50/50 Challenge: Almost Double Digits

I admit, I've been slow with my 50/50 Challenge. At this rate, it'll be a miracle if I see 20 movies and 20 books this year, let alone 50. So sad too because I had very high hopes. I'm still working on reading book number three. But in my defense, I haven't had any books capture my interest to read the whole thing. Books I've started and haven't finished have included: Smut, The Year of Living Biblically (I think that's the title) and Harvesting the Heart. I just think I haven't been in the mood to read. Currently, I'm reading Still Missing which is totally creepy and not really the kind of book to read right before bed, which sucks, because I always like to read right before bed.

Good news (I guess) is that I've almost reached double digits with my movie watching. I finally saw Jurassic Park (#8) and while it was good, I know that it would've been better had I seen it when it came out. Dinosaurs are quite the spectacular creatures and I thought, why did no one ever think to make a real Jurassic Park with mechanical dinosaurs, of course. People would pay for that. The kitchen scene, which is the only scene I had seen previously, was still the scariest. I'm a fan of the herbivores myself, like the dinosaur from The Flinstones.

The Lucky One starring now hunky and of age Zac Efron is the latest from the Nicholas-Sparks-wrote-a-book-that-he-knew-would-become-an-instant-chick-flick-classic installment. This made for movie #9 for the challenge and it was pretty good. I mean not Oscar-caliber performance by any means, but very saccharine Nicholas Sparks type feelings that are needed every now and again. This movie I saw as a screening, which means that I had to wait in line early to see it (bad) but also they had treats - cupcakes and sodas - (good). BUT, also in movies like this for screenings people feel like they can talk out loud during the movie and giggle and cat call during kissing scenes, which makes it kind of an annoying environment. But who am I to complain? Free movies work for me!

So, there it is. I've not even made it 10 movies and fuggedabout the books because I am still at a lowly 2. I feel like I can have a summer blitz though, you never know. I hope my fellow 50/50ers are doing this challenge justice.

50/50 Challenge: Book It!

Do you remember Book It! that ingenious incentive to get kids reading? A personal pan pizza all to moi? As a kid, a book nerdy kid no less, I could ask for no more. When my friend first told me about the 50/50 Challenge, my first question was: what do I get? And you know what I get? Zip. Zilch. Zero. Nada. Nothing. Call me crazy, but even as an adult, I still enjoy prizes! Maybe that's why I've been lagging behind on my challenge, especially when it comes to reading. And, I love reading! However, a recent visit to see one of my favorite authors, Jodi Picoult, read from her newest book Lone Wolf has re-energized my reading efforts. So now I can say I have achieved reading a whopping two books for the 50/50 Challenge.

 Photo: jodipicoult.com

Songs of the Humpback Whale is one of the first Jodi Picoult's books. And now I can say there are only three of her published books that I have yet to read - all three which are on my coffee table. SotHW was not my favorite of her novels and that pains me to say because I am a HUGE fan of her work, her writing style and her dedication. She writes a book every nine months with three months press tour. She has been doing this for the past twenty years, so it's easy to do the math. And these are heavy-hitting, thought provoking, well-researched books. She is an idol for sure. SotHW is the story of Jane, who leaves her emotionally and sometimes physically abusive husband, to travel cross country with her daughter Rebecca on the way to the East Coast. Her brother Joely guides her by letters and her husband tracks her using his oceanographer skills. In true Picoult fashion, the characters are told first-person from each point of view. This writing style helps controversial or conflicting stories be told with more honesty and less judgment as to which side is the "right one" to take.

The next books, which will be numbers 3, 4, and 5 are: Harvesting the Heart, Mercy and her latest, Lone Wolf. Already though, Jodi Picoult is ready to release her new book next year - The Storyteller. So if she can produce the work she does in the time that she does, I guess it shouldn't be so much of a stretch for me to at least try to read a little bit faster.

50/50 Challenge - Sometimes Love is Not Enough

This weekend I checked off movies 6 and 7 for the 50/50 challenge and finally read a book! I thought the book part would be the easiest of this challenge because I love to read. I started about two or three books since the first of the year and finally finished one.

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides was heavy to say the least. He is the author of The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex (for which he won a Pulitzer Prize). I haven't read either, but heard that his writing style is just that. Heavy. But the story felt real. It was a love triangle that began in college and continued through travels and marriage and craziness. The love part was secondary to me and frankly, quite boring. The travels though - through Europe, through India - love letters and self-realizations, in addition to dealing with mental illness are strong enough issues that they could've stood on their own. Maybe they should've each been a separate book versus trying to mash it all together in a big, complicated mess. But, I guess that's life. And love. And loss. Pretty heavy.

Movie #6: Safe House. Definitely not a romance, but in the end seemed sort of romantic-ish. Ryan Reynolds is a great allure, of course. Even in an interview, when asked what would bring in a female audience, Denzel Washington said, "Come see Ryan Reynolds." The two of them are pretty great leading men and Denzel is greatest when playing the hard ass, slightly crazy alpha character. The movie is full of action, a little bit of comedy and it's a stretch, but there's romance.

Movie #7: The Vow: The ultimate for this pre-Valentine's weekend. Channing Tatum (also on my Top 5 celebrity man list, you know THAT list) is such a charmer in this movie. The movie was sad in the fact that you can't remember people's memories for them and you can't wish enough for two people to make things work. Rachel McAdams is so sweet, but in this movie, for whatever reason, wore the worst clothes. Sorry, that's just something that went through my mind. There was a little surprise within the movie, but in the end, you'll see if love survives. It's not always in the way you think.

As for the 50/50 challenge, still 49 books to go and 43 movies. Any good book recommendations? There were a lot of good previews before The Vow so I think the movies are going to be covered. I'm so happy this blog post could include photos of two hot men just in time for Valentine's Day. You are welcome.