Banned Books Week asks “What are they really afraid of here?”

Banned Books Week is already upon us, although for the last couple years it feels like every week is Banned Books Week.

With the growing intensity of challenges and bans on books ranging in subject from sexual education to American history and various other political agendas, the actions taken towards school and public libraries (even booksellers at some points!) are indicative of a severe panic strongly conservative groups, no strangers to this conflict at all.

Yet, they seem more determined than ever to restrict access to books dealing with race, accurate history and sexual identity. Beyond the political bias and the standard “moral” objections to this material, however, leads me to ask “What is it that they’re so afraid of? “

To me, the answer is empathy.

Empathy , that ability to connect with others and in particular, those whose life experiences you may never share in or truly understand, is terrifying to them. Their ultimate horror movie monster , in the style of Michael Myers, Jason and Freddy.

Just take a look at their number one target; Maia Kobabe’s graphic novel /memoir Gender Queer. 

Along with other stories such as All Boys Aren’t Blue and Flamer, this book has been repeatedly attacked for it’s open and honest discussion about discovering sexual identity, particularly as a young person.

Now, you would think that with all of the concerns about the mental health issues for teenagers of late, that a book like this would be ideal. Not only does the author talk about eir(the preferred pronouns of the writer are e/em/eir) growing up and coming to terms with being asexual and nonbinary but telling family and friends about this as well.

Not only would such a story be of great comfort to others dealing with those issues, it would also answer a few questions for those not in that exact situation who might just want to know what it’s all about. It could clear up a lot of misconceptions and promote positive, mature conversations between more than one social group.

Sadly, what ignorance fears just as much as knowledge is empathy; making an emotional connection is sometimes more than immediate than an intellectual one and possibly even stronger:

Also, novels that highlight more realistic takes on teens such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews are prime targets as well.

In the case of the latter, the offbeat friendship between the main characters, told with crude humor at times, is the type of coming of age story that would actually resonate with teenagers and yes, teens are rude,lewd and not always the best people at times.

That applies to our narrator Greg, who is not meant to be a shining example of maturity, even when it comes to best friend or a chronically ill peer.

It’s good for someone who might feel guilty about not always having the “correct” feelings about certain people and serious situations to realize that they’re not alone in such awkwardness and that you can become a better person over time. Experience can be a good teacher and even if you figured some of this life stuff out much sooner than others, it helps to understand why it takes some folks longer to catch up:

One book on the current top ten banned books list that stuck out to me was Sold by Patricia McCormick.

The novel is told from the point of view of Lakshmi, a young girl from Nepal who is to believe that she is being sent to India to work as a house maid, only to be enslaved at a brothel instead.

With the massive amount of attention paid to human trafficking from multiple platforms, you would think that a book like this from an award winning author meant to enlighten readers about such real world horrors would be praised, not scorned.

What I suspect is the real motivation for objections here, aside from the age appropriate sexual content, is that this book doesn’t feature the “ideal victim” that certain groups have in mind when talking about this subject.

Never mind the fact that such brutal stories are universally appalling regardless of locale; some prefer to put a false face over such ugly truths thar look more pleasing to them. Such a shame as fund raising by young people to help these girls has been inspired by this book:

Empathy, whether it’s for someone from another culture or country, seems to be very frightening to those that fear change in the way that our society works. Granted , change isn’t always pleasant but the main principles of our nation are to make everyone an equal player when it comes to freedom and change is a big necessary part of that.

The freedom to read and think freely is vital to that concept and instead of narrowing the vision of the next generation and the ones to come afterwards, let us embrace a wider world of knowledge and empathy to help bring our fractured democracy back together.

Sure, it won’t always be harmonious but a general agreement to do right by each other would go a long way towards making things better for all concerned. There are such good things to help people truly connect with one another and my favorite one is books. 

Hopefully, by the time Banned Books Week arrives next year, we’ll have turned the page on such an ugly chapter in our mutual history:

 

A mix of thrills and chills this FrightFall season

 While the weather isn’t as cold or leaf blowing as we would like, it is getting closer to spooky season and the signups for Seasons of Reading’s annual readathon known as FrightFall are already under way.

Hosted by Michelle Miller(who also runs Castle Macabre as well ), this month long bookish event only requires you to read one scary book, whether it’s horror, mystery or something along those genre lines.

My TBR for this year’s readathon is more of a mystery /suspense party( enough horror going on in the headlines these days!) but there is one that does have a paranormal vibe to it there…

Sarah Penner’s The Lost Apothecary introduces us to Catherine, an American woman visiting London due to an estrangement from her husband James.

When she comes across a strange glass vial and researches the unusual bear marking on the bottle, Catherine learns about Nella, an eighteenth century woman who supplied  her female customers seeking revenge on the men that wronged them with the deadly means to do so.

Nella was said to have die by her own hand but perhaps not and that mystery might be necessary to unravel as James arrives unexpectedly and winds up being poisoned by similar means. Can the key to Catherine’s future be found in the past or is history truly doomed to repeat?

