The Death of a Disco Dancer by David Clark
Although I'd read nothing but good reviews of this book, I was reluctant to read it. I think the cover is lame and I didn't find the description of the plot interesting at all. But then I decided to read it and I completely changed my mind. We talked about the book The Wednesday Wars this month in my book club, and it's interesting to compare the two because they have very similar themes. However, this book is much more nostalgic. It's written from the point of view of an adult looking back and trying to make sense of his life at a later time. I think I appreaciated it in a way I couldn't have fifteen years ago because I am an adult who is also realizing that my parents are aging, that I am aging, and that life in junior high somehow managed to mean everything and nothing for my future.
Twitterpated by Melanie Jacobson
I really loved Jacobson's two books that I read last year and so I was looking foward to this one the entire I time I was on hold for it at the library. Anticipation often ends up dampening an experience a little too much and I'm afraid it did for this book. Compared to Jacobson's other two books, it felt really lightweight and like the plot was too thin. Shelah noted many of the same issues I had, and Melanie was gracious in responding to her post with the clarification that this had been an earlier book than the other two. Reading this as a first novel rather than a third does change my expectations a bit.
Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat by Hal Herzog
This book was a good nonfiction read to help balance out some of the more fluffy stuff I've been reading lately. He covers a lot of ideas from psychology and talks about a lot of diferent ways that people interact with animals, but generally in an accessible way that is easy to relate to.
Life Sentences by Laura Lippman
I keep trying to like Laura Lippman because I've heard so many good things about her. But, despite the promise of an intriguing plot, her books just haven't been working out for me. I particularly didn't like the protagonist in this book and found her hard to relate to; it also wasn't so much a mystery as literary fiction, and I think it might have worked better as a mystery. Maybe.
I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
I have learned that I can always count on Sophie Kinsella to provide me with a funny, clever chick-lit that it easy to escape into for a few hours. I particularly like how she manages to make her books always a little thoughtful, and her heroines are always quite likeable and relatable.
Memoir of a Debulked Woman by Susan Gubar
This was obviously quite different from other things I read this month. It was an interesting mix of literary musings about cancer and illness and a rather graphic description of the complications that come from cancer treatment and abdominal surgery. As with most memoirs, I felt like I really came to know Gubar personally and found myself wishing I could someday meet her because she sounds like a fascinating person.
Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
I've had this book sitting around my house for a while but never read it. Then Shelah posted a review of it and I thought I might give it a try. I have to agree with her analysis, though, that the plot tries to cover too many people during too much time and it ends up not working as well as it could. I would have liked to spend more time with the characters.
Where She Went by Gayle Foreman
It's been a while since I read If I Stay, which is the book that this is a sequel to. I remember really liking that book, but I don't remember a lot of the plot. It took a while to get into this one at first simply because of the time that had elapsed since I had read the previous book. It was a good, quick read that I think would be most enjoyed by anyone who read the first book.
Movies
Magic Mike
Yes, I went and saw a movie about male strippers. In the theater. Surprisingly, the main thing that bothered me about it was the language. I was definitely not bothered by the dancing. The plot was a little slow and I actually thought it had some potential; it did make a few points about the economy and about what it means to be a 'good person'. But, we all know that it was really about tear-away pants. That was the best part.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
This Week (and Last)
I'm afraid I've gotten in the habit of putting off posting until I have something nice and coherent planned out in my head and time to write it down. Guess what? That never happens. Plus I've developed a bad habit of sitting down to the computer, zoning out, and surfing through random pages until my brain oozes out my ears. Oops.
So, what have I been doing the last two weeks? Working, for one. Going to work all day seems to make time speed up. The fact that it's summer has made me be more lax about bedtime for the kids, and while that means I get more time with them it also means that they aren't usually in bed and asleep until nine. I'm not sure if I like this or not. I have been putting the toddler to bed and then reading the first book of Harry Potter out loud to the older kids. Little Dude checked it out from the library the other week, but I realized that it would probably be best as a read-aloud for the family. S-Boogie read the entire series recently, but frankly I'm not sure how much she comprehended.
Speaking of Harry Potter, the other day at Barnes and Noble I almost bought the series as a box set because we don't own them. But they were too expensive; I know I can get a better deal on Amazon. I got a generous gift card as a parting thank-you from my old job, but I delayed spending it until now. I actually rarely purchase books anymore. I felt a bit embarrassed at the book store to realize that I could see many books I wanted to read, but not many I wanted to own. I have more thoughts on this, but I think I'm going to develop them into a post for one of the other blogs I write for. I did end up buying the fourth book in Shannon Hale's Goose Girl series, because I own the first three and the bookstore had the nice hardcover that matches my others (and is not the ugly paperback--I hate those). I also bought the regular version of the game Blockus. We have the travel version, but now more people can play together. S-Boogie, Little Dude, and I played a few rounds today while a certain game-wrecker was napping and we had a lot of fun.
Last weekend my mom came to visit so we went up to see the Kennecott Copper Mine. The kids liked seeing all the big trucks, and we got to learn all about how copper is mined and smelted. This weekend I was by myself and I got a lot done. I've been trying to get the garden going and have spent a lot of time putting in plants and pulling out weeds. I can tell that we're not going to have as nice of a garden this year, partly due to my laziness in doing what I needed to earlier in the season, and also because of an unusually dry winter coupled with an early and hot spring. So far the spinach and peas are doing well and the kids enjoy eating them. At least I can be grateful for that.
I'm grateful for so many small mercies lately. The extra summer church shoes I forgot about until S-Boogie found them in her closet and discovered that they fit (trying to keep kids up to date with clothes that are seasonal and fit is a challenge!). Good friends that invite me and the kids over for dinner because they like hanging out with us. My visiting teachers who noticed the Relief Society president talking to me in the hall and came over to say "please don't reassign us--we love visiting her and we can just come in the evening." Free tickets for an outdoor play at a neighborhood park. The list goes on. Friday night I got home from work with my takeout dinner (if you don't eat at Noodles, you really should) and my house was empty and a little lonely. But then I opened up my new Ensign that came in the mail and was truly spiritually fed. I loved the candid essay from a woman talking about the lessons she learned about relying on the Lord after her husband stopped believing; I could have written that a few years ago. I particularly loved Elder Uchtdorf's message this month that reminds us that we are always 'in the middle' of our lives. There is still so much more to come in the future; I just need to keep reminding myself of that every day and remember that nothing in my life is really over yet.
So, what have I been doing the last two weeks? Working, for one. Going to work all day seems to make time speed up. The fact that it's summer has made me be more lax about bedtime for the kids, and while that means I get more time with them it also means that they aren't usually in bed and asleep until nine. I'm not sure if I like this or not. I have been putting the toddler to bed and then reading the first book of Harry Potter out loud to the older kids. Little Dude checked it out from the library the other week, but I realized that it would probably be best as a read-aloud for the family. S-Boogie read the entire series recently, but frankly I'm not sure how much she comprehended.
Speaking of Harry Potter, the other day at Barnes and Noble I almost bought the series as a box set because we don't own them. But they were too expensive; I know I can get a better deal on Amazon. I got a generous gift card as a parting thank-you from my old job, but I delayed spending it until now. I actually rarely purchase books anymore. I felt a bit embarrassed at the book store to realize that I could see many books I wanted to read, but not many I wanted to own. I have more thoughts on this, but I think I'm going to develop them into a post for one of the other blogs I write for. I did end up buying the fourth book in Shannon Hale's Goose Girl series, because I own the first three and the bookstore had the nice hardcover that matches my others (and is not the ugly paperback--I hate those). I also bought the regular version of the game Blockus. We have the travel version, but now more people can play together. S-Boogie, Little Dude, and I played a few rounds today while a certain game-wrecker was napping and we had a lot of fun.
Last weekend my mom came to visit so we went up to see the Kennecott Copper Mine. The kids liked seeing all the big trucks, and we got to learn all about how copper is mined and smelted. This weekend I was by myself and I got a lot done. I've been trying to get the garden going and have spent a lot of time putting in plants and pulling out weeds. I can tell that we're not going to have as nice of a garden this year, partly due to my laziness in doing what I needed to earlier in the season, and also because of an unusually dry winter coupled with an early and hot spring. So far the spinach and peas are doing well and the kids enjoy eating them. At least I can be grateful for that.
