Reading, Watching, Listening...... May in Review

What I Was Reading in May
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
Everything is Illuminated by Jonathon Safron Foer
13 Ways of Looking at a Novel by Jane Smiley
Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher


Books completed in May
Loitering With Intent by Muriel Spark
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reiley Giff
A View From Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
Small Steps by Louis Sachar
Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan
Thinking About Movies by Peter Lehman and William Luhr
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

I had an opportunity to read some children's books for a review in a local magazine at the beginning of the month and immediately thought I could keep going... reading a new one every day or every other day. I had an idea for a series of favorite kid's books reviewed on the site in 100 words or less. However, as the end of the school year wound down I only read ONE additional book. Oh well. Of the four I read, Pictures of Hollis Woods, A View From Saturday, Small Steps and Riding Freedom, I have to admit I loved Hollis Woods and View from Saturday best. Small Steps is a companion novel to the popular Holes but it did lack some of the charm the first book held. Riding Freedom is a work of historical fiction which Pam Munoz Ryan writes with expertise. I am also in possession of two picture books by her: Amelia and Eleanor Go For a Ride and Marion Sings, both wonderful books beautifully illustrated by Brian Selznick.

Loitering with Intent was an intriguing sort of book that told in first person narrative, Fleur Talbot's bizarre experience working for an Autobiographical Association in which a group of strangers bonded by this practice gather to write their life stories before they've lived much of it at all... often resorting to bizarre invention and even allowing our Miss Talbot to write chapters. In the midst of this, she is also writing her first novel and the sinister events that follow the completion of that book and her attempts to publish make for an interesting read.

Thinking about Movies is a textbook for a film class I am taking in order to become "highly qualified" to teach film in the fall. It was okay.

And Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was our book club selection for May (though we met June 3) and it was just as delightful the second time through.

What I Was Watching in May
On TV
Desperate Housewives
Grey's Anatomy
The Office
Friends
Little House on the Prairie
The Brady Bunch


Well, the season finale of Grey's Anatomy came first and I watched the two hour show with my friend Marci. I am easily sucked into stories and perhaps this is why I simply won't watch horror (the imprints it leaves behind), but I cried my eyes out at this episode. It left me feeling like now is the time for action. Time should never be wasted. The segments with Denny were heartbreaking but I cried that much harder when, everyone's favorite jerk, Alex Karev picked up Izzy is his arms and held her while all the rest of her friends stood there helplessly. It redeemed him completely for me. The shows one flaw came in the story line that is meant to be central. I was very disappointed in the kiss-fest between McDreamy and Meredith. I rather liked her vet and I so her hesitation at the end made me sad, more than anything. I guess she was feeling that now was a time for action, too?

Desperate Housewives seems to be getting a little too bizarre for me. I am not sure I need to say more. Or if I'll continue to watch it next fall.

The Office had a lovely finale with a declaration of love. I am a sap. I know.

And then Friends, Little House on the Prairie and The Brady Bunch have proven in re-runs to be a lovely bit of comfort. I have never watched The Brady Bunch... not more than an episode or a partial one at any point in my life. Of course, I am familiar with the idea and the characters but I was surprised at how easy it was to watch episode after episode in TV Land's marathon once I got started. And Little House on the Prairie and I have a long history. I felt that I grew right alongside half pint even though Melissa Gilbert is a fair bit older than me. Pa Ingalls seems like a midwestern version of Atticus Finch to me. A man of integrity. The sort of man one might be very proud to call Pa.


On DVD (owned and rented)
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Sixteen Candles(on tv)
The Squid and the Whale
South Pacific
Another Thin Man
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Of all the films I watched in May, Capote is my favored film. I did enjoy all these viewings in their own way. I thought Brokeback Mountain was good and interesting and I'm very glad I watched it.. but it's not best picture material for sure. I think the Academy did right in that one. Sixteen Candles was one of those late night, I'm busily downloading music and here's what's on TV type shows.... thought I might actually be able to say one of the Molly Ringwald’s signature lines today, "I can't believe they forgot my f*cking birthday" as today IS my birthday, but my dad already called with his wake-up call to remind me of the day I was born. "It rained 1 inch and 40 hundredths that day." He is a farmer, through and through.

South Pacific, Another Thin Man and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie make up the three "classic" films in this month. I was certain I'd not seen Another Thin Man but realized I had about 20 minutes in. No matter. I simply love, love, love William Powell and Myrna Loy.... the Charles family, complete with dog, Asta, are some all-time favorites in my book. South Pacific was new to me and though I liked it, I discoverd that some of the pleasure I get in watching musicals is knowing all the songs or having more familiarity... I guess the more I see it, the more I will like it. My favorite character was Ray Walston's, Luther, was MOST memorable in coconut bra or in his song, "There's Nothing like a Dame." I watched The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie as a comparison to the book, but I'm afraid I waited just long enough that I was a bit hazy on what was and was not part of the novel. I am not sure this one makes my all time favorite list, but I did enjoy seeing a young Maggie Smith. She was flamboyant and wonderful.


What I Was Listening to in May

My new MP3 player...
I haven't worked out a regular schedule for my single song fun... but here's the first shuffle I posted:

Angeline by Martin Sexton

Stuck in the Middle by Stealer's Wheel

Queen of Hearts by Juice Newton

Sugar, Sugar by The Archies

Wayward Wind by Patsy Cline

I am still in the process of uploading all my cds to my computer and then we'll see how much I can actually fit on this little mp3 player.