Books We've Read - Mistletoe in Paradise

I read this book as a light little diversion to keep my reading going.  I love Jill Shalvis, and this was a perfect book for a Saturday.  It opens with 2 brothers - James and Jason - and a childhood friend, Hannah.  Their families always spend Christmas together on a yacht sailing around the Carribean.  This year, Hannah, James, and Hannah's step-father are on the yacht for a most awkward trip.  

There is some reunited love, some father/daughter moments, warm temperatures when it is definitely cold where I am, some sexy times.  It's perfectly adorable - light in parts, funny in parts, and really touching and moving in parts.  This is loosely part of the Wildstone series, but you definitely do not need to read any of the series for this one.  It's very stand alone.

Books We've Read - What You See

What You See is the latest book in the Sons of the Survivalist series by Cherise Sinclair.  You don't have to read the previous books though it does help of course.  Cherise Sinclair's books get a little graphic - there's some violence - hand-to-hand combat, gun, abuse, there is some sexy times that are described with a fair amount of detail.

This series takes place in Rescue, Alaska, and is about 4 boys who grew up together, foster brothers who form a strong brotherhood between them.  They end up being raised by a survivalist after being taken from an abusive foster home.  

In this one, Bull meets Frankie.  Bull is owner of the local bar/restaurant though he has other business ventures in Alaska.  Frankie takes time off from her job at her family's modeling agency to rescue her friend being held in Alaska by the local religious cult.  We've seen the cult gain more and more attention throughout the book, how local law enforcement wants to shut it down, but they have no evidence.  So, this comes to a head a bit in this book.  

I liked this one.  I liked the action.  I completely understand that this book/series is not for everybody.  It gets very gritty and rough around the edges.  That said, it is typical for Cherise Sinclair's books and, truthfully, it is a little tamer than her other series in terms of subject matter and content.  So, if this is your jam, check out the series.

Movies We've Watched - The Prom

I watched The Prom on Netflix last weekend.  I liked it.  It was fine.  I totally understand the criticism, but as one who has not judged Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman's singing kindly in the past, I thought they were entertaining.  I don't have a huge issue with James Corden.  Could there be better performances?  I'm sure.  Could they have chosen some/all of the original cast from Broadway?  Definitely.  However, I get that I should either not watch it or I take it for what it is.  

With that out of the way, I'll say nice things. I love Keegan Michael Key.  I thought he did a good job, and now I want to see Jingle Jangle.  I thought the leads were adorable.  I don't think this movie version falls as flat as some other (most) movie adaptations, and it does make me want to see the play.  

Movies We've Watched - The Society of Second-Born Royals

 

To continue my young adult viewing, I watched The Secret Society of Second-Born Royals on Disney+.  The first time I tried to watch, it seemed a little silly which I attributed to the fact that I was old and not the target demographic.  However, I waited a little bit and then gave it another go.  It was really cute.  I didn't see the ending coming and really liked the unique take on the superhero origin story.  This could definitely be a series if they wanted.  I've also loved the recent string of movies, mostly for young people, with Asian stars.  Younger April would have definitely been into it.  

Sam is the second-born daughter in the royal family of Illyia.  Her mother is temporarily ruling after her father dies.  Her sister is about to take the throne upon her birthday.  Sam bucks the monarchy (despite being part of it).  Sam also finds herself with heightened senses.  After a crazy night, Sam winds up in summer school which turns into her introduction to the Secret Society of Second-Born Royals.  She, and 4 others, learn to control their powers and learn that their job is now to protect the heads of their families.  

At the end of it all, I found it super cute.  The kids did a good job of making you care about their characters after seemingly like caricatures at the start (similar to The Breakfast Club where they are stuck together and seem like the Jock and the Princess but turn into more).  I'd love a sequel where you meet other second borns and other powers, but this one was fun.

Movies We've Watched - The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special

 

We settled into Disney+ all weekend long.  I watched the latest episode of The Mandalorian on Friday night and went straight into Godmothered.  On Sunday, for Sunday Family Movie, we got into the holiday spirit with The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special and the Disney Family Holiday Singalong (which previously aired on ABC earlier in the week).

I was wondering how the holiday special would fit into canon.  It turns out it fits in well with the timeline(s).  It also brings in almost all the timelines and main characters.  Little Miss and Husband loved all the little quick nods to famous scenes, and Captain liked the sight gags and the Child from The Mandalorian.  It was a really enjoyable little special and the beginning of our holiday viewing for December.  

