The Color Purple by Alice WalkerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
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Saturday, April 7, 2018
Ready Player One: The Movie - NO SPOILERS I PROMISE
Let's face it, the book was better than the movie. However, I will concede that if you didn't read the book you would probably really enjoy the movie. In fact, you'd probably really like it. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I loved the book.
As an 80s child (I graduated high school in 1990) this book brought back so many memories. Things I had forgotten came back with force; video games, movies and music. As a side note, I bought the War Games movie on DVD right after reading this book. I have most of the 80s music and video games.
I went to this movie with my favorite movie critic (Trevor) and another voracious reader (Brittany).
We had all read the book but felt we were far enough removed from the book that we would appreciate the movie. I last read it in 2016 and I tried really hard not to read this again when I heard about the movie. I remember the 2 Deathly Hallows movies (that still hurts). I wasn't going to go through that again.
Trevor said it wasn't Spielberg enough and it could have been better. I'll believe him because he knows Spielberg movies and I don't. I wasn't sure exactly how they were going to do the virtual world vs. reality and I thought it was okay. I'm not well versed on avatars so I thought the avatar's were pretty well done. Art3mis was probably the closest to how I imagined the characters. He agreed it wasn't real close to the book but that it was okay on it's own. It was.
Brittany, who wasn't even around in the 80s (she's a youngun) liked it. She was the most positive about it. Maybe because she wasn't like me, searching for those youthful reminders.
And therein lies my overall disappointment but I realize that getting licenses for some of the 80s things that were mentioned in the book may have been the hangup. I had also heard/read that Spielberg didn't want to make this movie all about him (because he is featured pretty heavily in the book!). This is why, at the end of the movie, I was okay with it. I will definitely see it again. I'll probably buy the Blu-Ray.
Happy National Beer Day!
***I went to listen to Ernest Cline speak when Armada came out in Paperback (yes, I geeked out over an author!) and I fell a bit in love with him. His appearance at Flyleaf in Chapel Hill in April 2016 was spectacular. The whole time I was thinking, he gets me. He really gets me. Too bad he had his fiancee with him.***
By the way, I'm so 80s that most of the spaces after my periods are double spaced ;)
As an 80s child (I graduated high school in 1990) this book brought back so many memories. Things I had forgotten came back with force; video games, movies and music. As a side note, I bought the War Games movie on DVD right after reading this book. I have most of the 80s music and video games.
I went to this movie with my favorite movie critic (Trevor) and another voracious reader (Brittany).
We had all read the book but felt we were far enough removed from the book that we would appreciate the movie. I last read it in 2016 and I tried really hard not to read this again when I heard about the movie. I remember the 2 Deathly Hallows movies (that still hurts). I wasn't going to go through that again.
Trevor said it wasn't Spielberg enough and it could have been better. I'll believe him because he knows Spielberg movies and I don't. I wasn't sure exactly how they were going to do the virtual world vs. reality and I thought it was okay. I'm not well versed on avatars so I thought the avatar's were pretty well done. Art3mis was probably the closest to how I imagined the characters. He agreed it wasn't real close to the book but that it was okay on it's own. It was.
Brittany, who wasn't even around in the 80s (she's a youngun) liked it. She was the most positive about it. Maybe because she wasn't like me, searching for those youthful reminders.
And therein lies my overall disappointment but I realize that getting licenses for some of the 80s things that were mentioned in the book may have been the hangup. I had also heard/read that Spielberg didn't want to make this movie all about him (because he is featured pretty heavily in the book!). This is why, at the end of the movie, I was okay with it. I will definitely see it again. I'll probably buy the Blu-Ray.
Happy National Beer Day!
