Gratitude December - Day 5 & Tuesday 4

Today is Day 5 of my posts about gratitude and those things for which I'm grateful. Saturday was a beautiful day and more sunny than what I managed to capture in these photos.

 

Overnight there was snow and you can see some on the north shore mountains just under the clouds in the photos below.  There was an awful lot of traffic.

 

 

 

I was on my way to pick up some books on hold at the library. I picked up  the 3 books at the top of the pile. The other 2 books I already had in my reading pile. I also have another 3 digital books. This is the most books I think I've had on loan at one time. I try to space them out and change hold dates if I need to so I can finish reading what I already have.  However these books all came suddenly. I think it means that people are not busy reading as much right now for them to all be available so quickly. I didn't have time to change the dates.

 

Anyhoo, books are on my gratitude list today. I love books! There are many places in the world where books are not readily available and yet here I can pick up all the books I could ever hope to want to read. How blessed I am!

Fortuitously there is a books and movies theme out for Tuesday 4 so I've decided to participate in that.

Tuesday 4 is published each week in memory of our dear friend Toni Taddeo, it's author.

1. Is there a hero or character on TV, in a book or a movie .. or even on all three, that you are especially like? What do you find attractive about them?

I love heroes. I like strong characters whether they be male or female although I'm likely more drawn to male heroes simply because we hear or see much more of them.  I've totally enjoyed the movie hero, James Bond as played by Daniel Craig. I looked forward to each and every movie release and I'm sad to see his role come to an end. As the old saying goes 'all good things must come to an end'.  What I liked about him in the role are his looks, his believability, his strength yet vulnerability, his conscience and his big heart.  As for female heroes, I think my favourite is Wonder Woman. I grew up watching the television series and was always enthralled by the female lead as played by Lynda Carter. I would say that the female lead, now played by Gal Gadot on the big screen is not as well developed a character but perhaps in time she will be.

 

2.  Was there a book that was better in movie form? How about a movie you thought didn't live up to the book?

One book that I can readily recall which I thought was better in movie form is The English Patient written by Michael Ondaatje, Sri Lankan Canadian.  This book came with a lot of hype and it took me years to get around to reading it. When I finally did I was sorely disappointed. I simply did not enjoy it at all. The movie on the other hand I did enjoy and the movie cast is made up on very talented actors.  It is rare that I've seen and enjoyed a movie more than a book I've read.  It's happened once or twice but at the moment I cannot think of any. One movie that surprised me is The Life of Pi. I'd read it many years before and I enjoyed it so much. I had to go and see the movie because I couldn't figure out how they might manage to turn the book into one. The movie was great too.

 

3. When you choose a book, program or movie which subject it is most likely to be: science fiction, mystery, romance, comedy, documentary, etc.?     What draws you to a particular book or movie?

I've been keeping track of the books I've read over the last 10 years. Too bad I didn't keep track of books I read before then. What I've discovered through tracking books is that I tend to be drawn primarily to books of historical fiction and books set in other countries or within different cultures. I'm surprised by that because though I liked Social Studies as a student I would not say that I was overly drawn to history though I realize it is important. It wasn't a surprise to me that I love books set in other countries and cultures since I love to learn about other places and people whether that be trying new foods, attending festivals, making friends or travelling.

 

 

4. How important is the title or picture on the cover of a book?   How much importance do you place on a movie because of the actors who are in it?

The title or cover design are important to me because if I'm unfamiliar with the author or the book content this is what will draw my eye to it on the bookshelves. I've picked up many books that way though whether I liked them is another issue.  I don't choose movies based solely on who my favourite actors are. It really depends on the subject matter and my own schedule. Having a favourite actor or two will help but is not the determining factor.

I hope you have had a fabulous weekend and I wish you a wonderful week ahead. I'm linking up with Tuesday 4.