Monday, July 2, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (7-2-18)


Happy July! It certainly feels like July around here. For the first time in several years, I'm not starting July with a trip to Indiana to see my sister, since she now lives in Florida (and we went to see her at the end of May). It feels ... strange,  especially since Timehop keeps showing me trip pictures.

After my marathon reading sessions last week (you can read more about that here), I needed a break over the weekend, and I ended up watching two really charming movies on Amazon Prime: The Wedding Plan and We Love You, Sally Carmichael.

The Wedding Plan is a foreign film, so you have to be in the mood to pay attention and read subtitles, but it's a really beautiful film about an Orthodox Jewish woman who, after breaking up with her fiance, decides to go ahead and continue planning her wedding while trusting God to provide the groom. It's billed as a romantic comedy, but it's really more of a drama, and actress Noa Koler knocks it out of the park. The ending is a bit contrived, but overall it's a great movie. (Rated PG)

We Love You, Sally Carmichael stars Christopher Gorham (Covert Affairs, My Girlfriend's Boyfriend) as Simon, a serious novelist, who, out of desperation, creates the Siren series about a woman who falls in love with a merman and publishes it under the pen name Sally Carmichael. When the series takes off, the world demands to meet Sally ... which is Simon's worst nightmare. This movie is really cute and provides some laughs. Gorham is perfectly cast as basically the cynical version of his character in My Girlfriend's Boyfriend. (Both films were written by Daryn Tufts.) If you've been around here a while, you know that I simply adore My Girlfriend's Boyfriend ... and this film isn't quite that caliber, but it is a pretty enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes. (Rated PG)

What I read last week:

Just Let Go by Courtney Walsh. This is a wonderful, touching, swoon-worthy romance. My first Courtney Walsh novel, but it certainly won't be my last! (5 stars)

The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck. As often happens with split-time novels, I enjoyed one time period (contemporary) more than the other (Revolutionary War). But I still loved this beautiful love story! (4 stars)

The Billionaire Bachelor by Judy Corry. So ... this cover is unfortunate, as it looks like it belongs on, well, an erotic romance (just browse Amazon's romance section, and you'll see what I mean). But Judy Corry only writes clean romances, so I knew this was a case where I shouldn't judge the book by its cover. It's set in the world of a Bachelor-type TV show, and it's such fun. (review and rating to come)

What I'm reading now:

Unraveling by Sara Ella. I just started this on my lunch break today, and it's already c.r.a.z.y. I'll be picking it up again as soon as I finish posting here!

What I'll read next:

Sons of Blackbird Mountain by Joanne Bischof. I loved Bischof's The Lady and the Lionheart, so I'm really looking forward to this.

Two questions: 1. How was your reading week? Let me know, and then check out the linkup to see what other people read. 2. Have you watched My Girlfriend's Boyfriend? If not, get yourself over to Amazon Prime right now and stream it 😃

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

7 comments:

  1. I am aaaaalmost finished with Jodi Picoult’s “small great things” - it’s so good! I’m thinking next I’ll read “Us Against You” - the sequel to “Beartown.”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I probably have a skewed view of Picoult because her books were SOOOOO popular on the speech circuit when I was judging. (One year, I saw of version of My Sister's Keeper at practically every meet, and sometimes multiple times in the same round.)

      I notice you didn't mention My Girlfriend's Boyfriend. You hated it, didn't you? I feel like you, Mom, and Steph all thought it was terrible.

      Delete
    2. I was thinking that I actually liked the movie...but I could be wrong. In my head at least, that was one I didn't mind.

      Delete
    3. Well, good. I'm glad. Because it's wonderful :-)

      Delete
  2. The cover for Unraveling is gorgeous. I can't help but wonder what makes a book c.r.a.z.y.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Jo! Unraveling is book two in a trilogy, and book one ended with things pretty stable, but book two opens with villains we thought were long gone showing up and causing havoc, Callings (special powers) disappearing, and lots of chaos. I'm really enjoying it :-)

      Delete
  3. Still reading Becky Wade's latest. Not sure WHY I'm reading this at an unusually slow pace (even for me!). But it's lovely, as always. Enjoy Joanne's. I know it'll be magical.

    PS: I saw 'Sally Carmichael' a while back and thought it was quirky, but cute. :)

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...