Monday, April 29, 2013

42- The Movie Review

I saw an amazing movie this past weekend.  Why was it amazing, you ask?  Well, it was based on a true story.  The acting was superb.  The context of the movie pulled at my heart strings.  It made me cry- although I'll admit that's not difficult to do. 

42 is based on two years of Jackie Robinson's life: from the time he signed on with the Montreal Royals through his first year on the Brooklyn Dodgers.  The movie effectively covers the life he had at home and the love he had for his wife and son, but focused on his trials, disappointments, and encounters both on and off the field.

Jackie Robinson was brilliantly played by Chadwick Boseman who has had minor roles on TV shows, according to IMDB, but hasn't had a lead break-out role until now.  He played Jackie wonderfully.  Showcasing the restraint of emotion that was needed in difficult scenes, to displaying the anger and hurt when necessary as well.

Branch Rickey, the team executive of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was played remarkably well by Harrison Ford.  Oh my dear Harrison.  You may be 70 years old, but you are still a stud.  Branch was more often than not seen smoking a cigar and growling to others what he required of them.  There were a few times when more depth with emotion was needed and he delivered. 

For those of you who like to be surprised by minor roled characters, I won't list anymore who is in the movie.  I enjoy watching a movie, seeing a face I recognize, and then attempting to try to place as to how I know them.  If you really want to know who else is in it, go look it up

I cannot recommend this movie enough.  It is rated PG-13, just for language, unless I'm mistaken.  But the language they used was necessary based on the tone of the movie and the setting.  I'm not opposed to sex in movies, but those scenes are unnecessary to the story more often than not. 

The acting was excellent.  The story was wonderful.  The characters are true and memorable.

There's nothing in this movie that makes it something that needs to be seen in theatres.  There aren't great special effects or action scenes.  You won't miss much if you wait until it's on DVD to watch it.

Consensus:  5 out of 5 stars. 

~M

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater

Finally!  I have found a new series to follow.  And best of all, the first book only came out this past November!  It's been a VERY long time since I read a series and it was almost finished or completed already.

The audiobook was well-done, so if you like that format or are looking for something in that format, I highly suggest this title.  The actor did a particularly great job with the voices of Blue's aunts and the boys she meets.

Premise from the official website
"Blue Sargent, the daughter of the town psychic in Henrietta, Virginia, has been told for as long as she can remember that if she ever kisses her true love, he will die. But she is too practical to believe in things like true love. Her policy is to stay away from the rich boys at the prestigious Aglionby Academy. The boys there — known as Raven Boys — can only mean trouble."
That description doesn't do the book justice, though.  There's so much more to it than that.  There's an ancient quest to find the burial place of Owain Glendower, a medieval Welch noble, who, legend has it, is not dead and has been sleeping for centuries.  He's been put to sleep and whoever wakes him up will be granted a wish.  There's a murder to be solved. 

There are many reasons why I enjoyed this book.  First, and foremost, it doesn't involve vampires!  I enjoyed the Twilight series before they were made into movies.  But vampire books aren't usually what I enjoy.  The two fantasy books I read recently that involved a lot of supernatural were not enjoyable for me.  For those reviews, see here and here.  The supernatural is very popular in young adult literature these days so I'm being particularly picky about what I read from there lately.  However, the amazing teen librarian, Gillian, at my library suggested I read this one.

Yes, I don't like the supernatural too much, but I have always enjoyed books that have ghosts or ghostly elements in them, whether it be true life or fiction.  I've also always been intrigued by psychics and this book has both of those elements. 

I love Blue.  She's a down to earth and real.  She calls it like she sees it- which is something I should really do more often.  She's a bit of a loner and doesn't have a lot of friends- something I can identify with.  Her family is a bit...special.  Mine is too, but not nearly in the same way.

Sometimes when reading an audiobook, and even with a print book on occasion, I get the characters confused. Sometimes it's that they're all from the same part of the country so the actor has a more difficult time distinguishing them with his or her voice.  Sometimes it's that the character hasn't been developed enough for them to stand on their own.  This was not a problem with The Raven Boys.  The characters were all fully developed. Even the minor ones that don't have as much page time stand out on their own.

If you like young adult books, or are willing to give them a try, enjoy mystery and a bit of drama and suspense, give The Raven Boys a try. 

Consensus:  5 out of 5 stars

~M

Monday, April 22, 2013

My New Favorite Thing.

I have never been someone who drinks coffee. The taste has always turned me off and I think everyone's addiction to it has made me turn up my nose as well. My passion has always been tea. With sugar or without, hot or cold, flavored or black, I find tea to be delicious. But I'll let you in on a secret, I'm starting to like coffee. Don't tell tea that I'm abandoning ship.

Granted, I still love tea. I think there is a great amount of comfort that can be derived from a cup of hot chai tea or a cup of peppermint tea. Tea is a comforting thing, and has brought me solace on many occasions.

