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Top Ten Tuesday -Book Releases I’m Most Looking Forward to for the Rest of 2019

Today’s Topic: Most Anticipated Releases of the Second Half of 2019

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

I’m not exactly following the correct prompt for this week. But I will be out of the country for the next several weeks and was really excited about the prompt for next week.  I am really looking forward to some of the new releases for the last half of this year and have chosen to share those with you now. I’m feeling a bit proud of myself since my choices span a range of genres. But I”ll try to keep my gloating to a minimum. Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday -Book Releases I’m Most Looking Forward to for the Rest of 2019”

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Series Review – Mrs. Wilson (2018)

There’s a saying that truth is often stranger than fiction. That certainly proved to be the case for the family of actress Ruth Wilson. Wilson plays the role of her own grandmother Alison Wilson in this short series. Mrs. Wilson is based on Alison’s marriage to the enigmatic British spy and author Alexander Wilson.

SUMMARY

After twenty years of wedded bliss and two children, Alec unexpectedly dies in Alison’s arms. Alison is devastated by his death. She goes through the motions of comforting her sons and planning Alec’s funeral until she receives another unexpected shock. An older woman arrives on her doorstep to collect Alec’s belongings. She claims to be Mrs. Wilson.

Seeking answers, Alison tracks down Alec’s intelligence handler Coleman. Alison is adamant that Alec was divorced from the first Mrs. Wilson before marrying her. Coleman is not so sure. This leads Alison to question every thing she ever knew about their life together. Not only does she explore her own memories of her past with Alec, but she also begins her own investigation into Alec’s private and professional life.  She is stymied at every turn by an agency who wants to keep Alec’s work secret. Nor does she receive any help by those who knew Alec personally. As she slowly uncovers her husband’s secrets, she discovers a man she barely knew.

For the full review, please follow me over to The Silver Petticoat Review.

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Reel Infatuation Blogathon – Melanie Wilkes of Gone With the Wind

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen Gone With the Wind over the years. In fact, it may be the film I’ve watched the most. Though it isn’t my favorite (that honor belongs to Bringing Up Baby), it never fails to entertain me with it’s drama, performances and costumes.

Gone With the Wind is clearly Scarlett O’Hara’s story. And though she’s a divisive character, I’ve always appreciated her more than Melanie Wilkes. Next to Scarlett, Melanie appeared to me to be bland, boring and weak. However, in my more recent viewings of this film, my opinion has changed dramatically. And that is why I chose her for my character crush for this year’s Reel Infatuation Blogathon hosted by Font and Frock and Silver Screenings. Continue reading “Reel Infatuation Blogathon – Melanie Wilkes of Gone With the Wind”

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Top Ten Tuesday – Books From My Favorite Genre

Today’s Topic:  Books From My Favorite Genre

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

Okay ya’ll. As most of you know by now, historical fiction is my go-to genre every time. And I’ve read a ton of it over the years. So historical fiction titles appear frequently in my Top Ten Lists. Many of the same titles show up over and over again since they are my favorites.

However, I decided to challenge myself a bit this week by listing books which haven’t made frequent appearances on my website already. That does not necessarily mean I have never mentioned them here before, just that they don’t show up with regularity. Some of these titles are fairly new, but most are old favorites.

Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday – Books From My Favorite Genre”

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Rosalind Russell Blogathon – Tell It to the Judge (1949)

Rosalind Russell is one of the under-rated talents of classic film, in my opinion. In her forty year career, she played opposite some of Hollywood’s most popular leading men, appeared in more than one hundred films in a mix of genres and  was nominated for an Oscar four times. She also appeared on stage multiple times and even won a Tony Award.

But for some reason, she’s not often listed as anyone’s favorite actress or ranked among the great actresses of her time. Well, thanks to Crystal of In The Good Old Days of Hollywood, Russell is getting some well-deserved recognition and remembrance with her very own blogathon.

I’ve seen many of Rosalind Russell’s films knowing I can always count on her to give her best in any performance. Of course, she’s excellent in dramatic roles, but I often think she is overlooked as a comedienne and not just because of her stand-out role in My Girl Friday. I recently ran across one of her lesser known films Tell It to the Judge and found it to be an absolute delight. Continue reading “Rosalind Russell Blogathon – Tell It to the Judge (1949)”

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Book Review – Suffering the Scot by Nichole Van

SUMMARY

Lady Jane Everard cannot abide the new Earl of Hadley. The unmannered Scot is a menace to genteel ladies everywhere, what with his booming laugh and swishing kilt and endless supply of ‘ochs’ and ‘ayes.’ Jane wishes Lord Hadley would behave as an earl should and adhere to English rules of polite conduct.

Andrew Langston, the new Earl of Hadley, knows that the English aristocracy think poorly of his lowly Scottish upbringing. This is hardly new. History is littered with the English assuming the worst about Scotland. By living up to their lowest expectations, he is simply fulfilling his civic duty as a Scotsman.

