1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to a special edition a movie Mix 2 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: movie podcast. I am your host, Movie Mike, joined today 3 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:08,440 Speaker 1: by my wife and co host Kelsey. How are you? 4 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: I'm great Ish question Mark. At the time of recording, 5 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: we are currently trying to get out of Tennessee to 6 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 1: make it home for Christmas. So spoiler alert on what 7 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,439 Speaker 1: happens in our life. Do we make it for Christmas 8 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:23,600 Speaker 1: or not? I think we make it. I'm gonna I'm 9 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: gonna have the Christmas spirit. I leaned towards my pessimism 10 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 1: and say we don't but have a great Christmas anyway. 11 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: I mean, I think we'll be fine either way. We 12 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: have each other if we stay here, that's true, that's 13 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: all we really need. But I'm currently tracking our plane 14 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: and it's it's making moves. But we are here today 15 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: to talk about a couple of things. We're gonna do 16 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,599 Speaker 1: a spoiler version of our Avatar review and then you 17 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: have your favorite books of the year. Yeah. I we 18 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 1: decided we wanted to record this and if you've listened 19 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: to our other episodes, I wanted to read seventy five 20 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: books by the end of the year, and with ten 21 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: days left, I finished on December twenty one with my 22 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,759 Speaker 1: seventy five book of the year. Really, I really did 23 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 1: this for you all so I could give my definitive 24 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:10,960 Speaker 1: top books of the year. And I'm gonna break it 25 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: down into several categories, so I like a top ten. 26 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: So we have all that. First, let's get into the 27 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 1: Avatar Way of the Water spoiler edition of this review. 28 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:22,119 Speaker 1: Spoiler alert. It's long. It is long. So this movie 29 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: was three hours and ten minutes, twelve minutes, twelve minutes, 30 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: and every minute counts out for three hours. There was 31 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,040 Speaker 1: so much going on in this movie, and just thinking 32 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: back of all the spoiler parts to it, do you 33 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: feel before we get into it, I want to know, 34 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 1: do you think it was worth a three hour and 35 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: ten minute runtime? Because I know going into it that 36 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: was your biggest thing of like, oh man, this movie 37 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 1: is so long. I so did not want to go 38 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: see that movie, but I also wanted to spend time 39 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: with you, so I was like, I'll sit through it. 40 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. 41 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: But I think we could have cut an hour out 42 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 1: of the film. We could have an hour. I think 43 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: we could have cut an hour. I lean more towards 44 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: cutting about twenty to thirty minutes out of it. We 45 00:01:58,040 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: could have got an hour. I think just getting it 46 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 1: under the three hour mark would have been perfect for me. 47 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: But I still found myself enjoying it, And you, like 48 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: I am, aren't the biggest fan of the original, right, No. 49 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: I've talked on here before about how I went on 50 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 1: a cruise several years ago with my family and this 51 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:16,359 Speaker 1: is the only movie they played on loop. I don't 52 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: know if they made some kind of deal, but Avatar 53 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: was on it every hour. And the worst part is 54 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: when you're in a cruise ship, like in the interior rooms, 55 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: you have no concept of what time of day it is, 56 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: and Avatar is just on a never ending loop. Kind 57 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: of starting a little bad. So now we're gonna have 58 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: Avatar and Avatar two on a loop. So that's a 59 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 1: whole five hour chunk that cruises can get in. I 60 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: mean yeah, once you put them together, it's probably like 61 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,959 Speaker 1: six hours. You can only play both of them four 62 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: times a day. So the biggest spoiler in this movie, well, 63 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:48,639 Speaker 1: it starts with I feel like the whole plot was 64 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 1: pretty simple. Yeah, for three hours, there weren't very many 65 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: like twists and that's why I'm saying we could have 66 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: cut an hour out. The plot itself was simple, and 67 00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: we could have condensed it. So you have Jake from 68 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: the original one. He now has a family, he is 69 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: now the leader, and then you have the old military 70 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: guy back from the original one, kind of back from 71 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 1: the dead, but now he is an avatar, looks and 72 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: has all the characteristics and the physical attributes as an avatar, 73 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 1: and he is trying to hunt them down. There's also 74 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: this serum they discover that can make humans live forever, 75 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: and they're trying to at one point go and live 76 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: on the moon. So they're kind of a lot of 77 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: things missed that part. Well, there are a lot of 78 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: things going on that almost that they don't come back to. 79 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: What it really comes down to is his entire plan 80 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: revolves around finding Jake and killing him, which I felt 81 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: like that kind of overpowered the entire movie, and I 82 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: was kind of questioning why everybody else was a part 83 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: of that and why they were just like, yeah, let's 84 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: go and find and kill this dude. How much does 85 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: it really benefit them When it all kind of came 86 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: back to them being able to find that resource and 87 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: they find that evil lab guy in the movie who 88 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 1: was one of the only other humans who ends up 89 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: getting his arm bit off later Yes, thank you, which 90 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: was the cheesiest part of the film. Probably it looked 91 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: like Shark Nato style, Like it looked like some sci 92 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: fi crap, and they probably did that to make it 93 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: appropriate for kids and not be so realistic. But the 94 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: interesting thing about this entire movie that I look back 95 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: on is kind of those scenes where you do have 96 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: like humans involved, and you do have like cutaways between 97 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:37,840 Speaker 1: the Avatar people and then the other crew, it looks 98 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: like different. It almost looks like you're watching like a 99 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 1: soap opera a little bit. So Yeah, I felt like 100 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: the plot stayed pretty simple, and then it all kind 101 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 1: of came back to the family, him trying to protect 102 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: his family. So on that one and I'm talking about 103 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 1: is it was weird seeing all these people just kind 104 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: of mindlessly follow this military guy in his to kill Jake. 105 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: And then also on the other side with Jake and 106 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: his family going to this remote island and learning the 107 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 1: quote unquote ways of the water, it was giving Waconda forever. Yeah, 108 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: that was hard to differentiate. But also that tribe like 109 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: them just taking them in and risking kind of losing 110 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 1: people in their tribe and risk bringing war to them. 111 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: I almost feel like if I would have been in 112 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 1: that situation, I would have been like, Yo, you gotta 113 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:29,920 Speaker 1: get out of here. Your did it first they did, 114 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:32,599 Speaker 1: which I guess later in the movie. It's the whole 115 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:35,599 Speaker 1: of them forming this bond and this trust together and 116 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:38,720 Speaker 1: then becoming kind of a part of them. But I 117 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: feel like at some point I don't be like, yo, 118 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:41,919 Speaker 1: I gotta watch out for my family. I don't I 119 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: don't want you bringing this here because they kind of 120 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:47,799 Speaker 1: just bring the war to them and don't really feel 121 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:50,480 Speaker 1: bad about it. I would feel bad about it. Yeah 122 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: they got I feel like a lot of people killed. 123 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: But even Jake was like, it's never gonna come here, like, yeah, 124 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: I won't find uh. I didn't buy that at all 125 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: in the movie when that scene reason, yeah, they're not 126 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 1: gonna like they're easily going to find you, and the 127 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 1: exact thing that he said wasn't gonna happen happened almost immediately. 128 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:10,040 Speaker 1: I did find that a little bit comical. So I 129 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: feel like an hour and a half into this movie, 130 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 1: I found myself enjoying it a lot more than I did. 131 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 1: But I think it all came to where it really 132 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: kind of said in my mind of like, this is 133 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: actually something that I'm really enjoying. Was that final hour, 134 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 1: that final third act, which when it takes two hours 135 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:30,039 Speaker 1: to get to the part even enjoy but I didn't. 136 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: I didn't feel like I was bored of it. I 137 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: didn't feel like I was wanting it to wrap up. 138 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:37,040 Speaker 1: I just remember from the first one that is one 139 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: of my favorite scenes of really any movie. I felt 140 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:43,479 Speaker 1: like that third act, that final battle scene is really 141 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 1: kind of like a work of art, and I give 142 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: that to James Cameron. It kind of reminded me of 143 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:50,919 Speaker 1: the third act in Titanic, which is one of the 144 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 1: greatest third acts in all of film. The ship going 145 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: down and that entire sequence is one of the best 146 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: things that's ever been or castrate, just to know how 147 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:03,839 Speaker 1: many things go into that, all the moving parts. You 148 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 1: get one shot to sink that ship. So I credit 149 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 1: a lot to James Cameron's big vision and making big 150 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: movies that that was my favorite thing, of course in Titanic, 151 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: of course in the first Avatar, and then he was 152 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: able to make that even better in this one and 153 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: It really kind of reminded me of the final scene 154 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: and Titanic of the ship going down, because you have 155 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: it again here you have they're all on that ship. 156 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 1: They're trying to rescue their kids, they're held captive, and 157 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: then the entire thing is going down, and that's kind 158 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: of where the big final battle takes off or happens. 159 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 1: So I felt like that scene was really great, Like 160 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: there were so many moments that kind of came full 161 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: circle with like their daughter having that weird seizure and 162 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: then being able to use that power to guide them 163 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: through those lights. All of that tension that came between 164 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 1: Jake and the military guy kind of came to a head. 165 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 1: Spider coming back and then having that battle between do 166 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 1: I want to help the people who I've been living 167 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: with or do I want to go and defend my dad. 168 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 1: I felt like that actually all came together. And it 169 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: was hard throughout this entire movie to really feel sympathetic 170 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 1: towards them because they were just blue people, yeah, and 171 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: they're just it almost felt like we were watching like 172 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: a like a Pixar movie and trying to have these 173 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 1: human characteristics. It was hard to like really grasp on 174 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 1: to that because it was more because there's a straight 175 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 1: on drama with a lot of action, so it was 176 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 1: hard to feel sad for them. But I think in 177 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: that final scene you kind of feel it a little bit, 178 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 1: but again because they are kind of blue Avatar people. 179 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:42,720 Speaker 1: It takes me admit at the same time, but I 180 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 1: felt like that scene was really great and I feel 181 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: even now a week and a half after, it still 182 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: feel like I enjoyed it way more than I thought 183 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:54,520 Speaker 1: I was going to, and almost like I need to 184 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: defend Avatar for some odd reason, like a lot of 185 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:00,680 Speaker 1: people really hate on on these movies. I mean, you 186 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 1: have to give it to James Cameron, like visionary, like 187 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 1: this was never done before, like the time it took 188 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:10,080 Speaker 1: to create these movies. Also, listening to you talk about that, 189 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:12,719 Speaker 1: I'm just laughing thinking about how James Cameron loves the 190 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 1: third act ship going down because that's what happened in 191 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 1: this one. Loves loves the third act ship going underwater. 192 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: It makes for a great movie. So did you kind 193 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:26,320 Speaker 1: of along the same line, did you feel anything when 194 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: their kid died in this movie? It was said right, 195 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: and it took a lot for me to feel sad. 196 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: It wasn't, like cry Worthy said, but it was what 197 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:41,960 Speaker 1: they'd been trying to stop the entire movie of losing anybody, 198 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 1: and then they lose their son. I honestly thought more 199 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 1: people were going to die, Like there was a certain 200 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 1: part in this movie I felt like they weren't going 201 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 1: to make it, which I think it's It's a good 202 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: thing to do to make you feel like, hey, there's 203 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 1: no hope in any of this fight. There's no way 204 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: they're going to defeat him, and then they do, and 205 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 1: then it definitely leaves the door open going into Avatar 206 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:09,839 Speaker 1: three with Spider rescuing him after he was basically left 207 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 1: for dead at the bottom of the cloth. Yeah, Spider 208 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 1: have naked the entire dive. Yeah, there weren't a lot 209 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: of clothes in this film. In Anybody, like, I get 210 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:21,319 Speaker 1: that they're not real people, but then yeah, they wanted 211 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 1: to make us give all the like human emotions and 212 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: then they put them in like loincloths and like a 213 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 1: coconut bra. So we have the next one coming out 214 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:39,199 Speaker 1: in December, and then we have another two in so 215 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: for three, four and five. Are you a little bit 216 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 1: more excited going into three now? Or are you like 217 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: