Freelance

Several years ago, I got a job.  It was a good job all around--it sent me to London and gave me all kinds of bonuses and perks and promotions.  Of course, it was also sometimes dull and frustrating because that's what jobs do at times.  But overall, it was a good experience and I've been happy and lucky to have a steady job the last 3+ years.  Now that I have a new job, Drewbles and I decided it was time to retire from cataloging and work from home instead.  Even though my co-worker is lazy and sometimes yells at me, I like this new job. 

So last Friday morning I went to collect all my trinkets and doodads.  Here is what I came home with:

It's actually a pretty good summary of my work experience.  Let's examine!  

For the sake of my timecard, I had to keep track of all the records I did in a day and I used post-its to do it.  For some reason I kept them all:

I also wound up with a whole lot of papers, thanks to various trainings and paperwork for a whole lot of contracts I worked on.  For some reason I kept all of them also:

 
Everything else I brought home used to live on my desk, like a lot of figures:
 

 Magnets:

Notes:

Pictures:

Pins:

And some random things, like stickers from clementines:

So, now begin the days of being at home and clipping coupons and folding laundry!  I am happy to be at home with my little bird, but I won't deny that I would like to do something, at some point, to make a little moolah of my own.  Drew thinks I should start an etsy shop with Care Bear tummies and mobiles.  We'll see about that...in the meantime I have to figure out what the heck to do with all this stuff.

Babycakes

This baby is less than a week away from his 2 month mark!  I am recognizing the occasion by looking at a lot of old pictures and being amazed at how little he used to be.  He'll never be that tiny again!  Well, let's not get mushy.  Here is what life is like for the Speck these days:

• He smiles a lot, sometimes at us and sometimes at the wall (there's one wall he REALLY likes).  
• He's not quite laughing yet, but he giggles in his sleep daily.  When awake he'll smile really big and make a gagging sort of sound so...he's getting close!
• He likes bathtime and will sit in the tub perfectly quiet and wide-eyed.  Naked babies are funny.
• He is always pleasant and funny.  The only time he really cries is in the night when he's impatiently hungry and I insist on changing his diaper first.  O, the insolence of me.
• He is in 0-3 months clothes, but some are already snug lengthwise, though roomy widthwise.  I know--a baby that doesn't fit into baby clothes sizing perfectly?  Absurd!

He's not on a firm schedule, but I am nudging him into a nice pattern of eating, playing and then napping.  It is hard to not have him sleep so cuddly on me at all times, but I am trying to get him used to falling asleep on his own (not by crying--I just put him in his bed when he's drowsy but still awake and he falls asleep within three minutes).  But we're still nap buddies pretty often because, come on, he'll spend 99% of his life sleeping in his own bed.

The only sort of schedule I try to stick with is his newish bed routine.  He goes to bed between 8:30 and 9 and then he gets fed again between 10:30-11 while he's still asleep (the "dream feed" if you want to get mommyspeak about it).  This is pretty new and the first few nights he woke up at 2:30 and 5, before starting his day at 7.  The last few he's slept until 4 and then got up at 7.  Hopefully he sticks more to the 4 o'clock so I can watch Smallville reruns.  

Anyhoo, he is a very good baby and nearly always happy.  And he's ALWAYS cute which means it's picture time!  

This picture cracks me up.  He looks so tiny and impish.  And those jammies don't fit him anymore.  *weeps*

He is an expert at planking.  (When he is a teenager, please pretend you never saw him in a diaper.)

Matchy matchy!  We got these shirts last year and it seemed a shame to not get him one.  Rather than buy one for $25, I made him an iron on (like my Care Bears shirt).  Sadly, I later dripped chocolate ice cream on it.

 We bought him these overalls in, like, February and he fits them now!  He wears them often, for obvious reasons.

I love those nighties but sometimes they defeat me.

 Look at those hands!  So delicate!  Oh you, baby.

(Every time I wash that darn Boppy cover it gets spit up on five minutes later.)

 Most of his clothes are used/hand me downs, but when I saw this swimsuit (on sale!) at Old Navy I said "YES, THIS."

(He does not care for pool water.)

Happy almost-two-months birthday, baby!  I like you.  Thanks for liking me!

