Books and Movies

I saw this at Storytime with Tonya and decided it would be fun to play along. Yahoo posted their list of 100 movies to see before you die, explaining their choices this way:

To choose the titles for the list, we considered factors like historical importance and cultural impact. But we also selected films that we believe are the most thrilling, most dramatic, scariest, and funniest movies of all time.

Here’s the list - I’ve seen the ones in bold:

1. 12 Angry Men (1957)
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
3. 400 Blows (1959)
4. 8 1/2 (1963)
5. The African Queen (1952) - I’m not a big Humphrey Bogart fan.
6. Alien (1979)
7. All About Eve (1950) - Required viewing for every theater major.
8. Annie Hall (1977)
9. Apocalyse Now (1979) - Very weird.
10. The Battle of Algiers (1967)
11. The Bicycle Thief (1948)
12. Blade Runner (1982) - Dark, but good sci fi. I should watch this one again.
13. Blazing Saddles (1974) - Not really my type of humor.
14. Blow Up (1966)
15. Blue Velvet (1986) - Very strange.
16. Bonnie and Clyde (1967) - Watched it as a kid; don’t remember much.
17. Breathless ( 1960)
18. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - Classic.
19. Bringing Up Baby (1938) - Hilarious and classic.
20. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - Newman and Redford. ‘Nuff said.
21. Casablanca (1942) - Again, not a Bogey fan.
22. Chinatown (1974)
23. Citizen Kane (1941)
24. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
25. Die Hard (1988) - I love all the Die Hard movies.
26. Do the Right Thing (1989)
27. Double Indemnity (1944)
28. Dr. Strangelove (1933)
29. Duck Soup (1933)
30. ET the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - First movie I remember seeing in a theater.
31. Enter the Dragon (1973)
32. The Exorcist (1973)
33. Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)
34. The French Connection (1971)
35. The Godfather (1972) - My husband’s favorite - I’ve seen it too many times.
36. The Godfather, Part II (1974) - See above.
37. Goldfinger (1964) - I’ve seen every single Bond movie at least once.
38. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1968) - My dad and husband both love Clint.
39. Goodfellas (1990) - Very disturbing movie.
40. The Graduate (1967) - Boring.
41. Grand Illusion (1938)
42. Groundhog Day (1993) - Love it.
43. A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
44. In the Mood For Love (2001)
45. It Happened One Night (1934) - Classic comedy.
46. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) - Best Christmas film ever.
47. Jaws (1975)
48. King Kong (1933)
49. The Lady Eve (1941)
50. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
51. The Lord of the Rings (2001) - Loved all three and have watched them multiple times.
52. M (1931)
53. M*A*S*H (1970) - Funny, but I liked the TV series better.
54. The Maltese Falcon (1936) - Bogey, again.
55. The Matrix (1999) - The first one was brilliant.
56. Modern Times (1936)
57. Monty Python & the Holy Grail (1975) - Not quite read yet.
58. National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978)
59. Network (1976) - Don’t remember much about this one.
60. Nosferatu (1922)
61. On the Waterfront (1954)
62. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
63. Paths of Glory (1958)
64. Princess Mononoke (1999)
65. Psycho (1960)
66. Pulp Fiction (1994)
67. Raging Bull (1980)
68. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - First one is the best.
69. Raise the Red Lantern (1992)
70. Rashomon (1951)
71. Rear Window (1954) - Classic Hitchcock.
72. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
73. Rocky (1976) - First one was the best.
74. Roman Holiday (1953) - Saw it as a child.
75. Saving Private Ryan (1998) - Hated this movie; watch Band of Brothers instead.
76. Schindler’s List (1993) - Heart-wrenching.
77. The Searchers (1956) - Brilliant.
78. Seven Samurai (1954)
79. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - Loved it; need to watch this one again.
80. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Gave me nightmares.
81. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) - Best musical ever.
82. Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs (1937) - The witch gave me nightmares as a kid.
83. Some Like It Hot (1959) - Hilarious.
84. The Sound of Music (1965) - One of my favorite things.
85. Star Wars (1977) - Loved the original trilogy; didn’t like the new ones.
86. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
87. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) - Loved it; can’t wait for the new one with Christian Bale.
88. The Third Man (1949)
89. This is Spinal Tap (1984) - Hilarious.
90. Titanic (1997) - Sob.
91. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) - Brilliant adaptation of a brilliant novel.
92. Toy Story (1995) - The kids and I all love it.
93. The Usual Suspects (1995) - Disturbing, but good.
94. Vertigo (1958) - Another Hitchock classic.
95. When Harry Met Sally (1989) - Best romantic comedy ever.
96. Wild Strawberries (1957)
97. Wings of Desire (1988)
98. The Wizard of Oz (1939) - The flying monkeys terrified me as a child.
99. Women on the Verge of Nervous Breakdown (1988)
100. The World of Apu (1959)

Which movies are missing from their list? I would say Philadelphia Story, Braveheart, and The Breakfast Club.