you know what, I've had it. I mean, I'll go 218 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: see them. I don't think that I'm going to say 219 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:54,440 Speaker 1: I'm excited, but I am curious. I would say I'm 220 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: kind of excited now. And leading up to watching this 221 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,680 Speaker 1: one in theaters, I out more and more excited, especially 222 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: after I saw it actually getting really good reviews, which 223 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 1: is surprising to me. I just thought a movie that 224 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:11,079 Speaker 1: came thirteen years after the original one had no chance 225 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 1: of being better than the first one, especially when I 226 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 1: don't really love the first one to begin with. And 227 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:18,720 Speaker 1: you never think sequels are better than the origin. It 228 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 1: rarely happens. The sequel, especially with a movie like this, 229 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:24,080 Speaker 1: always feels like a cash grab, like they're like, all right, 230 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 1: we're gonna make another one. Hangover two and three, A 231 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 1: lot of movies dumb and dumber, like all those movies 232 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:33,920 Speaker 1: that come back so many years after. And I thought 233 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:37,079 Speaker 1: the thirteen year mark was weird because it's not that 234 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 1: far after the original one. Like with Top Gun earlier 235 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 1: this year that was thirty years after that feels a 236 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:47,240 Speaker 1: little bit more like a bigger moment. But for this 237 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 1: one to kind of be in that in between, I 238 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 1: felt like it was going to have to be really 239 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:54,880 Speaker 1: good to even leave an impact, and it did. I 240 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 1: would say I lean more towards being excited for three, 241 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:02,800 Speaker 1: knowing now where the story can go, that they can 242 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: probably move to a different terrain after this. I think 243 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 1: that's kind of what each of these movies is going 244 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:10,680 Speaker 1: to focus on now, like a different part of the world, 245 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: a different kind of environment. Probably by five or six 246 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:16,680 Speaker 1: still end up in space, just because I feel like 247 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: franchises do that. Once they run out of ideas on land, 248 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 1: they go to space. So trying to picture the Avatars 249 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 1: in space, I could see that I could see Avatar 250 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:27,920 Speaker 1: five or six on the moon. They probably will do that, 251 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:31,839 Speaker 1: and it'll probably be an entertaining movie, and I think 252 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 1: that's what I look for now in these movies. I've 253 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 1: heard and seeing a lot of people's comments who really 254 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:42,559 Speaker 1: enjoyed the movies, and I'm leaning on that side now too. 255 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:45,640 Speaker 1: I was an Avatar hater and I enjoyed it. I'm 256 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:48,560 Speaker 1: ready to pay my face blue. Okay, I can't paint 257 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:51,839 Speaker 1: my face blue to the next one. Is it washable paint? Yeah, 258 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:54,320 Speaker 1: we can talk about it. Okay, I was just testing you, 259 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:56,800 Speaker 1: but you passed. I also want to talk about. I 260 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:58,560 Speaker 1: don't know if you already talked about it earlier this 261 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,920 Speaker 1: week and when your tektok video is Edie Falco. Uh 262 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:05,079 Speaker 1: did Jordy discuss that? So she filmed her role as 263 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 1: the General her cameo like four years ago, and she 264 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:11,080 Speaker 1: was quoted as saying she thought it had already come 265 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 1: out and been a flop because she had heard nothing 266 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 1: about it. And I don't know why, but that just 267 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 1: makes me laugh so hard that she did this cameo 268 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 1: and then she was like, must have done bad, Like 269 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 1: I hadn't heard anything about it and it just hadn't 270 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:25,760 Speaker 1: come out yet, and I I just find that so 271 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 1: funny for some reason. I mean, proc to all the 272 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:31,680 Speaker 1: cast for landing a role in this movie, in this franchise, 273 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 1: like it is just the one of the best paychecks 274 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: you can get. It. Also, as soon as we laughed 275 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 1: the movie, I was googling Zoe Saldana. She has managed 276 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 1: to put herself in three of the five highest grossing 277 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:50,439 Speaker 1: films of all Avatar the Original and then Avengers Infinity 278 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 1: War An End Game, And it's like she has put 279 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 1: herself in just these two worlds, and that's not even 280 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 1: counting the Guardian too the Galaxy movies. It's fascinating to me, 281 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:03,840 Speaker 1: and she's such a good actress. But to be able 282 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 1: to put yourself in like two different let's throw it 283 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 1: at mythical, magical, sci fi superhero type worlds, and to 284 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,840 Speaker 1: be able to do both of those roles so well, yeah, 285 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 1: just to just to