The Misfits are an innovative and progressive book club. We welcome all newcomers from far and wide. Our goals is to promote reading diversity, camaraderie with others and good ole fashion fun. We are not just a book club, but a social experience. We enjoy reading, eating, and discussion with open minds and palates.
T. Howard
Sunday, March 31, 2013
This Little Piggy Went to the Liquor Store
A.K Turner
The best quote I read about the book said "Reading This Little Piggy Went to the Liquor Store is like going to your neighbor's house for a play date and discovering that she's just as clueless and crazy as you are." -Stacy Dymalski, the author of Confessions of a Band Geek Mom
This Little Piggy Went to the Liquor Store is laugh out loud funny. In the beginning, by the end of the book I’m not sure if the jokes are getting old or if I was too tired to laugh any more. The only other criticism I have is the story was scattered in parts.
I m trying to review this book with out spoiling the plot.
Turner shares her unapologetic truth about marriage and children as she shares the flaws in what would been a super mom persona 30 yrs ago. Super mom is controlling, neurotic and needs wine. Wow, she sounds a lot like me. Most parents can relate. In fact what makes the book funny is the honest open way Turner shares her every day life with the reader. The book feels like an old friend is sharing their day with me. A .K. Turner details family problems, breastfeeding, and even experimenting with pot.
My personal favorite part was the chapter entitled the night fury, this is because my middle son was my night fury. I could relate. Other worthy and funny chapters Mamas, Don’t let your babies grow up to be serial killers and I’m no having twins bitch.
This Little Piggy Went to the Liquor Store The book is a quick enjoyable chapters, nothing too serious, but fun way to spend the after noon.
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
and Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Randy Pausch was a professor in Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. The Last Lecture is a inspirational, humorous, enjoyable, and compelling reading. The last lecture was co-written by Jeffery Zaslow who is Columnist for The Wall Street Journal. This book as it was written during Randy Pausch’s last days. Randy Pausch was an educator, a father of 3 and a husband. Randy Pausch passed away from pancreatic cancer back in July 2008. The life lessons Randy Pausch imparts are timeless.
I haven’t enjoyed a book so much since Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. In Mitch Albom‘s, narrator, he recalls his graduation from Brandeis University in the spring of 1979. After he has received his diploma, Mitch approaches his favorite professor, Morrie Schwartz, and presents him with a monogrammed briefcase. They lose contact over the years but are reunited. Morrie is forced to forfeit dancing, his favorite hobby, because he has been diagnosed with ALS, a debilitating disease that leaves his "soul, perfectly awake, imprisoned inside a limp husk" of a body. Morris Schwartz aka "Morrie", passed away peacefully January 29, 2012, I could not help to compare the similarities between the 2 books.
Tuesdays with Morrie and The last lecture both deal with how a person lives and not how they die nor the diseases. Both Morrie and Randy were educators. And both books are not really sad. Morrie taught us to dance while you can with no regrets. To laugh, to love and to put others first. And, Randy taught us not only to follow our reams but help others follow there dreams.
“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” ― Mitch Albom, Tuesdays With Morrie “Too many people go through life complaining about their problems. I've always believed that if you took one tenth the energy they put into complaining and applied it to solving the problem, you'd be surprised by how well things can work out.”
― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture
“Not everything needs to be fixed.” This is a quote from The Last Lecture. This is one of those lessons I had to learn. More importantly, I’m a problem solver. I needed to learn, I don‘t need to attempt to fix everyone else’s problems. Often, the issue will work it self out.
“It's not about the cards you're dealt, but how you play the hand.” ― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture “The truth is, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.”
The thought presented here by Morrie is that one cannot really appreciate life until one appreciates death. One has to understand and accept that death is inevitable. Then it becomes imperative to grab onto life and experience as much as possible before death exercises its claim. Until that point, one is simply oblivious to just how wonderful life can be.
“Life is a series of pulls back and forth... A tension of opposites, like a pull on a rubber band. Most of us live somewhere in the middle. A wrestling match...Which side wins? Love wins. Love always wins.”
Morrie is a firm believer in the power of love to conquer all things. He advises Mitch to turn to love regardless of what else is going on. Through love, anything is possible. This rather optimistic viewpoint is expressed by Morrie on multiple occasions. Mitch Albom, Tuesdays With Morrie
These are a few of my favorite quotes from both of these books.
