So much reading!
Jan. 2nd, 2021 07:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lunabee341. Emma and I watched the new Kristen Stewart romcom Happiest Season last night. I was already spoiled for the whole movie since I read all your posts about it, but Emma was spoiled for nothing. I was really interested to see how we'd like it since most of you had negative reactions and to see if there was a generational difference between me and Emma.
First, my favorite part of the whole movie is Jane (I think Emma's, too). She is genuinely kind and warm and accepting; she is her authentic self, and she likes herself. She is a talented artist and a talented writer, and I'm so happy for her that her book is a success.
Second favorite part is John. He's funny, and he's a good friend. He loves Abby. He's her found family. Adore that he instantly bonds with Jane and that they're clearly BFF a year later at her book signing (I mean, I know he's some kind of agent or involved in publishing in some way from that throw away line at the very beginning, but they are very clearly friends).
Emma was pretty much okay with the movie. We both agreed that Harper behaves badly; we both agreed that we would have been fine with Abby breaking up with Harper. We both agreed that Abby and Riley would make a good couple (and if I hadn't been spoiled I would have thought the movie was going to go there).
Emma definitely liked it more than I did, but I liked it pretty well, too. I am deeply ambivalent about Harper because I empathize with her so much. That fear she lives with of being her true herself in front of her family and courting rejection--I still live with it at 41 years old. I get how scary it is and how much easier it is just to pretend or lie or not bring things up rather than go through conflict. I've posted before about being raised in a fundamentalist household, so I won't rehash that, but Harper's fear resonates with me. That being said, she is selfishly and thoughtlessly cruel, and her behavior toward Riley makes that a pattern. I realize it's a romcom so happy endings are in order, and clearly by the end of the movie, she's changed, but I think it would have been a better movie if Abby had broken up with her.
Dropped thread: evil robot children with no good explanation (WTF)
2.
The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoy the message of self-empowerment and acceptance that resonates through this volume of poetry.
View all my reviews
The New Rules of Cheese: A Freewheeling and Informative Guide by Anne Saxelby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is really informative and engagingly written. I wish it had had more specific cheesemaker recommendations, but overall an excellent guide to understanding cheese.
View all my reviews
3.
The Animals' Merry Christmas by Kathryn Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really like the collection of Christmas stories. The drawings are so delightful (tiny squirrels, eensy mice!), and the stories are really sweet. I especially enjoy the one in which a barn is determined to create a visit from Santa for three little chicks even though Santa has never come to the animals before.
View all my reviews
One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is beautifully illustrated.
The frame narrative is that a boy is snowbound in the mountains; the woman who graciously hosts him tells him the Christmas story beginning with Adam and Eve's fall that necessitates Jesus's later sacrifice.
This is the first time I've seen the assertion that God inspired the creation of the Roman Empire in order to ensure the lingua franca, good roads, and safer travel that facilitated the spread of Christianity.
View all my reviews
A Pussycat's Christmas by Margaret Wise Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is my absolute favorite Christmas book. It reads like a poem; the prose is so beautiful. I am delighted to read this each year.
View all my reviews
The Snowbelly Family of Chillyville Inn by Cheryl Hawkinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is super cute. The Snowbelly children get into an accident involving dye on Christmas Eve, and silly hijinks ensue.
Nice illustrations. All the rhymes scan! Hurrah!
View all my reviews
The Donkey's Dream by Barbara Helen Berger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the story of the donkey who takes Mary to Bethlehem. He dreams of multiple metaphors that Christians have used to represent Jesus and Mary (roses, etc). This is nicely illustrated and is different from the usual retelling of the Christmas story which I like.
View all my reviews
A Southern Time Christmas by Robert Bernardi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The rhymes don't always scan, and the defining characteristics of Southern seem to be eating grits, drinking tea, and hollering, but this is cute overall.
View all my reviews
The Twelve Days of Christmas: A Feline Classic by Don Daily
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is such a lovely book. It's oversized with exquisite illustrations and beautiful gold lettering. The pictures are complex enough that the reader could take quite a long time examining them and pointing details out to a child. The classic text is amended to one in which each verse is about cats.
View all my reviews
CAJUN NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Trosclair
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have always loved this one. It was published a few years before I was born, and so I have many memories of being read this book at Christmas-time. My mother-in-law's people came from Louisiana, and she can do the Cajun accent really well, so I didn't get the full joy of this book until I was an adult. :)
View all my reviews
The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What can the littlest angel give to the Son of God that will be worthy of his glory?
The answer makes me cry every time I read this book. So sweet.
View all my reviews
Emma's Christmas Wish A Child's Recipe for Love by Sallyann Murphey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is really sweet.
Emma's mother is sick for Christmas (with the hanta virus which is certainly a choice), and she and her little sister tackle Christmas on their own. They have a journal/recipe book that's been kept for six generations that they mine for dishes and for decorating, and I really love that sense of continuity with the past and shared tradition.
