Movies | Book Chatter

On Wednesday, I made the mistake of eating a piece of meat that was a bit off. It was in the fridge, maybe one day past when it should have been placed in the freezer, but I thought it was okay. However, while cooking it on the BBQ it smelled WRONG.

Now, you must know this about me, I am notorious for throwing away food. I throw tons of it out every week, and it sickens me how much food I waste. I try not to, but I am so particular about “use by” dates. SO… I went ahead and ate it and got royally sick. No one else got sick, because everyone else prefers different cuts of meat. I spent Thursday at work. I swear, I thought I was going to die.

Friday, I called in sick and continued to regret my poor choice. At some point, I thought maybe a hospital trip would be required but I just dosed up on meds and stayed in bed. I’ve had food poisoning before, but it never made my back hurt. My back was killing me which at times made me feel as if something else was going on.

The great thing about being sick, are the books (if you can read while being sick) and the movies. I finally watched The Social Network. I thought it was very good. I also watched a bunch of classic movies and even got cozy with Hannibal Lector. The Silence of the Lambs is a terrifying movie but I love the way it was done. I’ve seen it many times.

As for reading, I finished If I Stay (quite a ride) and The House of Tomorrow (wow!) and Across the Universe (sort of silly). Now I am reading The Absolute Value of Mike, a very funny YA novel that The Boy practically took right out of my hands (when does that EVER happen?)

After feeling a bit better, we went to celebrate a dear friend’s passing. I am so glad I was well enough to attend. I would have been very sad to miss it. It was a lovely service. Later this week, The Hub and The Boy will be attending another service for my SIL, who passed away last week. My heart feels heavy, especially since I won’t be able to attend Wednesday’s service, but my thoughts are with the rest of the family.

Today, I am loading up on liquids because I am still so dehydrated. The Hub is going to the market for me. I gave him a list but we’ll see what he brings home. I can see the entire cart being filled with chips, beef jerky and roasted peanuts.

What are you doing today?

You Couldn’t Ignore Me If You Tried
By Susannah Gora
(Three Rivers Press, Paperback, 9780307716606, 384pp, Feb 2011)

The Short of It:

If you watch Sixteen Candles EVERY time it’s on, or if you’ve ever wished Duckie Dale ended up with Andie at the end of Pretty In Pink, then this is the book for you.

The Rest Of It:

I love this book. I bought it over a year ago for my Kindle and allowed myself to read tiny bits of it between basketball practice, tennis lessons and doctor’s appointments. It provided me with a year’s worth of joy. What IS it about the 80’s anyway? Is that decade particularly special, or is it just special to me because those were my high school years? I wonder sometimes.

Gora covers all the movies of that time…the Brat Pack films that include Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club, just to name a few. With interviews of the key players and inside scoops on casting…You Couldn’t Ignore Me If You Tried is basically a touching collection of memories. These young actors grew up to depict the characters of our youth, yet the issues they dealt with were authentic and often issues that they were struggling with in real life. The struggle for acceptance, the awkwardness, the angst… it’s all here.

What I especially love about this book is that Gora gives you all the behind-the-scenes info on casting, who was seeing who, how the directors and producers influenced these actors on a daily basis, etc. Just the bits on casting alone were fascinating. There was so much going on with these actors that it’s hard to imagine that the movies were ever made!

After each chapter, I found myself pulling out all of my DVDs and loading up my iPod with songs of that time. I just can’t say enough about the book. If you loved the 80’s, you simply have to read it. I will leave you with one of my favorite clips from Pretty in Pink. Click here to view it.

Source: Purchased