4th Book of the Year - Complete

It took a while, but I finally finished my 4th book for #19 - Read 10 Books in One Year. I'd had Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella sitting on my shelf for quite some time, and I decided to read it before taking on our next book club selection, Crow Lake.

I don't know what it was with this book. I've read many of Sophie Kinsella's chick lit offerings in the past and always enjoyed them, but I found this one tedious and not nearly as funny as the others.

Basically, the story follows our beloved Shopaholic, Becky Bloomwood, after she becomes engaged to her long-time millionaire beau, Luke Brandon. Becky somehow ends up torn between two weddings - a hokey hometown wedding that her mom is planning for her back in England, and a grand marital event that Luke's mother is footing the bill for in New York City...both planned for the same date.

Every couple of chapters, Becky changes her mind.

"I want to get married at home!"

"No, I want to get married at the Plaza!"

"My mum will be so upset if I cancel now..."

"My NYC wedding planner will sue me if I cancel now!!"

Holy jumpins! Make up your damn mind!!!

So yes. I tired of this very quickly, but forced myself to trudge through it. This should have been a quick, easy read. Fluff. Pure enjoyment.

Not so much.

The good news? I started Crow Lake yesterday while home sick, which is our next book we're reading for Book Club, and I'm over half-way through it already. So I should be half-way through this task shortly, and it's not even summer yet! Yay me!! :)

F Movie Done for #30 - The Fighter

Do you know how long I've been a fan of this guy?

Since back when Mark Wahlberg was Marky Mark...

I go through Mark Wahlberg phases. The last time I went through a big one was after seeing Steve Carrell and Tina Fey's comedy-adventure, Date Night. Wahlberg played the ever-buff, the ever-suave, the ever-shirtless Holbrooke Grant.

Might I just say... yum.

I'm going through another Wahlberg phase, scouring my movie shelves for anything I own that he's been in, prepping for a Marky Mark Marathon someday soon. I might even listen to "Good Vibrations", too.

So what brought on this new Wahlberg phase, you ask?

On Monday, I rented the critically-acclaimed, award-winning drama The Fighter, which is based on a true story. Wahlberg plays the lead role of "Irish" Micky Ward, a down-on-his-luck boxer living in the shadow of his much louder, much more entertaining brother Dickie, played by Christian Bale (and holy mother, no wonder the dude won awards for his performance. uh-may-zing.)

Dickie once took down Sugar Ray Leonard years ago and had his 15 minutes. But now he trains his brother and yaps constantly about his comeback, which everyone knows is an unrealistic dream because he now dwells in a world of drugs and crime. Micky's career is bogged down by poor choices made by his white trash family - his mother as his manager, his brother as his trainer, and his eleventy-billion sisters who trail after him as his fan club.

It isn't until Dickie is thrown in jail and Micky's new strong-willed, sharp-tongued girlfriend Charlene (played by Amy Adams in a stark contrast to her usual sweet, cutesy roles) convinces him to make important changes to his management, that he begins to climb the ladder of success in the boxing world.

Gotta say, I loved this flick. Not just because Mark Wahlberg has big muscles and takes his shirt off a lot. Not just because I've always had a soft spot for boxing movies.

It's a great story. A sad story, a bittersweet story, and yet also a story of hope, and family, and making dreams come true. The acting in it was brilliant, especially by Bale, and by Melissa Leo who played Micky's mother, Alice.

And...well... I have a soft spot for boxing movies. And Mark Wahlberg has big muscles and takes his shirt off a lot. Really, you can't go wrong.

If you haven't seen it already, go rent it.

F Movie for #30 - Watch 26 movies I've never seen before starting with each letter of the alphabet - Check!!