Movies We've Watched - The Witches

 

Captain has been loving most of Roald Dahl's books.  He loved Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, and The Witches.  He did not take to The BFG so far.  The Witches has been his favorite by far.  He really loves the darkness in the books.  I found this one disturbing on a few levels, but those parts just captivated him.  

There is the original movie.  I've never seen it because it seemed too scary.  Then, HBO Max came out with a version in October.  Captain counted down the days.  I tried to warn him that it may not follow the book exactly.  It didn't, but it followed the general tone and arcs of the book.  It was American-ized and softened a little.  For example, you didn't see the Grand High Witch peel off his face or the boy (turned mouse) have his tail cut off, and the end was slightly tweaked.  It was still fun and flashy.  I think it was a tricky one to adapt.  

Maybe we'll try to read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory together next.  Currently, we're going through the Eerie Elementary series.  Captain loves dark and creepy books which are near impossible for the 6 year old reading level!

Movies We've Watched - James and the Giant Peach

 

Captain rewards himself with the movie versions of all the books we've read together.  James and the Giant Peach is not my favorite book or movie, but he loved it.  That said, if you are a fan, I highly recommend Taika Waititi's YouTube reading of this book.  It's delightful.  We sped through the book very quickly.  

June 2016 Weekend Update

All dressed up. Ready to get their wedding on. #minttobe #mintcondition #weddingoftheyear

A photo posted by @princessapr on Jun 3, 2016 at 8:42am PDT

June wasn't as busy. Except that first weekend. You know, that weekend my sister got married. It was such a great weekend. The kids were great. The rehearsal dinner ran late. It was fun except the kids stayed up to about midnight so it was rough for them. The day of the wedding, they were with my family so they got to take it easy. It was a really relaxing day. The weather was overcast, but it turned beautiful for the wedding itself. The mint green photographed so nice. The kids had a great time. Little Miss danced her tail off. Captain loved eating everything. The in-laws picked up Captain from the reception so he could get to sleep. Little Miss opted to stay the entire evening and spend the night with my family and her cousin. Captain was co-flower girl. He loved throwing the flower petals - and then he tried to pick them all up afterwards.

We're never getting him out. #beepbeep #throughthewholestore

A photo posted by @princessapr on Jun 3, 2016 at 9:38am PDT

The second weekend in June, it was my birthday. On Friday, I had drinks with friends after work and then we went to see Me Before You. It wasn't the happiest birthday movie, but we enjoyed it. The next night, we did a big dinner with the in-laws as a belated Mother's Day/Father's Day celebration. On Sunday, we went to the pool where the kids were starting to enjoy the water. The swimming lessons Little Miss has been taking have started to pay off and Captain wasn't as afraid of the water.

Perfect match. #mintcondition #armoniia #etsy #flowerboy

A photo posted by @princessapr on Jul 10, 2016 at 10:57am PDT

The third weekend was a nice, relaxing one. We did nothing of note. I'm not even sure we did swimming lessons.

The last weekend, we mostly just took walks and went to the library. Captain loves the activity cube there, and Little Miss picked out books and signed up for the summer reading program. She didn't really finish the program, but it's only because it's based on the number of books you read, not the number of pages. She chose this summer to get into the Harry Potter series which is a lot of reading, but it's not a lot of number of books. The last week in June, Little Miss and I also went to Barnes & Noble for a Harry Potter celebration. She wore her Hermione costume and participated in trivia. She talked me into buying her chocolate frogs. We also had a nice dinner together before heading home. It was nice to have some girl time with her, and Harry Potter has been bringing us together.

My #Hermione is the only one who showed in costume. #harrypottercelebration (@Rob_Sawicki)

A photo posted by @princessapr on Jun 24, 2016 at 4:18pm PDT

JUDY BLUME!

So, yesterday, my awesome county library hosted a conversation with Judy Blume. Judy Blume came to town earlier this year, but I couldn't make it because I was out of town. So, I was pleased as punch to see she was coming back AND coming back for free a couple blocks from my house.

