Entertaining Men - Channing Tatum

There is a new guy in my life. Well not really in my real life (oh how I wish!), but there is this guy that keeps popping up in every movie Husband and I see. Channing Tatum, ehm let me rephrase that..

MR CHANNING TATUM!!

Channing Tatum

Last year I saw him in Dear John, great romantic drama about a soldier whose girlfriend keeps sending him letters while he is at war. I thought the leading actor was good and pretty nice to look at, but he didn't leave a big impression.

Dear John

A few weeks ago I saw Haywire. Channing Tatum didn't play a very big part in this movie. He was the bad guy, turning good and then got killed. Too bad :-)

Getting his (fine) ass kicked by a girl

Then he popped up in 21 Jump Street. Entertaining but in no means an intellectual movie. Channing plays the brainless but strong and physical attractive Rookie Cop. Funny movie, but at times very disturbing humor.
click here to read my full review

With Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street

A couple of days later Husband and I wanted to see a romantic movie (yep, below 25'ers, even when you are married and over 30 years old there are times you want to watch a romantic movie. Like two or three times a year. Just kidding, only once per year :-(
The romantic movie of our choice was The Vow, with....you guessed it Channing Tatum. My my, was he looking fine! I felt so sorry for him (his wife lost her memory after a car crash and doesn't remember their relationship) I yelled at her in disbelief. How can you forget him. Mr. CHANNING.TATUM!!!

So cute in The Vow. I would have remembered you Channing!

And now I am anxiously waiting to see Magic Mike. I guess I am going to need some tissues to catch all of my drooling over a bare naked CHANNING (freaking goodlooking) TATUM!

ps: I have found some nude pictures of this Entertaining Man of the day on the internet, but you will have to search for it yourself. I don't want to be chased by an angry mob of Now-Feeling-Insecure-Husbands ;-)

Funny Fact:

• Channing is the bartender in the Ricky Martin Music Video "She Bangs" don't blink if you watch or you'll miss him

Check out the previous Entertaining Man - George Clooney

Oprah's Book Club

As a child a read a lot. Sometimes my parents lost me in stores. They didn't worry or went into frantic panic stage. No they calmly walked over to the book section and always found me there.

During High School and College years I still read my number of books, but much less frequent than I used to do. I was busy with..ehm, well other things (wink wink)

Luckily Oprah came into my life and her Book Club re-introduced me to reading again.
I have read quite a lot of the books on her list. Most of them are real treasures and fantastic to read, but some are dreadful, boring and I waste of my time.

2010
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

2009
Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan

2008
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

2007
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier

2006
Night by Elie Wiesel

2005
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
Light in August by William Faulkner
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

2004
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy                       - dreadful, boring and not finished
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez  - strange, difficult, fantastic, marvellous, epic

2003
Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton - nice but not memorable
East of Eden by John Steinbeck -I LOVE this book!, novel, must-read, drama

2002
Sula by Toni Morrison
Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald - great,well written, novel about family,sweet

2001
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry - set in India,twist and turns, novel
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Cane River by Lalita Tademy - religious, story-telling, nice but memorable
Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir
Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio
We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates - drama, family sticks together.

2000
House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III- loved the movie and the book!
Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz - Sad story, beautifully written
Open House by Elizabeth Berg - Strange and depressing book
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver- a must MUST read! family situated in Africa. All family members have a different tone of voice which the author as written down phenomenally
While I Was Gone by Sue Miller
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Back Roads by Tawni O'Dell
Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende - great book by a great author.Epic tale
Gap Creek by Robert Morgan

1999
A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton
Vinegar Hill by A. Manette Ansay
River, Cross My Heart by Breena Clarke
Tara Road by Maeve Binchy
Mother of Pearl by Melinda Haynes
White Oleander by Janet Fitch- boring and no real storyline
The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve -heartbreaking,fast-paced book
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
Jewel by Bret Lott

1998
Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts
Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen
Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman
Paradise by Toni Morrison

1997
A Virtuous Woman by Kaye Gibbons
Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
Songs in Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris
The Heart of a Woman by Maya Angelou
The Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds
Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb - great book, took me a long time to find it in Dutch, but worth the waiting.

1996
The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard


As you can see I am no where near finishing this list, but I do have quite a few books of this list that are waiting patiently. Some books I have been searching for years now. I know I can order all the books I still need online, but the hunt for a book and the moment of joy when you see it there on a shelf in a bookstore is worth all the time in the world!

