Thursday, August 9, 2007

Book and Movie Reviews

1) A MUST Read is Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther by Ginger Garrett. I had initially thought it was non-fiction, but it's a fictional account of Esther's diaries interspersed with fact and some Associated Press articles and scholarly essays. Incredible book - couldn't put it down, and read it in a day. Apparently Esther's diaries really did get discovered, and I want to read them!!

2) Why didn't anyone tell me how much I would love Harry Potter? I've never had a desire, but my friend Erin let me borrow the first book, and finished it in a day.

3) Rules of Engagement (the movie). I wasn't sure if this was based on a true story, although I didn't recall reading about it. I googled Colonol Terry Childers' name, and found a whole lot of international articles about the movie. VERY interesting to hear how other nations viewed this movie as stereotypical American superiority complex. I kind of agreed with the Colonel's logic in opening fire. (If you haven't seen the movie - and this doesn't spoil anything - there were children and women firing at the marines from the demonstrating crowd in Yemen outside the American Embassy.) This is a hard line that the military has to deal with. I happen to think we Americans get a little too war/gun/bomb happy, and often don't put care into the fairness of the situation, but I can see how it would be difficult to follow the rules of engagement in combat when the opposing side isn't playing fair (e.g. child or civilian soldiers). Good movie - if you haven't watched it, I would encourage you to.

4) Elizabethtown. So cute, and different from what I expected.

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