Maree's Movie Night - The Bourne Identity

 

I mentioned in my Sunday Post that I'm trying to watch more movies this year. I've set a goal of ... 55? I think? and I've watched about 10 so far.

So I've decided, to help me stay on track, I'll start reviewing the movies that I watch. 

There's no rhyme or reason to it, it's just what I'm feeling like on the night, and how good my concentration levels are. 

So. First up is The Bourne Identity, starring Matt Damon as Jason Bourne.

I haven't read any of the books, but the movie is highly entertaining.

Jason Bourne is some kind of super-spy, who has been fished out of the ocean with absolutely no memory of who he is. Then things start going REALLY bad.

A friend of mine pointed out that the reason these movies are so good is that Bourne has to rely on his wits to get through, and she's right. He has amnesia, but muscle memory kicks in and he powers through. 

The cast is absolutely stacked to the gills with some top action talent, though Julia Stiles is criminally under-used in this one. From memory her part expands in the next movie.

The perfect Friday night film.

Sunday Post 46; It's Monday! What are you reading? 46

 

The Sunday Post - a chance for a catch-up - is hosted by Kimberly here: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/ and It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Kathryn, here: https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/

Son of Mine is over his bout of Covid and husband and I were lucky enough not to be infected this time around. Son's symptoms were mostly that of a bad cold or flu, and he spent a lot of time napping. He's feeling better, tested negative, and he's back to school tomorrow. Which he is VERY excited about.*

*Not.

Anyway. I opted not to go to quiz on Wednesday night as a couple of my team members are immuno-compromised, so I stayed home, and the team won without me. 

Apart from that... not a lot, really. Son of Mine and I went to the library on Saturday, and he's recently taken up drawing, so I took him to buy some colouring pencils and sketch paper. I went to my friend's as usual on Saturday, where we stitched and watched Survivor. We're only up to season 44, so no spoilers. :)

Today I had some sour cream and bananas that needed to be used up so I made a banana loaf, which came out pretty well. I spent the rest of the afternoon stitching and listening to You Must Remember This, a podcast about the first 100 years of Hollywood history. It's interesting stuff and podcast listening is great for stitching.

Otherwise I've been watching more Star Trek: Voyager. I also started season 2 of Reacher, which for me is just pure entertainment. I've only read one of the books, and I thought it was okay, but the show is great fun. I also watched the first episode of The Fall of the House of Usher, which I really enjoyed, but I need to wait until Son of Mine isn't around. I enjoy watching things with him but he comments on everything and I feel like Usher is the kind of show I really need to concentrate on.

I'm trying to watch more movies as well as reading more books, and towards that goal I try to watch one movie a week. Sometimes it pans out, sometimes it doesn't. This week I watched The Bourne Identity, which I haven't seen in many years. It holds up pretty well.

I'm still reading Foundryside, which is great. I had started Marple, an anthology of short stories featuring Miss Marple by modern day writers, but I sent it back to the library after "Miss Marple let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding" in the first story, and Miss Marple cursing ("hell" but Miss Marple would never) in the second one. So I've gone back to the source material, and I'm re-reading A Caribbean Mystery. 

Sunday Post 45; It's Monday! What are you reading? 45

 

The Sunday Post - a chance for a catch-up - is hosted by Kimberly, here: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/ and It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Kathryn, here: https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/

My bank account cried out to me in dark despair, so I went back to work on Monday after my break. To say I was reluctant to go back to work is an understatement. Reader, I did not want to. 

Reader, I had to.

Anyway. We came second at quiz on Wednesday night, which is fine. Generally I'm happy if we place. 

Thursday, Son of Mine had gone on a field trip to the Waimumu Field Days with his school - https://www.southernfielddays.co.nz/ It rained on Thursday and he ruined his sneakers. So after work on Thursday night the two of us had salad - I mean burgers at McDonald's and did a spot of shopping for new sneakers.

Friday night my department was supposed to go out as a group but one of our team leaders ended up going home with a stomach bug. So that event was cancelled, and some of us just ... went to the pub.  It was fun, and I was home by 9 but I was definitely peopled out. 

Yesterday my friend who is leaving soon came around and we watched The Emperor's New Groove, which is her favourite movie.

Today, Son of Mine woke up with a completely blocked head, and youuuu guessed it. He has COVID. 

The guidelines now state you don't have to isolate, and your household doesn't but I am keeping him home from school for the week, and I picked up my hard drive from work in case I need to stay home as well. So far I've tested negative but COVID is a sneaky bastard. 

Saturday night friend and I went to the library, and did a few errands, which definitely included a bakery. I restrained myself to just some lemon cupcakes so I'm proud of myself for that.

