Begin the Week with Words

Source: wikipedia.org

Again from the life story of Rose Wilder Lane:

"It isn't money that moves the world," she [Rose Lane] wrote to Crane in 1966. "It is faith, conviction, ardor, fanaticism in action."

Wilder Rose: Rose Wilder Lane, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Their Little Houses, by Susan Witting Albert

Silver Linings

Source: theatlantic.com

I have this obsession with reading a book before its movie. Of course, this only applies to storylines that interest me. If a story isn't as catchy to me or not a genre I typically enjoy, I'll likely watch the movie and never read the book. I learned this the hard way about 15 years ago while going through my Nicholas Sparks stage. Message in a Bottle was on TV and I watched it with my then boyfriend (now husband)'s family...only to find that when I tried to pick up my copy of the book later I just couldn't read it. The story was ruined, even if the movie had changed parts. And it's hard to read a book you already know the story of when there are so many books waiting to be read. But watching a book come to life is altogether another thing.

So, all that to say that I finally read The Silver Linings Playbook, by Matthew Quick, so that I could watch the movie. The previews always looked interesting, but I'd never paid full attention and knew nothing about the story going into it. Needless to say, I was caught off guard, not expecting so much football (okay, playbook, I know, but still, there's lots of football) and mental illness. None of that seemed to come through the previews to me.

The book centers on Pat Peoples as he re-enters civilian life with his parents after living for years in a mental institution he calls "the bad place." Not knowing how he landed there or how long it has been, Pat has trouble adjusting to life due to complications he can't quite put his finger on. His family tiptoes around the touchy parts of the years gone by, even by not telling Pat it has been years since he's been gone! Through living life with his parents, brother, and friends, Pat begins to readjust to relationships and the quirks of his new mindset. Focused on becoming a better person and reuniting with his wife, Pat gives an inside look at how mental illness fights against the best of intentions. Not to mention the shocking way in which he ended up there.

The story flowed easily and well. The only hard part I had a hard time adjusting to is that Pat is 34 years old and his thought process seems to be on the level of a pre-teen. I can see where certain thoughts and behavior are affected by his mental illness and lack of memory, but the overall tone of a younger kid just kept throwing me off. Although this could just be my own ignorance on the subject.

It really threw me off in the movie though because the movie shortens the time Pat had been locked away and he is fully aware of why he was admitted and where his relationship stands for the most part. So his pre-teen behavior really doesn't add up. But, on the other hand, it was funny watching Jennifer Lawrence (as Tiffany) and Bradley Cooper (as Pat) interact as two "crazy" people falling in love. Many, many things were changed in the movie, but at least those two characters coming to life was amusing enough to make the movie worth watching. It makes me anxious to see Serena, where Cooper and Lawrence star as a couple as well. The movie hasn't made it to a U.S. opening as far as I know, but here's my review of the book.

Which book-to-movie didn't come out close enough to the book for you? Was the movie still worth watching?

Catch Me at Book-alicious Mama

Source: www.bookaliciousmama.com

Hi! Today I have the pleasure of guest posting over at Book-alicious Mama, with my post titled "Slow Down Christmas." JSmeth was kind enough to invite me for a fun holiday discussion. I'll be talking about how Christmas has changed for me as my kids have gotten older...a walk down memory lane for sure! So join us there and also check out the previous guest posts she's had, reminiscing about the holiday season!

Bookmark Faves

Every bookish person has a favorite reading accessory. I have a few: fleece blankets, lots of pillows to prop myself up in bed, drinks and snacks nearby. But the one I want to talk about today is the bookmark. I have more bookmarks than I could ever use at one time, and yet I don't hesitate to buy another one I fall in love with. So I thought I'd present my favorite/most used bookmarks over the past couple years. 

Oldest bookmark first. I bought the Wicked Witch of the West bookmark because I've always been a fan of The Wizard of Oz. It's always held this interest for me...maybe it's nostalgia because of the numerous times we watched it growing up. Before DVR, DVDs, and even before people started hoarding VHS tapes, The Wizard of Oz played on TV at least once a year and we never missed it. The oddball out that I usually am, my interest was always with the Wicked Witch. And in 2008 I bought and memorized the Wicked soundtrack and then flew off to Chicago for 24 hours just to see the musical. Loved it and found kindred spirits who also love the Wicked Witch like I do. (Not kidding, I have three shirts and a hoodie of her.)

Yes, Team Edward (notice, no icky Bella on this bookmark). Yes, I would've totally fallen for an Edward-esque boyfriend in high school. Yes, that is sad. Yes, I am way over that kinda thing! But, I still liked the Twilight books, saw midnight releases and the whole bit. I'm a sucker for some romance in books because it's not my thing in reality. Edward bookmark has been somewhat retired as of late. One I used often though, so I let him hang around (in my bedside drawer...no watching me sleep). 

