Movie Review: Song for Marion

Song for Marion: with Terence Stamp, Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Eccleston, Gemma Arterton.

What a fantastic film! When I Googled it, it had really bad reviews which strangely enough, just made me want to go and see for myself. After reading the synopsis I thought it sounded like something only people over 60 would watch ( no offence anyone!) but still an interesting movie. While the majority of the people in the cinema were over 60, at least from what I could tell (!), I loved this film so much. I went with my friend and we both couldn't believe how much we enjoyed it.

It follows an elderly couple Arthur ( Stamp) and Marion ( Redgrave), who has cancer. Marion is a member of  the OAPz ( Old age pensioners, z for the 'hip' factor) choir led by the vivacious Elizabeth (Arterton). She faithfully attends even though she is quite ill.

Arthur is an extremely grumpy and pessimistic man while Marion is the opposite and lives her life with happiness and a sunny outlook. When she takes a turn for the worse and dies, Arthur resigns himself to the fact that he will be sad and alone until he too dies. But, with some encouragement from Elizabeth he rediscovers his love of singing and joins the OAPz.

The movie continues with the OAPz entering a prestigious choir competition and some problems between Arthur and his son. It is resolved in the end, in a very realistic way which some critics have cited as being anti-climactic, which I completely disagree with. I thought the end was very moving ( if you've seen this film, let me know what you thought).

I don't know if the people who reviewed this saw the same film as me because I thought it was so moving and poignant. It really brought home to me the importance of family, how precious life is and making the most of your situation.

I would highly recommend this film, if you're in the mood for a well acted, moving and life affirming movie experience.

Have you seen this film? Let me know what your thoughts, just leave a comment here on the blog or send me a tweet @JuliadeRuiter

Book Review: The Last Quarter of the Moon by Chi Zijian

This book is written by award winning Chinese novelist Chi Zijian.The book follows the Evenki tribe who roam the remote forests of China, raising reindeer to trade for supplies.

The story begins with the tribe voting whether to settle in a village nearby or whether to continue their nomadic lifestyle.
We never find out the main characters age, but know that she is an elderly woman telling her story. She has a peaceful childhood which ends in the 1930's when the Japanese army invades China. Her tribe cannot avoid being involved in the war which forces them to take steps to becoming less isolated. I really enjoy historical books so this was a major seller for me when deciding to pick this up.

 This book began beautifully. Here's an excerpt:

'A long time confidante of the rain and snow, I am ninety years old. The rain and snow have weathered me, and I too have weathered them. Nowadays the summer rains are more and more sporadic, the winter snows lighter by the year. They're like my roe-deerskin under-bedding, which has shed it's hairs from constant rubbing. It's thick undercoat has vanished with the wind, leaving behind scars accumulated over many moons. Seated on the deerskin, I'm like a hunter watching over a salt lick, but rather than deer with their beautiful erect horns, fierce winds swirling with sand awaits me.'

 I loved the narrative- it made me feel as if I was sitting around a campfire listening to old stories. The way Chi describes nature is so beautiful and calming. She has a way of capturing what we feel and putting it into words.

This novel had a slightly tragic feel to it while also reminding us of the beauty of the simple things in life. I can't fault anything about this book. It is a eye-opening read and one which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Movie Review: W.E.

 W.E. with:  Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, James D'Arcy, Oscar Isaac. (2011)

I thought I'd mix things up a bit and review this movie our library recently acquired, which I love. Directed by Madonna, this movie is set in the present day and also in the 1980's. It follows two women- one is the infamous Wallis Simpson, the other a New Yorker with the same name and a keen interest in her life. 

The thing I most enjoyed about the movie was the plot. It changes seamlessly between the two women. Modern day Wallis is somewhat obsessed with the real Wallis Simpson and visits an exhibit about her at a local museum every day. As she examines pieces on display from Wallis' life ( a cocktail glass for example) the film enters real Wallis' world and starts telling her story. Both Wallis' were victims of abusive marriages but I thought Abbie Cornish  (modern day Wallis) did a stellar job of portraying this.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this film, but I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the cast was perfect, the settings were beautiful and the fashion was gorgeous. The whole story had a very glamorous feel to it. The film felt very authentic, for her directing debut I thought Madonna did a great job. I highly recommend this movie.

