Category: Movies for Adults

Victoria: A Novel by Daisy Goodwin and Victoria: Season 1

I knew very little about Queen Victoria.  The various Queens Elizabeth are much better known to me, but I am very glad I watched the Masterpiece show on PBS.  Daisy Goodwin wrote the TV show and also the book.  Having seen and read both, I would recommend you do the same.

Queen Victoria was quite small, under five feet tall.  She was imperious, and while an era is named after her, she was not the fierce little old lady I was expecting.  Her ascension to the throne happened when she was young, and many in power at the time tried to control her.  She was determined to rule wisely and make her own choices.  Jenna Coleman does a remarkable job in the title roll of the show, and if you look at pictures of Victoria when she was young, there is a good resemblance.  The show closely follows the book, but it is still enjoyable to check out them both.

Lord Melbourne is the Prime Minister and the Queen’s first love.  Lehzen, Victoria’s governess, later advisor and companion and Dash, the dog, also lend support.  Of course we must mention Prince Albert, also a fascinating character with an interest in modernization and his own difficulties being married to Royalty.  With politics, romance and history, this coming of age story is most enjoyable.  So do read the book and also see the DVD of season 1.  Some scenes were deleted from the original Masterpiece TV show, so it may be preferable to watch it on DVD if you are able.  And God save the Queen!  Request a copy.

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Maybe in Another Life
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Have you ever wondered how one decision can change your life? If you decide to cross the street at a certain time, does that affect your life? There was a lot of pondering about destiny and fate and what is or isn’t meant to be in this novel. Hannah is at club one night. She meets up with Ethan, a guy she had dated in high school. The book splits into alternating sections: one timeline where she decided to stay at the club with Ethan and one where she leaves with her friend to go home.

I really liked the premise. I enjoy the author and have read all of her books. I was very excited for this one to come out, and I finished it quickly. I would’ve preferred it to be a little less chick-lit-centric, but other than that, I enjoyed it. I like the idea of alternate universes, how each decision we make in life creates a different universe and that there are billions of possible universes where we are living different lives.

Tracers by J. J. Howard

Tracers
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If you’re looking for a book that reads like a movie — especially one that has actually been turned into a movie (which stars Taylor Lautner of Twilight fame) — you won’t want to miss this one!  Cam was a bicycle messenger in New York City who worked almost constantly because he needed to pay off a massive debt to a Chinatown loan shark.  One day, a girl literally fell from the sky and caused Cam to wreck his bike.  With no bike, he had no job, and no way to pay off his debt.  Cam was devastated.  He got a call from his boss the next day, though, informing him that the mystery girl had left him a sweet replacement bike.  When Cam was on a delivery run and ran into her, as she was doing parkour/tracing with some friends in Central Park, he couldn’t help but feel that fate was talking to him.  Cam fell nearly instantly for both Nikki and tracing.  After proving to be a quick study, Cam was invited to train with the group and even started working for their boss, Miller.  His gut kept telling him that he was only digging himself deeper into trouble, but Cam owed so much money that he couldn’t think of another way out.  If you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller, add this to your summer reading list!

The Place Beyond the Pines (DVD)

The Place Beyond the Pines

This film supposedly takes place in Schenectady, NY and follows parallel lives of two characters, a tattooed carnival stunt motorcycle driver played by Ryan Gosling and a young honest cop played by Bradley Cooper.  Their lives cross when Cooper chases down and kills Gosling’s character after he robs a bank trying to provide for the infant son from a one night stand with a waitress played by Eva Mendes. This act of violence causes others to call him a hero and we’re then immersed in a world of crooked police officers and life-changing moral dilemmas. The film then jumps ahead 15 years when the two teenage sons’ paths cross and cause us to see what went before in a whole different way. It’s a very intense film with great characters who are just trying to get through each day to support and provide for their family.