Rarely do I see a movie based on a book before I read the book. Rarely. But I did this time. Last weekend, Rob and I went to see "The Hundred-Foot Journey" and I fell in love with the amazing adaptation of the movie version of the book. It made me so excited to read the book to see how the stories might be different, or if the movie was true to the book. Oh my, how these two are different stories. Like night and day. So, for those of you who might have read the book first and don't want to see the movie, please know that the movie is sweet and wonderful and, in my opinion, more truly captures Hassan's gift of food. And, for those of you who think that once you've seen the movie you don't need to read the book because you've got the whole story, you are mistaken. The movie covers only a brief period of the time that elapses in the book. The movie and the book of this brilliant story are two totally different works. Totally different.
For those of you who have no idea what this story is even about, let me fill you in briefly. The Hundred Foot Journey is the story of Hassan Haji, an Indian boy with a gift for cooking. His story takes him from Mumbai, to London, to Lumiere, and finally to Paris (and then back to Lumiere in the movie version) as he learns and grows as a chef. The movie focuses on three other characters: Hassan's father, Madame Mallory (who owns the French restaurant 100 feet across the street from the Haji home/restaurant), and Margaret. These characters, along with a cast and crew of many others, are in the book, which details a much longer period of Hassan's life than in the movie. It is a beautiful story of love and food and encouragement to fulfill your destiny, sometimes with an angel or two on your shoulders.
Many say that you need to be a "foodie" to appreciate this story. Well, I am no foodie, and I adored it. So don't be turned away if you are no "gourmand." I do admit, once again, that I prefer the movie version of this story because I do think that the movie was able to more accurately convey, because movies have the means to evoke senses in a way that books sometimes can't, Hassan's gift for cooking and "knowing" foods. It was brilliant.
This is a great story. And don't miss the movie!
:) Dodie
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Friday, August 15, 2014
#38: Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman
I don't particularly enjoy the color orange and I have a fear of ever having to pee in front of people. As a result, I am terrified of ever having to go to jail/prison. Terrified. I wouldn't last a day. I think it was this fear that drew me to Kerman's memoir which I devoured over the last two days. And, while her book doesn't make me want to run out and commit a crime as some people have done because her book has glorified orange jump suits causing the number of prison inmates to be on the rise, it did make me see prison and inmates in a very different light.
I found Kerman's book to be both inspiring and alarming. Inspiring because the women Piper met over her year in prison, and Piper herself, are some strong ladies. I am still sad that Piper ever had to do time in the first place, but she handled a bad choice like the adult she is, did her time, and returned to her life and continues to move forward. She is what the government hopes will happen when inmates leave prison. But, I am also alarmed because the system of helping these ladies return to society is horribly inadequate and not everyone turns out like Piper. Not everyone has a friend who will give you a good job with benefits after you've done time in a Federal Prison. Not everyone had family and friends sending them letters and books and taking the time to come visit each week. Not everyone gets helped when they are out. Which is why they return. It makes me sad. Really sad.
I wonder how many sociology classes will use this book as a text? Or are already doing so. It's a brilliant piece of work and I am so glad that Piper found yet another way to make a bad situation have a positive outcome.
This is a good read.
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
I found Kerman's book to be both inspiring and alarming. Inspiring because the women Piper met over her year in prison, and Piper herself, are some strong ladies. I am still sad that Piper ever had to do time in the first place, but she handled a bad choice like the adult she is, did her time, and returned to her life and continues to move forward. She is what the government hopes will happen when inmates leave prison. But, I am also alarmed because the system of helping these ladies return to society is horribly inadequate and not everyone turns out like Piper. Not everyone has a friend who will give you a good job with benefits after you've done time in a Federal Prison. Not everyone had family and friends sending them letters and books and taking the time to come visit each week. Not everyone gets helped when they are out. Which is why they return. It makes me sad. Really sad.
I wonder how many sociology classes will use this book as a text? Or are already doing so. It's a brilliant piece of work and I am so glad that Piper found yet another way to make a bad situation have a positive outcome.
This is a good read.
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
#36 and #37: If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman
I wanted to read If I Stay before seeing the movie that opens next week because I always like the read the book before seeing the movie made from the book. I'm just that sort of person. Knowing that this book deals with the death of a family, I also needed to make sure that I could handle watching the movie. I am bringing my big purse to the theater for this one--not to hide snacks, but to transport my jumbo sized box of tissues. I am going to need it. And I will probably need to share with the people around me.
So, here's the idea: Mia's family is involved in a tragic car accident. Her family (mother, father, and brother) have all died. She is fighting for her life and has to decide--does she stay on Earth or go with her family. While she makes this decision, we get to relive some of her most important memories with her. The book is amazing and while I will not tell you what happens, I will tell you that I had to read the sequel Where She Went, whose title very cleverly doesn't not spoil the book in any way. Either book, for that matter.
These books reminded me of the importance of family, of true love and what it will make us do or not do, and how important grieving can be for some to move on. Grief can manifest in so many different ways, too. We just have to love and support those we love who are impacted so they can grieve and move forward with their lives.
