Kick-Ass (7/17/11)

I guess I would say this was entertaining. Richard put it on and I had really watched too many things in one day already, but it was there so I watched it.  The Big Daddy and daughter relationship was pretty messed up, it's a miracle Kick-Ass didn't get killed, and the red guy is just doomed because of his family.  What a crazy movie, but it was entertaining so it fullfilled the need for something to watch.

Freakonomics (7/16/11)

Obviously this is a Richard show that I just happened to watch because it was on.  It is pretty interesting though.  While I don't normally recommend stuff like this I probably would recommend this one.  Economics can be interesting stuff sometimes.

Dakota Skye (7/16/11)

I liked this, it was quirky and fun.  To hear the truth in everyones lies would be so frustrating, I'm not sure how she can stand it.  I loved the narration, very fun story.  I could have lived without some of the attitude, but I suppose the movie wouldn't have been the same without it. In the end we learn that sometimes a lie isn't a lie and sometimes it is, same thing, whatever.

The Vicious Kind (7/16/11)

This was horrible, I did not enjoy it one bit.  The story was strange, you never do quite understand why some things happen and in the end you just feel let down by the events that happen.  I mean, "sometimes brotherly love involves your brother's girlfriend", really?  Yeah, not my cup of tea at all.  If I had realized exactly what this was going to be like I certainly wouldn't have wasted my time watching it.

it's a boy girl thing (7/16/11)

This was what it is, a rom-com where boy and girl switch bodies and have to experience life through the others shoes.  I liked it, I thougth the guy did a really good job of seeming like a sensitive girl.  The girl wasn't quite as convincing as a tough guy though, but it was cute either way.  It was a good distraction while trying to work on other projects as well.

How to Train Your Dragon (7/5/11)

DreamWorks does some amazing work and this is no exception to that.  The story is a really cute one.  I love toothless and the names in the move are hilarious.  As a matter of fact quite a bit of the movie was pretty funny.  I could see this as a DVD that I wouldn't mind owning someday.  Who doesn't want a dragon for a pet anyways?

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

The second book in this series turned out to be just as good as the first if not better.  It does end in a bit of a cliff hanger so I highly recommend having the third book ready to read when you finish this one.  Awesome mystery, awesome story, I am really enjoying this series!

Play the Game (7/2/11)

In this cute show the guys look like they are playing the field.  The show is a pretty good romantic comedy as far as they go, I love a good romantic comedy.  I loved watching the guy chase the girl in this movie.  And the grandpa cracked me up as well.

Paper Heart (6/29/11)

This story is amusing in a really stupid waste of my time kind of way.  I can't say I hated it, but I certainly didn't need to see it.  I don't know why I put it in my instant queue forever ago, but I did so I watched it.  It's a story about love, or someone who thinks they can't feel love, then they "find" it.  So in a ruse they make up a fictitious love and you watch it unfold.  Yeah, totally pointless, Charlyne Yi is kind of quirky and I do enjoy that. The actual premise to the movie was what annoyed me most, I mean, of course love exists.  So yea, this show was probably not something I really ever had to see.

Glee: Season 2 (6/27/11)

I love me some Glee!  I enjoyed the second season as much as the first.  It's not so much because of the acting because I don't think it's all that great.  But I do love the singing and I love the music.  I supposed I get a little guilty pleasure out of the high school drama too.  I'm such a Gleek now, what happened to me?

Tangled (6/26/11)

I'm loving the Disney stuff, Rapunzel in a new light.  I loved it as I do most Disney movies.  Cute, light, happy, good stuff! LOVE IT!

Cars (6/12/11)

Why, oh why hadn't I seen this before?  This show was so cute, apparently Dereck loves is because we watched it about 4 times in the time we were there.  Great show, I loved the little bug flies, super cute!  And the story was good too.  I think it's a good one for the little ones.  Love it!

X-Men: First Class (6/11/11)

Two movies in the theater in a week, that's just crazy talk.  But we were visiting Adam and Valerie and they wanted to go see a movie so I thought why not.  This was what it was expected to be, an action flick.  I enjoyed the show, not groundbreaking or anything, but a good X-Men movie if you like X-Men.  A fun time, good stuff.  I love seeing a movie in the theater why don't we do that more often anyways?

