A Movie?

Yes, believe it or not, as much as I love to talk about books, I do enjoy movies, as well. I don't usually enjoy them as much as I do books, but - now and then - I get a truly pleasant surprise. I'm pleased to share one of those with you that I recently enjoyed, although,...it isn't a recently released movie.

I had finished reading a wonderful historical fiction (which I'll talk about later) and was still marinating it, which means I was still researching some information from the historical fiction, still thinking about the storyline. I wasn't ready to start a new book yet, but I wanted something to keep me company for a couple of hours one day. I knew what could satisfy my desire: Kindle Fire.

The great thing about my Kindle is his Fire not only burns passionately with beautiful books, it also glows with Netflix and Amazon. (There is more than one reason I love him, you know.) It helps that I'm a Amazon Prime Member, too, which means I love shopping for a "free" instant movie to see what hidden treasures I can find without paying an additional price for them. (What can I say? Along with being born a bibliophile, I'm also a born bargain shopper. It's the thrill of the hunt!)

The movie I found, on this particular hunt, was "Amelie" from 2001. I had never heard of it before, but I loved the look of the pixie-faced actress on the cover. She reminded me of a faerie, and I love faeries. When I read the reviews and a bit of the synopsis, I decided it might be just the thing I wanted. I also admit it appealed to me because the film was set in Paris (one of my most favorite places), and it was in French with English subtitles (which helps me practice my French). I thought I might like the film. Little did I know, I would fall in love with it! I smile, even now, just thinking about it.

To me, "Amelie" is everything a movie should be: art and magic and wonder. A movie is a place to lose yourself for a little while and enter another world. If it's a good movie, you take a part of that world with you when the film is over. It's a place you remember fondly and, if the movie is really good, it might be a world you'll want to visit again. "Amelie" is definitely that kind of movie.

I was going to post a link here to the movie trailer, but I feel it gives too much away. I'm glad I didn't really know much about the movie before I watched it (which is why I only read a bit of the synopsis, I hate knowing too much before watching a movie or reading a book. Spoils the fun, in my opinion. I believe I've said this before, yes?)

I'll end my recommendation with this, if you find yourself wanting to spend some time in a lovely place with a pixie-faced faerie girl as your guide, just give "Amelie" a try. She'll lighten your heart and make you smile, and we all need some of that, oui?

Books...

Oh, yes, I do have a book recommendation, as well. I won't go into a review, but I will say this book was another great surprise (so, don't think my lack of review indicates a lack in the book). It was one I had on my shelf, but had not read yet. It was meant to be a "filler" book or a "tweener" - you know, something I was reading to kill time until my next Kristin Cashore book arrived. I was pleasantly surprised to find the book was more of a main attraction than I would have imagined.

 If you love historical fiction, as I most passionately do, I recommend you read The Irish Princess by Karen Harper. I've never read Harper before, but I liked her style. I also like the research she did for her book and the references she gives to the real information at the back of the book. I found the novel to be a springboard into some interesting research of my own. I admit to having a particular fondness for the setting, as I love England (another one of my most favorite places), and was more than a bit thrilled to see some places mentioned I know and love well, such as Leicestershire and Charnwood Forest - truly lovely places with truly lovely people.

Time to go now...

Not that this post was short, but I do feel a bit rushed in writing it. You see, today is my last day of Spring Break. It's back to work tomorrow. I have a few things on my "just gotta do list" to end my break in style and, of course, one of them is reading. My Kristin Cashore book has arrived from Amazon, and I am anxious to spend a little time in that world before enjoying some other things this lovely Sunday.

Happy reading! :)



 

Reflections

"Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting."

~ Edmund Burke

I'd like to recommend two books that have caused me a good bit of reflection. I won't say the books are for everyone, but they certainly are worthy reads if you're an avid reader who likes to try a bit of everything.

The first book is Reading in the Dark by Seamus Deane. I found it on one of the "Best of..." lists and was intrigued by the title, the author's name (I knew it was Irish), and the photo on the front. I don't like to read too much about a book before I actually read it, as it's like watching a detailed movie trailer that gives away some of the best parts. I had a feeling about this one, took a chance, and bought the book. I had a feeling it would be one I'd want on my shelf and not just on my Kindle.

When I first began reading the book, I didn't think I was going to like it. I was wrong. I loved it. It was like walking into an Irish pub and having the old gentleman in the corner tell you what his life was like growing up in Ireland in the 1940s and 1950s. He would be the kind of storyteller that draws you in and wraps you up in his tale. You might resist a bit, at first, and tell yourself you're just humoring the old man, but by the time you leave the pub in the wee small hours of the morning, you know you'll never see things exactly the same again. You also know you'll carry the memory of that old man with you for the rest of your life and be all the better for it.

