The Reader

I'm taking a break from reviewing books to review a movie! I feel it's appropriate because it's about a reader - two readers to be exact. Just to be clear, I know the movie was based on a book but I haven't read the book, so this is only a review of the movie.

First of all. . . Kate Winslet is brilliant and deserves whatever award she wins. She's amazing. From the way she walked, to how she hunched her shoulders, and scrubbed herself in the bath, she fit the character. I was completely moved by her performance.

Second. . . This movie isn't for everyone. Within the first 15 minutes or so there is nudity, a lot of it. It continues throughout the first half of the movie. It's rated "R" and should have been. Don't bring your kids!

Third. . . There may be spoilers ahead so if you don't want to know anything about the story, stop reading and go see the movie or read the book!

The story is about Michael. He is fifteen when the movie opens and he begins an affair with Kate Winslet's character, Hannah, who is in her 30's. While their relationship is sexual, it's more than that. Hannah asks Michael to read to her and as their relationship progresses, he reads her several novels. He is unaware that she can't read.

When Hannah gets promoted to an office job, she leaves because she knows she can't do the job if she can't read. Michael is devastated by her leaving but he moves on.

The next time we see Michael, he is a law student and is sitting in on a trial. Hannah is on trial, accused of Nazi war crimes from her time as a SS guard. Michael goes on quite an emotional journey. He is torn between the woman he loved and the fact that she participated in horrible crimes.

The rest of the story is about Hannah's life in prison and Michael's life as an adult, a lawyer, and a father. I don't want to give anything else away but it is very touching, and very sad.

I think the thing that hit me the most, beyond the Holocaust reminders, was the fact that Hannah was a reader, who couldn't read. I can't even imagine not being able to read. How tragic to have such a love for stories, for great literature, and not being able to read it. Michael may have been the "Reader" but so was Hannah, even if she wasn't doing the actual reading.

To sum it up, I think it's a movie that I would recommend to the right people. After reading other reviews, some were so negative that I had to wonder if we watched the same movie. It just goes to show that opinions differ. Some couldn't get past the nudity, and some couldn't get past the idea that a fifteen year old had an affair with a 35 year old. I can understand those arguments. It would have been easy to make the character 18. It would have been easy to avoid the nudity. The movie probably wouldn't have suffered for it. I just urge you to take it for what it is and get to the heart of the story.

Teaser Tuesday

Today's teaser comes from Whisper to the Blood by Dana Stabenow . I am only a couple chapters in, but the book takes place in Alaska. Eventually there will be some action but right now, the stage is being set. I chose this teaser because it clearly sets the tone of the town in which they live. The four town "Aunties" are really the ones in charge.

From page 19

If a husband was beating on his wife, as a last resort before calling in the trooper the wife could complain to the aunties, who would deputize the four Grosdidier brothers to haul him up in front of them. Since the four Grosdidier brothers were also Niniltna village's first responder EMT team, this solved the punishment and the 911 call afterward with neatness and dispatch.

Musing Mondays

Here is today's prompt. . .

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about lending books...

A few weeks back we had a question about borrowing books, this week I was wondering what your policy was on lending books. Do you lend books to anyone? Just friends? Only big readers? How long are they allowed to have them?

I am pretty casual about loaning my books out. Most of the people that actually want to borrow my books are trustworthy. My co-workers are usually the ones I foist books upon the most. I wrote a post a few months back about a co-worker/friend who said she had nothing to read. Panic set in and the next day I brought her a bag full. She didn't read them all but she did return them all and I felt my job was done!

I don't mind if some books get passed around after I share them. I loaned one book to a co-worker, who loaned it to her daughter and then somewhere down the road her sister had it. I didn't have a problem with that because I trust my co-worker and I knew I'd get my book back eventually.

As for the time-line, I don't usually have one. I rarely loan books that I haven't read so I'm usually not worried about how long someone has one. My mother is the only one who I will loan unread books to. It's never an issue because I can just go over to her house and take it back! I think that sharing books is one of the best parts of being a reader.

Favorite Books

I use the phrase "That's one of my favorite books!" a lot. It got me thinking about what books really are my favorite. Could I make a list? Would it be possible? I love so many. Of course time fades memories of some. The books that I read over and over again as a child and teenager I'm not as inclined to pick up and read now.

I've been going through boxes of books, wondering about the value. I don't mean monetary value, as they are not worth anything of that sort, but the value to me. Are they worth keeping? Some yes. Some no. Having them sit in boxes in my garage isn't doing them or me any good but I have shelves full of books I've never read and it's hard to make those decisions. I thought I would try and come up with a top 10 list of my favorite books.

I doubt this list is accurate really, but these book stand out. I am also treating a series as one book because otherwise seven spaces would be taken up with Harry Potter! These aren't in any particular order, because that's just asking too much!

1. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
2. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
3. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
4. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
5. The Circle Trilogy by Nora Roberts
6. A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux
7. Who Wants Arthur by a Amanda Graham (Picture Book)
8. The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer
9. The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
10. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

Booking Through Thursday

Today's prompt. . .

Since “Inspiration” is (or should) the theme this week … what is your reading inspired by?

I don't know that I am inspired by any one thing. I certainly gravitate toward books with nice intelligent romances because I suppose I'm a romantic at heart and have been waiting to be swept away for a while now. It's always nice to get swept away by a book if you can't have the real thing!

I'm also inspired by the time of year and the things that are going on in my life, but it's so hard to pinpoint something specific.

Teaser Tuesday

Today's teaser is from The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory. I've just started it so expect another teaser next week. The book is about Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII. At the beginning of the book (or maybe the whole book, I don't know) she is known as Catalina.

From page 93

Catalina looked around from her prayers and smiled in pure triumph. Then, absolutely silently, she crept into bed beside him, and carefully arranging herself so that not even the hem of her nightgown could touch him, composed herself for sleep.

Musing Monday

Today's Musing Monday:

How does your being sick (or injured) affect your reading? Do you read more? Less? Do you pick out a different book than you had already planned? Do you have a "comfort book" that makes you feel better?

I admit, I don't read a lot when I'm sick. It's usually a day to sit in front of the TV and catch up on all those shows I've Tivo'd. I have a hard time focusing when I'm not feeling well and reading takes focus (most of the time).

It's a different story when I'm injured though. During the summer between 5th and 6th grade I had a severely sprained ankle and I was immobile for a good chunk of time. I can clearly remember my mother bringing me stacks of library books. I think I was pretty high on the chart for the library's Summer Reading Program.

This past May when I broke my arm, I read a lot but I was more selective because I had a hard time holding the book! I couldn't read hardcovers for two months! Because I couldn't drive for the first couple of weeks, I had a lot of time waiting in cars for other people. Prime reading time!