Stacking the Shelves & Sunday Post - 4.22.17

Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
AND
Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer (details)
~*~

I am participating in an Art-a-thon today and spending most of the day working on my comic book journal. There will be music performances and artists of all ages joining in. If you are in the Bay area come by. All is welcome.

Please support arts education and give lower income children the tools to give form to their dreams. Visit Artseed Art-a-thon 2017 (here) for more details. It would mean a lot to me.


~*~
Bought:

News of the World
by Paulette Jiles
-Historical, Western
Amazon | Goodreads

To All the Boys I've Loved Before
(To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #1)
by Jenny Han
-romance, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

P.S. I Still Love You
(To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #2)
by Jenny Han
Amazon | Goodreads
For Review:

MacArthur's Spies:
The Soldier, the Singer, and the Spymaster Who Defied the Japanese in World War II
by Peter Eisner
-History, 1940s, WWII, Non-fiction
courtesy of Penguin's First Reads -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

OTHER things (kinda book-related):

Independent Bookstore Day is coming, April 29. I have been visiting independent bookstores during the month. See the complete list of places I visited (here).

My latest visit was to...

#7 Alexander Book Company
San Francisco, CA (here)
with two books by Jenny Han
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
P.S. I Still Love You


AND watched: in theatre - part of Cherry Blossom Japanese Film Festival (details)

Like Father, Like Son (2013)
Soshite chichi ni naru (original title)
Director/Screenplay: Hirokazu Koreeda
Reference: "The Twisted Bond - 17 years of a Changing Baies Affair" (Bunshun Bunko) by Okuno Shuji
Starring: Masaharu Fukuyama, Machiko Ono, Yôko Maki, Lily Franky
-Drama, Japan | imdb | my rating: 5
Ryota Nonomiya is a successful businessman driven by money. When he learns that his biological son was switched with another child after birth, he must make a life-changing decision and choose his true son or the boy he raised as his own.

WHOA. Got me thinking of parenting and of the relationship between parents and their kids.


AND watched: in theatre

Colossal (2017)
Director/Writer: Nacho Vigalondo
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis
-Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi | imdb | my rating: 4
A woman discovers that severe catastrophic events are somehow connected to the mental breakdown from which she's suffering.

COOL monster and mental mashup concept.

I caught a preview screening of this which included a Q&A with the director. Nacho shared his love for the rock band, Queen which is something in common he has with Bear McCreary, the composer who did the soundtrack.


AND watched: on DVD

Allied (2016)
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writer: Steven Knight
Starring: Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard
-Action, Drama, Romance | imdb | my rating: 3
In 1942, a Canadian intelligence officer in North Africa encounters a female French Resistance fighter on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. When they reunite in London, their relationship is tested by the pressures of war.

Oscar nominated for Costume Design

THIS romance/love story set during the war questions honesty and trust. The chemistry between the couple did not work for me.

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
aka The Conscientious Objector
Director: Mel Gibson
Screenplay: Robert Schenkkan, Andrew Knight
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Teresa Palmer
-Biography, Drama, History | imdb | my rating: 5
WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people, and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.

Oscar win for Sound Mixing and Film Editing

AMAZING story about an amazing person that everyone MUST get to know. Ahh, the wonders of the human spirit!

side note: if you have any hangups due to this being a Mel Gibson film, get over it, this story inspires

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

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Stacking the Shelves & Sunday Post - 4.15.17

Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
AND
Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer (details)
~*~
I had a good balance of reading and watching (films) this week. Good stuff.

I also visited three different bookstores this week for the Independent Bookstore challenge mentioned below. I usually average 2-3 bookstore visits a month mostly triggered by author events.

~*~
Bought:

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley
by Hannah Tinti
-Literary, Mystery
Amazon | Goodreads

For Review:

The Beast of London
by L.D. Goffigan
-Fantasy
courtesy of publisher author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Wrong
by Jane Aston
-New Adult, Romance
courtesy of Romance Read-of-the-Month Club -Thanks!
BarnesNoble | Goodreads

OTHER things (kinda book-related):

Independent Bookstore Day
April 29 (details)
CELEBRATING the upcoming Independent Bookstore Day by visiting at least 10 independent bookstores during the month.

#5 Green Apple Books on the Park
San Francisco, CA (here)
with Mollie Makes
Living a Creative Life
issue number seventy seven
comes with a cute mini-loom kit
See the complete list of places I visited (here).


