Books & Tv | Stephanie's Written Word

Mar 24

Sunday Salon 03.24.12

By Stephanie book challenges, book reviews, books & movies, books & tv, sunday salon 12 Comments »

I’m joining the Sunday Salon party a little early today, as Sunday is going to be a busy day! Not only do we have church, CCD and Chinese school, I’m hoping that I’ll be able to finalize the purchase of our (new) pre-owned vehicle! In the meantime, I’m happy to tell you all about what I’ve been reading/watching recently.

For all of us living in the Northeast, these last few weeks weather has been unseasonably warm, which in turn gave us incentive to fire up our grills, sit out on our back decks and get some reading done! I’ve had the pleasure of reading some pretty good books while enjoying the sunshine and warm weather. The first one was Wonder by RJ Palacio, a novel that was surprisingly touching and one in which I can’t wait to share with my almost ten year old daughter (to find out why, check out my review here). I also finished Heft by Liz Moore, White Horse by Alex Adams and Daughters for a Time by Jennifer Handford, all three of which I received from their publishers. I’ll be reviewing each one in April.

At the moment I’m re-reading the John Irving classic A Prayer for Owen Meany, a book that I read probably ten years ago and one that has a special place in my heart. It’s the story of Owen Meany, a boy who believes there are no “accidents,’ that he’d been specifically selected to carry out the work of the Lord, that he was an instrument of God. Told by his best childhood friend Johnny Wheelwright, the story is set during the 50’s in New Hampshire, and Johnny, now a grown man, is reflecting on his extraordinary friendship with Owen.

I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice – not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother’s death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany.

A Prayer for Owen Meany is one of those rare novels that is thought provoking, extremely touching and will have you laughing out loud. HarperCollins recently re-issued A Prayer for Owen Meany in paperback (and also as an ebook!) so now is the time to get lost in this modern American classic.

I also saw that Carl V. has announced his sixth annual Once Upon a Time reading challenge! I hope to put together my list of must-reads for OUaT over the next few days. If you’ve signed up for OUaT, which books are you thinking about trying to read during the challenge? For right now I know that I’ll definitely read the upcoming The Age of Miracles by Karen Thomspon Walker (which I’ll be reviewing for TLC Book Tours this June). I also hope to get a copy of the graphic novel The Walking Dead Compendium One to read, as I’m having withdrawal fits ever since AMC’s season two of The Walking Dead ended last week. If you haven’t seen the TV show, which is a survival story of a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, then you are missing out on one of the best shows on television. Usually a TV show about zombies isn’t my cup of tea, but the story isn’t really about zombies. It’s much more a story about the people left behind and whether or not an individual’s humanity, or internal moral code, can survive in a new world. The first two seasons are now available on DVD to rent and I would highly suggest catching up with the series before it returns to AMC this fall.

Lastly, I hope to get to see The Hunger Games in theaters within the next week or so. I really don’t like to watch movies in a crowded theater (that is why we just saw The Lorax on Saturday morning – a grand total of ten people were in the theater)! I’m anxious to see how The Hunger Games translates to film and am thinking it might be a good movie to see with my husband after a dinner out for a date night.

Jan 15

Sunday Salon 1.15.12 Read. Blog. Well, maybe not.

By Stephanie blogging, books & movies, books & tv, life, movies, sunday salon 26 Comments »

The girls in Maine

Yep, it’s me, Stephanie, the book blogger who fell off the reading / blogging wagon the last few months. Each Sunday that has gone by I’ve contemplated writing a post on this old blog, but other things have always distracted me. It didn’t help that I had little to write about. Yes, reader, I became (for the most part) a non-reader these past months. I can hear the audible gasps over the computer screen from all of you die hard bibliophiles. It all started in the fall after reading The Night Circus. It was one of those books in which I enjoyed so much, that I knew the next book I would pick up wouldn’t compare, and I was right. I must have started and stopped four or five books after the wonder of The Night Circus and slowly, like Jonathan Gourlay (the author of In the Land of the Non-Reader) I fell off the reading band wagon.

After a week of non-reading, I said to myself that I was busy. So busy. Too busy, really, to start a new book. After three weeks of non-reading, my brain felt a bit numb. I told myself that I was working so hard that I couldn’t engage with a book. I fell, instead, into a steady diet of Netlix, Hulu, Skyrim, and the NFL. Like an addict in the early stages of recovery, I felt a euphoric at being released from the bitter yoke of my addiction. As a non-reader I felt free to happily non-think all day.