Revenge Wears Prada (Book Review)

Author: Lauren Weisberger
Year: 2013
Genre: Chick lit
Reading Level: Adult

Plot Summary: Ten years after quitting her job at Runway and escaping the nightmare that was working for Miranda Priestly, Andrea Sachs has found job satisfaction and is about to marry the man of her dreams.  Her happiness is short lived, as her personal life takes a turn for the unexpected.  When Miranda Priestly enters her life again, Andrea isn't sure her career--or sanity--can survive another tenure under Miranda's thumb.

Red Flags: Language, some canoodling, an overabundance of descriptions

My Rating: C
I have this weird thing for Lauren Weisberger's books, in that I have to read all of them but I think they are almost all terrible.  Well, her latest does not break this trend.  The Devil Wears Prada was decent (and spawned a fun movie), but this follow-up is as disappointing as it is unnecessary.  For one thing, Miranda is hardly in it and there is no revenge on anyone.   In fact, I'm pretty sure the word "revenge" isn't even used in this book.  It's really just an update on Andy's life and most of her life is not super interesting--at least not interesting enough to warrant nearly 400 pages.  She spends most of her time mentally freaking out about things that happened ten years earlier.

It's not that Lauren Weisberger is the worst writer, but she's just not very good either.  While I get that these books involve trendy fashion things, these books are going to be so painfully dated in just a few years.  Along those lines, she is obsessed with useless details.  Not just clothes (which makes sense), but even things like the types of food at a dinner and the unending name dropping.  Must we list every item of food at a clam bake that happened years before the book's timeline?  Must we mention that Andy gets weekly e-mails from Babycenter?  Must we mention that her fiance has his own espresso machine?  Must we??  I expected a certain amount of name dropping and fashion description from this book (and that does not bother me), but if you took out all of that it would be a slim book indeed.

I'm not against a fluffy book by any means, and honestly, I have never read any good chick lit.  But still, I exercise my right to think this book is lame!  

(I should say that I did kind of enjoy the last 50 pages or so, when things happened.)

Things I've Learned from Pushing Daisies

We just started watching Pushing Daisies, and it's fun and stuff.  Here are some conclusions I've come to, here at the end of season 1:

• I get the Lee Pace thing.  Now I can shake my head at his unfortunate involvement in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part Two: Breaking Dawnier with everyone else.
• Ned and Chuck are just delightful.  There should be more TV relationships like this.
• My cheesebox needs so much more cheese in it!
• I want everything Chuck wears.
• I'm pretty sure Zooey Deschanel thinks she is Chuck.

So...that's all.

(Okay, okay, bonus CAG:

)

The Fault in Our Stars (Book Review)

Author: John Green
Year: 2012
Genre: Novel
Reading Level: Young Adult

Literary Awards:  
Odyssey Award (2013), Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fiction (2012), ALA Teens' Top Ten Nominee (2012), Indies Choice Book Award for Young Adult (2013), Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis Nominee for Preis der Jugendjury (2013) Dioraphte Jongerenliteratuurprijs (2013), The Inky Awards for Silver Inky (2012), Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2014)

Plot Summary: Hazel's life is destined to be a short one, thanks to cancer.  She spends her days at community classes and being optimistic for the sake of her parents.  At a support group meeting, Hazel meets the good-looking, one-legged, fascinating Augustus Waters, and her life expands far beyond community college and cancer.  

Red Flags: Language (mostly PG-13), some teenage drinking, very mild teenage canoodling, heavy thematic content

My Rating: A
I loved this book.  It's engrossing, it's well written, it's memorable.  When I start reading a super popular book I'm always a bit wary, since popular opinion and I often disagree. In this case, popular opinion got it right because this book actually is good.  Here are some reasons why: The characters are good.  The story is good.  The writing is good.  I liked it.  I am very articulate.

The story felt real and the characters felt like real people, with quirks and mannerisms that didn't sound written (like so often happens).  I couldn't predict the story, and I liked the bittersweetness of the ending.  It's sad but not depressingly so and it's not consumed with its own tragedy.  There's perspective and understanding.  

I liked the development of the relationships.  I liked that there were parents who cared about their kids and kids who cared about their parents.  I liked that Augustus called her Hazel Grace.  I'm sure some people get giggly over the dreamy guy and girl-meets-boy elements, but I think that cheapens their relationship and the book as a whole.  

Two small complaints: I felt like there was a vague kind of anti-religion sentiment.  Maybe I imagined it?  And second, some of the teen dialogue reminded of Juno--which I do not really like.  I thought that less as it went on but there you go.