AND watched: in theatre - part of San Francisco International Film Festival (details)

Yourself & Yours (2016)
Dangsinjasingwa dangsinui geot (original title)
Director/Writer: Sang-soo Hong
Starring: Hae-hyo Kwon, Joon-sang Yoo
-Drama, South Korea | imdb | my rating: 4
A foray into the uncanny with a spin on Luis Buñuel's "That Obscure Object of Desire"

THIS weird and unusual, but interesting love story left me sad.

Future Perfect (2016)
El futuro perfecto (original title)
Director: Nele Wohlatz
Writers: Pío Longo, Nele Wohlatz
Starring: Xiaobin Zhang, Saroj Kumar Malik
-Drama, Argentina | imdb | my rating: 5
A smart and innovative look at the possible futures of a young Chinese immigrant to Buenos Aires, told in the stilted language of an elementary Spanish textbook.

WE were treated to a Q&A with the director of this film. Interesting to know that the story is somewhat true to the main character, Xiaobin's experience in Argentina.

The Next Skin (2016)
La propera pell (original title)
Director: Isa Campo, Isaki Lacuesta
Writers: Isa Campo, Isaki Lacuesta, Fran Araújo
Starring: Emma Suárez, Àlex Monner
-Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Spain, Switzerland | imdb | my rating: 5
A teenager who went missing and was presumed dead returns home after eight years to find a family deeply affected by his disappearance. Gradually, doubts arise about whether he really is the missing boy or an impostor.

LOVED how this one pulls you in and keeps you wondering. And, loved the small-town Spanish Pyrenees location.


AND watched: at the library theatre

Chinese Couplets (2015)
Director: Felicia Lowe
-Documentary, Family, History | imdb | my rating: 5
Part memoir, part history, part investigation, Chinese Couplets spans two centuries, three countries and four generations of women in this intimate story that reveals the impact of America's Chinese Exclusion Acts on filmmaker Felicia Lowe's family. Lowe offers a nuanced, engaging approach to the debate that details the long-term, multi-generational effects of ethnically motivated immigration policies while imparting a cautionary tale of living with cultural pluralism in the 21st century.

INTERESTING historical perspective on the Chinese immigration experience.


AND watched: on DVD

Deepwater Horizon (2016)
Director: Peter Berg
Screenplay: Matthew Michael Carnahan, Matthew Sand
Based on book by:
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell
-Action, Drama, Thriller | imdb | my rating: 5
A dramatization of the April 2010 disaster, when the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon exploded and created the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

Oscar nominated for Sound Editing and Visual Effects

I liked how the story of this tragic event has a focus on the survivors.

~*~
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;-)

Stacking the Shelves & Sunday Post - 4.8.17

Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
AND
Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer (details)
~*~
A third week of slow reading! Ugh.

Took a road trip last weekend to take the kid back to college. The weekend getaway was fun. Lots of good eating and green hillside views. But when I returned, there was a busy week to jump into with only snatches of evening reading time.

I hope to get a good chunk of reading done this weekend possibly at a newly discovered cafe/coffee shop.

I have been diligent in writing every day for the National Letterwriting Month Write-On Challenge. I do not know if there will be any responses, but I feel fine if it turns out to be a one-way effort. The routine of sitting down and putting pen to paper causes one to slow down. If I write too quick there is a tendency for spelling errors. Corrections lined out or scribbled over which is not a pretty sight.

I also read some poetry this week. Heartfelt ones written by the kid. We are going to select a couple to submit to a poetry contest.

~*~
Bought:

Cruel Beautiful World
by Caroline Leavitt
-Coming of Age, Women's Fiction
Amazon | Goodreads
THE April pick for the BookSparks Book Club (details). I liked the looks of this one so joining up. Ah yes, cover love.


Freebies: Amazon Prime

Cinder & Ella
by Kelly Oram
-Romance, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

For Review:

Revived
by Ernesto Pavan
-Dark Humor, Zombies
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

A Small Revolution
by Jimin Han
-Suspense, South Korea
courtesy of Amazon First program
Amazon | Goodreads

Author event:

Books Inc. at Opera Plaza hosted an event with Augusten Burroughs to celebrate the paperback release of Lust & Wonder. We were treated to a reading, Q&A and signing. During the Q&A it was interesting to learn that he started writing at age 8 and then stopped during his young adult years. When he started writing he wrote a draft of his fiction novel, Sellevision in 7 days. I liked his comment on writing memoirs - "be ugly and real".

