Hello and happy Sunday! I had a lovely break from blogging and no regrets quitting social media. It's finally gotten brisk enough here to wear my favorite coats and we have been able to walk a bit more. Today I thought I would catch up with Sunday Salon and chat about movies and books.
Movies
One of my favorites, and also one we haven't watched in a couple years, is It's a Wonderful Life. It's old and corny but I love George Bailey. He's always had love, respect and support it but it took Clarence to to give him a different perspective.
Love, Actually has unrealistic situations and outcomes yet I look forward to it every year. Also every year Doug and I say we could live in that cottage in France.
Die Hard - how can we not watch both Die Hard movies with Christmas settings? We like action movies and this is a pizza night movie for sure.
The books I've enjoyed recently are
Lost for Words Bookshop featuring a bookshop in York England (how could I resist that one) 4.5 stars
Foster by Claire Keegan - the setting is rural Wexford Ireland. 5 stars
Finishing up Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea
I abandoned The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex. It sounded interesting about the mystery of the three Scottish lighthouse keepers who disappeared without a trace. It's still a mystery, no one knows what happened the men. Be Warned: There is animal abuse which I discovered would be fairly graphic so, nope....I stopped reading.
I'm mentioning this in case that's a deal breaker for anyone so you don't invest time in the begining chapters.
The highlighted links go to my Goodreads accounts with the reviews.
Linking up with Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon.
I'm glad you had a nice break from blogging. I plan to take a little one at the beginning of 2024. Next year is my 15th year anniversary in blogging and I hope to do that up big.
ReplyDeleteI am crazy about Love Actually and It's a Wonderful Life. When I was young, I saw the Marlo Thomas version of the story and loved it, never realizing it was a remake. I've just order the Marlo Thomas version today. I also want to see Muppet Christmas Carol and the new movie Spirited.
Deb, a break is what we all need sometimes to evaluate if it's fun to keep going. I didn't know about the Marlo Thomas version, will look for it.
DeleteI'm a big fan of Love Actually, and will probably watch it in the next week or so. I also enjoy watching You've Got Mail around this time of year. I haven't read anything by Claire Keegan, but keep seeing her books on IG & Goodreads, so I hope to read Foster in 2023.
ReplyDeleteLes, that was my first book by Claire Keegan and I have already requested another from the library. I haven't seen You've Got Mail in years!
DeleteI also love It's a Wonderful Life but haven't watched it in a few years. I'd like to introduce it to my son finally this season! I've also been wanting to read the short story it was taken from as well this season.
ReplyDeleteI never got on the Love, Actually band wagon. I watched it way after it first came out like basically I saw it for the first time just a few years ago and I wasn't a fan but I can see why people are. I do love most of the actors in it so I'd see it again.
My faves are A Christmas Story, Elf, A Muppet Christmas Carol, Garfield's Christmas special, and the A Christmas Carol movie with George C. Scott. For some horror Krampus has to be my favorite right now and Black Christmas is one I never fail to watch from year to year.
For holiday reading I'm hoping to reread A Christmas Carol. I started the Battle for Christmas by Stephen Nissenmbaum.
I hope you have a lovely week!
Heather, I like how all the stories and people overlap for Love, Actually. I have not read any Nissenmbaum, will check him out.
DeleteI like every one of those movies and own a few of them to rewatch every year or two. I much prefer these "classics" to the Hallmark holiday ones that just seem like the same story told on repeat with different actors.
ReplyDeleteI put a lot of effort in my blog this year (my 3rd year) and feel like if I take much of a break I'll have to start over at ground zero. I feel like I need a little stronger base before taking any meaningful break. Luckily I still think it's fun! Have a terrific week and thanks for the visit.
Terrie @ Bookshelf Journeys
Terrie, we tend to have the same holiday movie lineup. This is the foirst year we have not watched A Christmas Carol. We've seen Alistair Simm, Parricj=k Stewart and George C Scott and own the Patrick Stewart copy.
DeleteI've been blogging between several sites for 15 years. I started with a geneolgy site in 2007 and then this one since 2009 so evry once in a while I need to step away.
I think I'd like to read all the books with bookshop in the titles. That would be amazing.
ReplyDeleteHarvee, that might make a cool book goal for me next year! Searching out books with that setting.
DeleteI haven't seen Die Hard in eons. Love actually I hardly remember but I bet it would all come back if I sat down to rewatch. White Christmas is a favorite and I always seem to find a way to watch that lol!
ReplyDeleteGreg, we ended up collecting the entire Die Hard series. Oh yeah, haven;t seen White Christmas in ages!
DeleteI love It's A Wonderful Life! I cry every time because it's all just so touching. Would've made a great series. lol
ReplyDeleteI watched a 20th anniversary special about Love Actually last week but missed the first half so I need to find it on Hulu or somewhere.
Jinjer, that's one of my favorites!!! George is such a good guy.
DeleteVicki, I hope you find a copy of the Wonderful Life movie, it's a nice old one. Love Jimmy Stewart. Foster was great.
ReplyDelete