My memory of what I've read the past few weeks however...
Anyways, I've been reading more Phillipa Gregory. Always a fan. I preferred The Queen's Fool to The Virgin's Lover. I thought it had a much richer context of growing up to become a woman and having to deal with marriage, men, and living in that society. Both books provided a pretty good description of how challenging being royal or powerful must be, how easy it is to have good intentions go down the drain, and how manipulation is almost always necessary. If you haven't started reading Phillipa Gregory, you should probably give her books a chance sometime. I have The White Queen sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read.
I bought this one from a friend without really reading the description or knowing the author. I figured I'll give anything a shot. I actually really enjoyed it though. I don't know much about French history, but it was interesting to dive into the past and see what was going on. The references to England's royalty and happenings were especially colorful after getting my fill of British royalty with Phillipa Gregory's books. But it's an interesting love story and depiction again of royal life and the balancing act between personal and public responsibilities and desires. Definitely worth a look.
I've never been a big Nicholas Sparks fan, but a friend recommended this one so I gave it a try. I'd say it wasn't anything extraordinary or ground-breaking, but it was a good read. It at least has a different story than his usuals. And it had captivating main characters, although the descriptions of the abusive ex-husband fell flat for me - I think he depended too much on the deeply religious view of the world without digging into the character's personality enough. But like I said, it's a good, quick read. Perfect for a summer weekend or the like.
We've been seeing some movies in theaters lately too. The movie theater on base is fairly affordable, although it has limited options and times and the movies are usually delayed a few weeks from opening dates back in the states. Still, we can both see a movie with popcorn and soda for around $20, which isn't possible in the states.
I loved Something Borrowed when I first read it. I also loved its sister, Something Blue. So of course I had to watch the movie! I think they chose perfect actors for each role, and I think it was a good interpretation of the book. It was cute and funny and emotional without being over the top in any department. Loved it.
I went into Bridesmaids expecting a funny chick flick. It's SO much more than that! I could not stop laughing, and my laughter was definitely not alone in the theater. The ladies that played in this movie are hilarious alone, and an excellent combination. Can not wait to buy it and make my husband watch it. He rolled his eyes when I said I wanted to go see it, but I think I'll get the last laugh when I force him to watch it and he loves it. Probably my favorite movie of the year.
Not much else has been going on in life lately. Lots of reading and movie watching and relaxing in between the chaos of working with kids all through their summer vacation. Everyone at my work is impatiently counting down the weeks until school begins again.
Have a good weekend!
I've been trying to decide on my next read, i went from a few really good books, like the Help and the Winter Sea to some dud freebies on Amazon. thanks for the post!
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