The Good Ol' Days

The Good Ol' Days

Jul 15, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Every week they post a new topic/top ten list and invite everyone to share their own answers. I'm so obsessed with lists - so it makes perfect sense that I'd love this feature!

I've technically done this topic before. If you're interested, here are my 14 favorite TV shows (both no longer airing and currently on air). The only one that's changed is New Girl - I'd take it off now and replace it with The Mindy Project. I want Mindy Kaling to be my friend in real life! I also like So You Think You Can Dance, Shark Tank, The Originals... but listen, I had to stop somewhere.

I've also talked a little bit about movies before when I shared my love for costume dramas. This probably goes hand-in-hand with my love of things like historical fiction, but I seriously cannot resist a gorgeous period piece. And it's even better if it involves British accents!

So, I went with another type of movie that I love: ones from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Movies from this time period have a special place in my heart, and there are so many more I could have listed! The final movie on my list is actually right outside this "Golden Age" window, but I included it because I'm in charge.

Top Twelve Favorite Old Hollywood Movies 

All movie titles link to IMDB, and the IMDB summary is listed underneath each movie on my list.

1. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) starring Audrey Hepburn & George Peppard

A young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building.

2. Roman Holiday (1953) starring Audrey Hepburn & Gregory Peck

A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome.

3. The Philadelphia Story (1940) starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn & Jimmy Stewart

When a rich woman's ex-husband and a tabloid-type reporter turn up just before her planned remarriage, she begins to learn the truth about herself.

4. Sabrina (1954) starring Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn & William Holden

A playboy becomes interested in the daughter of his family's chauffeur. But it's his more serious brother who would be the better man for her.

5. Pillow Talk (1959) starring Doris Day & Rock Hudson

A man and woman share a telephone line and despise each other, but then he has fun by romancing her with his voice disguised.

6. Charade (1963) starring Cary Grant & Audrey Hepburn

Romance and suspense in Paris, as a woman is pursued by several men who want a fortune her murdered husband had stolen. Who can she trust?

7. To Catch a Thief (1955) starring Cary Grant & Grace Kelly

When a reformed jewel thief is suspected of returning to his former occupation, he must ferret out the real thief in order to prove his innocence.

8. Rear Window (1954) starring Grace Kelly & Jimmy Stewart

A wheelchair bound photographer spies on his neighbours from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.

9. How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) starring Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable & Marilyn Monroe 

Three women set out to find eligible millionaires to marry, but find true love in the process.

10. Gone With the Wind (1939) starring Clark Gable & Vivien Leigh

A manipulative Southern belle carries on a turbulent affair with a blockade runner during the Civil War.

11. Kitty Foyle (1940) starring Dennis Morgan & Ginger Rogers

Kitty Foyle, a hard-working white-collar girl from a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania low, middle-class family, meets and falls in love with young socialite Wyn Strafford but his family is against her.

12. Bonnie and Clyde (1967) starring Warren Beatty & Faye Dunaway

A romanticized account of the career of the notoriously violent bank robbing couple and their gang.

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Into Thin Air

Into Thin Air

Jul 14, 2014

Never Coming Back by Tim Weaver

Release Date: July 3, 2014
Publisher: Penguin | Viking
Pages: 384 pages
Source & Format: Publisher; Hardcover
Series: David Raker #4
Add on Goodreads

Summary (from Goodreads)

Emily Kane arrives at her sister Carrie’s house to find the front door unlocked, dinner on the table, and the family nowhere to be found—Carrie, her husband, and two daughters have disappeared. When the police turn up no leads, Emily turns to her former boyfriend David Raker, a missing persons investigator, to track the family down. As Raker pursues the case, he discovers evidence of a sinister cover-up, decades in the making and with a long trail of bodies behind it.

Tim Weaver’s thrillers have been hugely popular in the UK, and now Never Coming Back will introduce his beloved character David Raker to American audiences. Set in Las Vegas and a small fishing village in England, the novel is a smart, fast-paced thriller sure to keep readers guessing until the very end.

Thoughts on Never Coming Back

When the opportunity to read Never Coming Back arose, I'll admit that I was immediately intrigued and said yes mostly because of the cover. It looks so moody and mysterious, which made me so curious about the story inside! The summary sounded interesting, too, and I've had good luck with mysteries lately so I decided to take a chance on it.

Never Coming Back is the fourth book in a series that's been published in the UK, but this is technically the author's US debut. A number of reviews noted that you can easily jump into it without having read the previous books, and I would assume that Penguin/Viking feels the same way since they've decided to make this Weaver's first book published in the US. While I agree that the mystery itself stands on its own, I did feel like I was missing out on a decent amount of background. I wasn't necessarily confused, but there were definitely aspects of the book where I felt like I didn't understand the significance of certain characters or events because I didn't know the background.

I think my biggest complaint with the book was that I never felt like I really got to know any of the characters. There were a number of secondary characters who seemed like they didn't really belong or contribute much to the story, which made me wonder if they'd been a bigger part of previous books. I also felt like the main character, David Raker, remained a bit of a mystery to me. I had so many questions about his past - things that were referenced, his relationship with some of the other characters, how he got to this point in his life, etc. - and have no doubt that it's because this is the fourth in the series. I just felt like I was missing something with the character, which kept me from really loving this book.

It took a bit of time for Never Coming Back to really grab my attention, but I did find that it eventually became a much more engrossing read. There were a lot of twists and turns in this one, but the pace remained a bit on the slower side. For me, that wasn't a negative because I felt that it fit the moody, atmospheric tone of the story. Plus, the writing is very descriptive - Weaver definitely likes to set the scene and uses that to add to the mystery and create more tension.

So, what did I enjoy most about this story? The mystery itself! I really wanted to know what had happened to the family that just disappeared from their home without a trace, and I was hooked on the book once I'd gotten far enough into it for the mystery to start driving the action. I've probably read more mysteries/thrillers this year than I have in the last five years, so I'm not an expert on on this genre at all, but I thought the mystery was surprising. I didn't expect the majority of the twists that were revealed. Never Coming Back definitely kept me guessing the entire time I was reading! There were a few things that felt a bit too coincidental, but there was a complexity to the mystery that I didn't expect and found pleasantly surprising.

Never Coming Back was a really absorbing read! It took me a bit to get into it, but I was hooked soon enough. The setting really came to life, but it was the mystery itself that stole the show for me. I'd definitely be curious about reading more from Weaver - he crafted a dark, addicting mystery that left me wishing I knew just a little more about David Raker so that I could fully appreciate the character's journey. Fans of moody, gritty mysteries/thrillers should definitely consider spending some time with this book!

So Quotable

"I'd talked countless times [...] about the debt I felt for the missing; about the responsibility I put on myself to bring them back into the light. It was something I only became more certain of in the years after, when sitting down with the families was like sitting in front of a mirror. The grief they'd felt for the people they'd lost, the sadness, the need to dig in and cling on, I recognized all of it."

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration. I was not compensated for my review in any way.

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Love & Loyalty

Love & Loyalty

Jul 11, 2014

Captured By Love by Jody Hedlund

Release Date: July 1, 2014
Publisher: Baker Publishing | Bethany House
Pages: 384 pages
Source & Format: NetGalley; e-ARC
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (from Goodreads)

It is 1814 and the British have taken hold of Mackinac Island and its fort, forcing American residents to swear an oath of loyalty to the British crown in order to retain their land. Pierre Durant is a voyageur -- a fur trader who left his family home to find freedom and adventure. He's been gone five years and when he returns, his family's farm is at the mercy of the British invaders.

Torn between the life he's grown used to and guilt over leaving his brother and mother, he's drawn back into the loyalist fight against the British -- and into a relationship with Angelique Mackenzie, a beautiful local girl who's been befriended by the daughter of the British commander. As tensions mount and the threat of violence increases, both Angelique and Pierre must decide where their loyalties rest, how far they will go to find freedom, and how much they will risk to find love.

Thoughts on Captured By Love

Jody Hedlund is one of my favorite Christian historical fiction authors, so I was really looking forward to Captured by Love. One of the things I've loved most about her books is that they've been based on real people and grounded in Hedlund's extensive research. Captured by Love is the story of Pierre Durant, a fur trader, and Angelique Mackenzie, a local girl and a close childhood friend.

The book is set on Mackinac Island in 1814, so it takes place during the events of the War of 1812. I know very little about this time period, so I really enjoyed the aspects of this book that focused on conditions on the island. The British have taken control of the island, food is scarce, tensions are high and loyalties are always in question. My favorite parts of this book where the passages that focused more on the setting and action.

Unfortunately, the characters and romance fell flat for me. I never felt like I got to know the characters - they remained so surface level throughout the book. They never felt like real people to me! Since I care more about well-developed characters than action or romance, I was particularly disappointed in the fact that Pierre and Angelique never captured my attention. Although they had weaknesses and strengths, something about them still felt off. I was never invested in them, so it kept me from really connecting to the book overall.

I think that can be partially attributed to the romance. It was definitely the focus of the book, and I was so tired of hearing about their attraction to one another. I love some swoon, but I felt like there was more shared about their physical attraction to one another than moments that showed me why they wanted to be together. Furthermore, there were a number of obstacles in their path so it felt like a constant back-and-forth. There was something about their interactions that felt so repetitive!

Sadly, Captured by Love was probably my least favorite book from Hedlund so far. The setting and time period was so interesting, but the characters and romance frustrated me because I've come to expect more from this author. I wanted more character development and an exploration of their relationship - without so much focus on their attraction and the things keeping them apart!

*I received a copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for review consideration. I was not compensated in any way for my review.

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Consider This Classic: Danielle Recommends

Consider This Classic: Danielle Recommends

Jul 10, 2014

Consider This Classic is a monthly feature where bloggers highlight and recommend their favorite classic. They'll tell you when they first read it, why they love it and where to go from there. If you'd like to participate in Consider This Classic, click here to sign up.

Y'all, I may have squealed a little when I saw what Danielle from Love At First Page chose to highlight as her classic recommendation. I already knew I liked her from chatting with her on Twitter, but that fact was solidified when she picked a classic I adore and think is so underrated. And then I creeped on her blog bio and found out that her dog was named after Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. I think you all know this is a major win in my book! So, now it's time for you to find out why I was so excited about her recommendation.

A Room With a View by E.M. Forster

Publication Date: 1908
Originally Published In: United Kingdom
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (from Goodreads)

This Edwardian social comedy explores love and prim propriety among an eccentric cast of characters assembled in an Italian pensione and in a corner of Surrey, England.

A charming young English woman, Lucy Honeychurch, faints into the arms of a fellow Britisher when she witnesses a murder in a Florentine piazza. Attracted to this man, George Emerson--who is entirely unsuitable and whose father just may be a Socialist--Lucy is soon at war with the snobbery of her class and her own conflicting desires. Back in England she is courted by a more acceptable, if stifling, suitor, and soon realizes she must make a startling decision that will decide the course of her future: she is forced to choose between convention and passion.

The enduring delight of this tale of romantic intrigue is rooted in Forster's colorful characters, including outrageous spinsters, pompous clergymen and outspoken patriots. Written in 1908, A Room With A View is one of E.M. Forster's earliest and most celebrated works.

I first read this book after I graduated college. At the time I was reading a few classics I hadn't gotten to study in school. I'd always heard great things about it, especially in regards to E.M. Forster's celebration of female empowerment through passion, independence, and love. It's a short book, roughly 240 pages, but I connected to it on an emotional level only a few books achieve.

The writing, for one, is gorgeous. I would describe it as soulful, romantic, and universal. It captures what it means to be a person with feelings and individual thoughts. The book was written during a time when women were beginning to gain more rights but were still denied so much. So here we have Lucy Honeychurch, our heroine, who longs for freedom, adventure, and love, but she's trapped by society's expectations. I loved reading about her struggles, her fight to break free. E.M. Forster, who was gay and hid his sexuality his entire life, says love is the answer, or more accurately that our choosing love is the answer. There's a purity in that. I know as YA bloggers we don't like it when the girl is fixed because of the love of a boy, but in A Room with a View love itself empowers Lucy. Her choosing George is what gives her independence, because she's making her own decisions and following her own desires. 

And, *swoon*, George Emerson is one of the sweetest men in literature. Let his words to Lucy be enough to convince you: "I want you to have your own thoughts even when I hold you in my arms."

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Similar idea of waiting for and choosing love rather than capitulating to society's expectations. 

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta - In another life, Lucy could have been a Francesca Spinelli. Both girls experience tremendous growth as they learn more about themselves, their family, and their friends.

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A Dangerous Deception

A Dangerous Deception

Jul 9, 2014

A Triple Knot by Emma Campion

Release Date: July 8, 2014
Publisher: Random House | Crown
Pages: 480 pages
Source & Format: NetGalley; e-ARC
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (from Goodreads)

Joan of Kent, renowned beauty and cousin to King Edward III, is destined for a politically strategic marriage. As the king begins a long dynastic struggle to claim the crown of France, plunging England into the Hundred Years’ War, he negotiates her betrothal to a potential ally and heir of a powerful lordship.

But Joan, haunted by nightmares of her father’s execution at the hands of her treacherous royal kin, fears the king’s selection and is not resigned to her fate. She secretly pledges herself to one of the king’s own knights, one who has become a trusted friend and protector. Now she must defend her vow as the king—furious at Joan’s defiance—prepares to marry her off to another man.

In A Triple Knot, Emma Campion brings Joan, the “Fair Maid of Kent” to glorious life, deftly weaving details of King Edward III’s extravagant court into a rich and emotionally resonant tale of intrigue, love, and betrayal.

Thoughts on A Triple Knot

As soon as I read the summary for A Triple Knot, I thought of Kelly from Belle of the Literati because this is totally a story she'd read. I, on the other hand, really haven't read very much from this time period. I love the combination of England + royalty, so I'm not really sure why I haven't read more books like this one. Either way, I knew I couldn't pass this one up when I spotted it on NetGalley. It sounded pretty fascinating!

A Triple Knot is the story of Joan of Kent, "a renowned beauty and cousin to King Edward III." Because of who she is -- and the time period in which she lives -- Joan knows that she must make a strategic marriage. There's no such thing as marrying for love. Instead, she must make an alliance, help the Crown and further others' interests. The king wants her to marry a man who could help him win the Hundred Years' War, but Joan isn't going into marriage without a fight. Her father was executed years ago by their royal kin, and Joan's family has been a thorn in their side ever since.

The book opens with a scene from Joan's childhood - showing Joan's spirit and of her cousin Ned's dangerous jealousy. From there, it jumps forward in time and focuses more on people trying marry Joan off to the most advantageous man. I found the book difficult to get into at first. Although there are a few pages in the beginning identifying all the various characters, it feels so overwhelming when you start the book. There wasn't enough explanation of who everyone was and how they were all related to one another within the book itself, so I struggled to get through the first several chapters.

The king wants Joan to marry someone who will help his cause, but the man scares Joan. So, she takes matters into her own hands and clandestinely pledges herself to one of the king's own knights. It's a match made in secret, and the repercussions of the arrangement are far reaching. Here's the thing: A Triple Knot paints this as a love match, which it may very well have been historically. But holy cow, it's a little difficult to get invested in a couple Joan is only TWELVE at the time and is "passionate" about a man at least twice her age. Even though their relationship really happened, it was a little weird to read about from the lens of today.

There were a number of things I enjoyed about the book: the characters were interesting and the research was evident. I'd never heard of Joan before the book, and it was clear to see that she wasn't the typical woman of the time. She certainly tries to control her own life and her future, which was so admirable. For the most part, I liked that the book focused so much on the political intrigue, even though it occasionally made the pace feel a bit slow. And once I had the different characters straight, I felt that Campion did a great job of highlighting their different agendas.

While I did enjoy those elements, I didn't really connect to the book. The characters were interesting, but I wasn't invested in their outcome. The politics were intriguing, but it sometimes made the book feel a little dry. The political aspect of marriage was historically accurate, of course, but it was a bit confusing to have so many competing agendas in the love life of a twelve-year-old girl. Finally, the book covers a large span of time, but it glosses over so much that it felt a bit disjointed at times. It takes so long for Joan's future to be resolved and then it just speeds through everything that happens next.

I'm a little on the fence about A Triple Knot. If you like this time period and type of story, I think it's worth it for you to give it a shot. But I would probably hesitate to recommend it to someone who didn't already love historical fiction. It's a good read - not perfect but still interesting. At the end of the day, I'm glad that I learned more about the "Fair Maid of Kent" and have more insight into that part of history.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration. I was not compensated in any way for my review.

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