I finished listening to Voyager by Diana Gabaldon - the unabridged audiobook - this evening. All 36 discs! In fact, I started it so many weeks ago, and so close on the heels of Dragonfly in Amber, that I had to think very hard about how the book started!

There is no easy way to give a plot synopsis of this - especially if you’re not familiar with the first two books, so I’m just going to jump in and tell you what I thought.

I loved this book - more than Dragonfly in Amber - and I think that’s because Jamie and Claire were together in the present during most of it, like Sandy mentioned in her review. Of course, before Jamie and Claire were reunited, she had to say goodbye to her daughter, Brianna, an emotionally exhausting scene. Then comes Jamie and Claire’s reunion in the print shop in Edinburgh, which made me sob like a baby.

Of course, not long after being reunited, Jamie and Claire are thrust into a sequence of events that take them from Edinburgh, home to Lallybroch, to France, and then to the West Indies. They encounter a Jewish naturalist, a defrocked priest, a murderous fiend, a foot-fetishist Chinaman, a voodoo priest, Portugese pirates, an Irish galley cook, and more than one familiar character from the previous books.

This book has just about everything you could want in a book: adventure, romance, history, danger, and magic. Claire and Jamie weather it all together, reinforcing the idea that theirs is a love for the ages. I am thoroughly exhausted after finishing this book. I don’t remember much about Drums in Autumn - it’s been so long since I’ve read it - but I hope for the Frasiers’ sake that they get some much deserved down time. I will be taking a bit of a rest from the emotional investment that these books require, and listen to a Stephanie Plum or two.

4 out of 5 stars

I’ve read a couple graphic novels this year, but Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is the first one that’s actually on my list for the Graphic Novels Challenge. It took me a while to get through this one - for a graphic novel, it’s on the long side. It’s also not a comfortable read.

The world of Watchmen is a bleak, grim world - one in which the worst of humanity is spotlighted. Moore asks the question, “What would the person behind a masked vigilante be like? What would that kind of life do to him or her? What would motivate a person to take on that role?” The masked anti-heroes in Watchmen are not your typical Superman or Spiderman good guys. They are full of contradiction and human frailty and dark habits and secrets that drive them. The good guys are not good people, and therefore they are hard to root for.

I’m not quite sure what else to say about Watchmen. It is brilliantly written, amazingly drawn, and very violent. It asks a lot of questions about humanity and answers very few of them. In the end, our “heroes” are forced to make a horrible choice in order to keep humankind from annihilating itself. Not a feel-good ending by any means. I’m glad I read it, but I can’t say I loved it.

3 out of 5 stars

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Kathy at Bermudaonion. The idea is for bloggers to post about the unfamiliar words they have encountered in their reading the past week. Click over to read other book bloggers’ Wondrous Words, and leave a link to your post of some Wondrous Words of your own.

minatory: having a menacing quality; threatening

“Number 3, Lauriston Gardens wore an ill-omened and minatory look.”
~ from A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

bucentaur: finely decorated river barges

“On the twenty-ninth day of December, after the coldest Christmas in memory, Beatrice and her mother and the rest of the wedding party, wrapped in blankets of wool and ermine, were loaded into bucentaurs, finely decorated river barges.”
~ from Leonardo’s Swans by Karen Essex

condottiere: a leader of a band of mercenaries common in Europe between the 14th and 16th centuries ; also : a member of such a band; or a mercenary soldier

This one is used serveral times in Leonardo’s Swans.

Land of Marvels by Barry Unsworth

The sight of Jehar, standing some distance off, did nothing to reassure him. It was obvious that Jehar had not taken no for an answer; he haunted the site, a ubiquitous presence, always alone, always watching.

Leonardo’s Swans by Karen Essex

“He must have used layers upon layers upon layers of this paint to achieve this luminescent quality of the facial skin and that of the long, graceful, bony hand.”

