To see or not to see: Country Strong

Rarely do I venture out of the world of books here on this blog- but as this is my primary outlet to talk- I figure it's okay to step outside the book every once in a while. Plus- this is about a movie, which is like a cousin of the book, so I'm still in the right family. Here's a little back ground info on this topic.

1. I'm a huge country music dork. Love it. my zune is 90% country, 5% showtunes and 5% music I listened to when I was in High School (I'm talking about you Lit and Blink 182). The radio is always tuned to the country station as well. I also drive a Ram and tow my horse around to go riding in the wilderness- so that's where I'm at.

2. Huge movie fan. I don't get to go as much as I'd like (that shit's expensive!)- but I love watching movies. Add country music into the movie and I'm there.

3. Hate Gwyneth Paltrow. I have no rational reason for this. It just is. So you add Paltrow to a movie about country music and I'm out.

So that's where I stood when Country Strong crossed the radar. Movie (yay!) + Country music (double yay!) + Gwenyth Paltrow (boo!) = not paying for that. Of course, then Lainey at Lainey Gossip started posting videos from this movie.


Did you know that Garrett Hedlund is in this movie? And Blair Waldorf (whose real name I can not spell- and I'm too lazy to look up)? Those are both big, big pluses in my book. Please, I've been all over Garrett Hedlund since Four Brothers with Marky Mark Wahlberg. Almost obsessed, but the guy is so not in the spotlight that he is easily missed. He's got the lead in Tron and we barely see him out and about, playing the game, promoting this huge movie. It's no wonder I completely missed he was in Country Strong. I was too busy hating on Paltrow to notice.

Have you seen these videos? Go ahead, watch them, I dare you not to fall in love with this guy. I've already watched him sing Chances Are (first clip) a good dozen times.

I'm now editing my edit. I first thought I could post a video for Chances Are- then my site said I couldn't, that it wasn't available, so I sent you packing to Lainey Gossip. Then in the comments Just Your Typical Book Blog was nice enough to post some links to more videos and there it was. The video. Available for all of our enjoyment. So here you go...

So now I'm stuck- suffer through Paltrow pretending to be a country singer to get my Hedlund fix, or just watch these clips over and over again? Has there ever been a movie like this for you- where you fork over a rediculous sum of money to watch a supporting cast member in a movie starring some questionable actor? Lastly- are you know in love with Hedlund too?

How about now?

Best I've Read 2010 Day 7

Ready for another day of great authors, great books and great giveaways? I am ;) Today I'm featuring Ally Condie, Becca Wilhite, Stephanie Perkins, Denise Jaden!

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Matched
By Ally Condie
Published by Dutton Juvenile
Website: http://www.allysoncondie.com/


Book Summary:
(from Goodreads)
In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s barely any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

Matched is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic.

See my Review of Matched here

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My Ridiculous Romantic Obsessions
By: Becca Wilhite
Published by: Shadow Mountain
Website: http://www.beccawilhite.com/

Book summary: Sarah Howard's first year at the university is everything and nothing she expected especially when a very cute boy named Ben in her Art History class starts to show interest in her.

Sarah feels like she's an average, normal, everyday girl. So, when Ben (to whom she secretly refers as Adonis because she thinks he could be a Greek god) begins to take interest in her, Sarah is in denial. For one thing, last year she was deeply crushed and humiliated by Jesse James a guy who she thought liked her.

She's determined not to get burned again. But in her heart of hearts, what she really wants is a Jane Austen kind of romance. Ridiculous, right? That kind of romance doesn t exist anymore . . . or does it? Sarah is smart and fun to be around and even pretty, despite her Medusa-like red curls. She even plays the guitar. (So does Ben!) Yes, Sarah is everything Ben has wanted. He's crazy for her, but Sarah is just not getting it. She's playing hard to get, and if she s not careful, she s going to lose a real hot gentleman -- her 21st-century Mr. Darcy.

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Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Stephanie's Website: http://stephanieperkins.com/

Book Summary:(from Stephanie's website) Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend.
But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt.



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Losing Faith
By Denise Jaden
Released September 7, 2010
Published by Simon Pulse
http://www.denisejaden.com/

A terrible secret. A terrible fate. When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don’t know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but. As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith’s final night...a secret that puts her own life in danger.

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Giveaway time!! Today we have four great books to giveaway in one big package. This contest is US only and runs until Midnight on December 15th. Simply fill out the form below to enter!

• 1 copy of Matched by Ally Condie
• 1 copy of My Ridiculous Romantic Obsession by Becca Wilhite
• 1 copy of Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
• 1 copy of Losing Faith by Denise Jaden

Book Blogger Survey part duex

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
I have to admit, not often. Right now I read mostly YA and historical fiction for the blogs I contribute too and I would say those are pretty much my wheelhouse. Still, everyonce in awhile I'll grab somethign new and have at it!

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
YA and Historical Fiction

13. Can you read on the bus?
I'm not much of a bus rider, so I will substitute car and plane for bus. In that case the answer is yes. As a matter of fact if I'm not focusing on a book or magazine I do get motion sick. So the books really save the day in those situations!

14. Favorite place to read?
Ohhh- Top Ten Tuesday was on this subject this week- I went with Couch, Bathtub, Wyoming and Bed as my top four. Check out the post for why!

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I used to never lend them out, but more recently I've been pretty good about it. To my fellow reviewers at Eve's Fan Garden I have no problem sharing with (so long as they share their books with me)and to my best friend it's easy as she alsways gives them back. However, I did loan a whole stack to a family member 4 months ago and I still haven't seen them back yet, so....

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
Always. Unless the book doesn't belong to me, then I go for the bookmark. But my own books I am brutal with. Dog-eared, food smudges, wet spots (see favorite places to read, place two), covers missing. They look like they've been through war after I read them and I LOVE it.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Not really. I don't often stop long enough to take notes when I read. If I want to remember to take something down I make a small fold in the corner of the page so I can find the quote or thought when I'm done reading for the day.

18. Not even with text books?
Not even with text books. I'm more of a notes in a notebook type girl. Lots and lots of notes in a notebook. And the occasional post-it note.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
Elvish...

20. What makes you love a book?
This is a toughie because there are so many different things that can suck me in, but I think the over-riding idea is that it must suck me in. I have to not want to put it down. I know I loved it when I can't stop thinking about it. you also know I love it when I start demanding other people read it as well!

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
I wasn't much of a book pusher until I got involved with TwilightMoms and EFG, where people actually want to hear what I'm reading and if I like it. I'll push a book if it has the qualities of #20.

Stay tuned for more questions coming soon!