Traveling by plane is the best time to read. Usually, I alternate between reading and napping and then the flight goes by much more quickly. On a recent trip back home from a wedding of a college friend, I finished reading "Defending Jacob." The story is about a teenage boy who has been charged for murder and his assistant district attorney father who believes in his innocence. It's complicated and filled with a lot of holes in my opinion, but maybe that's on purpose. Near the end of the story there a few twists that were a bit predictable, but it was an intense novel nonetheless. I was disappointed in the ending because it didn't seem to get wrapped up. There was a lot going on and a lot of loose ends.
Also, since my last challenge update I've seen quite a few movies I nearly forgot to count for the challenge! Earlier this month I went to an "Iron Man" marathon. They showed all three of the series plus "The Avengers." I had never seen "Iron Man 2" and enjoyed them all but think the first is still my favorite. During this marathon, some lady behind me kept kicking my chair. The worst.
Then came "The Great Gatsby" which is Baz Luhrmann's over-the-top, fantastical, beautifully made version of the Fitzgerald classic. Soundtracked by Jay-Z (amazing!) and given gorgeous costumes, it was a pop culture dream come true to watch this film. I like the theatrics of it all and it definitely made me want to go back and reread the novel.
I saw "The Iceman" on one of the hottest days of the year in a theatre that didn't have air conditioning so a pleasant experience it really wasn't. Ironically, the movie is based on a true story about a killer who sets some of his victims on ice. It's a little slow moving, but an interesting bit of history.
I watched "Star Trek" (J.J. Abrams version) four days before seeing "Star Trek Into Darkness" which I actually really ended up liking. I'm not a Trekkie or anything, but I get it. It's entertaining. The characters are interesting. That's a big step for me, since Sci-Fi especially Star Trek isn't really my thing.
"The Hangover Part III" and "The Fast & Furious 6" were two movies I was looking forward to seeing this summer and both of which I have review scheduled for publication tomorrow morning. I LOVE "The Fast and Furious" franchise. I don't care how ridiculous it is. I love them.
The movie scene is finally starting to pick up the pace after a very dismal start in 2013. This summer is full of must sees.
I think getting to my movie goal will be no problem, and I keep slowly inching away at those books. Nearly halfway through the year, I still have some time left!
Book #12: Defending Jacob by William Landay
Movie #23: Iron Man 2
Movie #24: Iron Man 3
Movie #25: The Great Gatsby
Movie #26: The Iceman
Movie #27: Star Trek
Movie #28: Star Trek Into Darkness
Movie #29: The Hangover Part III
Movie #30: The Fast & Furious 6
Thirty movies already! And I saw that Iron Man marathon too, as in I saw people doing it. They got a chest piece badge and all that. Clearly I should have signed up for the marathon. How was The Iceman?
ReplyDeleteOh, wow -- a chest piece would've been awesome. We did NOT get that. The Iceman was actually pretty good. It is intense and a little slow moving but I mean, it's about a psychopath killer, so of course, that's always interesting. Happy Friday!
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