Bridesmaids (6/7/11)

This is one of those rare occasions where I actually went to the theater to see something.  Chad and Sara were going to see it Cinebarre and invited me to go see it since I was interested in seeing it.  We went to get tickets and it was sold out so then they decided to take the whole group of us to Lowe's theater instead.  The movie was hilarious, maybe not the funniest thing I've ever seen as I was promised, but it was pretty darn funny.  I can't quite understand why the two bridesmaids need to argue like that, but then I'm not nearly as jealous or vindictive as some people I suppose.  The movie was great, I'm glad I saw it, not 100% glad it was at the theater and I paid that much to see it, but I am glad I saw it. 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

I had been told by numerous people that I needed to read this series as everyone seems to think it is very good.  It is very good, no one was lying to me about that.  The book is not my normal sci-fi or fantasy type book that I normally read.  But it was really good, really really good.  I can't really get into what the story is about, but it's good.  A nice mystery.  I do wish the beginning wasn't quite so slow, but otherwise I'm really glad I read it.

Between the Folds (5/28/11)

I totally admit I only watched this because Richard put it on, not many people go searching for things on paper folding.  But this was an awesome documentary.  The work that paper folders are doing is amazing, the minds that some of these people have are amazingly brilliant.  Though I do think some of them might have a hard time functioning in normal society.  The art is amazing, the science is amazing, this was a pretty awesome documentary indeed.

Shimmer by Alyson Noel

The second book in the series.  I still like it better then the immortal series though it is very much a younger book then the other series.  Riley is amusing and naive but it ends up a good story and a very quick read.  I'm sure I'll keep reading these even though Riley does have a tendency to follow in her older sisters footsteps in the whiny I know what I'm doing kind of way.  I am not sure if that is just how Noel writes a main character in everything or if it's because these two are sisters and have similar characteristics.  I will need to read something else by Noel to see if it's a continued trend across unrelated series as well, if it is I'm thinking Noel will eventually work her way off of my authors I enjoy list.

Glee: Season 1 (5/14/11)

I am not sure why I didn't watch this when it came out but I love it.  Sure the acting isn't very good, but it's the cheesy over the top type of thing that is good for this kind of show.  The singing is AMAZING, the storyline is very high school, but it's a high school show so that is to be expected.  The love dramas and desire to be the top person in the school thing is kind of annoying at times but it's entertaining and the music more then makes up for the storyline.  I quite enjoy the show and intend to keep watching it.

Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo

This book is a must read for EVERYONE.  I love love loved it and recommend it to everyone.  His stories about heaven and his experiences there bring a sense of peace to me that I hadn't previously had.  While I have no clue what the future brings me here on earth, I have no doubt in my mind that the heaven he describes in in fact the heaven that I wait for.  I loved this book and think everyone should read it.  What an amazing story.

Riverworld (5/7/11)

We watched the first half of this months ago and just now finally got around to watching the second half.  It was good and certainly kept my interest.  I often had no idea what was going on for the first half but it felt like it was tied together well as it kept going.  This is apparently based on books, I think I need to read them eventually as it is a great story. 

180 degrees South (4/30/11)

Having started climbing recently Richard and I thought this might be interesting.  I so wish I could drop everything and go do things like these people do.  But there is a sense of stability that I require in my life that would make it impossible for me to just run off and leave everything behind for months at a time.  The movie was well put together, a documentary of the things that happened on this tour.  I enjoyed watching them and living vicariously through them.  It made me want to get out climbing in nature and out of the gym.  I still have no desire to go surfing, but their climbing really is amazing stuff. 

Toy Story 3 (4/30/11)

I went into this expecting to love it and I did.  How can you not love Toy Story?  The story was cute, but it did make me cry?  How is it that an animated movie can make me feel so sad?  I loved it, the imagination presented in this movies is amazing.  Love, Love, Love!

Eat Pray Love (4/29/11)

I finally got around to watching this.  I had sinus surgery and was unable to do much of ANYTHING for an entire week.  While still feeling fairly horrible this is the first TV watching I did after the surgery.  The movie is fun, predictable, but fun.  It really makes me want to go to the food section of the world to visit it.  Life seems easier, less work driven and more fun loving in other parts of the world.  I love the USA and that we can be whatever but I really do NOT like the work mentality that we have here.  Great movie, thank you Netflix for making it streaming.