I ‘ve heard a lot of good word about this book and while it’s not entirely a supernatural story, the energy of a witchy tale certainly seems present, making this a very seasonal read for me:

Next up is more of an offbeat mystery as the title boldly claims; Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson is told from the point of view of Ernst Cunningham who writes how-to books about writing and winds up in a bizarre mystery himself.

Years ago, his brother Michael came to him with the odd request of helping him bury a body along with a bag of money. police's did go to jail for that incident ( mainly due to Ernst turning him into the police) and upon his release three years later, a family homecoming celebration in his honor goes wrong as another dead body is found.

This time, however, Ernst is pretty sure that Michael is innocent  but someone else in his family circle is not. With that in mind, Ernst tries to employ his own rules of writing to solve this case but finding the right solution to this puzzle is not as easy or safe as one might think.

This is the first in a series that I may continue with if this savvy starter is as entertaining as promised. From what I have heard, it’s a cozier Knives Out style of story which I am all for :

Finally, I chose from my Book of the Month Club pile(getting scarily large there!), The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz.

When Alex is given the opportunity to stay at the title locale being hosted by renowned author Rosa Vella, she feels like the luckiest person on earth. With her own literary career at a standstill (along with her personal life), this artistic getaway sounds too perfect to be true.

Unfortunately for Alex, it is-Roza ‘s estate is very isolated from the outside world and her demands upon the attendees include completing a full length novel within four weeks, handing in three thousand words a day for group critique.

Such a grueling process is made more intense by the offer of a million dollar book contract as the “prize” for success. While Alex does her best, the tension between her and the other competing writers is worthy of several thrillers before people begin to go missing….

Books about writers are catnip to most readers and this one sounds particularly enticing, in a “be careful what you wish for” kind of way:

The readathon begins on October 1 and runs through out the entire month of sinister page turning fun. Thanks in advance to Michelle Miller for setting up this trick or treat bookish delight!

While I am not going for a major horror book this time, I may do a reread of Stephen King’s classic Salem’s Lot as a new film version is set to stream on Max by October third. Based on the trailer alone, between this and Agatha All Along, my Halloween entertainment schedule is set for spooky success!:

Ready to fall for a great book haul!

I know that there’s a lot going on right now(plus, it won’t be officially autumn for another week or so) yet since it is September, my best way to greet the fall season is with new books.

With that in mind, my first stop was Book of the Month Club and my main selection was A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang.

Set in historic China, Xishi is known for her incredible beauty so much so that she has taken to wearing a veil in public to deter unwanted attention.

Her famed appearance causes those interested in bringing down the current ruling powers to recruit Xishi as a spy. Before she can be brought to the royal court, Xishi is trained in etiquette by Fanli, who is just as startled by the chemistry between them as she is. Can Xishi follow her duty and her heart or must one pay the ultimate price for the other?

The novel is a blend of historical fiction and fantasy, which sounds great to me and since Liang is making her debut into adult fiction here(most of her work is YA), she’s a new to me writer as well. Add that splash of secret romance and this is a seasonal beverage that I will be happy to slowly sip as chilly weather comes in:

I paired that up with Ellie Palmer’s debut novel, Four Weekends and a Funeral.

When Allison attends the funeral of Sam, the man she broke up with only six weeks ago, she gets way more than she bargained for in terms of bereavement.

It seems that Sam’s family thought they were still a couple and his sister Rachel asks her to not tell them otherwise. Considering the situation, Allison goes along with that and winds up with the task of packing up Sam’s former home with the help of Adam, a friend of Sam’s who she’s never met before.

Despite Adam being less than thrilled to work with her on this, Allison manages to make friends with him and so things go on, perhaps more than just friends. Will the two of them take things to the next level once this sad project is finished or will more than one unspoken truth keep them apart?

Yes, there is a bit of romcom energy to this story as well, giving me some While You Were Sleeping vibes along with a certain movie suggested by the title of this book. I do look forward to the mental movie show that turning to the first page will give me a ticket for:

After that, I headed to my local library and wound up borrowing a couple of spring releases that feel very fall friendly indeed.

The first one to catch my eye was The Passionate Tudor by Alison Weir, the title referring to Mary I, daughter of Henry the Eighth and Catherine of Aragon.

Mary is known as “Bloody Mary “ due to her reign of terror against the Protestants yet this novel shows her humanity, starting with a young girl torn between her parents during an unprecedented divorce, followed by the loss of her beloved mother and her on again, off again status as a royal heir due to Henry’s marriages and even more turmoil after his death.

I’m a good quarter of the way into the book at this point and appreciate Weir’s hearty mix of factual fare with a fictional feast of emotions at play. Mary is not often given a spotlight when it comes to talking about the Tudors but now is certainly the time for a closer look at the impact she made upon the legacy of royal rule that others such as her half sister Elizabeth had to follow:

Then I picked up the latest by Helen Simonson, The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club , set in post WWI England.

Constance is spending the summer in the coastal town of Hazelbourne-by-the-sea, not looking forward to the independent lifestyle she was enjoying during the war, which includes the lack of a suitable job beyond being a ladies companion or a governess.

