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Top Ten Tuesday -Books I Could Re-Read Forever

Today’s Topic: Books I Could Re-read Forever

Hosted by: The Artsy Reader Girl

Despite the fact that my TBR list is mammoth and will probably never be finished, I am a faithful re-reader. When I find a good story with good characters I will read it over and over. For me, it is like re-visiting old friends, or the comfort of returning home. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that I already know I will love the story. I hate investing time in a book only to discover that it doesn’t appeal to me.

Generally, I will purchase a new book on Kindle. Then, if I really love it, I will purchase the print version to keep forever on my bookshelf. I like being able to physically see all my “friends” and know they are right there at my fingertips when I need them.  Though my “friend” list is in the high hundreds, I will try to pare this list down considerably for today’s list.

In order to challenge myself a bit, I have tried to list books which have not been featured on my website before and which may not be well-known. Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday -Books I Could Re-Read Forever”

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Elizabeth Taylor Blogathon -National Velvet (1944)

SUMMARY OF NATIONAL VELVET

Velvet Brown is your average young girl. She lives in a small English village with her parents, older sisters and younger brother. But Velvet has one trait that sets her apart -she is horse crazy! Not only does she pretend that she owns her own equine, but she cares even more for the noble beasts than she does people.

Velvet’s life is first upended by the arrival of Mi Taylor, a suspicious young man with possible ties to her mother. Because Mi seems to share her appreciation for horses, she convinces both Mi and her family that he should stay. Though Mi is drawn to the freedom of the open road, he reluctantly agrees for Velvet’s sake.

Velvet’s life is completely changed when she wins a high spirited horse no one else wants in the village lottery.  But this is no ordinary horse to the young Velvet. She sees something special in the Pie. Suddenly, it becomes her mission to see him win the honor and glory she thinks he deserves. When Velvet learns of Mi’s familiarity with horse racing, she sweetly coerces him into a pact to train Pie for the world’s most prestigious race, The Grand National. But the odds are small and the stakes are high and no one believes the Pie can win. No one but his young dreamy owner. Continue reading “Elizabeth Taylor Blogathon -National Velvet (1944)”

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Foreign Film Friday -Good Morning (1959)

SUMMARY

In post WWII Japan, families live in small community planned housing. The men take the train in to work, if they are lucky enough to have jobs. In this community, the wives and mothers spend their days, bossing their children, preparing meals and gossiping about each other. Families are making ends meet, but barely.

The children (all of who are boys) band together for their walks to school, and make up  little challenges for fun. They also congregate at a neighbor’s house to watch television when they can get away with it.

Two of the boys, who happen to be brothers demand that their parents buy them a television, but they are refused. An argument follows about who talks too much, children or adults. So the boys Minoru and Isamu make a vow of silence between them as an act of rebellion against their parents’ refusal to purchase a television. This leads to further misunderstandings among the gossiping neighbors who already believe the boys’ mother is angry with them over some missing money. Meanwhile, the boys’ aunt has a crush on their kind English tutor and contrives reasons to show up on his doorstep. Continue reading “Foreign Film Friday -Good Morning (1959)”

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Book Review -Across the Blue

SUMMARY

Isabella Grayson is the daughter of a self-made newspaper magnate. Her parents are pushing her to marry in order to increase her family’s social standing. But Isabella has no interest in the old money, aristocratic young men that her parents prefer. In fact, she has little interest in marriage at all.  Bella has a secret dream of publishing as a journalist in one of her father’s papers. She has a particular interest in the brand new field of aviation.

James Drake is an orphan who has risen above his tragic beginnings. With the help of his mentor, James is designing an airplane he hopes will bring him enough prestige to start his own company. While test piloting his plane, he crash lands at the Grayson’s new country estate, where he meets Bella.

Striking a deal with her parents to encourage marriage minded suitors, Bella is given permission to write a series of articles on a contest for pilots to be the first to cross the English Channel. She and James develop an appreciation for each other as Bella uses him as a source for her articles. In addition, she decides to help James track down the mystery of his birth parents. However, though their friendship is acceptable, any romantic interest between them is not. As their feelings for each other deepen, they must balance their personal relationship with their professional interests.

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

 

 

 

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31 Days of Oscar Blogathon -Classic Film Stars Who Never Won an Oscar

Every year the Academy of Motion Arts awards the golden Oscar statue to those with outstanding perfomances in their field. In honor of this year’s awards Kellee of Outspoken & Freckled,  Paula of Paula’s Cinema Club and Aurora at Once Upon a Screen... are hosting an Oscar’s blogathon. When I decided to participate I knew exactly what topic I wanted to cover.

From the time I was a child, I have adored classic films and with them many famous faces from that time period. The Oscars recognize talent, dedication and artistry, but there can only be one winner per category, per year. There are many popular and famous actors and actresses from the Golden Hollywood years who never received a competitive Oscar, even though they deserved one. Of course, a few of these received honorary Oscars at the end of their careers for a lifetime of amazing work. However, in my opinion, though an honor it may be, it feels a bit like a consolation prize.

As many know, Oscar voting is not free of bias, agenda or lobbying. So while, everyone who is nominated is certainly worthy, sometimes the winner is not always the very best of the nominees.

