Saturday, July 12, 2008

Dinner and a Movie


This weekend Alan and I saw the movie Hancock. I DO NOT recommend it. I was looking forward to it and I went in to it thinking it was going to be a cute, funny movie. Typically, I do some homework before I go see a movie in the theatre but I felt safe with a Will Smith movie for some reason. It was bad. The story was dumb, it was slow and there was so much CUSSING! I am not a prude or anything - I think a little swearing here and there is normal and can be therapeutic. Ask my kids. I just couldn't get over the non-stop profanity in this movie. It was too much. We did have a great dinner however and Alan told me that I looked foxy twice so the night was not a total loss.


This last week was almost a total loss however. I read all of the Twilight books again. I was such a sucker to think that I could just read the one and then stop. I had to finish. I was so disgusted with myself by the end though that I prepared my whole Relief Society lesson for next week. Did you know that Edward has a cold, hard body, or that his eyes are like topaz (or opals when he is hungry), or that Bella's heart beats irregularly when she is around him? Just checking, because it is only mentioned a few times in those books.


I did read two really good books in the last few days as well. I read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe for our book club this week. The plot is a little slow, but the descriptions of life in the Igbo tribe in Africa are amazing. I enjoyed it.


I also read Sundays at Tiffanys by James Patterson this morning. It was so fast that I read the entire book in just a few hours. It was cute - about a woman who realizes that the love of her life is really the imaginary friend she had as a child.


I also recommend the movie New York Doll. Alan and I watched this documentary about former New York Doll's bassist Arthur "Killer" Kane who joined the church in 1989. It was so interesting and bizarre and touching at the same time.


The next book on my summer reading schedule is a totally saccharine novel by Jennifer Weiner called Certain Girls. I am balancing out my serious reads with some trash. Does anyone have any recommendations in either category?

9 comments:

One Sassy Mama said...

I hate wasting money on movies I don't enjoy--remember American Dreamz? Terribel! Envy? Now that was a painful movie. How bout Lucky You? Ugh! Come to think of it most of the bad movies I've seen-have been with you--maybe your the bad karma movie girl. (just kidding!)

Now if you want a good trashy series of books--Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series--is it! It's kooky and funny--and at times a bit naughty. Not superb writing--but the author cracks me up everytime. I just finished her book "Fearless Fourteen" a few minutes ago (p.s. don't judge me).

Last week, I finished Jennifer Weiner's "Goodnight Nobody". I enjoyed it--it's light and fluffy with a little bit of mystery and romance--although I don't appreciate it when a book makes you cheer for the main character to cheat on her husband. That's lame. (But I still cheered for it anyway--hehe.)

Right now I'm finishing up "A Lion and a Lamb" by Rand Packer (for book club). I have enjoyed it. It's short and sweet. And I love the message! I checked it out at my library--but it is one I wouldn't mind owning.

One Sassy Mama said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
One Sassy Mama said...

P.P.S. I meant terrible not terribel--although if you say it out loud--it does sound fancy.

Victoria Renae said...

once you start twilight, you can't stop. in the movie genre, i recommend seeing Wall E. it was sooo good, and my whole family loved it. as for the books, haven't read anything good lately, but I'll tell you when I do.

Beeswax said...

I read certain girls. It didn't change my life, but it did surprise me. Sucker-punched me, really. I think it is a sequel to another book I didn't read.

Also liked New York Doll. So weird.

What was the name of the ME Edmunds book you reccommended in Relief Society?

Jolene said...

I forgot to mention that I read The Host and I didn't love it. It was okay and I did enjoy the AZ references. I spent a lot of time looking at the odd rock formation/mountain called Picacho Peak when I was in Jr. High. My dad had a temporary job assignment in Tucson and we moved there for a year and a half.

Nic - It is true that most of the bad movies I have seen, I have seen with you. But the movies you mentioned are in a totally different league than Hancock. Those movies make Hancock seem like Grapes of Wrath or some other beloved, award winning movie.

Kelly B - Don't you think that the two women who work at the Family History Library in New York Doll were too awesome to be believed?

The Mary Ellen Edmunds book that Heidi was talking about is called Happiness, Finders, Keepers. It is good but the one that I always reference is called Love is a Verb. It really is a life changing book. I also like another one of hers called Peculiar, In a Good Way.

Will and Michelle Ridd said...

We loved New York Doll! If you want to watch another movie that is "interesting and bizarre and touching", try "Lars and the Real Girl"...we really liked it, but then again we have strange taste in movies. If you haven't already seen "Across the Universe" see it...better yet, just buy it! We watched "Be kind, Rewind" with Dev this weekend, so you can ask him his thoughts on that. I thought it was a cute concept, but could have maybe been executed a little bit better. Worth seeing once, but not twice.

~ej said...

i hate when movies are so hyped and then they turn out so disappointing. i rarely splurge for a movie, we saw satc and 27 dresses and liked them both (but it was only $5).
i keep seeing that patterson book at the store, but i was so disappointed in "sam's letters" that i haven't picked it up. i do however have a few more of his thriller novels to read though.
and i totally recommend "barefoot" (hilderbrand), amazing book. she's got a new one too this summer i think. i'm reading something fluffy now, suzanne brockmann :)

Renae said...

Justin and I both enjoyed Ney York Dolls. Totally bizarre but I think we bought it. Thanks for the book recommendations. I really don't want to read Twilight again. ;) Victoria's read it enough for the both of us.