samuel’s mother left when he was young. She reappears many years later, leading Samuel on a journey to find out why she left in the first place. The book is long (by definition), and a little bit plodding in spots, but in the end, it was a good read.

MK out.

Movie Monday 12/27/21

It’s been a while. I’ve been mostly watching Hallmark Christmas movies lately, but I did make time for a few regular movies.

The Last Letter from Your Lover - Felicity Jones plays a journalist tasked with writing an article about the editor of the paper who has recently died. While doing research, she finds a misplaced love letter that starts her down the path of finding out more about the lovers and their story. The film goes back and forth in time between the 1960s and the present day. Shailene Woodley, Callum Turner, Joe Alwyn, and Nabhaan Rizwan, among others, are in the cast. It was good.

AKA Jane Roe - Norma McCorvey consented to interviews prior to her death in which she explains how she went from pro-choice to pro-life and back again. It was interesting.

Belfast - Kenneth Branagh wrote this semi autobiography about life in Belfast, Northern Ireland during the late 1960s, when The Troubles began. Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judy Dench, Ciarán Hinds and Jude Hill star in this film. It’s very good.

King Richard - The film tells the story about how the father of Venus and Serena Williams had a strict plan he followed to make them championship professional tennis players. Jamie Foxx plays Richard Williams. I really liked it.

Being the Ricardos - Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem star in this film, playing the iconic pair - Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. In one week in the life of the couple, we watch them put out many fires that threaten their professional lives and their marriage. It was very good!!

Good Binges:

Dopesick on Hulu

The White Lotus on HBOmax

MK out.

Book Chat - 12/9/2021

I’ve been busy decking the halls, but I’ve done a little reading. 

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

Three families get together for a barbecue and something bad happens. The story unfolds slowly as it goes back and forth in time. It was interesting because the story is also told by different points of view. It was good.

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tocarczuk

An astrologer and animal enthusiast tries to help the police solve some recent murders in a small Polish village. She is convinced that the deaths were perpetrated by animals for revenge, as all the people found dead are hunters. The police consider her theories the ramblings of a crazy, old woman. I liked it.  

MK out.

Book Chat - 11/11/2021

 I present the latest suggestions:

Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney 

To say that this book is about a college student who has an affair with a married man would be reductive, but that’s a good description on first glance. There’s much more to the story, and while it took a minute to get used to the writing style, I ended up really liking the book.

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

Two brothers in search of a fresh start, plus two fugitives with their own agendas, set off on a cross-country escapade. The story is very character driven, and the characters are superbly written. Loved it!

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

This book is another story that tells about the WPA’s  program of packhorse libraries during the depression. It was very good.

MK out.