I'm grateful for so many small mercies lately. The extra summer church shoes I forgot about until S-Boogie found them in her closet and discovered that they fit (trying to keep kids up to date with clothes that are seasonal and fit is a challenge!). Good friends that invite me and the kids over for dinner because they like hanging out with us. My visiting teachers who noticed the Relief Society president talking to me in the hall and came over to say "please don't reassign us--we love visiting her and we can just come in the evening." Free tickets for an outdoor play at a neighborhood park. The list goes on. Friday night I got home from work with my takeout dinner (if you don't eat at Noodles, you really should) and my house was empty and a little lonely. But then I opened up my new Ensign that came in the mail and was truly spiritually fed. I loved the candid essay from a woman talking about the lessons she learned about relying on the Lord after her husband stopped believing; I could have written that a few years ago. I particularly loved Elder Uchtdorf's message this month that reminds us that we are always 'in the middle' of our lives. There is still so much more to come in the future; I just need to keep reminding myself of that every day and remember that nothing in my life is really over yet.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Club Unicorn and Me
Last Thursday night my internet connection went down and I couldn't get it to come back up. I think it had something to do with a power outage earlier in the day. When I got around to calling Comcast on Friday morning, they were able to reset it fairly quickly. I sat down at my computer to catch up on things I had missed the day before and discovered a post called "Club Unicorn" that was being shared all over Facebook. I wasn't really shocked to read the content of the post, but I have been surprised by how many people have shared it and commented on it. I'm now feeling grateful that Facebook didn't exist six years ago when Mr. Fob and I were interviewed in the newspaper and on television. That was the right decision at the time, but I'm glad we turned down bigger offers and that things weren't shared more than they were.
We first met Josh and Lolly a little over six years ago. In the fall of 2005, Mr. Fob published an essay he had written in Dialogue. We received some correspondence as a result of that article; one of those people was Josh, who was happy to find another couple in the same situation because he and Lolly thought they were the only ones. We met up for dinner at the Brick Oven in Provo and then went back to their apartment to chat. It was a great night and the beginning of a great friendship. Apart from the obvious thing we had in common, we seemed to 'click' as friends and sincerely enjoyed hanging out together. We also coincidentally moved up to Seattle at the same time, and knowing another couple in the area was a big blessing to us.
Josh has written other things about being in a mixed-orientation marriage before, but always anonymously. During the last few days I have been experiencing a wide variety of emotions from reading all the different reactions to this post. I have been there: exposed to public scrutiny, reading the thoughts and feelings of others who think they know everything about your life and your future based on what you have said once. Is it worth it? Should we share such private things about ourselves on the internet? What good can come from it?
First of all, I wasn't surprised that Josh and Lolly made this decision. I know that it can be hard to live with a big part of your life that most of the world doesn't know about. We moved to California in the fall of 2008, right when the Prop 8 campaign was heating up. It was really difficult to navigate all my relationships at school and church without telling anyone that my husband was gay, but there wasn't a really good opportunity to do it. I don't know if it would have changed anything had I been able to say "I'm married to a gay man and I love him, and I still don't know what the answers are for everything." Unfortunately that statement tends to be met with criticism from all sides.
What I hope will come from Josh's post is an expansion of our hearts and minds. The willingness to let people speak their own stories without our own judgement, whether we agree with them or not. Even more importantly, whether we have the same experience or not. The fact that my experience has not been the same does not negate their experience.
One thing I really hope will come about from such openness is a greater tolerance and acceptance for those who are LDS and gay. I was heartened to read in Josh's story that his family was so loving and accepting, and sad to read that he struggled with being teased while in school. As members of the Church we should be leading the way in tolerance and love, not standing in the way of it. Whatever you think they should do with their lives in the future, all gay teenagers need is a hug and loving support. Teasing and name-calling should not be tolerated anywhere, especially not at Church youth activities.
Anyways, I'll get back off my soapbox and continue. Another concern that I've heard expressed by many is that stories of successful mixed-orientation marriages will encourage more of them to take place. I'm a bit concerned about that as well. The thing is, people I know who are like Josh don't necessarily want that to happen either. What I read in Josh's writing, and that of other friends, is that he believes that we should open our lives to God and let Him direct our path. That path may be marriage and it may be not be. I still believe in God and I still agree with this point of view. I think that God gave me and Mr. Fob a chance to have something beautiful and the choices Mr. Fob made took that away from us. I don't think everyone who is gay and LDS should enter a mixed-orientation marriage, but I do think they should do their best to cultivate a close relationship with God, and stick with that throughout their lives.
