I know everyone madly checks back here every day, wondering what books and movies I’ve seen for the 50/50 Challenge. No? I’m telling you anyway. You’re welcome.
Books this month:
1. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Kingsolver (for book club)
2. Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire
3. Anne of the Island by LM Montgomery
4. Encounter by Milan Kundera (essays)
5. Sky of Red Poppies by Zohreh Gharemani (who is a very very sweet and wonderful lady, and also makes the BEST potato salad I have ever eaten). It’s a coming-of-age story about two girls in pre-revolutionary Iran. You should read it for a better understanding of the country.
6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
7. White Noise, by Don DeLillo
8. The Bungalow by Sarah Jio, also sweet and wonderful and incredibly prolific for someone with three very young sons! (or for anyone, for that matter; her last, VIOLETS OF MARCH, came out last year, and she has another one, BLACKBERRY WINTER, coming out later this year!)
Movies:
1. I had to watch all of season one Downton Abbey; does that count? I am TOTALLY counting it and no one can stop me. Ha!
I got Anna on the “Which character are you?” quiz.
2. The True Story of Puss n Boots: A Redbox accident. NOT the Dreamworks one, to my everlasting dismay. Do NOT see! The worst movie I have ever seen and that includes Sylvester Stallone trying to do comedy. I only count it because it was on for the whole movie and I had to be in the room. William Shatner doing a high-pitched cat voice=drip water torture on the eardrums.
3. The Help: very good. Liked it as much as the book! That hardly ever happens.
4. Fright Night 2011: Boring. I made good progress on a knitted hat during it, though.
And yay! I discovered Redbox. Actually, I always knew it was there, I was just never organized enough to plan ahead and reserve movies beforehand.
MARGARET DILLOWAY 
You must read really quickly! I loved Sky of Red Poppies and completely agree that Zoe is wonderful. Also really liked Animal, Vegetable Miracle. How was The Night Circus? Seeing your list makes me realize I need to step up my game.
That’s right Leah! Step it up! We are getting into a writer-style cage fight with the book reading! I liked the Night Circus– it shifts back and forth in time which I found confusing until the end. Maybe it’s just me. Read it and let me know.
It’s funny because my TBR pile is still high– like I never make a dent no matter how many I read. And then I’ll do things like put my name in the hold line for a library book and then I get 6 at once and have to read them before they’re due!
I used to have all kinds of things I felt I SHOULD read, and because I’d come across ridiculous sales where hardcovers were a dollar and paperbacks were 50¢, I’d stock up…and then not read anything except what I thought was fun. Actually, I MADE myself read some of it, but I don’t do that anymore. Now I just read what I want to. I was buying everything—used, but still. I’ll probably gladly keep 90% of it, but until I find work, I have to knock that off.
I added the Kingsolver book you mentioned; she’s a favorite. Have you read her Prodigal Summer? Excellent. I’m also a big fan of Louise Erdrich and Margaret Atwood; I have an Atwood book—Oryx and Crake—in a short TBR pile.
So glad you’re in for fiftyfifty.me, Margaret! Your novel was already on my list to read!
BTW, if you are up for guest posting on fiftyfifty, we’d love to have you!
It’s a miracle that we get any reading done with Downton Abbey on, no?
Sure, Lily! I’d love to guest post. Let me shoot you an email at this address on the comment. Thanks.