Recently, I have been really busy, and coffee drinks have kept me going. My new coffee fascination could be the numerous Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Gloria Jean's, and other coffee places that are conveniently located on every corner. I mean I was going to have to like lattes cappuccinos, and frappuccinos eventually, right? I have not crossed completely to the dark side, however. I still need sugar or creamer (preferably a flavored creamer like Irish Creme or Mocha), but I will drink coffee and enjoy it whereas before that was unthinkable for me.

 (
Confession, right now I am drinking this...and I had one last night. Shameful., but delicious)

These fancy little coffee drinks just have a perfect amount of staying up power and are yummy. A girl can't ask for too much in life, and I am pretty content with my chilled coffee drinks. Plus, I am using my Munch Money, (fake money we are given from the school to spend at the cafe), so it's not like I'm really buying them, right? My new guilty pleasure is fake? At least that is what I keep on telling myself. We shall see how long I can remain delusional.

Abraham Lincoln concisely explains my predicament: "If this is coffee, please bring me some tea; but if this is tea, please bring me some coffee."

I hope you all are having a lovely day and enjoying whatever your favorite beverage is, be that coffee or tea.

--J

Hannah Swensen Mystery Series by Joanne Fluke

I came across a series in the Mystery section of my local public library in high school.  There were only a couple books out at that point, if I recall correctly, and it has grown to over 15 books.  This is a series written by Joanne Fluke and the main character is Hannah Swensen.  She owns a cookie shop in Minnesota and often finds dead bodies for which she then attempts to solve the murder.

I liked this series initially.  The characters are normal everyday people.  The bad guys almost always get their due.  There are recipes in each book.  It's set in the Midwest.  I also appreciated that there wasn't sex in any of the books.  I don't like to read about that.  All lovely things.

The series continued to grow.

Hannah has two boyfriends by the end of book two.  She continues to have two boyfriends as of the last book I read.  I don't mind that usually in a series, but it gets wrapped up eventually.  Every time I finish one of the books I want to throw it screaming, "Just pick Norman already!"  And she doesn't.

How often does a dead body have to wind up in a small Minnesota town before the FBI comes in wondering what makes the town attract murderers?  Seriously. Every. Single. Book.  Initially they were townspeople only but now many times it is people visiting town that get murdered.  They have to have the highest per capita murder rate in the country by now.

I have made some of the recipes too.  They weren't great. I tried only cookies, from what I recall, although some of the bars or brownies sound delightfully delicious.  Perhaps it was just a bad batch the two or three times I tried, but usually I make good cookies.  I'm leaning toward it being the recipe's fault.

The books are entertaining.  A bit wholesome aside from the dead body issue, perhaps, but solid stuff.  Not gory.  The books are focused more on the investigation of the murder rather than the murder itself.  But I can't get past Hannah being unable to decide between these two men.  It frustrates me, probably more than it should.

At first reading, I give the series 4 out of 5 stars.
After reading into it more and being discouraged, it gets 2 out of 5 stars.

~M

Friday, April 19, 2013

The Great Gatsby: an audiobook adventure

Audiobooks can be a great way to read a book that may be difficult to read in print.  I wish I had known this in high school.  I struggled so much with Shakespeare and classic books like Jane Eyre.  They read to me like another language.  I could not understand what was going on, no matter how much I poored over the material.  About a year ago I read Pride and Prejudice (Amazing book.  Please read it and fall in love with Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.) on audiobook.  It changed my life.  Since then I have read numerous classics this way and have thoroughly enjoyed each one.  I know that there are many I could not have read in print (Les Miserables, The Three Musketeers, and Emma to name a few) because of the language in the book.  The structure of the sentences and turn of phrase. I would just not have been able to do it.  But with someone else reading it to me, speaking in a French or British accent, I enjoy my time driving to work.

I saw the trailer for the new movie version of The Great Gatsby starring Leonardo DiCaprio and was stumped.  The Great Gatsby was one that I actually read in high school and enjoyed.  I couldn't tell you a dang thing about it until three weeks ago when I read it, but I remember being in high school, reading it, and thinking that this was a classic I could actually read in print.  I wanted to read the book again before I saw the movie (and my future brother-in-law, Kurt, said the trailer wasn't anything like the book he remembered reading).  So I read it.

It was enjoyable.  It wasn't great.  It wasn't bad.  But it also was not what I expected. 

Premise from Infosoup: Jay Gatsby had once loved beautiful, spoiled Daisy Buchanan, then lost her to a rich boy. Now, mysteriously wealthy, he is ready to risk everything to woo her back. Bathtub gin, flappers and house parties that last all week enliven Fitzgerald's classic tale, a startling portrait of Gatsby's search for meaning in his opulent world.

I enjoyed the slight East cost accent of the reader, which was fitting because this occurs on the East coast.  I also had not read the description of the book before I read it, so everything was a surprise.  The book centers more around Daisy's cousin, Nick Carraway (played by Tobey Maguire) who knows both Gatsby and Daisy, than Gatsby himself.  If you've seen the trailer for the movie, it comes across that way although it's made clear that Gatsby is a main character. 

