I can't wait to see The Martian starring Matt Damon, because I'm positive it is going to be better than the book of the same name by Andy Weir. I decided to read Weir's The Martian (2011) after I saw a friend reading it, and I always like to read book versions before I see... Continue Reading →
For a recent holiday dinner with my in-laws, I was asked to bring a dessert. I volunteered to bring apple pie. Now, I don't even like apple pie, but I like sour cream apple pie, and I've made it a holiday tradition for the last ten years or so to make this pie on Thanksgiving... Continue Reading →
My husband and I have taken to watching old movies. Here is what we have watched so far. Casablanca (1942) It Happened One Night (1934) North by Northwest (1959) Paper Moon (1973) Rear Window (1954) I enjoyed all of them. I absolutely loved Paper Moon, and Rear Window has long been a favorite of mine. ... Continue Reading →
Just over a decade ago, my husband and I worked downtown in the city and commuted together. We were young, childless, and had more money than we knew what to do with. As we rode to work together, we listened to books on tape. One that we ended up loving, despite its place in the... Continue Reading →
I read Anna Karenina (1873–1877) by Leo Tolstoy several years ago. It is number 31 on the BBC book list. I spent many glorious afternoons sprawled on the couch with this large book resting on my stomach while my children napped and sunlight streamed through the windows. Nap time was reading time for me. But... Continue Reading →
I watched a documentary called The Interrupters (2011), which is about interrupting the violence occurring on Chicago’s streets. There are many organizations working to curb this violence, which kills many children each week, and one of them is The Interrupters. It is a group of former gang members who have decided to use their street... Continue Reading →
Last night, I had my first experience at the Sundance Film Festival. It is a place where independent filmmakers can get their work exposed to studios and distributors. The center of it is in Park City, Utah, and it started in 1978, with Robert Redford as a chairperson. It is a big event and a... Continue Reading →
The talented Nora Ephron, born May 19, 1941, died yesterday (June 26, 2012) at the age of 71. She is best known for her screenwriting of “Sleepless in Seattle” (which she also directed) and “When Harry Met Sally.” She also wrote plays, essays, and novels. I enjoyed reading her book of essays I Feel Bad... Continue Reading →
I watched a movie from 1984 last night. These were the highlights: Patrick Stewart with a mullet, clumsy fight scenes meant to be exciting and fast-paced, Sting as a villain with clown hair, Styrofoam rocks, red-headed villains, Kyle Maclachlan’s lion mane of hair, a boil-faced baron, sweat (way to much sweat), spittle, eyebrows the size... Continue Reading →
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (1813) is the first book on the BBC book list. I think that is fitting, given the fact that it is a popular novel, even among young people today. In its time, the book was admired and imitated (see Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South). The title was originally First Impressions,... Continue Reading →
The Bookshelf of Emily J. 