Fortunately, she runs into Poppy, who runs the title group that provides a taxi service with women drivers. Her new friend has quite the lively personality that helps when flouting the social rules of the day and aids greatly when Constance needs the encouragement to truly control of her own future.

I’ve read Simonson before (The Summer Before the War, Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand) and her knack for thoughtful character development blended with subtle storytelling touches is a must read for anyone in search of a modern good old fashioned story:

This is going to be a very busy fall indeed and while it’s important to vote for a better world for all of us, including childless cat women like myself (I prefer to be a cat woman as the uniform is just so purr-fect!) yet enjoying a good book or two is vital for your mental health.

Also, reading does help while you want for your favorite TV shows to return, although my absolute favorite won’t be on until January of next year! Then again, All Creatures Great and Small is certainly worth the wait indeed:

A High Summer of reading magic

 Before I begin to wrap up my progress in the High Summer Readathon held at Seasons of Reading this past August, I must confess something; one of my original book picks was DNF’d (Did Not Finish) and replaced with another.

I did give Swapping Lives by Jane Green a fair chance(got up to 40% of the way into it before stopping) and yes, it was a reread but one that I hadn’t picked up in over a decade. Not only was the pacing slow, the material really didn’t age well and it frankly felt like a chore to get through, which is not what a readathon is all about to me.

So, instead of Swapping Lives, I swapped books and discovered the joys of T. Kingfisher. Book of the Month Club had as an add-on her latest fantasy novel, A Sorceress Comes to Call and it was a truly spell binding experience to say the least.

We start off by meeting Cordelia, whose mother is more than just controlling-she can make her daughter “obedient “by using her magic to completely take over her body for hours or even days at a time.

Cordelia lives in terror of her mother Evangeline for good reason as the latter is ruthlessly brutal when it comes to achieving her own selfish desires. When Evangeline targets a lonely noble man to be her new meal ticket, Cordelia feels compelled to warn him and his sister Hester of the danger coming for them but fears the consequences in more ways than one.

Fortunately, Hester is willing to believe her but finding a way to defeat such a vicious villainess, even with a few allies, far from easy yet so worth the doing! Can they save the day or will this potential family merger end in magical murder?

I have heard so much about Kingfisher’s writing(she writes fantasy, horror and under a pen name, children’s books) and none of that praise was exaggerated at all. This blend of magic, intrigue and heart was one of those books that you had  to make yourself stop reading in order to do other things like eat, sleep, do laundry, etc!

If you’re looking for a smart scary read to put you in the mood for Halloween (or just the upcoming Disney/Marvel series Agatha All Along), this book is the perfect portion to conjure up that state of mind:

I kept to my original reading plans after that and the book I followed up with was a far cozier fantasy tale by Sangu Mandanna.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches introduces you to Mika Moon, a young witch who keeps mostly to herself as the rules for present day  spell casters demands that they live apart from each other (except for a few gatherings to check in) and to practice their powers in secret.

Mika, however, longs for more of a real connection and creates a YouTube channel where her videos of “magic spells “ are meant to be seen as fictional fun. However, she gets a very real request to help train a trio of girls who are hidden from the wider world to control their growing powers.

Despite her initial reluctance, Mika winds up becoming their teacher and starts feeling like part of a family for the first time in her life. However, there is a looming threat that could rip apart this safe haven for all concerned. Can that balance between witchy secrets and regular life be struck without causing a catastrophic end?

Again, another book that I have heard nothing but wonderful things about and it was a sheer delight to turn the pages. Filled with engaging characters, moments of charmingly off beat humor and even a touch of romance, this story was all treat and no trick indeed:

Finally, my last book for this challenge was Beth Kendrick’s The Week Before the Wedding.

Emily is preparing to marry Grant, a nice reliable surgeon who adores her and will be much more of a helpful life partner than her driest husband Ryan.

Emily and Grant head off to the town of Valentine, Vermont to have their special day and if things weren’t hectic enough with the wedding plans and the clashing styles of the two mother-in-laws, Ryan unexpectedly turns up.

Very unexpected as Emily hasn’t seen him in over ten years since their divorce from their brief marriage. Claiming to be scouting for film locations (Ryan is now a successful horror movie maker), he makes friends with just about everyone, even Grant. Emily, has her doubts about his actual intentions and she’s right but is also having a few doubts about who she really wants to be with herself.

This is a nice enough novel with some solid sitcom vibes to put that make for a good light read. Think of it as a made for TV version of The Philadelphia Story (I mean that in a good way!)and it’s the type of sweet summer read that goes well with a cold glass of lemonade on a hot day:

My thanks to Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading for another great reason to pick up a book during the last warm days of summer there.

I’m already making plans for FrightFall this October but in the meanwhile, just hoping to have a real taste of autumn energy before winter settles in. Might even rewatch some Gilmore Girls to catch that leaf falling feeling, we shall see:

Autumn in August joins The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

For our final matinee in this year’s Autumn in August film festival, I don’t think that we could’ve done any better than the Netflix adaptation of The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society.

