The Gatecrasher by Madeline Wickham tells the story of Fleur Daxeny. Fleur attends the funerals of London women, hoping to snare a grieving husband. The men find Fleur charming, witty, and beautiful. They offer her money, a home, and a country club lifestyle which she gracefully embraces. When she becomes bored, she begins to read the obituaries again in search of a new conquest. Life with Richard Favour becomes comfortable, and once accepted into his home and family Fleur finds it difficult to leave. She spots another gold digger vying for Richard’s attention. Will her past come back to haunt her, or will she finally find what she wanted all along?

Madeleine Wickham, also known as Sophie Kinsella, lives in England with her family. She is a former financial journalist who has become a best-selling author for her “Shopaholic” series as well as many other novels including: Cocktails for Three, Tennis Party, and Wedding Girl.

After having the book cover catch my eye, I purchased it and began to read. Fascinated by the characters and Fleur’s scandalous actions, I had a difficult time putting down the book. Within twelve hours, the book was read, cover to cover in one sitting. The vivid descriptions of the hats and clothing made it easy to visualize the character. It was enjoyable to read about how Fleur would go to great lengths to find a decent man with a boat load of money. People can relate to Fleur because everyone knows someone just like her. Fleur thinks she will be satisfied with material things rather than love. It is not a deep thinking book. It is an entertaining book, that is pleasurable to read, and it kept me interested. After reading the book, it made me appreciate the simplicity of my own life and friends. It must be exhausting to have Fleur’s lifestyle.

The book had a predictable, happy ever after ending, which part of me liked, but part of me thought Fleur didn’t deserve. The book had a quick wrap up that was a bit choppy. It left me thinking, “This is it?” The Gatecrasher reminded me of movies like Spiderman, She’s All That, and 10 Things I Hate About You. All these movies have conflict, but resolve happily and predictably.

This book is suitable for teenagers and older. There is a brief discussion of drugs, explicit language, and some sexual references. Other books that are similar in style include Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, The Undomestic Goddess and Cocktails for Three.

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/10/30/180303.php (Link to publication)

Peaceful Warrior, The Movie

Peaceful Warrior, a movie, is based on the true story Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman. The movie focuses on Dan and his gymnastics career at the University of California at Berkley. He is a collegiate gymnast who suffers a tragic accident that should prevent him from ever competing in gymnastics and possibly the simplest of life tasks like walking. During his time at Berkley, he meets a man whom he calls Socrates. Socrates provides Dan a new way to look at life. Through the teachings of Socrates, Dan learns to become a warrior.

Peaceful Warrior is directed by Victor Salva, and stars Scott Mechlowicz as Dan Millman and Nick Nolte as Socrates. The movie premiered in three locations in 2006, Los Angeles, California, New York, New York, and Chicago, Illinois. It became available on DVD March 30, 2007.

The beginning of the movie, about the first five minutes, is very closely related to the novel. The relationship between Dan and Socrates made Dan more aware of himself. Dan learned how to enjoy each day individually and become a better person. He learned he cannot totally control his own future. He learned that happiness isn’t in having a different woman in his bed every night or having hundreds of trophies and being an excellent student; rather, happiness is about living and enjoying life each day and realizing that life is a process of attaining ones goals or dreams.

There were many negatives about the Peaceful Warrior. The main point of the book was not the focus of the movie, although it had a major impact. The book focuses on the changes Dan makes in his life and how he applies the techniques to his gymnastics training. The movie focuses on the gymnastics aspect of the story. The events happen out of order in the movie, so it does not follow the chronological outline the book provides. Important conversations and teachings with Socrates were left out, which explains Dan’s healing process. Socrates is the main reason for Dan healing, and by not understanding this, the movie is not understood. The viewer of the movie does not understand all of the depth and insight Socrates instills in Dan, and that is unfortunate. The movie does not focus on the importance of Socrates and his effects on Dan. There were scenes in the movie that never occurred in the book.

After having read the book, I was so excited to watch the movie. While taking notes so I could remember what I wanted to talk about, I have never been so angry with a movie, ever. Half of the book was left out and the parts that were left out were very significant to the storyline and Dan’s life. It is never mentioned that he has a divorce while Socrates sends him away for nine years.

This movie is recommended to teenagers and older due to sexual references and alcohol usage. Other movies similar to the Peaceful Warrior are Stick It or any of the Rocky movies.

http://www.amazon.com/review/RVSOT8L1J5RQ2/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm/ (Link to publication)

I love Britney Spears

It’s funny how our lives revolve around celebrity gossip. Everywhere I turn, tabloids, E! News, or the school paper, Britney Spears, regardless of what she does, manages to break headlines. It seems like half of the time it is never positive press. Isn’t there a saying, “Even bad press is good press?” I am a huge Britney fan, and really could care less about what tabloids say. Sure they could be right, but I am also sure they are an exaggeration of the truth in order to sell magazines. I am sure a vast majority of the claims made about her would have never been made if the paparazzi just left her alone. It seems like we have nothing better to do than tear celebrities to shreds.

