The Book Thief - a Book and a Movie

A couple of weeks ago I decided I wanted to read the books before watching the movies of Labor Day and The Book Thief, I couldn't decide which one to read first and Kate from Another Clean Slate her opinion because I knew she had read both and well, I like her taste.

From the title you can see that she recommended The Book Thief and then another challenge was entered because it turns out that the movie had gone off circuit and was only showing at one cinema in Cape Town and being super freaked out that I would miss it, I read it as quickly as possible. I'll tell you know, I shouldn't have.

The book was really good. I wouldn't go so far as to say brilliant but it was interesting. Death narrates and It is intrigued by Liesel Meminger and her obsession with stealing books. Liesel is living with her foster parents in Nazi-Germany. They are struggling and Liesel who starts off uneducated cultivates a love for reading and writing wither foster father, Hans. However it is Liesel's foster mother that intrigues me most, Rosa, she appears to be a horrid person but in time I realised that she is actually extremely caring. It shows in her treatment of Max, the Jewish man they have taken in.

Liesel also has an immediate friend in her neighbour, Rudy Steiner, who starts off as a naughty child but he grows into a young man.

The movie on the other hand was disappointing. I'm not sure if I'm extra harsh because I pushed myself to finish the book by a certain date and then the movie was just sub par. I hated the narrator's voice while Rosa was cast well, her character in the movie showed her more as a self-centered woman compared to the kind hearted but loud mouthed lady in the book.Oh and to add insult to injury, I did not enjoy the movie dynamic between Liesel and Max.

Also the movie illustrated Liesel and Rudy's friendship more as a childhood romance than the friendship it really was.

All in all, I really enjoyed the book and I really did not enjoy the movie.

Have you read it? Or watched it? Do you agree or not?

I'd love to hear your thoughts...

PS: HAVE AN AWESOME WEEKEND!

Days 11 - 20 of Happy

I'm a little bit late on the recap of days 11- 20 of being happy but it's only because I haven't had a chance to.

Have you started the challenge? If so how far are you? It really is about the simple things in life. (You can check out my first recap here.

Day 11 - Cape Town was hit with one huge heatwave and with my body aching my mom spoilt me with a Thai Massage. In Johannesburg there are tons of Thai Massage Spas around but here I have battled. Anyway, the masseuse does not speak much English and Na Bua have provided a helpful list of necessary communication.

Day 12 - As I mentioned the heatwave, we took a drive out to a town on the West Coast and the Ice-Cream was definitely a happy moment for me!!!

Day 13 -  Reading makes me very happy! I absolutely love reading, always have, always will and I absolutely agree with this quote, a good book should leave you exhausted!

Day 14 - After spending some time with one of my besties who was visiting Cape Town and I realized that there are various reasons why I made this list up but I thought really hard about it and I think I have all of them listed... do you think I missed any type of friend a girl should have?

Day 15 - The view at dinner at the V & A Waterfront, the food was delicious and the view equally so.

Day 16 - Cousins - one of my cousins helped me out with a recipe I wanted to try and it was so effortless for her to go out of her way for me. 

Day 17 - My frozen Chai Tea was AMAZING!

Day 18 - On my way to pick someone up ad the simple view of Cape Town just made me smile... 

Day 19 - My biggest pet peeve is dirty hair so my happy moment was just after I washed my hair. I feel like I should clarify, my hair is NEVER dirty but the only thing worse than dirty hair is hair which looks dirty. 

Day 20 - cooking new dishes! This is some fresh yellowtail fish and it was incredibly delicious!

SO that's been my last few days - how's yours been?Remember you can follow the next 80 with #100HappyDaysCTP on Instagram and Twitter..

The Best Man Holiday

While the festive season is well behind us and we are all moving towards Easter, for whatever reason The Best Man Holiday only released in South Africa a little over a week ago.

I was beyond excited when I saw that this movie was coming out because the first movie, which could have stayed the only movie is one of my favourites. While it was never going to win an Oscar, it was the perfect feel good, RomCom! In 1999, I was in Grade 7 and I loved this movie... in fact I think that's when I started looking at my friends around me thinking... "they would make an interesting character in my book."  And while, I still haven't written that book, I loved the soundtrack through the years.

I digress, the movie released here on Valentine's Day and while it was a Holiday film it definitely could be the perfect date movie. That's if you don't mind your date, sniffing her/his tears away!

There are so many things I loved about this movie, the fact that all the character were back, the fact that you could tell they had aged, and gone through things that a lot of people I know have done and a reminder that your past can always come back to bite you in the behind (sometimes the feelings too).

The Best Man Holiday was funny hilarious (as in you were LITERALLY LAUGHING YOUR ASS OFF) one minute and holding back tears the next. Terrence Howard reprises Quentin perfectly. He is the one you look for to lighten any moment in the film and he doesn't disappoint.  Harper (Taye Diggs) is tightly wound up due to well, him being Harper. I always see the potential of fun and then his reality. Morris Chestnut as Lance was once again the perfect picture of a man in love (minus his cheating ways in college), he is a man who treats his wife like a Queen.

When the movie ended, there were tons of people just saying how much they enjoyed the film and how much good it was and I definitely echoed their thoughts. I didn't mind that the first movie was released in 1999 because the script to this one was perfectly written to make me love there characters again. Again, there will be no Oscars but you will feel good after the movie. I promise!

While I could talk type about this movie a lot longer, it is Monday, and you and I both have stuff we need to do!

Go watch the movie or if you have watched it, share with me your thoughts?

And some music from back in the day to start your week off... (one of my favourite parts of the movie!)

