50/50 Challenge: Six Weeks to Go!

Six weeks until the end of the year, which means six weeks for me to read 11 more books and 5 -- it can be done!

The only movie I've watched since my last post is "Foxcatcher" which I'll be posting a review to on Examiner this Friday. It has Channing Tatum in it, but not like you're used to seeing him, that's for sure. 

I also technically read three new books, but since The Goldfinch was such a mother of a read, I am counting it as two. I think in the 50/50 Challenge rules somewhere, the fact that it's 771 pages counts. When I got to the end and it became front heavy, things got rough. 

So, to sum up my progress:

Movie #45: Foxcatcher

I'm hoping that #46 will be "Mockingjay Part I"!

Book #36: The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
Book #37/#38: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction)
Book #39: I Can't Make This Stuff Up by Theresa Caputo a.k.a. The Long Island Medium, who I met briefly and hugged at a Warwick's book signing.

So, not terribly great on my progress, but it will be done. I will accomplish my goal and treat myself to a whole cheesecake. 

50/50 Challenge Update: Two Months to Go!

Fall is my favorite season. Wish I had taken this photo, but alas, it's from Pinterest.

Hey-o! Less than 60 days to prove that I can read 50 books and watch 50 movies in one year. OK, I'm not really trying to prove anything, but I would enjoy the accomplishment. I'll keep this update short and sweet.

Movies

41. Gone Doggy Gone 

This screened at San Diego Film Festival and it's a fun, twisted movie that pokes fun at just how much people loooove their dogs.

42. St. Vincent

Bill Murray. Highly recommend. I laughed and cried and laughed some more.

43. The Good Lie

I also highly recommend. I was pretty much teary-eyed throughout the whole movie.

44. The Best of Me

Eh. Nicholas Sparks enthusiasts will dig it.

45. Nightcrawler

One of the most original films I've seen in awhile. Not usually a huge Jake Gyllenhaal fan, but he is fantastic in this.

Books (a measly ONE since my last update)

35. Leaving Time - Jodi Picoult

Psychics. Paranormal. Mystery. It's like Jodi Picoult surveyed me and asked, "Courtney, what is it that you want?" This was one of my favorites of hers in a long time and is reminiscent of her earlier work. She has changed publishing houses and editors, which may or may not be one of the reasons. 

35 1/2. Catch-22 - Joseph Heller

I read most of the beginning and then started to read from the back, so there's a whole middle section I skipped because I couldn't get into this book, but I really wanted to. 

I know I'll reach my movie goal, but can I make it through 15 more books?

Monday Musings

ate another piece for this pic

My intention was to update my blog daily or at least weekly for the month of October. I write all the time for work, so my blog is just for me to ramble and share things and be creative. It has been over a week since my last post, so you can see how well that's working out. I think of this discipline as November nears and I am going to try once again to write a novel for NaNoMo. 

I think if I really wanted to write a book, wouldn't I have already done it? But I don't want to just zip something out that I'll hate six months later and want to redo. I want to be proud of it because should that day comes when it is finished, that might be my last novel effort. I don't want my book to be a one-hit wonder bomb.

Peanut butter on banana bread. A revelation. I didn't think of it. The Patio on Goldfinch has it as part of their dessert menu and as soon as I ate it, I thought, why couldn't I be this brilliant?!

Do you ever hear a witty comeback and hold on to it waiting for just the right moment to say it? I have two of them that I'm dying to say, but don't want to waste them on the wrong person. 

I love TV. I've said it before, I'll say it again. I am a busy person. I do have better things to do, but I CHOOSE to watch TV. To add to this lazy habit, I just began Season One of The Good Wife and I am hooked. My fiance rigged up his computer with Google Chromecast, so that we can watch it stream on our TV. I'm so glad he's tech-savvy and appreciates television as much as me.

I like staying calm when I know it will make someone else madder. If this is wrong, I don't want to be right.

If you haven't heard, the Kansas City Royals are headed to the World Series, which is awesome news! I'm from Kansas City, so it's easy to be excited, but I think it's odd how people not cheering for Kansas City nor San Francisco hate the Royals so much. Can't you just let them have their moment? They've waited long enough for the love!

I've noticed I always try to work talking about food into every conversation. I think it's a better gauge of if you're going to get along with someone rather than asking them what they do. 

This song continues to be on repeat for me for the rest of the week. Chris Messina, you dirty, cutie dog.

"You say I'm crazy 'cause you don't think I know what you've done."