Valentine's Day 2012!!

How do you plan to spend your Valentine's Day this year?

I spent a quiet night with my husband last night, gave him his candy :) Then today we gave the kids their Valentine's & candy. We spoiled them with a Wii game (Super Paper Mario) too!! Spending the day babysitting, then youth programs at our church. It's the Valentine's Party!! Followed by an evening of Wii with my two Valentine's since my husband works tonight! Taking the kids out to dinner on Thursday when he's off!

Hope everyone has a special Valentine's Day!!

BOOK REVIEW: Private

Private ~ 5/5

Here's what www.amazon.com says:

Publication Date: 2010

Publisher's Note Former Marine and CIA agent Jack Morgan inherits his father's renowned security and detective business--along with a case load that tests him to the breaking point. Getting to the bottom of an NFL gambling scandal and an unsolved LAPD investigation into 18 school girl slayings would be enough. On top of all that, Morgan takes on solving the horrific murder of his best friend's wife. As Morgan fights the urge to exact brutal revenge on that killer, he has to navigate a workplace imbroglio that could blow the roof off his elite agency. And it's an especially explosive situation . . . because the love affair is his own.

My thoughts:

James Patterson is an amazing writer! I think I'd rea anything if he had a part in it! The story line has twists & turns, it's always what you least expect. Chapters are short, so you can read it in bits if you need to! Love his work!

MOVIE REVIEW: For Keeps

For Keeps ~ 5/5

Here's what www.netflix.com says:

1988 PG-13 98 minutes

Molly Ringwald heads the cast as Darcy Elliot, an ambitious teen with big plans for college and a career in journalism -- until she ends up pregnant in this modern morality tale from director John G. Avildsen. Opting to keep the baby, Darcy and her boyfriend (Randall Batinkoff) marry, but will a host of pressures -- including school, parenthood and a stack of bills -- break up the young family? Miriam Flynn plays Darcy's intrusive mother.

My thoughts:

This movie was a wonderful story of how things can really work out for teen parents. How just because things don't go right how we planned or how we miss out on some things we've waited our lives for, there are blessings & you really can be in love, have problems & work together to get through them. I absolutely loved Molly Ringwald in this movie!! She hasn't aged a day.

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MOVIE REVIEW: Blood Monkeys

Blood Monkeys ~ 3/5

Here's what www.netflix.com says:
2007 NR 88 minutes

Upon arriving in Africa to study the continent's resident apes with a noted professor (F. Murray Abraham), six graduate students are introduced to an exciting new breed of chimpanzee. It's the chance of a lifetime … until the students start dropping like flies. As the killer chimps chip away at the tribe of humans working in their midst, the survivors begin to wonder whether they'll ever get home alive in this gory horror flick.

My thoughts:

First off, the whole situation they got themselves into was crazy! I would have never went any farther than the man would take them. If the guy lives there & won't venture any further, there's a reason! That's a sign to go back!!

2nd, When some wierd scientist wants you to go deeper into the woods, you run! Forget about following him deeper into the woods!

Lastly, when some crazy monkey creatures are hunting you, their den is the last place you should head! They should have kept running! Going inside is a terrible idea!!

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BOOK REVIEW: girls' night in

girls' night in ~ 5/5

Here's what www.amazon.com says:

Publication Date: November 1, 2005

The USA Today bestselling collection from 21 of the hottest female writers around

In this must-have short-story anthology, Jennifer Weiner revisits one of her Good in Bed characters (and tells the story from, ahem, his point of view), Jill A. Davis (Girls' Poker Night) offers a darkly humorous take on starting over in New York and working with "the Elizabeths," Sarah Miynowski (Milkrun) tempts fate (and an on-again-off-again boyfriend) and Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez (The Dirty Girls Social Club) considers how different the words lady and woman are when paired with cat. Girls' Night In features stories about growing up, growing out of, moving out, moving on, falling apart and getting it all together. So turn off your cell phone and curl up on the couch; this is one Girls' Night In you won't want to miss.

My thoughts:

I just LOVED this book!! Short stories, just enough to make you want more from each author!!

My favorite was: What Goes Around... by Louise Bagshawe. It was just what you expect from a good story for girls!! A shocking ending where the prick husband gets just what he deserves in the end! Loved it!! Revenge by Emily Barr was pretty good too!!

MOVIE REVIEW: Scream 4

Scream 4 ~ 5/5

Here's what www.netflix.com says:

2011 R 103 minutes

Perennial survivor Sidney Prescott, now a successful self-help author, returns to her home town of Woodsboro in the fourth act of director Wes Craven's Scream franchise. Sidney's homecoming, however, coincides with a slew of unsettling new murders.

My thoughts:

This movie played well with trying to recreate the first murders. The killer was shocking at the end, I wasn't expecting it. The ones I thought were responsible, I couldn't believe when they were killed. It was a great storyline & played in well with the theme of Scream!!

BOOK REVIEW: The Bone Garden

The Bone Garden ~ 4/5

Here's what www.amazon.com says:

Unknown bones, untold secrets, and unsolved crimes from the distant past cast ominous shadows on the present in the dazzling new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.

Present day: Julia Hamill has made a horrifying discovery on the grounds of her new home in rural Massachusetts: a skull buried in the rocky soil–human, female, and, according to the trained eye of Boston medical examiner Maura Isles, scarred with the unmistakable marks of murder. But whoever this nameless woman was, and whatever befell her, is knowledge lost to another time. . . .

Boston, 1830: In order to pay for his education, Norris Marshall, a talented but penniless student at Boston Medical College, has joined the ranks of local “resurrectionists”–those who plunder graveyards and harvest the dead for sale on the black market. Yet even this ghoulish commerce pales beside the shocking murder of a nurse found mutilated on the university hospital grounds. And when a distinguished doctor meets the same grisly fate, Norris finds that trafficking in the illicit cadaver trade has made him a prime suspect.

To prove his innocence, Norris must track down the only witness to have glimpsed the killer: Rose Connolly, a beautiful seamstress from the Boston slums who fears she may be the next victim. Joined by a sardonic, keenly intelligent young man named Oliver Wendell Holmes, Norris and Rose comb the city–from its grim cemeteries and autopsy suites to its glittering mansions and centers of Brahmin power–on the trail of a maniacal fiend who lurks where least expected . . . and who waits for his next lethal opportunity.

With unflagging suspense and pitch-perfect period detail, The Bone Garden deftly interweaves the thrilling narratives of its nineteenth- and twenty-first century protagonists, tracing the dark mystery at its heart across time and place to a finale as ingeniously conceived as it is shocking. Bold, bloody, and brilliant, this is Tess Gerritsen’s finest achievement to date.

"An old mystery is crossed with a modern story in the latest from Gerritsen (The Mephisto Club, 2006, etc.).Julia Hamill, newly divorced and still smarting, purchases an old house outside Boston. Determined to dig a garden, she instead finds the bones of a long-dead woman–the apparent victim of murder–which starts her on a journey to ferret out the story behind her death. Julia connects with Henry, a no-nonsense 89-year-old with boxes of documents that once belonged to the now-deceased previous owner of Julia’s home. The two discover a mystery dating back to the 1830s. At the heart of it is a baby named Meggie, born to the beautiful but doomed Irish chambermaid, Aurnia. Married to a man who cares nothing for her, Aurnia lays dying in a maternity ward with her sister, Rose, at her side. Rose, a spirited 17-year-old, takes Meggie to protect her from Aurnia’s husband, but soon finds herself the target of a bizarre manhunt. Someone is after the child–and Rose, as well, because she witnessed a horrifying murder. The body count piles up as Rose struggles to remain free of those who would take Meggie from her. Meanwhile, a young medical student becomes the chief suspect of the West End Reaper killings when he stumbles onto another terrible homicide. Although he fights the prospect, eventually he and Rose join forces to solve the murders and protect the baby at the heart of the mysterious deaths. Readers with delicate stomachs may find Gerritsen’s graphic descriptions of corpse dissection hard to take, but the story, which digs up a dark Boston of times long past, entices readers to keep turning pages long after their bedtimes."
- Kirkus Reviews (starred)


My thoughts:

What a great love story!! The book is over 600 pages, before page 100, I didn't want to stop reading. It was not only historical & told of times where they didn't have any of the luxuries we have today, but they also had lots of death due to illness & neglect. It told a sad, but lovely story of a young girl who takes on care of her niece and is accused at first of being the West End Reaper. She is cleared only to find that the man she loves is being framed for that same crime. As she fights to save the man she loves, she's forced to trust the untrustable & put herself right in the way of the reaper. It was intriguing & lovely ~ a must read!!

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BOOK REVIEW: The Hunger Games Trilogy

This review will be a little different from the ones I usually do, this is about 3 books, a trilogy. I'll be rating the whole series along with each book :) Some spoilers after book 1!! Beware!!

First book: The Hunger Games 5/5

Here's what www.amazon.com says:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.

My thoughts:

Loved the book!! I was completely hooked within two chapters!! I love the story, I love the characters. I was routing for Peeta & Katniss the entire time!! It's a great book, with a wonderful story of such sadness & pain !!