Lust & Wonder
by Augusten Burroughs
-Humor, Memoir
Amazon | Goodreads
In chronicling the development and demise of the different relationships he's had while living in New York, Augusten Burroughs examines what it means to be in love, what it means to be in lust, and what it means to be figuring it all out. With Augusten's unique and singular observations and his own unabashed way of detailing both the horrific and the humorous, Lust and Wonder is an intimate and honest memoir that his legions of fans have been waiting for.


AND watched: in theatre

Kedi (2016)
Director: Ceyda Torun
-Documentary, Cats, Turkey | imdb | my rating: 5
A profile of an ancient city (Istanbul) and its unique people, seen through the eyes of the most mysterious and beloved animal humans have ever known, the Cat.

DEFINITELY a must-see for cat lovers. This film perspective is a unique way to learn about a city and its people.


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

:-)

Stacking the Shelves & Sunday Post - 4.1.17

Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
AND
Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer (details)
~*~
Another slow reading week. Too busy doing other things as the kid is home on spring break from college. A friend came along to visit as well. So, tourist stuff is in order :-)

~*~
Bought:

how to be both
by Ali Smith
-art, historical, literature
-on Man Booker Prize 2014 short list
Amazon | Goodreads

Author event:

WITH a full house and books sold out, Booksmith of San Francisco, hosted an evening with Sarah Andersen. As I was too far to see anything, I grabbed a photo of the author from instagram. Sarah treated us to a slide show of some of illustrations in her latest book and read its captions. Q&A and a signing followed.

We found out that she started drawing comics at age 11. Webcomics is where she likes to read comics. She is currently working on illustrations for a longer story piece that is fairy tale themed.

Big Mushy Happy Lump:
A Sarah's Scribbles Collection
by Sarah Andersen
-Comics, Humor
Amazon | Goodreads

OTHER things:

JOINED another reading challenge (here) to shake up my already full schedule ;-)

APRIL is National Poetry Month and I will be incorporating some poetry into the reading mix from (here).

APRIL is also the Write_On Challenge sponsored by Write_On (here). It is a call to action to write 30 letters in 30 days during April, National Letterwriting Month. I received this writing kit from Write_On to kick off the month.


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

Stacking the Shelves & Sunday Post - 3.25.17

Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
AND
Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer (details)
~*~
Slow reading week. But, the mailbox had some goodies.

~*~
For Review:

California
by Edan Lepucki
-Dystopia
courtesy of BookShout -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Always and Forever, Lara Jean
(To All the Boys I've Loved Before #3)
by Jenny Han
-Romance, YA
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Get It Together, Delilah!
by Erin Gough
-LGBTQ, YA
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

UNBOXING:

From Owlcrate package (details & signup):
OwlCrate is a subscription service that sends you magical monthly boxes tailored to a chosen theme. Each OwlCrate will contain one new Young Adult novel, as well as 3-5 other bookish treats to help you get your nerd on. @owlcrate

March Box includes:
theme: Sailors, Ships & Seas
- Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
- Signed bookplate, letter and temporary tattoo from author
- Sea theme pendant necklace from The Geeky Cauldron
- Octopus notepad from Boygirlparty
- Mermaid scales washi tape from Simply Gilded
- Sea theme tea towel from Kitch Studios
- Owlcrate pin

Daughter of the Pirate King
(Daughter of the Pirate King #1)
by Tricia Levenseller
-Fantasy, Historical, Pirates, YA
Amazon | Goodreads
There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.


OTHER things: kinda book-related

Win a Signed Copy of Puck for Shakespeare's Birthday (April 23)!
from Twisted Lit (here)

Puck
by Kim Askew, Amy Helmes
-Retelling, Shakespeare, YA
Amazon | Goodreads
Life isn’t always fair, and no one knows that better than fifteen-year-old Puck. When she’s unceremoniously booted from yet another foster home, this city kid lands at DreamRoads, a rehabilitation wilderness camp. Her fellow juvenile delinquents include a famous pop star with a diva attitude, a geeky, “fish out of water” math whiz, and a surly gang-banger with a chip on his shoulder. The program’s steely director aims to break Puck, but she knows that every adult has a breaking point, too. Determined to defy this realm of agonizing nature hikes and soul-sucking psychobabble — even if that means manipulating four lovestruck camp counselors and the director’s dim-witted second-in-command — Puck ultimately gets much more than she bargains for in this “wondrous strange” outdoor odyssey inspired by Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."


AND watched: in theatre

Song to Song (2017)
Director/Writer: Terrence Malick
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Michael Fassbender, Natalie Portman
-Drama, Music, Romance | imdb | my rating: 4
Two intersecting love triangles. Obsession and betrayal set against the music scene in Austin, Texas.