“What is the most appropriate thing to say to a friend who was about to die. He answered:” tell your friend that in his death, a part of you dies and goes with him. Whenever he goes, you also go. He will not be alone".”
“You don't beat the grim reaper by living longer; you beat the grim reaper by living better.” ―Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture
The words “Please don't die.” came from Randy Pausch’s wife and they were the most heart wrenching and profound words in the book. I cried my heart out for both of them.
Read Tuesdays with Morrie and The last lecture for yourself. Neither, book will leave you sad, Both educators leave 1 last lesson. The lesson : live, love, laugh and dream.
A friend of mine told me to check out the kindle buffet app from Amazon for free books. So I checked it out and invited other kinder fire owners to check it out.
This is the book description as found on amazon:
Book Description
Free books, all you can eat!
One of the best things
about Amazon's Kindle system is that many popular books are offered completely
free of charge during brief promotional periods. If you manage to find and
download a book while it's offered free, it's yours to keep --
forever.
It's a great way to sample a new genre, or perhaps discover an
author you hadn't noticed before. The free promotions usually last only a few
days, but there's a new crop every day. You'll be amazed at the wealth of great
books. Usually there are several hundred freebies in virtually every category of
fiction and nonfiction, every day of the year. And these aren't just the dogs
that nobody wants, the selection includes bona-fide bestsellers from the most
famous authors in the world. You may never have to pay for a book again!
This book will introduce you to KindleBuffet.com, a website and
newsletter founded by author Steve Weber to showcase the best Kindle books
currently offered free -- plus a multitude of other avenues toward great free
content:
Most of the people who tried it out with me, like it. Hey, if you want something new and different to read here is a way to get free books.
The process is pretty simple the book links go back to amazon. The app tells you about other ways to get books and what the pitfalls are.
So far I have gotten some pretty good books and I would not have even thought to check out some of the authors without getting Kindle Buffet.
It has taken so
long to get back to this blog. Unfortunately, I am not superwoman; I have a
growing business a job, a husband and family and friends to tend to as well as this
blog.
The book club has not stopped. It has changed and redefined itself as it does when we new people join and share themselves. This is awesome !
We have not stopped reading nor
have I stopped reviewing books and or movies when ask to. I have been doing mini reviews by email, and a
few on Amazon.
Coming in the
newyear I will be adding this blog as well as my other blogs to my weekly and monthly work loads to try to get them where I want them to be. Ihope you enjoy them . For now, I amsending allwhomay read thismyMisfit wish, May you read a bookin the newyear that touches your
soul and awakens somethingnew.
Director: Steven Soderbergh.. Actors: Channing Tatum: Mike Martingano · Matt Bomer: Ken · Alex Pettyfer: The Kid · Matthew McConaughey: Dallas ·
My bff and I went to check out what we hoped to be a entertaining movie. We had seen the Magic Mike trailers with all these handsome men dancing and thought yum!. The movie stars Channing Tatum in a story inspired by his real life. There is not much of a story.
The movies’ Dance scenes were laughable. Channing Tatum made the other actors look piss poor. They were going thru the motions, off beat and pretty stiff.(and I don’t mean woody). Somebody needed to call Paula Abdul for some dance moves.
Here is the story in short, Tatum plays a poor stripper, who happens to also work construction ,saving to one day fulfill his dream of having a custom built furniture company of his very own. The film follows Mike (Tatum) as he takes a young dancer called The Kid (Pettyfer) under his wing and schools him in the fine arts of partying, picking up women, and making easy money.
Let me breakdown the characters; Matthew Mc Conaughey plays Dallas. His character was more Johnny deep, doing captain Jack sober, with a touch of early prince. (Well, he did show his butt cheeks. ) Next, we have Matt Bomer who was the too peppy, no dancing, white guy whose stripping that left me wanting to go home.(ok, he had a nice smile). I mean I wanted to find him a blanket and call 911. MAN LIMP!MAN LIMP!
On to the Scarier side, Alex Pettyfer who played the kid. The words dancing and Pettyfer should never appear in the same sentence together. NEVER! NO, Dry humping is not dancing, it’s dry humping or grinding. When R. Kelly said there ain’t nothing wrong with a little bump and grind, he wasn’t talking about YOU! Now sit down and don’t get back up.