View all my reviews
4. I read 151 books this year, a feat considering that Fiona has graduated to chapter books and most of the books I read with her are long and take multiple sittings to finish.
First, my favorite part of the whole movie is Jane (I think Emma's, too). She is genuinely kind and warm and accepting; she is her authentic self, and she likes herself. She is a talented artist and a talented writer, and I'm so happy for her that her book is a success.
Second favorite part is John. He's funny, and he's a good friend. He loves Abby. He's her found family. Adore that he instantly bonds with Jane and that they're clearly BFF a year later at her book signing (I mean, I know he's some kind of agent or involved in publishing in some way from that throw away line at the very beginning, but they are very clearly friends).
Emma was pretty much okay with the movie. We both agreed that Harper behaves badly; we both agreed that we would have been fine with Abby breaking up with Harper. We both agreed that Abby and Riley would make a good couple (and if I hadn't been spoiled I would have thought the movie was going to go there).
Emma definitely liked it more than I did, but I liked it pretty well, too. I am deeply ambivalent about Harper because I empathize with her so much. That fear she lives with of being her true herself in front of her family and courting rejection--I still live with it at 41 years old. I get how scary it is and how much easier it is just to pretend or lie or not bring things up rather than go through conflict. I've posted before about being raised in a fundamentalist household, so I won't rehash that, but Harper's fear resonates with me. That being said, she is selfishly and thoughtlessly cruel, and her behavior toward Riley makes that a pattern. I realize it's a romcom so happy endings are in order, and clearly by the end of the movie, she's changed, but I think it would have been a better movie if Abby had broken up with her.
Dropped thread: evil robot children with no good explanation (WTF)
2.
The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda LovelaceMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoy the message of self-empowerment and acceptance that resonates through this volume of poetry.
View all my reviews
The New Rules of Cheese: A Freewheeling and Informative Guide by Anne SaxelbyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is really informative and engagingly written. I wish it had had more specific cheesemaker recommendations, but overall an excellent guide to understanding cheese.
View all my reviews
3.
The Animals' Merry Christmas by Kathryn JacksonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really like the collection of Christmas stories. The drawings are so delightful (tiny squirrels, eensy mice!), and the stories are really sweet. I especially enjoy the one in which a barn is determined to create a visit from Santa for three little chicks even though Santa has never come to the animals before.
View all my reviews
One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell GrahamMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is beautifully illustrated.
The frame narrative is that a boy is snowbound in the mountains; the woman who graciously hosts him tells him the Christmas story beginning with Adam and Eve's fall that necessitates Jesus's later sacrifice.
This is the first time I've seen the assertion that God inspired the creation of the Roman Empire in order to ensure the lingua franca, good roads, and safer travel that facilitated the spread of Christianity.
View all my reviews
A Pussycat's Christmas by Margaret Wise BrownMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is my absolute favorite Christmas book. It reads like a poem; the prose is so beautiful. I am delighted to read this each year.
View all my reviews
The Snowbelly Family of Chillyville Inn by Cheryl HawkinsonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is super cute. The Snowbelly children get into an accident involving dye on Christmas Eve, and silly hijinks ensue.
Nice illustrations. All the rhymes scan! Hurrah!
View all my reviews
The Donkey's Dream by Barbara Helen BergerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the story of the donkey who takes Mary to Bethlehem. He dreams of multiple metaphors that Christians have used to represent Jesus and Mary (roses, etc). This is nicely illustrated and is different from the usual retelling of the Christmas story which I like.
View all my reviews
A Southern Time Christmas by Robert BernardiMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The rhymes don't always scan, and the defining characteristics of Southern seem to be eating grits, drinking tea, and hollering, but this is cute overall.
View all my reviews
The Twelve Days of Christmas: A Feline Classic by Don DailyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is such a lovely book. It's oversized with exquisite illustrations and beautiful gold lettering. The pictures are complex enough that the reader could take quite a long time examining them and pointing details out to a child. The classic text is amended to one in which each verse is about cats.
View all my reviews
CAJUN NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by TrosclairMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have always loved this one. It was published a few years before I was born, and so I have many memories of being read this book at Christmas-time. My mother-in-law's people came from Louisiana, and she can do the Cajun accent really well, so I didn't get the full joy of this book until I was an adult. :)
View all my reviews
The Littlest Angel by Charles TazewellMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
What can the littlest angel give to the Son of God that will be worthy of his glory?
The answer makes me cry every time I read this book. So sweet.
View all my reviews
Emma's Christmas Wish A Child's Recipe for Love by Sallyann MurpheyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is really sweet.
Emma's mother is sick for Christmas (with the hanta virus which is certainly a choice), and she and her little sister tackle Christmas on their own. They have a journal/recipe book that's been kept for six generations that they mine for dishes and for decorating, and I really love that sense of continuity with the past and shared tradition.
View all my reviews
4. I read 151 books this year, a feat considering that Fiona has graduated to chapter books and most of the books I read with her are long and take multiple sittings to finish.