Overall, I think John Green has a great talent for words and this is a book worth reading.  It was lovely to read, even when it wasn't lovely, and I was sad when it was over.  I read the last 100 pages or so in one sitting, with my little reading buddy and when I finished it, I felt compelled to take this picture: 

(I think the cover is hideous.) 

(But that baby is super cute.)

Memorable lines:
"I was a bit of a Victorian Lady, fainting-wise."--ch. 2

"My favorite book, by a wide margin, was An Imperial Affliction, but I didn't like to tell people about it.  Sometimes you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.  And then there are books like An Imperial Affliction, which you can't tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like a betrayal."--ch. 2

"I missed the future...I felt robbed.  I would probably never again see the ocean from thirty thousand feet above, so far up that you can't make out the waves or any boats, so that the ocean is a great and endless monolith.  I could imagine it.  I could remember it.  But I couldn't see it again, and it occurred to me that the voracious ambition of humans is never sated by dreams coming true, because there is always the thought that everything might be done better and again."--ch. 25

Dreamland (Book Review)

Author: Sarah Dessen
Year: 2004
Genre: Novel
Reading Level: Young Adult

Literary Awards:

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults, An Amazon.com Editors Choice for (2000), New York Library Book for the Teen Age 

Plot Summary: Caitlin has spent her life so far as an also-ran, always in her sister's shadow.  When her sister abruptly runs away, Caitlin looks for her own direction in life and finds it in Rogerson Briscoe.  While Rogerson is (SUPPOSEDLY) good looking, smart and exciting, he pulls Caitlin's life in a direction she never wanted to go and she may not be able to escape before it's too late.

Red Flags: Language, teenage drinking/drug use/canoodling, abusive relationships

My Rating: B
This is a hard one to rate because even though I think it's a good book and well written in the way I expect from Sarah Dessen, I didn't really enjoy reading it at all.  Partly that's because of the subject matter, which is pretty dark and not really ever enjoyable.  Also because I had no idea that's what this book was about (my library often has no Dessen books on the shelf so I just grab them when I see them), and I think it's something one has to be in the mood for.  I was not so much in the mood. 

Anyway, like I said, it's well written and I was invested in Caitlin, even though I also wanted to shake her more than once.  Rogerson, however, was not appealing at all, even at the beginning.  Maybe he's not supposed to be, even then, but I thought he actually sounded terribly unattractive.  

So, not my favorite of her books, but that doesn't mean it's not a story worth telling.  Just not the best pick when one wants something with lighter teenage angst.

Hard at Work

Have you noticed that adults are slaves to babies?  Those babies have the life, never doing a thing for themselves.  Well, Drewbles and I are determined to have independent babies, and so we've put the Speck to work.  No sitting around for this baby!  Here are some of his daily chores: 

He makes the bed:

 He puts my breakfast together:

He empties the dishwasher:

He does the laundry:

(We're still working on the folding part.)

The best part is that he doesn't know about allowances yet so this is all free labor!  Keep it up, little one.  You'll be scrubbing the bathtub with the best of them before you know it!

Icefall (Book Review)

Author: Matthew J. Kirby
Year: 2011
Genre: Coming of age/mystery/historical
Reading Level: Intermediate

Literary Awards:

Agatha Award Nominee for Best Childrens Young Adult (2011), The Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature Medalist (2012), Edgar Award for Juvenile

Plot Summary: Solveig, the overlooked second daughter of the king, has been sent to an isolated fortress surrounded by icy mountains and an frozen sea.  Though she was sent there for protection while her father is embroiled in battle, a hidden danger is inside the fortress walls and Solveig must use all her wits to unveil the traitors and protect her family.

Red Flags: Some mild violence, death

My Rating: B+
I liked this book, probably more so than The Clockwork Three.  Solveig was a good, likable character and she had a good story.  Even though she felt very average, it was never "O me, I am so plain so y do da boys like me?", which seems to happen so often.  Likewise there was never a moment like "O, I really AM the bees knees!"  Her realization of her own abilities and worth was very natural and relatable.  

My favorite section was the middle, as things started to go wrong and everyone became trapped in the wintery ice.  It was like a locked room mystery, where the tension builds and everyone knows that SOMEone is bad but no one knows who and no one can get away.  Unfortunately, the resolution of "who" was rather anticlimactic for me and made the mystery a bit flat.  Also I had trouble picturing a lot of the characters--sometimes this happens because I read too fast, I'm not sure if that's the case here--especially Hake and Per.  Also I couldn't pronounce any of the names, haha. 