The second book is one I am still reading. That's right, I'm recommending it before I even finish it. I don't usually do that, but I've gained so much from what I've read so far that if the rest proved to be unworthy, what I've gained so far would override anything I might dislike in the rest of the book (although, I know that isn't going to happen). I have enjoyed the book so much, that I've purposely slowed myself down because I'm not ready to end it.

The name of the second book is The Sharp Hook of Love by Sherry Jones. It is a historical fiction about the love affair between Heloise d'Argenteuil and Pierre Abelard in Paris, France, in the 1100s. It is an amazing book, sprinkled with excerpts of the actual letters they wrote one another. This book is more than a love affair, though, it is the meeting of two great minds. It is also a statement on religion, church laws, and the way women have been treated by religion since the beginning of it all.

I became intrigued with this book when I knew it was a historical fiction about a real woman who was intelligent and well-educated in the twelfth century. I actually didn't know there could be such a thing as a well-educated woman during that time. Heloise was, indeed, heralded as a "jewel" in her day because women of her kind were very rare. 

This book has caused me to reflect on many things, aside from the engaging, romantic story of these two well-known people of their time. It would be hard for me to put into words, but I came to understand myself a little better from reading this book. I felt a connection to Heloise. While I wasn't raised in an abbey, as she was, I was "raised in the church" and in religious ideologies. I understand Heloise's confusion and her conflict over finding herself in love with Abelard. I also understand that she loves him with the same profound love and devotion and passion she feels for God. After all, it is from loving God she knows how to love. It is from her religious upbringing she learned that to love fully and completely, she must love unselfishly - no matter what the cost is to herself.

Before buying the book, I did a little research and found there is a book of their letters to one another, which I would very much like to read. I tried not to read too much about the real Heloise and Abelard, though, as I wanted to enjoy the novel before discovering what really happened to them both. If you love historical fiction, as I do, this book is definitely a book to put on your list. 

My FAVORITE Place?!

While attending a meeting in Texas, I met someone who was born and raised right outside of Paris, France. I was amazed to learn that French was her first language because she spoke English very well. It was only after she told me she was a high school French teacher that the topic came up of where she was born and her first language.

I told her I had been to Paris. With some hesitation, almost like she dreaded asking, she inquired about my visit to Paris. I assured her it was a perfect trip, and I loved the city and the people there! She wanted to know the things I did. I mentioned a few things, but then just laughed and said, "To be honest, I really did love everything. Everything! My friend and I decided the only goal for our trip was to eat a crepe every day while we looked at the Eiffel Tower, so everything else we did beyond that was icing." She laughed and said she liked that. She also explained that she never knows what reaction she will get from someone when she says she is from Paris, people tend to either have a good reaction or a bad one - seldom anything in between.

We talked for a good while, discussing many different things, but before we parted she asked me a question that was very difficult to answer. She wanted to know, of the places I've been, which one was my favorite. I gave it some thought before I answered, stumbling over my words a few times. I mentioned a few of the places I love, but...I finally gave up and gave my honest answer. I told her all the places I have been are my favorite. She laughed a bit when I said this and asked again, "All of them?!"

Yes, all of them.

I told her that I love the delightful city of Paris just as much as I love England's beautiful countryside. And I am just as fascinated by England's lovely, dramatic, and haunting coastline as I am the healing waters of Italy's Lago Maggiore,...but there's no way to say which one is "better"! I explained that I love walking on the white, sandy, beaches and swimming in the clear waters of Mexico just as much as I love Blowing Rock, North Carolina on a clear, crisp October day when the leaves are in full autumn bloom...and, my goodness, I'll never forget watching the sun come up over the Grand Canyon and, yet, I am just as amazed to sit down in a huge field of beautiful blue bonnets in the Texas Hill Country in the spring! And don't even get me started on how much I love San Francisco and Chicago...

How could I possibly choose a favorite when there is so much beauty and wonder in the world? I've never had a bad experience in my travels. Have there been "hiccups" along the way? Perhaps travel plans didn't always run smoothly? Well, of course, but never enough to daunt my spirit...or my appreciation for just being there - being somewhere - having an adventure!

In all my traveling, I've never met an unfriendly person or someone who was rude because of the way I spoke or the way I looked in an unfamiliar place. Generally speaking, every place I have been I find people who are warm and welcoming. It doesn't matter what the culture or the language is, when I greet the rest of the world with an open heart and an open mind, I have found it gives the same back.

Now,...with a big, wide, wonderful world like that - who could pick a favorite?! :)