Sunday, March 22, 2020

Lovely Books and Things - 3.22.20

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update

Linking up with:
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)

~*~

HAPPY THINGS:

1. Trying a new recipe - Lamb and pearl barley soup (here) - success! Yummy!

2. Organizing my bookshelves and this book blog

3. Taking long leisurely walks for a dose of fresh air - Ocean Beach at sunset


~*~

Bought:

Kolymsky Heights
by Lionel Davidson
-Mystery, Russian, Siberia | Goodreads

FOR my face-to-face group, Foreign Mystery Book Club, April selection.


The Unlikely Event
by L.J. Shen
-Romance, Contemporary | Goodreads


Bookcrossing:

The Betrayal of Trust
by Susan Hill
-Mystery, Crime, England | Goodreads


AND watched: online

Mob Psycho 100 (2016)
tv series, season 1 and 2
Stars: Setsuo Ito, Takahiro Sakurai, Akio Ôtsuka
-Animation, Action, Horror, Japan | imdb | my rating: 5

A psychic middle school boy tries to live a normal life and keep his growing powers under control, even though he constantly gets into trouble.



~*~

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

*** THANKS to those on the front line during these times ***
Shelter In Place - Day 6, Week 2

Stay healthy! Be safe!

Thanks for stopping by :-)

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Gmorning, Gnight! by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Gmorning, Gnight!:
Little Pep Talks for Me & You
by Lin-Manuel Miranda
illustrated by Jonny Sun

Published: 2018
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Poetry, Humor
Hardback: 224
Rating: 5
Goodreads | Website

First sentence(s):
I wanted to wish you a good morning.

Good morning. Do NOT get stuck in the comments section of life today. Make, do, create the things. Let others tussle it out. Vamos!

Before he inspired the world with Hamilton and was catapulted to international fame, Lin-Manuel Miranda was inspiring his Twitter followers with words of encouragement at the beginning and end of each day. He wrote these original sayings, aphorisms, and poetry for himself as much as for others. But as Miranda's audience grew, these messages took on a life on their own. Now Miranda has gathered the best of his daily greetings into a beautiful collection illustrated by acclaimed artist (and fellow Twitter favorite) Jonny Sun.

Full of comfort and motivation, Gmorning, Gnight! is a touchstone for anyone who needs a quick lift.


PeekAbook:


My two-bits:

Loved starting and ending my day with these dailies - motivating and cheerful.

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Lovely Books and Things - 3.14.20

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update

Linking up with:
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)

~*~

HAPPY THINGS:

1. Planning and setting up my first bullet journal for 2020 - decided to migrate from my Happy Planner system

2. Listening and prepping to sing Rossini's Stabat Mater in chorus when rehearsals will hopefully kick in again in April.

3. First embroidery class for series at the San Francisco School of Needlework and Design - started out learning 8 stitches on a doodle muslin cloth before attempting the San Francisco Victorian house design


side note: I am participating in the 25 MILLION STITCHES - ONE STITCH FOR EACH REFUGEE (details here) and using a design created by my kid

The world is in flight. 25 million people* across the globe have been forced to flee their homelands as a consequence of genocide, war, poverty, natural disasters, targeted violence, and other grave threats. They leave behind everything they’ve known and possessed in order to live; they face immense struggles, misfortunes, and perils on their journey; and, through it all, survival, much less successful resettlement, remains but the slimmest hope.

Please join this project to hand-stitch 25 million stitches: one stitch for each refugee. How does making 25 million stitches help refugees? We believe that this project is a way for us to engage with this global crisis instead of ignoring it. And even though no single stitch can fully represent an individual, the act of stitching and the resulting work will help bring attention to the scale of the crisis. Two objectives of the project are:

1. To engage as many people as possible to raise awareness of the global refugee crisis and

2. To amass 25 million stitches to visually represent the sheer volume of this astronomical figure of refugees.



Here is my March tbr pile with the embroidery piece to be submitted. Dragon design created by Aber.

~*~

Bought:

The Jetsetters
by Amanda Eyre Ward
-Contemporary | Goodreads

REESE bookclub March selection.


Author event:

The Phantom Twin
by Lisa Brown
-Graphic Novel, YA, Ghosts | Goodreads

Booksmith hosted a reading, slide show and Q&A of Lisa Brown in conversation with Wendy Macnaughton.

I was fortunate to attend this event before most public event cancellations in the city due to the Coronavirus.


For review:

What I Like About Me
by Jenna Guillame
courtesy of publisher for blog tour - Thanks!
-YA | Goodreads


AND watched: in theatre

Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2019)
Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (original title)
Director/screenplay: Céline Sciamma
Stars: Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel, Luàna Bajrami
-Drama, Romance, France | imdb | my rating: 5

On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteenth century, a female painter is obliged to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman.

LOVED this so much. I watched it twice. Superb setting, costumes and artist aesthetic. References to Orpheus and Eurydice.

Emma. (2020)
Director: Autumn de Wilde
Screenplay: Eleanor Catton
Based on book by: Jane Austen
Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn

-Comedy, Drama, England, Jane Austen | imdb | my rating: 5

In 1800s England, a well meaning but selfish young woman meddles in the love lives of her friends.

LOVED this one too. Saw it twice as well :-) So many fun scenes and loved the sights and sounds of their world.

Onward (2020)
Director: Dan Scanlon
Writers: Dan Scanlon, Keith Bunin, Jason Headley
Stars: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
-Animation, Adventure, Comedy | imdb | my rating: 5

Set in a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers embark on a quest to discover if there is still magic out there.

PLEASANTLY surprised with this. Wonderful story with the fantasy element.

Happy Pi Day!

~*~

* source: pies

* please note: This blog is on hiatus this year, but will have intermittent posts throughout.

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

Take care, stay healthy!

Thanks for stopping by :-)
 
Imagination Designs
Images from: Lovelytocu