But now I'm sitting with the sun on my back on this first day of February. How are we holding up, friends? We're a little over a month into winter. The days are (slowly) getting longer. Unfortunately this past month marked the cloudiest January on record in the Twin Cities. But we have sun and 40 degrees in the forecast for Sunday, so we'll survive. ;)
I'm starting to substitute teach, so my time won't be AS free moving forward, but I've had lots of time the last few months to watch movies and read books, hence the "books and movies only" format this time through. When we first got married, Dan and I hosted an Academy Awards party for almost 10 years straight. It was great fun, and we made it a point to see as many nominated movies as we could. Well, with three kids (and more nominated movies in the best picture category now), that hasn't happened for years. Until now. :) Still taking advantage of Emagine's Tuesday deal, I have knocked out a bunch of Oscar-nominated movies, and it has been awesome. And of course, I'm always reading something, so there are plenty of books to report as well. I seem to have gotten on a nonfiction kick, but there are a few novels as well.
Enjoy!
Movies
In my opinion, these are the "must see" group. And I'm not going to give a summary or anything--most are well-known enough or you can google. ;) (I'm also including how you can watch them right now)
And a couple honorable mentions (not necessarily must-see, but I definitely enjoyed them!)
Books
Like I said, lots of nonfiction. I know that's not everyone's cup of tea, but some real gems here:
The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. This was Sarah Bessey's first book club pick for 2020, and the library happened to have a copy. It was so fantastic! The relationship between these men is just so sweet, and I thoroughly enjoyed their back and forth.
The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs. I believe I reviewed When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi a couple years ago. The Bright Hour is a similar concept--Nina is living with terminal cancer and writing about life in the face of death. It's beautiful and poignant and heartbreaking. (Also, random happy story, Nina's husband and Paul's wife are now together).
From Scratch by Tembi Locke. This book will make you want to go to Italy. Or at least cook like you're in Italy (which is possible, thanks to the recipes she includes in the back). The book goes back and forth between Tembi's first trip to Italy in college, where she meets her future husband, to her trips back to Italy after his death.
The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King. All about Fred Rogers, who is really one of my favorite people. I finished this in November and saw the movie a couple weeks later. Highly recommend doing both. ;)
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Bryan is an attorney who represents people on death row. Most of the book recounts his experience with Walter McMillian, who has been wrongly convicted of murder and is facing death row. The book is now a movie, which I have yet to see, but I've heard it's amazing as well.
Letters to the Church by Francis Chan. This was an intriguing and refreshing read. Francis has much experience in the mega-church scene, but he started exploring what Jesus intended "church" to look like (and explored the model of the early church) and decided to leave his church and start a home church, which he still does today. It's a very interesting look into what we have made church and how we can "come back" to what church was meant to be.
Miracles and Other Reasonable Things by Sarah Bessey. I loved Bessey's Jesus Feminist and Out of Sorts, but this one might be my favorite of hers so far. Her writing is honest and fresh and so lovely. I want to be her friend. ;)
The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett Graff. I somehow, months apart, requested two different books about 9/11 from the library. I don't remember who recommended this one, but the other was Fall and Rise, which was green-lit by Jamie on the Popcast. Crazily enough, the two books came to the library for me at the same time. I decided to only read one, and since Fall and Rise was considerably longer, I chose this one. The oral history format was really fascinating. Graff has collected hundreds of firsthand accounts of 9/11, both from interviews he conducted himself and from accounts that already existed in other collections. He put them together chronologically, which is just amazing and so interested to read about the day as it all unfolded. I will always be fascinated by 9/11, particularly the miraculous stories of survival in the midst of so much loss.
And some fiction:
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert. I was hesitant to read this because 1) it was SO hyped up, and sometimes I end up not liking books that everyone else LOVES (I'm looking at you, Daisy Jones and the Six) and 2) I haven't loved Gilbert's nonfiction that I've read (Eat Pray Love and Big Magic). But I'm so glad I picked this up anyway (or, more accurately, added it to my holds at the library and picked it up months later when it was finally my turn). Anyway, the story is delightful and quirky and so so fun. (Fair warning, there's kind of a lot of sex--nothing terribly graphic, but it's there).
Greetings from Witness Protection by Jake Burt. This is a super fun kids' fiction read. If you've got kids (or just enjoy kid lit yourself, no shame), I highly recommend it. Nicki is an orphan who gets to join a family entering witness protection as a way to escape some criminal relatives. Really enjoyable.
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. Set in the south in the 1960s, the book follows Elwood to Nickel Academy, a school for boys after he's caught unknowingly riding in a stolen car. The school turns out to be quite different than he expected and alters his life forever. Heartbreaking and eye-opening.
Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center. Firefighter Cassie relocates to Boston to help take care of her mother and ends up taking care of herself too. Really sweet story of love and forgiveness and courage.
Okay, friends. Happy watching and reading. And happy winter. :)
