September 50/50 Update

October 2, 2012 at 8:23 am (Book Review, Writing/Language) (50/50 challenge, Brittany Murphy, How To Be a Woman, Rachel McAdams)

I started September with 35 books and 42 movies for the year. My approach to the 50/50 Challenge dictates that I can only count nonfiction books (since I easily read 50 books in a year, fiction and nonfiction). I have decided to allow books and movies I’ve read or seen before if it’s been ten years or more.

Books:

• Epileptic by David B (Meh.)
• Falling into Manholes by Wendy Merrill (Meh. Parts were engaging and moved along quickly, but throughout all of it the tone and puns worked my nerves.)
• The Ten, Make That Nine, Habits of Very Organized People. Make That Ten: The Tweets of Steve Martin (A delight! I even recognized some of his tweets as I started following him early since he is my oldest celebrity crush. And by “oldest,” I don’t mean age-wise [that would be Alan Alda], I mean my first celebrity crush, and he just happens to remain number one today.)
• How To Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran (Excellent. A must read. Shoot–a must own! I will be writing a review soon.)
• Guts by Kristen Johnston (Surprisingly good. I’m not sure what I expected, but I don’t generally have high expectations of celebrity memoirs–at least, of those written by people not known for writing.)

Movies:

• Jiro Dreams of Sushi (pretty for sure, and made me want to go to there, but it only needed to be half as long.)
• The Ramen Girl (I didn’t notice Brittany Murphy much when she was alive, but since she died I’ve been sort of obsessed. I think it was this article in the Hollywood Reporter that did it. If you’re in the mood for something heartbreaking, read her quotations on IMDb. This movie is not life changing, but it’s sweet and visually lovely).
• The Vow (That’s what happens when you wake up at 6:30 a.m. on a Sunday. But it surpassed my expectations. The astoundingly beautiful Channing Tatum can also act, and I’ve liked Rachel McAdams since Mean Girls and Wedding Crashers. Maybe one day, when anyone least expects it, I will actually see The Notebook.)
• The Master* (P.T. has taken his last moments from my life. Never again. Learn to edit, man! I don’t care how excellent his cast is. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me FOUR times? That’s it.)

*indicates a movie seen in a theater

Totals

Books: 40

Movies: 46

Can I read ten books in three months while teaching three courses and battling SAD? Yes. Yes, I can.

Hey, it might be fun to check on the blog that turned me on to the 50/50 Challenge, The Floating Lush, a librarian in Minneapolis (who I’ve actually never met). Since she reads (a lot), she’s only counting books that she reads at work.

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