So, last year I made a goal of reading 36 books over the 12 months of the year. If I were reading up to my usual speed and frequency, this would have been an easy feat, but since I was not...I didn't make it. However, I will share the list of books I read for 2010. I'm trying again to reach 36 for this year...but I'm off to a very slow start.
1.) No More Playas by Brenda Jackson
2.) Marked by P.C. and Kristen Cast
3.) Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon
4.) The Warded Man by Peter Brett
5.) Night Embrace by Sherrilyn Kenyon
6.) Dance With the Devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon
7.) Kiss of the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon
8.) Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon
9.) Seize the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon
10.) Any Rich Man Will Do by Francis Ray
11.) Sins of the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon
12.) Unleash the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon
13.) Dark Side of the Moon by Sherrilyn Kenyon
14.) Devil May Cry by Sherrilyn Kenyon
15.) Dream Chaser by Sherrilyn Kenyon
16.) Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon
17.) Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
18.) Nappily Married by Trisha R. Thomas
19.) God Still Don't Like Ugly by Mary Monroe
20.) Orange, Mint and Honey by Carleen Brice
21.) Stone Cold Surrender by Brenda Jackson
22.) Jared's Counterfeit Fiancee by Brenda Jackson
23.) The Someday List by Stacy Hawkins Adams
24.) Dead In the Family by Charlaine Harris
25.) Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
26.) Betrayed by P.C. and Kristen Cast
27.) Chosen by P.C, and Kristen Cast
28.) Untamed by P.C. and Kristen Cast
29.) Hunted by P.C. and Kristen Cast
30.) Tempted by P.C. and Kristen Cast
31.) Burned by P.C. and Kristen Cast
32.) I Am Number 4 by Pittacus Lore
Now, the purpose of this goal was for me to read through some of the 86 books on my own personal bookshelf that I have yet to read and have owned for years. But it didn't work out that way. Out of 32 books, 22 were borrowed from the library, 5 were newly purchased in 2010 either in paper or on my Kindle and the remaining 5 were from my bookshelves! This year hasn't started off any better. I've spent more time in the library than on my own shelves. But I'll get to them eventually.
Thursday, June 23
The Color Purple
I made it to see The Color Purple while it was on tour last season. I could say it was my Thanksgiving gift to myself. I'm glad I went to see it. After hearing so much about it while it was on Broadway and not being able to make it to New York, I was elated when it finally came on tour.
Having said that, I must admit that, for me, the hype had me so excited that the musical itself was a little of a let down. Let me qualify this by saying that the music was great. The singers were great. I even got to see Latoya London from American Idol playing Nettie and that was very exciting for me. I think what let me down wasn't the music itself, or the acting, but the storyline. The story of The Color Purple has been present in my life through book and movie for almost all of my life. So much so that when the movie comes on TV, I don't even watch it anymore. I avoid that channel at all cost because, while I don't want to see it, if I flip past it, I will stop and recite the lines I know by heart along with the movie. I've read the novel by Alice Walker three times. I think part of me was thinking that the playwrights of the musical would have taken some creative license with the storyline and changed or added some things, like they do in movies. They did add some things for the benefit of fitting in the songs (like the scene for Push the Button) but there was so much that was pretty much exactly like the book or movie that I found myself wanting to fast-forward to the next song. But, that was my issue & my issue only. I went with a friend who absolutely loved it in its entirety. So to each her own. I don't regret seeing it, I still think it was money well spent, I just expected more.
Having said that, I must say that I was exceptionally disappointed in the AUDIENCE! You know how they have the announcement every time before a play or musical stating to "please refrain from taking flash photography during the performance" or "taking pictures during the show is prohibited" and "please silence or turn off your cell phones." Well, leave it to the one musical I go to, with a predominately black (us) audience and a predominately black cast to have folks taking pictures with flash DURING THE SHOW and cell phones ringing in both sections of the show (before and after intermission). You know that part of you that wants to look around in aggravation and exclaim "are you serious?" I spent a good part of the musical suppressing that part because that wouldn't make me any different than them. But it was so disappointing. It was also disappointing to realize how many people have not read the book! I mean, come on! Its an African-American Fiction Classic!!!! You should have heard the audible, loud gasp that went through the crowd when Celie said her baby was her daddy's baby, and then later that her daddy was her step-daddy!!! Come on people!
So anyway, that was that experience. I probably will not go see it again as I have other musicals because, while it is a classic, I have been inundated with The Color Purple all my life....I'm classic-ed out. lol
Having said that, I must admit that, for me, the hype had me so excited that the musical itself was a little of a let down. Let me qualify this by saying that the music was great. The singers were great. I even got to see Latoya London from American Idol playing Nettie and that was very exciting for me. I think what let me down wasn't the music itself, or the acting, but the storyline. The story of The Color Purple has been present in my life through book and movie for almost all of my life. So much so that when the movie comes on TV, I don't even watch it anymore. I avoid that channel at all cost because, while I don't want to see it, if I flip past it, I will stop and recite the lines I know by heart along with the movie. I've read the novel by Alice Walker three times. I think part of me was thinking that the playwrights of the musical would have taken some creative license with the storyline and changed or added some things, like they do in movies. They did add some things for the benefit of fitting in the songs (like the scene for Push the Button) but there was so much that was pretty much exactly like the book or movie that I found myself wanting to fast-forward to the next song. But, that was my issue & my issue only. I went with a friend who absolutely loved it in its entirety. So to each her own. I don't regret seeing it, I still think it was money well spent, I just expected more.
Having said that, I must say that I was exceptionally disappointed in the AUDIENCE! You know how they have the announcement every time before a play or musical stating to "please refrain from taking flash photography during the performance" or "taking pictures during the show is prohibited" and "please silence or turn off your cell phones." Well, leave it to the one musical I go to, with a predominately black (us) audience and a predominately black cast to have folks taking pictures with flash DURING THE SHOW and cell phones ringing in both sections of the show (before and after intermission). You know that part of you that wants to look around in aggravation and exclaim "are you serious?" I spent a good part of the musical suppressing that part because that wouldn't make me any different than them. But it was so disappointing. It was also disappointing to realize how many people have not read the book! I mean, come on! Its an African-American Fiction Classic!!!! You should have heard the audible, loud gasp that went through the crowd when Celie said her baby was her daddy's baby, and then later that her daddy was her step-daddy!!! Come on people!
So anyway, that was that experience. I probably will not go see it again as I have other musicals because, while it is a classic, I have been inundated with The Color Purple all my life....I'm classic-ed out. lol
Tuesday, June 21
Getting Back
Ok, it's been a while since I've posted here. The last few months have been so packed with deaths and births and other, time consuming activities as well as starting a new blog and a new journey that I have neglected to continue working on the blog dedicated to my passions. I have not stopped reading. I have not stopped attending shows. I just haven't taken the time share them here, so those things will be coming and coming soon. I haven't forgotten about you, blog nation, I just took a little break.
More to come.
More to come.
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