Julia McDermott's Blog, page 15

List Post, juillet 2015 (July)

More than halfway through 2015!?!?!

So happy to read my latest REVIEW on UNDERWATER (5 STARS!):  “Very well written and suspenseful. Puts you on the edge of your seat. Looking for more by this author! Amazing.” Thanks!
Looking forward to Sunday Sept. 6, when I’ll be a Mystery/Thriller Panelist at the Decatur Book Festival! Check the website often for updates on the festival schedule. 
Preparing for 2 July Book Signing Events: Saturday July 18 from 12;00 to 3:00 at Crema Espresso Gourmet in Dunwoody, GA (Mt. Vernon & Jett Ferry), and Saturday July 25 from 1:00 to 4:00 at the Fayette County Public Library,where I’ll join some of my Sisters in Crime for a panel.

 

 

Pizza and a Movie: Me & Earl & the Dying Girl

This weekend’s Pizza Toppings at Corner Pizza:

Fresh Garlic
Portobellos
Spinach

Movie:

Me & Earl & the Dying Girl

This one was another vegetarian pizza, and all topping selections were my husband’s.

Initially, I balked at the choice of garlic, and even offered to switch it for jalapeños (on only half the pizza, though). But I like garlic, it’s healthy, and with all the other ingredients on the pizza, I knew it wouldn’t be overpowering. Besides, he didn’t agree to switch.

The pizza was very good, and someday, I’ll agree to jalapeños – just not yet.

Now for the movie. Poignant, witty, cleverly done, well cast, and well acted…and, in the words of one reviewer, “rips your heart out.” Shades of the films The Fault in our Stars and 50/50. The awkwardness of high school faces cancer (the “dying girl” has leukemia) – and the result is both relatable and difficult to imagine.

However – as a mom (and a caregiver), not as the patient – I could relate to the film more than I couldn’t. My son was in college, so a little older than the dying girl, when he was diagnosed with cancer. In my latest book, ALL THE ABOVE, I tell his story from my perspective.

The movie brought one particular passage in that book to my mind:

“My thoughts traveled back to when I was nineteen and in college, a time when my biggest concerns were writing papers, studying for exams, and meeting boys. If I had been told one day that I had a brain tumor, my whole world would have crashed and collapsed. 

I would have cried for days, if not weeks. Like Jack, I would have mourned the loss of my summer, the plans I had looked forward to. [But unlike Jack,] I would have felt very sorry for myself. I would have wanted to stay in my room and hide.

I wouldn’t have been able to deal with the crushing blows that just seemed to keep on coming for Jack.” 

Unlike pizza topping choices, you can’t even try to bargain about cancer, notwithstanding that bargaining is one of the stages of your grief.

But you can hold onto hope.

Me and Jack in Fall 2010. His hair was just starting to grow back after radiation treatment.

Pizza and a Movie: Inside Out

This weekend’s Pizza Toppings at Corner Pizza:

Bacon
Black Olives
Capers

Movie:

Inside Out

Call it our BBC pizza, and like the British (maybe), it was a bit salty. I didn’t tell my husband, but I had mentally selected the toppings before we arrived (I don’t know why, but they just randomly occurred to me). When it was time to place our order, though, he agreed to my choices. We had talked about another vegetarian pizza, but bacon seemed appealing, for some reason.

You can hardly see the capers, but they’re there. And we hadn’t had black olives in forever.

The two of us had decided earlier on what film to see. We love Pixar, and I was expecting another Toy Story-like experience. I liked Inside Out a lot, and it was very clever, but was just a tad less good than Toy Story (any of them). It was funny and heartfelt, however; you may have heard that some of the characters are actually the main character’s feelings.

If you ever had to move when you were a kid but didn’t want to (I have), you’ll relate to it. All in all, I thought the movie was well done and very enjoyable, and it had a satisying ending. As a bonus, all the feelings had (sometimes, surprisingly) important roles…

There was one scene in particular I found very funny (but there were many). This isn’t a spoiler, but it had to do with remembering people’s phone numbers, the names of presidents, and a vacuum cleaner, of sorts. That’s all I’ll say about that. :-)

Final verdict: entertaining, funny, and well-written. On the pizza: tasty, and unusual. Both were memorable, and evoked very good feelings.