Next, we have Joe Manganiello aka Big Dick Richie, There was a scene which showed "Big Dick "Richie’s trouser monkey being tortured by way of an extender. This poor abused member filled a portion of the scene. DUDE! It is against the law to torture helpless animals, now somebody needs to add trouser monkey's to the list. Manfaniello,don’t quit your day job. Frankly, you ride Sookie on True Blood with less effort! Besides, it’s not the size that truly matters, it’s the size of the heart of the man which is most important.
To Steven Soderbergh who directed this lack luster movie. If this was Channing Tatum’s inspired story, then tell the story. This movie for me was superficial b***sh*t. Drugs were touched on, but without real conquest. What message does the movie send about drugs and stripping? There were no female stockers? There were no college students dancing to pay off their student loans, nor a son who dances to pay off his mother’s medical bills.(real talk) No full Monty’s. And most regrettably, no jobs given to all the talented male dancers who can really dance and strip.
Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton and Keith Coogan In Adventures in Babysitting, Elisabeth Shue’s character Chris Parker agrees to baby-sit after her date stands her up. When Chris’s frantic friend Brenda calls and needs to be rescued from the bus station in downtown Chicago. Babysitter and kids leave their safe suburban surroundings and head for the heart of the big city, never imagining how terrifyingly funny their expedition will become! In the The Sitter, Noah Griffith played by (Jonah Hill), has been kicked out of college, and finds himself living back at home with his lonely divorced mother. Reluctantly, Noah agrees to baby-sit the kids next door so his lonely mother can make a love connection. When Ari Graynor, who plays’ Noah’s user blond girlfriend, calls dangling sex for picking up some of cocaine, our hero packs his charges into their family minivan and heads out to a dope dealer's den. One of the big differences better the two movies is in The Sitteris funnier, and a bit more realistic than it’s predecessors. The children are not just cast for their cuteness, the three mini terrors, include perpetually angry Rodrigo (Kevin Hernandez), a Venezuelan adoptee who is also a enthusiastic pyrotechnician.; little Blithe (Landry Bender), a tarted-up Britney Spears want to be; and Slater (Max Records), a neurotic teen ("I've got issues!"). The best part of The Sitter me was Sam Rockwell who played, Karl the coke dealer with the strangest man cave, gym, lab and lounge I have ever seen. This ostentatious boy palace adored with grotesque body-builders heaving weights. Karl is a whacked-out sociopath who is just fun to watch. One of my favorite lines from Karl, (Hugging Noah, he gushes, "You're so gorgeous and shy ... you remind me of my Aunt Shirley!") Normally, the original is the better choice, Adventures in Babysitting certainly had a closer relationship between the characters. But, The Sitter has better laughs, more believability and character diversity. Watch both and see what you think but for now...
In the words of Noah's too-cool buddy, the doorman at one of the dives our hero visits, the movie's final good advice: "Make love to the night, m-----f-----!"
Nicholas Sparks The Lucky One is a romantic movie is based on Nicholas Sparks' book and starring Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling.
First, let me say I never expect books converted to movies to reflect the book perfectly. My thinking on this issue is if you have 100 readers, you also have 100 imaginations who see each character differently. By the way my imagination never saw Zac Efron as Thibault. There is one exception, Tom Hank’s movie adaptation of Stephen King’s the Green Mile.
For the most part The Lucky one movie is hampered with Hollywood stereotypical characters: from the beautiful single mom, the chivalrous ex-solider, the feisty grandmother, the controlling ex. and the precocious son. The movie does do one thing better than the book, Efron’s character is touched by post traumatic stress, after all as soldier he would have lived thru to sleeping in a trenches, to hear the sounds of weapons being fired at all hours, and seeing friends die. The book just says Thibault hit’s the road on foot with his dog in search of his lucky charm. The movie shows the aftermath of the Iraq war on Thibault goes home to Colorado, he jumps at every loud noise, and accidentally attacks his nephew who touches him while he is sleeping. This is the seg-way to hitting the road, and it works.
Like the book, this is more of a lifetime movie with no surprises, but enjoyable for what it was. It was the nicest stocker movie I have ever seen. By the way my imagination didn’t mind Zac Efron as Thibault.
Watch the movie for yourself and tell me what you thought
