Just finished all 3 seasons of the fabulous TV series. I look forward to season 4 when they ever get around to filming it. I hope to get to the tagged book someday as it is my favorite Calm bed time story.

Margaret Atwood is a master story teller and this novel is no exception in her mastery. It is a twist on the Grimm's Fairytale The Robber Bridegroom. The story concerns four women. The women had troubled backgrounds and poor taste in men and that thread brought me down for much of the story. I did enjoy the last third of the book more than the beginning. While the ending does bring it all together, it was not what I was looking for or expected.

I watched the movie of my latest book read. Sam Rockwell did a convincing job of Victor Mancini and Anjelica Huston as his mother. The movie stayed true to the book. If you can stomach the book the you can handle the movie. #1001books

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. McEwan's writing is so fantastic that he can turn a dysfunctional family into a pager turner of a story. I thought this a complex story given it is only a 150 pages. I will be reading more of McEwan.

“We hardly spoke at all to each other about Mother. She was everyone's secret.”
#1001books

Doris is a very intelligent writer and I am amazed at how she pulled off interweaving so many story lines. I think it was a bit jarring at times when a section ended, I don't think there were real chapters, with a bang and then that story line would be lost for a while but maybe that is what the author was going for. Overall, I did appreciate this book and the author but I think it was probably a bit too smart for my brain at this time.#1001

Amazon World Book Day 2020 Turkey. “This is the story of a seventeen-year-old girl who wound up high in the branches of a tree one night.” Buddy read with one of my friends. We both enjoyed this one but the main character does not have an easy life. Heart breaking at times but the girl has tenacity. Recommended read.

Amazon World Book Day 2020
South Africa

Solid crime thriller. Strong female character. First book set in Tanzania.

Our main character Victor Mancini had a really horrible childhood as his mother suffered from mental illness. He turns to sex, alcohol, and choking as a means of coping with life. The story alternates between Victor's sad past and the present. The humor lies between all the crazy things Victor does in the present; choking to pay his mom's bills, working at Colonial Dunsboro and finding the truth about his dad. It is a wild ride but I enjoyed it.

The story takes place in the fictional location of Oran, a coastal town in North Africa. We follow Dr. Bernard Rieux as the plague emerges, crests, and eventually slows then stops. Since I read this during the COVID-19 outbreak, I related to the similarities of the epidemics. #1001Books

“Viewed from the angle, the attitude of some of our fellow citizens resembled that of the long queues one saw outside the food-shops.“

On part 4, 60% done with the book. My next ebook is available from the library, it is going to be a good day.

“No longer were there individual destinies; only a collective destiny, made of plague and the emotions shared by all.“ Now with social distancing in effect through April 30th, we are all in this together. I just fear having to stand in line for grocery shopping for another month. My husband reminds me that folks stood in line for 50 cent loaf of bread in the depression. Touche, I will stop my whining.

I tell ya folks I am not getting much reading done during this pandemic. My mind is too busy and I have trouble concentrating. After a rough grocery shopping experience, I watched the movie The Aeronauts based on the book Falling Upwards. It is a visually stunning movie. I enjoyed it but it has its slow moments. Didn't they have gloves in 1860s? It distracted my mind for 2 hours which is what I needed. Did you watch this movie?

“There have been as many plagues as wars in history; yet always plagues and wars take people equally by surprise.“

Nothing like reading about an epidemic while your in one.

I finally finished all 3 seasons of this delightful tv adaptation of the beloved children's book. I grew up reading these books, read the whole series. I really enjoyed the 1985 tv version with Megan Follows so I was hesitant to try a new one but so glad I did. This latest series is brilliant. I cried with almost every episode. Sometimes I think they tried to tackle too many social issues but otherwise happy with the series. Highly recommended.

As the seasons change they are mentioned in the story. The land, scenery, weather are all mentioned which made for a story I could visualize. The location was Solvene Littoral in the Eastern Alps near Yugoslavia. I learned about a region I was not familiar with & a little Slovene history. I was engaged with the story & characters, even though it was during times of war I found the story optimistic. A little gem of a book. #1001books ❤

I enjoyed the documentary “Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold” much more than I enjoyed this book. This documentary is available for streaming and on DVD on Netflix. It is well worth a watch.

“Her novels and essays explore the disintegration of American morals and cultural chaos, where the overriding theme is individual and social fragmentation. A sense of anxiety or dread permeates much of her work.” I never really connected to this story or any of the characters. Her writing style, at least in this book, is not for me. #1001books

Oh boy this movie of Allende's book does not do it justice, they tried but really fell short. Antonio and Jennifer were fine in the lead roles but the dialogue, not so good. I think you can skip this one unless you like cheesy romance.

