Currently reading:
Mystery Man by Colin Bateman–The only reason I bought this book was because it's set in a bookstore I visited in Belfast. It's hilarious! Every time I pick it up I start giggling.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple–Bernadette's life is bumming me out.
Frommer's Easy Guide to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Western Honshu by Beth Reiber–I definitely think Reiber knows her stuff, but I really wish there were more maps, and the layout is confusing.
Posted:
My favorite bookish places in Ireland outside of Dublin and why I think reading series backwards is a good idea.
Movies watched:
Much better than I was expecting! I'm not a big fan of Zero Dark Thirty or American Sniper, so I wasn't super looking forward to watching this; but it had a lot of humor to balance out the darker aspects of the story. Definitely told from the soldiers' point of view in a way that's entertaining and isn't *too* political (which makes me wonder if that's the real reason the film critics panned it–were they expecting Hollywood to rise up in defense of Hillary?). I also liked all the characters and thought the performances were really good. Some of the scenes pulled maybe a little too deliberately at our heartstrings, but overall worth watching.
Adam Jones is a former chef de haute cuisine whose dazzling Paris career was ruined by drug abuse. He decides to return to cooking, so he goes to... London? Because it's cheaper to film there, I'm guessing. Mysteriously, all his Parisian frenemies are also in London running high-end restaurants, including the one who's a M.O.F.! That's like Michael Phelps announcing he's permanently moving to Africa to devote his life to swimming the Sahara. MAKES NO SENSE.
Anyway, aside from that, the utterly pointless romance, and the fact that I expected some deeper emotional closure at the end (or any closure), this movie wasn't too bad. I loved all the food scenes, and there were a ton of them. Foodies will enjoy it, but probably skippable if the idea of someone going into a rant over lemon juice makes you want to roll your eyes.
This
Sorry for the radio silence with Sunday Snapshot posts the last few weeks; I've been writing a book and just didn't have the energy to devote to blogging.
Not to mention, not a lot has been going on in the reading/movie front. I did start the Shade of Vampire series by Bella Forrest and it wasn't terrible? I actually really enjoyed it, but I'm taking a break for now.
Bonus:
My upcoming book, in case you're curious, will be called The Introvert's Guide to Drinking Alone, and will have my favorite cocktail recipes along with short (hopefully funny) essays. Give me a heads up if you'd like an advanced copy!
Have a great week! Go football teams!
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