pontalba

And even if they don't get to live happily ever after, we get to see how everyone's mind works, what makes them tick. That's the draw for me.

The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan 3/5 An fascinating Chronicle kept by several women, over the course of 400-odd years. From Moorish Spain to the West Coast of South America a story of hardship, sacrifice but most of all, love. Love for their Order, love for their husbands, and children and above all faith in God. It isn't until the end that we are told what we have already surmised, the origin of this particular Order of Catholic nuns. The nuns survival of the Spanish Inquisition, and hardship of sea travel in the 16th Century are told with flair and realism. It culminates in the person of one child in the latter 20th Century. Partially accidental.....although is it a contrived accident? This was one of the weaknesses for me, but I am not a particular fan of Magic Realism. The book also smacked of a little too much Romance for my taste, but I'm not a fan of that genre either. In spite of all of that, I truly enjoyed the book, and it's softer approach to Historical Fiction. The Sisterhood is trying to encourage the empowerment of women, and it does to some extent. However, for my money, it still ends up relying on the big, strong man to rescue them. And, while that is not necessarily a bad thing, it kind of kills the idea of the Female Empowerment theme of the book.

The films are a completely different critter than the books. Completely Different. At least for the most part. The new Casino Royale with Daniel Craig is actually quite close to the book, story wise. The film is "sexier" than the book, and the technology is, of course, far more advanced. But the premise is the same. The Living Daylights film had the seed of the book, but blew it up completely, and added sex. The story is quite simply an assassination set-up. Period. It's been a long time since I read the other Bond books, but for the most part, the filmmakers bought the title of the book, and made the film any way they wished. Last night we watched the Roger Moore Bond film.....Live and Let Die (has to be the worst one ever!). Again the teeny seed of the book was in the film, but was so far from the book, so as to be very different. Plus, I've never liked Roger Moore as James Bond. He was too suave, too coy, too smooth for Bond. I remember, as a child, seeing Roger Moore as The Saint.....it was a television series. He was great as The Saint, and I like Roger Moore...........just NOT as James Bond. Ok, I know that was more than anyone wanted to know.....!

LOL, the Bond books were a 4 in one, and only 104 pages in all. Quite good actually. I posted a review over on my book thread. Oh, Yay! Glad you liked it so much. Wowee! You are just a steam roller reader! btw, the actor David Niven did indeed write at least a couple of books. He was pretty good. It's been decades since I read it, but here is a link...... http://www.amazon.com/Moons-Balloon-David-Niven/dp/0140239243/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391396028&sr=1-1&keywords=david+niven+-+the+moon%27s+a+balloon that is the one I read, but if you scroll down on the page you will see some others he wrote. Talented fella, and handsome as well. Now, Ele....don't even think that. I hope the library gets it tomorrow too!

Not a thing, and that's the problem.......lol

I like your thinking! /groan/ such a picture! I'll need a wheelbarrow to carry me out!

Apparently he had been off it for 23 years. Only last year, he is said to have started again. He was a fantastic, talented actor. He could inhabit a character to the Nth degree. Horrible loss.

Octopussy, The Living Daylights, The Property of a Lady and 007 in New York by Ian Fleming 5/5 Four Bond adventures, three of which are probably about novella length and one, the last, a short story are pared to the bone. No fluff, straight up stories that give the reader an insightful view into what James Bond's life was actually like. Some show his doubts about his job, but all show the business end of the job. The stories have Bond dealing with a washed up Major in Jamaica who plays dangerous games with an octopus, another tells of a double agent and her probable downfall. The Living Daylights actually bears some very slight resemblance to the film of that name. Remember, I did say it was slight. In the last short story, 007 in New York we learn a few of Bond's true fantasies, and what it takes to satisfy them. Unlike the films, there are no sexual antics, probably his worst habit is smoking. Oh, well, and killing for a living. But it's all government sanctioned, so, it's fine. I loved all four of the stories, they showed Bond getting the job done. They were straight to the point. Well done! Recommended.

Athena, thanks! KM, oh, so very true! But make mine White Chocolate Mocha Latte, with whipped cream on top.

I like the sound of The Observations. Great review, BB.

Hah, some point, yes. It's on the list, but so are.....well, you know! Thanks a lot, Julie! Yes, we always need more suggestions! /tearing hair out/ I used to have the first link, it's really fun... The second one...I've already gotten one possible out of it.......... What. A. Surprise! Oy. Great link! Going over there now to check it out.....

He's so cute when he snoozes. Cicero has waited these 2,000 years, a few more months/years won't make that much difference.........

I can't believe it's February already! This Last month just flew by. I read 10 books in January, and have started three.....almost finished an Ian Fleming combination book....it's a four in one...Octopussy, The Living Daylights, The Property of a Lady, and 007 in New York. It's on kindle and I'm about 70-odd% through.

