Book: 1776
Author: David McCullough
Like/Don't Like: I liked it but I wished someone had told me the story while wearing an authentic rebel uniform.
Here's the reason why I don't read history books. For me, it's like listening to a Civil War reenact without the benefit of a good laugh as you tell your friends about it later. But I felt a little patriotic last 4th of July so I started reading it. And I've been reading it ever since. It took me 5 months to make it through. Not that it wasn't fascinating. It was just that I already knew the ending. We won! Take that, Brits! And knowing that we won did not help in making me want to pick it back up. It was very well written and I suspect that I learned a lot, except that I can't actually remember any of it. Maybe it will come back to me if I'm ever on Jeopardy.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
Mamma Mia!
Movie: Mamma Mia!
Like/Don't Like: Abba and Colin Firth. What's not to like?
I love Abba. Their songs make me wish that I had a polyester jumpsuit studded in rhinestones that I could dance around in. A million imaginary points to the first person who knows which Abba song is my ringtone?
This movie has LOADS of Abba songs. I know that you're say, "Duh, Rachel. It's Mamma Mia." But I was truly surprised that about 90% of the movie was filled with songs. And on the DVD it has a sing-along feature and if there's anything I love more than Abba, it's a sing-along. The singing was alright. The acting was over the top. The location was Greece so it was pretty to look at. But none of that really matters because there was Colin Firth and Abba. It could have been Colin Firth singing Abba in a trash can and I would have been happy.
Like/Don't Like: Abba and Colin Firth. What's not to like?
I love Abba. Their songs make me wish that I had a polyester jumpsuit studded in rhinestones that I could dance around in. A million imaginary points to the first person who knows which Abba song is my ringtone?
This movie has LOADS of Abba songs. I know that you're say, "Duh, Rachel. It's Mamma Mia." But I was truly surprised that about 90% of the movie was filled with songs. And on the DVD it has a sing-along feature and if there's anything I love more than Abba, it's a sing-along. The singing was alright. The acting was over the top. The location was Greece so it was pretty to look at. But none of that really matters because there was Colin Firth and Abba. It could have been Colin Firth singing Abba in a trash can and I would have been happy.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II
Movie: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II
Like/Don't Like: A bit of a waste
I'm not really opposed to teenage girly movies. They fill a need sometimes. But this one filled two hours that I kind of wish I had spent reading or painting my toe nails or organizing my receipts. About halfway through Katie and I looked at each other and basically said, "Lame!"
It's the style of story telling that I just have a hard time getting into. That being a bunch of stories told individually. So you get 5 minutes with this character in this place then 5 minutes with another, then another. And it just gets old after the first 20 minutes because the movie is going nowhere. Not that I expected much but I think it could have been done better.
Like/Don't Like: A bit of a waste
I'm not really opposed to teenage girly movies. They fill a need sometimes. But this one filled two hours that I kind of wish I had spent reading or painting my toe nails or organizing my receipts. About halfway through Katie and I looked at each other and basically said, "Lame!"
It's the style of story telling that I just have a hard time getting into. That being a bunch of stories told individually. So you get 5 minutes with this character in this place then 5 minutes with another, then another. And it just gets old after the first 20 minutes because the movie is going nowhere. Not that I expected much but I think it could have been done better.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Thursday Next
Book: Thursday Next
Author: Jasper Fforde
Like/Don't Like: How can you not like a book that turns Pride and Prejudice into a reality show?
I started cursing my memory about 2 pages into this book. This is the fifth in a terrific series of books but it's been a few years since I've read them. The only thing I've been able to pull from my memory about them is my deep love, because they're HILARIOUS. They're witty and well written and they take you on some pretty funny adventures. I recommend them to anyone who loves to read because the series is set in a parallel universe (England, from about 1980 to the present) that is obsessed with books. They have Milton conventions and Henry V plays like the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The heroine, Thursday Next, has the ability to travel into books so along with meeting all the characters in the real world you get to meet all sorts of characters from your favorite novels. And don't worry about not being well read. It mostly deals with the classics and even if you haven't read half of them you will still know enough about them to appreciate them. For instance, one of the funniest scenes in whole series (and the only one I can actually remember) is an anger management session with the characters from Wuthering Heights. And, true confession time, I've never read it. I've tried 7 times and have never made it passed page 50. I'm a failure, I know. But that did not stop me from laughing like a loon when all the people in the group went around the room to say why they hate Heathcliff.