Movies We've Watched - Godmothered

 

I've been taking more advantage of Disney+.  This past weekend, I caught Godmothered.  It's the story about Eleanor and Mackenzie.  Eleanor wants to be a fairy godmother very badly, but she's finding out no one believes anymore, and she and all of her classmates are being trained to be tooth fairies which is unacceptable to her.  She finds the last letter sent and goes to earth to help in one last ditch effort.  She finds Mackenzie's letter, but she soon realizes that the letter has been filed for awhile and now Mackenzie is all grown up.  Still, she tries to make her fall in love and live happily ever after.

Of course, hijinks ensue.  The movie doesn't go exactly where you'd think though which makes it even more adorable and puts at least a glass slipper in reality which I liked.  It was a fun little holiday movie though Christmas is more the backdrop and less a story plot point.

Books We've Read - Final Gravity

 

Last weekend, I dipped my toe into reading again with a little short story.  Final Gravity by Layla Reyne is a little short story that brings all of her teams together for a surprise wedding where the grooms are surprised.  It's got all of the action and steamy sexy times as a regular books except no shoot out, and it is very condensed.  I definitely wanted more, but it's always great revisiting all of the characters.  This book stands on its own, but it's not appreciated at all if the other books aren't read first.

Movies We've Watched - Goosebumps 2

 

Last Sunday, Captain picked the family movie and chose Goosebumps 2.  He loves scary things (though I don't know if he has picked up on the correlation between the nights he spends in our bed and his viewing of scary movies).  We've definitely seen worse movies.  The special effects are rough, but it's creepy without being scary.  Both kids enjoyed it enough for an early morning rental.  

Trigger warning - there is a ventriloquist dummy which is kind of terrifying.  To balance it out, there are some killer gummy bears that are not scary at all.  Some monsters which weren't that scary but probably would have scared me as a kid (or even young adult).  The dummy in Toy Story 4 is scarier for scale.

Movies We've Watched - Knives Out

 

OK, first of all, I should say that these are called "Movies We've Watched", but it's almost always movies I'VE watched.  Sometimes, they include movies for Sunday Family Movies or movies I've taken the kids to.  However, this movie is one Husband and I watched together.  Weird!  This movie is on Amazon Prime (and included in Prime viewing if you have that option).

Knives Out was a really fun mystery.  It opens a little choppy - different points of view and jumping backwards to the night of the murder.  I think seeing how the different characters viewed the same event but differently gets you settled in to the mystery of it all and deciding what to trust.  I am a very impatient mystery viewer/reader.  I hate not knowing.  I generally love a good spoiler for example.  For this one, I did know some spoilers, but it did not spoil anything because I kind of forgot and I liked seeing how it all played out enough.  So, that's a sign of a good mystery.  I will say that the only thing that bugged me was Daniel Craig's accent, but it did keep it a bit lighter and silly in a sea of unlikable characters - unlikable isn't necessarily bad though.

We both really liked it though which is the big news.  We rarely watch movies together and also have very different tastes so it's nice when we both enjoy entertainment.

Movies We've Watched - The Mandalorian

 

I don't want to say I'm NOT a Star Wars fan.  I've seen most of the movies (except maybe the last one).  I grew up with the series.  I'm just not OBSESSED with it or remember a lot of the details.  So, I didn't gravitate towards The Mandalorian.  I know Little Miss watched it, and I kept hearing good things about it this season so I gave it a go last Sunday night.  And then, by Monday night, I finished all of it.

I believe The Mandalorian takes place between The Return of the Jedi and the The Force Awakens.  I still have some questions about the details, but at the heart of it, the Mandalorian was tasked a job of bringing a 50-year-old in to a client.  It turns out the 50 is the equivalent of a toddler in whatever species it is.  He turns the child in to his client, but he can't leave it because of a hinky feeling.  So, he flees with the cutest being ever.  

You've got some folks who want the Empire to make a comeback.  You've got all of the Mandalorian group.  There is a bunch of secondary characters from all the different Star Wars iterations.  This is great if you paid attention to any of the anything OR you can be me and Wikipedia everything.  I think it's fairly easy to follow as a superficial fan though.  It does have a modern, yet classic, feel to it.  I've decided to watch the Behind-The-Scenes show next (also on Disney+).