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January has been a good month. I've been reading, I've been seeing movies, I've been going out. It's all in a desperate attempt to distract myself from the craziness, of course, but I think it's working.
Books
The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss - amazing and absorbing, but I found it dragged on quite a bit in the middle. Still can't wait for the final volume.
Geist by Philippa Ballantine - I needed light and fluffy and new. Interesting concept, good characters, just a little too romance-y in places. The series kept delivering as I read.
Spectyr by Philippa Ballantine
Wrayth by Philippe Ballantine
The Hitler Salute: On the Meaning of a Gesture by Tilman Allert - more of an essay than a book. There were a few good points that made me think, but mostly it was a sociological standpoint on the whole idea, with analysis about the role of the greeting in everyday society, etc. Not recommended.
The Diviners by Libba Bray - with the rediscovery of my library card come more teen novels (always such a waste to spend money on them!). A good book, if long - mostly I just loved the 1920s atmosphere, with the talk and the idea of New York in that era.
Fair Game by Patricia Briggs (reread)
Movies
Les Miserables (2012) - so much love for this movie, amazingly well done. I'm still not fond of Hugh Jackman as Valjean - not because he didn't do an excellent job, which he did, but because he just isn't Valjean to me. Russell Crowe was acceptable (he had that stiffness that I always associate with Javert). Anne Hathaway was amazing and perfectly cast, as was Amanda Seigfield. Enjolras should have been Marius... though I understand why they cast as they did. Not something I'll watch over and over, and the soundtrack was good but not endlessly listenable, but overall extremely well done.
Skyfall (2012) - very good, though the ending made me angry that they're stepping back in time to a place where the only women were Bond Girls. I get it, back to its roots and such, but not cool. Javier Bardem was brilliant.
A League of Their Own (1992) - I'd never seen this, but I found it listed as one of the movies where there's swing dancing, which brought it back onto my radar. Surprisingly enjoyable, I really did like it.
Imagine Me & You (2005) - quirky premise and fun story, but I couldn't get into the acting... mostly because I know the actors from other things and can't get past that. For me, this movie meant watching Sarah Connor and the girl from Coyote Ugly run around with Giles being an idiot in the background.
Looper (2012) - lovely concept with plot holes a mile wide. Good acting, predictable ending, though there were plenty of bits in the middle where everything just goes sideways in a pleasant fashion.
Les enfants sans ombre - presented at an event at work, it was a pretty decent documentary following the traditional path of someone explaining their story to their children by taking them to all sorts of places they used to live.
Books
The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss - amazing and absorbing, but I found it dragged on quite a bit in the middle. Still can't wait for the final volume.
Geist by Philippa Ballantine - I needed light and fluffy and new. Interesting concept, good characters, just a little too romance-y in places. The series kept delivering as I read.
Spectyr by Philippa Ballantine
Wrayth by Philippe Ballantine
The Hitler Salute: On the Meaning of a Gesture by Tilman Allert - more of an essay than a book. There were a few good points that made me think, but mostly it was a sociological standpoint on the whole idea, with analysis about the role of the greeting in everyday society, etc. Not recommended.
The Diviners by Libba Bray - with the rediscovery of my library card come more teen novels (always such a waste to spend money on them!). A good book, if long - mostly I just loved the 1920s atmosphere, with the talk and the idea of New York in that era.
Fair Game by Patricia Briggs (reread)
Movies
Les Miserables (2012) - so much love for this movie, amazingly well done. I'm still not fond of Hugh Jackman as Valjean - not because he didn't do an excellent job, which he did, but because he just isn't Valjean to me. Russell Crowe was acceptable (he had that stiffness that I always associate with Javert). Anne Hathaway was amazing and perfectly cast, as was Amanda Seigfield. Enjolras should have been Marius... though I understand why they cast as they did. Not something I'll watch over and over, and the soundtrack was good but not endlessly listenable, but overall extremely well done.
Skyfall (2012) - very good, though the ending made me angry that they're stepping back in time to a place where the only women were Bond Girls. I get it, back to its roots and such, but not cool. Javier Bardem was brilliant.
A League of Their Own (1992) - I'd never seen this, but I found it listed as one of the movies where there's swing dancing, which brought it back onto my radar. Surprisingly enjoyable, I really did like it.
Imagine Me & You (2005) - quirky premise and fun story, but I couldn't get into the acting... mostly because I know the actors from other things and can't get past that. For me, this movie meant watching Sarah Connor and the girl from Coyote Ugly run around with Giles being an idiot in the background.
Looper (2012) - lovely concept with plot holes a mile wide. Good acting, predictable ending, though there were plenty of bits in the middle where everything just goes sideways in a pleasant fashion.
Les enfants sans ombre - presented at an event at work, it was a pretty decent documentary following the traditional path of someone explaining their story to their children by taking them to all sorts of places they used to live.