We're not worthy! #judyblume

A photo posted by @princessapr on Oct 22, 2015 at 5:16pm PDT

Earlier in the day, I tweeted to my local library that I was overcoming crowd anxiety to go because I hate crowds and going into the unknown especially by myself. Then, Judy Blume herself chimed in and said, if I had difficulties, to see one of the staff to be seated up front. I actually sat in row 4 so all was well, but you know, Judy Blume contacted me (SQUEE!!!)

She's as fascinated with me as I am with her. (So I tell myself.) @judyblume

A photo posted by @princessapr on Oct 22, 2015 at 6:11pm PDT

The evening was great. She was so funny and down-to-earth. She was just delightful and everything you hoped she would be. She seemed to relate to everyone in the audience from the children to the grandparents there. As with her books, she treated everyone with respect and as equals.

It wasn't a dream.

A photo posted by @princessapr on Oct 23, 2015 at 4:31am PDT

When I got to meet her, the staff kept things moving even down to the picture-taking. The man taking pictures probably took about 15 which was very nice. The official line was that she wasn't signing older books or more than one book, but she did. Maybe the rule changed as the night went on, but I got two copies signed. It was memorable, right up there with the time I heard Walter Cronkite speak - because I had weird idols as a kid. My next obsession is going to see Tom Brokaw in December, and then I could probably die a happy girl.

Weekend Update - Busy Bees

Last Friday, it was a quiet evening. We mostly just sat and watched the news like many others did that night. On Saturday, Little Miss had her first swimming lesson. It went well. Mostly the purpose was to get the kids in the water and having fun. I can't speak for all the kids, but ours had fun. After, we managed to survive lunch and a bath before Husband and Little Miss went to a birthday party. Little Miss had so much fun that she didn't want to leave. In the meantime, I went out with a friend to Sarah Pekkanen's booksigning. It was a lot of fun and Sarah Pekkanen was just as gracious and friendly as ever. Her new book, The Best of Us, looks and sounds great. After, we went to grab a quick bite and I ended up beating Husband and Little Miss home.

On Sunday, Little Miss lived up to her promise of waking up early and getting me up. Traditionally, Sundays are Husband's mornings with her. However, if she asks for the other, we accommodate her. So, we had brunch and then head to my parents' house. My sister came over to hang out with Little Miss. Then, Mom, Little Miss and I went and ran some errands before staying for dinner. Little Miss really loves the attention and spending time with them both and the cat. After dinner, we head home where Little Miss fell fast asleep. That concluded a super quick weekend.

Where the Wild Things Are

It is not news that I love Where the Wild Things Are.  Last night, I read the classic to Little Miss.  She gets to pick a book and I get to pick a book at bedtime.  She usually picks old favorites.  She doesn't read the same book all the time, but they are the same handful.  So, I try to sneak in a new one every so often - at the very least for my own sanity.  She noticed that this copy was from Nanny and Papa (because my mom writes the date in every book she gives), and I said it was my book from when I turned 5.  Well.  That just made it the perfect book according to Little Miss who is going to be 5 - just like I was.  

Also, when we got to the last page, she asked me to read it again because it really made her laugh for some reason.  "And it was still hot." 

Hope There's No Confusion

I saw A Million Shades of Gray today at the elementary school book fair. I hope no one gets it confused with Fifty Shades of Grey. Or thinks that if fifty shades yields that kind of book, that one million shades must be off the hook. 

For those who don't know about one or both of the books, one has this summary from Publishers Weekly:

...shows that truth has as many shades of gray as an elephant in this emotionally taut survival story, set in war-torn South Vietnam. After American troops leave his village, Y’Tin, his family, and his neighbors are left to fend off their enemies themselves. But Y’Tin’s mind isn’t on war. It’s on his pet elephant, Lady, and his dreams of opening an elephant-training school. His hopes vanish when North Vietnamese soldiers devastate his small village (Y’Tin helps dig a mass grave at one point). Y’Tin manages to escape into the jungle with a friend, where he reunites with Lady, but separated from family and friends, his thoughts grow dark. As the days go by, he becomes angrier and less trusting, wondering “if he would ever feel safe again or if safety was gone from his life forever.”

