First Book of Modern Lace Knitting (1953-1972)

Book review Friday:
First Book of Modern Lace Knitting (Dover Knitting, Crochet, Tatting, Lace)

The title of this book is deceptive, unless you consider 1953 to be "modern".  For someone who loves to create doilies, and is looking for new patterns or techniques, this is still a fairly nice book.

There are some quirks you're going to want to be aware of, however.  First, all

Cowboys and Aliens (2011)

Cowboys and Aliens (2011) - Holy cow, I could barely muster enough enthusiasm to write this review.


A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take all of our gold.  A group of locals is all that stands in their way.

Ghost Graduation (2012)

A young teacher can't seem to keep a job because of his special gift... he's able to see and talk to spirits.  When he finally gets a job at a new school, it's inhabited by five spirits of students who died in a library fire in 1986.  Can he put his talent to use and help them move on?

Ghost Graduation (2012) is a Spanish, quirky mix of "Ghostbusters" and "The Breakfast Club".  The start of the film shows a young Modesto (Raúl Arévalo) when he sees his first ghost... he dances with a young girl at a school dance to

In Your Eyes (2014)

"In Your Eyes" - Two strangers... one in New Hampshire and one in New Mexico... are telepathically linked.  The nervous and timid Becky (Zoey Kazan, "What If") has a controlling jerk for a husband.  Down-on-his-luck Dylan (Michael  Stahl-David, "New Girl") is trying to escape his small-town life of crime.  The only bright thing about their lives is their link to each other.  An emotional bond is formed...  could it be love?

This independent film written and produced by Joss Whedon and directed by Brin Hill is a semi-sweet supernatural love story that's fairly unique.

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

Hot Tub Time Machine was a freebie rental from Microsoft video in preparation for the theater release of Hot Tub Time Machine 2 later this week, but you can also catch it on Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.  I caught it this time on the XboxOne, but it was a little glitchy.  The subtitles actually started during the previews so it was like they were predicting the future.... don't let them try to tell you it was on purpose.

Adam (John Cusack, "The Frozen Ground"), his nephew and two high-school buddies are all having a rough time of it, and decide to recapture their youth up at a ski resort where they spent the best times of their lives.  When they arrive, it's

The Right Kind of Wrong (2013)

Leo Palamino (Ryan Kwanten, "True Blood") is a struggling writer/dishwasher whose ex-wife wrote a blog all about him called "Why You Suck" right before she left him and took one of their pair of albino cats. Wallowing in his misery, he finally sees hope for love in the person of Colette (Sara Canning, "The Vampire Diaries").  One problem... he fell for her when she punted a football in her wedding dress on the church steps.  Will his pursuit of this married woman separate her from the seemingly-flawless lawyer Danny (Ryan McPartlin, "Chuck")?

"The Right Kind of Wrong" tries really hard to be cute and quirky, and it succeeds at that, for the most part, but the first half-hour makes it really, really obvious and it seems to try

100 Colorful Ripple Stitches to Crochet: 50 Original Stitches & 50 Fabulous Colorways for Blankets and Throws (Knit & Crochet)

It's book review Friday... time to wade into the multitude of crafting books I have and give an opinion.

100 Colorful Ripple Stitches to Crochet: 50 Original Stitches & 50 Fabulous Colorways for Blankets and Throws (Knit & Crochet)

This book with the super-long title is a bit misleading unless you use the whole wordy thing.  There are fifty stitches, each with two different color combinations.  Already, the book's value is cut in half... not a good beginning.  Then when you realize that the ripple stitches contained within mostly consist of changing how many plain stitches you do between creating the peaks and valleys, the book's value is lessened even further.

I was really hoping when I purchased this book that there would be at least one unusual motif or color combo, but there really isn't.  Skip this book... you'd get more value from a crochet stitch dictionary like The Complete Book of Crochet Stitch Designs: 500 Classic & Original Patterns

     

Thanks for Sharing (2012)

"Thanks for Sharing" - Adam is in recovery for sex addiction when he meets the impressive Phoebe at a party.  When sex is your drug of choice, how does dating work?

Mark Ruffalo and Gwyneth Paltrow kick off this movie about addiction... and at first glance it's a romantic comedy about two people with an awkward obstacle, but it's really, really not.  It's an unflinching look at addiction and recovery from almost all the angles.
I went into this movie with the idea that it would be a romantic comedy with most of the comedic elements focusing on sexual addiction and how funny that supposedly is, but this movie really surprised me.  The romance was really just a footnote, and the sexual addiction was never ridiculed.  The whole story was really about sobriety... getting to it, maintaining it, handling triggers and pitfalls, and dealing with slipping and nearly slipping.

A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014)

Unlicensed P.I. Matt Scudder is hired by the brother of a fellow 12-stepper to find the men who murdered his wife.  As he dives deeper into the case, it becomes clear that the men are serial killers with a vigilante mission.

There is nothing charming about these men, and there is nothing heartwarming about this movie.  If you are triggered by brutal assault, rape, or children in peril, this is not the movie for you.

Matt Scudder (Liam Neeson) is a former cop who gave up police work and drinking on the same day in 1991 after a bar where he was drinking is robbed and he chases down the perpetrators.  Fast forward to eight years later at the height of the Y2K panic (seriously, the referential "time stamp" was really close to getting annoying) and he's attending AA meetings.  One of his fellow addicts approaches him after with a proposal to help his brother.  What follows is a grim, trudging tour of New York.

Jack Reacher (2012)

Five random people are killed in a sniper attack, and the only thing the lead suspect writes down in police custody is "Get Jack Reacher".

This is the third time (off the top of my head) Tom Cruise has played a character named Jack... in Reacher (obviously), "Oblivion", and "Legend".  Let me be up front, right now... I dislike Tom Cruise.  I haven't liked his smug, arrogant face since "Risky Business", and I certainly don't like him any better since he joined a sketchy cult and is now donating millions to their coffers.  That being said, he does know how to make a pretty good movie.  I just wish I didn't feel a twinge of conscience every time I contribute to his career.  Now that the disclaimer is out of the way...

"Jack Reacher" (Tom Cruise) is the story of a former Army MP who had a sniper killing spree case get buried under a bureaucratic landslide. The suspect in this latest spree is

I Hate Valentine's Day (2010) PG-13

 

Available on Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, "I Hate Valentine's Day" is a romantic comedy filled with awkward.

Genevieve (Nia Vardalos) is a 30-something florist who has a simple policy:  Five dates and move on.  Then she meets former-lawyer-turned-Tapas-bar-owner Greg (John Corbett) and her policy doesn't work for her anymore.

This pair of actors, previously seen together in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding",