The Time Traveler's Wife, the movie

This news really excites me: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117963263.html?categoryid=1959&cs=1

The tidbit at the end there also reminds me that I want to add The Other Boleyn Girl to my reading list.

Peace out, Clyde

I caught up on Dancing with the Stars last night, and I feel a little guilty for doing this to Ian and Joey, but I think Apolo and Julianne officially became my favorite pair this week.

I also watched four out of seven singers on American Idol last night and this morning. Phil, I thought, had his best performance yet and I hope he at least outlasts Sanjaya. But, I have a bad feeling that's not gonna happen. Jordan was amazing, as always, and even though I usually hate when the judges discuss the singers' looks, Paula was right: she looked totally gorgeous. Sanjaya, having peaked at "bad" last week, was back down to "awful" last night. Last night was my favorite performance by LaKisha (though, I did miss the week she did Jennifer Holliday). The judges thought she wasn't that great, though, so what do I know?

Dancing with the Stars

Because I was playing softball last night (yes, you read that correctly: playing), I didn't get to watch Dancing with the Stars. I caught up a little this morning, though, and even though I only got through three dancers (Ian, Clyde, and Heather), I have to say that Clyde's gotta go. Even if he doesn't get kicked off this week, I think I'll be fast forwarding his performances from here on out. It's just getting to be painful to watch. Ian was good, although his and Cheryl's samba was a little too...I don't know. It was just too much.

Also, now that there aren't many out-and-out awful dancers left, it's starting to become more obvious that Heather's not that great. Okay, I'll give it to her: her footwork is good, even for someone with two real legs. But, the rest of her body is a big fat mess while she's dancing. She and Jonathan just looked terribly awkward on last night's show. The segment where Jonathan got his chest waxed was pretty hilarious, though, and I still hope she at least outlasts Clyde and possibly Cliff the Mailman.

Aloft

I bought Aloft for two reasons: first of all, it was on the bargain book table at Booksmith. But, more importantly, it is by Chang-Rae Lee. A few years ago, I read another book of his for my contemporary novel class, Native Speaker. For me, Native Speaker was one of those books that seemed like it was written just for me. It's easily one of my favorite books of all time. I didn't enjoy Aloft as much, but like Native Speaker, it tackles the themes of race and family and how those both factor in to identity. Also like Native Speaker, it is very well-written.

I think the reason that I like Lee's books so much is that they are about life situations that are entirely different from my own and yet are completely relatable. Native Speaker, in particular, focuses on race and assimilation, but it is framed in such a way that it's not just about how being Korean American affects the main character, but how we are all shaped by our families and our language and our geographic roots. I also appreciate that the characters, despite some extraordinary traits (the protagonist of Native Speaker, for example, is a spy), are pretty normal. They are no better or worse than the rest of us. They have strengths, sure, but they aren't saints. Similarly, they have weaknesses, but they aren't rapists or murderers. The characters are just like people that any one of us might know.

In particular, both Native Speaker and Aloft strike a personal chord with me because I know that so much of who I am is because of my family, for better or for worse. In fact, I'm probably a lot like Theresa in Aloft. As a teenager, she deliberately distances herself from her family and tries to be the opposite of what her father is (hey, don't we all to some extent?). And yet, because of that she is probably even more defined by her family than her brother, Jack, even if the definition is the opposite, if that makes sense. She comes around in the end, though, and is ultimately the "glue" that brings her family closer together than ever. Okay, so I'm not so conceited as to think I'll be the glue that brings my family together, but I have come to appreciate my family a lot in my twenties.

So, I really enjoyed Aloft, but nothing like the way I did Native Speaker. I also think the latter might appeal to a broader audience, so I highly recommend it and only recommend Aloft for people who have agreed with some of my other book reviews on this blog.

What I've been Reading/Watching

My TV/movie viewing and especially my reading have slowed down in the last few weeks due to Megan's visit, going to LA, picking a grad. school, and procuring a second job. However, I did catch up on some things when I had down time in LA.

Katy has Showtime and On Demand, so we watched the first three episodes of The Tudors. I'm totally sucked in and hope the rest of the episodes will be online. First of all, Jonathan Rhys Meyers is so hot. Secondly, I am not so good with history, so for me it's all new and intriguing (except that I do know what happens to the wives and with the separation from the church). I'm looking forward to learning the fate of England under the reign of Henry VIII because I really don't know much about it. If you enjoy historical drama or Jonathan Rhys Meyers, check it out.

I also saw Beverly Hills Cop for the first time ever. I don't have much to say about the movie, but according to Katy, it's noteworthy that I had never seen it before. I was kind of excited to see LA/Beverly Hills sights (or should I use "sites" in this context?) that I had just seen in person for the first time. Speaking of, anytime we went anywhere in LA that was mentioned in Clueless, I was ridiculously excited.

I finished reading Aloft by Chang-Rae Lee, but I'm going to post a separate entry for that.

Reality TV

So, I've now not only been sucked into American Idol, but also Dancing with the Stars.

I'm going to start with Idol so I can say how happy I am that Haley finally got the boot.

As for DWTS, I think there is currently a three-way tie for my favorite: Ian, Apolo, and Joey. I agree with the Frayne Train, though, that having former boy-banders on the show is cheating. They already know how to dance! Sure, it's not ballroom dancing, but I think it still gives them an edge over a lot of the others. I also agree that Ian is about ten million times hotter now than he was as Steve Sanders.

I am also really pulling for Billy Ray. I know he can't dance, but he is so freakin' adorable and he's trying so hard! When the judges said the bear was turning into a lion, it looked like he was going to cry. I wouldn't want him to win, but I do hope he makes it through a few more weeks. He should definitely outlast Clyde the Glide and Cliff the Mailman.

PS The dancing to Big & Rich's Save a Horse on the results show was totally hot.

Vonnegut

Wow. Kurt Vonnegut is dead.

I haven't read anything by him in years...but, wow. He was so important to a younger me.

This makes me really sad.