***I went to listen to Ernest Cline speak when Armada came out in Paperback (yes, I geeked out over an author!) and I fell a bit in love with him. His appearance at Flyleaf in Chapel Hill in April 2016 was spectacular. The whole time I was thinking, he gets me. He really gets me. Too bad he had his fiancee with him.***
By the way, I'm so 80s that most of the spaces after my periods are double spaced ;)
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Books and Movies
I read. That's what I do. And I do a lot of it. Every now and then I do enjoy a good movie but I'm rarely tempted to see a movie adapted from a book I've read. However, I've stumbled upon a discovery so grand that now, it's quite possible, I will see more movies adapted from books.
My discovery is this: If the author of the book writes the screenplay I love it! Of course, it has to be a book I actually like. I'm not just going to go see every movie adaptation of every book I read. Some books were not very good. I wouldn't want to pay money and time to see it again!
Here are my recommendations so far, where I read the book and then, saw the movie and the author of the book wrote the screenplay:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky wrote the book in 1999. The movie was released in 2012 and I thought it was excellent! Stephen Chbosky wrote the screenplay.
Room - Emma Donoghue wrote the book in 2010. The movie was released in 2015 and again, awesome! Brie Larson even won the Best Actress award for that movie. Emma Donoghue wrote the screenplay.
Me Before You - Jojo Moyes wrote the book in 2012. The movie was released in 2016. I cried in the book. I cried watching the movie at the same parts. I rarely cry. And this was funny and sad crying. It was amazing! Jojo Moyes wrote the screenplay.
And they are listed as the only writers for the screenplay so, I'm a bit iffy about Ready Player One next year. I loved the book but I don't see Ernest Cline listed as the "1st" screenwriter. I don't want to hate that movie.
But now I know what to look for when I see a book that I liked being released as a movie, I check to see who wrote the screenplay. This will help me in the future I am sure.
My discovery is this: If the author of the book writes the screenplay I love it! Of course, it has to be a book I actually like. I'm not just going to go see every movie adaptation of every book I read. Some books were not very good. I wouldn't want to pay money and time to see it again!
Here are my recommendations so far, where I read the book and then, saw the movie and the author of the book wrote the screenplay:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky wrote the book in 1999. The movie was released in 2012 and I thought it was excellent! Stephen Chbosky wrote the screenplay.
Room - Emma Donoghue wrote the book in 2010. The movie was released in 2015 and again, awesome! Brie Larson even won the Best Actress award for that movie. Emma Donoghue wrote the screenplay.
Me Before You - Jojo Moyes wrote the book in 2012. The movie was released in 2016. I cried in the book. I cried watching the movie at the same parts. I rarely cry. And this was funny and sad crying. It was amazing! Jojo Moyes wrote the screenplay.
And they are listed as the only writers for the screenplay so, I'm a bit iffy about Ready Player One next year. I loved the book but I don't see Ernest Cline listed as the "1st" screenwriter. I don't want to hate that movie.
But now I know what to look for when I see a book that I liked being released as a movie, I check to see who wrote the screenplay. This will help me in the future I am sure.
Review: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. RowlingMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
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Quite possibly my favorite Harry Potter book! Counts as my re-read for the 2017 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge.
Review: Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone
Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone by Eric KlinenbergMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
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I don't feel so bad now.
I love living alone. I didn't automatically choose it years ago but now that I'm here, at 45, living on my own, I relish it! As I've aged, I've learned to endure peace at any opportunity. I don't always turn the TV on and have gone weeks not turning it on. I sit and read in silence and I'm Okay with it. I love the silence. When you have a job like mine where you are constantly inundated with phone calls and conversations around the cube you work in, silence at home, is golden.
For the most part, I do what I want, when I want. I've even started eating out more often (by myself) and going to movies (by myself).
In some ways living alone has changed me. I do get highly sensitive around noise and crowds.Sometimes, I have to just run away when it gets to be too overwhelming.
I do worry about getting even older though. I have no children, no spouse, no "other family" to help me out if or when anything should happen to me. My dog? Not much help there. Hah!
At this point in my life, I doubt it changes. I'm not seeking to change my situation either.
I love this solo life!
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