Just like Mr. Gourlay, I spent my free time in front of the tube instead of deep in a good book. I discovered some great television, like AMC’s The Walking Dead and ABC’s The Middle. I re-watched the first season of Downton Abbey in anticipation of season two on PBS. When I wasn’t not-reading or watching new shows, I was spending time with my kids during the holidays, traveled for a long weekend getaway up to Maine, bought a piano and wrote. Wrote a story that has been floating in my head for over a year and now, over 10,000 words later, is sitting on my laptop waiting for more. Will this turn into a manuscript? Only time will tell. I’ve also been trying to come up with some ideas for small home businesses, since my youngest will be heading to Kindergarten in September and it would be really nice to make a little money without having to work full-time outside of the house. I think I’ve got a great idea running around in my head, one that my book blogging friends would really like, and will let you all know when it comes to fruition.

This isn’t to say that I gave up on reading totally. I did squeeze in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (which I loved) and went to see the movie with my girlfriend. It’s one of the few movie versions that lived up to the book. I read Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and remembered why I find her such a remarkable woman. And now that the busy holiday season has ended, I’m starting to get my reading groove back. I’m currently in the middle of the ultra-creepy The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian and am already planning which book to download to my Nook next. Am I back to blogging again? I’m not quite sure. I miss being involved with the book blogging community (and so appreciate all the e-mails / comments from my blogging friends I’ve received in my absence). I guess I just need to see where 2012 is going to lead me, personally and professionally, before deciding if I’ll be back to the blogging pace I’ve kept up over the past five years. In the meantime, I’ll be checking up with all of you on GoodReads, Facebook and Twitter. Thanks again for checking in with me guys and “Happy Reading!”

Sep 30

Set your DVR Harry Potter fans!

By Stephanie author interviews, books & tv 5 Comments »

I just read on the Scholastic blog that Oprah will be interviewing J.K. Rowling tomorrow (October 1st) on her show!

We’ve been in Harry Potter overload over the last few months as I’ve been re-reading the series to my eight year old daughter. I’ve also been excited to see all the trailers that have come out for the movie that will be in theaters this November. Can you tell that I can’t get enough of Harry?

May 06

Sex and the Austen Girl Web Series

By Stephanie books & tv, cool blogs & sites, everything austen, guest posts 4 Comments »

While hosting the Everything Austen challenge last year, the lovely Laurie Viera Rigler, author of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict and Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, wrote this guest post for Stephanie’s Written Word. It is one of the most popular guest posts on my blog and generated quite a few comments.

Well, Ms. Rigler is back with something very cool. If you enjoyed the author’s books as much as I did, please take a look at the trailer above for the new web series inspired by her novels called SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL. In the series, the two protagonists from her books face off over the pros and cons of life and love and being woman in Regency England vs. 21st century L.A.

I think that this web series looks like a lot of fun. SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL premieres on the broadband network www.Babelgum.com on May 17, 2010. To learn more about the web series check out the author’s blog.

Jan 24

Sunday Salon 01.24.10

By Stephanie book events, books & tv, everything austen, sunday salon 14 Comments »

Greetings Sunday Saloners! I hope you’ve all had a good week! I’ve been busy around the house and so when I do have time to sit down with my current read at night I’ve found myself drowsy and unable to stay awake. It’s taken so much longer to get through Jane Eyre than I thought it would, but it isn’t from lack of interest. I am loving the book, but just don’t have enough hours in the day! Hopefully the fact that I recently got the Masterpiece Theater version of Jane Eyre from Netflix will give me the incentive to finish it up this week.

Speaking of Masterpiece Theater, tonight is the premeire of Jane Austen’s Emma. To celebrate PBS is having an Emma Twitter party during the show. They even have the lovely Laurel Ann from Austenprose as one of the Austen experts tweeting during the premiere! Make sure to hop onto Twitter tonight Sunday, January 24th from 9 – 11 p.m. EST to tweet about the first Emma episode. Just use hastag #emma_pbs to be included in the fun. As an added incentive, PBS will be giving away Austen prizes during the Twitter party so make sure to join in!!