There was more I was going to say, but then I decided it was too personal. I'm grateful that the discourse is changing and that those who are happy in mixed-orientation marriages are willing to talk about them. I'm also grateful that they acknowledge that being gay is not something that can be 'cured' or that can just go away. While I hope that the idea that 'gay people should get married to someone of the opposite gender every time' will not trickle down to the general public, I hope the idea that gay people are our friends, neighbors, and family and deserve respect will. I think that's all we need to take away from this experience.
We first met Josh and Lolly a little over six years ago. In the fall of 2005, Mr. Fob published an essay he had written in Dialogue. We received some correspondence as a result of that article; one of those people was Josh, who was happy to find another couple in the same situation because he and Lolly thought they were the only ones. We met up for dinner at the Brick Oven in Provo and then went back to their apartment to chat. It was a great night and the beginning of a great friendship. Apart from the obvious thing we had in common, we seemed to 'click' as friends and sincerely enjoyed hanging out together. We also coincidentally moved up to Seattle at the same time, and knowing another couple in the area was a big blessing to us.
Josh has written other things about being in a mixed-orientation marriage before, but always anonymously. During the last few days I have been experiencing a wide variety of emotions from reading all the different reactions to this post. I have been there: exposed to public scrutiny, reading the thoughts and feelings of others who think they know everything about your life and your future based on what you have said once. Is it worth it? Should we share such private things about ourselves on the internet? What good can come from it?
First of all, I wasn't surprised that Josh and Lolly made this decision. I know that it can be hard to live with a big part of your life that most of the world doesn't know about. We moved to California in the fall of 2008, right when the Prop 8 campaign was heating up. It was really difficult to navigate all my relationships at school and church without telling anyone that my husband was gay, but there wasn't a really good opportunity to do it. I don't know if it would have changed anything had I been able to say "I'm married to a gay man and I love him, and I still don't know what the answers are for everything." Unfortunately that statement tends to be met with criticism from all sides.
What I hope will come from Josh's post is an expansion of our hearts and minds. The willingness to let people speak their own stories without our own judgement, whether we agree with them or not. Even more importantly, whether we have the same experience or not. The fact that my experience has not been the same does not negate their experience.
One thing I really hope will come about from such openness is a greater tolerance and acceptance for those who are LDS and gay. I was heartened to read in Josh's story that his family was so loving and accepting, and sad to read that he struggled with being teased while in school. As members of the Church we should be leading the way in tolerance and love, not standing in the way of it. Whatever you think they should do with their lives in the future, all gay teenagers need is a hug and loving support. Teasing and name-calling should not be tolerated anywhere, especially not at Church youth activities.
Anyways, I'll get back off my soapbox and continue. Another concern that I've heard expressed by many is that stories of successful mixed-orientation marriages will encourage more of them to take place. I'm a bit concerned about that as well. The thing is, people I know who are like Josh don't necessarily want that to happen either. What I read in Josh's writing, and that of other friends, is that he believes that we should open our lives to God and let Him direct our path. That path may be marriage and it may be not be. I still believe in God and I still agree with this point of view. I think that God gave me and Mr. Fob a chance to have something beautiful and the choices Mr. Fob made took that away from us. I don't think everyone who is gay and LDS should enter a mixed-orientation marriage, but I do think they should do their best to cultivate a close relationship with God, and stick with that throughout their lives.
There was more I was going to say, but then I decided it was too personal. I'm grateful that the discourse is changing and that those who are happy in mixed-orientation marriages are willing to talk about them. I'm also grateful that they acknowledge that being gay is not something that can be 'cured' or that can just go away. While I hope that the idea that 'gay people should get married to someone of the opposite gender every time' will not trickle down to the general public, I hope the idea that gay people are our friends, neighbors, and family and deserve respect will. I think that's all we need to take away from this experience.
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
Baggage
When I got home from my mission eleven years ago, everything I owned fit in a few suitcases and boxes. I had some books, clothes, pots and pans, a CD player, and other small things. I didn't own a car, a computer, or any furniture. When Mr. Fob and I got married shortly after that we moved into a one-bedroom apartment. We bought a loveseat at D.I., inherited a bed from family, and rented a kitchen table and chairs from the university. Now I live in a five-bedroom house and I own a car, a large amount of furniture, and even two refrigerators. There's a bedroom for each person in the family and one for guests. It's a bit ridiculous. I mostly enjoy my level of comfort and feel humbly blessed to have so much abundance, but sometimes I feel guilt at the high standard of living I enjoy compared to the rest of the world. Either way, I now have a lot of stuff.