I'm still reading Foundryside, and I finished Bookshops and Bonedust, which was very cute. I also started Marple, an anthology of Miss Marple stories by modern-day writers. I'm not very far in as of yet though.

How about you? How's your week? What are you reading?

Short reviews

 

Fourteen year old orphan Mona works in her aunt and uncle's bakery. She bakes, she sells to customers ... she can also create magic through dough.

However, when Mona literally trips over a dead body in the bakery's kitchen, things start to get bad very quickly.

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking - apart from having the greatest title - is a fun fantasy novel. The magic system is a lot of fun, and there are some truly memorable characters. Not just Mona - there's Bob, the sourdough starter, Knackering Molly and Spindle, the thief. 

It's so much fun to read.

The Scottish Play, by way of Terry Pratchett's endlessly creative imagination. 

Featuring Nanny Ogg,  Granny Weatherwax, and Magrat, the newest witch, who has definite ideas about How Witching Should Be Done. Unfortunately, she's stuck with Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax, who just sort of .... get on with it.

The old king of Lancre is murdered, and a new one sits on the throne. A bad king. What are three witches to do? 

Well, not interfere, certainly ... 

Whenever I don't know what to read next, I have three go-to authors. Agatha Christie, PG Wodehouse - and Terry Pratchett. You really just can't go wrong with Discworld.

I wanted to read this one before watching the Netflix show. I'm glad I did, but they have very little in common. That's not a bad thing, though.

The book hints at terrible things and hauntings, but - for me - it didn't dive into them enough. I wanted ... more, if that makes sense. I read We Have Always Lived in the Castle a few years ago, and loved that one. It's creepy and tense and incredibly atmospheric.

I enjoyed Hill House, and do love a spooky story, but I wanted more from it than I got. 

The Sunday Post 44; It's Monday! What are you reading? 44

 

The Sunday Post - a chance for a catch-up - is hosted by Kimberly, here: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/ and It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Kathryn, here: https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/

The second week of my holiday absolutely sped by, despite my most ardent wishes it would slow down. Time never listens to me. 

I spent my second week binge-watching The Haunting of Hill House, stitching, reading and eating. The older I get, the more willing I am to embrace my inner hobbit. 

Son of Mine is always happy when I get time off, because it means he gets picked up from school - otherwise he walks home. There's a seconds bakery near the school and we always stop there at least once when I pick him up. They make these amazing citrus truffles around Christmas time, and then just sell them until the stock runs out. I managed to snag some, so I was happy with that. 

We won at quiz again on Wednesday night, which is always nice.

I worked yesterday for some overtime, and it was okay, but it meant I didn't go to my friend's for our usual Saturday night, I was just too tired. So I came home, watched Drag Race and did some stitching.

I read The Haunting of Hill House and thought it was all right - the series was better, which is rare. I haven't read any of Shirley Jackson's short stories, but I have read We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and that is GREAT. It's creepy and atmospheric, and what I wanted Hill House (the book) to be. 

I also finished Wyrd Sisters, and The Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking.

I'm still reading Foundryside, which I'm enjoying a lot, and Bookshops and Bonedust, by Travis Baldree, which is the prequel to Legends & Lattes. It's very enjoyable as well.

How about you? How's your week? What are you reading?

The Sunday Post 43; It's Monday! What are you reading? 43

 

The Sunday Post - a chance for a catch-up - is hosted by Kimberly, here: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/ and It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Kathryn, here: https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/

Let's see ... capitalism unclenched its jaws slightly, and I'm halfway through two weeks off work.

I didn't do a lot last week - some reading, some stitching. I watched the first series of Reacher (Large Man Hits Things A Lot) which I enjoyed, and Son of Mine and I have started watching Fool Me Once, on Netflix, which is very good.

I did errandy type things on Wednesday and on Friday went to my friend's place for a bonus stitching/watching session. We watched a couple of episodes of the Traitors UK, and then finished the series last night at our regular Saturday night session. It's So. Good. It's  honestly my favourite show, I think.

Son of Mine had a couple of friends over on Friday night for a sleepover, so I threw some pizza to the wolves, and retreated to my room to do some stitching and watch some Voyager. 

Yesterday was a quiet one though I did get some reading done.

I had coffee today with a friend/workmate of mine. She's leaving at the end of this month and I am very sad about it - she's one of my people at work. We started about the same time and have pretty much been friends ever since. But she feels the need for a change, and while I'm happy for her, I'm sad for me. 

I finished The Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, and was highly entertained. I'm still reading Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett, and I also started Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett, which is sort of ... industrial fantasy? If that's a category. That's what it feels like. 

I'm also reading The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. I want to watch the series, but wanted to read the book first.

How about you? How's your week? What are you reading?