Almost Famous (Movie Review)

Almost Famous (2000)

Have you ever thought at a movie was all hype, and wondered what all the fuss whas about - and then watched it, and been blown away? That's what happened to me when I watched Almost Famous over the weekend, so I decided I had to post a review!

I had pretty much no desire to see this movie when it first came out, and I can't even remember why it was on my netflix queue other than out of a vague notion that I should watch it someday. When it arrived, I procrastinated on watching it, and ended up popping it in to keep myself amused while folding laundry. I was certainly in for a surprise! From the moment the movie started I was completely hooked!

Almost Famous is about William Miller, a 15-year-old high school graduate (yeah... his mother had him skip more than a couple of grades...), who decides he wants to be a music journalist and manages to grab an opportunity to write an article about the band Stillwater for Rolling Stone. William goes on the road with the band, observing them behind the scenes and befriending Penny Lane, one of the band's groupies (although she calls herself a "Band-Aide").

This kind of story normally wouldn't appeal to me all that much, but it was really well done and the acting was great - I was surprised to enjoy Kate Hudson as Penny Lane, and was thrilled when I recognized Frances McDormand (who I last saw in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day) as William's mother. I also have to say that although I'm not normally a fan of the long-haired rock look, Billy Crudup definitely made it work for me ;) However, the acting was fantastic all around, and when I finished this movie I immediately decided that I needed to sing its praises and recommend it to all movie lovers. So go watch this movie!

Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Last Man in the World by Abigail Reynolds

Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy:  The Last Man in the World by Abigail Reynolds 
2010, 248 pages

Imagine that instead of a reverberating refusal, Elizabeth Bennet was forced to accept Mr Darcy's first proposal, and finds herself engaged to a man she despises. This is the premise in Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy:  The Last Man in the World, where, after proposing to Elizabeth, Mr Darcy immediately kisses her, and when they are interrupted by by Colonel Fitzwilliam, Elizabeth is faced with the choice of refusing and ruining herself and her sisters' chances at marriage, or accepting Mr Darcy's proposal.

I picked this book up because I thought the premise sounded interesting. Instead of following Elizabeth and Mr Darcy after their marriage like so many other Austen spinoffs I've seen, this one pushes them together into marriage prematurely. I was definitely pulled in by the story, and finished this book within a few hours. The characterization of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy was very true to their characters in Pride and Prejudice, and I enjoyed seeing these characters again.

However, I have to say that on the whole I was disappointed by this book. Maybe it's a case of having expectations set too high, but I often found myself groaning as the plot unraveled. I thought that the development of the relationship between Elizabeth and Mr Darcy was abrupt and uneven - not enough development in some places, while in others it felt like both characters were being intentionally stupid, or else the plot seemed a little too convenient and cliched. 

Despite all of these frustrations, I did race through the story, so I can say that it held my attention and kept me invested in the developing relationship between Elizabeth and Mr Darcy. Overall, I have lukewarm feelings toward this book, and would only recommend it if you're looking for an Austen sequel to read.

Teaser Tuesdays (3.2.10)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My reading was a little haphazard this weekend - I kind of flitted from one thing to the next before settling on A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. This is a reread for the Flashback Challenge, and from the minute I opened it I remembered why it's one of my favorite books. I have a used copy of this book, so when I opened it up to a random page to find a teaser I was immediately drawn to a couple of sentences that had been underlined by the previous owner - I guess someone thought they were important! Enjoy!

The Soviets are gone, but he still has the guns, and now he's turning them on innocent people like your parents. And he calls this jihad. What a farce! What does jihad have to do with killing women and children? (p190)

February - Packed to the Brim with Books!

For the shortest month of the year, I managed to get a lot of reading done in February! I didn't think it would happen, but I managed to outdo my January reading (9 books) this month, with 11 books. I think my favorite book that I read this month is Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien, although So Easy by Ellie Krieger gets a special mention for giving me lots of easy, healthy recipes to try! I really enjoyed most of my books this month, the only flop for me being Nanny Returns. Here's a list of all of the books I read this month:

1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
3. Being Written by William Conescu
4. Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
5. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum
6. The Confessions of Noa Weber by Gail Hareven
7. The Night Counter by Alia Yunis
8. Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien
9. So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week by Ellie Krieger
10. Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy:  The Last Man in the World by Abigail Reynolds (Review coming soon!)
11. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (Review coming soon!)