In addition to the stuff, I have a much more abundant life than I used to. I have three kids, three-hundred friends on Facebook (yes, they are all people I consider to be friends), a loving ward, two college degrees, and a good job. My life is full. All this abundance can be complicated as well. I have an ex-husband, various family members in various legal relationships with each other and me, and a number of responsibilities at work, church, and in a few volunteer capacities.
I've been thinking about all this baggage lately in the context of dating. Dating eleven years ago was much less complicated. I didn't bring a lot with me; there was the assumption that I would acquire more through my relationships. And I did. My marriage did not just increase my material status, it changed me fundamentally in more ways than I can possibly enumerate, both good and bad. I have a family now. I have a life. I'm discovering that many guys that I would potentially like to date are looking for someone with a lot less baggage. I can understand that, but it still frustrates me because I don't think that baggage is all that bad. Yes, it makes things more complicated, but it doesn't make them impossible.
I think there's a fairly good chance that I'll never get married again, as much as I'd like to. More than anything it seems to be a matter of luck. Although there is a part of me that is deeply troubled by this, the truth is that I mostly feel like it would be all right. I have a life. I have a family. One of the biggest things I carry with me that I gained through my marriage is a strong sense of myself. Back when I was in Young Women's and had to make a list of qualities I wanted in a spouse, my first two things that I listed were "won't laugh at me" and "thinks I'm interesting". That's kind of pathetic now that I think of it. Eleven years ago I thought that guys didn't want to date me because there was something fundamentally wrong with me. Now I know it's because there's something wrong with them. Hopefully some day I can convince someone to take on some of my baggage because it's not just filled with boring stuff; there's a lot of good in here too.
In addition to the stuff, I have a much more abundant life than I used to. I have three kids, three-hundred friends on Facebook (yes, they are all people I consider to be friends), a loving ward, two college degrees, and a good job. My life is full. All this abundance can be complicated as well. I have an ex-husband, various family members in various legal relationships with each other and me, and a number of responsibilities at work, church, and in a few volunteer capacities.
I've been thinking about all this baggage lately in the context of dating. Dating eleven years ago was much less complicated. I didn't bring a lot with me; there was the assumption that I would acquire more through my relationships. And I did. My marriage did not just increase my material status, it changed me fundamentally in more ways than I can possibly enumerate, both good and bad. I have a family now. I have a life. I'm discovering that many guys that I would potentially like to date are looking for someone with a lot less baggage. I can understand that, but it still frustrates me because I don't think that baggage is all that bad. Yes, it makes things more complicated, but it doesn't make them impossible.
I think there's a fairly good chance that I'll never get married again, as much as I'd like to. More than anything it seems to be a matter of luck. Although there is a part of me that is deeply troubled by this, the truth is that I mostly feel like it would be all right. I have a life. I have a family. One of the biggest things I carry with me that I gained through my marriage is a strong sense of myself. Back when I was in Young Women's and had to make a list of qualities I wanted in a spouse, my first two things that I listed were "won't laugh at me" and "thinks I'm interesting". That's kind of pathetic now that I think of it. Eleven years ago I thought that guys didn't want to date me because there was something fundamentally wrong with me. Now I know it's because there's something wrong with them. Hopefully some day I can convince someone to take on some of my baggage because it's not just filled with boring stuff; there's a lot of good in here too.
Sunday, June 03, 2012
Reading Roundup: May 2012
Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
This was a great book for a vacation; it was actually better than some of Picoult's other books, but pretty much the same in plotting and style. I really didn't like the main character, but I don't think he was supposed to be likeable.
Love You More by Lisa Gardner
I bought this book at a drugstore in Oregon while I was on vacation because I needed another book to read. It was the best of the possible options there, and for a paperback mystery it wasn't too bad at all.
The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain
I've heard Chamberlain called "The Southern Jodi Picoult" and I think this is a good description. Her books are very similar in their plot twists, psychological details, and soap-opera plots based on buried secrets. This was a good, mindless escape book that kept me interested until the end.