“Madame, no one knows how he performs his miracles.”

To read other book bloggers’ teasers, or to leave a link to your own, visit Should Be Reading.

It’s 1914. I’m on an archaeological dig in Turkey, and I’ve just found something of historical significance. There’s just one problem - Germany is putting in a railway, and it’s set to go right through the middle of my dig. (Land of Marvels - I haven’t quite decided if I like this book or not. I’m 80 pages in, and it hasn’t grabbed me yet.)

I’m also in Italy in the year 1491. I have just been married to the Duke of Bari, the Regent of the city-state Milan. I’m 15 years old. He is 40, and has a beautiful mistress, with whom I have no hope of competing. I am embarking on what I think will be a loveless marriage, but the match is politically advantageous for my parents. (Leonardo’s Swans - I loved Karen Essex’s Stealing Athena, and by page 50, this book already has me hooked.)

When I’m listening to my MP3 player, I’m in Kingston, Jamaica, at the governor’s mansion. I’ve just found out that my husband, from whom I was separated for 20 years, has an illegitimate son. (Voyager by Diana Gabaldon)

Where is your reading taking you? Leave a link to your answer at An Adventure in Reading.

I’m very excited about today’s post over at Nonfiction Reviews. Hava, whose blog centers around reviews of nonfiction books. While I mostly review fiction, I do read non-fiction occasionally - and have found some great book recommendations at Hava’s site. She also tells stories about life as a circulation desk librarian - wouldn’t that be a dream job?

Hava has been doing a series of interviews, and today’s book blogger interview is of me. She asked some great questions about books and blogging, so click on over to read the interview, and then stick around to read some of her other posts.

from The Signature of All Things

My head and shoulders, and my book
In the cool shade, and my body
Stretched bathing in the sun, I lie
Reading beside the waterfall -
Boehme’s ‘Signature of All Things.’
Through the deep July day the leaves
Of the laurel, all the colors
Of gold, spin down through the moving
Deep laurel shade all day. They float
On the mirrored sky and forest
For a while, and then, still slowly
Spinning, sink through the crystal deep
Of the pool to its leaf gold floor.
The saint saw the world as streaming
In the electrolysis of love.
I put him by and gaze through shade
Folded into shade of slender
Laurel trunks and leaves filled with sun.
The wren broods in her moss domed nest.
A newt struggles with a white moth
Drowning in the pool. The hawks scream,
Playing together on the ceiling
Of heaven. The long hours go by.
I think of those who have loved me,
Of all the mountains I have climbed,
Of all the seas I have swum in.
The evil of the world sinks.
My own sin and trouble fall away
Like Christian’s bundle, and I watch
My forty summers fall like falling
Leaves and falling water held
Eternally in summer air.

Read the full text of “The Signature of All Things.”

Monday’s Movie is a weekly meme hosted by Sheri at A Novel Menagerie. Click over to check out all the great reviews, and add your own.

Renowned scientist Dr. Helen Benson finds herself face to face with an alien called Klaatu, who travels across the universe to warn of an impending global crisis. When forces beyond Helen’s control treat the extraterrestrial as a hostile and deny his request to address the world’s leaders, she and her estranged stepson Jacob quickly discover the deadly ramifications of Klaatu’s claim that he is “a friend to the Earth.” Now Helen must find a way to convince the entity who was sent to destroy us that mankind is worth saving–but it may be too late. The process has begun.

Kevin and I watched The Day the Earth Stood Still the other night. I know it didn’t get very good reviews, but I don’t listen to the critics a whole lot - cause there have been times when I’ve loved a movie that was critically panned. Did The Day the Earth Stood Still deserve the bad reviews? Maybe. Did I find it enjoyable anyway? Yes.

Now, I wouldn’t say it was excellent (I’m giving it 3 out of 5 bags of popcorn), but it made for an entertaining evening. Keanu Reeves didn’t have to act a whole lot, since the alien character stays pretty stoic. Jennifer Connelly and Kathy Bates, however, were excellent. And Will Smith’s son, Jaden, is fantastic! I predict a very successful career ahead for him - I hope he keeps his head on his shoulders, like his dad has.

So, if you’re not super picky about your movie choices, you’ll probably find this entertaining, too.