Wow, can't believe it! This month just flew by, didn't it? There were some great posts and opinions and I'm really glad to have read both the thread and the book. I wonder how many of us will go on to read Tartt's The Little Friend now. -30-

We watched Gosford Park and License to Kill in the last two nights. Good stuff.

We watched Gosford Park, the film last night. Should have known Julian Fellowes did the screenplay. It looked like the downstairs of Downton Abbey! A murder mystery...no one is what or who they seem. Some fantastic actors. I hardly recognized Helen Mirren, or Kristin Scott Thomas at first. A couple of nights ago we watched one of the Timothy Dalton-James Bond films. License to Kill. Here is a quote from an IMDb biography of Dalton. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001096/bi... However, Dalton's interpretation of "Bond" in this film received critical acclaim in some quarters as being the closest to author Ian Fleming's literary "Bond". Dalton has always been a favorite of mine, and I was glad to see this quote, as some people have been quite nasty about his portrayal of Bond.

Henning Mankell, his Wallander series. Swedish noir. John Banville writing as Benjamin Black, his Quirke series. Sort of Impressionistic Irish mysteries featuring coroner Quirke. Mystery mixed with life. A new author, to me at least is William Lashner. I've read three of his so far and they are nice and twisty. Hah, Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling for her The Cuckoo's Calling. It's a good start to a detective series. Kathy Reichs, Temperance Brennan forensic detective mysteries. The earlier ones are the best, Brennan as a forensic coroner manages to get in some pretty dicey situations. Anything by Lawrence Block. His series are great, noir mixed with humanity. He has several, one about a "retired" burglar that owns a bookstore, and another about a down and out detective, and one about a laconic hit man. Partially retired...living in New Orleans in the latter books. Thomas Perry has a couple of series...all excellent, one is about a "reformed/retired" hit man and one is about a Native American woman that makes new identities for people that need to disappear. Fast paced and exciting action. James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series. Robicheaux is a retired New Orleans detective that just can't seem to get away from crime. The stories move from New Orleans, to the bayou country, up north to Montana on occasion. Beautiful writing, interesting and very intense stories. Most of the above really are more than mysteries or plain detective stories, they delve into human nature....why we do what we do. Although, sometimes there is just no telling. To many favorites!

No, they were by themselves. As my perhaps faulty memory tells me.

Well, so much for the kibosh on buying new books this year......time to 'fess up. More arrived from Amazon today. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (this is actually for Charles, he hasn't read it yet, I have....albeit as a child) Dancing With the Devil Confessions of an Undercover Agent by Louis Diaz and Neal Hirschfield The Oxford Book of American Short Stories edited by Joyce Carol Oates Last week arrived: Duty, Memoirs of a Secretary at War by Robert M. Gates (for both of us) These on Kindle, 99% on sale for cheap: The Cicero Anthology of Rome The Complete Works of Julius Caesar The Cardboard Crown by Martin Boyd (thanks Ethan ) The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean Divergent by Veronica Roth Until the End of the World by Sarah Lyons Fleming The Shining by Stephen King Rivers by Michael Farris Smith The Sisterhood by Helen Bryant Black Dahlia & White Rose by Joyce Carol Oates Ask the Dust by John Fante The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles Japan Town by Barry Lancet The History of Herodotus Vol. I and II by Herodotus I think that's all, for now.

If I count children's books, I'd have to go back to the Nancy Drew series. Plus, the Wizard of Oz.....there is a whole series of those as well.

I didn't wear any make-up as a teenager, but when I went to work, I did start with mascara and lipstick. I've never worn stuff on my skin though, can't stand the feel of it. I actually had a Barbie doll, didn't pay much attention to it.....it disappeared pretty fast. heh When I was a kid I had what were billed as Talking Records, Robin Hood, the Wizard of Oz...a few others, can't really remember them now. I think I wore them out. lol This was back in the 1950's, so it was pretty early on for that sort of thing, I believe. I remember they came in a box in which they stood up straight and were separated by cardboard.

From your mouth to God's ear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've only read The Lover by Duras, and loved it. Have ordered a copy of The Ravishing of Lol Stein. Not to mention the kindle order I made for The Cardboard Crown. Thanks.

I just ran across a fascinating article by Mekado Murphy about the making of the film The Grandmaster, by Wong Kar-Wai. The article is on the New York Times. http://carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/below-the-line-shooting-the-grandmaster/?_php=true&_type=blogs&nl=movies&emc=edit_fm_20140131&_r=0 Some scenes took two months to shoot, due to their complexity. The whole film took three years to make. We saw the film last year, and it was absolutely beautiful in every way. Wong Kar-Wai is a wonderful artist.

Hah, make that me, three. I'll def have to reread the first one. /sigh/ Neat site, Julie. I've saved the link to look into more closely later. Thanks.