Soulful Sunday : Our Greatest Fear

Our Greatest Fear —Marianne Williamson

it is our light not our darkness that most frightens us

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

I am feeling these words this week, a lot. What are your deepest fears? Because I think Marianne Williamson has hit my greatest fear on the head.

Pretty Peaceful Paternoster

This last weekend while Cape Town was undergoing a heatwave and I was literally melting away on Sunday we decided to take a drive to Paternoster which is just under two hours away from Cape Town.

I remembered watching a Masterchef South Africa and during Season One they went to Paternoster because the seafood was so fresh and boy there were not lying!

The restaurant they went to in Masterchef was closed for lunch so we tried this restaurant Voorstrandt.  it was so hot that I couldn't east even half of my food which really upset me because the calamari and prawns were as fresh as they described it on the show.

My parents - married for almost 31 years!

My lovely mom!

Delicious calamari and tempura prawns

These cocktails look good but tasted mine ( the one on the left) basically tasted like vodka and well vodka. GROSS!

A panoramic view of the beach 

Love this sign

Have you ever been to Paternoster? Don't you just love places like this?

Music Monday : Waiting For Superman - Daughtry

A new week is upon us and while I had fun, I'll tell you more about it later in the week but today to start me off, I'm listening to Daughtry's Waiting for Superman.

Cape Town is in the midst of a heat wave but this morning is feeling much cooler than the last two days which I am welcoming with open hands.

On to more important matters, what are you using to start your week off?

Have an amazing week, tell me if you have anything special planned?

Days 1 - 10 of Happy

If you remember, I told you about the 100HappyDays challenge I was starting, so here's a recap of my last 10 moments of happiness over the last 10 days.

Day 1 - my happy moment was from being able to chat to friends, around the world! What did we do before social media?

Day 2 - I always feel more in control of my life when I have my nails painted. PLUS I am loving this new colour.

Day 3 - SUCCESS! I baked three birthday cakes, Chocolate Ganache, Vanilla with Butter Icing and Red Velvet. I had a very stressful day pulling it all together but it worked :) And they all tasted AMAZING!

Day 4- Liverpool FC beat Arsenal! Beat, as in whipped, as in ridiculed Arsenal. 

Day 5 - my kindred spirit, my little cousin, Megan who just happened to be celebrating her crown birthday. 

Day 6 - Summer. It was hot outside and I went swimming with one of my besties... awesome!

Day 7 - After watching 12 Years A Slave, I was reminded how blessed I am to be free. Now I have to do something with it. 

Day 8 - Music makes me happy. I've told you that about 1000 times before, so this one wouldn't surprise you. What may surprise you is that my top three most played songs are all One Direction. 

Day 9 - Belongs to my cousin / sister / best bestie 

Day 10 - Although I didn't really celebrate Valentine's Day, I went for dinner and drinks... more specifically cocktails with one of my besties. This drink looks better than it tasted! But the next four made up for it. 

Did you join the challenge? How far are you? Tell me all about it!

Book Review : Destiny of Violent and Luke

I feel like I need to explain why I, an avid reader, read a book with a title like this but the explanation is simple, this is the third in the Callie & Kayden series and I've advised that once I'm in it, I'm in it. 

Luke is Kayden's best friend and throughout the Callie & Kayden series he is there, and I was definitely intrigued. Luke is an interesting character and although his character is not one I would normally gravitate too nor does it seem like he is a man I would want to date but Jessica Sorensen still managed to pull me in to the the relationship between him and Violet.

Violet happens to be Callie's roommate but neither of them would call one another friends. Violet comes with a unique brand of scars but there's something that draws you in to her... hope perhaps?

Anyway, I read the book easily and enjoyed it. I'm sure there will be a follow up and I'll keep reading!

What books have you been reading recently?

Movie Addict : January 2014

I've been going to movies much more than I did in the last few years. I just thought I would round up the movies I watched last month.

I already told you about A Long Walk To Freedom.

The Hobbit the Desolation of Smaug

Firstly, let me say, I did not watch the first Hobbit film but my friend said she wanted to watch this and I could ask questions where I had them. I didn't need much convincing especially because I knew I would get to see the Elf version of Orlando Bloom and let's face it, that man works his white hair like no other!
The movie was really good. The dwarfs were adorable and tough and one was even hot (don't judge!)

Delivery Man

This was funny enough for a Wednesday evening with my parents. Don't get me wrong, the movie is funny, I mean it's Vince Vaughn. so I laughed A LOT! But the story line was predictable and a bit long winded and somewhat unforgettable. Anyway, wait for the movie to come onto TV.

Don Jon and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

I have a funny story (and completely awkward) my mom and I were going to movies while my dad was away for a few days and she chose Don Jon. She thought it was a romance drama and for those that haven't watched it - IT IS NOT! We left after 10 minutes because of the first 10 minutes, 7 of the minutes were showing scenes from the a popular pornographic site! I am not joking! I wish I was but those were the worst 10 minutes of any movie I have ever watched. I adore Joseph Gordon Levitt from his time in 10 Things I Hate About You but I could not watch anymore of this movie.

When we left, the manager said we could go into any other movie and my mom made another stellar choice (note my sarcasm), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - one word - BORING!

The Wolf of Wall Street

This was my favourite movie of the month however it was also way toooooo long. Leo Dicaprio was brilliant and provided a stellar performance. I really enjoyed Leo in his character but also Jonah Hill and Margot Robbie. Thank goodness, I watched this with one of my friends and not my mother because I don't think we could have taken another super charged sex movie with the added benefit of all the drug use. I am really hoping that Leo wins the Oscar because he definitely deserves it!

I can only imagine what my February movies will be like!Any suggestions?