3 out of 5 bags of popcorn

Some wonderful bloggers have been gracious enough to give me some bloggy love in the form of awards. I’ve gotten behind, but I wanted to pass them on. Rebecca from Lost in Books and Jennifer from Jennifer’s Book Blog nominated me for the Splash Award.

The Rules:
1) Put the logo on your blog/post.
2) Nominate up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress, or inspire you.
3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4) Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.
5) Remember to link to the person from whom your received your Splash award.

Here are the blogs that allure, amuse, bewitch, impress, and inspire me:

~ Shelf Life
~ Socrates’ Book Reviews
~ The Bumbles
~ The Little Reading Nook
~ The Sleepy Reader

Sandy from You’ve Gotta Read This gave me the Proximidade! Award:

“This blog invests and believes in the Proximity - nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!”

Here are the exceedingly charming blogs I’ve chosen for this award:

~ Fresh Ink Books
~ Farm Lane Books Blog
~ Thoughts of Joy
~ Lakeside Musing
~ Natalie’s Reviews (my daughter )

Sheri at A Novel Menagerie gave me the Zombie Chicken Award:

“The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all…”

Here are the blogs I would brave zombie chickens to read:

~ Word Lily
~ Outlandish Observations
~ Musings of a Bookish Kitty
~ One Mother of a Blog

And if that doesn’t give you enough new, wonderful blogs to visit - check my sidebar! I read all the blogs listed - that’s why they are there.

Happy Easter Weekend! I hope you have some fun and relaxation planned for the weekend. We dyed Easter eggs last night (my fingertips are blue). Today, we will be spending most of the day at the dojang - Josiah is promoting from his white belt to his yellow stripe belt in Tae Kwon Do. He has been to many promotions to watch his older brothers and sister; this is the first one he will be taking part in, and he’s very excited. Sunday morning I’ll be playing the piano for our church’s Easter service, then we’ll be heading to my parents’ house for Easter dinner and an egg hunt.

Monday, we start our Spring Break from homeschooling - which means we’ll be spending our afternoons at the park or the pool, and I’ll get lots of reading time. I can’t wait!

Giveaways:

~ Sheri at A Novel Menagerie is giving away a copy of Follow Me by Joanna Scott.

~ Wendy at Caribousmom is giving away a copy of Buffalo Lockjaw by Greg Ames.

~ Kathy at Bermudaonion is giving away a copy of The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister. (This book is fantastic - and Kathi is giving away an autographed copy of the Australian edition, which has a gorgeous cover.)

~ Angela at Library Girl Reads is giving away 5 copies of Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch.

~ Popin’s Lair is giving away The Lost Hours by Karen White.

~ Devourer of Books is giving away two copies of Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur by Halima Bashir.

~ She is also giving away one copy of The Tory Widow by Christine Blevins.

~ Jenn at Jenn’s Bookshelf is giving away five copies of The Turnaround by George Pelecanos.

~ S. Krishna is giving away three copies of Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz.

~ Teddy Rose at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time is giving away 5 copies of Made in the U.S.A. by Billie Letts.

~ I’m giving away five copies of Jantzen’s Gift by Pam Cope and Aimee Molloy.

Book news:

~ Two Michael Crichton novels will be published posthumously.

~ Reading can help reduce stress.

Bookish discussions:

~ Natalie at Book, Line, and Sinker has a great conversation starter post: What are your favorite features on book blogs?

~ Do author photos really matter?

Poetry links:

~ How to Read a Poem: Beginner’s Manual by Pamela Spiro Wagner - click over to read the whole thing - here’s a snippet:

First, forget everything you have learned,
that poetry is difficult,
that it cannot be appreciated by the likes of you,
with your high school equivalency diploma,
your steel-tipped boots,
or your white-collar misunderstandings.

Do not assume meanings hidden from you:
the best poems mean what they say and say it.

Review:

~ Beth at Beth Fish Reads has a review of The Killing Tree by Rachel Keener. It sounds intriguing.

~ Amy at My Friend Amy has a review of The Ruins by Scott Smith. She loved it. I’ve been tempted to read this one, but I wonder if it would be too scary for me.

Other bookish links:

~ I recently went on a Gilmore Girls binge and watched all seven seasons back to back. I loved all the literary references - and someone has gone to the trouble to compile a list of all the books Rory read and mentioned on the show.

~ Shelburns at Write for a Reader is excited about Support Teen Literature Day on the 16th. She’s planning to leave a YA title in a public place and is challenging other book bloggers to do the same.