Illustrating the wisdom of Y’Tin’s father’s words—“The jungle changes a man”—Kadohata delves deep into the soul of her protagonist while making a faraway place and the stark consequences of war seem very near. Y’Tin’s inner conflicts and changing perception of the world will haunt readers.

The other has this summary:

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him.

Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms. Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Slightly different. Though I haven't read either so I'm not an expert.

Sad Day

RIP Maurice Sendak. 

From my earliest memories, Where the Wild Things Are has been my favorite book. I still have the copy I was given for my fifth birthday. Throughout the rest of my life, I always had that one and a second copy so my original would stay pristine (though, to be honest, it's a bit faded). I won't go into how much I enjoyed the book, but it was a lot. The news of Maurice Sendak's passing this morning has made me incredibly sad. Despite the fact that he was 83 which is not young, it always seems too soon.

The caption above says:  "Inside all of us is a Wild Thing.  'And Max, the king of all wild things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.'"

"Reading"

Little Miss has started pre-reading where she can identify letters and will ask what certain words are on the page. She will also memorize entire books and then "read" them to us. We're not long before she reads us bedtime stories which is only sad because I was never a good person to sit and listen to a story. I'd much rather be reading it myself. Anyway, tonight, I recorded her reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. It's in two parts because I didn't realize she knew the whole book, and she was kind of bummed that I had the camera off. It's a bit lengthy and some of it is fast so she may be hard to understand, but she knows almost the entire book.  You certainly don't have to watch both lengthy videos, but if you don't watch the second, how will you know how the story ends?

Here is the second video:

Weekend Update - Birthday and Halloween

Little Miss's actual birthday was last Friday. Husband and I hurried to get grocery shopping out of the way so we could spend some time with her in the evening. You can see her evening here.

On Saturday, we had a big day. We got ready, bundled up and went to the bookstore to see Laura Numeroff. Her new book is If You Give a Dog a Donut. We met Mom, Sister, and Nephew for lunch and then the booksigning. When we left the booksigning, it was SNOWING! We got a little dusting, but it fell fast and furious for moments. After the booksigning, we met up with Sister-in-Law and the other Nephew at a birthday party. Then, we head home.

On Sunday, we had a well-deserved day off. I also wasn't feeling 100% so I spent a lot of time in bed or on the couch.

Go the F to Sleep

Just ran across this article. I'd love to link it, but this is a somewhat family-friendly site and the link doesn't censor. The site does censor the cover so here is the picture. I think it sounds amusing if it's in the correct hands. I'm sure many parents identify with the author's story.  The article linked does have the backstory and author's inspiration (if you couldn't figure that one out already).

Book News

A friend of mine has a book coming out. First, all the details - The book is called Her Own Best Enemy by Cynthia Justlin. You can buy it from the following sites: Barnes & Noble for the nook, Amazon for the Kindle, and Smashwords for the ePub file. I mean, the book is only $2.99 - why not treat yourself to a nice, Tuesday morning treat?

Here is the blurb:
Desperate to track down her ex-husband who disappeared along with their son, Grace Stevens delves into his past and uncovers evidence of a shocking dual life. The man she thought was an ordinary computer consultant is in fact a former high-ranking Special Forces officer with unique skills in military intelligence. With nowhere to turn she is forced to plead for help from Keith King, the one man she hoped to never see again. Against her better judgment she’ll have to put her child’s fate into his hands.

Keith has officially hit rock bottom. Framed for the theft of deadly missile components, the cynical Special Forces officer is in danger of losing the only thing he can count on: his career. His one shot at clearing his name lies in locating Grace’s ex, who was working with Keith on a secret mission to take down a cutthroat military traitor. But to team up with Grace he’ll need to spend 24/7 with a woman who has every reason to hate him. Out to use each other for their own agenda, desperate mother and disillusioned soldier find they must work together to stay alive, and in the process discover that sometimes even the best of enemies fall in love.

