Saturday, March 31, 2012

What We're Watching: Jan

The Descendants.



Directed by Alexander Payne. Starring George Clooney, Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller.




This film is a powerful picture of a family in crisis . Matt King (Clooney) is a real estate lawyer in Hawaii whose wife is in a coma after a boating accident. He has been a “backup parent” to his two defiant daughters (Woodley and Miller) who like to remind him how absent he’s been. Moreover, Matt’s family is native to the Islands and his domestic troubles are complicated by descendant disagreements about the sale of real estate. Juggling all of these responsibilities and personalities in his life forces Matt to face realities about his family that he has missed. The film is set in the beauty and tranquility of the Hawaiian Islands - a contrast to the human turmoil caused by actions like betrayal and greed. The film is directed in such a way that both drama and humor contribute to the storytelling. All of the performances make the viewer care about the characters. However, George Clooney's acting makes us forget about his bachelor image as he struggles to father his precious daughters and cope with his lost spouse. It is a performance to be seen.

Friday, March 30, 2012

What We're Reading: Edward



The Ark: a novel



by Boyd Morrison



The dying words of an elderly colleague, sends Dilara Kenner on a search for her father. He was searching for Noah's Ark when he disappeared two years ago. Dilara takes a helicopter ride to a floating oil rig to enlist the help of Tyler Locke. But her helicopter explodes before she is able to reach the oil rig. But Tyler is able to rescue her from the sea. The helicopter explosion was not an accident. Sebastian Ulric is behind her father's disappearance. He will stop at nothing to beat Dilara and Tyler to the Ark.Sebastian wants to get to the Ark first to get a sample of an ancient Prion disease. He plans to use the disease to wipe most of the human race off the face of the Earth. Tyler uses his best MacGyver moves in the race to save humanity.

Great Thriller!!!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

What We're Reading: Edward

The Lion


by Nelson DeMille


In this sequel to Lion's Game, John Corey is again trying to capture the terrorist known as the Lion. The Lion is back and killing people across the country. Why are people across the country being eliminated by the Lion? Corey determines that they were all involved in the 1986 Air Force raid on Tripoli. Members of the Lion's family were killed during that raid. Now the Lion is out for revenge. Corey races across the country trying to prevent further murders. But Corey and his team also become targets of the Lion. Will the Lion escape again?
Great thriller!

Monday, March 12, 2012

What We're Reading: Laurie

The Limit by Kristen Landon.

Matthew Dunston is a 13 year old boy who is a math and computer whiz. He lives with his parents and two younger sisters and does very well in school. The Dunston's live in a society where everyone's personal debt is controlled by the government. Each family gets a certain spending limit, and if that limit is surpassed, the government takes the oldest child to a Federal Debt Rehabilitation Agency workhouse to work off the debt.
Matt is happy and carefree until his parents go over their debt limit. Suddenly, government agents whisk Matt away to a workhouse. Matt is highly intelligent and lands a spot on the "Top Floor" at the workhouse. He enjoys his work, classes and free time until he discovers that his sister has been sent to the workhouse as well. This discovery, along with suspicions of wrong doing, set Matt and his friends on a path to discover what is really happening at the FDRA. JFIC Landon

What We're Reading: Edward



SIlver Lotus: a novel



by Thomas Steinbeck


Until recently Thomas Steinbeck was known for his screenplays. Silver Lotus, his second novel, evokes the time of clipper ships in the China trade. Captain Hammond is a New Englander, who sails his own ship in the trade. He is successful in the China trade due to his honest fair deals. He trades with the Yee family in Shanghai. Maste Yee's daughter, Lady Yee, is a remarkable young lady. She knows English and Frenchand can outfox the wiliest trader. Lady Yee sets her eye on Captain Hammond. The Captain is equally taken with Lady Yee. They marry and sail and trade the ports of the Pacific rim. The Monterey coast of California attracts them when they find out that Lady Yee is pregnant. They have just as many adventures on land as they did at sea. Silver Lotus is a wonderful story of deep unspoken love. If you like the feel of this novel, try Steinbeck's earlier book, In the shadow of the Cypress.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

What We're Reading: Edward

Egypt: the book of chaos


by Nick Drake


Chaos threatens Egypt in this the last book of Drake's trilogy, after Nefertiti and Tutankhamun. After the death of Tutankhamun, Nefertiti is faced with dangers from outside and inside Egpyt. She summons Rahotep, the disgraced chief detective of the Theban police. She sends Rahotep and her special envoy, Nakht, to the King of the Hittites. Nefertiti hopes to end their constant warfare by marrying one of the Hittite Princes. This would bring peace to Egypt and allow the Hittite Empire to expand to the East. But both Hittite Princes and Egyptian generals are against this peace proposal. Will Rahotep be able to keep the Hittite Prince alive until they get to Egypt? Will he be able to save Nefertiti and his family?

Monday, March 5, 2012

What We're Watching: Laurie


Justified: Season 1. Starring Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter, Jacob Pitts, Walt Goggins, Natalie Zea and Erica Tazel.

A thrilling, gritty, action packed story adapted for television by Elmore Leonard. Raylan Givens (Olyphant) is a U.S. Marshal who just shot a man old west style in Miami. Givens claims the shooting was "justified" but his boss decides to take the heat off of Givens by reassigning him to the rural coal mining town in Eastern Kentucky where he grew up and hoped to never return. Raylan is tough, smart, witty and has complicated relationships which seem to put him in tough situations. The fun part of the show is watching to see how Raylan finds his way out of them. DVD-TV Justified.