But where was I? Right, my memory. We've established that it's bad. Along with being incredibly witty the book is also kind of a complex. Thursday jumps back and forth from the book world to the real world and there are dozens of characters and plot lines and bad guys trying to kill her. And if you let it the whole thing can seem like one big confusing mess. Which totally makes you want to read them, right? Well, have no fear. I'm telling you all this because IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER. Even with my bad memory and simple mind I still fell right back in love with the story. And even after making the enormous mistake of putting it down for a month after I made it to page 50. I completely forgot everything I had read but didn't want to go back and re-read so I just went for it. And I was fine. From the very first chapter of the very first book I had to tell myself to not get bogged down with the details. There are loads of them and in the end they don't make much difference. They're just there to give you laugh. The real story always makes itself clear and I was amazed again at how everything came together in the end.
Author: Jasper Fforde
Like/Don't Like: How can you not like a book that turns Pride and Prejudice into a reality show?
I started cursing my memory about 2 pages into this book. This is the fifth in a terrific series of books but it's been a few years since I've read them. The only thing I've been able to pull from my memory about them is my deep love, because they're HILARIOUS. They're witty and well written and they take you on some pretty funny adventures. I recommend them to anyone who loves to read because the series is set in a parallel universe (England, from about 1980 to the present) that is obsessed with books. They have Milton conventions and Henry V plays like the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The heroine, Thursday Next, has the ability to travel into books so along with meeting all the characters in the real world you get to meet all sorts of characters from your favorite novels. And don't worry about not being well read. It mostly deals with the classics and even if you haven't read half of them you will still know enough about them to appreciate them. For instance, one of the funniest scenes in whole series (and the only one I can actually remember) is an anger management session with the characters from Wuthering Heights. And, true confession time, I've never read it. I've tried 7 times and have never made it passed page 50. I'm a failure, I know. But that did not stop me from laughing like a loon when all the people in the group went around the room to say why they hate Heathcliff.
But where was I? Right, my memory. We've established that it's bad. Along with being incredibly witty the book is also kind of a complex. Thursday jumps back and forth from the book world to the real world and there are dozens of characters and plot lines and bad guys trying to kill her. And if you let it the whole thing can seem like one big confusing mess. Which totally makes you want to read them, right? Well, have no fear. I'm telling you all this because IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER. Even with my bad memory and simple mind I still fell right back in love with the story. And even after making the enormous mistake of putting it down for a month after I made it to page 50. I completely forgot everything I had read but didn't want to go back and re-read so I just went for it. And I was fine. From the very first chapter of the very first book I had to tell myself to not get bogged down with the details. There are loads of them and in the end they don't make much difference. They're just there to give you laugh. The real story always makes itself clear and I was amazed again at how everything came together in the end.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Kung Fu Panda
Movie: Kung Fu Panda
Like/Don't Like: I laughed out loud a few times
I kind of feel like I'm the last person on the planet to see this movie so it seems a little ridiculous that I'm even reviewing it. But indulge me here, okay?
Jack Black made this movie. There were some pretty hilarious moments but I'm pretty sure that if it wasn't Jack Black reading the lines, they would have all flopped. So let us rejoice that he was in it. I had a good laugh from it. The animation was pretty cool too.
I have one complaint. There was too much slow motion. For me. Which is to say that everyone I've mentioned this to didn't notice it. But every fight sequence had a substantial amount of slo-mo and it was getting on my nerves. And now the next time you watch it you will notice it and then we can all sign petitions to Hollywood asking them to reign it in a little.
But other than that it was a great.
Like/Don't Like: I laughed out loud a few times
I kind of feel like I'm the last person on the planet to see this movie so it seems a little ridiculous that I'm even reviewing it. But indulge me here, okay?
Jack Black made this movie. There were some pretty hilarious moments but I'm pretty sure that if it wasn't Jack Black reading the lines, they would have all flopped. So let us rejoice that he was in it. I had a good laugh from it. The animation was pretty cool too.
I have one complaint. There was too much slow motion. For me. Which is to say that everyone I've mentioned this to didn't notice it. But every fight sequence had a substantial amount of slo-mo and it was getting on my nerves. And now the next time you watch it you will notice it and then we can all sign petitions to Hollywood asking them to reign it in a little.
But other than that it was a great.
Monopoly - the Card Game
Game: Monopoly - the Card Game!
Like/Don't Like: So much more than the board game
I hate Monopoly. About once a year I think that maybe I can be grown up about it and play and then I remember, almost instantly, how much I don't like playing. This is because I grew up playing with my dad, the Hotel Tycoon. I don't mind losing games. In fact, if you play any game against my dad or Katie or Camille, you end up losing. So I'm use to it. But losing Monopoly makes me feel bankrupt inside. I get to a point in the game, about the time that Dad has three whole sides of the board covered in hotels, that I just want to hand over all of my properties and cash and head to debtors prison.