Would we care so much about the bad things Britney has done if it was publicized for people who weren’t celebrities? Would Joe Nobody make the news for driving with his child on his lap…would it be such a huge deal? Probably not. Why do we care so much about every move Britney makes? Does it really make people sleep at night knowing she is struggling?

I love my round of gossip as well, but really, if I never saw another article about someone not wearing panties, getting pulled over, getting a DUI, or doing the cool new celeb thing by going to jail, I would still sleep as soundly as I do now. Surprisingly, my life does not center around celebrity gossip.

What was the most positive bit of news we have heard about Britney? Does anyone care that she has launched a new perfume called Believe available in stores in early October at Macys? Do we care that her album, Blackout, hits stores October 30? Do we care that earlier this month she held dance auditions for her tour in California? Why isn’t there media on the positive events?

It surprises me that the media would rather tear down a popstar who once dominated the music charts and was the biggest female artist in the world. Why doesn’t anyone want to put a positive spin on her trying to get things in her life back to normal? I mean the first positive thing she did was actually perform on the VMAs in September. She showed up, it may not have been her best performance, but considering the past year she has had, props to her for sticking with something. This is still the same Britney who was a mouseketeer with Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and J.C. Chasez.

I hope her album just blows people away. I really think it is going to be a fantastic album and I will be that person who actually goes into the store and proudly buys her album. I have purchased a hard copy of every CD Britney has put out, and am damn proud of it. Sure she has undergone several issues in the last year, but let’s think about it, maybe she needed to go through all of this to get to a place she really wants to be. Maybe in the end the shaved head (which I think she did to rid herself of K-Fed...which to me is a smart, smart move), will be one of the smartest moves she has ever made. Who else would shave her head to rid herself of toxic situations? I am a full supporter of Britney’s career…and maybe everything she has done is to get her name in the tabloids, and if that’s the case, she surely nailed that one…she is probably the most talked about celebrity ever and well hey, that’s publicity, right?

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/10/29/140828.php (Link to publication)

The Greatest Woman I've Ever Known

She is a woman who put herself through college on out-of-state tuition. She is a woman who married the man of her dreams. She wore the ideal white gown that made her strawberry-blonde hair appear darker and her light blue eyes softer. She had a small elegant ceremony and the reception was in the backyard of the house she and her husband just purchased. Seven months later, she learned she was pregnant with her first child. She spent the next nine months devoted to preparing for the child. Standing at 5'4", she became the cute pregnant woman because being so short and having such a large belly attracted everyone's attention. When she learned the baby was a boy, her dreams were crushed. She really wanted a daughter. A boy, well, she would learn to deal with it.

December 19th came around and, to her surprise and that of all the doctors that were on call that day, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Ashley. You can even blame Ashley for the way her hair changed from a beautiful strawberry blonde to a common blonde shade. When Ashley came into the world, the woman's life was dedicated to every need Ashley had. Three years later, and pregnant, the woman learned she did not want to know the sex. Again, she had the cute pregnant woman appearance due to her shortness and large, round belly. To her surprise, on October 10, she gave birth to another baby girl.

The minute her second child was born, she devoted every minute to her daughters. Her needs didn't seem important anymore. Her wardrobe shifted from dress pants, blouses, and lovely shoes to something that would allow spills and spit ups, but maintain some of its color when it was washed a million times. She spent her time cooking, cleaning, changing diapers, and feeding her girls. She never had a moment for herself, yet she was content with her life.

As her girls grew up, she enrolled them in dance and gymnastics classes. She never expected one to stick with it for 12 years. When one outgrew gymnastics due to crotching the balance beam, Ashley became solely a dancer. The woman's life became one big jigsaw puzzle: figuring out how to drive at least one girl to practice and balancing the checkbook so both girls could have all the work-out outfits and costumes they needed. Don't forget the countless recitals and competitions she had to attend.

As the younger daughter became more advanced in gymnastics, traveling to competitions became a requirement. The woman traveled to Illinois, California, Nevada, and Hawaii, to name a few. She always told her daughters, "As long as you love what you do, cost doesn't matter."
By the time Ashley hit high school the woman's relationship with her daughters shifted. She started to become a friend. She was soon teaching Ashley how to drive and she was meeting her boyfriends. It hit her that her girls were growing up. Before she knew it, both girls were in high school and planning for college.

Her youngest daughter quit gymnastics and picked up cheerleading. Somehow this seemed more dangerous than gymnastics, but she was proud of her daughter regardless. Ashley, a senior, was getting ready to move away from home, the first difficult motherly task. Ashley was accepted to George Washington University in Washington D.C., and packing quickly overwhelmed the woman. Soon August came, and Ashley was in college.

A year later, the woman got a call from the high school saying she needed to come get her daughter. There had been an accident. The woman happened to be in the tub when the call came, so she finished up, applied her makeup, and then headed to the school, which was a mile down the street. To her dismay she learned her daughter was dropped from a cheer stunt and needed to go to the hospital. The woman watched her daughter curse at the nurse and cry in agony. This was something she had never seen from her daughter. She was the tough one and never cried when she got hurt.