Book 2: Catching Fire ~ 5/5

Here's what www.amazon.com says:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

My thoughts:

The Victory Tour sends Katniss into confusion & a need for survival at any cost. She makes it through the Victory Tour to begin preparations for her wedding to Peeta, only to find out there has been a terrible addition to the Quarter Quell. This book kept me on my toes, I read it in less than 12 hours!!

Final book: Mockingjay ~ 4/5


Here's what www.amazon.com says:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

My thoughts:

After surviving two Hunger Games, you'd think Katniss Everdeen could survive anything, but in this final installment, she's faced with more tragedy & hurt. Some she may not be able to overcome. She's still a child, but has faced more than anyone in two lifetimes!

The final book was wonderful until the last 50 pages. I felt the ending was rushed, it seemed to be everything told quickly with little detail to finish it out. However, I was pretty happy with the events that ended it all.

Overall Review:

The Hunger Games ~ 5/5

I recommend these books to anyone, they are intriguing & pull you into the fantasy world, even though it would never be any fantasy of mine!!

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MOVIE REVIEW: The Girl Next Door

The Girl Next Door ~ 4/5

Here's what www.netflix.com says:

2007 R 97 minutes

Inspired by true events, this thriller set in 1958 follows the harrowing story of two adolescent girls (Blythe Auffarth and Madeline Taylor) who, upon losing their parents in an accident, are sent to live with their Aunt Ruth (Blanche Baker), a sadistic psychopath. Unbeknownst to the residents of the small New Jersey suburb, the girls endure unthinkable punishment at the hands of their aunt and three cousins.

My thoughts:

First off, I can only imagine the horror of the true crime that this was based on. Now, for the movie, as I read what the book was about, I am thinking the book is way better & completely different. I am planning to pick it up & read it as well.

The movie was a great depiction of how terrible some people become when something in their life isn't as planned. Ruth creeped me out from the beginning & when she told her boys to finish their beers, I knew she as nuts!! I didn't understand why the neighboor didn't go straight home after the first incident he witnessed & told his parents. Why he would want to spend the night when the place was so creepy is beyond me!!

MOVIE REVIEW: Final Destination 5

Final Destination 5 ~ 5/5

Here's what www.netflix.com says:

2011 R 92 minutes

Death still isn't satisfied in the fifth installment of this cult horror franchise, setting out to claim the lives of shaken co-workers who cheated him when they heeded a colleague's premonition about an unstable suspension bridge.

My thoughts:

Great movie!! It does all the things the 1st ones did, great death scenes, good storyline. I also love that they tied it all together wonderfully!!

MOVIE REVIEW: 11/11/11

11/11/11 ~ 4/5

Here's what www.netflix.com says about it:

2011 NR 87 minutes

In this chilling horror movie, Melissa and Jack -- once an ordinary couple -- watch in shock as their son slowly morphs into a hellish harbinger of the Apocalypse, set to engulf the Earth on the devil-boy's own birthday, 11/11/11.

My thoughts:

The people were acting crazy from the moment this couple came to the neighborhood. If you saw them acting that way, being the way they were & trying to get your kid to go off with them, I'm sure you would pack up and move instantly!! How any parent could have stayed there is beyond me!! Man, if I were in a horror movie, I think I may survive lol

MOVIE REVIEW: The Last Resort

The Last Resort ~ 3/5

Here's what www.netflix.com says:

2008 R 74 minutes

Expecting a fun bachelorette party, bride-to-be Kathleen (Marissa Tait) and her bridesmaids head to a tropical beach location. But their trip turns into an utter nightmare after they're robbed and left injured in the middle of nowhere. Soon, they find an abandoned resort, where an evil force begins to exert its deadly influence over them. America Olivo, Arianne Zuker, Sita Young and Paulie Rojas also star in this terrifying chiller.

My thoughts:
First off, who goes to Mexico for a week for a bachelorette party? My husband never would have agreed to that when we were engaged!! Second, once you get there, who decides to get into a van with blacked out license plates and dark tinted windows??? Just dumb & you deserve the fate you got!! Just saying!! Anyway, the movie was typical slasher film, kind of confusing at the end though!

MOVIE REVIEW: Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants ~ 5/5

Here's what www.netflix.com says:
2011 PG-13 121 minutes

In this captivating Depression-era melodrama, impetuous veterinary student Jacob Jankowski joins a celebrated circus as an animal caretaker but faces a wrenching dilemma when he's transfixed by angelic married performer Marlena.

My thoughts:

Loved the era look, it made Reese Witherspoon more beautiful than ever!! Robert Pattison's character Jacob is exactly what it should be, he wants to help, but his power isn't strong enough. However, he's defiant enough & they have great compatibility!! Enjoyed this movie!!

