Room by Emma Donoghue

Jack and Ma have been living in Room for 5 years now.  It's his 5th birthday and there are no candles.       They can't have a birthday party because nobody else is allowed in Room.  Just Jack and Ma.  They make a cake and pretend to blow out the candles and play with the limited toys they have as well as use their imaginations.  Once it's time for bed, Jack goes to sleep in Wardrobe while mom sleeps in Bed and waits for Old Nick to come.  Old Nick never stays the whole night so is never there when Jack wakes up the next morning.  Jack knows when he arrives though.  He hears the beep beep of Door, Old Nick's footsteps, and counts how many creeks the bed makes until he falls asleep.  Jack hasn't seen Old Jack's face yet and is glad.  Ma also never likes to talk about him.  The only time they ever talk about him is for Sunday Treats when they make a list of things like toilet paper, food, medicine, etc for him to bring them.  

Turning 5 ends up being much more challenging than Jack ever imagined.  Ma thinks he is old enough to learn the truth.  The truth is, Ma was kidnapped from college and taken to Room by Old Nick.  She was 21 at the time, then had Jack two years later.  She tells Jack of the outside world and all it entails. Jack's poor head is spinning.  All he ever knew was Room.  The outside is literally outer space to him.  All the things they watch on TV have always been make believe to him, but now Ma is telling him some things they see on TV are real life.  Ma also tells him that they need to get out of Room and Jack is going to help her.  This is more than Jack can comprehend.  Why do they have to leave?  Room is fun, Room is safe, and Room is all Jack knows.  He tells Ma they can try when he's 6, but Ma has other plans.

The question is, will their plans work?  Plan A didn't, so then Plan B where they make it seem that Jack is dead and hope that Old Nick will drive his body somewhere (upon which Jack escapes and finds help).  It's risky, but at this point, Ma will try anything.  

You see, Room isn't a room at all.  It's a shed in Nick's backward with a fence underground, soundproof structure, and one single skylight on the top.  Ma has done her best to teach Jack about the world such  as hygiene, physical fitness, nutrition, and facts that she can remember, but he needs more and she will do whatever it takes to free her son.  Even if only he makes it out.  They have to try.

This book is a true depiction of the lengths parents go to save their children.  It was is a chilling tale of what takes place when the bad guys get away with the plan and the innocent are taken to darker places.  The bravery and courageousness this woman goes through to keep herself sane in this life altering situation is astonishing and keeps you turning each page to see what she will do next.  It also captures how when one has never lived in the world truly, it can be a scary place.  Imagine if all you knew were confined to four small walls and all it contained......  

I recommend this but also need you to know it is not all roses.  I tend to be a sensitive person who can't handle extremely dark tales, but couldn't stop  and will never regret, reading this book.  The human spirit is a beautiful thing and with a little faith, can get through the impossible.  

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Will was a smart, successful, handsome twenty something limited by nothing.  He was a man who got exactly what he wanted, whether it be in business, travels, and even girlfriends.  That all changed after a brutal accident that gave him a new vision of life, through the eyes of a quadriplegic.  His whole world had changed in a matter of seconds and he coped the only way he knew how, by secluding himself into a state of depression.  That is......until he met her.

Louisa is perfectly content with her life.  She works at the local coffee shop, has a steady boyfriend, and a close family.  What more could she need?  Her perfect bubble begins to burst when she is let go from her job and forced to look elsewhere.  Her qualifications are lack luster as she was not college bound like her sister.  No, too much has happened since before the "incident" which changed her course of life and setting her on a safer route.  Now she's left with no job, still living with her parents, and beginning to feel like she'll never get out of this rut.  That all changed when she met him.

You see, Louisa did find a job and ended up serving as a care giver to Will.  This was not a love at  first sight greeting.  Will was at his lowest point and did everything he could to shut others out.  In fact, Louisa was pretty much certain Will hated her.  As time went on, and many hours spent together, Louisa and Will developed something.  Neither noticed it as it was happening, but it was real and it was growing moment by moment.  Then Louisa discoveries Will's secret.  He plans to attend an assisted suicide center in 6 months.  That's all he promised his parents was 6 months more of his life, until he just could't do it anymore.

After recovering from her devastation from the news of Will's plan, Louisa is determined to give him purpose again.  She goes into full plan mode and creates a list of adventures for Will to go on.  At first he begrudginly participates, not knowing the real reason behind all this, and eventually really begins to enjoy himself.  But will this be enough?  Will Louisa be able to make him want to continue his life here, or will he continue with his plan?  Most importantly, will their love for one another make him want to stay?

I can't count how many times I laughed and cried while reading this book.  It's definitely a good love story, but so much more than that.  It shows just how much we all take for granted and makes you wonder how would you go on if it was all taken away.  The more you learn about each character, the more enthralled you become while reading.  Will isn't the only one evolving.  Louisa went through something horrendous before meeting Will and learns from him how to grow from the pain, and continue truly living.  My female friends, this is a true must read.

Bond James Bond- Spectre- A Movie Review

I'll be the first to admit that I love seeing movies that have a lot of media hype.  James Bond movies are not a usual pick for me, but they always seem to draw in movie goers, so it isn't surprising that I get sucked in as well.  I was a tad concerned as the total run time indicated 150 minutes.  That's a long movie.

When we last saw James, he lost an integral person in his career.  Even with her passing, she left him with a clue so he could finish what she started.  The cryptic video was a message from her telling him to find a man and kill him.  Killing isn't exactly a new thing for James, but he knew nothing of the significance of his newest victim.  After research and tracking, James is on a forbidden mission.  The double 0 program is in question and threatened with a new technology in which to wipe out the need of double 0's.  James is told several times to lay low and end his mission, but if you have seen any James Bond movie, you know that simply won't happen.  James gets deeper and deeper into the heart of Spectre; a group involved in terrorism with new technology that could host all information across the world.  It is all run by one man James assumed to be dead a long time ago.  He soon finds out this man is not only alive, but has been the shadow behind every loss James has dealt with throughout his life.  James will not only fight for his own life, but also the life of the woman who could finally have his heart.

Obviosuly this was an action packed movie, but even with that, it wasn't outlandish.  Things weren't blown up just for effect.  The scenes were appropriate and raw especially when James fights a guy twice his size with no apprent reaction to pain.  You get a strong sense throughout that James is near the end of his career whether that be in death or moving on.  It isn't until the end of the movie that you figure out which.  Some of the scenes when his promiscuity get the best of him are a bit cheesey in that they were really just placed to get the full James Bond feel.  Overall it was entertaining and suspensful.  The villain was under utlized as my husband pointed out, but still played well by Christoph Waltz. I don't have to tell you that Daniel Craig still plays an excellent James Bond. For the James Bond fanatics and action movie goers, you won't be disappointed.

Burnt: A Movie Review

I can't think of one movie I haven't liked that Bradley Cooper has starred in.  This is not because I have some celebrity crush on him.  In fact, to me, he looks arrogant and like he will defintiely cheat on whomever he is with.....sorry Bradley, maybe it's from your roll in He's Just Not That Into You.  Back to my point.  I had high hopes for this movie as Bradley, to me, has proven himself to be a good actor.    Based on my persecptions of him as well as my new interest in movies about chef's (100 Foot Journey was amazing), I was pretty pumped to see this.

Adam Jones, a 2 Michelin star chef has come back from the dead.  After leaving the restaurant business to rid himself of drugs, alcohol, and women, he is ready to reclaim his talent in London.  This is not easy, as he has to gain the trust of many he burned just a few short years ago.  Foruntately, he is able to do so and opens a new restaurant.  His goal is to earn his 3rd Michelin star.  He seems confident that he will make this happen and that his new restaurant will be successful.  What he soon realizes is that he can't do it all on his own. He must let go and relenquish some duties to his team.  Screaming, throwing plates, and downgrading his staff are all methods he learns to get away from as he almost takes this new restaurant down.  After a major disloyal act from a so-called friend, getting dismembered from some bad people whom he owes money to, and one of the lowest points of his career, is when he is able to rely on others as he really has no choice.  It is at this point that the members from Michelin pay his restaurant a visit and Adam finally trusts his chefs and staff to help him.  Will his trust be accurate and will he receive the 3rd star?  You'll have to see to find out.

The character development in this movie was compelling.  Adam suffered what I feel many suffer when they have success and don't know what to do with it.  When people rise to the top, temptations are prevalent which makes it hard to not cave in to it all. What comes next is the decision to make the needed changes and stick to them or continue to fall to the bottom.  Adam chose the former but the viewers were able to witness the challenges along the way.  The performance of Sienne Miller and Bradey Cooper were exceptional as well as the other actors.  A definite must see!

Goosebumps: A Movie Review

When you see movies as often as I do, sometimes you have to accept that some weeks will have dry spells in which you are forced to see movies you may not typically fancy.  The postive side of this is that it expands your movie viewing experience and  the other aspect is that you may end up seeing something you'd rather wish you hadn't.  The night I saw Goosebumps was in fact a night where nothing else was out and the movie start time worked perfectly with my schedule.  I knew Jack Black was in it so it could go either way.  I would either love it or hate it.

Zach and his mom are forced to move due to her new Vice Principal job at a high school.  Zach is less than impressed with his surroundings but tries to make the best of it.  He discovers he has a neighbor close to his age.  She seems interesting and reaches out to him within a day of moving in.  There friendship begins and consists of meeting in between their houses to talk.  She is homeschooled so this is really the only time they have to see one another.  Soon enough, Zach meets her controlling father who forbids Zach from seeing her anymore.  Luckily for Zach, Hannah has no interest in listening to her father so she continues to sneak over and eventually the two venture off into an intriguing place she disocvered in the woods.  Upon return, Hannah's father is livid and sends her inside then threatens to move.  Zach later hears screams and thinks Hannah is in trouble.  Once the police arrive and find nothing out of ther ordinary, Zach is left confused and worried as Hannah is nowhere to be found.  Her father lied to the police and explained she was out of the country with her mother.  Finally, Zach can't take it anymore so he sneaks over to find Hannah's whereabouts.  What he finds are books upon books that are locked.  With the help of his friend, curiousity gets the best of them and they open a book.  Before you know it Hannah has arrived and yells for them to close it, but before they can help it, a large and scary character literally comes out of the book.  You see, her dad is none other than R.L. Stine and his books are locked in order to keep the deep, dark characters in.  Their story gets more complex as other books are accidentally opened and all of the characters are loose and reaking havoc in town.  It is up to Zach, Hannah, and her father to get them all back.  Eventually they find out, the only way to do this is for R.L. Stine to write another book, which is hard to do when characters are setting fires and destroying the town. Zach is then given another twist in his life when he finds out Hannah is a character herself.  R.L. Stine created her and never told her or anyone else she wasn't real.  What is Zach to do now?  The characters are too difficult to capture and the girl he is falling for isn't real even though she is very real to him.

Some movies meant for children are still enjoyable for adults.  I am affraid this wasn't the case for Goosebumps.  It reminded me of a less impressive Jumanji.  The characters from the books were scary so I wouldn't recommend it for younger children, but can see 8-10 year olds enjoying it depending on their sensitivity.  I enjoyed the popcorn and that was about it. 

Bridge of Spies: Tom Hanks Does it Again: A Movie Review

You don't need me to tell you that Tom Hanks is one of the best actors of all time.  I mean come on.....Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Castaway (just to name a few)...I rest my case.  Whatever your thoughts may be, I highly recommend this movie.  Tom Hanks plays the role of an insurance lawyer selected by the government to defend a captive member of the Soviet Union due to his integrity.  However, it is his integrity that leads him down a very dangerous path.

James Donnovan takes his role as a lawyer seriously, so when asked to defend a prisoner of the court system who happens to be from the Soviet Union in order to follow due process, he gives it his all.  This is not what the government had hoped for.  Which I find ironic, because they chose him based on his good nature,yet they were surprised when he actually gave a full defense.  Donnovan even went as far as to appeal at several levels in order to protect his client.  Unfortunately for his family, this involves drive by shootings at the windows, constant glares from community members,and an outrage of how he can be so "anti- American."

This doesn't stop Donnovan though.  He is a smart guy and is able to negotiate his clients sentencing to not include the death penalty.  It is that negotiation that creates a new scenario for Donnovan to encounter.  You see, a U.S. pilot crashed and was captured in the Soviet Union and the only way to return him safely is to return their man, Donnovan's client.  So now our dedicated insurance lawyer is off to the Soviet Union to negotiate with some not so trustworthy gentlemen.  I don't want to give it all away but Donnovan's integrity and good character get him into such a complex situation that there are three prisoners involved, the Soviets, the Germans, and the CIA. The question is, who can he trust and will he be able to protect all he is fighting for?  Including his client.  You must see to find out!

This movie will have you in suspense throughout as you are constantly in awe of what this man goes through to do what he feels is right.  I highly recommend it and would see it again.

Steve Jobs:The Other Side

Do you remember the Steve Jobs movie that came out in 2013?  I remember  leaving that movie thinking that all of the negative viewpoints I had previously heard about Steve must have been misunderstood as he was just a creative genius who knew what he was doing.  Then I saw the previews for the latest movie with a different portrayal of the guy who gave us the iMac and much more.  I obviously didn't know him personally, but do think if I put both movies together, I just might have a close depiction based on those who knew him,  Needless to say, it was an enjoyable movie with raw scenes that showed the other side of Steve Jobs.

Our movie begins before a major launch where Steve is about to show the world the Macintosh.  Unfortunately, this is also where his previous mistress decides to ask for money so he can support her and the daughter he refuses to claim.  He also has a glitch that he must work out before launching and makes it happen by threatening the integrity of one of his only friends.  Several intense encounters continue before Steve is finally able to launch his computer.  Little does he know that it will fail and his path will take a different direction.

The movie continues with this pattern of showing Steve, minutes before the launch of a new product, with a litany of angry visitors.  Steve wasn't always successful but the guy would not stop until he put something valuable into the hands of consumers.  It was an interesting  as you were able to see the constant conflict Steve had with everybody else as well as himself.  This movie portrayed him as someone who thrived on control,especially when it involved what he held so close.  Fortunately, he was able to slowly see what changes to make, especially with the relationship with his daughter.

Overall it was a decent movie.  Whether you feel Steve Jobs was lacking in the treatment of others category or not, he was an innovative person who left a major impact several generations and this movie gives you one account of his life.