Book Review: Fallen series by Lauren Kate

This series is one I've been meaning to read for a while as I've heard so many people rave about it. At first I wasn't convinced as it sounded like every other YA series I've read. The first book took me to about half way before I really got into it. Luce, the main character annoyed me until I realised she was actually a lot more complex then she first came across.

BUT, after reading the whole series, I wasn't impressed. Maybe it was because I was comparing it to other YA series like The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. Whatever the case, it was definitely a struggle to get through the whole series. The plot was too slow paced for me and the characters seemed fake somehow. Even though Luce grew on me, there wasn't much about her that I could identify with, which is normally one of the factors that makes a book really enjoyable for me. 

So, I'm really gutted that I didn't love this series as I had such high expectations :(

Have you read this series? I'd love to hear what you think- just leave a comment here on the blog or send me a tweet @JuliadeRuiter.

You can read other reviews of Lauren Kate's books here.

Kate de Goldi- Changing Faces, Changing Places

Last Friday night Waitaki District Libraries, along with the Janet Frame Eden Street Trust hosted New Zealand author Kate de Goldi. 

Kate is the author several books for children and young adults, including the award winning 'The 10pm question'. Kate also regularly presents book reviews on radio and televsion. In her talk she mentioned that she reads three books every week as part of this role! I wish I had that much dedication! 

Kate is an awesome speaker. She is so warm and engaging and really gets involved with her characters. One of the big themes of her talk was the importance of place in her writing. She mentioned that her books often feature 'real' places, like her old hometown Christchurch, but may not always be geographically accurate! 

Her style of writing really appeals to me, it is very down to earth but amusing at the same time. I also feel like I can relate to the characters which is always a feature in books I enjoy. If you are wanting to read one of Kate's books, I would recommend 'The 10pm question' which is excellent. You can check out some reviews of it here. 

If you ever get the chance to hear Kate speak, I would highly recommend it. 

The library filling up before the event.

Kate in action.

Book Review: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

I was so excited to finally read the last book in the "The Infernal Devices'"series and I was not disappointed!

Cassandra Clare has written a fantastic finale book. I often feel let down by the last book in a series; sometimes they are anticlimatic, lack a fast paced plot, or just don't end the way I hoped.

The quality we expect from her is the same as her other novels and the plot moves along at a perfect pace. It was really cool to see all the characters fully develop especially Tris. Lots of questions were answered, which I find very satisfying- it's so annoying when a series ends and you are left wondering what happened!

Will was my favourite character in this book, I think, because I admired his strength in keeping his feelings toward Tessa hidden and staying strong for Jem. I like that he is such a mixture of right and wrong, cruel and kind and open but secretive at the same time. Complex characters that you can relate to have always been a seller for me ( think Tris in Divergent by Veronica Roth).

For a YA novel, this book dealt with some pretty strong themes: a love triangle, death, betrayal and trust issues. It's one of my favourite things about most YA books.

Overall, a great read and I can't wait for the next Cassandra Clare novel!

Julia :)

Book Review: Solomon's Oak by Jo-Ann Mapson

This is an excellent novel by Jo-Ann Mapson. She is the author of eleven novels and a book of short stories. I don’t think any book review can do justice to Mapson’s writing. This book was exceptional. I was totally engrossed in this book from start to finish.

Solomon’s Oak follows widow Glory Solomon who is inwardly struggling with the loss of her husband. She holds weddings in the chapel built under the two-hundred-year-old white oak tree on their property to generate extra income for her struggling farm. Then, angry and homeless foster teenager Juniper McGuire turns up on Glory’s doorstep. Because of the disappearance of her older sister Casey several years ago, Juniper has a lot of trust and honesty issues. Glory doesn’t know if she can handle Juniper without her husband. Newcomer Joseph Vigil is a retired police officer who was shot while on duty and now lives in pain. He arrives in California to photograph the giant trees- something he has always wanted to do. The lives of these characters firstly intertwine in subtle ways, finally becoming a very close knit family.

This was my first foray into ‘grown up’ fiction for quite some time and I was pleasantly surprised. This book showed me that contemporary adult fiction can be uplifting and firmly rooted in reality, yet life affirming, rather than cynical and depressing. What really stood out for me was Mapson’s writing. She has a sense of wisdom while still writing with a refreshing take on everyday life. The world she created for her characters was full of life and special moments. I felt like Glory, Juniper and Joseph could be walking down the street, rather than just fictional people in the pages of this novel.

The book leaves you with some unanswered questions which I was very excited to discover are answered in her latest book, the (unofficial) sequel- Finding Casey.