This bird bookmark is my current love. It's a combination of many things. Aesthetically, I love the colors on the birds and the branches. I love birds too. Not as pets or an obsessive decorating theme, just in general. I think they're cute. And these ones are indeed cute! (FYI my favorite bird is the chickadee...I did go through a slight phase with them years ago.) Second, look at that awesome play on words! Who can resist?! "Feather your nest with books." Birds use feathers and what not to put their nests (home) together. People should put their homes together by adding books. And the idea that feathers are soft and comfy...implying (correctly) that books will make a house comfy too. LOVE IT!

This lovely set of four is the newest addition to my bookmark collection. They came in the mail late last week as a gift from my "Secret Elf" (who turned out to be blogger friend JSmeth over at Book-alicious Mama. Check it out)! These bookmarks actually inspired this post. Remember the nostalgia of The Wizard of Oz? Well, it also applies to Disney's The Little Mermaid and Alice in Wonderland. Yes, I own shirts and a purse for this one. And now this beautiful set of personalized bookmarks! Bird bookmark is going to have to take turns. I am especially fond of the little card guy for some reason. So cute!

What does your favorite bookmark have on it?

Begin the Week with Words

This week's quote comes from Wilder Rose: Rose Wilder Lane, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Their Little Houses, by Susan Witting Albert. It is a researched fictionalization of the story behind the writing of the Little House on the Prairie series.

"I had yet to recognize how one-sided my relationships with people had always been, how I had always invested more than I'd received in return, expected more than most people could give, or be, or do. I hadn't quite learned that lesson. John was to teach me. But that was to come."

What I love about this quote is that I've learned this about myself recently. I invest more than I should into relationships sometimes and rarely can anyone (or will anyone) do the same for me. And like Rose speaking above, I even had a relationship that taught me this about myself more recently. It was a crushing, but needed, experience. This quote is the essence of what I mean about finding My Life in Books. 

Battle of the Books

Source: donorschoose.org

How important is literacy? Let's put it this way: the prison system bases it's budget planning so many years out on the current year's THIRD GRADE reading scores/abilities. The tie between illiteracy and crime is that tight and it is at third grade when kids who fall behind in reading will most likely stay behind. This is not to say a kid is doomed after that point or that they can't pick up reading later...it is just unlikely that a troubled reader will ever hit grade level if not already there in third grade. 

So literacy is extremely important. It is imperative that kids are given the resources to engage in reading and reading related activities. Especially in poor districts, where families cannot afford extras and the school's have so much on their plates already.

Battle of the Books is a book project run by Ms. Inverarity, the librarian at Turner Middle School in Kansas City, KS. The school district is considered high poverty and in order for them to carry out their project, they will need donations from those who understand the importance of literacy and how it can turn a life around.

A description of the project from the site states: "Students that sign up to compete in Battle of the Books will check out copies of books from the school library so they can prepare. The requested books like Out of My Mind and The Trap cover a range of genres, formats, and reading levels. The competition at the end of the school year requires that teams of four be able to answer questions about all eleven books chosen for this year's competition. The students will be reading quality science fiction, realistic fiction, survival fiction, and sports fiction titles that range from a comfortable to a challenging reading level."

If you can and are willing to support Battle of the Books in any way, you can donate at their site Battle of the Books (2013-2014) on donorschoose.org. You can also view the list of books and prices the school will be purchasing. As of this posting, they have $573 to go and ten days left. Their deadline is December 15, 2013. Tis the season to help make this happen!

Burial Rites: Based on a True Story

Source: www.theguardian.com

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent is a solemn fictionalization of the last criminal executed in Iceland circa 1828. The story focuses on Agnes Magnusdottir, who has been sentenced to death for the murder of two men, when the book opens. And what an opening! Kent delivers stunning prose from the start through Agnes's first person point of view: "I imagine, then, that we are all candle flames, greasy-bright, fluttering in the darkness and the howl of the wind....They will blow us all out, one by one, until it is only their own light by which they see themselves."

Agnes's first person point of view poetically pursues the emotional thought process of a woman condemned. Half of the story is told through a general third person omniscient narrator who speaks the emotions and thoughts of other characters in-between Agnes's tellings of the story. The third person narrator is markedly different. Emotions and thoughts of various characters can be seen; however, it lacks the poetic raw emotion of Agnes's telling. The result is an effective storyline that does more than tell a story, it draws the reader in and speaks of life.

The story itself follows Agnes through the last days of her life. Forced upon the family of a local, small time politician, she earns her keep working their farm as she awaits her final destination...death. Living with a convicted murderess keeps the family in fear for themselves and their belongings. An absolutely clueless, young priest is also sent in to save her soul before her execution is scheduled. Between the young priest and the women of the family, Agnes comes out of her shell and her story is made known, including the truth of that fateful night. The truth isn't always cut and dry, as Agnes makes clear, but it isn't always what we assume it to be either. Much like stories of the Titanic, you find yourself hoping the end will not happen as you knew it would from the beginning.

Hannah Kent's thorough research provides a strong framework for Agnes's life story and Kent's writing fills it out beautifully. Burial Rites is also in talks for a movie, with Jennifer Lawrence starring as Agnes. This will be something to see!

 Do you have a favorite book that is "based on a true story"?