Granted, I am far from an impartial viewer as I fondly recall reading an advance copy of the 2008 novel written by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows(aunt and niece respectively ; the latter completing the book after the former sadly passed away).

It was a novel told in letters so seeing it acted out with some of that original correspondence woven in was lovely indeed. Set in 1946, reporter and published author Juliet Ashton(Lily James) is seeking a new challenge when one unexpectedly turns up in the mail.

A letter from Dawsey Adams(Michael Huisman), a resident of Guernsey island that asks for her help in finding a copy of Charles Lamb’s work also offers some interesting info about the unusually titled book club that he’s in.

Becoming intrigued by such a group of bookish friends formed during the occupation of the island during WWII, Juliet decides to see the place and meet the society members for herself:

When she arrives, Juliet does get to attend a book club meeting and share a lively discussion with everyone over Anne Bronte(they’re reading a biography of the youngest Brontë sister that Juliet wrote!).

However, when the subject of Juliet writing about the group comes up, strong objections are as most of them don’t want certain secrets shared in public, particularly in regards to Elizabeth (Jessica Brown Findlay), the founding member of the Society. She’s been missing for a good while now and her young daughter Kit is being raised by Dawsey, with the hope that Elizabeth will be back to claim her soon.

Wanting to help, Juliet stays on to look into Elizabeth’s disappearance using her reporting skills plus as assist from her new fiancé Mark(Glen Powell), an American diplomat who seems to be getting impatient with her time away from England.

No doubt he suspects that more than this mystery search is keeping Juliet on Guernsey as she and Dawsey are becoming perhaps more than friends:

I don’t want to say anything more than that because I really hope that more people see this movie.

The performances are lovely with such a nice blend of old school British actors such as Penelope Wilton and Tom Courtenay and newer folk like Lily James, who truly shines here. I know that Glen Powell is a big deal these days but to paraphrase Shania Twain, he didn’t impress me much.

It’s been awhile since I read the book yet the script felt like a well thought out version of the original story with the right mix of drama, romance and good natured humor when needed. Developing the relationships between the main character and various others can be tricky to do on film unlike a book; however this was a nicely stuck balance for all concerned:

So this concludes our Autumn in August viewing party and my thanks to everyone who attended. In case it wasn’t clear, I will be rereading The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society this fall(even picked up a new edition for the occasion) and heartily recommend either seeing the movie or reading this delightful book.

 You can do both if you wish (and it’s fine in whatever order you choose to engage with this lovingly crafted tale of dealing with life during the tough times while still embracing the joys of this world) and hopefully by this time next year, we all will be feeling much better about the state of things and celebrating that hard earned bliss together:

 

Instagram update and end of summer reading dilemma!

I’m on a mini blog break(due to a certain convention holding my attention this week) but did want to mention a couple of things:

1) I have an Instagram account that showcases my attempts at biblio photo shoots and there’s a link to it on the side panel of this blog finally(my tech skills are slow,folks,sorry!).

If you’re interested in checking it out, my address there is @livingreadgirl please feel free to say hello if you wish!

2) My latest book display on Instagram has my three choices for late summer reading over the upcoming Labor Day weekend; Sag Habor by Colton Whitehead, Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne or The Pairing by Casey McQuiston.

If you have any opinion or any other suggestions about this page turning dilemma, please let me know either here or Instagram. Granted, I am not planning on getting any new books before September but I will keep any good recommendations in mind for future reference.

I do tend to wrap up my Autumn in August series next week and hope all of you out there are having a good summer with plenty of great reads and good music to enjoy them with as well:

 

Sharing a Mona Lisa Smile this Autumn in August

For this week’s Autumn in August entry, I decided to watch for the first time the 2003 film Mona Lisa Smile. The college setting of the story seemed to have the back to school vibe that I was looking or so I thought…

The movie stars Julia Roberts as Katherine Watson, an art teacher ready to begin her academic career at Wellesley College in 1953. From the start, the higher ups are already giving her grief over wanting to add “modern art” to her syllabus (Picasso and Jackson Pollack, oh my!) but her first class of students are quite the trial by fire there:

Eventually, Katherine starts to get the girls to do more than just quote the textbook and encourages them to want more in life than just finding a husband.

Some of her guidance is lost on Betty(Kristen Dunst), who goes all out on being the ideal Wellesley woman and is truly insufferable throughout the movie. 

Betty gets the school nurse fired for giving one of her friends birth control pills ( and she’s a terrible friend to her peers with bad advice and judgmental interference) and takes everything opportunity to shove her social status in Katherine’s face. However, Katherine refuses to take any college girl crap off of her:

Unfortunately, most of the movie doesn’t fully focus on this plot line.

Instead, we get a heaping mess of subplots that dilute the full flavor of the central story.

Some of those side trips aren’t all bad(Katherine encourages one of her students to follow through on pursuing law school) but some of them just go nowhere (another girl is dating a pushy creep who may or may not be cheating on her) and Katherine’s love life gets thrown in the mix without much influence on the overall character arc for her by the end.