My second Allende book and she does not disappoint. I love the themes of her books; historical fiction, magical realism, strong female characters, family relationships and politics. “People must live in a united world where all man's races, tongues, customs, and dreams are one. Nationalism is an insult to reason. It doesn't benefit people in any way. It merely serves as an excuse for committing the most outrageous abuses.” #1001books

Having read the book, I thought I would try the TV series to make sense of it all. Boy was I wrong the TV series is more strange than the book but I liked it. Found it mildly addictive and finished season one. The series seems very different from the book but I could have missed much in the book. Entertaining and fast paced.

I thought the character development was quite good given the length of the story. I enjoyed the beginning of the book with all the descriptions of the area and the ship. I also liked the mystery of the stranger in the dark. The story then continues from the doctor's point of view and how he ended up on this ship alone heading for Europe. Overall, I enjoyed the author's writing and look forward to reading more of his work.
#1001books

Finally got a chance to get to the movies to see this latest edition of the famed book. My bookish friend and I have been trying to see this since it came out. Turns out Valentine's Day was the perfect day to see this movie. I ❤ everything about this movie. I thought it was great direction, editing, acting and screenplay. It has been decades since I read the book so how it all turned out was still a surprise to me. Highly recommended. 👍

When I put this book on my list I didn't realize it was science fiction, I don't like science fiction. My husband said the author should have been a clue but I am not familiar with science fiction writers. LOL I did not do my homework. But I am making my way through the book quickly as I am doing my civic duty in jury service. I have loads of time to read today. #1001books

It has been a movie weekend for me. Watched A&E version of Murder of Roger Ackroyd. I enjoyed David Suchet as famed Hercule Poirot. This movie had quite a few changes from the book but nothing major. I enjoyed the period piece.

Watched this DVD this weekend after finishing the book. I picked this version as it was more true to the book. My son and husband thought the movie very dated. I enjoyed Robert Redford and Mia Farrow of course. I have never seen so much sweat in a movie before. My son commented that the dialogue was too much like the book. My son watched the whole movie despite its flaws. He came away with that the poor people were the losers in the end.

My January stats. The Grass is Singing is by far my favorite read. I will read another book by Doris Lessing this year and I look forward to it. Happy February reading.

I watched this movie last night with Elle Fanning as the famed author. I knew almost nothing about Mary Shelley and this was an eye opener for me. She was quite the feminist for her time. Mary had and interesting 'relationship' with Percy Shelley and then marriage. I am sure the story took liberties but the big details they got right. The end gave stats on how all the major players turned out. This movie is thumbs up for book nerds.

This was a buddy read with my 11th grade son. This is the second book I have read by the author and his style of writing is easy to read. I was not in love with this book and neither was my son. I found it difficult connecting with the characters, they were all so self-centered except Nick Carraway. #1001books

I found this movie streaming on Amazon Prime. It is a good adaptation of Doris Lessing's novel. It was shot in Africa which gives it an authentic feel. Recommended if you read the book. Not sure how much people would like it if you haven't read the book.

Set in colonial South Africa, the novel opens with the murder of Mary Turner. This is a tragic tale, the novel sets about telling the life of Mary Turner. The landscape is a big part of the story and the weather, especially the heat, is described often. The book was originally published in 1950 and I can tell that Doris Lessing was ahead of her time. Themes of racism, feminism, equality, colonialism all come to play in this story. #1001books

Jeanette Winterson is one of my favorite authors. This is my fourth book by the author and my least favorite by far. The story is not linear and changes perspectives between Jordan and Dog-woman. I was not engaged in story what so ever, I just wanted it to be over. #1001

The third book in the Auschwitz trilogy. The author, a survivor, committed suicide at 68 one year after its publication. Given that the author committed suicide you can see the darkness in its pages. Focusing on humans who do the inhumane, an important story told from first person knowledge. Primo Levi is told by a religious friend that one of the reasons he survived is to bear witness which is one of the reasons he wrote his books. #1001books

Watched the movie after I finished the book. It is a good adaptation of the book. I enjoyed Scarlett Johansson as Kay Lake, Aaron Eckhart as Lee Blanchard, Hilary Swank as Madeleine and Josh Hartnett as Bucky Bleichert. Special features included an interview with the author which I liked. If you are looking for a period piece I would recommend this movie.