I give this book five out of five stars.

Julia  

 

Book Review: Artichokes Heart by Suzanne Supplee

Here comes book review number nine of my 30 Day Book Challenge which has gone a little over 30 days! I forgot how crazy this time of year can become! Just a brief review this time, taken from Amazon - don't really have the time right now to write a proper one! :(

 

Cursed with the nickname “the Artichoke” after wearing an ill-chosen green jacket to school way back in sixth grade, Rosemary continues to cope with the cool kids’ disdain by making food her friend. It’s a treacherous ally, though, and when she tops 200 pounds, she decides to make radical changes and begins to lose some serious weight. Then, Rosemary discovers that an A-list girl wants to befriend her, the boy she adores returns her feelings, and (most incredible of all) her mother has cancer. Rosemary’s wry first-person narration deftly portrays characters in her single-parent family, her high school, her mother’s beauty salon, and her Tennessee town.

 

Jolted by fears of losing her mother, Rosemary begins to look beyond her previous preoccupations to see other people’s vulnerabilities as well as their more evident flaws. In her first novel, Supplee brings a cast of original characters to life in this convincing and consistently entertaining narrative.

 

While I enjoyed this book;  I'm not as enamoured with it as I was with one of Supplee's later titles- Somebody Everybody Listens To.

 

I'm looking forward to finishing this challenge- though it has been fun!

 

Next ( and last) review coming shortly

 

Julia :)

Book Review: Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

Woohoo! The 30 Day Book Challenge is nearly finished! This is review number eight :) Just a short review today, as work has been flat out and my brain is kind of overflowing with appointments I have to organise and places I have to be and people I have to text/message/email. It's just been that kind of day.

As far as conclusions to series go, I really enjoyed the final book in Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush sequence. I got just a tad bit involved with Patch and Nora's story but funnily enough I completely forgot that there was another book coming out. So, when I saw it on the acquisitions shelf I admit- I did a happy dance. I couldn't wait to get into it and the story didn't disappoint. Filled with thrills, chills and romance I was engrossed from start to finish.
I like Fitzpatrick's style of writing and the story literally flew by.

There was the requisite plot twist which I actually didn't see coming ( I pride myself on being able to predict storylines), epic battles ( well, for me anyway) and some awesome quotes from Vee.

A satisfying conclusion to a great YA series.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Julia

Book Review: The Unfinished Journals of Elizabeth D by Nichole Bernier

Here comes another review for the 30 Day Book Challenge!

 

I came across this book after I saw it on the trolley of new items for our monthly book chat members. I've been going through a phase of picking out quite melancholy/depressing books e.g.The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted ( Bridget Asher) and Into the Darkest Corner ( Elizabeth Haynes). When I read the back of this book and saw themes of death, family problems and secrets I knew I had to read it.

 

This book follows two friends- Kate and Elizabeth and is set in post 9/11 America. When Elizabeth passes away from cancer, Kate is left wondering how to cope without her best friend. She finds Elizabeth's journals and begins to read through them. As she does, she realises the Elizabeth she knew was very different to the real Elizabeth as portrayed in her journals.

 

 

What I liked about this book, was that it was very real. The way the characters dealt with grief was real. The relationships bewteen husband and wife and parents and children were real. Elizabeth's journals seemed real. Bernier writes with insight- something I've grown to appreciate in the books I've been reading lately. If you're after a read with some substance, I'd recommend this.

 

I'd love to hear what you think of the blog and of the books I've been reading/reviewing. Just leave me a comment here on the blog or send me a tweet @JuliadeRuiter

 

Julia

 

P.S. I think this might be the longest post title ever!

Book Review: Three Summers by Judith Clarke

This is book review number 3 of my 30 Day Book Challenge. 
 
Three Summers follows Ruth, who survived a  fatal car crash when she was a baby and now lives with her grandmother. She meets a boy named Tam and becomes somewhat obsessed by him. I'm sorry to say I didn't really enjoy this book. It might have the been the style it was written in, or the fact that I didn't really connect with any of the characters, but I just couldn't 'get into' the book. I also didn't like the fact that I couldn't figure out the date the book was set in. This made it hard for me to place what kind of society the characters lived in which was very off putting. The book wasn't awful but I've certainly read better. 
I'd love to hear what you're currently reading and if you have any recommendations for me. Just leave a comment here on the blog or tweet me @JuliadeRuiter

Julia :)