Overall, I liked the writing (so many hyphenated words!*), and this is one of those rare cases where first person present tense didn't make me crazy.  I liked Solveig and her story in particular, and the setting was different.  I also think this is a book that would appeal to both boy and girl readers--no small feat!  

But I must admit I laughed out loud every time I read "the Thing"...sorry, historical accuracy.

*I mention this in connection with the writing in general--not because I have a particular fondness for hyphenated words.  I am, in fact, pretty neutral about them.

Birthdays and Milestones

A month and one day ago I had a birthday...one of THOSE birthdays.  You know, the kind where you enter a new decade.  I can't bring myself to type out the number because I am a coward, but I guess I'm not too cowardly to admit that I'm a coward.  That counts for something, right?

Anyway, I loved my last birthday, and have spent the year betwixt dreading this latest birthday.  It's a classic case of "But I can't be THAT old!" mixed with "But I was 18 a few minutes ago!"  Besides the number, I have to admit that my mostly ignored biological clock was ticking a louder than usual, and at one point last August I said to Drewbles that I had passed the point where it would be possible to have a baby before The Birthday.  (Of course, little did I know that the Speck was on his way, with an ETA a mere 8 days after my own birthday.  Clever little Speck, sneaking in so close to the deadline.) 

Even with the Speck on the way I still found plenty of time to fret about my birthday, and before I knew it, Doomsday was upon me.  But, do you know, it is really hard to think about your age (or anything else) when you know you're having a baby in the morning.  And it is really hard to think about your age once you have a baby in your house.  And then when you do think about it, it's like "...oh yeah."  So, I guess it's not such a big deal really.  Still, I'm not going to write it out.  

But enough about me and my age, our CAG is a month old this very day!  He is a delightful little thing and growing all the time (I hope [*is paranoid*]).  He might not do much beyond the necessities of life, but what he does delights and amuses us.  Even at 3 AM!  Such a skilled child.  

Here, have some pictures:

He's so delicate with his hands.

 We keep trying to get a good smiling picture!

Just hanging out in his nightie.

 Just hanging out in his onesie.

 You can never have too many sleeping pictures!

 "Oh dear, oh dear, whatever shall I do?"

I really like this nightie...

I love his little half-moon eyes!  Hah!

He sees all!

(For any curious parties, he likes a binky sometimes.  Other times not at all.)

Happy month birthday, young one!  

Specky Sundries

Our Little Master is almost a month old!  He has changed so much and is now walking and talking and getting ready for kindergarten.  Just kidding, he is actually the same in a lot of ways, just slightly bigger, but that's okay because I like him how he is.  So, what has he been up to lately?  Let's take a look:

 

He's been learning about snack foods.

 

He's getting poked, even without a Facebook account.

 

 He's been working on his Emperor Palpatine costume for Halloween.

 (He's going to start zapping me with Force lightning while cackling "Change this diaper faster!")

He has been following in his cousin's footsteps by making friends with The Caterpillar.

Bonus comparative cousin picture:

Can't...look...away...

He's been enjoying his fishy blanket from Grandma (and rolling halfway to get closer to the fish faces).

He's been reaching...for his dreamssssss!

He's been giving his Pops some love.

He's been wearing nighties.  I'm obsessed with putting him in nighties because there is nothing cuter for a baby to wear.  Nothinggggggg.

He's been smiling a lot.  I tried to get a picture of it...this was as close as I got...but it happens!

He has been amusing us every day with his expressions, noises and mannerisms. 

Some other points of interest:

• As of his appointment a week ago, he is over 9 pounds and has added an inch and a half.  He's still fitting in most of his newborn clothes, but they're getting small, length-wise.  
• He sleeps pretty well at night and usually has a good four hour block in the wee hours.  
• His current hobbies are looking at things, kicking, escaping from blankets and stretching out like a plank.  Also grabbing my hair.