My first book by this author. What I liked about the book; the writing style, fictionalized account of true crime, all the L.A. Landmarks. What I didn't like; the story was gruesome at times especially the end regarding the murder. Overall, a great crime thriller. #1001books

“Slave life; freed life-every day was a test and a trial.” Not an easy read. Not what I expected. I was drawn in as the pages turned, sucker-punched many a time. Probably one of the most meaningful books I have read about a terrible time in our country's history. “It ain't my job to know what's worse. It's my job to know what is and to keep them away from what I know is terrible. I did that.” #1001books

I love Atwood's writing and this story was no exception. Elaine is an artist who has returned to Toronto, where she grew up, for a showing of her art work. The story moves between the past and the present. We learn so much about Elaine's life; her relationship with her brother, her parents and the “friends” she makes in elementary school. Each chapter revealed something new about Elaine, I was thoroughly swept up in the story. #1001books

The book is about the servants of Mrs. Tennant in Ireland. It was a soap opera of gossiping, back stabbing, etc. Then there is the whole complexity of servant vs owner and Irish vs English. I wasn't sure how to feel about the characters, I didn't really connect with any of them. I thought the story came full circle. The ending sentence was a little fairy tale like. I think the ending was commentary on the servants point of view. #1001books

First buddy read of the school year. Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass is an autobiography of a slave who escaped and lived to tell his story. Fredrick gets sent to a home in Maryland in which his new mistress teaches him to read the alphabet until she is warned by her husband not to teach the slaves. Fredrick continues his studies in secrecy and teaches himself to read and write. Douglass lives on to do great things. #1001books

Second in the Country Girls Trilogy, I read the first book back in 2014. I really enjoyed this coming of age book about childhood friends Kate and Baba who are growing up in Ireland. The girls friendship is steadfast even when Kate falls for an older married man which does not go over well with her alcoholic father and conservative Catholic town. #1001books

This book did put a smile on my face and made me laugh at times. I enjoyed the journey of the Rosenblum family. The pronunciation and spelling of 'Mister-Rose-in-Bloom' cracked me up every time I read it. My heart went out to Jakob (Jack) as he just wanted to fit in and be accepted by his peers something I think is all to common to immigrants today which makes this story still relevant.

This is one of the few books in which I saw the TV show first before reading the book. It was not my plan but I put the TV show in my Netflix queue, in last place mind you, and of course it was delivered. I watched the 1981 British TV series staring John Duttine. My husband likened the series to the original Star Trek.

On the night of the green flashes, those that watched became blind and those that did not were spared their sight. Triffids are walking plants that had deadly stingers. The story follows Bill Masen, a sighted man, in this apocalyptic world where chaos reigns. Science fiction is one of my least favorite genre of literature. I have read one other Wyndham book Midwich Cuckoos which I enjoyed. #1001books

“In this absorbing biopic focusing on the university days of J.R.R. Tolkien, the author meets his future wife and muse, Edith Bratt, and forms the friendships that will inspire him to pen his classic Middle-Earth novels.“ I 💝 this movie. I am not a Tolkien buff so I found it interesting. The movie was well casted. My favorite Tolkien book is The Hobbit. I am not a LOTR fan.

#1001books Reading around the world Norway. Originally written in 1926, this is the semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story of two siblings in Norway. I really felt for Alberta who really wanted much more from her life than was the norm for the time period. This was an interesting look into growing up in Norway.

I ❤ this movie. Just finished watching this with my best bookish friend. We really enjoyed the movie and thought it was a good adaptation of the book. They managed to cram quite a bit into the movie. The casting was spot on too. At 2 1/2 hours (plus previews) it is quite the time commitment but we thought it was worth it.

Having just finished the book I wanted to watch the movie again. This classic has really stood the test of time. Audrey Hepburn made a very polished Holly Golightly. The movie made a few changes and Hollywoodized the ending but overall a good interpretation of the book. The anniversary copy that I had included some entertaining behind the scenes segments. I am now inspired to watch some more Audrey Hepburn movies.

I was hooked from page one. I love Murakami's writing, I get sucked into what ever story he is telling. After the Quake is a compilation of six short stories the author wrote after the Kobe earthquake. I really enjoyed Thailand. Super-Frog Saves Tokyo, how could you not love a story about super-frog. Even though I prefer Murakami's long novels I still enjoyed these short stories. #1001books

Lovely novella about Holly Golightly and her neighbor “Fred“ in 1950s New York. I can see how this story was modern for the time. Holly is a very entertaining character and I enjoyed learning her back story. Looking forward to re-watching the movie. This is my 4th book by the author and I enjoy his writing. #1001books

I don't remember reading Pippi when I was growing up and I don't think I read it to my son but I do have fond memories of the 1960s TV show. The copy I checked out was illustrated by Lauren Child who illustrated the Charlie and Lola series which I did read and watch with my son. Pippi's story is timeless. It is still fresh to read about a precocious child who gets into all sorts of trouble and adventure. #1001books

I am late to the party but I finally watched this movie for the first time. It was a cute movie. Now it's time to read the book which I hear is different from the movie. Looking forward to another Alice Hoffman book.