What is your favorite Oprah's Book Club Book?

Movie review : 21 Jump Street

When I was a hell of a lot younger I loved to watch the TV-show 21 Jump Street.

Watching Tom Hanson ( Johnny Depp) as an undercover policeman at Highschools was definitely one of my favorite pastimes.

Don't you just love the tune of the show?

I can't believe I still remember this after 20 years!

When I heard about the movie 21 Jump Street I could not wait to see it.

So one night me and my husband sat on the couch, baked some popcorn and had gotten ourselves something to drink. We were ready for an action movie!

Well how disappointing was that!

21 Jump Street the Movie is not, I repeat is NOT an action movie.

It is a Comedy with a capital C. It´s funny with at times a disturbing sense of humor.

The storyline is similar to the original show, but the vibe is completely different.

If I had watched the trailer I would have known that it was a comedy ;-)

Although it was not quite the movie we were expecting it was not a waste of time.
I loved the cameo´s done by some of the original 21 Jump Street-cast.
Not to mention watching Channing Tatum!
(stay tuned because he is getting a feature in my Entertaining Men series)


If you are feeling nostalgic, you can get the complete TV-series at Amazon.com

Booknook Take Over

I love to read in front of the fireplace. Getting my feet warm and just concentrate on my book.
Unfortunately I'm not the only one in my household who loves to snuggle up in front of the fireplace.

Little ones take over the reading chair

Entertaining Men - George Clooney

Throughout my life I have seen a lot of gorgeous men on TV (either in series or in a movie)
In the blogging series Entertaining Men I will talk about a men I love to watch on TV ( and not only for their great acting ;-)

George Clooney

First there was George Clooney. I noticed him on Roseanne and Sisters, but really got to know him watching ER. I believe I cried when he left the show (didn't we all ladies?)

George in Roseanne

George in Sisters

I remember vividly the one evening I was catching up on ER episodes. George ( yep, I call him George) had left the show a couple of seasons earlier but still I liked to watch ER.
And then, there it was. Or better yet HE was. 


George was back!!


I jumped up and down, screamed and was overcome with joy. ( like really really happy)
Sadly it was a very short moment of happiness, since he was only back for a couple of milliseconds. :-(

Oh how I wished my name was Carol

Thank god for Ocean's Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen.
Ocean's Twelve is set in Amsterdam (which is not a country by itself, but the capital of my country The Netherlands), so George was closer then ever and this was my opportunity to meet him for real!!!

Bicycles! They're in Holland alright.

But then work, money and bodyguards prevented us from meeting.

My time will come. He has a summer house in Italy and what a coincidence .... I sometimes go on holiday in Italy aswell. What are the odds!

We are going to meet...someday...somewhere...well I will just keep on dreaming

My top 3 George Clooney movies:

1. Up in the Air
2. One Fine Day
3. The Peacemaker

Who is your favorite Man in Entertainment?

Book review - Sara Linton series by Karin Slaughter

On my other blog (Soapmade) I wrote a review about the Sara Linton series by Karin Slaughter.
I translated it from Dutch to English so everyone understands this post ;-)

I recently started reading her books and I read them in Dutch.

Everyone was talking about her books, but I didn’t feel like starting with the series (I have about 40 untouched books on the shelves so buying new ones is overdoing it a bit ;-)

Besides that I‘m a bit jealous of a Karin who did what I have been dreaming about for years. My own books published!

I didn’t read the books in the correct order, but I still was able to follow all of the storylines. It made me curious and I wanted to know what happened in the other books. (So I went ahead and bought all of them)

What was kind of annoying is the fact that some scenes were repeated in every book. It is understandable, but when I read the exact same description of Jeffrey’s  office for the third time I was kind of done with that.

It is good though, especially for readers like me who read the books in random order.

Below you will find the correct reading order for the Sara Linton series.

I started with  Indelible ( Onzichtbaar) than Blindsighted (Nachtschade) and read my way through all of her books.

2007	Beyond Reach (US) / Skin Privilege (Worldwide)	Onaantastbaar
2005	Faithless	Trouweloos
2004	Indelible	Onzichtbaar
2003	A Faint Cold Fear	Een lichte koude huivering
2002	Kisscut	Zoenoffer
2001	Blindsighted	Nachtschade

source: Wikipedia

I really love these books. If you like thrillers than this series will make your heart pump faster.