The Other Guys (4/15/11)

So this was a silly spoof kind of movie.  It was funny, but a waste of time at the same time.  I liked it okay enough that I wouldn't say I've lost part of my life having seen it, but I really never need to see it again.  It has it's moments, but as a whole, yeah not my favorite thing I've seen.  I know I'm in a minority when I say this, but I'm not a huge fan of Will Ferrell, which is probably what turned me off on this movie in the first place.

Brokeback Mountain (4/4/11)

This is one of those movies I have wanted to see since it came out and for some reason never got around to it.  It has been in my netflix queue for as long as it's been available.  I stayed home from work and Richard was working so I went ahead and watched it finally.  The story is captivating, the actors are brilliant, I can see why it did so well.  The subject is of course controversial but worth it.  I'm glad that I didn't grow up when prejudice was quite so prevalent, sure it still exists but it's nice to see the world being more accepting of people. 

I know my being a Christian this doesn't always go together. I've had pastors speak about how it's wrong for same sex people to be together.  I feel you can't make people something they aren't, and you can't force people to see things the way an institution does.  I just like to let people live their lives, if they aren't hurting anyone what is the point of hurting them?

City of Ember (3/28/11)

This was one of Richards netflix picks and I think I might have enjoyed it more then him.  It is predictable and there are certainly things that make you wonder why they never figured things out sooner.  But I enjoyed the actors and I enjoyed the simpleness of it all.  They are trapped in a human made city underground and after quite a few generations the city is starting to fall apart.  There was a key that the governor was supposed to have to help them out after the earth has had time to heal.  The key and directions of course get lost and the unlikely heroes arise to find out how to get out of the dilapidated city. Who knows what happens after the movie is over, but it's okay.  It was nice to see them accomplish a task.  It just left a feel good kind of feeling for me.

same kind of different as me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

This was an awesome book!  I borrowed it from one of the girls in my book club and absolutely loved it.  It did take me a little while to get into the beginning of the book but once you actually get going it was very good.  It actually made me pretty sad, I feel like I dismiss homeless far to easily.  And I look down at the fact that they smoke and drink and waste the money they get from the hard working people that give it to them on things of the sort.  Listening to Denver and understanding a little more about the why that they live like that made me sad that I have been so closed minded.  I wouldn't say I've gone out and started giving money to homeless and I haven't started volunteering to help them (yet), but I do feel less like annoyed with them for not trying to get out of their situation.  I feel very grateful for growing up in a loving family and knowing that they have my back so I will never have to experience what the worlds homeless endure.

This is a must read book I think, very worth it.

At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks

So I'm writing this blog a couple months after reading the book, and I can't say it's a good sign when I really don't recall much about the book other then I read it.  I reread the what it's about and just can't recall it.  I do recall liking the book when I read it, and it ends sad as most of his books do.  But I just can't recall everything anymore, I tell you I must have lost half my memory with that sinus surgery I had in April.  I did find out that this was the second book however, and we actually really get to meet the main characters in another book True Believers which I have not read yet.  Maybe I should read that and then reread this sometime.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (3/1/11)

I will start this out by saying that Heath Ledger has always been one of my favorite actors, he was amazing.  I'm glad that they made this work by keeping him in it as much as they could.  I can only imagine how awesome it would have been had he been able to do the entire thing as originally planned.  I had a hard time keeping my interest with this movie.  I do think it was well done though. This is certainly one you REALLY have to be paying attention to or you'll miss something.  It probably wouldn't hurt to watch it a second time so you can see the things you missed the first time while you are trying to figure out what in the world is going on.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

I recently started getting into reading the classics. I never quite understood the whole point of classic books when I was younger, but I love them now. This book is very well written, a pleasure to read, and has twists and turns that any good book should have.  I loved finding out about Manderley.  Being surprised as you learn more about Rebecca.  l liked the book, worth reading and someday I just might read it again.

