Spy, Wizards, Wolves, and Austen!

Stuffed from several Thanksgiving meals, I come bearing good news!

January 12th marks the release of Lauren Willig's sixth installment in the 'Pink' series, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily!  The much anticipated (not just by me, I'm sure) novel takes us to India where the recently, albeit less than willingly, married Penelope will no doubt find all sorts of trouble to amuse herself with.  I adore Pen and cannot wait to see what she stirs up in Willig's realm of flowery spies!!!  Head over to her website for a glimpse at the first chapter.  I will even provide the link! http://www.laurenwillig.com/books/bloodlily.html#excerpt


In other news, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is out on DVD December 8th! I hear there is footage included in the special features that will give us a glimpse of the next movie!!!
Also, New Moon is finally out and was wonderful, expect a full review from either me or Letty in the near future!

And... Chuck is coming back earlier than March! Tune in January 10th on NBC for a two hour premiere! Yes, you heard me two glorious hours of TV's most underrated comedy and beloved spy couple, Charah (that's the trendy couple name of Chuck + Sarah for all those not in the know). It promises to be a spectacular event and I for one cannot wait!!!


So, until next time, get excited for Blood Lily, Potter, and Chuck! And in the mean time, I recommend watching The Jane Austen Book Club, which will undoubtedly have its own post in the very near future if it doesn't already. In the words of Bernadette (from the movie) "All Jane Austen, all the time. It's the perfect anecdote." (to what?) "To life!"
...Hen

Hello Again...

Nice to see you all, it has been awhile.  So real life often gets in the way of things I actually want to be doing which is where I place the blame for our poor, neglected blog.  I have nothing really to review today but I just thought I would mention a few of the most recent pop cultural wonders that have been luring me away from things like studying and academia.

Let's begin with Spring Awakening.  It's no surprise that I adore Lea Michele but up until recently I was not quite up to date with how amazing she actually is.  Unfortunately I cannot claim to have seen the phenomenon that is Spring Awakening on stage with the original Broadway cast, I can't actually claim to have seen it performed on stage at all.  No, sadly my enjoyment had to come from mostly poor (and I'm fairly certain illegally obtained) videos that some kind soul posted on YouTube.  Beggars cannot however be choosers and so I eagerly watched every one of the 15 or so parts.  While unconventional and maybe a little awkward to watch at times, I really can say I have never seen anything like it.  Everything about is wonderful, from the story to the characters to the amazing music that pulls it all together.  Along with furthering my adoration of Lea Michele, I now harbor similar love for Jonathan Groff and John Gallagher Jr, along with the rest of the cast, really.  I immediately went and purchased the soundtrack (on CD because I feel like it's a dying form and I hope to single handedly save it) and have listened to it nearly on repeat with the Wicked soundtrack thrown in for good measure.

Which leads me to my next distraction: Wicked.  The magic that is the previously untold story of the witches of Oz has thoroughly enchanted me.  I have decided that I must move to the North East as soon as I possibly can, because the access that I have to the wonder of Broadway is severely limited by the necessity of a several hour plane ride.  That being said, I again had to resort to blurry videos of Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel to get my Wicked fix and understand the love my roommates harbored and were lucky enough to experience in person.  I know I am a little behind the curve here but I can now wholeheartedly join the "I Love Wicked" fan club, I'll even wear the t-shirt.  I was enamored by Ms. Chenoweth on Glee and now fully understand the awe some people have when they talk about "the Cheno".  That voice, her acting chops, and comedic timing make her the stuff of Broadway legends in my humble opinion.  Obviously I am no expert but I simply can't stop watching her sing "Popular", "Thank Goodness", or "What is this Feeling".  Add Idina Menzel's brilliance to the mix and "For Good" brings tears to my eyes.  Both women are absolutely awe inspiring and deserve a shiny plaque somewhere declaring it so.  Ok I'm done with the syrupy rant, I promise.  I now have to see "Wicked" as soon as I can, be it on Broadway or West End.

Whether or not you're rolling your eyes at my overly one sided and biased review of sorts, I still strongly suggest the soundtracks to both musicals with the original cast.  But I'm sure that's no surprise.  I also suggest seeing them both if you're a fan of musical theater, or if you're not maybe they will convert you!  At any rate, thanks for letting me gush!

...Hen

The doctor is in...

Ok that was cheesy but House is back on Fox!  I did experience a substantial amount of disappointment when I realized the premiere would be away from the hospital and subsequently Cuddy and Wilson (oh how I love Lisa Edelstein and Robert Sean Leonard).  But not to worry, because House should be safely back within the walls of Princeton-Plainsboro next Monday, and oh the mischief that will commence!  I heard from the people at TV Guide that House MD is the most watched show on television in the world.  Don't quote me because I could have dreamed that or otherwise made it up, but nonetheless it is awesome, creative, and intelligent so everyone should watch it at least once.

