Book Chat - 6/23/2022

I’ve read a few more books than I’m mentioning today. It’s been a bookish few months.

The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom 

After a boat explosion, nine people end up on a lifeboat. They pull a tenth person on board who claims to be God, but is he? 

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

A woman is convinced that her husband is trying to murder her and enlists her cousin to investigate. 

The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chan

Lots of family drama and great characters drive this story of a domineering father with three sons, each trying to prove their mettle against family tradition, prejudice and culture identity.

The Divorce Party by Laura Dave

A longtime married couple who appear to be  divorcing amicably are planning a party to mark the occasion. Their son is bringing his fiancée home to meet his parents for the first time. Secrets find their ways into the light of day for both couples. It’s lighter than I’m making it sound. It was an entertaining, quick read - perfect for walking on the treadmill. 

The Drowning House by Elizabeth Black

This book is set in my beloved hometown, The G (aka Galveston, Texas). A photographer who has suffered a tragedy is asked to return to her hometown to curate an exhibit. Many secrets and mysteries are revealed. I enjoyed it, but I’m a bit prejudiced.

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine 

A woman who feels invisible but yearns for a fairytale life goes after it and the man who can provide it. That’s all I will say because this book is so delicious - I don’t want to give away any juicy details. I hear it’s going to be made into a movie, as I can’t wait!

MK out.

Movie Monday - 6/13/2022

Oh, yeah - movies.

In Cry Macho, Clint Eastwood stars as a broken down former rodeo star. He is tasked to go to Mexico and bring his former boss’s son back to the US. Dwight Yokum also stars. It was good.

Charming the Hearts of Men is set in the Civil Rights era and is based on true events. A socialite returns home for her father’s funeral. After finding out that the estate amounts to nothing, she sets out to find a job. She soon realizes the discrimination women face in all aspects of life. Kelsey Grammar, Anna Friel and Sean Aston star in this film. It was cute.

Recently finished watching/Binged:

Star Trek: Picard - Paramount+

Gaslit - Starz 

MK out.

Movie Monday - 5/23/2022

I haven’t been watching many movies lately. I haven’t had the headspace to devote 2 hours of my life in one sitting. Not that my schedule is filled with anything pressing. It’s seems that my screen time is taken up with streaming various series. I did watch two films recently.

A Secret Love is a documentary of a same sex couple facing health challenges in their later years. 

Carrie Pilby is an older film starring Bel Powley and Nathan Lane. Carrie (Powley) is a socially awkward prodigy who is rather stuck. Her therapist (Lane) assigns her 5 tasks to get her on the road to a happier life. It was really cute.

Good Binges and Series:

Anatomy of a Scandal - Netflix

The Way Down Part 2 - HBOMax

Call the Midwife Season 11 - PBS Passport

Outlander Season 6 - Starz

Julia - HBOMax

Inventing Anna - Netflix

MK out.

A Good Day

 I will never tire of this view.

MK out.

Movie Monday 4/25/2022

My movie watching mojo has left the building. I have been deriving much pleasure from watching episodic shows.

BUT

I watched The House of Gucci several weeks ago and forgot to share my thoughts. The film is based on true events regarding the assassination of Maurizio Gucci by a hitman hired by his ex-wife, Patrizia Reggiani. Lady Gaga did a wonderful job playing Reggiani. Adam Driver played Gucci. Al Pacino and Jared Leto also started. It was good!

Good binges:

The Dropout -Hulu

Sandition Season 2 - PBS

MK out.

Movie Monday - 4/18:2022

Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It is a documentary chronicling Rita Moreno’s incredible life. I did not know she had a relationship with Marlon Brando. It’s good.

There’s a delightful movie on Amazon Prime called Please Stand By. It’s about an autistic girl who plans to enter a contest that requires writing a properly formatted Star Trek related script. Once she painstakingly finished writing it, the next issue was getting it submitted in time. Dakota Fanning, Toni Collette and others star. I loved it.

Good binges:

The Gilded Age - HBOmax 

Bridgerton Season 2 - Netflix

The Thing About Pam - Hulu

MK out.

FO Friday - 4/9/2022

While the dash has been keeping me quite busy, it’s the mood that has kept me from knitting and sewing. I have finished a couple of little projects though:

I reclaimed the yarn from a scarf I made that I never wore. The pattern is Hat for Joy. 

This hat was made from yarn leftover from another project. The pattern is Pup Tent. 

I am currently working on a vintage sweater. It’s from a book I used way back when I first started learning how to knit from a pattern. 

MK out.