The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber

Fiction/Short Story - 3 stars

This short story is a glimpse into the imagination of Walter Mitty, a daydreaming man who is given tasks by his wife while she gets her hair done. He struggles to remember the tasks due to his overactive imagination. A super-short (maybe 7-8 pages) story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty has inspired two full-length films. The first, from the 1930s,

starred Danny Kaye and was harshly criticized by Thurber, who thought it was ridiculous. The second, one of my all-time favorite movies, was written and directed by Ben Stiller, who stars as Mitty.

A heartwarming and deep film, Stiller's version is also different from the short story, and I can only wish that Thurber could have seen it.  The story's good, but the movie's awesome.

Movie review - Chef

Movie - 5 stars

I know this is a book blog, but every once in a while I have to comment on other media that moves me. In Chef, Jon Favreau writes, directs, produces and leads an all-star cast in a truly entertaining comedy about passions and relationships. Chef Carl Casper (Favreau) has one too many bad reviews from a harsh food critic (Oliver Platt) and decides to resign his position as head chef of a restaurant due to creative differences with the restaurant's owner (Dustin Hoffman). Carl heads to Miami with his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara) and son, and decides to strike a deal with his ex's ex-husband (Robert Downey, Jr.) to purchase a food truck. Reuniting with a former member of his kitchen staff (John Leguizamo), Carl finds his passion again for the kitchen, forms previously unrealized bonds with his son, and embarks on new adventures with old adversaries.

Chef showcases three things I am most passionate about - 1. Strong family bonds and caring people. 2. Incredibly attractive culinary creations. 3. Awesome soundtrack. It also showcases the phenomenal talent of Jon Favreau, one of my favorites who is also known for Four Christmases, the Ironman series, Swingers and Friends. The relationships he's developed in his previous works are all highlighted here as some of the Hollywood elite captured some of the smaller roles in this (Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Hoffman, etc.).  I loved this movie!!!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Youth historical fiction - 5 stars
This is a beautifully drawn and written work of historical fiction for children. Deemed an instant classic, it is good for all ages, but especially the 8-12 set. Selznick writes about Hugo, who lives in a train station in Paris, and he eventually meets Papa Georges, a character based on the real-life Georges Melies, an inventor and silent film maker from the 1930s. At our book club meeting, Susan was kind enough to bring a projector and show some clips of this era. Megan's favorite was George Melies' A Trip to the Moon, thought to be the first science fiction film in history. We highly recommend this book.

Chocolat by Joanne Harris

Fiction - 3 stars - Chocolat is one of my favorite movies, and I really wanted to read the book, but this is one time that I actually prefer the movie. The story from the book is much more elaborate, but Lasse Halstrom just created something in the movie that wasn't there in the book. Also, while I won't give anything away, the plot is slightly different in the book, disappointingly so. I suppose it's worth reading, but I would recommend the movie first.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Fiction - 4.5 stars - This is much different than the movie! There is more detail (of course), Buttercup is very different, Humperdink is very different, the settings are much more elaborate, and I enjoyed it so much, I talked Zachary into reading it as we really enjoy watching the movie. I think he also liked the book better. It is close enough to be familiar, but different enough to add more to the story.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Fiction - 4.5 stars - Darn that Mr. Willoughby! This is a great story, and it is only not on the level of Pride and Prejudice because the female characters are not as strong as Elizabeth Bennett. I do appreciate the humor in this story (as in most Austen books), but it is still not as compelling as I would like. Yet, it is one of my favorite books on the shelf (thanks Jen for the beautiful brown leather copy!).

Emma by Jane Austen

Fiction - 3.5 stars - Not my favorite of the Austen books. Emma is a self-centered, spoiled, meddling busy-body who goes about her business without any thought of others' feelings. The book is well-written, but goes kind of slow. I could have skipped the book after watching the movie, as Gwyneth Paltrow manages to make Emma at least likeable.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Fiction - 5 stars - Elizabeth Bennett is one of the best female characters ever written! The value of this book is so underestimated by modern readers. There would be no Bridget Jones' Diary without this book, and many of our other female characters have similar personalities to Ms. Bennett. Truly one of the greatest love stories of all time.

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Fiction - 5 stars - Truly a classic. This is, in my opinion, Anne Rice's best novel. I could not put it down. The struggles of being immortal, of feeding off of humanity, and of brotherhood are played out fantastically in this book, and Anne Rice's subsequent vampire novels lost that quality.

How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn

Fiction - 4.5 stars - A melancholy memoir about a young man growing up in a mining family in Wales and the impact of mine closures on the families of the time, this 1939 book was made into an Academy Award-winning movie starring Maureen O'Hara and Roddy McDowell. The description of the Welsh childhood and the struggles that families went through at the time are vivid and timeless.

Novels by Helen Fielding

Bridget Jones' Diary & Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

Fiction - 5 stars - These are two of the funniest, most entertaining books I have ever read. Bridget is a woman that every Gen-X woman in her thirties can either relate to or feel sympathy for. I actually laughed out loud many times while reading these books. The movies addictive cinema.

Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination

Fiction - 3 stars - This story is cute, but it is trite, predictable, and much less sophisticated than Helen Fielding's other novels. If you're looking for a good beach novel that you don't have to think about, this is a good choice.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Fiction - 3.5 stars - This book is truly a visual masterpiece. While the ending is a little weak, and the author is a man writing from a woman's perspective (I'm not even going to scratch the surface of the problems with this), all of the stars go to the use of description in this novel. The movie portrayed this visual beauty very well, but the book was even more of a "movie" as it was truly vivid.

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

Fiction - 4 stars - I really enjoyed this book. It's a quick read, and full of emotion. It also revolves around a theme I hold dear - cooking. It has a recipe for each chapter and a few in between. Very imaginative. I can see why the movie was made.