Let me start this review with a caveat: I was asked to review this book because I have known Douglas Mann for almost 6 years. In fact, he was my boss at my first "grown-up" job right out of college. During the time we worked together, I was constantly fascinated by both Douglas' mind and his heart. At times, he was an enigma, but he had already lived a fascinating life, and I knew a book about his adventures wouldn't be far off. To say that I knew I would "like" the book was a foregone conclusion. What I didn't expect was how much I would truly appreciate it.
Douglas has taken a myriad of topics and combined them into a cohesive book. It's part memoir, part art appreciation, part creativity, part evangelism, and part call to action. What emerges is something truly special. One of the central ideas of the book is the idea of "creative inciters." Creative inciters, well, look at the world differently. And it's a wonderful thing! They ask "why not," instead of "why." They stir creativity, and encourage the world to break free from the monotony.
He encourages creativity in/as worship, especially. Do you feel closest to God when painting? Create paintings as worship, that can bring others closer to God through art. This really touched me. I feel that the church can be complacent in worship, and see it as a drudgery, when really it should be the most important part of our lives. God has given us unique talents, so why not use them as worship?
I could go on and on about The Art of Helping Others, but I will sum it up as best I can: if you're at all creative, read this book. It will leave you encouraged and ablaze with passion and meaning. You can't ask for more from a book than that.
Let me just start by saying I really, really wanted to love this movie. I'm a huge Les Mis fan (I think the 25th Anniversary Concert with Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean should be required viewing for everyone), and when I heard they were making a movie, I was officially stoked. Less so when the less-than-favorable reviews came out. So when I finally saw it (a whole two days after it came out!), it was with some fear and trepidation.
I shouldn't have been worried. From the first few opening bars, I was enthralled. For those of you who don't know, I'll try to give a quick recap: Jean Valjean was imprisoned by 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. Upon his release, Inspector Javert warns him he will be watched for the rest of his life, and if he steps out of line, he'll be back quicker than you can sing a song about it (I paraphrase). Valjean is taken in by a kindly priest, but Valjean is hardened by prison and time and chooses to steal the priest's silver. When he is caught red-handed by the authorities, the priest covers for him, later telling him "I have saved your soul for God." This makes a huge impression on Valjean, and he leaves behind his name and identity to become a good man. Cut to years later, when he is the mayor of a small town in France. He has made good on his promise to become a better man, but turns a blind eye when a young factory worker named Fantine is fired for resisting the advances of her supervisor. She has a child to support, and must turn to all sorts of awful ways to support herself. When she sees Valjean again, she blames him for her plight, and he offers to care for her daughter. Years later, there's a revolution boiling in France that threatens all of their lives. From then there's all sorts of twists and turns that I won't get into for fear of spoilers.
OK, now the actual review: this movie was nearly everything I wanted it to be. I say "nearly" because there were a few things I was ever-so-slightly disappointed in. However, Hugh Jackman's stellar performance as Valjean is not one of them. He's a powerhouse, knowing exactly how to emote when singing (did I mention the whole movie is singing? I should've. Seriously, 98% is singing.), but also showcasing the voice he's been blessed with. Anne Hathaway blew me away, as well. I'm not a big Anne Hathaway fan, and I fully expected to be disappointed. But no! Her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" is one of the most powerful things I've ever seen on screen. You could've heard a pin drop in the theatre - there wasn't even a sniffle.
Much has been made of the fact that all the actors are singing live, and not lip-syncing to a pre-recorded soundtrack. And for the most part, it works very well. I know a lot of people have criticized Russell Crowe's performance as Javert, but I thought he did a good job. The rest of the actors sort of talk-sing through their songs, and he full out sings. While it's jarring at first, I choose to believe it's a character choice. His character is very methodical and by-the-book, and to me it made sense that he would sing that way, as well.
The only disappointment I have is in Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thenardiers. In the show, they are much-needed comic relief, but that wasn't translated well here. Particularly in their introductory song, "Master of the House," it felt unnecessarily seedy and wasn't nearly as much fun as in the stage show.
Other standout performances are Samantha Barks as Eponine, Eddie Redmayne as Marius, and Aaron Tveit as Enjolras. Amanda Seyfried is fine as Cosette, and sings very well, but didn't stick in my mind as much as she could have.
So there you have it! All in all, I give it an A. And I dare anyone to walk out of the theatre not singing/whistling/humming the songs.
I'm not going to lie: I really needed this book right now. Lately there's been so much cause for worry and stress in my life, and this book seemed to speak directly to this need. If you are in the same season of life, then I can't recommend this book highly enough.
If I had to sum up this book in one word, it would be simply "hope." Hope to get out from underneath the crushing worry and anxiety of our everyday lives and focus on the sheer joy of living in the love of Jesus.
This is the best Lucado book I've read to date. It is worth noting that this is a reprint of "Every Day Deserves a Chance." The book itself is fairly short, but includes a 30 day "Day Changer" application section at the end. The chapters are full of sage wisdom, Biblical truth, and enough humor to be to thoroughly engaged in the text. It is the type of book you'll come back to again and again, for good reason.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Heart of Gold, by Robin Lee Hatcher, tells the love story of Shannon Adair and Matthew Dubois. Shannon is the devoted daughter of a Southern preacher, and the book opens with them moving away from their native Virginia to the town of Grand Coeur, in the Idaho territory. To say that the accommodations aren't what Shannon is used to would be an understatement - they have moved from a semi-luxurious life to a cabin that isn't much more than a shack. Although Shannon has trouble adjusting, her father seems to think nothing of it, and sets about his work.
The stagecoach driver who drove them to Idaho, a man by the name of Matthew Dubois, has also made the decision to settle in Grand Coeur. His sister, who he hasn't seen in years, and her son, are also en route to accompany him in his new home. When they arrive, he finds out that his sister is dying of cancer. Eventually, this means he'll have to take care of his nephew, since his brother-in-law has been killed in the war. Matthew hasn't settled in a place in almost a decade, and this new life seems to press upon him. Shannon offers to stay with his sister as a home nurse, and their story develops from there.
I really liked Heart of Gold. I thought it was really interesting to set the book during the Civil War, and juxtapose Shannon, whose friends and former fiance have fought and died for the South, and Matthew's sister, whose own husband was a Yankee soldier. I also found it to be a well-researched book, heavy on the period details, but not too heavy. The book seemed to ring fairly true, and I appreciated that. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys American history, as well as Christian fiction.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
If you know me at all, you know how much I love Titanic. As an 11-year-old girl when it first came out, I was the perfect age for the movie: I fell in love with Leo, saw the movie too many times in the theatres, and bought it on VHS the day it came out. Almost 15 years later, not much has changed. I'm not in love with Leo anymore, but I still love the movie and watch it a few times per year. So, suffice it to say: I know this movie.
So, when I had the chance to see a special advance screening, I jumped at the chance. I'm not really into 3D (I usually find the movies too gimmicky and the 3D distracting), but I figured it was a fun way to see my favorite movie in theatres again. Going in, I told my sister, "As long as we don't have to sit in the front row, I'm fine." As we settled into the front row (the last seats available), the lights dimmed and I couldn't even begin to contain my excitement.
The next three hours were absolutely surprising. Like I said, I know this movie by heart. But I found myself holding my breath on more than one occasion, telling myself I knew what would happen, but willing it to happen differently. The 3D is nothing short of truly stunning. After the first 10 minutes or so, I got used to it, and allowed it to pull me deeper into the movie. As a result, I noticed things in this movie I've simply glossed over before. The ship, and the passengers on the ship, became more real to me. Of course, the moments you expect to be fantastic in 3D, such as the "King of the World" scene, the kiss on the bow, etc., are all wonderful, but they actually take a backseat to some unexpectedly great 3D.
For instance, the scene where Rose is about to jump off the stern of the ship. After she climbs over the railing, there's a shot from directly above her, showing the icy water far below as she leans forward. In the 2D version, this is a fine shot, but nothing too striking. In 3D? It was all I could do to not grab the back of my seat as the shot showed the sheer magnitude of what she was about to do, and how ridiculously far from the water the ship actually was.
Most of all, the 3D did exactly what it was designed to do: pull the viewer into the movies. Especially in the second half of the movie, where the ship sinks (let's hope that's not a spoiler), I felt the plight of the doomed passengers more than I ever had. All of a sudden, they were real, not just extras or actors playing a part. Granted, some of this may be due to the fact that I was sitting in the front row, and literally couldn't see anything but the screen. But I believe that what Cameron and his team have done, especially with the smaller, nuanced 3D effects, have turned this blockbuster into a truly touching, emotional movie.
My advice: Go see it, and sit in the front few rows to be as involved as possible.
So, these New Year's Resolutions of mine to read more and blog more are picking up steam! 'Bout time - it's already the end of February, for goodness' sake. Aaaanyway, I've been reading like a fiend (and going to movies!) and have some posts coming up in the near future. They are:
a review of Titanic in 3D (I saw a special advance screening on Valentine's and can't wait to share my thoughts).
a review of Frank Peretti's newest book, Illusion. PLUS, hold onto your seat, this will be my first official GIVEAWAY! More details to come, but I'll be giving away a free copy to someone.
a review of The Voice New Testament, the latest Bible translation from Thomas Nelson. It looks different from everything else, and will be a review you don't want to miss.
a (possible) live-blog of the Oscars on Sunday, February 26. I say "possible" because it's entirely likely that I'll get wrapped up in them and forget to blog. But I'll do my best to not let that happen.
a review of Stephen King's latest book, 11/22/63. I'm currently fighting my way through this 800+ page behemoth (my first Stephen King book!) and will have my thoughts up in the next few weeks - gotta get it done before the library needs to take it away from me!
So, there you have it. Be on the lookout for everything, especially the blog giveaway - I'm super stoked about that one. Now, must get back to reading...
When I first started reading The Accidental Bride, by Denise Hunter, the word that kept coming to my mind was "dramatic." In the first few chapters, the main character, Shay, struck me as over-dramatic and I wasn't sure that I would keep reading. But I'm so glad that I did. Here's the description from the publisher:
Shay Brandenberger is raising her daughter in Moose Creek, Montana on her childhood ranch, nestled against the Yellowstone River. Despite her hard work, she can’t seem to keep her head above water—and now the bank is threatening to foreclose. She prays for a miracle, but the answer she receives is anything but.
Having agreed to play the bride in the Founders Day wedding reenactment, Shay is mortified to be greeted at the end of the aisle by none other than Travis McCoy, her high school sweetheart—the man who left her high and dry for fame and fortune on the Texas rodeo circuit.
Then the unthinkable happens. Thanks to a well-meaning busy body and an absent minded preacher, the wedding reenactment results in a legal marriage. But before Shay can say annulment, Travis comes up with a crazy proposal. If she refuses his offer, she’ll lose her home. But if she accepts, she may lose her heart.
At first, I just couldn't get into the story - it all seemed so preposterous. However, as the story kept going, I found myself caring for Shay and Travis more and more. I especially appreciated the relationships between Shay and her daughter, and Travis and the daughter, because they rang true to me. In all, this ended up being a great book that held my attention. For me, the test of a good book is whether or not I think about the characters when I'm not reading the book, and I thought about this book quite a bit. I recommend this book to any fans of Christian fiction.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