Some of the better moments in this movie are when Katherine shows her students that’s more than one way to look at life and the film needed more of that. The scene where she pushes back on Betty’s newsletter critique of her is one of Katherine’s stronger speeches but without a more solid emphasis on the subject matter, it doesn’t land the knockout punch that it should:

Well, I will say that Mona Lisa Smile was worth a watch and there are plenty of good performances, with Roberts and Dunst at the top of the list, not to mention Marcia Gay Harden as a teacher of social graces who almost stole the show at some points.

It’s just a shame that MLS doesn’t earned higher than a B+ when it comes to smart storytelling. Anyway, our last AIA episode will feature The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society , of which I have better hopes of being great(particularly since I read the novel it’s based on). In the meantime, enjoy a brief glimpse of Tori Amos as a fifties style singer-quite a nice surprise indeed!:

 

Autumn in August gets a sweet taste of Serendipity

Welcome back, everyone, for another round of Autumn in August where we keep cool during the summer heat with a fall themed movie.

Just like last time, I chose a New York based film from 2001, Serendipity , starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale as Jonathan and Sarah, who randomly meet during Christmas shopping and find themselves falling instantly in love.

Before we get any further, I must say that despite the holiday setting early on, I don’t consider this a Christmas movie; for one thing, the season is more background than anything and the story line doesn’t necessarily need Christmas to function (Valentine’s Day would work just as well in this instance). 

With that in mind, the two of them go for the same pair of gloves at Bloomingdale’s, which leads to an amusing argument with another customer (an uncredited cameo by the late great Buck Henry)over who really deserves but them:

That leads to Jonathan and Sarah having a magical night walking over the city and sharing ice cream treats at Serendipity 3(an actual restaurant in NYC) where she tells him of her belief that fate guides everyone and if they’re meant to be together, there has to be signs.

So, Jonathan writes his name and number on a five dollar bill that Sarah quickly spends and if that particular bit of money returns to her, then she will call. In exchange, Sarah puts her name and number in a copy of Love in the Time of Cholera and sells to a bookstore the next day for him to find as well. You can tell how long ago this was due to such whimsical logic being used.

Despite agreeing to such wackiness, Jonathan insists on one last chance at hurrying fate via an elevator race but thanks to a devilish little boy, that shortcut to love is denied!:

A few years later, Jonathan and Sarah are on opposite ends of the country, romantically involved with other people.

In fact, Jonathan is about to get married to Halley(future Blue Bloods star Bridget Moynahan) and Sarah has just gotten engaged to Lars(John Corbett). Despite these circumstances, each of them feels that the universe is trying to reunite them so they separately take up quests to find one another.

While Sarah’s plan involves taking a trip to New York with her best gal pal in tow(Molly Shannon), Jonathan happens to find the receipt for those long ago gloves that Sarah ultimately bought and tries to track her down via the store account, harassing a sales clerk(Eugene Levy) into breaking a few rules for him.

As a former retail worker myself, I am on that guy’s side and he is right about staying on the proper side of the counter there!:

This is a very lighthearted romcom with a script that is as deep and delicious as cotton candy.

While it is far from perfect (I so forgot that Jeremy Piven was in this movie and just how annoying he is), there are lovely moments where the nature of life and love is discussed between friends that do make this story line more than just a lovesick romp:

While Serendipity is not a classic romance for the ages, it does offer a good time to be had by all who are in the mood for lovelorn entertainment.

Next week, I will be watching for the first time , Mona Lisa Smile, a film with quite the back to school energy there. In the meanwhile, savor the sweetness of love and randomness New York style:

 

Autumn in August goes back in time with Kate & Leopold

 

Welcome to this year’s tribute to keeping those cooling thoughts of fall in mind, Autumn in August .

We start this film fest off with 2001’s Kate & Leopold, starring Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman, the latter unintentionally stealing the show there, in my opinion.

Jackman plays the Duke of Albany in New York of 1876. His observations of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge are disturbed by a mysterious stranger (Liev Schrieber) who later follows Leopold to his uncle’s house where a matchmaking party is set to take place.

Leo, not interested in marrying for money, pursues the man all the way back to the bridge, where the two of them fall into a time portal and arrive in modern day New York.

The stranger is a scientist named Stuart who lives downstairs from his ex-girlfriend Kate McKay(Ryan) due to a series of mishaps, Leopold is left on his own with only Kate to reluctantly guide him around.

Kate doesn’t believe for a minute that Leopold is an accidental time traveler but over the course of a week, starts to wonder about his story as he does things like go after a purse snatcher on horseback in a most delightful way:

Leopold’s old fashioned charms do clash with Kate’s pragmatic approach to life yet there is something to be said for a man who makes his own pen and inkstand to write an apology letter with an invitation to a rooftop dinner for two!

Yes,this movie does have plot holes (not to mention Schreiber is not great at physical comedy which his accident prone character has to perform too much)yet what really makes the story work is Hugh Jackman, full stop.

