GeeVee's 2012 Challenge

[Dawn (& Ron)]

That's the one I thought but then since you like classic movies too, I thought it could have been the Greta Garbo version from the 30's.

I didn't know Riggs was in the new version!

[[deleted user]]

She's the nun who runs the hospital. Shouldn't you be getting to bed now, young lady?

[Dawn (& Ron)]

Yes, but I keep having problems with my review for the book I just read for Anna's bookclub and keep forgetting things and have to go back and fix it. I think I finally got it done and apologize for putting that through your feed so many times, I also kept forgetting to unclick show in my update feed. Geesh, hate when I do things like that.

[Kate]

Jeannette wrote: "I just recommended The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy to you last week, Geevee. The book is better than the film, as it is a fuller biography of both Bertie and Lionel. I l..."

I thought Colin Firth was simply outstanding in this! You would never have guessed he wasn't a born stutterer if you didn't know any better. A great film -- I snagged a copy from Costco when they got it in.

[[deleted user]]

Jeannette wrote: "She's the nun who runs the hospital. "

Somehow Emma Peel dressed up as a nun doesn't seem quite right...

[Geevee]

Kate wrote: "Jeannette wrote: "I just recommended The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy to you last week, Geevee. The book is better than the film, as it is a fuller biography of both Berti..."

Kate my mum said very similar in that she thought Colin Firth was exceptional in delivering such a convincing performance. I will watch and read )eventuall) :)

[[deleted user]]

Hayes wrote: "Jeannette wrote: "She's the nun who runs the hospital. "

Somehow Emma Peel dressed up as a nun doesn't seem quite right..."

She was 68 when the movie was released, so she looked the part.

[[deleted user]]

Geevee wrote: "Kate wrote: "Jeannette wrote: "I just recommended The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy to you last week, Geevee. The book is better than the film, as it is a fuller biography ..."

Even if you can't get to the book for a while, try to see the film. It is very good.

[Kim]

I also saw (and loved) the film of The Kings Speech before I read the book. Firth's performance is amazing. I've seen a couple of interviews in which he talked about the physical toll on him of playing the role of Bertie. He strained his throat and facial muscles, suffered from headaches and had tingling and immobility in his arm. You can see the physical effort in his performance.

The rest of the cast are wonderful too. Earlier on the day I saw the film, I had seen Geoffrey Rush on stage in Diary of a Madman (for which Rush later won a Tony award when the play was on Broadway). It felt like I was having my own Geoffrey Rush festival!

[[deleted user]]

Oh cool! I had never heard of Rush before the film, but then realized I had seen him numerous times before. He was a Pirate of the Caribbean, wasn't he? and I'm sure a million other things. I don't get to the cinema nearly as much as I would like (hate hate hate seeing dubbed films... no subtitles here) so I have to wait until they come to the satellite, which of course is not the same thing at all.

[Kim]

Hayes wrote: "I had never heard of Rush before the film, but then realized I had seen him numerous times before...."

Geoffrey Rush has been a stalwart of the Australian theatre industry for a million years. I used to think that I had first seen him playing Horatio in Hamlet in the mid 1990s, but more recently I realised that the very first time I saw him must have been in a production of The Importance of Being Earnest in the 1980s. However, he's done lots of international film work since winning the Best Actor Oscar for Shine in 1997.

And yes, he's in the various Pirates of the Carribean movies! I like him best in plays though. He played Lady Bracknell in a revival of The Importance of Being Earnest which I saw in January, and he was wonderful.

ETA. I share your hatred of dubbed films, Hayes.

[[deleted user]]

Kim wrote: "He played Lady Bracknell in a revival of The Importance of Being Earnest which I saw in January, and he was wonderful."

Oh! How I wish I could see that! I bet he was wonderful.

[Dawn (& Ron)]

I vote against dubbed films too, although the Japanese Godzilla films would just seem so wrong to be subtitled, LOL.

I think a million about covers the number of films Rush has been in. When I read his name, the first film that popped into my head with him in it was Quills, about the Marquis de Sade, with Kate Winslet.

[Christine]

I loved Quills.

[Geevee]

Just finished by Mark Stevens.

I'll write a review shortly but this was very good book about the reasons for setting Broadmoor up and the approaches to looking after male and female patients and criminal inmates plus the author covers some of the inmates in a little more detail including women and those hwo had babies there.

It is not a full history but the author positions this at the outset and again discusses this at the book's close.

And my review should it interest anyone: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Geevee]

Just finished this by Jon Savage which I thoroughly enjoyed. My review is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Geevee]

Just finished this which was a real insight into the iconic aeroplane of World War Two fame by Leo McKinstry

I'm still reading this, which is a real chunkster at 700 plus pages and I'm down to the last 100 by Max Hastings

Not sure what my next book will be for the Mountain as neither of my next two count as I wanted to join Marialyce's buddy read on by Walter Isaacson but my library's copy is on long term loan.

I also have this to read from the library too by Michael Dobbs

[Geevee]

I have just finished this (not one of my Mount TBR books but from the library) and what a great read by Michael Dobbs

I am now back on track with the climb up Mount Vancouver with this by Seymour Phillips

[Jemidar]

That bio of Edward II is supposed to be excellent.

[Geevee]

Hi Jemidar I am really enjoying it as it is highly readable and uses previous studies and contemporary accounts well - only problem is it is no good for commuting as it's so bloody heavy.

[Jemidar]

Nothing worse than lugging around a big heavy hardback!

[Geevee]

Jemidar wrote: "Nothing worse than lugging around a big heavy hardback!"

True but they look good on the book shelf :)

[Geevee]

Just finished this little gem from my TBR by William Orpen
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Not on my TBR so not counting towards my total but I have also just finished this:
by Diane Atkinson
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Geevee]

Just finished this heavy, big but readable biography
by Seymour Phillips