a different kind of media frenzy

The past couple of weeks have been media frenzy at our house:

1. We now receive the newspaper. I love pouring over pages that leave my hands gray and filmy.

2. We now carry little movie rental cards (the first in our married lives) in our wallets and have rented all sorts of movies we've not had a chance to see. Mostly our "rentals" have been provided compliments of our local library and have consisted of 5-Mile Creek, The Maltesse Falcon, and Horatio Hornblower. All quality shows I could watch repeatedly. Well, maybe not the Maltesse Falcon. Anyway, back to new movies. Thoughts:
*I remember growing up going to rent a movie with my family or friends and every now and then averting my eyes or blushing because of a movie cover. Now, even as a grown adult, I practically have to run through the "new releases" section because of the awful covers.
*Personal Ratings:
Stranger Than Fiction---two thumbs up
(note: after the first little bit I turned to Jared and said, "Sorry, I thought this was a comedy." Because although I thought it was quite humorous, Jared has a tendency to only find movies funny if Chevy Chase or Matthew Broderick make an appearance, so I was feeling tentative to his enjoyment. He'd probably rate it a shaky half-thumbs up.
Eragon---one thumb
Night At the Museum--- 1 1/2 thumbs.
(note: funny, CLEAN, easy-going watch)
Pursuit of Happyness---2 thumbs
Nacho Libre---TBA (it's for tonight)

Thanks to our friends Ben and Laura, we also can join the rest of America in The Office fanaticism. We've been staying up as late as we can watching all the past episodes.
And, again, thanks to them we've been catching up on Man v. Wild. It really doesn't matter to me if it's not %100 real...if you can eat raw zebra (or whatever that was) and scale cliffs, you're amazing and I'll watch you for an hour.

Let's see, whatelse?

Oh, on to books. My favorite.

3. I've been in such a read-everything-I-can-get-my-hands on mood. Quick rundown:


Eclipse---if you haven't read it yet, don't. Wait until book 4 comes out because, this is pathetic, but I seriously have this longing emotion not un-like the feeling you get after getting broken up with. (Not that I would know or anything) I want to yell at the book: "Hey! What do you mean it's over? I'm not done yet." I wish Stephenie Meyer's writing wasn't such that you feel it's YOU. You are there, it's your story. Then maybe I would just think it's a good book, a fun read.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to escape for a few hours and doesn't mind teenagers.

The Scarlet Pimpernel---Looooved it! Everything a classic historical fiction romance adventure book should be. The movie version with Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman (what's her name?) is one of few movies I've watched repeatedly and was pleasantly surprised the book and movie are quite different. I found this book remarkably simplistic, yet it captured my attention completely. I even gasped.
I recommend this book to my two good, good friends Denise and Lisa (who actually gave me the book at our book club's white elephant party last year). Thanks!

The Omnivore Dilemma by Michael Pollan. This is one intense book for being about what we eat. Absolute fascinating and absolute food for thought. Written by a journalist, well researched/documented origin and break down of our modern food chain: corn and corn by-products, organic, and so forth. Highly recommend although it's certainly not a read in one sitting book. Warning: this book will get you so excited about green grass you'll wonder how you ever found anything else in life worth your time. You know a book is funny when the author successfully uses "svelte" to describe a coke bottle.
I recommend it to my brother Dan, my brother-in law Trevor, and my dear friend, Amy.

The King of Attolia, by Megan Whalen Turner. More fiction---YA? Probably. I've read and re-read this book. Start at the beginning and read The Thief, follow it with The Queen of Attolia. I started at the end, this book, and went back through the beginning. I recommend this book to my sister-in law Nicol and niece Rylee, my sister Esther, and of course, Krystal.

Frog and Toad Together, by Arnold Lobel, specifically the short titled "Cookies" and I recommend this book to anyone trying to tame a sweet tooth. It will make you smile.

Okay. Now go read then call or email me and we'll chat. I'm lonesome for book-chatters. So much so I want to tell you a funny story.

Before I picked up Eclipse a few weeks ago, I make a deal with myself that I would be "responsible, reliable, and a really good mom" while reading. In otherwords, I would not let it absorb my time and energy, keep me up at night, or pay more attention to it than my family. I only read until 10:30pm, sadly put it down, got up in the morning, thought about it all through my run, came home, did our normal routine (I will admit to reading while cooking breakfast), took my kids to the park all the while willing myself to the three R's. So, bla bla bla, right? I get to the park and what do I see? Someone reading it while sitting on the swings. "What?" I think. This can't be. I so was wishing to talk to someone because I had left off on an exciting part but didn't dare call any friends because I didn't want to ruin it if they weren't as far yet. I did a double take because who was reading it but a teenage boy! Hardly the stellar adult behavior to approach a teenage boy to talk about a book. Yikes! So I just smile and find some assurance I'm not crazy in liking this book so much. Anyway, time passes and I see him go to a picnic table full of adults and kids and he keeps reading. So thinking it's okay, I smile, put on my best "teacher" pose and walk up to the table and say something like "I know this is weird, but I just have to say how excited I am to see someone reading this book because I'm reading it too. Don't you just love it?" The table bursts into action with everyone yelling, "Stop! Don't say anything. We are all waiting in line to read it!" I couldn't believe it! This kid's mom, aunt, dad, cousins...isn't that fun?

It reminded me of my own family that even went a step farther. I remember hearing about my uncle having to hide in the closet and read Watership Down (I think?) all night so he could actually finish the book because everyone else wanted to read it too. I guess if you put it down it's fair game. Gives more meaning to the phrase "I couldn't put it down!"