Labor Day movie review

A few weeks back I got the opportunity, along with two of my book clubs, to read Labor Day by Joyce Maynard. For the most part, everyone liked it just fine and felt it was a pretty quick read. I was excited to see the movie because it stars a few of my favorites, Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet. My book club ladies saw the movie at a few different times, a few of here, a bunch of us at another time.
The consensus was the movie was not far from the book and was exactly what we all expected; a Lifetime melodrama (not that that is a bad thing).

Here are few thoughts from my book club ladies:

"I thought the movie was a bit more believable than the book at the beginning in that they made it seem more like a kidnapping and the single mom wasn't just bringing home a random convict to expose her child too. I wasn't very impressed though. All my questions of why and how that I found very strange about the book and made me feel like huge sections of information were missing still existed in the movie. The fact that this all happened over a weekend makes it pretty hard to swallow."

"Followed the book well... except for making him actually kidnap them. Very " hallmark channel"."

Not a five star rating, obviously. I don't think Kate Winslet deserves any acting nods, for this was not her finest hour. In fact, most of her nervous being bothered me even though I totally understood it. It seemed forced, overly dramatic.

Josh Brolin's character was right on; the brooding, misunderstood, "I've come to save" you hunky handyman. The scenes where his story was told in flashback form I thought would be a bit confusing to those who did not read the book.

I liked how innocent the son was. I didn't think it needed to go into his issues with his sexuality and growing up.

Overall,we had a pleasant time hanging out and seeing something new, something we probably would not have gone to see otherwise.

We didn't love it and we didn't hate it.

Happy reading (and viewing) and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

TLC Book Tour: Brady Needs a Nightlight by Brian Barlics

This book is the first of a series entitled Fundamentales. Through colorful and personable characters, these books will give life to the exciting discoveries and challenges that children face. Through catchy rhymes, each lovable character of each book shares his or her story and provides a brief escape from the real world, a few laughs, and best of all, a fundamental lesson in each tale.  The series includes books about facing fears, being yourself, sharing, safety, eating right and staying active, doing chores, responsibility, and much more! (TLC Book Tours)

Brady Needs a Nightlight is a Mom’s Choice Awards Silver Honoree!

I am always on the look out for new children's books to read. My son is now 6 and is reading himself but we still read three books together every night. I look for all sorts of things; illustrations, writing, message, etc. I'm not always so heavy handed with it but overall, my son likes to read books that he can learn from. He ALWAYS asks questions these days. I love it! So this book spoke to me when it came on board for a tour and like the busy mom that I am, I promptly forgot to review it on time. Not even close...like a month later, here I am. :) (nervous laugh)

Anyway, this book is sweet and delightful. We enjoyed it when it first was introduced. I know my son likes a book when he requests to read it multiple times. Brady is afraid of the dark, a pretty common fear for children at some point during their childhood. How he deals with it is sweet and endearing. The illustrations are pretty simple; bright and colorful.

I'm intrigued by this Fundamentale series and will definitely look into other books with 

different scenarios to learn from.

About Brian Barlics

Brian was born and raised in New Jersey and currently lives in Northern California. He is a Pediatrician with a strong love for children and is dedicated to their health and well-being. He believes not only in the physical health of children but also in the enrichment of their minds and building of their character. He is a strong advocate of the well-supported idea that reading to your child encourages a strong parent-child bond, promotes literacy, and helps them tap into their seemingly endless imaginations. He has recently started a new venture as an author of children’s books. 

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child