So you can imagine that I wasn't too keen on playing any other form of Monopoly. I was afraid it would be an even meaner form of the game. Like an evil twin brother. But it was so much better. Like a fun and sassy aunt. There's no board or dice or tokens, just the cards. And instead of having to give money away, you just collect it. It's the same concept as Bad Monopoly in that you try to collect matching properties, but then you get cash based on which properties you have at the end of a round. Plus, it's quicker and you don't end the game feeling like a penniless loser. Bonus!
Like/Don't Like: So much more than the board game
I hate Monopoly. About once a year I think that maybe I can be grown up about it and play and then I remember, almost instantly, how much I don't like playing. This is because I grew up playing with my dad, the Hotel Tycoon. I don't mind losing games. In fact, if you play any game against my dad or Katie or Camille, you end up losing. So I'm use to it. But losing Monopoly makes me feel bankrupt inside. I get to a point in the game, about the time that Dad has three whole sides of the board covered in hotels, that I just want to hand over all of my properties and cash and head to debtors prison.
So you can imagine that I wasn't too keen on playing any other form of Monopoly. I was afraid it would be an even meaner form of the game. Like an evil twin brother. But it was so much better. Like a fun and sassy aunt. There's no board or dice or tokens, just the cards. And instead of having to give money away, you just collect it. It's the same concept as Bad Monopoly in that you try to collect matching properties, but then you get cash based on which properties you have at the end of a round. Plus, it's quicker and you don't end the game feeling like a penniless loser. Bonus!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Ticket to Ride
Game: Ticket to Ride
Like/Don't Like: I'm kind of addicted
That's right folks, I'm not just about the movies and the books. I give to you a game! I don't normally come across new games but I feel like ever since Chris joined the family we have be introduced to a bunch of new ones. If anyone knows games it's Chris Witt. He also knows all the rules. And all the sub-rules. And where in the rules to find the one rule that will spoil your plans for victory. He will even quote it for you. Chris has revolutionized the way we play games at the Knechts.
And this game, introduced to us by Gina and Chris, has revolutionized Sunday nights at the Knechts. Sunday nights have been the same for decades. Hamburgers for dinner, chit-chat around the table, a joke about dad not doing the dishes, sometimes we'll catch Andy Rooney on 60 minutes and comment on his glorious eyebrows, then popcorn. Now it has become hamburgers, Ticket to Ride, then popcorn. I think we've played it every Sunday night for 2 months.
It's a pretty simple concept. Here's the web-site if you want a visual. There's a map of the US (or other places depending on which game you have) with all sorts of train routes, like Chicago to LA or Boston to Nashville. You choose a few routes then you start building trains. The trick is to get your route before someone else takes it.
I'm truly surprised at how much I like this game. I don't really like games that involve too much strategy and this one does. So I thought I was going to hate it the first time I played but I was hooked right away. I love planning out the routes I want to take, and then planning contingency routes if they get taken, which they always are. It helps that it's a game with a map, which my family are suckers for. Another Sunday night tradition is for someone to ask a question about some place and my dad will say, "Let's pull out a map." Now we can pull out a map and possibly be a winner. Bonus!
Like/Don't Like: I'm kind of addicted
That's right folks, I'm not just about the movies and the books. I give to you a game! I don't normally come across new games but I feel like ever since Chris joined the family we have be introduced to a bunch of new ones. If anyone knows games it's Chris Witt. He also knows all the rules. And all the sub-rules. And where in the rules to find the one rule that will spoil your plans for victory. He will even quote it for you. Chris has revolutionized the way we play games at the Knechts.
And this game, introduced to us by Gina and Chris, has revolutionized Sunday nights at the Knechts. Sunday nights have been the same for decades. Hamburgers for dinner, chit-chat around the table, a joke about dad not doing the dishes, sometimes we'll catch Andy Rooney on 60 minutes and comment on his glorious eyebrows, then popcorn. Now it has become hamburgers, Ticket to Ride, then popcorn. I think we've played it every Sunday night for 2 months.
It's a pretty simple concept. Here's the web-site if you want a visual. There's a map of the US (or other places depending on which game you have) with all sorts of train routes, like Chicago to LA or Boston to Nashville. You choose a few routes then you start building trains. The trick is to get your route before someone else takes it.
I'm truly surprised at how much I like this game. I don't really like games that involve too much strategy and this one does. So I thought I was going to hate it the first time I played but I was hooked right away. I love planning out the routes I want to take, and then planning contingency routes if they get taken, which they always are. It helps that it's a game with a map, which my family are suckers for. Another Sunday night tradition is for someone to ask a question about some place and my dad will say, "Let's pull out a map." Now we can pull out a map and possibly be a winner. Bonus!
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