MUST remind myself for next time that I am not crazy about this director's style. However, it does well in taking you into the music scene in an artsy way. You will love the soundtrack if you are into this type of music. Loved the cast and all the cameos of musicians. When Ryan was at the piano I was wanting to hear him start singing City of Stars - but that is another music genre.

The Tenor (2014)
Director/Writer: Sang Man Kim
Starring: Ji-tae Yu, Yûsuke Iseya, Ye-ryeon Cha
-Biography, Drama, Music, Korea | imdb | my rating: 4
The talented Korean tenor, Bae, who penetrate the audience's hears through his delicate and powerful singing, is on the rise to stardom at the European opera scene. Sawada, a Japanese music producer, is searching for a new tenor for an upcoming performance. He watches a performance of Bae and invites him to Japan, which marks the beginning of friendship. But, the thyroid cancer strikes Bae. During an operation, the nerves of his vocal cords has be cut due to the widely spread cancer. Unfortunately, Bae ends up losing his voice at the peak of his career. Sawada cant's stand to watch Bae's miserable so he starts to look for a solution.

PART of CAAMFest 2017 (Celebrating Asian American Film, Music and Food - here)
Based on a true amazing and inspiring story. The power of the human spirit and passion (for whatever) as a driving force can create magic.

As this film was part of a film festival a special thank you recording was made for the San Francisco audience from the actual tenor, Bae Jae-chul.


AND watched: on DVD

Bad Moms (2016)
Director/Writer: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell
-Comedy | imdb | my rating: 4
When three overworked and under-appreciated moms are pushed beyond their limits, they ditch their conventional responsibilities for a jolt of long overdue freedom, fun, and comedic self-indulgence.

FUN and funny. Loved the interviews with the actresses and their moms in the Extras section.

~*~
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Stacking the Shelves & Sunday Post - 3.18.17

Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
AND
Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer (details)
~*~
Author event and Bought:

Book Passage of San Francisco hosted an author event with Mohsin Hamid to celebrate the release of his latest, Exit West, which is a timely story of immigrants. Loved the readings (more than one passage) and the Q&A was enlightening on thoughts of migration and the world of fiction vs. reality.

Exit West
by Mohsin Hamid
-Literary
Amazon | Goodreads
In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet—sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. They embark on a furtive love affair and are soon cloistered in a premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city. When it explodes, turning familiar streets into a patchwork of checkpoints and bomb blasts, they begin to hear whispers about doors—doors that can whisk people far away, if perilously and for a price. As the violence escalates, Nadia and Saeed decide that they no longer have a choice. Leaving their homeland and their old lives behind, they find a door and step through.

Exit West follows these characters as they emerge into an alien and uncertain future, struggling to hold on to each other, to their past, to the very sense of who they are. Profoundly intimate and powerfully inventive, it tells an unforgettable story of love, loyalty, and courage that is both completely of our time and for all time.


For Review:

Fighting to Breathe
(Shooting Stars #1)
by Aurora Rose Reynolds
-New Adult, Romance
courtesy of Romance Read-of-the-Month Club -Thanks!
BarnesNoble | Goodreads

UNBOXING:

THANKS to MAD of MAD Writes (and Reads) for sending me a surprise package of goodies! A couple of these are perfect for my Foodie Read challenge ;-)

Mrs. Lee & Mrs. Gray by Dorothy Love - Amazon | Goodreads
Bread of the Dead by Ann Myers Amazon | Goodreads
Cinco de Mayhem by Ann Myers Amazon | Goodreads
Museum postcards and notebook (tea party theme)


AND watched: in theatre

Bad Rap (2016)
Director: Salima Koroma
Starring: Dumbfounded (Jonathan Park), Awkwafina (Nora Lum), Rekstizzy (David Lee), Lyricks (Richard Lee)
-Documentary | imdb | my rating: 5
Four Asian-American rappers run into tough obstacles as they try to make it big in Hip Hop, a genre rooted in black culture.

PART of CAAMFest 2017 (Celebrating Asian American Film, Music and Food - here) I was treated to a Q&A with Salima Koroma (Director), Jaeki Cho (Co-producer), Awkwafina, Rekstizzy and Lyricks after the film showing. AND there were live performances from the three rappers present.

The film did well in presenting the Asian American experience in the Hip Hop world. Unfortunately, there is a small audience for these performers and they remain unknown to the mainstream. It's films like these that help introduce these artists to the world.

Meet Awkwafina...



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