So no review or anything, just a small exclamation of joy and a plug for Fox Monday nights (which is entirely unendorsed and sadly without financial  gain on my end).  Unless someone from the network reads this and would like to give a struggling college senior a job or internship.

But I digress.  House is back and my love for the season is complete.  With the turning of leaves and cooler temperatures come my favorite TV shows and  holidays.  What could be better? (other than a November return for Chuck on NBC... get it together guys!)

...Hen

They may not be real...

...but I wish they were.  The fictional characters of the real island of Guernsey are so compelling that is takes very little to believe they're not in fact, fictional.  Written by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, the book is made up of letters and telegrams sent in the aftermath of the second World War.  Each piece of correspondence between these (mostly) delightful characters seems so founded in truth and personality that I found myself needing reminders that they had been (wonderfully) fabricated.  
The book opens with a letter from Juliet Ashton to her publisher and friend Sidney Stark.  I only had to read this letter to know that I would love Juliet.  She continues her correspondence with Sidney about a series she wrote during the War called "Izzy Bickerstaff Goes to War".  "Izzy" is a great success and the majority of the first part of the book follows Juliet on her book tour.  One of my favorite letters is written by Susan, Juliet's agent, to Sidney informing him that the media frenzy Juliet created from her sharp tongue was indeed true and entirely deserved.  Juliet always speakes her mind and the honesty she has with her friends is both lovely and refreshing to read.

Another favorite passage of mine comes when we are introduced to Dawsey Adams, a resident on the Channel Island of Guernsey.  He has come across an old book of Juliet's by Charles Lamb and writes her in hopes that she knows where he may find more or Lamb's essays.  His letter is filled with interesting tidbits that hooks Juliet immediately and the two begin to write each other regularly, opening the door for the other wonderful inhabitants of Guernsey. 

After many letters between the interesting people of this small island, Juliet makes the trek there and discovers more than she could have imagined.  One of my favorite aspects of the book was the parallel that Shaffer and Barrows created between Juliet and a woman named Elizabeth that we never get the opportunity to meet in the book.  My knowledge of Elizabeth came entirely from the stories told to Juliet by the people of Guernsey and yet I felt like they could have been my own memories.  I don't think I have ever read a book where I felt so intrinsically connected to the characters.  After the first several pages, I barely realized I was still reading a book composed entirely of letters.  Elizabeth became one of the characters that I was most invested in and I never even read so much as a first hand account from her.  That may have been what I love most about this book: I became so invested in the lives and well being of these characters and I didn't even realize it until I'd finished the book and felt a kind of loss that it was over. 

I picked up this book because I thought the title was intriguing.  After reading it, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is one of my very favorite books and Juliet Ashton is one of the most genuine and honest narrarators I've read in awhile.  Bravo Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, I would not have had the pleasure of visiting Guernsey or knowing the wonderful people in Juliet's life without you both.

...Hen

I know it's been a while...

...and I'm pretty sure today isn't movie day. But it's our blog, we make the rules.

Besides, Hen and I just saw G.I. Joe. Yes, I know. Contrary to popular opinion, I liked this movie. But before you get out your pitchforks, let me explain myself.

Sometimes, I just want a movie to be entertaining. Call me crazy, but that's what they're for, right? And G.I. Joe didn't disappoint on that front. Sure, at times the acting was subpar at best, and this movie certainly won't be winning any awards, but it was fun to watch.

For me, it was better than Transformers. The graphics didn't get in the way of what was happening in the scene, and though the plot was sketchy at times, it still made sense on the whole. With the exception of Shia LaBeouf (my heart flutters a little bit when I think of him), I thought the acting in G.I. Joe was better than Transformers. It seemed more real to me, but I can't put my finger on the reasoning. I'm not saying the acting in G.I. Joe was perfect, because there were definitely more than a few times that I rolled my eyes until it hurt at a badly delivered line. But in the end, I know that this movie was meant to be a summer blockbuster, not to blow my mind with plot twists and deeper meaning. So if I were you, I'd see it, if only for the action-packed fight scenes. Seriously, they're awesome. And they even fit a few laughs in between.

Besides, who turns down Channing Tatum?

Personally, I think the biggest issue this movie had was in publicity. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who stole my heart in 500 Days of Summer) was a part of this project, along with Sienna Miller. And while I knew that Dennis Quaid was involved, I was completely unaware that Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (who played Mr. Eko, the best character Lost ever had) was a major character. Even Brendan Fraser made a small appearance. Not to mention, I don't remember seeing a trailer for this movie outside of a movie theater. What the hell, Paramount? Did you want it to fail? Luckily, it still did well at the box office. Honestly though, I'd have gone to see this much sooner had I known who was in it. Maybe that's why I have such an issue with the PR (or lack thereof).

In any case, go see this movie if you want to be entertained for a few hours, but not if you want your mind blown.

Letty

Random House quote...

I was watching House and heard this little gem! Letty will appreciate this.

"Dr. House: Go up his rear and get a smear. Which reminds me, kinda feel like a bagel."

So good. So House-like.

...Hen

Check it out!