YA Book Review: This Train is Being Held by Ismée Williams (2020)

I'm so torn about this book. I love the first 2/3 of the story, where Isa and Alex are getting to know each other and their romance is just so endearing and cute, and just, yeah, all of that. Because Alex is a complete and total doll and I adore him, rather like I adore Javier in Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. The use of Spanish interspersed in the conversation is endearing, but I do think creates...

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Jeremy Brett stars in Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca (1979)

This post is a part of my Jeremy Brett Celebration! There are several other posts that have been/will be shared, so please feel free to visit the above page.It's practically a crime that the Jeremy Brett version of Rebecca has never been officially released on DVD. I have an old copy recorded from television, and it serves its purpose, but when I say old copy, I mean old copy. This miniseries...

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Jeremy Brett stars in "On Approval" (BBC Play of the Month, 1982)

This post is a part of my Jeremy Brett Celebration! There are several other posts that have been/will be shared, so please feel free to visit the above page.

Go to THIS LINK to see a recording of this play that some supremely sweet soul uploaded to YouTube. I wish I could say that it was available in better condition, but alas, what you see is what you get.

Penelope Keith as Maria

On Approval is a play by Frederick Lonsdale from 1926 and it only ran for 96 performances in London's West End. Not a long run, but apparently, it was long enough to make a lasting impression. There is something outstanding about theatrical plays from the 1920s and 1930s. There's a smart sarcasm that many playrights just slap their audiences upside the faces with but in a really good way.

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Happy Birthday, Jeremy Brett!

On November 3rd, 1933, Jeremy Brett of Sherlock Holmes fame was born. And on September 12, 1995, he left us. He was with us for such a short period of time, but he gave us so much while he was here.Someday, may the full body of his work be made more widely available to fans, both new and old.Love you, Jeremy, and miss you alwa...

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Celebrate Jeremy Brett Month Link-Up Post

Good Morning, everyone!November has arrived and so too has my month-long event celebrating the esteemed talent that is Jeremy Brett! If you don't know him, no worries, you'll know him by the end of November. When you've written your blog post for the event, please comment with your link here and I will add it to this page. I'm excited beyond words to be hosting this event, and I'm even more...

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Announcing Celebrate Jeremy Brett Month

The brilliant actor of Sherlock Holmes fame, Jeremy Brett's birthday falls on November 3rd. Because I seem to be in a let's-binge-watch-Jeremy-Brett frame of mind, doing a month-long celebration of his work seems like an excellent idea.This won't be a blog party unless anyone else wants to participate and then I can do a link-up blog post. If you would like a blog button, there are a couple at the...

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Radio Theater: Orson Welles in Dracula (7/11/1938)

 Dracula Starring: Orson Welles, Elizabeth Fuller, George Colouris, Agnes Moorehead, Martin Gabel, Ray Collins, Karl Swenson Studio: Mercury Theatre on the Air Year: July 11, 1938 My Rating: ★★★★★ Available free from The Mercury Theatre on the Air (if you have trouble listening or downloading, you can also listen to it here on YouTube) The Mercury Theatre...

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Welcome to the Library

 We knew we needed 4 rooms.Two bedrooms, a craft room, and finally, a room for a personal library.While it might not be quite as grand as the Beast's library in Beauty and the Beast (that's our ultimate goal someday), it's still pretty awesome. This room had built-in shelves against one wall, the clincher as it were for us to really want this house.As you can tell, we needed more bookcases (and...

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House Update

Our backyard as summer turns to fall (my sister's herb garden is on the right, with a little extra Halloween decor)Oh my goodness, so many things have happened in the last few months.As you all know, my sister and I purchased a house. We closed on August 31st and moved on September 10th.Then, on the 17th, our parents moved in with us.They had an opportunity to sell their home with no muss or fuss...

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Book Review: Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie (1969, Hercule Poirot)

Read for my own Agatha Christie Project that is a bit of a slow starter, but I'm determined to focus on more in 2022, Hallowe'en Party is considered to be book #40 in the Hercule Poirot series by Agatha Christie.While I've not read very many of Ms. Christie's books starring the famous Belgian detective, Hallowe'en Party is one of my favorites of the miniseries' adaptations. It's chilling...

