Book and Movie Reviews

When you are snowed in, you read a lot and watch movies to pretend you are somwhere else to pass the time.

So I thought I might as well give you some reviews of what I have read and watched.

First, I just finished the best series of books by Donna Ball called A Year on Ladybug Farm, At Home on Ladybug Farm and Love Letters from Ladybug Farm. I started reading them at the beginning of January and finished the third one last week. These books are the easiest read, and so engaging.

Their husbands were gone, their families were grown, and the future stretched out before them like an unfulfilled promise...

Tired of always dreaming and never doing, Cici, Lindsay, and Bridget make a life-altering decision. Uprooting themselves from their comfortable lives in the suburbs, the three friends buy a run-down mansion, nestled in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley. They christen their new home "Ladybug Farm," hoping that the name will bring them luck.

As the friends take on a home improvement challenge of epic proportions, they encounter disaster after disaster, from renegade sheep and garden thieves to a seemingly ghostly inhabitant. Over the course of a year, overwhelming obstacles make the three women question their decision, but they ultimately learn that sometimes the best things can happen when everything goes wrong...

 

When I finished the last book I felt like I had just driven out of the driveway away from my favorite place in the world, away from my three best friends and their families, and I would never see them again. I was sad. I felt like something had been taken away from me that I treasured.

I highly recommend these books!

Now on to the movies!

Based on the Novel "Secretariat: The Making of a Champion" By William Nack, Secretariat chronicles the spectacular journey of the 1973 Triple Crown winner. Housewife and mother Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) agrees to take over her ailing father's Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge. Against all odds, Chenery-with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich)-manages to navigate the male-dominated business, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and what may be the greatest racehorse of all time.

Based on the Novel "Secretariat: The Making of a Champion" By William Nack, Secretariat chronicles the spectacular journey of the 1973 Triple Crown...

This movie stars my favorite actress, Diane Lane (I want her to play me in my life story and Vin Diesel to play Rick, but I digress). This was an all-American feel good movie. I highly recommend it as a movie that the whole family will enjoy!

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Work causes a single mother to move to China with her young son; in his new home, the boy embraces kung fu, taught to him by a master.

If you grew up in the '80s, then this movie won't even begin to match up to the original. However, that Jaden Smith is the cutest kid in the world and a phenomenal actor (in my opinion). He's going to be huge! The movie had some good emotional parts and a triumphant ending. Eli and Brynne spent much of the rest of the evening in a Kung Fu match. I would recommend it as a good family movie.

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A couple find their routine date night becomes much more than just dinner and a movie.

A couple find their routine date night becomes much more than just dinner and a movie.

Rick asked me if I wrote the script to this movie. Phil and Claire's marriage was very reminiscent of what most marriages with kids look like. Although I am not a huge Steve Carell or Tina Fey fan, it was a pretty cute movie. I wouldn't personally run out and rent this movie, but Rick might disagree. He loves their humor! It certainly wasn't a waste of time, especially if you are a married couple and feel in a rut in your marriage. After watching this movie you might decide your rut is just fine!

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 In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job to date: Inception.

Rick loved this movie! Through most of it I was saying, "huh?" Now, in my defense we did start watching it at 7:00 p.m. and my brain shuts completely down by 6:30 p.m. To me it kind of had a Matrix vibe to it. It had a really great ending. And then that night I had a dream within a dream, about snakes and an owl. Creepy! Would I recommend it? I think I would, to someone who likes these kinds of movies. They, honestly, require too much of me and I don't enjoy them quite as much.

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When a young owl is abducted by an evil Owl army, he must escape with newfound friends to seek out the legendary Guardians to stop the menace.

The graphics on this movie were amazing! Loved them! I honestly wasn't paying total attention to the movie. But Brynne was. And I did watch it closely enough to see that there are lots of heroes that defeat the bad owl army. If you love Happy Feet (which we do!), then you'll enjoy the Guardians, as well. I would recommend it.

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 A guy suffering from a midlife crisis takes in a dog that's crazier than he is.

I'll be honest. We rented this movie because that dog looks just like our border collie, Crusoe. Can't resist one of those movies! This was a wonderful movie of the power of love. However, it ended and we were, like, "That's it?" The movie had lots of Rising Action, no Climax, and then it was over. The message of the movie was, though, "Beginnings are the hard part." It was obviously a movie about new beginnings, for both the dog and his owner. It had some emotional parts. And, we cried and hugged our Crusoe while we watched it. I don't know if I would recommend it. If you want a similar movie that is so good, rent Hachi! And, get your tissues ready!

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 Juli Baker devoutly believes in three things: the sanctity of trees (especially her beloved sycamore), the wholesomeness of the eggs she collects from her backyard flock of chickens, and that someday she will kiss Bryce Loski. Ever since she saw Bryce's baby blues back in second grade, Juli has been smitten. Unfortunately, Bryce has never felt the same. Frankly, he thinks Juli Baker is a little weird--after all, what kind of freak raises chickens and sits in trees for fun? Then, in eighth grade, everything changes. Bryce begins to see that Juli's unusual interests and pride in her family are, well, kind of cool. And Juli starts to think that maybe Bryce's brilliant blue eyes are as empty as the rest of Bryce seems to be. After all, what kind of jerk doesn't care about other people's feelings about chickens and trees?

This was a sweet, sweet movie and is now one of Kyndal's favorites. It had a My Girl vibe to it. It moves a little slow, but the sweetness of the ending makes it all worth it!

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And yesterday we watched Karate Dog and Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Those don't really need reviews, do they?