MOVIE REVIEW: Abduction

Abduction ~ 5/5

Here's what www.netflix.com says:

2011 PG-13 107 minutes

When teenager Nathan comes across his own childhood picture while scrolling through a missing persons website, he begins to question everything he ever took for granted -- including the people he always assumed were his parents.

My thoughts:

This movie was really good! It kept you on the edge of your seat wondering who dd what & who's really who. It left me in suspense because it never revealed his father's true identity. I loved that the ending was at a Pittsburgh Pirates Game too!!

BOOK REVIEW: A Wedding in December

A Wedding in December ~ 2/5

Here's how www.amazon.com decribes the book:

At an inn in the Berkshire Mountains, seven former schoolmates gather to celebrate a wedding--a reunion that becomes the occasion of astonishing revelations as the friends collectively recall a long-ago night that indelibly marked each of their lives. Written with the fluent narrative artistry that distinguishes all of Anita Shreve's bestselling novels, A Wedding in December acutely probes the mysteries of the human heart and the endless allure of paths not taken.

My thoughts:

The book described alot of lives, intertwined together because of their high school days. A defining moment in all their lives happened 27 years before. December of 2001, they have come together after the chaos of 9/11 to celebrate the wedding of high school sweethearts who have rekindled their romance & are getting married. The bride has cancer, she's not expected to live more than 2 more years. The groom left his wife & daughter to be with her. They've met at an inn, along with several of their class mates. The story also involves a sad death of one of their friends who drowned in the ocean. It also throws in about Halifax, a fictional story about a man who's life changes because of it.

I got into the book at parts & couldn't put it down. Other times, it took everything in me to keep reading.

The back of the book encloses 15 questions for discussion. I've decided to choose 5 and share my answers with you:

2. "One can never tell the story of a marraige," Nora says to Harrison. "At the very least, a marraige is two intersecting stories, one of which we will never know." What does Nora mean by this observation? Are there relationships depicted in the novel that support her statement?

She means that no one really knows what both parties saw the relationship as. Just because the wife saw something as sweet or senimental, you really don't know how the husband saw the same thing. Without having both accounts & being able to compare them at the exact time, you don't really know. Someone could be lying the entire time. And yes, Nora & her husband's relationship was like that.

5. Some of the novel's characters regard the events of 9/11 as reminders of the "democracy of catastrophe". Jerry, on the other hand, draws a distinction between the people who witnessed the tragedy firsthand and those who viewed it from the safety of their homes miles away. Which opinion do you favor?

I agree with Jerry, the tragedy that 9/11 was rippled across the nation. Everyone saw the terror, felt the sadness and mourned for the victims. However, not everyone saw firsthand the craziness, the panic, heard the sickening thuds of bodies hitting the ground. It was real to everyone, however you felt safer, that something like that wouldn't happen in small town USA, the further from major cities you got.

8. Harrison acknowledges that the defining feature of private lives is "that anyone looking in from the outside could never know the reality". He longs to tell Nora the truth about Stephen, and Agnes's stunning revelation triggers the others to reveal their own hidden truths as well. What, if anything, do these confessions change for the friends? Do they come to regard one another differently in the end?

I seem to agree with Harrison, if not let in, no one truly knows what someone is like, what they are into & what kind of life they have. The friends find out some interesting things: Agnes had a 20+ year affair with a former teacher who was married, Bill left his wife & daughter to marry Bridget, Josh & Rob are gay, Nora's husband cheated on her, moved the girl in & got her pregnant after denying her the opportunity to have her own child and Harrison knew Stephen went into the ocean, and instead of calling for help, he went home looking for him. No one would have known these things unless allowed into their comfort zone. They don't seem to change feelings for one another, although I doubt they'd all come together anytime soon.

13. Although the novel centers on a happy occassion, the characters also experience a great deal of disillusionment. Does this story end on a hopeful note? Why or why not?

Yes & no, I think some stories are hopeful and others are not.

Nora's hopeful that her inn will continue to do well, Bill & Bridget are looking to make the most of their lives, Rob & Josh have successful careers. However, so were not so hopeful, Agnes's affair is expected to end, Harrison is heading home to his family & giving up on his true love, Jerry & his wife are not expected to have a bright future. So it depends upon the character & the choices they have made.

15. How do you think this reunion weekend will ultimately influence the group? What is the likelihood that these high school friends will be in touch with one another after the wedding?

I think this weekend has made quite an impact on the friends. They see each other in a new light, which will reflect in their future. Some may avoid, others may look back & wonder & finally, there will be those who want to go back to that day. I expect a select few to attend future funerals or events, but not everyone together at the same time.

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