mommy reads: water for elephants

water for elephants

i'm so glad i was able to end 2011 on a good note as far as reading goes.  there have definitely been some ups & downs this year, but this was definitely a high.  

jacob jankowski is a 23 year old vet student at cornell only days away from taking his finals and joining his father's practice.  however, his parents are tragically killed in a car accident and jacob learns that his father mortgaged their home (this is right after the stock market crash) to send jacob to school and he is left with nothing.  jacob is so overcome with grief, that he walks out on his exams and just starts walking- when a train comes by, he jumps it, not knowing how much his life is about to change.  jacob has jumped a train belonging to the benzini brothers circus.  he gets a permanent job by telling the ringmaster & animal trainer that he is a veterinarian.  trouble begins to brew though when jacob falls in love with marlena- the star of the show and wife of animal trainer august.  the story is told in flashbacks by jacob at the age of ninety, or ninety-three.  

sara gruen is a wonderful writer and the story kept me entertained from start to finish.  i also saw the movie and really enjoyed it.  it doesn't hurt that it stars rob pattinson- but i thought it was a good interpretation of the book.  a major character was morphed into another character, which took away from some of the story, but in the end was probably the best thing for the movie.  i'd recommend both.  charming story

book 4/5, movie 4/5.

mommy reads: push

push

i wanted to read the novel push by sapphire after hearing about the movie adaptation "precious" that came out in 2009.  i read the book once back in 2009, but just recently got around to seeing the movie- so i wanted to re-read the book to refresh me before viewing the film.  

precious jones is 16 years old, and pregnant with her 2nd child- by her own father.  she's illiterate, abused by her mother, and has just been kicked out of school for being pregnant.  her principal sets her up in an alternative school where her teacher sees precious not just as another casualty of harlem and the system, but as a person with an opportunity to become somebody. 

this book is a hard read.  it's written from the point of view of precious and i guess you could call that a ghetto dialect.  you must remember that although she has gone to school, that she is for the most part, uneducated.  if you can read through the dialect, then the book is a pretty "easy" read...  the novel is short (less than 200 pages).  you begin through precious's thoughts and dialogue with people around her, and by the end you are reading through her writing.  what makes this a tough read is the actual words and nature of the story.  precious explains her sexual, verbal and physical abuse in very graphic detail- it's hard to stomach, and hard to believe that people actually go through things like that in life.  that people are hurt by those they trust the most.  hurt by those who were put on this earth to be their protectors.  precious goes to show that despite your past, you can pick yourself back up and work to have a successful life, despite whatever plans the "system" may have for you.  so as painful as the book is to read, you're definitely cheering for precious to pick herself up and get her life together- and what's in store for precious will definitely have you cheering!

the movie is equally painful to watch in that you actually see the abuse with your eyes, but it can't touch the book in getting into the innermost thoughts of precious.  it also doesn't give you as deep of a look into precious's journey to literacy and her journaling with her teacher, blue rain.  

overall, i enjoyed both.  great read, despite the heavy subject matter.  award-winning film.  

book 4/5.  movie 4/5

mommy reads: eat pray love

eat pray love

as with any very popular novel there is a line drawn- people who love the book- and people who hate the book.  with me and epl- i would say i'm somewhere in the middle.  this is my 2nd time reading elizabeth gilbert's memoir chronicling her year long travels in italy, india & indonesia following her divorce.  the book begins with gilbert filing for divorce.  she never mentions the reasons behind her divorce (and they're no one's business but her own), but from the way she describes it, it definitely doesn't paint her in a good light.  she basically walks out of her marriage and into the arms of another man (that she meets after filing for divorce)- so basically she leaves her marriage without even trying to fix it, and rebounds into an even more tumultuous relationship.  basically, she's a walking disaster.  after her & her boyfriend split again, and she meets a medicine man while traveling for work in bali (who tells her she'll return one day)- she decides to take a year away from everything to travel- to italy to experience pleasure, to india to experience spiritual life and to indonesia to balance the two.  

gilbert is a wonderful writer- she's funny, self-depreciating, and she makes you feel like you're there with her experiencing everything.  her book is split into 3 books- italy, india, and indonesia, and each of those books is split into 36 stories.  in italy i'm dreaming of eating the pizza she eats and describes with such detail that you're drooling on the pages, in india, i'm feeling the frustration at reciting the gurugita, and in bali i'm falling in love.  gilbert really is a fabulous story teller, but sometimes you just sit there thinking "i don't feel sorry for you-  you got yourself into this mess."  other times you're thinking that gilbert must have the best luck in the entire world- and all the money to be able to travel (even though she was supposed to have lost it all).  the book is definitely worth the read for the story gilbert tells, but don't expect a life-changer.

the movie stars julia roberts as gilbert, james franco as david (her new boyfriend), richard jenkins as richard from texas, and javier bardem as felipe (her boyfriend/future husband).  felipe is actually in his 50's when he and gilbert meet (a father of grown children), yet bardem is younger than roberts...  the movie hit on some of the highlights of the book, but could never come close to telling all the stories.  it fell way short of the book, but not of my expectations b\c i honestly didn't expect much from it.