You can also read the first chapter if you click here.

Skipping a Beat

I wanted to take this time and space to recommend you read Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen. I was lucky enough to win an ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) in a contest. The book really takes off in the first chapter, and the author is super lovely. If you have a chance to read the book, do let me know your thoughts, and, if you have nice things to say, you can find the author on Facebook and Twitter. The book is not my usual genre of romance, but I branch out every so often (more often than not lately). I suppose, if I had to choose a genre, it's kind of in between Women's Literature and Chick Lit.

Storytime

Little Miss loves books.  She has her favorites - The Little Engine that Could, The Snowy Day, Pancake Pancake, The Very Quiet Cricket, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  Lately, she's been "reading" by herself.  With some books, she knows portions by heart so she'll "read" the book from memory.  However, with some books, she is not familiar with the text so she'll make up the story based on the pictures.  Last night, we were lucky enough to snag it on video.  I'm not even sure what book it was, but I think it's a Poky Little Puppy pop-up book about Christmas based on the fact she mentions Santa and cookies and milk (and the beautiful puppy).  Enjoy!

So Curious

I was never a fan of the Sweet Valley High books. I think I read one or two. I'm a stickler for order, and I could never find every book so it bothered me. I did catch the tv show once in awhile though. Not sure I should admit that. Either way, I'm totally curious about the new book coming out. I read an excerpt a few months back and it seemed very different from the original series. Plus, what caused the big rift between Jessica and Elizabeth? What happened to their Fiat? So many questions.

Great News for eReaders!

As you may know, I'm a big fan (and I mean that in a stalker-ish kind of way) of Jill Barnett.  Amazon Kindle readers were lucky enough to a bunch of books available for download in July.  However, as an owner of the nook, I had to wait until this week for the bulk of them.  There are still more to come.  So, if you have an ereader or if you read off a device, do check out the books.  I've linked one of my favorites.  It won't let me show you the cover of Sentimental Journey as an ebook but if you click on the link, it's very pretty. You can view it at Barnes and Noble as well. I think I like the hardcover cover the best, but it wouldn't translate well as an ecover, I suppose.

Sentimental Journey is actually one of the few I haven't reread.  I keep meaning to and once even started it, but it still resonates with me from the first read and remains one of the few books my mother and I both enjoyed.  She's primarily a non-fiction reader - American History.  I primarily read fiction - Romance.  There is not much overlap between us, but once in awhile, I'll pass on a book she'll love. I'll also mention that both of my grandmothers also liked this book so it's an April-Family Favorite (not that that holds any weight).  

When Blood Calls by J.K Beck

Earlier this month, I won the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of When Blood Calls by J.K. Beck. This is Book 1 of the Shadow Keepers series. Book 2 (When Pleasure Rules) and 3 (When Wicked Craves) come out at the end of September and the end of October and there is mention of the possiblity of Books 4-6 as well. First, the book is a paranormal so there are vampires and shape-shifters and were-creatures and other characters that are brand-new to me. If that is not your cup of tea, you probably won't like it. Also, if you don't like romance, you probably won't like this book. If you especially don't like paranormal creatures and romance, seriously, just move on. If you're still with me, When Blood Calls reads more of a mystery or crime detective novel at first but, you know, with a vampire as the murder suspect. The main heroine is human so you get introduced to the world through her eyes even if you don't meet her right away. Because it is the first book of the series, I found the beginning purely an introduction into the universe. It was even difficult to tell who the main characters were at first, but that became evident after a couple of chapters or in the next paragraph as I'm going to tell you.

The basic storyline is that a judge is found dead after being drained of his blood. An officer learns of his last thoughts and, combined with evidence at the scene, concludes Lucius Dragos is the one at fault. So, a team gets together and arrests the vampire. In the meantime, the courts hire Sara to be the prosecutor in the case because she's great at what she does and because she's somewhat immune to vampire mind influence. Of course, to make things complicated, Lucius and Sara had a hot one-night stand the night before the murder. So, that's the storyline in a nutshell. Sara needs to prosecute Lucius, and she wants to win very badly, but if she wins, Lucius is put to death which she doesn't really want because she's drawn to him and he to her.

