23. Furious Love

Book 23: Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century by Sam Kashner & Nancy Schoenberger (A+)

Wow! What a book!!

Cleopatra

I actually read this biography of the great marriages of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton as research. I'm writing my second fiction novel and as I've always been captivated by the Taylor/Burton romance as seen in Cleopatra, I am basing the two main characters' love affair off events and circumstances from the "Liz-n-Dick Show." Theirs (Taylor and Burton's) is a duo romance, a real love between Elizabeth and Richard and the public persona and dog-and-pony show of Liz and Dick. It is a beautiful, raw, but tragic heartbreaking romance that would have survived except for fame, paparazzi, and booze!
Written because of Taylor's worry "that Richard Burton's name and legacy were in danger of being forgotten..." after a theatre major told the authors she was shocked to know that Elizabeth Taylor had been married to the eccentric director Tim Burton (439)! ...Um, no dear! Go back to school!

The beginning of "Le Scandale"

The story begins with the 1960's classic epic Cleopatra, a film that was doomed from the moment Elizabeth Taylor signed on to the picture. Taylor's never-ending health issues halted production, causing the her two main co-stars playing Cesaer and Mark Antony to be recast due to scheduling conflicts.
In came Richard Burton, the Welsh man who drank like his own soul was dying of thirst yet who could recite Shakespeare in his epic voice even though he was completely sloshed. Who could have known that by the newcomer Burton signing onto the motion picture would change celebrity and fame forever?! Their love affair shocked the world, had fans clawing for them in surging mobs, and was even condemned by the Vatican!
The sadness of it all is Burton's constant downfall. His battle with alcohol never ended no matter how many doctors told him he'd kill himself with the drinking he was doing every day starting after breakfast. Taylor's constant ailing health was such a strain on their marriages and his heart because, as you read, he truly loved her. Then, he held himself responsible for his favored brother's accident that left the older brother-turned-father-role-model paralyzed and eventually led to his death. Add on top of all that the constant hounding of fans, paparazzi, and shutterbugs who couldn't get enough of the couple. Arguably one of the greatest actors, particularly because of his resounding Welsh voice, drank himself to death because of personal guilt and an overwhelming lifestyle that eventually even he couldn't top.
The book is a sincere and truthful account from various sources, including the late Dame Elizabeth Taylor herself, about the affair, the marriage, the divorce, the second marriage, and the second divorce. It is filled with much detail and interesting facts that never leave the reader bored... but how could one be reading about the never not exciting Taylor/Burton romance??
If you enjoy biographies, check out Furious Love. It is an eye-opening account of Hollywood's first mega couple!

Works Cited:

Kasner, Sam & Schoenberger, Nancy. Furious Love: 

Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century. 

New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2010. Print

Photo of the Day July 4

Happy 4th of July, everyone! Here's a snap of our hamster Nutmeg. She has gotten so big!! With Sparta and Nutmeg, Morgan and I have the two of the most entertaining pets in the world. We love them so much because they bring so much laughter to our lives. The other day I stuck Nutmeg into my hoody pocket where she rummaged around as I toted her about the apartment.
Here she is stuffing her cheek pouches with food. She's gotten a bit chunky as we've been giving her fresh fruits and veggies nearly every day. She's had purple grapes, carrots, broccoli, watermelon, and watching her eat a whole blueberry is something to behold!!
She seems to be unfazed by the fireworks tonight... but Sparta is hidden away under the coffee table!

Bath Tub Thought

Recently, I watched the latest installment of the Chronicles of Narnia film series, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. And, it was ok... I haven't been a huge fan of any of the CON films. I think it's mostly because when I first saw Aslan... he was a CGI character. MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT! I wanted Aslan to be a real lion with CGI modifications. Nothing disappointed me more than seeing the great lion - that is supposed to be Jesus in the fantasy novel series that depicts a make believe world meant to represent Christianity - as a CGI creation!!

He even looks sad that he's CGI

Anyway... I was thinking about the final scene (SPOILERS AHEAD) and have put two and two together:
Lucy and Edmund are the only of the original four children together. They are joined by Eustace, their obnoxious, bratty cousin. At the end of the movie, Eustace has been returned to his original form after being transformed into a dragon. Now, the three are in Aslan's country with the great CGI lion who reveals to Lucy and Edmund this is their last trip to Narnia. It's a little heartbreaking scene as the two come to say good bye to the world they love.
Then Eustace asks, "What about me?"
To which Aslan responds something along the lines of he may one day be called back to Narnia.