In other bookish news, my daughter and I are currently reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2) together. Over the holiday break we read the first Harry Potter book and then sat down to watch the movie. She was so enthusiastic that we decided to continue with the series. I remember the first time I read Harry Potter and how I really felt that I was transported to this wonderfully magic world and am so excited to see my seven year old have the same reaction. Harry Potter rocks!

Oct 11

Sunday Salon 10.11.09

By Stephanie blogging, books & tv, sunday salon 16 Comments »

Not to much to report on the reading front this week. I’m struggling through Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (to be honest, I thought I would be enjoying it so much more and yet it just seems so fundamentally wrong to have an Elizabeth Bennet that is full of blood lust for zombies). I’m just not getting the appeal. I much prefer my non-violent Austen, thank you very much.

Pam & Jim: First Wedding Picture! Since my current read hasn’t caught my imagination, I’ve been spending a good portion of my free time knitting (after I realized that if I didn’t finish the sweater I’ve been working on for my oldest daughter, she is likely to grow out of it)! So instead of reading at night I indulged in a bit of tv while working on the sweater. Turns out it was a great week for TV! I taped Oprah to see one of my most favorite bloggers Stephanie Nielson. Stephanie has an incredible story (she and her husband survived a terrible plane crash last year which left Stephanie in a coma for a few months – yes, I said months). Even though her life has changed drastically since the accident, Stephanie is a hard working, faithful mother who loves her family dearly. It was so nice to see her (and her husband) on the show. She truly is an inspiration.

I also have to give kudos to the writers of The Office, who pulled off the ultimate Pam and Jim wedding on Thursday night with a one-hour episode. The best part was at the end, during the wedding ceremony. I had no idea that I could laugh hysterically and cry at the same time. Well done.

I taped Parks & Recreation and The Vampire Diaries, both of which I plan on watching after I put the kids to bed tonight. Hope you all have a fabulous Sunday!

Jan 14

A mini update (and mini challenge)

By Stephanie book challenges, books & tv, cancer, life 22 Comments »

I just wanted to give a little update as to what is going on (and what I have been enjoying) recently.

This Friday will mark my fourth chemo treatment, which means that I will officially be half finished with my treatments! In general I feel pretty sick for four or five days after each treatment, so I must admit that I dread my chemo appointments. Having said that, I am just grateful that I’m half done and can’t wait till mid-March rolls around and I can be finished with this part of my cancer experience.
I’ve been reading very little recently (although I do have a couple more reviews sitting in draft form waiting to be published). One of the strange side-effects of chemo is that it makes my brain feel very “fuzzy” which means it is very hard to concentrate on reading and books.
So, instead of reading, I’ve been concentrating on knitting and joined the Dewey’s Knit-a-long mini-challenge and started working on a baby blanket for my girlfriend who is going to have a little girl this March. It’s a bit slow going, but the pattern is really cool and I can’t wait to share a picture with all of you!
While working on my knitting, I have been indulging in a little PBS Masterpiece Theater and really enjoyed the first movie, Tess of d’Urbervilles. Did you see it? If not, you can watch it on-line until January 19th. It is well worth your time and now I can’t wait to actually read the book one day. Next up on Masterpiece Theater is Wuthering Heights. You can see the whole schedule of programs here.
Even though my reading well has run kind of dry recently, I will be having an awesome giveaway at the end of the month to celebrate the publication of the second book one of my favorite authors (and lovely lady) so please stay tuned for that, ok?

deweyskalmed

Nov 23

Dead Until Dark/True Blood

By Stephanie book reviews, books & tv 15 Comments »

When my girlfriend first told me about the new series on HBO called True Blood, she described it as Twilight for adults. The show is the story of Sookie Stackhouse (played by Anna Paquin), a 25 year old waitress in Bon Temps, a small town in Louisiana. Sookie is a nice girl, but keeps to herself mostly due to her unusual gift (or disability as she tends to think of it). Sookie is telepathic, which makes dating and forming meaningful relationships kind of hard. When the handsome vampire Bill Compton walks into her life, Sookie is attracted to him right away, mostly because unlike everyone else, she can’t read his mind.