Parks and Recreation: Season 1 (2/25/11)

This was one of those shows I thought I might like when it came out but I never watched.  I'm not sure WHY I didn't watch it but I'm good at skipping on things when they first come out.  I liked the show, it is certainly amusing at times.  SO many "what is she thinking?" moments.  I don't know if I need to keep watching it but I didn't feel like it was a complete waste of my time to watch this either.  It was just, meh.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

This was a book club book, and by FAR my least favorite one we've read.  The book is the story of the wives of Jacob and what goes on in the red tent.  The story strays from the bible so much that it was really hard to read.  It took so many liberties to add or change things that it was frustrating.  I don't even know the bible all that well and I know these stories are not right.  I know it's a novel and therefore fiction, but really, to deviate that far from the bible when the story is regarding biblical characters is just frustrating.  There are so many rave reviews for this book, I just don't understand. 

Equilibrium (2/16/11)

Another Richard movie, another movie I'm glad I watched.  He started this while I was doing something else, I dont' really recall what I was doing but I wasn't focused on it for the first little part of the movie.  It's sad to think of a future like this, no emotions allowed.  The story goes through a person who is one of the best hunters of people that skip their meds as he misses a dose and begins to feel.  There are twists and turns and it was very much worth watching it.

night star by alyson noel

The immortal series is one of those things I can't seem to stop no matter how much the characters annoy me most of the time.  I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing but I will finish all these books.  I think Alyson has a great writing style that is very easy to read, the books aren't that big so they read really fast.  In this book Ever and Haven battle, stuff happens, things end, things begin, yep, it's another one of these books.  I actually like it better then the previous ones as Ever finally seems to be learning something.  I'm hoping that the last book brings the story to a nice close.

Radiance by Alyson Noel

 

This story picks up when Riley crosses over the bridge into the Here & Now.  She comes from Alyson Noel's immortal series.  So far I must say that I liked this story better then the immortals, I look forward to the next book coming out sometime this spring.  Noel has a way of painting a picture with her words, there is so much description and feelings that you really feel like you are there.  Loved the book, can't wait to read the next one when it comes out.  Only bad thing about it was it was just too short of a book, I feel like I just got started and it was over already.

Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach (2/4/11)

 

When you look at who is in this movie you automatically should realize that it's a stupid movie with too much swearing.  I mean stupid in a good way, but it's dumb comedy.  The movie was interesting to say the least.  The language is often abrasive and I'm not a fan of that.  Richard says the language fits the characters, and I agree.  I just wish the characters didn't feel the need to swear quite so often.  I guess I'm just a goody goody when it comes to such things.  For what it was this moving is amusing.

Chaos Theory (2/3/11)

 

When Richard put this movie on I was really rather shocked.  While it's not probably technically a chick flick, it does have a tendency to feel that way from time to time.  I think Richard saw the title and decided to watch it based on that.  Anyways, the movie was pretty good, still a little messed up though.  I think I need to choose a movie that I know is going to be good and untwisted to watch soon.  The main character has an obsessive compulsive kind of personality, whether he actually has OCD I don't know, but he certainly has a list making issue.  When he is late because his wife was trying to give him more time but set the clock the wrong way everything goes completely wrong and his life spirals into a twisted mess.  He eventually figures things out and such.  But the in between he does some crazy stuff.  Good movie, a little strange but good.

Hyperdrive Season 1 (1/13/11) & Season 2 (2/2/11)

Richard put this on while I was building puzzles.  I love it, it's very much a British comedy and quite amusing indeed.  Sometimes Richard finds very amusing things for us to watch.  The show is about a dysfunctional crew on various missions in space.  The characters are great, I think it's over the top kind of funny.  

River, Cross my Heart by Breena Clarke

I had never heard of this book when I picked it up, but it was in the clearance section and I had a Borders gift card so I figured why not see if it  is any good.  It was good, I enjoyed it greatly.  The story goes through the story of a black neighborhood in Georgetown when they were free but everything was still segregated.  It was interesting to hear the things that they went through and the thoughts they had.  The story comes with sadness and happy moments and at times is just strange.  I can't say it was the best read I've ever had, it seemed disjointed at times and I honestly couldn't tell you how much time passes during the book.  It was interesting though and I'm glad to have read it.