book 3.5/5.  movie 2/5

mommy reads: something borrowed

i decided to read something borrowed again because i had just forced my way through between a rock & a hard place, and i needed an easy read.  that and the fact that we had the movie saved on our dvr from a bunch of expiring free ppv movies.  it wasn't really a movie i wanted to see, but we were out of options and time was running out.  i read this book and its sequel, something blue many years ago.  spoiler:  i liked something blue WAY more than i liked something borrowed...  here's the review...

rachel & darcy have been best friends since childhood.  shy, "plain" rachel busted her butt through law school and now hates her job as an attorney for a large firm in nyc.  boisterous and gorgeous darcy has skated by through life on her looks, has a fabulous job & a gorgeous fiancee.  on the eve of rachel's 30th bday, darcy throws her a surprise party, where rachel ends up sleeping with darcy's fiancee.  she thinks it's just a fling, but neither of them can forget... but the question rachel has for dex is will he or won't he call off his engagement to darcy to be with rachel.... 

i have a few problems.  the book is a good book, but the entire premise of it is a girl who basically steals her best friend's fiancee, and then spends the rest of the novel trying to justify it by remembering all the bad things darcy has ever done to her in  their lives and only seeing the negative personality traits of her supposed best friend.  sure, darcy is shallow, egotistical and self-centered, but does that mean that she deserves to be cheated on by the 2 people she trusts the most?  and yes, the ending does have a twist, which the "heroine" uses to further justify her case... but still.  no.  everyone in this novel needs a good, loud wake up call.  i mean, you find yourself cheering for rachel & dex- they're in love, they had a missed connection years ago when they attended law school together (it was rachel who introduced him to darcy in the first place), but just because you knew him first doesn't make a difference- it doesn't give you the right.  in the end, no one wins.  including me for reading it again.  so although the story has no moral value, but you can't help but kind of like it.  i'm torn.  but seriously, if you take time to read this book- read the sequel- it's definitely better.  hint:  darcy's the heroine.

the movie wasn't much better.  kate hudson plays darcy, which i can totally see- BUT i have a problem when actors don't even physically resemble the characters they're playing.  darcy was supposed to be a tanned brunette- and kate hudson is not that.  i also think kate hudson was pregnant when this was filmed- b\c she totally has pregnant face.  there were also characters missing, and total story changes.  john krasinski was a welcome addition to the movie although his character was a minor part of the novel (look for him more in the 2nd book (and film, apparently)).  also, i can't ever decide if i think ginnifer goodwin is cute, or annoys me to no end.  same with kate hudson.  skip it.

book:  2.5\5.  movie 1\5. 

sad times.  all our books have been packed for our move and i can't find them.  nooooooooooooo!

mommy reads: between a rock and a hard place bka: 127 hours

i am not an outdoorsy person.  sure, i love sports, staying active, and being outside.  however, i do not really seem to care for outdoor activities.  i've never skied or snowboarded.  i don't go rock climbing (unless it's a wall), i don't hike or camp.  it's just not something that i enjoy.  lots of people love all these things- they thrive off of that kind of stuff.  this book is for you.  now, i'm not saying that i didn't love this book because i'm not the outdoor type- but it definitely pushed me toward enjoying it less.  

most people have seen 127 hours by now- if you  haven't, then you probably at least know the outcome- if you don't, well, it was national news once, so don't consider this a spoiler.  in the movie, aron ralston is canyoneering when he jars a rock loose, which tumbles down with him, pinning his arm to the wall and trapping him.  by a miracle of God, he manages to survive for 6 days with no sleep & hardly any food or water in a remote part of utah, before making the gut wrenching decision to cut his arm off, or die.  i loved this movie.  the movie is so realistic & really gets you.  highly recommended.  

the book on the other hand....  i'm not one to say this...  but the book is a case of aron ralston finally getting what was coming to him.  the book alternated between ralston's time stuck in the canyon & the experiences he had before the accident, and what led him to where he was.  he was an idiot.  although ralston was very good at and very experienced in what he did- he was egotistical - and it nearly cost him his life.  i just kept reading through chapter after chapter shaking my head saying "what an idiot!"  seriously, this guy is lucky to be alive, and unfortunately learned his lesson the hard way.  the book definitely takes away the sympathy you have after watching the movie.  it took me 2 attempts and over a month to read this book- a struggle.  i'll be going for any easy read next to cleanse my mind...

book: 1.5/5 stars.  movie 4/5 stars

a date night in my future?

i honestly cannot remember the last time that husband and i went to see a movie... sadly it may have been winter 2008- we caught 2 movies with husband's best friend- gran torino & the curious case of benjamin button.  or maybe it was public enemies.  who knows.  sad times.  i'm not really into movies much anymore.  most movies seem to just be remakes of others with few new original ideas.  i live for classic film though.  i can safely say that most of my favorites were made prior to 1970- most way before that.  there have been a few movies that have caught my eye lately- so i'm hoping to somehow finagle a date night in my near future!  here's what's on my list of "like to see" movies.