Bill, who grew up in Louisiana and was a soldier in the Civil War, has been wandering the earth for over a hundred years. Since vampires have now “come out of the coffin” Bill has decided that he would like to mainstream back into the human world and comes to Bon Temps to do just that. But people are still leary around vampires and when a bunch of murders start taking place in this small town, things become difficult for Bill and Sookie.

The HBO series is pretty interesting. I especially like the interaction and storyline of Sookie and the easy on the eyes Bill (Stephen Moyer). What I don’t really care for is the extreme violence throughout each episode. I suppose that since HBO produces the show, they can do most anything they want. I just don’t feel like it’s really needed. A show like this could have been successful on a national TV station without being so gratuitous. I’m no prude, but it just gets a big overdone after a few episodes. Having said that, I feel like one of those bugs drawn to those bright bug whackers people used to hang in their backyard. Even though I want to look away, I just can’t.

Since I do enjoy the Bill/Sookie storyline, I figured I would pick up the vampire mystery novel that True Blood is based on, Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris. Even though the book and series differ in some of their storylines, the basic mystery of who is killing off people in Bon Temps and the Bill/Sookie romance is basically the same. While there is plenty of vampire violence and steamy scenes in the book, it’s not over the top. It’s a quick read and ultimately entertaining although in some instances the writing is a a bit dull and overdone. As an example:

The shower felt wonderful. The hot water seemed to steam out some of my misery, and I shampooed my hair and scrubbed every inch of my skin, shaving my legs and armpits. After I climbed out, I plucked my eyebrows and put on skin lotion and deodorant and a spray to untangle my hair and anything else I could lay my hands on. With my hair trailing down my back in a cascade of wet snarls, I pulled on my nightshirt, a white one with Tweety Bird on the front, and I got my comb. I’d sit in front of the television to have something to watch while I got my hair combed out, always a tedious process.

I’ll tell you whats tedious – paragraphs like the one above. A little too descriptive, right? Who needs all those details anyway? The book has more than it’s fair share of run-on paragraphs and I found myself mentally skipping over some of those parts, just to speed things up a bit. I still liked the book, but don’t really need to know every. single. move. a. character. makes.

Just saying.

In the end, the HBO series is a good show, if you have a strong stomach, but the novel is better, if you can get over a few minor writing issues.

Nov 07

Novel Adventures

By Stephanie books & tv 4 Comments »

Have you guys heard about the webisode called Novel Adventures on CBS? Just Google it and you’ll find it.

As described on the website, Novel Adventures is about four women (Lizzie, Laura, Joanna, and Amy) who are decidedly uninterested in the pretentious book club they belong to, but they enjoy the time away from their families. Determined to take their ‘us’-time and enjoy it, they decide to use the books as inspiration. It’s great to read about amazing lives, but these girls are ready to live them. And so, the four women start a new kind of book club, picking a “novel adventure” for each book. Each meeting is an opportunity for discovery, freedom, and fun. The adventure is just the beginning.

Sounds interesting? Well, check out the website each Monday and Friday to see the newest episode uploaded. I just watched the first couple of episodes and two things caught my attention – first, they last a whopping six minutes each Also, the show is sponsored by Sat*rn, so their are tons of Sat*rn references littered throughout (kind of like one big ol’ advertisement). One of the main characters spouses even works at a Sat*rn dealership.

All in all, quite short and rather annoying. Oh well, the concept is neat. Now, let me get back to watching some real good television!

Sep 30

Lost In Austen – UPDATED

By Stephanie books & tv 6 Comments »

OK, I’ve got a case of the “I wantys” really, really bad! I just read a great review over at The Book Smugglers blog about the UK miniseries Lost In Austen that aired recently on ITV in Britain. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I love all things Austen. I jumped right over to the ITV site where they are airing all the episodes for the next month online. Unfortunately, you can only watch them if you are in the UK! I also checked YouTube, but it doesn’t seem like they have the whole four part series and just have bits and pieces online. Next up was Amazon.com, but even they don’t sell it in the US yet (I only found it on Amazon.co.uk)! What is a girl to do? Have I mentioned how much I want to see this? Do you think I can find a quick flight to London to pick it up?

UPDATE: It seems like you can watch the first part of this four part series on YouTube (although it’s a bit choppy) then head over to Surfthechannel to see the last three parts. I guess this will have to do until I they release the DVD here in the US.