February was a great reading month for me... I'm looking forward to seeing what March has in store! I'm hoping to vary my reading with a little more non-fiction - I'm intermittently reading The Blind Side by Michael Lewis between other things and hope to get to The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer in the next few weeks. I also want to branch out and eventually start reading some mystery and/or fantasy books - two genres that I have basically no experience in but would love to explore! Any recommendations?

In My Mailbox (2.28.10)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

This week I felt the effects of my library request-a-thon from last weekend - now I'm hoping I can read everything before they're all due back! I've decided to start including links to goodreads so you can get a better idea of what these books are about by clicking on the covers - let me know if you like it!

Here's what I got from the library:

• Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy:  The Last Man in the World by Abigail Reynolds:  I'd been wanting to read this one for a while, so when my requested copy finally came in, I immediately started reading it, and finished it within only a few hours! Review coming soon
• The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood:  I've been seeing a lot of reviews of Atwood's newer books lately and I felt like it was time to pick up something else by her (the last thing I'd read was The Handmaid's Tale, years ad years ago), so when I saw this one it sounded like something I would like. It also comes recommended by Paula Butterini, author of Keeping the Feast, via Rosie's Riveters which is hosted by Aarti at Booklust.
• The Arrival by Shaun Tan:  I saw this book reviewed on a couple of blogs a while ago and it sounded really good, so I decided to give it a try. This is my first-ever try with a graphic novel book (if this can even be called that - there are no words, just pictures), so we'll see how it goes!
• Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond:  I sometimes stalk Pioneer Woman's blog for recipes, so when I heard (from her blog, as it so happens) that she had published a cookbook, I knew I had to try it. This might not get reviewed for a few weeks - need to try out some of the recipes first! You can find Ree's blog here.
• The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England:  A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer:  I requested this one after seeing a great review by Jen at Devourer of Books, and it sounds exactly like something I'd enjoy!

I also discovered bookmooch this week - and I've already mooched my first book. Yay!

• Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates:  Book Snob has been reading her way through Yates' works lately, so I decided I needed to read something by him. I chose Revolutionary Road because I've already seen the movie, so it's fitting that I should read the book it was based on.

So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week by Ellie Krieger

So Easy:  Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week by Ellie Krieger
2009, 272 pages

Before I post a review for a cookbook, I should probably note that I'm pretty much a beginner when it comes to cooking. I haven't had much experience in the kitchen until this year, and I'm still garnering the skills (and motivation) to cook for myself on a regular basis. That being said, I've found that I really enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes, even when my "experiments" don't always turn out the way I planned!

Anyway, onto the review!

I picked up So Easy after reading a great review at Beth Fish Reads, and I definitely wasn't disappointed by it. The recipes in this cookbook are broken up into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert; and each meal is further divided in to one chapter devoted to quick, on the run, recipes, and one for more leisurely cooking. I really liked this set up, as my own life requires quick meals during the week, but I enjoy spending more time in the kitchen on weekends.

Krieger focuses on simple, healthy recipes, and gives the nutritional information for every dish, which I really appreciate in a cookbook. The recipes are straightforward, with clear instructions - such that even my tendency to mess up recipes was subverted. I also liked that she  sprinkled tips throughout the book, for example information on how best to store a type of dish, or suggestions of ways to brighten up a simple sandwich.

Her pictures are beautiful - I need pictures in cookbooks to let me know if my recipe turned out like it was supposed to, and my only complaint is that not every recipe had a picture for me to compare the results with!

Over the last month I've tried a bunch of different recipes from this cookbook, and the results have ranged from a thoroughly satisfying meal to an absolutely delicious dish that I hope to make again soon. Oddly enough, I enjoyed the breakfast recipes the most, even though that's the one meal I always have the least time for. I actually cooked up her breakfast recipes for lunches or dinners instead! Below are pictures of some of my more successful attempts, although my food photography skills do leave something to be desired...

My favorite  recipe that I tried was her beef taco salad as a "lunch to go". This recipe was a welcome relief from the salads that I ordinarily make for myself. It involved cooking ground beef on a skillet with beans and garlic, and then combining that with lettuce and a homemade dressing made from tomatoes, olive oil, and lime juice. It surprised me how quick and easy this meal was to prepare, but then again I always get nervous when cooking meat is involved. My only complaint is that it didn't hold up well in the fridge, and when I tried to pack it for work it wasn't nearly as good as when it was freshly made.