The Edge of Love (1/30/11)

 

Another twisted strange movie.  It feels like I've been watching quite a few of those recently.  I watched this while Richard was off at hockey.  It was interesting and twisted.  The main characters seem to struggle with multiple personalities or something of the sort.  I think I liked the girls and the guy that went off to fight with the army, but the poet was lost with me.  I guess most movies have someone that you don't like, but he was such an important part of the story and not in a villainous way that it was hard for me to watch.  Certainly not one of my favorites by any means.  But I watched it so here it is.

Time Bandits (1/22/11)

 

This is one of those classics that is amusing for what it is.  It was actually me who put this in the queue to watch and it was me who decided to watch it.  Normally the movies I watch are because of Richard (and this seems like a very Richard thing to watch).  Recently I've become quite fascinated with steampunk and this is one of the movies that can sometimes fall into the steampunk category.  So I watched it, the clothes aren't so much steampunk but I can see the ideas being that way.  It's a good little movie, certainly doesn't compare to more modern movies, but it's good for what it is and when it was made.

National Geographic: Inside North Korea (1/19/11)

 

This documentary was very informative, and very sad.  I can't imagine being brain washed and enslaved the way the people in North Korea are.  The stories from people that have managed to get out of the country are just heart breaking.  And to think that their families will be punished for them escaping by being put in a work camp and not properly fed is just so sad.  Not to mention the kids being so malnourished that they are very noticeably smaller then the kids from South Korea of the same age.  It is just sad that a ruler could want that much power to more or less enslave the masses.  I can't even begin to fathom living the life there.  We are very spoiled here in America, I often forget what the rest of the world is going through.  I'm glad Richard puts on documentaries to remind me of how this are in other places.

Unashamed: Rahab (The Lineage of Grace Series #2) by Francine Rivers

 

Another book club book.  I think this one is my favorite in the Lineage of Grace series so far.  Once again I notice my lack of bible knowledge feels really noticeable.  I was planning on reading the whole bible this year but I've fallen very far behind on my readings.  I guess I better get to work on that one.

The story of Rahab is one of great faith.  I think at times growing up I had similar feelings as Rahab, even though everyone around me wasn't necessarily feeling the pull to God.  I knew I needed him, even at a young age before I was really able to go to church on my own.  The book adds in details about the spies that we will never know for sure and it adds in more details about Rahab's future husband.  But it was a good story, once again Rivers does a great job of bringing a bible story to life and making it more real for me.

Rescue Dawn (1/17/11)

The acting and story were both amazing.  The things that they had to go through and do were quite inspirational. Yet another movie that Richard got and I ended up watching and enjoying. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I heard about this book from a friend, she reads a lot and recommended it so I figured why not.  I really had no clue what I was getting myself into.  That being said it is a beautifully written book, it is narrated by death and goes through the life of a young girl in Nazi Germany. 

It's hard to see the life of the citizens as they go through dealing with the way life was in Nazi Germany at the time.  Watching the kids and the brain washing that a lot of them went through, the lack of food because of government run programs, the way people were punished for doing anything for anyone that wasn't part of the supreme race.  Through the book you learn to love the characters, you bond with them, and you are devastated about everything they had to go through.

Great book, certainly worth reading!  What a great way to start out my New Year reading.

The Fountain (1/10/11)

This movie was just bizarre.  It follows what seems to be three different story lines that flow together between each other.  I'm guessing if I had been paying full attention I might have understood a little more of what was going on.  But it didn't really feel like it deserved my attention.  Very very strange movie.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (1/3/11)

It has been a very long time since Richard and I went to the movie theater, abd we have quite a few movie passes we've been holding onto for some strange reason.  So we decided to go see a movie, we didn't really care which one, neither of us really had any clue what was out in the theaters.  We decided to go see the latest Harry Potter, I'm a fan and Richard likes to make me happy.

The movie was great, I loved it and I really can't wait to see the other half of this movie!  They have done such an amazing job of making these movies true to the books.  As Richard pointed out, the beginning of the movie was slow, as was the book if you have read them.  Having not read the books it was really hard for him to get into that part, once things started happening he liked the story and he really hasn't followed the series so he was able to watch it without the whole backstory.  Great movie, I'll watch it again and I'll be happy to own it when it comes out!