And this is why you can't get rid of Barnes.
Look at him!!

...Now, I don't know if this line is in the book, but I figured that even if it was, this line is an "out" for the producers, directors, and studio heads. In case, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader didn't do too well at the box office, well then the capitalized, collective They could say that Eustace wasn't called back to Narnia and there won't be any more CON films. Aslan has always been a cryptic character. Why not give him a line that hints but doesn't promise another sequel? Face saved! And of course since it seems that the characters Lucy and Edmund won't be returning then it also means we're having a sequel because audiences actually liked Eustace and only if we can get Liam Neeson and Ben Barnes back because the story just ousted the cute mouse!!
In case you're wondering, it seems that Eustace is returning... or at least the CON series is with The Silver Chair being released in 2014 and The Magician's Nephew hopefully hitting theaters in 2015. Of course, it has yet to be announced which actors will star in the films. Will the original four return? Will Eustace? Personally, I never got further through the books than the first one. And that was forced upon me by 9th grade English. There's something about the most popular magical fantasy books that I just can't get into. I think it's because there's too much magical detail. I just like the movies better! This includes: The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and all the Marvel stories (the ones that I liked). Passed over the books and I don't like comic books! Go figure!.
And all of this occurred while taking a bath!

Food for Thought

I don't consider myself to be a "foodie," not in the slightest!! I'm far too picky for that!!! However, this past trip to Mount Holly - it seemed that all Morgan and I did was eat AMAZING food! We ate and swam off the calories in the pool then ate some more!!! We ate from fast food joints, fancy restaurants, family-owned diners, and homecooked dinners.
Wednesday was by far the most extravagant eating day. Here's what was on the menu:

Breakfast... at Rita's:

• Scrambled eggs
• Freshly baked biscuit
• Sausage links
• Grits
• Water

Lunch... at various places:

The String Bean 

• Duck fat fries
• Fried Oreos and ice cream
• Water

Saki

•  Hibachi steak with vegetables and white rice

Dinner... made by Morgan:

Morgan's grilled peaches with glaze

• Hamburgers with Angus Barn beef
• Black bean soup
• Various chips
• Salad
• Grilled peaches
• 7-Up
• Johnson's lemonade slushie

  

Late Night Snack... from the kitchen cabinets

• Popcorn
• Swiss Miss hot chocolate powder with marshmallows

22. Jurassic Park

Book 22: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (A)

So, I love Michael Crichton because he's intelligent. And, he knows how to use his intelligence. Do I believe that he knew everything about dinosaurs before writing this book? Or everything about French knights and castles for Timeline? Absolutely not! But Crichton graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Medical School. He knows how to use his brain to make the most interesting, unqiue, and intelligent stories ever written.
Jurassic Park is a look at and opinion about paleo-DNA and what if scientists had the power to genetically enhance or change anything they wanted. Nowadays, we find our every day food to be genetically enhanced - brighter looking tomatoes and healthier corn. But, what if we could make extinct animals? What would happen? Would they be content to live in zoos like today's animals? Are they reptiles, birds, amphibians, or all three? Is it possible to contain and keep alive something that's already completely dead, something that's been dead for millions of years? In Jurassic Park, the answer is a firm no!

My only issue with this book is that I was annoyed by one of the characters again. Alexis or "Lex" is one of the children brought to the island, the granddaughter of the creator of the theme park. And boy is she annoying!! She whines and whines and whines and complains and whines and messes everything up!! I'm not sure how old she is but even a six-year-old would be able to understand the concept of we're running for our lives because dinosaurs are loose! Getting a hamburger is not that big of a deal right now!! I literally screamed at the book, "HOLY CRAP!!! FREAKING SHUT UP!!! YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE! STOP WHINING ABOUT ICE CREAM!!" I cheered when her brother finally told her to shut up! I had seriously hoped one of the characters would crack her over the head so she'd slump into unconsciousness and they'd just sling her over their shoulders for the rest of the way through the book. I mean, seriously?!?!?! BE QUIET! YOU'RE GOING TO DIE AND GET EVERYONE ELSE KILLED BECAUSE YOU WON'T SHUT UP!!! I wonder if Crichton hated writing that character as much as I hated reading about her.
The novel is deliriously intelligent and works in two parts: information and action. The first half of the book is a nonstop transcript of biologically, mathematical, and scientific information coming at you fast. If you like that kind of thing and find it interesting, you can get through it pretty quick. The only conversations that were tough for me were the mathematical speeches on the chaos theory from mathematician Ian Malcolm as he described why Jurassic Park would ultimately fail. However, if you're in fear of the big words, don't be too alarmed. The conversations are easy to get through and are expressed clearly and concisely. Thankfully, the only person that was long-winded in his explanations was Ian, who used so many examples I lost the point of what he was originally talking about.
The second half of the novel is action-packed. You race through the chapters as fast as the characters in the book are running from the dinosaurs. It is a non-stop heart-pounding ride through the theme park that's gone horribly awry. First, the T-rex is loose, but you don't even know the half of it. You think you've seen ugly and then the velociraptors escape! Now, that's terror!
It was a great summer read, definitely check it out. And if you want more action, check out the movie... but just the first one!!!

