Finds

Once again I'm delaying that post about our vacation - a great deal of the pictures are on Ed's computer so I've got to wait until he returns home. My memory is sadly deficient, I hardly know what he's got on there now and it's only been a couple weeks!

Instead I wanted a write about a couple things really catching my attention.

To Read: Rapture Practice by Aaron Hartzler

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15790822-rapture-practice

This memoir of a life in a highly religious family is riveting. Maybe it wouldn't be if I grew up in that, but I find this kind of story so interesting. Add to that Hartzler's realization that he is gay, and it makes for some really gut twisting moments where you just want to reach through the pages and help this poor conflicted kid. 

GoodReads teases it with: "Aaron Hartzler grew up gay in a home where he was taught that at any moment Jesus might come down in the twinkling of an eye, and scoop his whole family up to Heaven." 

I think that's a bit misleading, because he doesn't come to understand his feelings about being gay until pretty far into the book and that statement glosses over the challenges of his life separate of sexuality. We're talking the music he listens to, movies, friends, clothes, obedience to his parents... everything is touched by his family's beliefs. The circular logic of why we should trust in God's plan is seemingly so inescapable, and then to be bolstered by a community that preaches holding others accountable for straying from the path. I devoured this book in two days thanks to it being highly conversational and because it just grabbed onto my heart.

To Watch: Stand Up Guys

It really pains me that the reviews of this movie are bad. I didn't bother reading them post-watching. This movie was wonderful. Of course you might think it's going to be good because of the cast, and yes, that helps, but what is really great about it, is how it revolves around the characters and not the action. Some may lose interesting because it's a little slow, but that's one of the things I loved. It's a movie about great old crooks, being great old crooks. They move slow, have aches and complaints, are still funny and don't miraculously turn into younger men who do crazy stunts via special effects or unbelievable lines via crazy scripts (re: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and any actor that's granted Aaron Sorkin's fast paced zingers). 

Secondary recommendation: Warm Bodies

Both Stand Up Guys and Warm Bodies have amazing soundtracks... Left me ranting and raving to Ed about what good choices were made.

To Hear: Elise LeGrow "Weed & Wine"

This song is my current favorite background music for making dinner, along with those aforementioned soundtracks. It reminds me of "Dreamsome" by Shelby Lynne which was in Bridget Jones' Diary, but with a bit more body. Speaking of body, I've no idea what the deal is with the wine bath in the video, so, just take the song on it's own regardless of the video. 

Fingers crossed I get pictures up from our vacation in the next post!