Today, in honor of the Oscars, I have made a list of twenty-three famous classic film stars who never won a competitive Oscar. Some of them might surprise you. I am also including the films for which they were nominated, the films for which I believe they deserved to win, as well as my personal favorites. I am not comparing their performances with the other nominees in their fields for the year that they lost. Every one nominated deserves to win, but of course that is impossible. And of course,  this list is subjective, based on my personal opinion. Continue reading “31 Days of Oscar Blogathon -Classic Film Stars Who Never Won an Oscar”

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Classic Film Review -Trouble Along the Way (1953)

SUMMARY

Steve Williams is a disgraced former college football coach. After a bitter divorce, he is raising his daughter alone and making a living as a glorified bookie.

Father Burke is the aging president of small parochial college, St Anthony’s. He has just been informed that his beloved school will be closed soon due to insolvency.

Burke refuses to accept the bad news. He believes that he can  save the school by generating enough money to pay off the large debt. He has the brilliant idea of hiring Steve to create a football program which will bring in enough revenue to achieve his goal.

Initially, Steve refuses the offer. But then his ex-wife reports him to social services in an effort to regain custody of their daughter. Steve realizes that his current lifestyle will not look good to the court. So, he and his daughter Carol take on the challenge of creating a football team for a college which is better known for its’ academics than athletics. Continue reading “Classic Film Review -Trouble Along the Way (1953)”

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Book Review -Speak Easy, Speak Love

SUMMARY

Six teenagers’ lives intertwine during one thrilling summer full of romantic misunderstandings and dangerous deals in this sparkling retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.

After she gets kicked out of boarding school, seventeen-year-old Beatrice goes to her uncle’s estate on Long Island. But Hey Nonny Nonny is more than just a rundown old mansion. Beatrice’s cousin, Hero, runs a struggling speakeasy out of the basement—one that might not survive the summer.

Along with Prince, a poor young man determined to prove his worth; his brother, John, a dark and dangerous agent of the local mob; Benedick, a handsome trust-fund kid trying to become a writer; and Maggie, a beautiful and talented singer; Beatrice and Hero throw all their efforts into planning a massive party to save the speakeasy. Despite all their worries, the summer is beautiful, love is in the air, and Beatrice and Benedick are caught up in a romantic battle of wits that their friends might be quietly orchestrating in the background. Continue reading “Book Review -Speak Easy, Speak Love”

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Top Ten Tuesday -Favorite Book Romances

Today’s Topic: Love Freebie (Romances, swoons, OTPs, kisses, sexy scenes, etc.)

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

I’m a romantic at heart and I love a good love story. So when I saw this week’s topic was a love freebie to celebrate Valentine’s Day, I was thrilled. I had a bit of trouble deciding what my topic would be as I had so many ideas. But I finally settled on my favorite book romances.

Is there anything better than when two individual souls find themselves in the other? I think not and the journey in recognizing love is half the fun. So, in honor of Valentine’s Day, I give you my favorite book romances. Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday -Favorite Book Romances”

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Foreign Film Friday -La Parisienne (1957)

SUMMARY

Brigitte Laurier (Brigitte Bardot) is the precocious daughter of France’s president. She has fallen in love with her father’s employee, the handsome womanizer Michel Legrand (Henri Vidal). Not only does she arrange to become Michel’s secretary, but she sticks like glue to him outside the office despite his apparent lack of interest in her.

On a weekend when President Laurier is hosting various government officials at his home, Brigitte contrives to be found in Michel’s bed. Her furious father insists they marry. Once she has caught him, Brigitte isn’t as eager for the union since the marriage was forced upon Michel.

However, Michel surprises her by displaying a previously hidden appetite for his sexy new wife. But Brigitte hasn’t forgotten Michel’s past as a notorious ladies man. She is convinced it is only a matter of time until he cheats on her. When an old mistress phones their home, Brigitte decides two can play that game. She resolves to have an affair of her own. The problem is she has chosen an aging married prince as her partner, who is on a diplomatic trip to Paris.

Michel has no specific intentions of cheating on his wife and at first doesn’t take her stated payback seriously. But when Brigitte and the Prince Charles (Charles Boyer) both happen to disappear on the same day, his suspicions are aroused. Not only that, but if Brigitte and the Prince are linked together, it could create an international incident. Will this husband and wife reconcile before they create a political scandal? Continue reading “Foreign Film Friday -La Parisienne (1957)”

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Book Series Review -Creek Country Saga; Beneath the Blackberry Moon, Books 1&2

SUMMARY

Adela McGirth is thankful her life is spared after a run-in with a small party of Creek Indians in a meadow by her home. Little does she know that this will not be the only meeting with the Indian warrior who saves her life.

An Indian attack on the fort where Adela and her mother and sisters are staying for protection, leaves her fiance and hundreds others dead. But an old connection between her mother and another Indian sees them saved but taken captive.

Upon arrival in the village of Kossati, Adela once again catches the eye of her savior, Totka Lawe. He is impressed by her courage and compassion and a spark of attraction ignites between them.

Despite their differences of language, culture and religious beliefs, Totka determines to claim the female he names Copper Woman for himself. Meanwhile Adela, her mother and sister must learn to survive and understand a very different way of life.

The longer Adela lives with her captors, the more she becomes Copper Woman as she builds relationships with those whose hearts are really not that different from her own. And the more she finds her heart bound to the warrior Totka, whose desire to care for his clan in peace conflicts with the warring desire to defend their lands.

Despite a deep love between them, Totka and Copper Woman wonder whether the differences between them are greater than their ability to overcome. Continue reading “Book Series Review -Creek Country Saga; Beneath the Blackberry Moon, Books 1&2”