These are not long books and they are fairly easy reads (provided that you can read through tears) but I do recommend that if you read If I Stay that you have Where She Went close by. You will want to read on. Trust me on this one.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
So, here's the idea: Mia's family is involved in a tragic car accident. Her family (mother, father, and brother) have all died. She is fighting for her life and has to decide--does she stay on Earth or go with her family. While she makes this decision, we get to relive some of her most important memories with her. The book is amazing and while I will not tell you what happens, I will tell you that I had to read the sequel Where She Went, whose title very cleverly doesn't not spoil the book in any way. Either book, for that matter.
These books reminded me of the importance of family, of true love and what it will make us do or not do, and how important grieving can be for some to move on. Grief can manifest in so many different ways, too. We just have to love and support those we love who are impacted so they can grieve and move forward with their lives.
These are not long books and they are fairly easy reads (provided that you can read through tears) but I do recommend that if you read If I Stay that you have Where She Went close by. You will want to read on. Trust me on this one.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
#35: Big Little Lies by Lianne Moriarty
I have read other books by Lianne Moriarty (The Husband's Secret, What Alice Forgot) and I love her style, her wit, and her unique subject matter. So, when I was reading People Magazine several weeks back and discovered that she had a new book that touched on bullying in public schools, I was intrigued. Big Little Lies is a truly unique story that had me reading fast and turning pages quickly in order to get to the end to find out how this mini-mystery was going to be resolved.
Big Little Lies is the story of the Kindergarten parents of Pirriwee Public School (Moriarty's books are always set in Australia and I gathered that this school was in the suburbs somewhere in Australia). Notice I did not say the students of the school but the PARENTS. Oh my. I thought I was reading a story about bullying, which made me think it was bullying amongst students. But no, this is a story about parental bullying. That ends with a death. Scary stuff. (I am going to take a minute and just let any readers out there, who may not directly know me, that I am a public school teacher and that for the bulk of my 19 years in the classroom, I have taught Kindergarten. And I thought I had seen it all. Well, I was wrong. Pirriwee Public takes the cake.)
Big Little Lies opens on the birthday of Madeline Martha Mackenzie, mother of Chloe and wife of Ed, who meets single mom Jane and her son Ziggy on the morning of Kindergarten orientation. Celeste and Perry (who have twin boys Max and Josh) and Renata and Geoff (who have a daughter Amabella) and Nathan (ex husband to Madeleine) and Bonnie (who have a daughter Skye) round out the parental couples whose stories are told in this juicy murder mystery. And while we soon realize that the bullying is parental, the bullying does seem to begin in the Kindergarten, where Amabella is (according to Amabella but there is no definitive proof) choked by Ziggy at the end of orientation. Renata goes crazy, bullies the teacher, Miss Barnes, and eventually just steps over her and demands that Ziggy apologize to Amabella. So, within this first 50 pages of the book, the two sides have been created: those on Ziggy and Jane's and those on Amabella and Renata's.
As I read this cleverly crafted story, which actually begins with the Trivia Night murder and works backwards, detailing every event that led to the death of one of the main characters (and the end of each chapter gives some community commentary as other characters that we only get glimpse of or never actually meet in the main story give information to the police), but we don't know which one, I kept imagining that this could totally happen. Parents get upset that something at school isn't handled the way they want it to be handled so they make people's lives hell outside (and even sometimes inside) of the school. The parents are the bullies in this story and the children, God love them, are simply modeling their behavior after the adults who take care of them. With every turn of the page I reminded myself that my behavior is critical to the development of my own daughters. They look to me and my actions as a guide for their own actions and behaviors. I hope I've done OK so far. I was also thinking, as I read this story, that this book should be given to each set of KG parents when they register their children for school and made a mandatory read before school begins. Maybe some parents would learn how to act, or how NOT to act, through the reading of this book.
On a more serious side, and without letting too much of the story slip out, as I don't want to be a spoiler, this book does also deal with domestic violence and while bullying is a serious topic, so is spousal abuse and this part of the story should not be overlooked. It is serious and sad and can cause death and my heart wept for the characters in this story who were touched by this kind of tragedy.
One final comment...as I was finishing this book late on night when Rob was out for a work dinner, there was a moment when I read something that made my mouth drop open and I heard myself exclaim, "NO WAY!" Oh yes, there is a critical moment in the story were everything changes and the entire story comes together and I never saw it coming. This book is excellent!
Read this one. If you teach or if you have kids, you especially should read it. But even if you don't, you will find this story to be a great one. And hopefully you will walk away from it remembering that things aren't always as they seem.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
Big Little Lies is the story of the Kindergarten parents of Pirriwee Public School (Moriarty's books are always set in Australia and I gathered that this school was in the suburbs somewhere in Australia). Notice I did not say the students of the school but the PARENTS. Oh my. I thought I was reading a story about bullying, which made me think it was bullying amongst students. But no, this is a story about parental bullying. That ends with a death. Scary stuff. (I am going to take a minute and just let any readers out there, who may not directly know me, that I am a public school teacher and that for the bulk of my 19 years in the classroom, I have taught Kindergarten. And I thought I had seen it all. Well, I was wrong. Pirriwee Public takes the cake.)