Some other other points of interest:

• Freezer meals are awesome!  We have one left, and so far they have all turned out great.  I highly recommend them, whether or not a baby is imminent. 
• I feel really good.  Recovery has been surprisingly easy, which is nice.  I think the surgery last year was a good preview for a c-section--the main difference being that they removed a baby instead of a fibroid (also less robots involved).
• I'm excited to get back to running in a few weeks.  Also, Pilates is a lot easier with a baby on the outside.
• Overall, life is the same in a lot of ways--we just have another little person sharing it with us.  Drew goes running, I water the plants.  I've never missed a day of showering or making the bed.  We watch TV and pay bills and go on walks and read.  We just do other stuff now too, like watch TV while holding a baby.  (Of course it helps that Drewbles works from home)

So, that is how life is going these days.  Hurray for the baby, hurray for summer, hurray for summer babies!

Now I need to go look at him because it's been a while.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Book Review)

Author: Sherman Alexie, illustrated by Ellen Forney
Year: 2007
Genre: Novel
Reading Level: Young Adult

Literary Awards: 
National Book Award for Young People's Literature (2007), School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (2007), American Indian Library Association Award, South Carolina Book Award Nominee for Young Adult Book Award (2010), Michigan Library Association Thumbs Up! Award Nominee (2008) Florida Teens Read Nominee (2009), American Indian Youth Literature Award for Best Young Adult Book (2008), Horn Book Fanfare (2007), ALA's Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults (2008), Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction and Poetry (2008), Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2011), James Cook Book Award Nominee (2009)

Plot Summary: Fourteen-year-old Junior's life on the Spokane Indian Reservation seems doomed to stagnation and monotony.  Determined to create a new and better future for himself, Junior leaves the poor reservation school for the all-white high school in town.  His decision is just the beginning of a year of changes in Junior's life and the lives of his family.

Red Flags: Language, adult themes, sexual content

My Rating: B+
This book was more mature than I expected it to be (side note: why are my expectations so far off lately?)--I thought, judging by the kind of amusing title, that it would be more of a light-hearted romp.  And while it DID have its funny elements, a lot of the story is pretty heavy.  People die, bad things happen and there are all kinds of life lessons going around.  It had a good blend of humor and drama that felt genuine--like a real person having a hard time but still trying to see the lighter side.  Junior's resilience felt true and I liked that aspect of his personality.  A lot of his other aspects I did not really care for, and often I thought he was a gross teenage boy.  I did also like that he loved and was loved by his family--that is always refreshing in a YA book.  And I will readily give Sherman Alexie credit for handling a lot of tough topics and keeping the sense of hope intact.  This book could have easily been terribly depressing.

In all honesty, I could have done without the illustrations.  This is just personal preference (I can totally see the appeal for a lot of readers), but they always took me out of the story a bit.  Sometimes the narrative did the same thing, in that in one sentence things are funny and in the next something awful has happened.  I didn't love the writing style, which is another preference thing.  It's straight forward and easy to read, but it kind of annoyed me off and on.

Overall, it was a compelling story and the characters were different and vivid, even though I didn't always like them.  It's always interesting to read about people who have such different lives from your own, and I appreciate this book for that.  I didn't love it, and I forgot it more easily that I expected, but I am glad to have read it at last.

By the Brontë Book

(Previously on By the Book: Austen, Dickens, Hardy)

I've never met a Brontë book I didn't like, and there are a lot of adaptations to pick from too.  Some are excellent, some are okay and there are some really crummy ones as well.  Diversity!  Like Pride and Prejudice, there seems to be new versions of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre every few years, and I will readily watch them all.  But don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Anne.

Anne Brontë:
The Tennant of Wildfell Hall: This is the only book of Anne's that I've read and the plot is, well, certainly not a cheery one.  But like with her sisters' novels, things turn out okay after all the terrible things happen.  Anyway, the miniseries from 1996 is appropriately dark and, funnily enough, features more than one actor from OTHER recent Brontë adaptations. 

Cast cross overs: Toby Stephens, Tara Fitzgerald, Pam Ferris, James Purefoy 
HP bonus: Pam Ferris

Emily Brontë: 
Wuthering Heights: Oh, how I love this book.  It's so bleak and full of overwrought emotions and terrible people.  But it also has some decent characters as well and a satisfying ending--elements that are sometimes cut completely out of some adaptations.  And really, WHAT is the point of doing only the first half of the book and leaving off all the nice things?  Anyway.  There are OODLES of movies to choose from and most of them are lame.  HAH.  Just kidding, sort of. 