Jackman is fully believable as a “man out of time” as Kate mockingly describes him, an impoverished aristocrat straight out of Downton Abbey by way of The Gilded Age. Leopold’s ability to blend in his new surroundings is well highlighted as in the scenes with Kate’s goofy brother Charlie(Breckin Meyer) who Leo gives very credible romantic advice to:

One of my favorite scenes has Leopold (in Charlie in tow) showing up to Kate’s business dinner date with her boss(Bradley Whitfield) and shows up the bluster that her employer is using to conduct anything but business with her. Such a great use of the word serpentine indeed:

While Meg Ryan is great as always in these kinds of stories, it’s Hugh Jackman who really breathes fresh life into this time travel romance. The director’s cut of the film gives quite the odd twist to the time travel plotline (hint: a wonky bloodline subplot there) but since I rewatched this via streaming, that didn’t factor into my joy at visiting this movie once again.

So, if you’re looking for something lighthearted romance set in New York with an old school Hugh Jackman, this is picture perfect entertainment. Next week, we’ll look at another 2001 romcom set in New York, Serendipity,but for now, let’s ballroom dance with Leopold and friends:

Setting up a stack of paperbacks for some High Summer reading

It’s been an incredibly hot summer in more ways than one, which is why most folks try to keep as cool as can be in August.

To that end, I have already signed up for the High Summer readathon  over at Seasons of Reading (hosted by the awesome Michelle Miller). It runs the full month of August and you are encouraged to read what you like here. My TBR for this late summer challenge is an all paperback stack of titles that I plan on relaxing with as much as possible:

First up is a novel that I read a long time ago and just recently brought back into my personal library; Swapping Lives  by Jane Green.

Amber Winslow is seeking something new in her Connecticut housewife life and decides to trade a month of of experiences with Vicky Townsley, the editor of a fashionable British magazine.

As both ladies encounter the joys and the woes of each other’s lives, this ex is indeed an eye opener. However, will that new look at their worlds be for the better or the worse?

It’s been awhile since I’ve read Jane Green when I spotted this edition at a local rummage sale, the opportunity to get reacquainted seemed movie picture perfect:

My next pick was Beth Kendrick’s  The Week Before the Wedding , set in the Vermont town of Valentine where Emily is hoping to start off her second marriage without a hitch.

Unfortunately for her, her former husband Ryan also happens to be in Valentine while scouting locations for his next movie.While he seems really happy for her, Emily is so certain about that or her current soon-to-be spouse Grant, who is beginning to pale in comparison.

This was one of the free library books that I hauled back in June(which is more of a wedding month to be sure) and felt like a light and lively read that reminds of an old school Hollywood romance-we shall certainly see!:

To round this TBR trio out, I went with a cozy fantasy that I’ve nothing but wonderful things about.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna tells the tale of Mika Moon, a witch who mostly keeps to herself apart from her online videos about being a “real” witch that she thinks no one watches.

As it runs outs, someone does watch them and recruits Mika to teach three young girls living on a remote island how to control their growing powers. It’s quite the challenge but she’s willing to give it a go and not just because of the house librarian Jamie is easy on the eyes (although he doesn’t trust her very much).

This sounds like a real charmer with a back to school vibe that works well for the end of summer:

Well, if you wish to join in the page turning fun, there is a link to the sign up post in the second paragraph of this posting. My thanks to Michelle Miller at SOR for giving us all a great excuse to stay cool with some good books during this time of massive heat waves.

The world may be getting rather hectic these days but there is a strong sense of hope in the air right now that should give us some positive energy to tap into for what lies ahead. In the meanwhile, having a little bit of a good time can be very restorative, whether you chose books, music or memories of both:

Popping the corn for some Autumn in August fun

While most people are settling in for the summer with the various conventions and Olympic Games, my main event this season is Autumn in August, where I watch and review those films that give off that fall feeling.

Two of my selections this year are well known to me, starting with Kate & Leopold , where Meg Ryan gets a romantic history lesson from Hugh Jackman.

This 2001 romcom has Jackson as the Duke of Albany who accidentally time travels to modern day New York, due to the scientific antics of Stuart(Liev Schieber), who is Kate’s ex-boyfriend and downstairs neighbor.

With Stuart being trapped in a hospital after a fall, Kate winds up dealing with Leopold, who she thinks is a weird yet well meaning man for the most part. Can this relationship last beyond time or will the shifts in reality throw everyone off course?

I know this movie got mixed reviews but Jackman really makes this whole thing work as his character is incredibly believable and charming to boot:

Next up is another New York based film, Serendipity, also from 2001, where John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale agree to let fate decide if their love is meant to be.

After a meet-cute in Bloomingdale’s (how incredibly New York is that?!), Jonathan and Sara spend a magical evening together and despite their instant connection, Sara prefers to have a sign from the universe to determine their path to love.

Ten years later, each of them are in different relationships but somehow start to search for one another before any major commitment is made(with the help of some wacky friends of course!). This movie is such a lighthearted charmer with some nice wintery scenes to cool off to during these treacherous heat waves:

The next pair of autumn vibing movies are new views for me, beginning with Mona Lisa Smile

from 2003, set in 1953 at Wellesley College where art history professor Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts) is encouraging her students such as Betty(Kristen Dunst )and Joan(Julia Stiles) to take their studies much more seriously.

As Katherine and her girls attempt to challenge the norms of their day, the pushback is tough yet not totally discouraging either. Can Catherine truly expand these intellectual horizons from them or are the girls completely on their own here?

 

Granted, the reviews were not great for this movie(or the box office) but I’m willing to give this one a chance. The college setting alone has a good seasonal energy, not to mention a story about women trying to make their own choices about the direction of their lives is rather timely indeed:

While I haven’t seen this movie before, I have waited a long while to do so, thanks to a book.

Upon reading an advanced copy of  The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Anne Shaffer, I was delighted with this novel told in letters about what the small island of Guernsey did to survive the occupation by enemy forces during WWII.

I was further thrilled to hear that a movie adaptation had been made but alas, streaming was unavailable to me at the time so I wasn’t able to see it. Well, now I have Netflix and if a British period drama starring Lily James and Penelope Wilton isn’t autumn themed enough, I don’t know what is!:

So, each week in August, I will be watching one of these movies and posting about it(they’re all available on streaming services if you wish to watch along) and hopefully, this quartet of fall fabulous films will keep us comfortably entertained until sweater weather sets in.

Picking something good to watch is always a tricky challenge but especially when the temperature both inside and out is getting too hot to handle there. Fortunately, finding the right mood media can be easier than settling some arguments and just maybe bring about a better understanding of it all by the time the end credits roll:

 

Summer time and the book hauls make the living easy…

With the way these heat waves are going, those “dog days “of summer are sounding as old school as rotary phones. 

Fortunately, reading is one trend that always stays in style and a great excuse to stay in the shade. I stocked up at my local library just before the worst of the warm weather and have already finished one of my trio of library loans over the July 4th weekend (more on that one later)!

That leaves me with two other great books to cool down such as Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura. Archeologist Corrie Mejia is given the chance of a lifetime as a mysterious figure recruits her for an expedition to recover an ancient knife said to belong to legendary Aztec warrior Chimalli, who she believes is her ancestor.

With such personal stakes, Corrie is eager to make this trip despite having to work with an old rival, Ford Matthews. Ford is hoping to find the knife and collect the reward promised by their mutual benefactor in order to help his ailing mother, making this team up strictly professional yet as they face various challenges along the way, love is the one treasure that is hard to avoid on this journey.

I’ve heard great word of mouth about this book and happy to see the action-adventure romcom genre being revived in such a fresh and engaging way. Should be the best kind of book bound blockbuster movie fun:

Speaking of movie fun, there seem to plenty of gothic thrills to be found in my next pick, Sarah Penner’s The London Seance Society.

The group of the title is a male dominated organization but in need of assistance in solving a murder mystery in their midst and the most qualified person to do that is renowned medium Valudine D’Allaire, along with her assistant Lenna.

Lenna is more of a skeptic yet joins D’Allaire to discover what happened to her sister Evie, who died under mysterious circumstances on All Hallows Eve. As the strange death at the Seance Society also occurred on the same date, there may be a connection between both unusual demises but are the culprits in or out of this world?

I’ve been curious about Penner’s work for awhile and I do have The Lost Apothecary on hand(saving that one for the fall season). However, something about this book intrigues me to take a seat and see what the literary spirits have in store here:

Not long after my library visit, Book of the Month Club released their July selections and one of them was an instant must-have for me.

Meg Shaffer follows up her magical novel The Wishing Game with a new standalone book entitled The Lost Story. 

When Emilie seeks out well know finder of  the lost Jeremy Cox, to recover her long lost sister Shannon, she has no idea how treacherous that trail is or who she will ultimately deal with.

Turns out Jeremy knows full where Shannon is as he and his former best friend Rafe met her years ago when they became lost in the woods as teenagers. The three of them wound in a magic kingdom called Shanadoah, where Shannon stayed behind as Queen Skya.

Going back there is not easy, as Jeremy and Rafe have been estranged from each other since those days and need to reunite in order to return. While Emilie is determined to find her sister, she isn’t sure what to expect and neither are the companions leading her there certain of what lies ahead for her or them.

I truly enjoyed The Wishing Game with its Willy Wonka inspired energy and now that Shaffer is giving a Chronicles of Narnia type of tale, my favorite fantasy themed cup runneth over indeed!:

My add-on that was The Love of my Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood, which is already a Good Morning America book club selection to boot!

Our story begins as our leading lady’s life ends; Delphie finds herself in an afterlife waiting room due to an unfortunate hamburger incident and while there, meets Jonah, who never expected to have an untimely demise either.

As the two of them have the ultimate meet cute, it turns out that Jonah’s arrival was a mistake that is quickly corrected. Nevertheless, Delphie is certain that they are true soulmates and makes a deal to return to Earth to find him. However, she only has ten days to do so or back to the beyond she goes.

With such a literal deadline, Delphie takes chances that she never would have before and perhaps this last chance at love is making her life truly worth living. 

This plot description just sounded so great and as I am a big fan of supernatural themed shows such as Ghosts and The Good Place, this seemed to be the ideal summer read for me:

So, I do hope that all of you are keeping as cool as can be with some great books this summer and taking a break from the overheated media(although reruns of favorite shows are fun) as well.

Oh, and the library book that made my holiday weekend extra entertaining? That happened to be Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. While I did love Daisy Jones and the Six, it’s been tricky for me to finish another one of TJR’s books since then.

That streak was thankfully broken by this novel featuring the comeback of a controversial tennis star, known as “The Battle Axe” determined to reclaim her record breaking title from a promising up and comer. 

The emotional journey that Carrie goes on is as gripping as any sports event being played live (and I am so not a sports person!) and just as exhilarating when the end result approaches. Such a great read and one that I am glad to have started my summer with; hopefully the best is yet to come:

 

Having a fantasy-full reading time this Sci-Fi Summer

Things get so busy around the end of one month and the beginning of another that I took a brief blog break to do my bookish best to finish up my reading for Sci-Fi Summer, the latest Seasons of Reading readathon.

Since fantasy is an available option for this challenge, all of my picks were in that category. A couple of them are even considered to be “romantasy”, that currently popular sub genre, and I can now see why this fanciful theme has become such a diverting choice for readers these days; it’s rather fun and goodness knows we are in dire need of that this year!

Anyway, I completed two of the three titles on my list and got a good quarter of the way through the third(which I plan to continue with despite the end of the challenge). The first one was Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater, where our Regency era English heroine, Dora Ettings, has had part of her inner spirit ripped away from her due to a bargain her late mother made with a fae nobleman.

Now, seen as an oddity by most and unlikely to ever be properly married, Dora is fine with that as long as she can help her beloved cousin Vanessa make a match. Vanessa, however, is more interested in finding a “cure” for Dora’s condition and even manages to get the official sorcerer for the Prince Regent, Elias Wilder, to look into the matter.

However, Elias is very preoccupied with a troubling case of a strange plague that appears to be magical in nature. When Dora decides to get involved in the investigation, things become more peculiar than anyone could have imagined and then some!

This story was a real delight, with a blend of humor and occasional whimsy that never wore out its welcome. Atwater certainly knows her way around fairy lore and Regency themed social satire very nicely indeed. If you’re looking for a Jane Austen or Bridgerton type of tale mixed with magic, this should be your go-to cup of tea:

After that, it was time for Heather Fawcett’s big bestseller  in this category,Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries .

The story is told via a journal that our leading lady, a professional scholar of magical beings , is keeping during her latest expedition to Ljosland to learn about the courtly fae folk who are said to live there.

While making a less than favorable impression on the locals, Emily has to also deal with the unexpected arrival of Wendell Bambleby, a colleague who over relies on his charms and appears to trying to overtake her research.

Nevertheless, she makes some intriguing discoveries and despite wanting to stay neutral, winds up on an adventure or two to save a pair of young people from the clutches of energy draining fairy folk. 

Wendall, who Emily suspects is not entirely mortal, reluctantly agrees to help but perhaps his interest in Emily’s work is more than just an attempt at academic poaching. Perhaps he feels some affection for his seriously studious partner and it might be mutual yet there’s plenty of danger afoot to deal with first.

This book,much like Wendall, has its unique set of charms that manages to toe the line between faerie tale adventure and low key romance without toppling over into cutesy territory. One of the best elements of the book is the chemistry between Wendall and Emily, which has such a refreshingly old school Hollywood vibe to it; the most modern reference I can make to this are Rick and Evie from the first two Mummy movies(a classic couple, imo). I can see why Fawcett already has a sequel out to this and hopefully many more to follow:

At the moment, I am in the midst of  A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen, a Book of the Month Club selection that I saved for summer reading and that was a good plan that’s paying off super sweet!

The novel is centered around Freya, a Viking woman born with a power from the goddess Hlin that makes her a potentially mighty shield maiden  who, according to prophecy, will unite the people into one kingdom. For years, she was made to conceal her ability but due to the treachery of her vile first husband, is forced to marry a local chieftain who is determined to make this prophecy come true.

Freya is frustrated by the push and pull of this situation and to make matters worse, she finds herself attracted to her bodyguard, Bjorn, the son of the chieftain who is less than thrilled about this arrangement as well.

So far, the story is greatly entertaining and packed with enough drama to satisfy any fan of a fantasy TV aeries on cable, streaming or the CW(which I used to enjoy back in the day). Seeing Freya start to discover the depths of her own power is thrilling to behold and I look forward to more page turning good times here:

My thanks to Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading for giving us all a great excuse to dive into science fiction and/or fantasy fun to start summer off right!

Well, I wish everyone a happy Fourth of July long weekend that’s only a few days away and here’s to more good books to keep us during the heat waves to come. It’s funny how fantasy is getting quite the glow up nowadays; seems this genre thrives well as the real world gets more and more chaotic.

Hopefully, these tales will be of some welcome relief as the follies of reality rage on and perhaps, help us make it through to the other side with a renewed sense of grace and savvy for what lies ahead. We shall see, in the best sense of that term: