Book Review (and two movies too!)

I just finished reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Housseini. It. Was. Fantastic! I read and loved "The Kite Runner" but this was, as the critics said, even better. Interestingly, a couple of days before I started reading the book, I watched the movie "Charlie Wilson's War" which talks about some of the same time periods covered in the book. I enjoyed being able to compare the American and Afghan perspective on the Soviets. And then the Afghan perspective on the Taliban, and 9/11. Totally worth the read, and I would recommend this book highly.

On a similar note, I recently watched two good movies that I would like to recommend (especially as I know my friend Amy values my movie opinions). I typed some reviews of these movies earlier, but there was a glitch and that post never made it online. Anyway . . . the first movie I want to recommend is "The Tale of Despereaux". I hadn't actually heard much about this movie until I saw some commercials for it on tv, so I didn't really know what to expect going into the theatre. It was really cute, and has a good message! I enjoyed hearing Emma Watson's voice in a role other than Hermione Granger (Harry Potter movies). The plot of the movie does meander a bit, but otherwise it was a nice, light, fun show.

The second movie I want to recommend, which I did enjoy more than "The Tale of Despereaux", is "Bolt." I saw this one in 3D (very fun! The 3D effects are much more sophisticated now compared to when I was younger) and the movie left me actually wanting a puppy, even though I'm a total cat person and don't really have a lifestyle that would be fair to a pet. When I got home, I downloaded a couple of songs from the movie. I really liked the humour and message of this movie. For as much as I don't like Miley Cyrus, I liked her character in the movie. And as an added bonus, I now fully recognize the power of styrofoam (you have to see the movie to get it).

I'm hoping to see another movie this weekend, if the weather clears up. There are a few really good shows that I want to check out like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" because I like Brad Pitt, love Cate Blanchett, and the story intrigues me; "The Spirit" (I don't know why, and it would probably be my last choice on the list); "Marley and Me" even though I can't stand Jennifer Aniston, I do find that one scene from the commercials where the dog is "escaping" from the car rather funny; and "Revolutionary Road" because hello! it reunites Jack and Rose (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet) after 11 years. I DON'T want to see "Valkyrie" because it really irritates me that Tom Cruise doesn't speak with a German accent! The only reason I would see that movie is for this guy. He intrigues me.

Anyway, it's time to go eat some turkey leftovers!