Holiday Monday activities

Penny Says:

Books that have been on my brain lately…

I recently revisited Nick Hornby’s High-fidelity a favorite from years gone by, but it lead me to his other books that had been previously unread by me.. How to be Good was the first available at my local public library I read it in one night, witty dialogue does not begin to describe Hornby’s writing style. I am not British by any means and I could hear the English accents, granted I will admit to having to look up a couple of the slang phrases, but it was like being a fly on the wall of your neighbors house. You know the ones with the 2.5 kids working professional parents that leave you wondering everyday – how do they do it? Just how do they keep up with their lives working all the time, loving the kids enough, loving each other enough, and yet they seem just fine. Until that day when the husband goes a bit crazy and invites a local hippie dippy trippy basically homeless drug (current or recovering) addict to move in to the family home. Some how finding out that these seemingly well adjusted folks were a total and complete mess made me feel better about not being perfect. How to be Good by Nick Hornby is highly recommended on my list.

I am just diving into his 2005 publication A Long Way Down - It too seems promising..

Just as soon as I have gotten my fill of Hornby’s banter, I am moving on to my recently received gift from my good friend in Toronto, The Witch of Portobello a novel by Paulo Coelho – stay tuned for a full review.

The saddest most heart gripping movie I have watched to date – Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Bleu the first in the three colors trilogy released in 1993. Juliette Binoche ,most of us North American’s are familiar with her great role in Chocolat (2000), provides an oddly detailed portrayal of a woman who is lost in her own life after the death of her husband and child. She is never overtly turning on the water works; she doesn’t need to you feel her pain in other more creative ways. There is very little dialogue in this movie and yet I her every thought is clear. Her sadness, her refusal to live her old life, and her true survival instinct rang true and clear. The amazing cinematography made me wish I could watch this movie on the big screen. I have never been to Paris but somehow I feel as though I have experienced it from a local’s perspective. Kieślowski had a talent that I am very glad to have gotten the chance to enjoy – even if I did not know about this fabulous film until 14 years after its release.

Today’s music mood – sound track from The Last Tango in Paris
Conditions – overcast – perfect for a lazy day of reading and relaxing