I wasn't overwhelmed by the plot.  It was fine.  The pacing was a good speed.

But I loved the turn of phrase.  Mr. F. Scott Fitzgerald knows how to write a sentence and make it come alive. 

"Before I could reply that he was my neighbor dinner was announced; wedging his tense arm imperatively under mine, Tom Buchanan compelled me from the room as though he were moving a checker to another square."

"For a moment the last sunshine fell with romantic affection upon her glowing face; her voice compelled me forward breathlessly as I listened- then the glow faded, each light deserting her with lingering regret, like children leaving a pleasant street at dusk."

Those are just two examples, but sentences like this were scattered throughout the book.  It has been a long time since I read a book where the author literally painted the image upon my mind.

The Great Gatsby was a good book and I'm very glad I read it again before I saw the new movie installment.  It was a wonderful read on audiobook if that is a preferable option for you.

Consensus: 3 out of 5 stars.

~M

Monday, April 8, 2013

Student Teaching

This semester I have been student teaching. Some days it has kicked my butt with cranky students and late nights combined with early mornings. Most days, however, I am very pleased with being in the classroom. I love seeing my students learn and use new grammar structures that they wouldn't have been able to use without me. I love the enthusiasm that students can have. I love seeing the students open up and watch their personalities develop in my classroom. I love making kids laugh and acting like a fool in front of them to help them learn. I also love speaking Spanish everyday.

Today is April 8th and May 3rd will end my student teaching experience. I can't believe that I have less than a month left in this amazing 15 week experience. Although it will be nice not to get up at 5:00AM, I will miss my students dearly. I will also miss my cooperating teacher, señor. Señor has helped me and supported me so much. I know that next year will be less difficult because of all the wisdom and experience he has given me, and I don't know what I will do without him to chat with on a daily basis. I honestly can't think of next year without him being there to help me.

From the 11 weeks I have had so far, some of the best memories/my proudest moments include:

1. Having my struggling French student get an answer correct that no other student answered correctly.

2. Having my students work on the interactive map activity I created.

3. Seeing one of my first hour students excel when she previously struggled.

4. Watching my students present on dictators/heroes in Spanish.

5. All the creativity that my students have and seeing them apply that creativity to Spanish.

Although I think at times I can be negative or get frustrated with teaching, overall, this is where I belong. When I am in front of the classroom, I am happy, and finding something that you love to do is rare.

That is all for me today, kind of a shorter blog post and I apologize for the break from blogging: I will do my darnedest to be better.

-J

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Milwaukee Weekend Extravaganza

Several weeks ago, Kyle and I took a weekend and went to Milwaukee for his yearly convention: Midwest Gaming Classic.  This convention has, in all honesty, outgrown it's location.  It's been held each year at the Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel.  I have never gone before, but the main hall was completely filled, most of the hallway surrounding that main area, and a number of hotel rooms and business rooms were filled with exhibitors as well.  Kyle always meets up with his Ben Heckendorn groupies and they do soldering and discuss video games.  There were a HUGE number of pinball machines available for everyone to use as well as all sorts of video game paraphernalia available.  After being there that weekend, I came to the conclusion that I was not missing anything by staying home.  It's just not what I enjoy.

But I did have a SUPER delicious breakfast one day.  We went out to The Original Pancake House.

(please excuse my thumb!)

The Original Pancake House is also shown in the picture.  It's in an actual house and you enter from a ramp in the back of the house.  I didn't even think of doing a blog post on this until it was too late, so I don't have too many other pictures, not even one of my delicious food.  Kyle says that their pancakes were superb.  I didn't even make it to the pancakes.  I got a small stack of pancakes as well as 2 scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, mushrooms, and onions.  It was Friday and during Lent on top of that (although we do attempt to do meatless Fridays year round) so I didn't get any sausage in mine, although I wanted to!

The eggs were SO good.  And it was so much food!  I got eggs, pancakes, toast, and I was only able to finish the toast and half the eggs.  I also loved their take home containers!

(These leftovers are all mine.  Kyle finished his meal.  I felt slightly foolish, but only slightly!)

If you are ever in the Brookfield area and are looking for good food, especially breakfast, this is the place to go.  I also found their sign where you come in as well as pay on the way out to be amusing.  I've very rarely been to a restaurant for more than an hour.  Who does that!?


We also made it to the movies that weekend.  We saw Warm Bodies.  It was as good as others have stated it was.  It didn't take itself too seriously and was much funnier than I anticipated.  Yes, it was a bit campy, but it had its moments.  Kyle and I both enjoyed it much more than we expected to.  Our favorite movie theater critic does a great job describing the movie:  http://wafflemovies.com/warmbodies.html.

Another new post coming soon.  I just finished reading The Great Gatsby in honor of the new version of the movie coming out soon.  I can't see the movie without reading the book!

~M