Big Little Lies opens on the birthday of Madeline Martha Mackenzie, mother of Chloe and wife of Ed, who meets single mom Jane and her son Ziggy on the morning of Kindergarten orientation. Celeste and Perry (who have twin boys Max and Josh) and Renata and Geoff (who have a daughter Amabella) and Nathan (ex husband to Madeleine) and Bonnie (who have a daughter Skye) round out the parental couples whose stories are told in this juicy murder mystery. And while we soon realize that the bullying is parental, the bullying does seem to begin in the Kindergarten, where Amabella is (according to Amabella but there is no definitive proof) choked by Ziggy at the end of orientation. Renata goes crazy, bullies the teacher, Miss Barnes, and eventually just steps over her and demands that Ziggy apologize to Amabella. So, within this first 50 pages of the book, the two sides have been created: those on Ziggy and Jane's and those on Amabella and Renata's.
As I read this cleverly crafted story, which actually begins with the Trivia Night murder and works backwards, detailing every event that led to the death of one of the main characters (and the end of each chapter gives some community commentary as other characters that we only get glimpse of or never actually meet in the main story give information to the police), but we don't know which one, I kept imagining that this could totally happen. Parents get upset that something at school isn't handled the way they want it to be handled so they make people's lives hell outside (and even sometimes inside) of the school. The parents are the bullies in this story and the children, God love them, are simply modeling their behavior after the adults who take care of them. With every turn of the page I reminded myself that my behavior is critical to the development of my own daughters. They look to me and my actions as a guide for their own actions and behaviors. I hope I've done OK so far. I was also thinking, as I read this story, that this book should be given to each set of KG parents when they register their children for school and made a mandatory read before school begins. Maybe some parents would learn how to act, or how NOT to act, through the reading of this book.
On a more serious side, and without letting too much of the story slip out, as I don't want to be a spoiler, this book does also deal with domestic violence and while bullying is a serious topic, so is spousal abuse and this part of the story should not be overlooked. It is serious and sad and can cause death and my heart wept for the characters in this story who were touched by this kind of tragedy.
One final comment...as I was finishing this book late on night when Rob was out for a work dinner, there was a moment when I read something that made my mouth drop open and I heard myself exclaim, "NO WAY!" Oh yes, there is a critical moment in the story were everything changes and the entire story comes together and I never saw it coming. This book is excellent!
Read this one. If you teach or if you have kids, you especially should read it. But even if you don't, you will find this story to be a great one. And hopefully you will walk away from it remembering that things aren't always as they seem.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
Monday, August 4, 2014
#34: One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
Jojo Moyes never fails to create an amazing story for her readers. I just tearfully finished reading One Plus One, Moyes' latest novel.
This is the story of Ed, Jess, Nicky, and Tanze and how their lives cross paths in a most unusual way at a time when each one needs the others. The title is a rather clever play on the mathematical 1+1, which typically equals 2, but in this story I think 1+1=4 (if not more). Tanze, Jess's young daughter, is a math whiz so it's an even more clever title, as it is because of Tanze that the entire plot begins and ends. There's a little insider trading, a lot of money troubles, a really big dog, a lot of car sickness, a Math Olympiad, a Goth teenager, and a whole lotta love that come together to make this book an amazing read.
Towards the end of the story, a story centered on the idea that good things happen to good people and that if you are good, eventually your life will come around, something happens to Tanze and the big dog (Norman). It is Nicky's response to this almost tragedy and the world's response to Nicky that had me crying on my back porch this morning as I finished the book. Good things do happen to good people and it was refreshing to be reminded of this in such an uplifting story.
One Plus One is also a story of forgiveness. Life is hard and sometimes people, good meaning people, make really bad choices. It's nice to know in these circumstances that there are people who will forgive. Those are the people you want to share your life with. After all, who doesn't make a mistake every now and again?
This is a good one. And it was a quick read. Two days. I couldn't put it down.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
This is the story of Ed, Jess, Nicky, and Tanze and how their lives cross paths in a most unusual way at a time when each one needs the others. The title is a rather clever play on the mathematical 1+1, which typically equals 2, but in this story I think 1+1=4 (if not more). Tanze, Jess's young daughter, is a math whiz so it's an even more clever title, as it is because of Tanze that the entire plot begins and ends. There's a little insider trading, a lot of money troubles, a really big dog, a lot of car sickness, a Math Olympiad, a Goth teenager, and a whole lotta love that come together to make this book an amazing read.
Towards the end of the story, a story centered on the idea that good things happen to good people and that if you are good, eventually your life will come around, something happens to Tanze and the big dog (Norman). It is Nicky's response to this almost tragedy and the world's response to Nicky that had me crying on my back porch this morning as I finished the book. Good things do happen to good people and it was refreshing to be reminded of this in such an uplifting story.
One Plus One is also a story of forgiveness. Life is hard and sometimes people, good meaning people, make really bad choices. It's nice to know in these circumstances that there are people who will forgive. Those are the people you want to share your life with. After all, who doesn't make a mistake every now and again?
This is a good one. And it was a quick read. Two days. I couldn't put it down.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
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