Jane sees Andrew as an unmannered eejit. Andrew considers Jane to be a haughty English lady. But, as the saying goes, . . . opposites attract.

And what if beneath his boisterous behavior and her chilly reserve, Andrew and Jane are not nearly as different as they suppose? Can Scotland and England reach a harmonious union at last?

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve always been a fan of author Nichole Van, reading her books as soon as they are released. But I really think that Suffering the Scot is her best one yet. It is certainly going on my list of favorite reads this year. What an absolute delight this story is which perfectly blends history, romance, mystery and humor. Lest you think this is just some entertaining fluff, it also manages to slip some fairly deep wisdom in as well. Continue reading “Book Review – Suffering the Scot by Nichole Van”

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Classic Film Review – To Catch A Thief (1955)

Sometimes all the stars align just right and you get a thing of great beauty. Perhaps, that is how those involved in the making of To Catch a Thief felt. I doubt many pictures had a crew as simpatico as this one. Director Alfred Hitchcock admired both Grace Kelly and Cary Grant. He had worked with both actors several times, but never together. Kelly and Grant both appreciated the director. And thanks to this film, Kelly and Grant remained lifelong friends.

Matching the natural beauty of Grant and Kelly is the vibrantly magnificent views of the French Riviera where the film is set. Add in the fashionable, yet classic costumes designed by the award winning designer Edith Head and you have one of the most visually gorgeous films I’ve ever seen.

SUMMARY

Grant is John Robie, a retired jewel thief living a comfortable life in the south of France, until a new round of burglaries is attributed to his alter ego The Cat. The local police believe that Robie has returned to his life of crime. To make matters worse, Robie’s former compatriots in the French Resistance share that believe. Robie decides the only way to clear his name is to catch the thief who is posing as him.

With the help of an insurance investigator, Robie begins shadowing those who might be targets of the jewel thief. His mission is complicated by American heiress Francie Stevens. Francie inserts herself into his life and constantly interrupts Robie’s private investigation. But Francie’s motives aren’t exactly what they appear to be. Engaged in dual games of cat and mouse, there is more at stake than Robie’s personal reputation.

To see my full review, please follow me over to The Silver Petticoat Review.

 

 

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Top Ten Tuesday – Favorite Books Released In the Last Ten Years

Today’s Topic: Favorite Books Released In the Last Ten Years (one book for each year)

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

Well, what an interesting topic this turned out to be. I actually had to do a little research through my bookshelves, looking for publishing dates.  I had a very difficult time narrowing it down to one favorite book per year, so I decided to include all the titles that were contenders for my favorite. Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday – Favorite Books Released In the Last Ten Years”

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Book Review – Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy

Millions of people around the world adore the story of Anne of Green Gables. Thanks to L.M Montgomery’s series and numerous film and television adaptations, Anne, along with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, Diana Barry and Gilbert Blythe are so familiar as to almost be part of people’s lives.

When I learned that a prequel about Marilla’s early life was available, I was thrilled. At the same time, I was also anxious. When a story is beloved as Anne of Green Gables, one hopes that a new author can remain true to the original author’s voice and also to the characters themselves. This is not always guaranteed. But I am happy to say that Sarah McCoy’s Marilla of Green Gables managed to achieve the almost impossible.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Marilla of Green Gables takes us back in time before the arrival of a red-headed orphan. It introduces a thirteen year old Marilla, her twenty-one year old brother Matthew and their parents. Green Gables has just been built and Avonlea is the same small community we all know and love. Some of the family names will be familiar to Anne fans, proving that Avonlea residents run generations deep. We also meet Marilla’s new friend Rachel White, her Aunt Izzy and a young John Barry.

The book follows Marilla through her teenage years as she experiences change, tragedy and responsibility. The last third of the books skips ahead twenty years to show the main characters as adults. Although Marilla is the main character, we also experiences plenty of her brother Matthew and the future Rachel Lynde as well as the future father of Gilbert Blythe.

For the full review, please follow me over to The Silver Petticoat Review.

 

 

 

 

 

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5 Favorite Films of the 50’s Blogathon

I’ve always considered myself a fan of the pre-war films. In particular, I love the movies of the 1930’s. In my mind, 50’s films are more gritty, less hopeful as well as dramatic. As a fan of comedies and happy endings, I’ve kind of put films from this decade in a box to avoid.

No one was more surprised than me however to discover how many 50’s pictures I’ve seen and actually loved. Talk about preconceptions! I didn’t think I could find enough films to participate in this blogathon. When in reality my problem is that there were so many great pictures, that it about killed me to keep this list at five. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it.

There were so many films that I really love. But for the most part my deciding criteria was linked to nostalgia. The five movies on my list are ones I grew up watching. I’ve seen them all countless times and love them for their familiarity, the sense that I get that I’m re-visiting old friends and that happy cozy feeling of remembering my childhood experiences with them. Those that just missed the cut include Ivanhoe, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and To Catch a Thief. Painful, I tell you. Continue reading “5 Favorite Films of the 50’s Blogathon”