The romance is slow to develop though it wouldn't make sense if it was rushed - and I should phrase that it was well-paced, and the book reads as an introduction into the series. However, the romance is there and ends leaving the reader satisfied as well as the characters if you know what I mean. I've read a lot of first books in series, and this is one that I truly enjoyed and didn't feel like I was reading a giant prologue. I liked that Sara was strong and smart and ambitious. I liked how both characters really gave to each other instead of the relationship being one-sided - and that's in and out of bed. If I'm reading a romance, that's very important to me. I want there to be a solid relationship and more than attraction or one-sided blind love. Lastly, considering that a lot went on throughout the book in introducing a lot of characters, a lot of types of characters and setting up the scene for the books to come, it was easy-to-follow and kept my attention. I don't think it is a book that I would have normally picked up without a friend's strong recommendation, but I did enjoy it and will read the second book in the series.

Love - It'll Kill You

I'm totally stealing this from Best Week Ever, one of the funniest sites around. I catch up on the site weekly or so. Yesterday, they had this post which contained an excerpt with Ryan Gosling talking about The Giving Tree. I haven't read the original article, but the quote is the following: "That book is so f**ked up; that story’s the worst. I mean, at the end the tree is a stump and the old guy just sitting on him; he’s just used him to death, and you’re supposed to want to be the tree? F**k you. You be the tree. I don’t want to be the tree." I totally agree. I never liked the book though know many who do. I always hated that the tree got totally destroyed. I understand that the tree loved the boy and would do anything for him, but I always felt like the love was one-sided. The boy just kept taking and taking and taking. Anyway, I'll stick with Where the Sidewalk Ends, you can keep The Giving Tree.

If you're interested, the original article is found here on the NY Magazine's website.

11 Funniest Unintentionally-Sexual Books of All Time

I can't post a slideshow from this site, but if you have a chance, click here and you won't regret it. All of the books are harmless when they were originally written but if you have a mind that lives in the gutter, you'll snicker and/or laugh out loud. Below is one of the more tame titles:

Bribery - It's What's for Dinner

I feel like we had a major breakthrough last weekend.

First, Little Miss answered questions. Sort of. Little Miss is allowed one television show before bed so she can wind down. Sometimes, it's only one segment of a show, but she's allowed a little bit either way. However, she calls every show "Choo Choo". For awhile, she loved Choo Choo Express and then she loved Chuggington. However, lately, she doesn't want to watch a program with trains so it gets confusing when she asks for "Choo Choo". Starting this past weekend, if you list her shows, she'll tell you which she wants. If she doesn't want a show, she shakes her head and starts mumbling and freaking out like you had the nerve to even suggest such a thing. If she wants to watch, she points to the television. Hey, it's a step. Full-fledged conversation is only a step away!

Second, we successfully moved to bribery. Last weekend, I read Goodnight Moon four thousand times or so... in a row. Meanwhile, Little Miss wouldn't eat her vitamin. She loves them, but lately, she's been fussy. So, I said I would read the book if she ate her vitamin. She ran into the kitchen, climbed on her step stool, ate her vitamin and then looked at me and said "Thank You". Then, she climbed down and ran to get her book. This morning, the same tactic worked again. I'm not proud of this, but sometimes, it's better than being a villain all the time or giving in.

Last night, Little Miss only wanted rice for dinner. We wanted her to eat some pork, too. So, I gave her a little rice and told her to eat some pork. She wouldn't. When she was done with the rice, she asked for more. I said she had to eat a piece of pork. She did. So, I gave her a half a tablespoon of rice. We continued this until almost all the pork was gone. She ended up eating almost half the rice we cooked. Then, after her huge dinner, we gave her a little bowl of ice cream after which she wanted more rice. The girl loves carbs.

Sidenote: Another favorite book is Elmo's ABC Book. She knows some of her letters and knows that U is for Uncle and P is for Pasta. It's kind of cute...and genius!