Austenland - Shannon Hale

Austenland

I broke down and read this book. I really want to see the movie and the book is obviously a mandatory prerequisite. 

Somewhere, in my stone cold heart, there must still be a tiny corner for chick flicks. They had free reign when I was in high school, but, after a couple of major heartbreaks, they have taken a back seat to anything dark and complicated. I love a good tragedy. Atonement is one of my desert island movies. 

Does that mean I need therapy?

Since I met Kevin, however, he has slowly been opening me back up to the lighter side of life. I hadn't cried for two years when we started dating and now I cry at every freaking proposal video on the internet. I'm even starting to like stuff like chick lit a little bit again. Thanks a bunch, babe. Runny mascara is the best and you've brought that back into my life.

How did a post about chick lit get so deep and sarcastic so fast? This is not ok...

All that to say, Austenland looks fun. Who doesn't like Keri Russell? Plus, it stars Jennifer Coolidge and Bret McKenzie from Flight of the Concords. That's comic gold right there with a heroine just sweet enough to warm your heart a bit, too. 

I cannot pass judgement on the movie just yet. Netflix will deliver it soon enough and a Movie Monday will undoubtedly follow. The book, however, I have conquered and have some opinions about. I mean, otherwise I would not be writing this, right?

The Perfume Collector - Kathleen Tessaro

The Perfume Collector

This book has been On Reserve since its release last summer. Something about it totally captured my interest.  

When Trish of TLC Book Tours offered it up on a list of potential tours for early 2014, I jumped at the opportunity to get it off my to-read list and into my hands.

The story centers around two women. Eva, a young French girl, works at a hotel in 1920s New York City. Her interactions with regular guests open her eyes to the world. Years later, Grace Monroe of England receives a mysterious inheritance and heads to Paris to unravel the mystery.

I found the book positively enchanting. Tessaro created wonderful, colorful characters. Her story contained just enough intrigue to get you hooked and enough substance to keep you hooked.

Guest Post - The Monuments Men

The Monuments Men

This year, I am thrilled to be partnering with my dear friend Jamie for her Before the Silver Screen project. She is reading the books this year's blockbusters are based on before they hit theaters. Check out her blog to read all the reviews!

We should probably all just agree that we loved Jamie's guest post about Labor Day last week. If you have not read it yet, you definitely should. I had no interest in seeing the movie or really reading the book before her guest post; that changed.

Because Hollywood waits for no man, Jamie's next review and guest post is coming right on the heels of the last one.  In general, these guest posts will be spaced out a bit more, but I am too excited about this one to wait!

I have been dying to see/read The Monuments Men since I saw the trailer. It's been billed as some sort of historically based Oceans movie. What could be better? Well, it's based on a book and a real life story. Better.

Originally, I wanted to read this with Jamie, but by the time I hit my library's website, I was 200-something on the waiting list for the book. I hope to read it later this year. For now, though, you can enjoy Jamie's thoughts on the book and the adaptation.

Movie Monday: The Age of Innocence

The Age of Innocence

On the second and fourth Monday of every month, I feature Movie Monday. I recognize that few people have the time or desire to read the amount I do, especially when it comes to the 100 Best Novels list. Luckily, Hollywood loves adapting a classic and I love a good movie almost as much as a good book.

I have been looking forward to this movie since reading the book back in the fall. I adored Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence. I felt so certain that the story would translate well to the screen and capture me just as the novel did.

Yeah, I was wrong.

I didn't hate the movie or anything. It was fine. It just...bored me. 

Let's start with casting. Daniel Day-Lewis and Michele Pfeiffer, while both incredible actors, seemed too old for their parts. When I read the book, I imagined young hearts, just on the cusp of adulthood. I supposed I should be realistic and note that the Countess Olenska's character has already been married for years when the story takes place. Still, in that era, she could have married at 16 and still only be in her early to mid twenties. Instead, the two were portrayed somewhere much closer to or older than thirty. Winona Ryder, on the other hand, plays a simply delightful May. I felt she captured the innocence of the character well and her age seemed correct.

Guest Post - Labor Day

Labor Day

I am incredibly excited to be introducing you all to Jamie! She is my cousin by marriage, but friend by choice. She loves books with the same passion that I do. Besides her literary enthusiasm, she is just a generally awesome person. You're missing out by not having her at your family gatherings - I promise you.

You may have noticed in my January Chapter post on Monday, I mentioned Jamie and her goal for the year. She's tackling Buzzfeed's list of 16 Books to Read Before They Hit Theatres This Year.

Jamie has set up her own blog just for the project. If you want to follow her there, and I highly recommend that you do, you can do so here. I am going to be reading a few of the books along with Jamie. Others, I am going to have her guest post here. That's the case today!

Jamie just finished Labor Day by Joyce Maynard, both the book and the movie. Keep reading to hear her thoughts about each!

Eva Braun: Life with Hitler - Heike B. Gortemaker

Eva Braun: Life with Hitler

If you have been around Read.Write.Repeat. for any length of time, you know how much I love history. I particularly enjoy reading about women throughout history. There stories are so often skimmed over in history classes but are just as rich and interesting as those of their male counterparts.

I have had this particular biography On Reserve for several years now. It was long overdue to make it into my hands.

Typically, WWII has not been an era of special interest for me. You should all know by know that my weak spots are British royal history and the Gilded Era, to name a few. This book fits in neither of those categories, yet the mystery surrounding this woman intrigues me. 

Nearly a century after his reign of terror, Adolf Hitler still lives in infamy as one of the most hated, horrible men ever to live. It can be hard to even view him as human. None of us wish to believe we could have anything in common with a man like him.

Yet, there was a woman who loved him. Eva Braun, his mistress of over a decade, his wife and suicide partner at the very end, continues to defy understand and fascinate historians. In truth, we know very little about this woman.

January 2014 Chapter

Welcome to the Read.Write.Repeat. monthly wrap-up.  Every month, I give a quick overview of what books I read, the progress made on the 100 Best Novels goal, a few book-related links, and general blog news.  

January News

As much as I totally, thoroughly, hate winter with every cell in my body, I do have to admit that this month has provided the perfect weather for curling up inside with a book. Lots of snow and frigid temperatures here in the Midwest have cancelled plans and kept us indoors. We even got a few snow/cold days off from work, which is an unprecedented miracle.

All the forced days at home paid off. I read more books this January than I did in January 2012 and January 2013 combined! Actually, I read more books this month than I have any month in the past two years. What a great way to start the year!

And don't think that all the reading means I was not productive. Kevin and I have started 2014 strong. We've decided this is going to be our year. We've done some major cleaning and organizing in our lives. I've started being more proactive about cutting down our grocery bill and planning ahead. I started (yet another) part-time job tutoring online. I also started my grad program, which I am absolutely loving so far. Things are off to a great start!

Here on the blog, I participated in quite a few book tours, which largely account for the amount of reading I did. I'm signed up for quite a few this winter/spring. There are two in February which I am particularly excited about!

If you missed Movie Mondays this month, both were classic adaptations of classics. Animal Farm didn't come close to living up to the book, but The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie had me fan-girling pretty hard for Maggie Smith.

I also kicked off what I hope will become a great discussion about the Harry Potter books. Kevin and I are going through them together (his first time) and I really want to use this chance to reminisce with all you HP fans out there. Make sure you vote in the poll in the right hand column and share what your favorite HP book is!