Movie from Mary...

• Islander

Just watched "Islander" - about lobster fishing in Maine.

From Kelly...

Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture by Shannon Hayes

From Amazon:

Mother Nature has shown her hand. Faced with climate change, dwindling resources, and species extinctions, most Americans understand the fundamental steps necessary to solve our global crises-drive less, consume less, increase self-reliance, buy locally, eat locally, rebuild our local communities.  

In essence, the great work we face requires rekindling the home fires. Radical Homemakers is about men and women across the U.S. who focus on home and hearth as a political and ecological act, and who have centered their lives around family and community for personal fulfillment and cultural change. It explores what domesticity looks like in an era that has benefited from feminism, where domination and oppression are cast aside and where the choice to stay home is no longer equated with mind-numbing drudgery, economic insecurity, or relentless servitude.  

Radical Homemakers nationwide speak about empowerment, transformation, happiness, and casting aside the pressures of a consumer culture to live in a world where money loses its power to relationships, independent thought, and creativity. If you ever considered quitting a job to plant tomatoes, read to a child, pursue creative work, can green beans and heal the planet, this is your book.

Interesting book!

From Mary...

• Zelary

GREAT movie about the resistance during WWII.  Beautiful story -  it's in Czech, but worth the sub-titles.

From Pat...

• The LaCuna by Barbara Kingsolver
• Strange Fits of Passion by Anita Shreve
• Night by Elie Wiesel  - enjoyed by both Pat and Elizabeth

For all you sailors out there...

Morning Light  - Greg's brother Jim recommended this documentary about the selection, training and competition of the youngest race crew in Transpac history. We thoroughly enjoyed it - Sean watched it twice!

I (Leslie) agree wholeheartedly...

"...with Pat's recommendation of Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell.  Spanning one year in the life of a Ukrainian immigrant family, the author, in simple, but beautiful prose, describes their seasonal successes and struggles to establish a homestead in Canada after fleeing their mother country.  I found myself repeatedly trying to cross off some to dos yesterday, but kept returning to its pages and finally crumpled my list, grabbed an afghan and read until I was finished.  Very high marks from me on this one - worth the price of a hardback and also available on Kindle."

"I also found Before You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian and again recommended by Pat very thought provoking.  Would probably be a great read for a book club."

Must Read from Jim...

• Shutter Island by Dennis LeHane

"Writes like Jon Katzenback (one of my favorites) and I defy anyone to write the ending on this one till you close the book.  They're going to make a movie of this one. If you see the movie, don't bother reading the book. If you read the book first, you won't want to see the movie. Suspense, twists and turns - GOOD read. Pick it up when you have nothing left to do for a while."

Gotta Sees

From Kathy...

• It's Complicated

From Liz...

• Mr. Holland's Opus 

"I forgot how good Mr. Holland's Opus was! Definite must see for anyone who hasn't seen it.

From Les...

• Infamous
• Capote 

Above titles are set during the time Truman Capote was researching Clutter murders for In Cold Blood.

From Mary...

• Rome

Met for lunch yesterday and Mary again raved about this TV series available on disc through Netflix.  Very explicit scenes and adult content.

From Pat...

• Black Boy - Richard Wright
• The Piano Teacher - Janice Y.K. Lee

From Les...

• Half Broke Horses - Jeannette Walls

"Author of The Glass Castle,  Jeannette Walls delves deeper into her family history and offers in this latest book, a wonderful tale about her remarkable grandmother - Lily Casey Smith.  Thoroughly enjoyable."