Sisters

I really enjoyed the miniseries Lilies, the story of three girls in post WWII England along with their brother and father. The girls were all so different and interesting. The series covers about a year in their lives. The costumes are fantatsic too. I give it a 7 out of 10.

Travel and gossip

The City of Falling Angels is one part travel memoir and one part gossip fest. It's a really interesting and engaging read. I loved hearing all about Venice's history and interesting characters and intrigues. I give it a 6 out of 10.

Stars

This just might need to come live with me. By dkim.

Filling in the gaps

Sometime in 2009, I realized that my knowledge of Hitchcock films was sadly lacking. So I'm making a concerted effort to fill in some of those gaps. I really enjoyed Rear Window - mostly for Grace Kelly's costumes and the voyeuristic watching of all the neighbors through their windows. The story of the suspected murder was nice and tense too, but nothing tops those gowns. Sigh.... I give it a 6.

Silence

Oooh - this is lovely. Made by behappynow.

Zombies!

Awesome! Absolutely awesome. And dark and full of details that make you think and shiver and wonder what that noise is in the middle of the night. If you haven't read World War Z yet, you should.

It's the report of how the world survived the zombie invasion, and the author is so thorough in imagining a world completely devastated but still holding itself together. I give it an 8.5.

Holmes

I protested way back when the previews came out that Sherlock Holmes never struck me as the action adventure type. However, I do love a Guy Ritchie movie and the boy wanted to see it badly so we went.


The following problems ensued:
1. It was a late show.
2. I had a very large stout.
3. The movie slowed down towards the middle.


All of these caused this girl to doze off just a little. However, I woke up when the action picked back up and I feel as though I didn't miss a beat. It was an okay film - it felt just a little too slick and blockbuster-y to me. I liked the friendship between Holmes & Watson very much. I wasn't all that sold on Rachel McAdam's character though. The scenery and costumes were amazing. I'll give this one a 5 out of 10.

Yawn

Gray Horses was a big yawn of a graphic novel. The art is pretty. The story is boring. Not a good combination in my book. Only a 2 from me.

When will I learn

Funny People is all about a comedian who discovers he's dying. This and his friendship with Ira make him rethink a lot of his life. I expected some dark comedy here. I like Adam Sandler in serious roles generally. However, I need to face up to the fact that Judd Apatow movies generally don't do it for me.

This movie drug on and on. And all the comedians trying out there mostly bad bits on eachother made me cringe. Only a 1 from me. (The scenes with the doctor did make me crack a smile.)

So sweet

Blueberry Girl is a beautifully illustrated book. It's a poem written by Neil Gaiman for his friend Tori Amos's child when she was just a "bump and a due date." Its so sweet and lovely. I'm tempted to buy a copy for a friend of mine expecting a lil girl next month. I give it an 8.

Adorable times two

Paper Heart is a faux documentary that charmed my boots off. It's all about Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera (who are dating in real life). In the film, Charlyne is looking to discover what love is about, and in the midst of her search meets Michael. Awkward romance ensues.

Its adorable. At times, I found myself thinking that it really shouldn't have been quite as amusing as it was - I usually cringe when watching awkward situations acted out. But these two are so darn cute. I particularly loved the interviews that were acted out with puppets. And the last scene had me howling. I give it a 7.

Taller Tales

I hate when I read books out of order. Taller Tales is a graphic Novel full of stories set in the world of Gaiman's Sandman series - but these are by Bill Willingham. Its nice to revisit the world and meet some new characters, but I was a bit meh on this one. I recently read the Thessaly graphic novel which takes place after this one so her story wasn't very surprising. Plus the short pieces at the end were kind of boring. Only a 3 from me.

Inspiration

1st date outfit...
Originally uploaded by lillipilli1978

I have a dress somewhat like this AND a perfect red lipstick. Now I feel the need for a red cardigan. Hmmm.... This lady is such a constant inspiration.

Pirates and mermaids and natives

I listened to Peter and the Starcatchers on my mp3 player over the last week. It was a fun and dare I say rollicking kind of story. The beginning parts found me giggling a great deal (which had some of my fellow gym-goers giving me odd looks).

This is the prequel to the classic tale of Peter Pan. The authors diverge a bit from the original story, but they do it in pretty interesting ways. The fellow who read the book does a fantastic job with all the voices. The ending bit was a little too madcap - with everyone after one particular treasure that was constantly changing hands.

Apprently this book is published by a Disney subsiderary and is in preproduction for a 3D Disney animated movie. Never a big fan of Disney, I don't see myself ever trying to catch this one on screen, but it is a fun listen. I give it a 5.

Dancing ladies

Burlesque is such an interesting art form. Those costumes and the whole fun - ness of it. So I borrowed A Wink and a Smile thinking I could enjoy the dancing and costumes and the boy could enjoy the scantily clad ladies. (There just rose my google searches!)

Unfortunately, I failed to realize that the documentary is primarily about a school for beginner burlesque dancers. And so the majority of the film is women talking about how empowering it is and crying over nerves and dealing with body issues. There's some great snippets of established performers, but mostly there's lots of angst and crying. Bleh. I give it a 2.

Gargoyle

The Gargoyle is a fascinating and haunting read. It begins with a burn victim being visited by an apparently insane sculptress who tells him stories and relays the story of how she first met him during medieval times. As she shares the story of their love as well as tales of various other star-crossed lovers, she draws the patient into her life which grows increasingly hectic as God has informed her that she has a limited number of sculptures left to make.

It's a fantastic read that lingered long after I finished the final page. I give it an 8.

The Gates

The Gates is the tale of a little boy and his dog who witness the opening of the gates of hell in the basement of one of his neighbor's house. Of course, the adults refuse to listen. The story, full of jokes and witty footnotes, is fun and silly and would make a perfect Tim Burton animated film. I give it a 5.

Technicolor

technicolor
Originally uploaded by keikolynnsogreat

So pretty!

Bad

Unwatchable. Extract was dull and unfunny and really really bad. Didn't even finish it. What a disappointment. No stars.

Uncertainty

The Principals of Uncertainty is a charming book by Maira Kalman. She paints and comments of everything - bowls of fruit, historical figures, elderly people walking down the sidewalk, and anything else that occurs to her. It's an adorable and completely non-linear read. I give it a 6.