Photo of the Day June 22

This is Rocky. He's a housebroken, trained German Shepherd mix at the Wake County Animal Center. He's absolutely amazing on the leash, super friendly, and is super fluffy! Believe me, if I didn't live in an apartment and had the financial stability, Rocky would have come home with me that day.
This Saturday I am volunteering as an adoption counselor at the big Adopt-A-Thon event!! I can't wait to help all these pups, cats, rabbits, and other critters find good homes.

21. The Art of Racing in the Rain

Book 21: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (A++)

First of all.... GO OUT AND GET THIS BOOK NOW!!!!! IT IS AMAZING!!!
Now with that said, here's why:
Told from the viewpoint of a lab mix named Enzo, the reader watches the makings and times of Enzo's family. At the brink of his death, Enzo describes living among this family and how when he dies, he expects to turn into a man... his one true wish... based off a TV show he saw on Mongolia. Denny, his master, is a "minor league" race car driver looking for work. He has the amazing ability of racing a car while it's raining while everyone else crashes and burns. He acquires a wife, a beautiful woman named Eve. Together, they bring home a baby girl named Zoe, whom Enzo protects to the very end. Tragedy strikes, and Eve falls ill with a brain tumor. After her death, Eve's parents sue for custody of Zoe saying they have better means of providing for her. A three year battle ensues while being told through the eyes of an amazingly intellectual and intuitive dog.
I must say that the antagonist grandparents... I seriously want them to jump out of the pages of the book and appear before me just so I can punch them in the face!! Those rats!!! How dare they try to take a little girl away from her father!! It was sincerely heartbreaking to read about Zoe playing with her toys and repeating meaningless chants her grandparents had coached into her head to explain that everything "will be okay."
Enzo is a wonderful narrator full of spunk, sarcasm, humor, and sincerity. His one mission is life is to protect his family. His one dream is to become a man and use opposable thumbs.

When trying to prove that man's closest relative is the dog and not the monkey, he says, "Case-in-Point #2: The Werewolf
"The full moon rises. The fog clings to the lowest branches of the spruce trees. The man steps out of the darkest corner of the forest and finds himself transformed into... A monkey? I think not" (20)!
The book really demonstrates how when a dog's family goes through tragedy or stress, it affects the dog too. Just because they don't have a soul or the logical thinking of a human being doesn't mean they don't feel just as strongly as we do.
Here, Enzo explains pain when Eve begins experiencing the telling migraines of the brain tumor: "The intensity and arbitrary nature of Eve's affliction was far beyond Denny's grasp. The wailings, the dramatic screaming fits, the falling on the floor in fits of anguish. These are things that only dogs and women understand because we tap into the pain directly, we connect to pain directly from its source, and so it is at once brilliant and brutal and clear, like white hot metal spraying out of a fire hose, we can appreciate the aesthetic while taking the worst of it straight in the face. Men, on the other hand, are all filters and deflectors and timed release... They have no idea that the manifestation of their affliction... is merely a symptom, an indication of a systemic problem... Suppressing the symptom does nothing but force the true problem to express itself on a deeper level at some other time" (62-63).
The book was amazing, descriptive, heart-warming, and raw. And of course as with all animal novels, I cried at the end. You can always foresee the ending of a book with an animal as the main character. Like Marley & Me and Where the Red Fern Grows, the humans continue with their lives and the animals pass on. The same holds true with Enzo's life, yet this time the reader knew from Chapter 1 that Enzo was going to die as he knows it is time and Denny even schedules a non-round trip visit to the vet. Still what's amazing here is that while the dog dies, the story continues for just a chapter more........ Read it!!! You'll love it!!

Works Cited:

Stein, Garth. The Art of Racing in the Rain. 

New York: HarperCollins, 2008. Print.