REUNION

Reunion by Hannah Pittard - Reunion is a story that could be a movie, about a screenwriter, Kate, who has problems and attitudes with her dad, step-mothers and half-siblings.  She hasn't had the easiest time of things in her life, but like anyone else, good and bad things have happened to her. Now something big has happened, and with that, the story takes off. She manages to tell her back story against the back drop of what is currently going on, and I think that's what makes this a good book. There is lots going on, it's mostly interesting, and events move forward. I found her to be a little egoistic, and she also comes to conclusions without enough evidence to support, but maybe that's the character and not the writing. The perfect book to read on a plane and for parents' weekend because it's easy to put down, but I also looked forward to picking it back up.

Speaking of Parents' Weekend, Peter is doing great at Cal Poly. He led us on a hike up to the "P" which is a large painted cement letter on the face of the mountain outside his dorm. The weather was beautiful, but the ground was dry and dusty, and parts of the climb were too steep for me, so Steve literally pulled me up. Then at some point, we were almost there, but it looked steeper than ever, and we still had to hike back down, so we turned around a little early. The hike down was as tough as the hike up. My legs were shaking and shivering by the time we got to the bottom. And we were only hiking for 35 minutes!

DRAFT DAY * I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW ME FROM*

Draft Day - I got it mixed up with Million Dollar Arm which is the movie I really wanted to see, but Draft Day was OK after all. Kevin Costner works for the Cleveland Browns as the guy who decides who to draft on Draft Day. The Browns have been losing, so he has some choices to make. There's a love interest, family sentimentality, football players who want to be drafted so that they can make the big paychecks, a cocky owner, and wheeling and dealing.  I dozed off here and there, but Steve enjoyed it as a football movie. I think it was less of a football movie and more in the wheeler dealer genre. 

I Don't Know What You Know Me From* *Confessions of a Co-Star by Judy Greer - Third book in a row non-fiction woman writing about who she is. In this case, Judy is a TV and film actress who you've seen in any number of shows and movies. She usually plays the best friend, neighbor or quirky girlfriend. It's easy and fun to read. 

NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL * THE SKELETON TWINS * WE ARE THE MILLERS

Not That Kind Of Girl A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned" by Lena Dunham - If you like the HBO show Girls, you're bound to like this book where Lena shines again in all her truths. It's interesting that self-contained me could identify with free wheeling spirit Lena who goes for it in everything she does, embracing her urges and behaviors for all they're worth. You'll get honesty, laughs, and a small insight into some of the twenty-somethings of the twenty-first century. I loved it.

The Skeleton Twins - Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig as twins, reunited after ten years apart, still figuring out who they are and how they fit into the world. I'm not sure everyone will love it as much as I did, but I did. Valerie would want me to tell you that it's not funny ha-ha, because I think that's what she was expecting. I wasn't, but also I wasn't loving the guy in the theater who hyena laughed obnoxiously throughout.  Especially since at the Tuesday early show there were only a few of us in the theater. It's not that kind of movie. 

 

We Are The Millers - There is almost nothing I can say about this that wouldn't give it away, and I loved not knowing anything about it and having it be new as we watched. If you like those juvenile inappropriate movies with a lot of laughs that manage to be sweet at the same time, don't miss it. It's much better than the reviewers said it would be. It never gets bogged down - it moves fast....the perfect On Demand school/work-night flick.

The Italian Girl by Iris Murdoch - Did even one good book come out of the 1960s? If so, let me know what it was, because unless it was kids' fiction, I don't think there was one. I found the half of this I read to be an example of a truly bad story. Not sure why I wanted to read it: did the author die and have an interesting obituary? did I confuse it with another book of the same name? Was I out of my mind? Whatever. Never again for Iris Murdoch.

A little more about Not That Kind of Girl - I like how the book cover is colored so that That Girl stands out, and I love that "learned" is in quotes. Because really, what do any of us "learn" in our twenties? There wasn't much insight into the bad hair styles or bad clothes that she wears except that she she's a thrift store buyer. It's kind of cool that she stays herself and doesn't turn into one of those Hollywood look-alike girls, but still, I want her to be prettier.  But that's just me. Ultimately I'm glad she stays true to herself.