Sara Reads Things

Monday is back and so am I. Our vacation was wonderful. The weather was a nice 75 degrees and sunny. We explored downtown Astoria, eating at Moe's restaurant twice, only because our youngest son loved it and that is hard to find. If the boy will eat it, then we will be there. We spent an entire day at the beach where we went inside an actual shipwreck on the Oregon coast, the Peter Iredale and took the Mitsubishi on the sand. Everything was great until the last evening when a "Karen" arrived and yelled at us for going to the bathroom too much. Everyone knows not to get the camp site right next to the bathroom unless you can handle the traffic.  This weeks book is a little ditty you might have heard of. I picked it up on our adventures in Astoria, lucky me. Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer. I actually didn't know that this book was set to be released so it was a surprise to me when I found it. Everything's been so up in the air lately, I guess I haven't b...

Hello! Welcome back to my Sunday confessions. This week has been amazing. My family and I took a much needed vacation and it was wonderful. Managed to get some reading done, but not much, but that was to be expected.  Let's see what's been going on lately on the blog.  Sunday Confessions #58 ~ Weekly Menu #366 And The Book Of The Week ~ Movie Review: The Old Guard ~ Book Review; Stamped by Jason Reynolds ~ Book to Movie: Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman ~ Book Review: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore Weekly Menu #367 And The Book Of The Week ~ Book Review: The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry ~ Book Review: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult ~ Sunday Confessions #60 17/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge ~ 8/20 in my Scotland challenge ~ 41/341 Gilmore Girls challenge ~ 40/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge It's been a wonderful week, but back to life.

Title: I Am Number Four By: Patticus Lore Genre: Paranormal Pages: 440 Release Date: August 3rd, 2010 Publisher: HarperCollins Rating: ★★★★☆ Summary from Goodreads: Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books--but we are real. Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. We have lived among you without you knowing. But  they  know. They caught Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya. They killed them all. I am Number Four. I am next.   Add on Goodreads ...

Who's ready for another round of books to movies? Its been a while since I've watched a movie that started as a book, and also was good enough to be compared to the book.  Unorthodox started as a memoir by Deborah Feldman. It recaps her life as a Jewish woman in the  Satmar sect of Hasidic Judaism, a very strict sect that governs every aspect of her life from, what she wears to who she can speak with, or the books she was allowed to read.  The book follows Feldman's escape from her unhappy marriage and journey to Germany, where she starts a new life. The movie follows a lot of the story line of the book, up unto a point where it breaks off to give the reader a better cinematic ride. Both stories are wonderfully  portrayed and show how suffocating the rules of the Satmar sect can be, especially toward women.  I found both the book and the movie to be binge worthy and found myself sucked in from the very start. It really brought light ...

Title: Stamped By: Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi Genre: Non-Fiction Pages: 294 Release Date: March 10th, 2020 Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Rating: ★★★★☆ Summary from Goodreads: A timely, crucial, and empowering exploration of racism--and antiracism--in America This is NOT a history book. This is a book about the here and now. A book to help us better understand why we are where we are. A book about race. The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. This remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and inspires hope for an antiracist future. It takes you on a race journey from then to now, shows you why we feel how we feel, and why the poison of racism lingers. It also proves that while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute,...

Title:  The Old Guard Genre:  Action Release Date: July 10th, 2020 My Rating: ★★★★☆ IMDB Rating:  6.7/10 Cast: Charlize Theron , KiKi Layne , Matthias Schoenaerts Summary from IMDB:  A covert team of immortal mercenaries are suddenly exposed and must now fight to keep their identity a secret just as an unexpected new member is discovered. IMDB Trailer Review: This movie was one of my most recent favorites. I actually looked to see if it was based on a book series that I could binge, but sadly it wasn't. If you are into comics though, they've got the stuff for you. The whole concept around immortals who try to keep the earth safe, is a fantastic thought. I also loved the historical tales that were woven into the story line. Another thing that hit me, was these immortals have an expiration date. They don't know when its coming, but at some point they stop regenerating. I have to say, the ending threw me. I didn't see it coming and...

Monday. Today is the first day of our vacation. It's been a long time coming and we really need it. The boys and I are heading to the beach to make some new memories and to live our lives like there's no tomorrow. I'm going to try and pick up a new book while on vacation. I have one in mind. Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer. I tried to get a copy before we left, but it wouldn't be delivered until after vacation. What a drag. Hopefully we run across a bookstore on our journeys. Since I forgot last weeks book, here is this weeks book to make up for it. The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware. Its set in Scotland, so I can check another book of my Scotland challenge and its the amazing Ruth Ware, so who can complain.    MENU   Monday Buttery Garlic Chicken Tuesday Marinated Steak and Fries Wednesday Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin Thursday Summer Beef Bolognese Friday Shrimp Tacos Saturday Miso-Honey Glazed Salmon Sunday L...

Welcome back to my Sunday confessions. We go on vacation tomorrow, but I have a full schedule of blog posts for you, so don't fear. Let's recap what this last week has brought us. Sunday Confessions #57 ~ Weekly Menu #365 And The Book Of The Week ~ Book Review: Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles ~ Book Review: Roof Toppers by Katherine Rundell ~ Movie Review: Birds of Prey ~ Book Review: Warrior of the Altaii by Robert Jordan Weekly Menu #366 And The Book Of The Week ~ Book Review; Stamped by Jason Reynolds ~ Book Review: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore ~ Sunday Confessions #59 17/196 in my Star Wars Legends challenge ~ 8/20 in my Scotland challenge ~ 40/341 Gilmore Girls challenge ~ 39/100 in my 100 books before you die challenge It's been another great week. I can't wait to leave the concrete world behind tomorrow and spend four days in the woods with my family. Happy times. ...

Title: Warrior of the Altaii By: Robert Jordan Genre: Fantasy Pages: 330 Release Date: October 8th, 2019 Publisher: Tor Books Rating: ★★★★☆ Summary from Goodreads: Draw near and listen, or else time is at an end. The watering holes of the Plain are drying up, the fearsome fanghorn grow more numerous, and bad omens abound. Wulfgar, a leader of the Altaii people, must contend with twin queens, warlords, prophets and magic in hopes of protecting his people and securing their future. Elspeth, a visitor from another world, holds the answers, but first Wulfgar must learn to ask the right questions. But what if the knowledge that saves the Altaii will also destroy them? Add on Goodreads Review: It's hard to think that this was one of Robert Jordan's first books that he wrote. It really stays true to his writing style and brings to life a story that we haven't seen before. The tale is intricate and mesmerizing. I was kept guessing the whole...

Title:  Birds of Prey Genre:  Action Release Date: February 7th, 2020   My Rating: ★★★☆☆ IMDB Rating:  6.1/10 Cast: Margot Robbie , Rosie Perez , Mary Elizabeth Winstead Summary from IMDB:  After splitting with the Joker, Harley Quinn joins superheroes Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to save a young girl from an evil crime lord. IMDB Trailer Review: This movie was middle of the road for me. The story line had potential. There was a lot in there that I really enjoyed, but I think it was the way that it was presented. There was a lot of back and forth, flashbacks and some overlaid dialogue that threw me off. I just wanted a story from start to finish, but instead, I had to keep track of what was going on during some really epic fight scenes. I think that was the saving grace of this movie. The fighting and characters were amazing, they really brought the story to life and kept me entertained through out the whole movi...