Message in a Bottle, Embroideries, and The Friday Night Knitting Club

Friday night I watched Message in a Bottle, the movie based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. Now I've seen all four of Sparks' books which have been made into movies. This movie was a bit slow to takeoff but eventually does. The setting is supposed to be the Outer Banks in North Carolina, but apparently this was filmed in Maine. (I prefer a bit more authenticity, although the scenery is stunning. ) Of course, the movie is another romantic drama, ignited by love letters in bottles washed ashore which lead to a new romance. I thought Paul Newman's performance as Dodge Blake, the crusty father, was outstanding, and Robin Wright Penn's as Theresa Osbourne was also quite good (she has a remarkable crying scene). Kevin Costner's acting in Message in a Bottle was low-key but believable as Garrett Blake, the widower paralyzed by the loss of his wife.

Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi arrived in my mailbox sooner than expected--on Saturday--and I read it on Sunday. It's a graphic novel and doesn't take long to read. This is definitely a book for mature audiences only, preferably women. It's outrageously funny, and quite candid about marriage and the sex lives of Iranian women, who're often caught between tradition and modern times. The contents and illustrations are absolutely hilarious. Marjane Satrapi is also the author of a comic book style autobiography comprised of two books--international bestsellers--Persepolis and Persepolis 2.

I also had the opportunity to start the book The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs on Sunday evening, and am already very taken in by this book. (I just learned that Kate Jacobs has a new book due out on Nov. 25, Knit Two, obviously a sequel to The Friday Night Knitting Club.) Let me start by saying that I don't knit, nor do I desire to, although I do crochet (I was obsessed with crocheting scarves a couple of winters ago but that's a story for another day). Anyway, the action takes place in Georgia's knitting shop in NY, Walker and Daughter, where customers form an informal knitting club that meets regularly. As a former New Yorker I can easily picture the shop, customers, and characters who come by for more than yarn--for help with their knitting, as well as coffee and cookies, conversation, and companionship. This is the type of book to read on cool evenings, snuggled up indoors with a steaming beverage. I'm looking forward to spending time in this manner soon.

The Secret Life of Bees

"It takes honeybee workers ten million foraging trips to gather enough nectar to make one pound of honey."
~Bees of the World, The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd

Each chapter of The Secret Life of Bees begins with a quote about bees, a tidbit of information about these humming, hovering honey-makers. I loved this NY Times bestseller--it's warm, radiant, and one-of-a-kind--and when I read it a couple of years ago, couldn't help but think that it would make a great movie. Judging from the movie trailer, it will be. It's coming to theaters on Oct. 17 and stars Queen Latifah (who better to play the queen bee?), Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, and others. Set in South Carolina in 1964, the film is the story of Lily Owens, a 14 year-old girl haunted by the memory of her late mother, who comes to live with May, June, and August, a trio of beekeeping sisters. I can't wait to see it.

I'm still reading The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks and will post about it soon. Last night, I had another dose of Sparks, in the form of the movie, The Notebook, which was shown on TV on ABC Family.

Nights in Rodanthe, the Movie

Yesterday I saw the movie I've been waiting all summer for, Nights in Rodanthe, starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane, based on the book by Nicholas Sparks. It's definitely a tearjerker, like all of Sparks' romances. If you see Nights in Rodanthe, unless you're really unemotional, expect to cry a bit, or at least to fight back the tears. Even the trailer for the movie starts to chokes me up. The scenery is breathtaking and features the wild beauty of the Outer Banks in North Carolina, and the romance is, as always, bittersweet.

Here's a list of Sparks' best-selling books that have been made into movies so far. Click on the titles to view the movie trailers.


Message in a Bottle, 1999: stars Kevin Costner, Robin Wright Penn, and the late, great Paul Newman A Walk to Remember, 2002: stars Mandy Moore and Shane West The Notebook, 2004: stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams Nights in Rodanthe, 2008: stars Diane Lane and Richard Gere

I've seen all of these movies except for Message in a Bottle, which I'll try to find on DVD.

As far as my reading goes, I'm still reading Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, but will finish it before Sept. 30, when Nicholas Sparks' new book, The Lucky One, will be released. You can bet I'll dash to the bookstore on Tuesday in hopes of getting a copy.  It'll be the next book I read. I suppose I'm a hopeless romantic.

Summer Movies

Lest you think I always have my nose in a book, I also love to be transported into other worlds by movies. Today I saw The Dark Knight, which was too violent for my taste but still very good. As the Joker, Heath Ledger is truly remarkable. Sadly Ledger's life ended by an accidental prescription drug overdose in January 2008. I have seen other notable movies this summer, viewed at home, including: The Bucket List; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; La Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon); Lions for Lambs; and The Kite Runner. I'm really looking forward to the movie version of Nicholas Sparks' Nights in Rodanthe, starring Diane Lane and Richard Gere, which will be in the theaters in late September.

The Notebook

For those of you that haven't read my profile or early posts, I'm a fan of author Nicholas Sparks. I didn't expect to enjoy his romances as much as I do. I never read Harlequin romances or those sort of books as I have no interest in them. I started by reading Sparks' first book, The Notebook, which I absolutely loved. It's a fabulous introduction to his bestselling romance novels, which are well written, believable, love stories with poignant endings. After reading The Notebook, I hesitated to read other books by Nicholas Sparks--frankly I didn't think they'd be as good as The Notebook--but then gradually found and read several others by him. They're all first-rate romances! I'm ready to pack my bags and move to--or at least visit--North Carolina, the setting for most of Sparks' NY Times bestsellers.

Here's a list of books written by Nicholas Sparks, with the dates they were published:

1. A Bend in the Road (2001)
2. A Walk to Remember (1999)
3. At First Sight (2005)
4. Dear John (2006)
5. Message in a Bottle (1998)
6. Nights in Rodanthe (2002)
7. The Choice (2007)
8. The Guardian (2003)
9. The Notebook (1996)
10. The Rescue (2000)
11. The Wedding (2003)
12. Three Weeks With My Brother (2004)
13. True Believer (2005)

I've read all of these except for The Choice and The Rescue. According to Nicholas Sparks' website, he has a new book in the works, The Lucky One (due Sept. 2008). Three of his books have been made into movies, The Notebook, Message in a Bottle, and A Walk to Remember.  Nights in Rodanthe will be released as a feature film in September 2008.