They are bloody, thrilling and every murder is described in full detail. These are the first books that made me nauseous while reading!

Since I started reading this series, my bedtime starts really early. In bed with my book. I love it!

Sara Linton is the pediatrician and coroner for the town of Heartsdale, in rural Grant County, Georgia. She was born in Heartsdale at the Grant Medical Center and grew up in the town. An excellent student, in middle school she developed an interest in science and was able to get college-level tutoring from some of the professors at the local technological university. Sara went to Robert E. Lee High School where, due to her intelligence and hard work, she finished a year early. She spent her teenage summers working for her father's plumbing business, Linton & Daughters, and as a result is still an accomplished plumber. She could have gone into the family business but a fear of spider-ridden crawl spaces and the desire for challenge took her off to school amid the bright lights and big city excitement of Atlanta.

Facts:

• first novel Blindsighted (2001) became an international success, was published in almost 30 languages, and made the Crime Writers' Association's Dagger Award shortlist for "Best Thriller Debut" of 2001.
• Sara is "a tall drink of water," 5'11" to be exact. She has dark auburn hair and emerald green eyes, and is slim yet curvaceous. She has perfect skin, a smile that can make you think you're the only one in the world, and a biting wit. She's extremely intelligent, fiercely independent, aloof, and seldom opens up to people.

I would advice starting this series in winter, find a fireplace or a warm blanket and enjoy!
Can't wait to get started? Click on the links below and order.

Movie review - Safe

Safe with Jason Statham

Mei, a young girl whose memory holds a priceless numerical code, finds herself pursued by the Triads, the Russian mob, and corrupt NYC cops. Coming to her aid is an ex-cage fighter whose life was destroyed by the gangsters on Mei's trail.


Actionpacked, numerous people dying, reasonable acting, great fighting and a cute Chinese girl. end of review


Tissue rating:
no tissues needed, earplugs might be a better idea ;-)

Facts:

• features Jason Statham
• if you want to know what weapons where used in this movie ( WARNING: a lot!) you can find information here 
• released in 2012

Book review: Absolute Power - David Baldacci

I'm a Baldacci addict. Before I start reading a new book I think : "let's read Tolstoy this time.", but I usually end up reading a Baldacci thriller. They are not too easy, not too difficult and with the right amount set of twists and turns in the story.

Today I finished "Absolute Power"

In a heavily guarded mansion in a posh Virginia suburb, a man and a woman start to make love, trapping Luther Whitney, a career break-in artist, behind a secret wall. Then the passion turns deadly, and Luther is running into the night. Because what he has just seen is a brutal murder involving Alan Richmond, the president of the United States.


How far will the government go to protect the president?


Set in Washington, D.C., this fascinating thriller of unparalleled suspense dares to explore an unthinkable abuse of power and criminal conspiracy: a vicious murder involving the President and a cover-up orchestrated by his most trusted aides. One unlikely witness saw everything, but will America ever learn the truth?

There are a lot of characters that want some airtime in this novel. Luckily many of them will dissapear or die during the novel, so you are left with only a handful of storylines to keep track of.
Very wel written and twists in the story at the right time.
This book had me literally gasp for air more then once.

I just found out that the book has been made into a movie ( already in 1997 with Clint Eastwood)
Hope that it is just as good as the book, but I noticed that they didn't include the most important character (IMHO) from the book in the movie??? Strange...

Fact:
pages:        549
language:   english

Movie review - Contraband

This movie with Mark Wahlberg is a good action thriller. Not amazing but very enjoyable on a Friday night while the kids are sleeping.


To protect his brother-in-law from a drug lord, a former smuggler heads to Panama to score millions of dollars in counterfeit bills.


Some twists were predictable, but because of the great acting by Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale and Giovanni  Ribisi I give the movie a 8 out of 10.


What I didn't like is that the message throughout the movie seems to be : Crime pays


Fact: 
Contraband is a remake of the movie Reykjavik - Rotterdam. ( I love it when there is a Dutch connection, since I'm..Dutch ;-)

The (long) list of series

I have (like many of us women) a passion for lists.
List containing to-do, what to eat, what to watch, where to go and so fort.


I also have a list of tv-series I would love to watch with my children when they are older. Series I enjoyed when I was younger and series I recently watched with my husband.