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Opposites attract in the Jdrama Honey So Sweet (2018) starring Hirano Sho, Taira Yuna, and Yokohama Ryusei

Movie: Honey So SweetCountry: JapanYear: 2018Length: 105 minutesGenre: Friendship, Comedy, Romance, School, YouthStarring: Sho Hirano, Yuna Taira, Ryusei Yokohama, Kaho MizutaniMy Rating: ★★★★ out of 5You can find a list of my Japanese drama reviews on my Japanese Drama and Movie Reviews page. Many thanks to RJGMan56 Subs for the fansubs! It's because of...

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Discovering the World of Art Restoration

At this point, it's probably been two weeks since I've watched anything requiring subtitles. So much is going on in my life right now, what with the house purchase, and other things, that my brain just rebels at the thought of watching something that requires me to read along.Instead, as a form of decompressing every evening, my sister and I have started watching the Baumgartner Restoration YouTube...

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When the next two months look like a form of CRAZY

It's crazy how so many things seem to happen all at once. Like, if you're banking on one important thing happening, then likely at least one more, and possibly two will happen at roughly the same time.The last time this happened was when I was going to college full-time, working part-time, and also in a local theatrical production of Pride and Prejudice as Charlotte Lucas. I ended up having a...

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Japanese Drama Review: Death Note (2015)

 Drama: Death NoteCountry: JapanYear: 2015Episodes: 11 episodes, 45 minutesGenre: Psychological, Thriller, Supernatural, MysteryStarring: Masataka Kubota, Kento Yamazaki, Mio Yuki, Hinako Sano, Yutaka Matsushige, Reiko Fujiawara, Kazuaki HankaiMy Rating: ★★★★★ out of 5You can find a list of my Japanese drama reviews on my Japanese Drama and Movie Reviews page.  I've...

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Revenge is the order of the day in the 2019 remake of popular Japanese drama, Strawberry Night Saga

Strawberry Night Saga follows assistant inspector Reiko Himekawa (Fumi Nikaido) with the Tenth Homicide Section in Tokyo. She's only 27 so to be leading her own team is a huge stretch in the primarily male-dominated world of the Japanese police force. Himekawa is called Hime (as in princess) both fondly and not so fondly by the men around her, but at least she has a loyal team of subordinates, including...

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Wondering Wednesdays: The Olympics

 Welcome to Wondering Wednesdays, a weekly post to learn more about me and other bloggers. If you are a blogger, please join in every week. To learn more, click on the link below:Wondering Wednesdays with A Baker's PerspectiveToday’s Question: Do you enjoy watching the Olympics? What is your favorite sport at the games?I would have to say yes except that my household doesn't have cable or local...

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Classics Club Read: And Then There Were None (1939) by Agatha Christie

Read for two challenges, my participation in The Classics Club and my own Agatha Christie Project that is a bit of a slow starter, but I'm determined to focus on more in 2022.As almost everyone knows, this book has had multiple titles since it was penned in 1939. I am going with the least offensive title And Then There Were None, which actually makes the most sense and is the most foreboding...

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And the Classics Club Spin Winner is . . .

I am not very excited about reading Tender is the Night since I think it will be depressing, BUT at least I'll get it read and out of the way. Fitzgerald is usually hit or miss with me, but I've never read this book which is why it ended up on my list. At least it's not very long so that's a plus, and I was able to pick such a glamorous book cover for this blog post. I have no idea what book...

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Japan Movie Review: From Me to You "Kimi ni Todoke" (2010)

A year ago today, beloved Japanese actor Haruma Miura committed suicide. He was barely 30-years-old.

My friend, Kari, and I were about 75% finished watching his film From Me to You. We watched a little bit every time she was able to come and visit me and we were almost done. Then July 18th happened and I just couldn't finish it with her. She completely understood, but looking back, I wish we had watched that last 20 minutes together. A part of me will always regret that.

Today, after an entire year of not watching any of Haruma Miura's entertainment because the thought of it was just too much for my heart to handle, I rewatched From Me to You.

Those familiar with the story also know it as Kimi ni Todoke, based on an insanely popular and very, very long manga of the same name. I've read possibly 10 volumes of the manga, although that was years and years ago. From the very first moment I watched this film in the late spring of 2020 (only a few months before his death), I fell in love with the story, the acting, the cinematography, everything. I'm hugely in love with sakura さくら (cherry blossoms) and they feature heavily in the movie, so that was undoubtedly one reason for my love.

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