Media Monday May 2016

Welcome to this month's Media Monday post!  I feel like I am running a little behind this time around because we just returned from a wonderful long weekend taking in views of the Texas hill country like the one below.  Wimberley, Pedernales Falls, the LBJ Ranch and Fredericksburg made it really hard to come back to the real world this week.  So my Media Monday post is a little delayed!

Here's the roundup of what we've been reading and watching for May's Media Monday...
BOOKS

I'll start this month's book list with my favorite...After You by Jojo Moyes.  Me Before You was one of my favorites from last year, so I couldn't wait to read the sequel.  An added bonus is that this was a great way to refresh my memory before the Me Before You movie comes out this summer.

If I describe this book at all, it will be a spoiler for the first book so I won't do that.  I had read some so-so reviews of the sequel, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  But I liked it almost as much as the original.  If you like Moyes' other books, you will like this one with lots of laughs and tears along the way.  (5 stars)

I have been interested in reading one of Bill O'Reilly's "Killing..." books for awhile now.  When I came across Killing Kennedy while shelving books at the library, I snagged it.   Amazon says this book recounts the gripping detail the brutal murder of John Fitzgerald Kennedy - and how a sequence of gunshots on a Dallas afternoon not only killed a beloved president but also sent the nation into the cataclysmic division of the Vietnam War and its culture-changing aftermath.

I really enjoyed this book.  It talks about historical facts in a way that makes them read like a novel. Even though the topic is serious, the book gallops along like a beach read or something you could finish in one sitting on an airplane ride.  I can't wait to check out some of the others in the series.  (4 stars)

I'm not quite sure where I heard about this middle grade novel called Counting by 7s, but I sure am glad I read it.  It deals with being an outsider, coping with loss, and finding friends who become a true family.  Here's how Amazon describes it:  

Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life . . . until now.  Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.

I really enjoyed this book, and the unique main character stuck in my mind for days.  I highly recommend this book for older kids, and it would make a great read-together or aloud book.  (4 stars)

The cover of Mr. Churchill's Secretary appealed to me on the library shelf.  It seems I can't get enough of all things British and World War II lately.  This is the first in a mystery series, and here is the description from Amazon:

London, 1940. Winston Churchill has just been sworn in, war rages across the Channel, and the threat of a Blitz looms larger by the day. But none of this deters Maggie Hope. She graduated at the top of her college class and possesses all the skills of the finest minds in British intelligence, but her gender qualifies her only to be the newest typist at No. 10 Downing Street. Maggie finds that working for the prime minister affords her a level of clearance she could never have imagined—and opportunities she will not let pass. 

I liked this mystery, but don't think I'll go on with the series.  Parts of the book seemed a little far-fetched, and there were several times when everything conveniently fell into place.  My favorite aspect of Mr. Churchill's Secretary was the setting, the Cabinet War Rooms in London.  (3 stars)

AUDIO

I don't have any exciting new music to write about.  I usually listen to a mix of pop, Christian, and country on Pandora or Amazon Prime Music.  But I do want to blog about some of the podcasts I listen to during my walks.  

My favorite podcast is What Should I Read Next by Anne of Modern Mrs. Darby.  In each episode, Anne interviews someone new, discussing 3 favorite books, 1 book they didn't enjoy, and what they're reading now.  Then she makes several recommendations on what they should read next.  

A few other podcasts I like:

• The Big Boo Cast - from long-time faves Boo Mama and Big Mama
• Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey
• Masterpiece Studio - discussion about various PBS shows
• NPR Planet Money - financial topics

TV and MOVIES

The kids and I rented The Good Dinosaur from Redbox during our flood week.  It was a really cute movie and we all loved it!

And on another flood day off from school, we saw the Jungle Book.  We loved this one too.  The animation of the animals is just incredible, and the familiar story is timeless.  I would like to add that I don't think this is a movie for little kids.  There are a lot of intense fight scenes that I think might frighten younger children.

When Calls the Heart on Netflix - I've started watching this when I want something on while doing chores and the kids are around.  Like most Hallmark movies, it's wholesome, light entertainment.

Call the Midwife on PBS - I continue to watch my old favorite, usually using the PBS app.

Gortimer Gibbons on Amazon Video - Jack and I watch a few episodes of this quirky kids show each week.

The Vikings on Amazon Video - Michael and I are watching this series.  After about 5 episodes into season one, it's getting good!

What are you reading and watching lately?

Linking to:
Bookworm Wednesday with Better Off Benedict and Colors of Life

New on the Stack with the Deliberate Reader

Quick Lit with Modern Mrs. Darcy

Reading Wednesday with Wife Mommy Me

Tuesday Talk with Our Pretty Little Girls (and others)