He asked for a pool party and you all are invited.
Food - Ray's chosen Buffalo Wild Wings and Ti Amos pizza. The margarita machine will be serving up slushy drinks. And heck yeah - cake!
Tookie, the bookstore owner, spent time in prison. Her first book from a teacher was a dictionary. She looked up the word "sentence" after being sentenced to sixty years. The word "sentence" sounds so easy and yet proved to be a challenge.
Erdrich writes of rich characters and complex emotions. It's well written and interesting with the comings and going in a bookstore, with the added bonus of Flora who's seeking attention by knocking books off shelves, sending signals from her afterlife. There is a lot of emotion involved, flashbacks to prison time, plus the Covid year conditions. Well done!
Well, it was different, angsty, very all talkie, amusing at times, cringe worthy, and I can't recommend it.
But - I was interested enough to stay and watch. Does that make sense? This was a Thursday matinee and there were two other ladies in the theater. As we were leaving, the one said, "Well, I guess I'm not allowed to pick a movie for awhile." Ha!
Olivia Wilde directed this and also starred as Angela. She's married to Joe (Seth Rogan). She's invited the upstairs neighbors to dinner. Joe is not happy and pretty much promises to be rude.
Ding dong - doorbell rings and here's Hawk (Edward Norton) and Pina (Penelope Cruz). They are obviously very cool and exude an exotic flair. Here's where Penelope shines - she just pops on the screen. She has the best lines and you can tell Joe is feeling her vibe.
Well the conversation does take a racy turn....I won't say more. But the tempo of the movie picked up, the stress of the awkwardness heightened, and let's just say someone might need to move!
Hey - the theater was air-conditioned and I killed two hours. I did laugh out loud at some lines - Seth can be amusing in his delivery. And thumbs up to Penelope - she is damn hot and a good actress.
This was my public service announcement for you.
“A ghost, perhaps, is not the spirit of someone who died, it’s the echo of someone who thought they’d lived.”
It’s been ten years since Emily lost her life in a tragic accident. For Zeb, that’s meant ten years of crushing guilt and counselling to overcome the image of his girlfriend dying in front of him because of a decision he made.
When multiple witnesses report seeing a ghostly figure in the churchyard where it happened, her family decides to host a memorial to soothe Emily’s restless spirit. Zeb cautiously returns to his estranged hometown for the service, hoping to establish the truth about these sightings.
Unforeseen circumstances compel him to stay longer than planned, and even though he remains skeptical, he finds himself drawn to the churchyard, seeking the elusive ghost.
Lives are shattered, grief is stark, and new futures are forged from the embers.
____________________________________________________________________
Doesn't this sound like an excellent read? I've preordered this on Amazon for my Kindle, and I'm excited to promote it today. I met Annalisa via blog world and I've enjoyed her writing. She's been kind enough to let me read and advise on some books, but this one shall be a surprise for me.
Treat yourself and Happy Weekend everyone. Support your hard working writers.
Her husband's screenwriting career took off and she stayed home despite her writing trajectory.
Then she wrote a memoir about her experience. The tables turned.
She was the hot thing. His career was stalled.
This is a fiction work that is so "true".
cover blurb - As their lives are chewed up and spit out by the Hollywood machine, triggering old resentments and launching new betrayals, will any of them even recognize the "inspiring" family in the film to be made. Or will this be the end of them?
I enjoyed this quick read. It sounded very fresh and true. The author made this fiction, but he and his wife did deal with their challenge and lived to tell the tale. It's full of humor and groans.
I give it a thumbs up.
And we laughed out loud starting with the opening credits - a black and white homage to old Hollywood with minions meddling in the middle, and inevitable messing up a scene. So clever. As old farts, we could pick up on so many references. I loved it.
The general theme of the movie has school kids at a history museum and learning about James and Henry - minions who made a huge impact on the world.
As the docent spins the story, we follow the guys as they muddle along in ancient times (reference Cyclops), or look to a Russian warlock to follow, and ultimately they land on a Hollywood set - thinking that the robbers are real. They are hired and are successful until the talkies some along. Minion tongue (all done by Pierre Coffin, the director) doesn't translate.
So, kicked out - James and Henry decide to make their own monster film. I won't give away more.
This movie is funny, silly, and dumb in a good way. It's creative and catchy. Ray and I both left giggling and amused. Success! It was a bright spot on a Tuesday.
alas, a helicopter lands.
Her father and older brother were killed in a skiing accident.
She is now the heir to the throne. Lexi's grandmother is the Queen of England.
Lexi returns to England reluctantly. Her grandmother gives her a year to make a very important decision.
Let her scheming uncle claim the throne?
Give it up and be with Jack?
Lexi must chart her own destiny.............The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage. . It's not obvious what route will be chosen. Whew!
Francisco is a local fisherman who hates the foreign powers involved.
His son, Omar, chooses to work for the canal dig. Oops - family drama.
A huge contingent of foreign workers arrive - eager for the work, and the money. There's Omar. There's Ada from Barbados - she needs money for her sister's surgery.
So many stories. Henriquez brings this to life through her characters.
cover blurb: This book explores the intersecting lives of activists, fishmongers, laborers, journalists, neighbors, doctors, and soothsayers. History carved its course. Lots to acknowledge in the process.
A very good read!
The English Teacher by Lily King is really well written. Vida is a peculiar heroine. You root for her and her new marriage. And then you root for Tom because she is not treating him well. Peter wants his siblings to love him, but they still mourn their wonderful mother, They weren't ready to move on.
So many emotions in this book. It is extraordinarily well written, yet tears at the soul.
Dang. Tears. Heart! I recommend this for its deep feelings.
Have tissues ready.
Spray on enough bug spray and hammock time is comfortable at 8:30 pm. A lovely hang out
Now these seats on the 200 level are $60 and parking is $30. Say what? Yes - that's nuts. But we have fun. Alas, the Minnesota Lynx had all the answers. Our Paige Bueckers (awesome) and Azzy Fudd did not. We lost. But we had a good time on a Sunday afternoon.
I own every book in his career and can chuckle reading any page.
His latest, The Land and Its People, investigates what it means to be a traveler, a brother, a lifelong friend.
cover blurb - Throughout these essays - at once acerbic and tender, playful and profound - Sedaris shows how much there is to marvel at when you keep your head up and your eyes open, observing warmth - our fascinating human species, and the land we inhabit.
Trust me - as you read and wonder where he's going with a story, he will zap you with a hilarious final line.
I laughed out loud multiple times. Enjoy.
(PS - I saw him once at a public reading - This was a bucket list item. He is hysterical and gives it his all live in performance. )
Here's my table decor
Are we, America, going to survive?
I actually question if we can survive the current presidency. I am at a WTF question mark.
On a side note, the whole World Cup joy has brought me joy. Get rid of politics and crap - people are people are people. I've learned this from travel. Folks are kind, thoughtful, and generous in real life situations.
Folks discovering Buc-cees, Taco Bell, BBQ, and more in Texas - it's been joyously fabulous.
so, we'll see if the Great American Experiment can survive the current crap administration and carry on.
I'm now going to re-watch Hamilton for the zillionth time on Disney+
Cheers, fireworks, pool float, hot dogs, hamburgers, and family time.
Enjoy and all the best to YOU!!!