 

 

Pizza and a Movie: Jurassic World

This weekend’s Pizza Toppings at Corner Pizza:

Ground Beef (hamburger)
Mushrooms
Sliced Tomatoes

Movie:

Jurassic World 

Okay – it was a hamburger pizza, complete with toppings you might put on one, and I guess it was in honor of Father’s Day this weekend. But it was tasty, and lighter than burgers would have been. And then we went to see Jurassic World.

We had gone to see Jurassic Park, I think (or maybe, with four young kids at home then, we rented it), and I had read that book by Michael Crichton. I had read and heard a little about this film (“it was the same story, basically”), and like Jurassic Park, it was suspenseful and scary. But I enjoyed the earlier film a lot more.

Although – don’t get me wrong. I’m as glued to the screen when I see (fake) dinosaurs gobble up people as the next person is. The story line was clever enough, and the little bit of dialogue was okay. But the thing that got me thinking the most was, how did that woman run so far, so long, and so fast in high heels?

A lot has been written recently about the same issue, and before I saw the film, I read the New York Times article Science Weighs in on High-Heels. But until I watched the heroine in action, I forgot about what I’d read. Then, I saw the actress wearing them early in the movie. And I kept waiting for her to take them off, especially after another character pointed them out to her.

But she didn’t – at least, I saw her still wearing them, at the end. If a movie (or book) calls for it, I’m happy to engage in the willing suspension of disbelief for the sake of the story, but I must say that in this instance, I had a hard time with it.

Who runs in high heels, anyway? If I were her and a dinosaur were chasing me, kicking off those heels would have been the first thing I’d have done. I do wear heels (and flats), and the last time I wore heels and regretted not taking them off was a couple of years ago, when I danced for too long at a wedding. My feet and ankles ached for days afterward, and I learned my lesson. I don’t really know why I kept them on that night, but I suspect it was the combination of vanity (I had just bought those shoes) and champagne.

In any case, back to the movie, and to the pizza. My husband seemed to enjoy both, and I don’t think he noticed the high heels marathon – he didn’t remark about it. He rarely takes note of what size heels I wear (even though he’s only a few inches taller than me), but once, he did marvel that I had packed four pairs of beige (nude) shoes of various heel height on weeklong trip to Texas and California. I smiled then and took it as a compliment.

Today, I’m off to a book signing at The Book Worm Bookstore in Powder Springs, Georgia, along with two other authors. I wasn’t sure whether to wear heels or flats, so I compromised. I’m wearing the heels and taking the flats along in case I need them.

But I won’t be running!

 

 

List Post, juin 2015 (June)

Halfway through June…but here’s this month’s list:

NEWS FLASH! I’m going to be on a panel at this year’s DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL over Labor Day Weekend in September! Read about it here and stay tuned for more details. 
I’ll be signing copies of UNDERWATER at The Book Worm Bookstore in Powder Springs, GA this Saturday, June 20, from 1:00 to 3:00. 
It’s a “Sisters” thing! From 1:00 to 4:00 on Saturday, July 25, I’ll join several fellow Sisters in Crime authors at the Fayette County Public Library for a panel and Book Signing.
Here’s my latest 5 STAR REVIEW of  ALL THE ABOVE: My son’s battle with brain cancer:  “It was a very good book. It read like a novel even though it is a true story! Having a son around the same age as Jack, I really related to his story especially from his mother’s perspective. It was quite a roller coaster from before the diagnosis on. I just kept asking myself “what would I do?” in that same situation. I am not sure I could have handled it with the same strength and grace as the McDermott family. Thanks to the author for sharing this very personal story – that in itself – takes courage!” 
ALL THE ABOVE has been in the TOP 20 Best Sellers on Kindle for WEEKS! Download your copy now, order it in print, or contact me for a signed copy!
Waiting to hear: The Georgia Writers Association will announce the winners of the Georgia Author of the Year Awards (GAYA) later this month. UNDERWATER is a nominee in the Detective/Mystery Category.
Making Final Revisions to WIP, but not telling any more about it – yet!

Pizza and a Movie: I’ll See You In My Dreams

This weekend’s Pizza Toppings at Corner Pizza:

Arugula
Corn
Poblano Peppers

Movie:

I’ll See You In My Dreams

My husband and I are as fond of Arugula as anyone else is – but neither of us had ever had it on a pizza before. Interestingly (to me, since I don’t know how to cook – and my husband seemed bemused at my surprise, since he does cook), the chefs added it after the pizza had been baked. So it kind of felt like a (substantial) garnish.

I guess if they hadn’t done that, it wouldn’t have worked out too well. But I was all prepared for something warm and wilty, like spinach.

In any case, it was the vegetarian pizza we had agreed on last week. The arugula made it feel kind of salad-y, too, and it was colorful, light and tasty. Afterward, we headed to the cinema, and here’s my review of I’ll See You In My Dreams:

I’ll start with what I liked (in order):

The singing. Blythe Danner was fantastic at that, and I thought she did a great job acting in the film.
The fact that her character was always asking for, offering, and drinking wine.
The pool guy (not your typical one, but I thought he was sweet, and I wanted the best for him).
Sam Elliott was great, too, and well cast, but I’ve always been kind of 50 – 50 on him, for some reason. However, I thought all the actors were well cast.
The dialogue, for the most part. In one scene, there was a much needed reference to an imaginary guy named Alphonse that I thought was particularly funny.

What I didn’t like:

Basically, the story.

In short, it was sad – sadder than I thought it would be. I felt for Carol (Blythe Danner) and wanted her to find happiness. What she decided on at the end just didn’t quite do it for me.

I’ve read that some people found the movie touching, even witty, and I didn’t think it was a bad movie. But I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would.

Maybe it’s like Arugula, in that you kind of have to be in the mood for it. And you might just love it.

Pizza and a Movie: Spy

This weekend’s Pizza Toppings at Corner Pizza:

Feta Cheese
Italian Sausage
Shallots

Movie:

Spy

You may have noticed that my movie titles are getting shorter. (I can’t imagine a shorter one than this week’s selection.)

Spy was a good film, and very funny. Yes, it was a bit raunchy and had a lot of profanity, but even so, I thought the dialogue was great: well written and well delivered. There were so many funny lines (evoking laughs from the audience) that sometimes I missed the next (probably funnier) line, because I couldn’t hear it above the laughter. The physical humor was also funny, and I didn’t find it over the top. The story was entertaining, and unlike last week’s film, the movie didn’t dissapoint.

If you want to laugh a lot and you don’t mind bad words and silliness, go see it. I thought one of the supporting characters was even funnier than the star of the film.

Now for the pizza. I chose feta, and my husband chose the other two toppings. It worked out fine (even though we had Italian sausage another time, recently), but we agreed that next time, we ought to go for a vegetarian pizza, and make sure at least one topping is green. When I suggested arugula, my husband had a lukewarm reaction – but I have a week to work on him.

Speaking of working on him, our wedding anniversary is coming up later this month (as it happens, on a Friday). I’m sure that over the years, we’ve negotiated quite a bit about decisions, big and small – probably, tons more times than there are pizza topping combinations at Corner Pizza (click on above tab “Pizza and a Movie“ for more about that number). However, it doesn’t feel like it’s been that many times.

Because, I’ve found that if you keep a sense of humor about things (and if you can laugh together), that’s way more important than getting exactly what you think you want, all the time.

 

 

 

 

 

Pizza and a Movie: Aloha

This weekend’s Pizza Toppings at Corner Pizza:

Ham
Pineapple
Portobellos

Movie:

Aloha

I’m not fond of cold pineapple (unless I’m eating it in Hawaii), but there’s something about warm pineapple…

This week, my husband selected all the toppings, one of them possibly inspired by the movie we had chosen to go see. My first choice was Mad Max: Fury Road, but the start time of Aloha was preferable to both of us, and we like the film’s actors.

Bad decision.