• ER
• Grey's Anatomy
• Flying Doctors
• Medisch Centrum West ( a Dutch hospital series)

(do we detect a theme here.....;-)

• 24
• Dexter
• Alcatraz
• Lost
• Prison Break
• Glee
• Desperate Housewives
• Breaking Bad
• Person of Interest
• The 4400
• Friends 
• Fringe

and if we go waaaaay back

• My two dads
• Full House
• Blossom

What are your favourite tv-shows of all time?

Movie review - Intouchables

Philippe, a rich quadriplegic who owns a luxurious Parisian mansion, is interviewing to recruit a live-in carer to help him. Driss, a candidate, has no ambitions to get hired. He is just there to get a signature showing he was interviewed and rejected in order to continue to receive his welfare benefits.

Unfortunately for him, he gets hired.

The start of an improbable friendship. Based on a true story

Usually I am not a big fan of non English spoken movies ( not even Dutch ;-), but this movie is fantastic!
It's no surprise this movie is currently the second most successful French movie of all time.


Great acting, humor and personal drama makes this movie stand out.

The scenes of Paris by night are gorgeous and glamorous.

The life of Driss reflects how it it is to live in Paris when you do not have money to spend.

It's a modern Annie, but without bursting out in songs and a scary-looking butler. :-)

The only thing that at times distracted me from the movie was the resemblance of Francois Cluzet with Dustin Hoffman. In the beginning I really was impressed by how well Dustin Hoffman was speaking French :-) 

Fact:

Omar Sy received the Cesar Award for Best Actor. He is the first actor of African descent to receive this award

In need of a feel good movie? Intouchables is the movie to watch

Tissue rating: 

3 packs: Ugly cry, snot involved

Tissue rating

Don't we all love movies which can make us cry?

Sometimes I only tear up a bit, but yes there have been movies that made me cry,sob and weep uncontrollably.

I will give movies, TV-shows or books a tissue rating if they made me cry.

Tissue rating:

1 pack:  Tear up

2 packs: Tears rolling down my cheeks 

3 packs: Ugly cry, snot involved

4 packs: Sobbing

5 packs: Uncontrollable blubbering 

What is your ultimate cry movie?

Book review: The solitude of Prime numbers - Paolo Giordana

After reading a bunch of detectives and thrillers I decided it was time for me to read an award winning novel again. Usually award winning is equal for well written literature.


I opted for The Solitude of Prime Numbers since it was standing patiently on my bookshelves and I heard great things about the book.


Before I start my review let me tell you what the story is about:


A prime number is inherently a solitary thing: it can only be divided by itself, or by one; it never truly fits with another. Alice and Mattia also move on their own axes, alone with their personal tragedies. As a child Alice's overbearing father drove her first to a terrible skiing accident, and then to anorexia. When she meets Mattia she recognises a kindred spirit, and Mattia reveals to Alice his terrible secret: that as a boy he abandoned his mentally-disabled twin sister in a park to go to a party, and when he returned, she was nowhere to be found.


At first I really enjoyed the book although it has quite a depressing tone. It reads easy and the chapters are not too long but tell everything you need to know. The description of Alice's and Mattia's high school years was very vivid and brings you back to your own high school memories (good or bad)


What first distracted me from reading the novel was the way the author uses the perspective of the main characters. He switched between them sometimes in the middle of a scene. I am not an acclaimed author by any means (sad but true ;-), but I do know that engaging your readers can be done by using the correct perspective in story-telling.
example


I would have loved it if the story of Michaela was explained a bit more. Now that story-line was unfinished and left me with a lot of unanswered questions.


I did like the flow of the book. The author chose to leave big time gaps in the story. One chapter is written in 1984 when Mattia and Alice are teenager, the next chapter is written in 1990 when they are young adults. This enabled the author to write about a 24 year time span, without having to write a novel more then  a 1000 pages.


As for the end of the book.. I didn't get it!! I just didn't. Never happened before.
So please enlighten me if you have a clear idea what the deeper meaning of the end was.


I guess I am going back to reading my less literature-like detectives and thrillers.


Facts:

• 318 pages
• read in Dutch (De eenzaamheid der priemgetallen)
• Won the Premio Strega literary award

My Booknook

I recently moved and our new house has the perfect place for me to read.

A cosy, blazing fireplace!

I love to snuggle up and read. It's not completely perfect though. I'm searching for the best chair there is to be able to sit there night after night :-)

(the chair in the picture is old and too heavy to put in front of the fireplace each day)