love & other drugs:  i am wishy-washy on the rom-com genre.  some i like, and some are just way to much cheese for my liking.  this looks like it could have potential.

burlesque- i love singing and dancing and costumes and flashy!  i'm hoping this has modern-day moulin rouge potential.  plus, kristen bell is just so cute and little!

and finally

black swan- a psychological thriller (more up my alley) about ballet with gorgeous costumes by rodarte.  if i could see one of these movies, this would be my choice.

what about you?  do you make it to the movies often?  have you seen any of these movies- or are any of these movies on your list?  if not, what's on your list?

is anything "safe" for baby?

while we were in ft. wayne, i saw on the news a story about crib recalls and immediately feared the worst.  in fact, i recognized our crib on tv (we have the lauren).  sure enough, i carried my laptop into ian's room, and squeezed myself under the crib to compare model numbers, and there it was.  what a disappointment.  we are just days away from having ian sleep in his crib overnight- in fact, he's probably already there, and now i have to completely stop.  now, i'm sure that he would be perfectly safe sleeping in this crib (i don't even use the drop side), but last year i had to deal with this recall.  this is the bed we purchased for ian to sleep in while in our room.  the recall was issued 6 weeks before ian was born, and we were supposed to have the repair kit in 4-6 weeks (it took 18 weeks).  we had no where else to put ian in our room, so we decided to buy a sleep positioner and let him sleep in the hammock.  once we finally received our repair kit and installed it, i saw how unsteady the hammock was all along, and was practically kicking myself.  i figure i may have gotten lucky once, i probably shouldn't risk it again.  the crib repair kit is supposed to take 2-3 weeks.  we'll see.  geez, these recalls almost make co-sleeping seem like the safest option...

on the same day of the crib recall was the tylenol recall.  i was able to match those model numbers, and i immediately chucked those bottles.  this leaves me wondering what i should do in 2 weeks when ian goes in for his 4 month shots. 

i know these companies are doing what's best for our children, but are they making any safe products?  are we too safely conscious these days?  i was out of a car seat at 3- today booster seats run up to 100 lbs (i could see myself in college, still needing a booster seat).  our parents and grandparents didn't have all the safetly rules that we have today, yet they turned out ok.  i guess those were different times, but something has to give.  i'm over dropping hundreds of dollars on products that you tell me may injure or kill my child.  i have enough to worry about without having to worry about whether the side of his crib is going to fall off and he's going to fall out, or whether his stroller is going to amputate his fingers.  for the sake of our children, please, get these products right, or at least discover their faults before someone gets hurt!!

now that i'm off my soapbox- movie recommendation:


away we go.  such a cute story about a couple who are expecting their first child, and their search for a place to call "home."  we really enjoyed it. the time a couple spends together before having their first child is so precious.  go rent it!

aww, shucks

aww, i received an award from a little green birdhouse! it's so nice to be thought of, and even nicer to know that people do read my blog! i also love her blog because she's a new mommy like me, and it's nice to know you aren't alone!

so you're supposed to post 7 fun facts about yourself. link back to the award giver. and give your own award(s). i really can't think of 7 fun facts about myself, but i'll try.

1. i love sports. pretty much all of them. i love watching baseball, college and pro football and hockey. i'm not really into basketball. i'm pretty sure i wooed my husband by having him name a city and the sport, and me naming the team mascot.

2. i have no idea what i want to do for a living. i have lots of interests, but nothing that i think i could do for the rest of my life- i guess i'm constantly craving changes. i've wanted to be about 100 different things. it makes me feel irresponsible.

3. i love to eat and i love trying new foods. before we moved to chicago, husband and i were on the "atlanta restaurant tour" with our friends jess & jay. we left too many restaurants on the list!

4. i love tcm, and i love classic movies. so much that i don't have much interest in movies that come out in the present. my favorite: gone with the wind, and audrey hepburn films.

5. i just saw on facebook that my former boss just participated in atlanta's great urban race. i checked it out, and now i'd really like to participate in chicago's race in july.

6. my mother-in-law got me hooked on vera bradley bags. i'm almost embarrassed to say that. i used to think they were hideous and now i love them. i'm going to the outlet sale for a 2nd time in 2 weeks.

7. my husband and i have been married for almost 3 years and together for 8 years. during the time we were dating we lived apart (me in atlanta, him in chicago) with the exception of 2 summers, and the last 2 months before we were married. we also split up twice- once initiated by him and then by me. we got back together for good after my grandfather died and he immediately flew down just for the funeral to be by my side. i realized then that he would always be there for me. thanks, granddaddy.

geez, it took forever to think of those things... so i'm tired as the funk now, and i'm going to nominate:

Wonderfully Random! K was in my 8th grade class with crazy mrs. cooper, so i've known her for quite a while. now she's expecting her first baby, a girl, in september. i think she'll be a wonderful mommy! she's also a wiener dog mommy, although i think her wd is much more behaved than ours.