Because, even though we agreed we were more in the mood for something light (and I’ve always been more of a Mad Max -er than my husband), well, we didn’t really like Aloha.

The story was scattered, haphazard, and even somewhat boring. If you’re looking for a beach resort in it, you won’t find it. There was a great dancing scene (too short) and my favorite scene in the film was towards the end: a pantomime between Bradley Cooper and John Krasinski (sort of like the movie The Artist, but very funny – and I love John Krasinski!). I laughed out loud during that scene, and so did most of the other people in the theater.

But it didn’t make up for the rest of the film.

Oh, well. Good friends of ours are currently vacationing in Hawaii, so it just seemed to fit. I suspect they aren’t eating pizza, but I hope they’re enjoying the sweet, juicy pineapple!

Pizza and a Movie: Woman in Gold

This weekend’s Pizza Toppings at Corner Pizza:

Artichoke Hearts
Italian Sausage
Red Onion

 

Movie:

Woman in Gold

This week, I made the pizza topping choices and the movie selection. I’d read a little about the movie and wasn’t sure I would like it. But normally, when there’s art in a film, I do.

For example:

Big Eyes
The Monuments Men
Ocean’s Twelve (I think that was the one about art, and not Eleven or Thirteen, but I like both of those)
and even My Left Foot.*

I also usually like movies about World War II (too many to list, but The Monuments Men is one of those, too.)

And you can’t go wrong with Helen Mirren.

The story was engaging, and I loved the courtroom scenes. As a bonus, one of my favorite actresses from Downton Abbey popped in as a judge (although not on the Supreme Court).  It was based on a true story, something I always find intriguing. I’m not a fan of time travel in movies (or books), but I do like flashbacks, and in Woman in Gold, the scenes set in Austria when the main character was young were powerful and emotional.

And the pizza was great!

*What are some other movies about art or that have works of art in them?

 

 

Pizza and a Movie: Far from the Madding Crowd

For my first Pizza and a Movie blogpost, here’s what we had at Corner Pizza, and here’s the movie we saw last Friday night (click on the tab above, for more info, and the archive list):

Pizza toppings:* 

Anchovies
Ground beef (hamburger)
Sun-dried tomatoes

Movie:

Far from the Madding Crowd 

Not everybody likes anchovies, but my husband and I do – occasionally. We rarely choose hamburger as a topping (it was his selection, that night), but we often choose sun-dried tomatoes.

It was that rare combination of both a Friday and a mid-month payday, and it was a beautiful spring evening.** I wanted to see the movie we chose (it was conveniently showing at 7:30), and my husband didn’t object. (We both like British literature, British movies, and Downton Abbey.) Plus, we had recently seen Ex Machina, so I was in the mood for something completely different.

Our pizza was very good (as usual), but, not knowing I was going to write a blog post about it, I didn’t take a photo of my first slice. On the way to the show, we discussed the name of the film. Without troubling to check, I insisted that the title was Far from the Maddening Crowd.

“It’s madding, not maddening,” said my husband.

“I say it’s maddening,” I replied. [Maddening just sounded like what it ought to be, and I hadn’t read the book.] “Let’s make a bet.”

“Okay,” he said. “You’re on.”

When we arrived, I found out I was wrong. Oh, well. It was kind of fun to guess and see if I knew it, instead of immediately looking the title up to see. The movie was very entertaining, and well done–both of us enjoyed it–and the characters were engaging. It was a great date movie!

* Here are the topping choices at Corner Pizza:

Anchovies
Artichoke Hearts
Arugula
Bacon
Banana Peppers
Black Olives
Capers
Chicken
Corn
Feta
Fresh Garlic
Green Olives
Ground Beef (hamburger)
Ham
Italian Sausage
Jalapeño Peppers
Mushrooms
Pepperoni
Pineapple
Poblano Peppers
Portobellos
Red Onion
Shallots
Sliced Tomatoes
Spinach
Sun-dried Tomatoes
Xtra Cheese

** And the crowd was neither madding nor maddening!

Note: In your comments, I ask that you not be critical, snarky or judgmental of our topping choices, movie selection, or my post itself…and your topping (and movie) suggestions are welcome!