The earliest version is from 1939 with Laurence Olivier.  Confession: I made it ten minutes into this one and then turned my nose up at it.  I should probably go back and finish it sometime.  

There's another black and white version from 1967 with Ian McShane.  It is awful.  Just awful.  Bad acting, bad wigs, no music, constant wind and Ian McShane throws away the best lines too.  While it does do the whole book, the same actress plays both Catherines and that never works for me.  Skip it!

Timothy Dalton pops up in a version from 1970 and it is also not very good.  Any version that stops at the end of the first generation gets a thumbs down from me.

The 1992 theatrical adaptation with Ralph Fiennes is one of the better ones.  I think Ralph Fiennes is the best part, and again, I don't like that Juliette Binoche plays both Catherines.  Still, it's a good shorter version that spans the whole novel.

The 1998 Masterpiece is my favorite by far!  It is basically perfect.  Okay, I may be biased since it's the first one I saw (and was my first exposure to the story), but I just love it and have watched it SO many times.  The cast is spot on, the moors are desolate and it's all perfectly depressing dreary.  I wish it were a little longer, just so it could include a bit more, but as it is, it's the best.  (Plus it has my favorite movie kiss of all!)

If you can believe it, MTV made a modernized version in 2003.  I actually remember it being not as bad as I expected, but even so...

Masterpiece made yet another version in 2009, and it is fine--I mean, it tells the whole story and it's pretty and what have you.  My main issue is that I don't care for the cast--Catherine is too delicately pretty, younger Catherine is a whiner and, while I like Tom Hardy in some things, I don't buy him as Heathcliff. 

The latest version, from 2011, is another theatrical one, and is probably the worst of all.  Aside from some serious content issues, they chopped the story off halfway and made some really perplexing artistic decisions.  For instance, why age-up the Heathcliff and Cathy actors but not Hindley?  This one came off as hollow and passionless, despite the added, ahem, passion.

1939 cast cross over: Laurence Olivier
1970 cast cross over: Timothy Dalton
1992 cast cross over: Jeremy Northam, Jonathan Firth
HP Bonus: Ralph Fiennes

1998 cast cross over: Matthew MacFadyen, Crispin Bonham Carter
2009 cast cross over: Tom Hardy, Burn Gorman

Whew!

Charlotte Brontë:
Jane Eyre: Who doesn't love Jane Eyre?  Again, lots of awful things happen but it all turns out well in the end.  Those Brontës certainly loved their drama (I bet they would have loved Thomas Hardy).  Like with Wuthering Heights, there are a number of Jane Eyre options and several are even good!

I grew up watching the 1983 version with Timothy Dalton, and honestly, aside from the soap opera effect, it holds up surprisingly well.  Pretty much any fondness I have for Timothy Dalton stems from this.  

The 1996 theatrical version is pretty good, though it's kind of forgettable for me.  I say this because I've seen it several times but I still can't remember much about it.  I don't think William Hurt was born to play Mr. Rochester, but he gets by.  Also, Elle Macpherson?  Zuh?

A&E made a version in 1997.  Um, I made it fifteen minutes in.  Sorry, Ciaran Hinds.

2006 brought a new Masterpiece version, and it is my favorite.  Toby Stephens is probably a bit too young for the part, but he's very likable, in a grumpy Mr. Rochester kind of way.  Also I think Ruth Wilson is fantastic and the best Jane by far.  I think it's easy for Jane to come off as bland, but in this she's got some (well-mannered) fire in her.

And finally, there was another theatrical release in 2011.  This is another one that did not leave much of an impression on me.  The age difference here was a *bit* too much for me, and while I liked her in Alice in Wonderland, I didn't care for Mia Wasikowska as Jane.  But hey, I never turn down a new Jane Eyre. 

1983 cast cross over: Timothy Dalton
1996 cast cross overs: Amanda Root, Samuel West, Fiona Shaw (Persuasion reunion!)
HP Bonus: Fiona Shaw
1997 cast cross overs: Gemma Jones, Ciaran Hinds, Samantha Morton
HP Bonus: Ciaran Hinds, Gemma Jones
2006 cast cross overs: Toby Stephens, Tara Fitzgerald, Pam Ferris, Francesca Annis
HP Bonus: Pam Ferris
2011 cast cross over: Sally Hawkins

The moral(s) of this post: 1998 Wuthering Heights.  2006 Jane Eyre.  Avoid Ian McShane at all costs.