This was not her last trip to the hospital. She returned again in October so her daughter could have surgery on her leg because it didn't heal properly. She held her daughter's hand as Dr. Skank (his real name was Shank, but Skank is more fun to say!) whisked her into the operating room. The last thing she said to her was, "When you wake up, ask for the drugs." Needless to say this was not what her daughter asked for; she said, "I'm hungry. Give me food."

Two years later, the youngest daughter was off to college. Again, the woman helped pack her up and took her to school. That next spring, the woman received a similar tragic call from Ashley while away at college. It was her last year and she had somehow managed to stay clear of hospitals. (Any time something happened to Ashley, the cut got infected and she went to the hospital. It was always a severe, expensive situation.) Ashley was in serious pain. She had to go to the hospital. She had appendicitis, and her appendix needed to be removed. The woman immediately jumped into her travel attire, which consisted of a black velour jacket and matching pants, caught a redeye flight to Washington D.C., and was there by 8 A.M. when Ashley woke up from her drugged state. The woman stayed for over a week helping her daughter to and from school, carrying her backpack for her, helping her to the bathroom - everything a sick child wants from their mommy.

The woman now had her life back. Her motherly obligations were done. She had raised two amazing daughters who were accepted into college and had career plans. She could go back to being a married woman whose husband, now retired, constantly wanting to spend time with her. His idea of fun — sitting outside in the blazing 110-degree heat — was not her cup of tea, but she did it anyway.

He tagged along on all of her errands, even when it included going shopping. He harassed her with, "Why do you need that?" or "You don't really need that, do you?" or "We're on a budget." Her response was always "Yes, I always need it." What she "needed" was always another pair of black dress pants or another jacket to go with the black pants that would sit in the closet with the price tag still attached waiting for years to be worn. I think she is confused between need and want.

Anyway, now, her oldest daughter, Ashley, has graduated college with a double major and a Masters Degree. Her youngest daughter is about to graduate from the University of Oklahoma, one year early, and is about to celebrate her 21st birthday. She said to her daughter on the phone, "You're my baby; you're not supposed to turn 21."

She is the best woman I have ever known. She gave up her life and devoted it to her kids. She gave them everything they could ever want or need. Who is this woman? She's my mom.

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/10/04/111740.php (Link to Publication)

How Significant Historical Events Affected African Americans in the Magazine Industry

Propaganda and Aesthetics: The Literary Politics of Afro-American Magazines in the Twentieth Century by Abby Arthur Johnson and Ronald Maberry Johnson explains how Afro-American magazines paved the way for black writers since the early 1900s. Magazines such as Voice of the Negro and Horizon gave black writers a place to be published where they could provide insight to readers in ways that they had not been able to do before. These magazines began with a focus on political and social issues, which eventually led to the creation of black literature. Six chapters tell the saga of American history, while Afro-American writers were focusing on issues that were important to them. American history along with the history of African American magazines showed that these magazines are now historical documents in their own right.

Throughout the book, historical context is taken into consideration, with more emphasis given to significant issues. Historical information from the late 19th century sets the tone early in the novel and helps to understand and explain what was happening when Afro-American magazines were an upcoming phenomenon. The authors show how magazines were used to address the cultural attitudes and helped give a voice to those attitudes. They discuss the "function of black art" and whether this was racial propaganda or art with no racial bias. Publications change over time, from Voice of the Negro to magazines such as Crisis and Messenger that reflected the Harlem Renaissance. Themes changed to reflect Depression-era problems. A number of small magazines and special issues chronicled concerns for blacks through the early 1970s. Over the past century the names of the magazines changed but the focus and issues important to blacks always remained the same.

The Afro-American magazines that addressed issues from the 1900s to 1976 are important to American history and should be considered historical documents on their own. It was interesting to read about the evolution of African American magazines and publications and how they fit into the American history timeline. As a whole, Afro-American magazines can be accepted at face value because they provide insight into a segment of society that has not had much of a voice over the years. The ideas of these magazines are interesting; and, while one may not believe every word in every story, it enhances the understanding of life for blacks in the 1900s.

Propaganda and Aesthetics provides immense detail on how past publications have evolved to address issues for blacks. The book is divided into six chapters that discuss different topics in a chronological order. The chronicle is told mostly through quotes from significant writers, poets, editors, and important African Americans. This creates a very well-researched novel in which historical information was taken into account. The information provided through quotes, instead of through the authors directly adds depth for the reader. The quotes help explain the time period, changes made to publications, and the significant events facing blacks. The long quotes and continuous name dropping in a single sentence causes the reader difficulty in deciphering who is receiving the attribution.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A76ENWTOYT849/ref=cm_pdp_profile_reviews/104-7781901-3577547?ie=UTF8&sort%5Fby=MostRecentReview (Link to publication)