Catching up
Jul. 16th, 2007 02:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
angela_oI've definitely fallen into the "lazy" part of the lazy days of summer. So, here's my attempt to bring things up-to-date.
First off, I'm movied out. So far this summer I've seen Pirates twice, Waitress, Ocean's 13, OotP, Transformers, and Ratatouille. The last three I saw in consecutive days. I found them all enjoyable to one degree or another although rats would not have been my first choice to star in an animated film. But, that's what we ended up seeing for N's birthday party with her friends. I enjoyed OotP in its film version more than I did the book. While Imelda Staunton did a good job as Umbridge, there was no way to make her as terrifying or Harry's life as horribly claustrophobic as it was in the book. For which I'm glad as it's the book that I found most difficult to read. Umbridge gets my vote for most evil character in the Potterverse. She far outstrips old Voldie. He knows that what he wants is twisted. She genuinely believes that what she's doing is right. That's a lot more scary to me.
The birthday was celebrated with appropriate pomp and circumstance. She got inundated with accessories and play makeup from her friends and was in paroxysms of delight over her gifts. She was also quite taken with the Elvis umbrella that I got her. She's the only 8 year old I know that loves Elvis. She differentiates between Presley and Costello by the terms "Dead Elvis" and "Live Elvis". Children.
My reading frenzy has tapered off some of late, but I have a few more additions to the list.
#104 is The Sons of Heaven by Kage Baker(July/07). This is the final entry into my favorite ongoing sci-fi series. Baker does a deft job tying up a plethora of loose ends and manages to bring all the characters from previous book back onto the canvas, if only for a few moments. I may be a little squicked by the ultimate domestic arrangements of the heroine, but it is a reasonable solution to her situation. All in all, a series that I highly recommend. I'll miss my annual updated from this universe.
#105 is Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta(July/07). This is an excellent YA novel by an Australian author that I fortuitously picked up off the shelf the last time I was at the library. The teenage protagonist wrestles with attending a formerly all-male school while at the same time dealing with a devastating depression in her formerly vital and larger-than-life mother. Another highly recommended book.
#106 is Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult(July/07). Picoult may hold the title of Author Most Likely to Contend with Thorny Social Issues. Former outings have dealt with suicide pacts, suspected infanticide among the Amish, having an additional child to serve as a donor for cancer-stricken older child, and parental abduction, among others. If it's a hot button topic, Picoult has probably written about it. Her latest is a sadly timely look at what makes a school shooter. I'm not sure that I'm always sold by her premise and there is a last minute revelation that I felt came somewhat out of left field, but the writing is engaging and the story heartbreaking. It's terrifying as a parent to have to realize that even places that give the illusion of safety for children are, in fact, not truly safe.
I need to find something to tide me over until Deathly Hallows comes out. Or perhaps I should get started on my new freelance project. *considers* Nah.
Oh, for any former X-Philes, the latest word is that the script for a second movie is due to the actors this week. In honor of one of my first great tv obsessions I'm going to pull out a Mulder/Scully icon. Talk about OTP...
First off, I'm movied out. So far this summer I've seen Pirates twice, Waitress, Ocean's 13, OotP, Transformers, and Ratatouille. The last three I saw in consecutive days. I found them all enjoyable to one degree or another although rats would not have been my first choice to star in an animated film. But, that's what we ended up seeing for N's birthday party with her friends. I enjoyed OotP in its film version more than I did the book. While Imelda Staunton did a good job as Umbridge, there was no way to make her as terrifying or Harry's life as horribly claustrophobic as it was in the book. For which I'm glad as it's the book that I found most difficult to read. Umbridge gets my vote for most evil character in the Potterverse. She far outstrips old Voldie. He knows that what he wants is twisted. She genuinely believes that what she's doing is right. That's a lot more scary to me.
The birthday was celebrated with appropriate pomp and circumstance. She got inundated with accessories and play makeup from her friends and was in paroxysms of delight over her gifts. She was also quite taken with the Elvis umbrella that I got her. She's the only 8 year old I know that loves Elvis. She differentiates between Presley and Costello by the terms "Dead Elvis" and "Live Elvis". Children.
My reading frenzy has tapered off some of late, but I have a few more additions to the list.
#104 is The Sons of Heaven by Kage Baker(July/07). This is the final entry into my favorite ongoing sci-fi series. Baker does a deft job tying up a plethora of loose ends and manages to bring all the characters from previous book back onto the canvas, if only for a few moments. I may be a little squicked by the ultimate domestic arrangements of the heroine, but it is a reasonable solution to her situation. All in all, a series that I highly recommend. I'll miss my annual updated from this universe.
#105 is Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta(July/07). This is an excellent YA novel by an Australian author that I fortuitously picked up off the shelf the last time I was at the library. The teenage protagonist wrestles with attending a formerly all-male school while at the same time dealing with a devastating depression in her formerly vital and larger-than-life mother. Another highly recommended book.
#106 is Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult(July/07). Picoult may hold the title of Author Most Likely to Contend with Thorny Social Issues. Former outings have dealt with suicide pacts, suspected infanticide among the Amish, having an additional child to serve as a donor for cancer-stricken older child, and parental abduction, among others. If it's a hot button topic, Picoult has probably written about it. Her latest is a sadly timely look at what makes a school shooter. I'm not sure that I'm always sold by her premise and there is a last minute revelation that I felt came somewhat out of left field, but the writing is engaging and the story heartbreaking. It's terrifying as a parent to have to realize that even places that give the illusion of safety for children are, in fact, not truly safe.
I need to find something to tide me over until Deathly Hallows comes out. Or perhaps I should get started on my new freelance project. *considers* Nah.
Oh, for any former X-Philes, the latest word is that the script for a second movie is due to the actors this week. In honor of one of my first great tv obsessions I'm going to pull out a Mulder/Scully icon. Talk about OTP...