By the Hardy Book

(Previously on By the Book: Austen, Dickens)

Thomas Hardy is not quite as universally appreciated as Jane Austen or Charles Dickens.  I think in general people are either hot or cold about his work as it is often on the, well, depressing side.  Personally I enjoy a good piece of tragic tragedy of tragicness so Thomas Hardy and I get along just fine.

Under the Greenwood Tree: Also known as the only cheerful Thomas Hardy novel.  The 2005 Masterpiece adaptation is equally cheerful, though I confess it is also not very memorable in my opinion.  It needs more tragedy! 

Cast cross over: Keeley Hawes

Far from the Madding Crowd: In this case, I think the older version from 1967 is the best version so far.  The 1998 version is all right, but I think it's a little miscast, especially Bathsheba (kind of a problem).  Apparently, there's a new one coming in 2014 so we'll see how that turns out.
 
1998 cast cross over: Nathaniel Parker, Jonathan Firth 

The Return of the Native: There's only one version from 1994, made by Hallmark of all people companies.  It has some made-for-tv-ness, but it's pretty good all around.  Catherine Zeta-Jones is a good fit for a Hardy woman. 

Cast cross over: Steven Mackintosh

The Mayor of Casterbridge: This is one of my favorites of Hardy's novels and I very much like the 2003 miniseries as well.  The cast is great, especially Ciaran Hinds, and it's very faithful to the book.  Such tragedy!  Alas.

Cast cross over: Ciaran Hinds, Polly Walker, Juliet Aubrey, Jodhi May, David Bradley, James Purefoy
HP Bonus: David Bradley

Tess of the d'Urbervilles: Talk about tragedy!  Poor Tess.  Anyway, this is another of my favorite Hardy books, and there are actually a few adaptations out in the world as well.  There was a movie made by Roman Polanski in 1979 that I find a little dull, though it's a faithful adaptation.  My favorite is the TV version from 1998, which is faithful and also has the best cast out of all of them.  Masterpiece did one in 2008 but I found it underwhelming through and through (though I guess it gets some kind of points for featuring two different Mariuses). 

1998 cast cross over: Justine Waddell, Oliver Milburn

Jude the Obscure: Alas, poor Jude, he has no good film adaptation.  There's a miniseries from 1971 which is, well, exactly what you'd expect from the 70s, plus a surprising amount of nakedness (that Sue just won't be contained!).  There was also a theatrical version made in 1996, but I'm sorry to say it's not very good either (and also features much nakedness).  Not only does it cut all kinds of plot, the cast is distractingly wrong.  Have I already said alas?

So, like I said, Thomas Hardy does not seem to have the same appreciation as Austen or Dickens--at least judging by the quality (and number) of adaptations.  Maybe one day we'll get a good Jude and we will all be weeping in the corner by the end of it.

The Goose Girl (Book Review)

Author: Shannon Hale
Year: 2003
Genre: Fairy tale/Fantasy
Reading Level: Young Adult
Series: #1 in the Books of Bayern series (followed by Enna Burning)

Literary Awards: 
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Nominee for Children's Literature (2010), Utah State Book Award, Utah Speculative Fiction Award Winner, Bank Street College of Education Josette Frank Award, ALA Teens' Top Ten (2004)

Plot Summary: Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee may be the Crown Princess of Kildenree, but she's never fulfilled her mother's expectations of what a princess should be.  She's eventually sent to marry a neighboring kingdom's prince, but on the journey there she's betrayed and presumed dead.  To survive she hides as a simple goose girl, but it will take more than a goose girl to prevent a war and save her people.

Red Flags: Some violence

My Rating: A-
I had a lot of expectations for this after hearing so many positive things about it for several years.  It took me a little while to get into it, but it grew on me more as it went on.  I liked the writing in general, though I think sometimes Shannon Hale was trying a little too hard to be creative (and went a little heavy on the similes).  It had genuine emotion and tragedy, plus it made me want to sit in a field.

I think it's a good retelling of the original fairy tale. It was a little slow to start and I think the ending was too drawn out, but I liked it overall.  And...I can't remember any of my other thoughts.  Hmm.

(Also I just have to say that when it comes to goose books, I still prefer Goose Chase by Patrice Kindl--though they aren't really similar enough to compare.)

(Caveat: it's been a number of years since I read Goose Chase.)