How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm by Mei-Ling Hopgood
This book managed to be both informational and entertaining at the same time. I also thought that, for a parenting book, it was surprisingly even-handed. The only flaw I found was that each country and parenting issue was presented fairly briefly, but that is the nature of a book like this. It gave me a lot of things to think about and to research more thoroughly.
Sister by Rosamund Lupton
This was the only 'literary' novel I read this month, and I could tell a difference in comparing it to the other books. It had similar plot elements, but the characterization and the writing style were very different. I enjoyed it just as much as the others.
The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain
After reading this book I decided I was done with Chamberlain for a while. The plots always draw me in, but the writing isn't that great and I didn't like this one as much as the other one I read. It was a little too hard to suspend my disbelief in order to mindlessly enjoy this.
The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
This turned out to be a historical version of the soapy novels I've been reading all month, complete with the obvious love triangle. It was mostly fun to read, but some parts of it dragged a little.
Movies
The Hunger Games
I had low expectations for this movie, so when it exceeded them I was quite happy. In fact, it made me want to go back and read the books again. I had been worried about how the film would deal with the level of violence in the book, but I think they did a good job making it still violent without completely turning off the viewer.
Jane Eyre
I have seen a number of versions of this book on film, and while I don't think that this is the 'perfect' one that people have been looking for. But, it still does a few things well. I think the casting works because Jane actually seems young, mousy, and fearful, and Rochester is appropriately older and broody. In fact, the dynamic is a bit more creepy than romantic at times (also true to the book). The lighting and cinematography is really well-done too. I just felt like the chemistry between the characters was not as strong as it could have been, and the plot felt too compressed.
The Avengers
I can't believe I saw two movies in the theater this month; that's more than I usually see in a year. I think I had too high of expectations for this movie, because it was fun but it didn't blow me away (pun intended). For a movie full of stuff blowing up and dubious futuristic science, it's great. Just don't expect anything profound from it.
This was a great book for a vacation; it was actually better than some of Picoult's other books, but pretty much the same in plotting and style. I really didn't like the main character, but I don't think he was supposed to be likeable.
Love You More by Lisa Gardner
I bought this book at a drugstore in Oregon while I was on vacation because I needed another book to read. It was the best of the possible options there, and for a paperback mystery it wasn't too bad at all.
The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain
I've heard Chamberlain called "The Southern Jodi Picoult" and I think this is a good description. Her books are very similar in their plot twists, psychological details, and soap-opera plots based on buried secrets. This was a good, mindless escape book that kept me interested until the end.
How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm by Mei-Ling Hopgood
This book managed to be both informational and entertaining at the same time. I also thought that, for a parenting book, it was surprisingly even-handed. The only flaw I found was that each country and parenting issue was presented fairly briefly, but that is the nature of a book like this. It gave me a lot of things to think about and to research more thoroughly.
Sister by Rosamund Lupton
This was the only 'literary' novel I read this month, and I could tell a difference in comparing it to the other books. It had similar plot elements, but the characterization and the writing style were very different. I enjoyed it just as much as the others.
The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain
After reading this book I decided I was done with Chamberlain for a while. The plots always draw me in, but the writing isn't that great and I didn't like this one as much as the other one I read. It was a little too hard to suspend my disbelief in order to mindlessly enjoy this.
The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
This turned out to be a historical version of the soapy novels I've been reading all month, complete with the obvious love triangle. It was mostly fun to read, but some parts of it dragged a little.
Movies
The Hunger Games
I had low expectations for this movie, so when it exceeded them I was quite happy. In fact, it made me want to go back and read the books again. I had been worried about how the film would deal with the level of violence in the book, but I think they did a good job making it still violent without completely turning off the viewer.
Jane Eyre
I have seen a number of versions of this book on film, and while I don't think that this is the 'perfect' one that people have been looking for. But, it still does a few things well. I think the casting works because Jane actually seems young, mousy, and fearful, and Rochester is appropriately older and broody. In fact, the dynamic is a bit more creepy than romantic at times (also true to the book). The lighting and cinematography is really well-done too. I just felt like the chemistry between the characters was not as strong as it could have been, and the plot felt too compressed.
The Avengers
I can't believe I saw two movies in the theater this month; that's more than I usually see in a year. I think I had too high of expectations for this movie, because it was fun but it didn't blow me away (pun intended). For a movie full of stuff blowing up and dubious futuristic science, it's great. Just don't expect anything profound from it.
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