Here are a couple of dinner recipes that I tried, both from the "quick dinners" chapter. First is the Tri-color pepper steak, which was my first experience cooking beef... ever. But I really enjoyed this recipe, especially because it included liberal amounts of bell peppers, which are one of my favorite veggies! It did take me longer than I had expected to prepare - I think about an hour - despite the fact that it was in the quick dinners section. The next picture is of her Asian noodle bowl, which I also enjoyed because it was so full of vegetables and flavor!

Hopefully these pictures give you a feel for what the recipes in this cookbook are like. I definitely recommend it as a great source of healthy, easy recipes. Although I had to return my copy to the library last week, I first transcribed many more recipes to try and hopefully will get around to making them soon!

Weekend cooking is hosted at Beth Fish Reads. Head over there to see more food-related posts!

Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien

Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien
1978, 336 pages

One day, soldier Cacciato leaves the fighting in Vietnam with the seemingly impossible intention of walking to Paris. His squad follows him, and corners him on a hill, where they wait through the night to ambush him in the morning. Paul Berlin, one soldier in Cacciato's squad, standing watch at night, begins to ponder the possibility of what would happen if Cacciato eluded them and led them all the way to Paris.

It was a fact that one day in the rain, during a bad time, the dummy [Cacciato] had packed up and walked away, a poor kid who wanted to see Paris, no mysterious motives or ambitions. A simple kid who ran away. There was no toying with the truth. It couldn't be colored or altered or made into more than it was. So the facts were simple: They went after Cacciato, they chased him into the mountains, they tried hard. They surrounded the hill. They waited through the night. And at dawn they shot the sky full of flares and then they moved in. [...]

That was the end of it. The last known fact.

What remained were possibilities. With courage it might have been done. (p323)

 On the back of my edition of this book, there's a quote from a New York Times review that says "To call Going After Cacciato a novel about war is like calling Moby-Dick a novel about whales." I've never read Moby Dick, but I couldn't agree more with the sentiment. From the very first quote before the story even began - "Soldiers are dreamers" - Siegfried Sassoon - I was completely engrossed and amazed by this book. The premise of this book may seem rather silly - a soldier trying to walk to Paris in the middle of the Vietnam War - but O'Brien uses this premise to show the effects of war on the soldiers fighting it, and the power and limitations of the imagination to cope under these circumstances.

From the beginning, O'Brien created a strong sense of place in the novel, and this continued throughout the book. I quickly became invested in the story and it didn't let up until I finished. I love his descriptions of both people and places, and the way they are intertwined with the action of the novel.

O'Brien manages to combine humorous events with the tragic effect of war seamlessly. I don't know how to describe what it is about his writing that gets me - it isn't particularly complicated, but it's real, and he really took me into the mind of Paul Berlin, which is part of what I loved so much about this book.

Paul Berlin, whose only goal was to live long enough to establish goals worth living for still longer, stood high in the tower by the sea, the night soft all around him, and wondered, not for the first time, about the immense powers of his own imagination. A truly awesome notion. Not a dream, an idea. An idea to develop, to tinker with and build and sustain, to draw out as an artist draws out his visions.

It was not a dream. Nothing mystical or crazy, just an idea. Just a possibility. Feet turning hard like stone, legs stiffening, six and seven and eight thousand miles through unfolding country toward Paris. A truly splendid idea. (p27)

At times humorous, at times intense, most often managing to be both at once, this book takes you into the mind of a soldier fighting in the Vietnam War, and I highly recommend it. Here's one more quote, of many, that just got to me when I was reading:

In the morning the fifty new men were marched to a wooden set of bleachers facing the sea. A small, sad-faced corporal in a black cadre helmet waited until they settled down, looking at the recruits as if searching for a lost friend in a crowd. Then the corporal sat down in the sand. He turned away and gazed out to sea. He did not speak. Time passed slowly, ten minutes, twenty, but still the sad-faced corporal did not turn or nod or speak. He simply gazed out at the blue sea. Everything was clean. The sea was clean, and the sand and the wind.

They sat in the bleachers for a full hour.

Then at last the corporal sighed and stood up. He checked his wristwatch. Again he searched the rows of new faces.

"All right," he said softly. "That completes your first lecture on how to survive this shit. I hope you paid attention." (p37)

I read this book for the War Through the Generations: Vietnam War Challenge.