Tag: The Book Thief

Posted on

Snapshots

By Amy Spiegel

Brief comments on film by Amy.
Some old, some new.  Domestic films and foreign too.

 

12 Years A Slave — I have to admit I went into this one a little warily, thinking that perhaps the ever-skewed-towards-the-politically-correct Academy Award process had gotten it wrong. But they certainly didn’t get this one wrong. Well-acted and beautifully filmed. A story worth telling. Having read the book, I wish the filmmakers had chosen to emphasize Solomon Northup’s deep faith as well as the faith of one of Adobe Photoshop PDFhis master’s particular but that would be like wishing Channing Tatum would make one movie in which he doesn’t take his shirt off. Not gonna happen. Highly recommend the book by the same name (12 Years A Slave, not Channing Tatum Makes a Movie and Doesn’t Take His Shirt Off).

The Book Thief — This book stole my hurt (pardon the pun) and the movie certainly upheld the quality of the novel. A perfect example of historical context enriching an individual story without one overshadowing the other. Highly recommend both the book and film.

Don Jon — Where is the soul cleanser when you need it? Really thought this film was going to make a serious point about porn (and romantic comedy) and it’s destructive influence. Not so much. If this film’s makers were genuinely interested in making that point, maybe they should have included less actual porn in the movie. Fast-forwarded significant portions and still regret having watched it. I think this is the moment when I say any film which includes Julianne Moore is not for me.

The Invisible Woman — Huge fan of Charles Dickens’s work, but like so many before (and after) him, he was such a disappointment in his personal life. This movie was equally disappointing. Departing from the traditional “Older man abandons family for passionate affair with younger woman” format, this film went for “Older man abandons family for a younger woman whose family forces her into an affair against The_Invisible_Woman_posterher will but don’t be too sad for her because at least she got to be an inspiration for her favorite author.” It felt as though the writer and director couldn’t decide what Nelly’s feelings were, for Dickens or her husband, so they just left the audience to guess. This was more like The Undefined Woman.

American Hustle — Biggest disappointment this year. Perhaps my expectations were just too high. Well acted by everyone but (I hate to say it) Jennifer Lawrence, who seemed out of her depth especially with regard to her accent. Just didn’t buy it.

In A World — Can’t remember what made me rent this one, but whatever the reason, I am so glad I did. This flick made me realize how long it had been since I had really enjoyed a movie. It wasn’t heavy or educational; it was just enjoyable. Smart and clever.

Heaven is For Real — For Mother’s Day, we usually have lunch out and go for a bike ride, but with only five bikes and three flat tires, we went to the movies this year instead. We gave the kids a choice between this and the new Captain America. I have to confess I was leaning toward Captain America and had very low expectations for this film. It was certainly better than I expected and made for lots of great conversation with the kids afterwards. Plus we used our movie rewards and managed to get two drinks and a popcorn for $6! A bit flat in parts but Connor Corum, who plays Colton, brings amazing authenticity and life to every scene.

Posted on

Books I Read in 2013

By Amy Spiegel

I am one of those annoying people who becomes an evangelist for the books and authors I love. I will bore you with detailed descriptions of the plot, characters, and “fascinating” factoids you never wished you knew. This is why Jim need only read non-fiction books. He gets a blow by blow of all the (mainly fiction) books I read whether he likes it or not. This year I set out to be exceptionally annoying by attempting to read 30 books in one year. Last week, curled up in my favorite reading place (a cozy corner in my parents’ cabin in the Smokies, thanks for asking) I finished the last one. Actually, apparently I am a good reader but a bad mathematician because when I went back and counted there were a few more than 30. Oops.

Some I liked. Some I didn’t. Some I couldn’t put down. Some I wanted to put down but finished anyway. So here they are, the good, the bad and the somewhere in between (I included links to my favorites):

  • Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith: Technically I listened to this one rather than reading it, but in any case I’m not a fan. The author kept trying to convince me how amazing Queen Elizabeth is because she can stand still for long periods of time and not sweat.
  • 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created by Charles C. Mann: This is one of my all-time favorites. Pray that you don’t get stuck next to me at a dinner party if this book comes up in conversation.
  • Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope: Trollope is no Dickens. He seems to lack a certain amount of moral conviction. Still, anything of his makes for a good read.
  • Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived by Andrew Wilson:  Blah.  Moving on…
  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: Love, love, love this book. A unique and sympathetic perspective on Germany during WWII which neither justifies nor demonizes. If you don’t read this book, I may stop talking to you for a while. I will eventually get over it when I read something else and run out of people to bore.
  • Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali: One of the best audio books I have ever listened to. Hirsi Ali’s voice is auditory crack. Amazing story and incredibly prescient.
  • Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel: Good enough to finish; not good enough to hook me on the series it is a part of.
  • Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell: Oh, Mrs. Gaskell, will you please be my friend in heaven and tell me stories like this one all day long?
  • Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meachan: I am a deeply loyal person and for sometime have thought you were either a John Adams fan or a Thomas Jefferson fan. I am still in the John Adams camp, but this book did help me to appreciate the brilliance of Thomas Jefferson as a politician.
  • Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas: I’ve been trying to finish this one for a few years now and finally managed to do it, thanks to many hours walking the grocery store aisles, ear buds in place and happy that someone else was pronouncing all those German names. I still struggle to understand why God chose not to spare such a great man but am glad to know more about his extraordinary journey.
  • In the Company of Others by Jan Karon: Sweet but not as enjoyable as some of Karon’s earlier books.
  • The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: Wouldn’t let any of my young adults read this one but a well-told story.
  • Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball by R.A. Dickey: You don’t have to be a baseball fan to appreciate this gut-wrenchingly honest autobiography. So appreciate Dickey’s willingness to make himself vulnerable.
  • The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick: Definitely Rated-R for strong language but I liked the movie and loved the book.
  • The Host by Stephenie Meyer: Continues the author’s tradition of delivering an interesting, though badly written, story.
  • 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann: See above review of 1493.
  • Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut: Not afraid to admit it…not a fan. There, I am officially uncool.
  • The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde: Science-fiction meets literophil’s dream meets period drama? Just go with.
  • Seven Men: And the Secret to Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas: An easy read best suited for avoiding eye contact with fellow plane travelers.
  • The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: I had to look up the plot to remember this one so that tells you something. Not a bad book, just easily forgotten.
  • Gyspy Boy: My Life in the Secret World of Romany Gypsies by Mikey Walsh: This was almost more tragedy and abuse than I could take.
  • Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde: Features Miss Havashim as a leather jacket-wearing speed demon. Need I say more?
  • The Aviator’s Wife by Benjamin Melanie: Not into historical fiction which takes great liberties with private thoughts and conversations.
  • Blind Fury by Lynda La Plante: I love the show based on these books and didn’t have any more episodes to watch so this was the next best thing.
  • Turn Homeward, Hannalee by Patricia Beatty: A cute and historically interesting young adult book.
  • Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle: Thought this was interesting until I did a little research and realized what a misleading PR piece this is by Lady Fiona Herbert, the current Countess of Carnarvon. Don’t think the ladies at book club have forgiven me yet for disillusioning them to the charms of Lady Almina. She’s no Cora Crawley, that’s for sure.
  • Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis: Funny story about this book. A friend recommended it years ago and I always felt guilty about having not read it. Finally did and let her know only to have her tell me she had never heard of it. So, if you were the person who actually recommended, thanks! I loved it.
  • Call the Midwife: A True Story of the East End in the 1950s by Jennifer Worth: Fascinating. Can’t wait to read more by Worth this year.
  • The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith a.k.a. J.K. Rowling: So, so good.
  • The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery: A bit too much of a lecture on philosophy and Japanese film for me, but worth the read.
  • City of Bones, Ashes, Glass, and Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare (4 books for the price of 1): Ugh. Had no idea this was a five book series. Skipped one in the middle and still was four books too many.
  • The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe: How do you make a book about books interesting? Ask this guy. Touching story and a great resource for book recommendations. You will see several recommended by Schwalbe on my book list next year.
  • Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding: It’s Bridget Jones. Funny, raunchy, not to be read with your mother.
  • The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien: Can’t believe I ever thought this book was boring. My only regret is that now the movies seem even less interesting to me than before.
  • W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton: Grafton is one of my favorite mystery writers. I have read every letter of her alphabet and will be sad to see Z come and go.
  • The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History: Loved this book. Just ask all the people I have bored talking about it.
  • The Queen of Katwe: A Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl’s Dream of Becoming a Grandmaster by Tim Crothers: Wow. This book helped me to see just how spoiled I really am. Truly inspiring.

So there you have it. Hopefully some of these books will make it to your favorite reading spot this year.

Posted on

Book Blurbs

By Amy Spiegel

Well, I don’t know what y’all are up to this time of year, but for me, ‘tis the season for sitting lake side watching my kids play, trying not to get skin cancer and reading lots of books. Like most people, the summer isn’t a time when I say “Gee, I would really like to read a deep, metaphysical tome right now.” (That’s what Jim does over summer break.) So here are a few of the books I am reading (have read) this summer.

Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm: To shed any pretensions of intellectualism, I will admit that I became interested in reading the Grimm’s Tales after reading a review of Snow White and the Huntsman, which claimed that this movie version was truer to the original than Walt Disney’s version. This seems a bit like saying Veggie Tales is more like the Bible than is Prince of Egypt, but nevertheless I was curious to read some of the stories I thought I knew. I have enjoyed reading these here and there. One of the things that has struck me is the lack of religious references in any of them. It’s summer so I will wait until fall to think too hard about that one, but it was interesting nonetheless.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: I have only started this one and will definitely finish it at some point though it might not qualify as a beach read, but since Taylor Lake doesn’t really qualify as a beach maybe that’s okay. I love it’s originality though stories that jump around on the timeline often frustrate me.

Boy by Roald Dahl: Here is summer reading at it’s best. Entertaining yet informative. If you have ever wondered what kind of childhood could produce the mind that gave us Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or, my children’s favorite, The Twits, this is a must read.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Again, not exactly light reading but it was the June selection for my book club, the book club I never go to because I am too busy roasting in the sun but like to pretend I am a part of. I read it in high school, which I pretty much think qualifies as never having read it or having read the back cover and maybe some random pages in the middle. Either way, I had forgotten (or never realized) what an amazing book this is. I will truly miss Scout the rest of the summer.

I Am Half Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley: The only downside to this book was that it was set at Christmas and as we are roasting in July heat that someone mistakenly placed in June, I had some difficulties imagining blizzards and plots to trap Santa Claus. Still, Bradley managed to deliver another amusing mystery starring the intrepid Flavia de Luce. I think she and Scout would be friends, if they didn’t live decades apart, in different countries, and weren’t imaginary characters.