have the credits of being in 286 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 1: one of the highest grossing movies of all time, but three, 287 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:23,480 Speaker 1: but three of them, it's that's yeah. And then now 288 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 1: afterwards you just kind of cash in on being able 289 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: to do this stuff forever. So yeah, I feel like 290 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 1: this is a great guest, especially for Sam Worthington, who 291 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: plays Jake. This is the only thing I know him for, Like, 292 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 1: that's it. I remember when he kind of rose to 293 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 1: fame after Avatar. It's very good looking but has a 294 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: very hairy neck. Oh interesting. I never really paid attention 295 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 1: to his neck. I just remember seeing pictures and being like, huh, 296 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 1: all right, but he is banking now. So that is Avatar. 297 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: The Way of the Water the Spoiler Edition. What would 298 00:14:57,160 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: you give it? I gave it a four out of five. 299 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 1: I mean I would I would probably give it a 300 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 1: four out of five. It was good four out of five. 301 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:05,400 Speaker 1: I think that is a perfect rating for it. I mean, again, 302 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,560 Speaker 1: a little long. But I will also say it's one 303 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 1: of those movies that I got up to go to 304 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:11,680 Speaker 1: the bathroom like four times, and I came back and 305 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 1: I was never confused but what was going on, which 306 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 1: was great because sometimes in those movies you will leave 307 00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 1: for like three minutes and you come back and it's 308 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 1: seventeen different tracks and lost. But I was able to 309 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 1: catch up quite nicely. Yeah, this one. Don't feel bad 310 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: about running to go to the bathroom. Grab second round 311 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 1: of snack. You're gonna need it. All right. Well, we 312 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 1: will come back and do your top ten books of 313 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: the year, and we'll do that next. All right, we're 314 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:43,360 Speaker 1: gonna get into now your top ten books of the year. 315 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:47,040 Speaker 1: Remind us again, how many you read this year? Is 316 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 1: a lot of books, and I don't think I'm gonna stop. 317 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 1: I currently I'm reading seventy six. Maybe I'll get to 318 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 1: seventy seven before next Saturday. And the episode we did 319 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: before this were books we thought would be good movies 320 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 1: later down the line. Yes, And I will say there's 321 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: a couple repeats. Okay, so here we go. Start us 322 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 1: off with your first one. Okay, So I have this 323 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: in two categories. So as a lot of people know, 324 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 1: I've read a ton of like world War two books 325 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 1: this year and it loves the World War two book. 326 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 1: Never thought that would be my genre, but here we 327 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 1: are interesting because you don't like war movies. They're just 328 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:19,920 Speaker 1: too gory for me. They stressed me out. I like 329 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 1: warm movies that tell a story. I think that's why 330 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 1: I like the books. I don't like war movies where 331 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:28,920 Speaker 1: it's like just like shooting, like what was the one? 332 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: Was it nineteen seventeen? No, there was one with um 333 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:36,920 Speaker 1: Andrew Garfield has a rich has all rich gory stressed 334 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,640 Speaker 1: me out, But like nineteen seventeen told a story for 335 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:42,200 Speaker 1: the history aspect of it is what you like? Yes, okay, 336 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 1: so we'll get into your list. You have these in 337 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: no particular order. You just kind of broke them up 338 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: into categories, right, correct. I have two categories. One I'm 339 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:51,280 Speaker 1: gonna give you just like a top five books of 340 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:53,160 Speaker 1: the year, and then I'm gonna give you my top 341 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 1: five World War two books. Because if I just gave 342 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: you like top five books, they would probably all be 343 00:16:57,520 --> 00:16:59,640 Speaker 1: World War two books. So I've given you a lot 344 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 1: of movie recommendations over the course of this podcast, and 345 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: I also know that people also usually set a resolution 346 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 1: to read more. So these are all ones you would 347 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 1: recommend for that, right, Yes, So here we go. Kick 348 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,440 Speaker 1: us off with your list. So my first one is 349 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 1: one that I talked about wanting to see made into 350 00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:18,200 Speaker 1: a movie. It's Beneath the Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan. 351 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 1: That was the first one I read this year. That 352 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:23,760 Speaker 1: kind of gave me like the push to keep reading 353 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:26,959 Speaker 1: World War two books because I wasn't in historical fiction 354 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:30,000 Speaker 1: before that and now I can't stop reading them. So 355 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: this one was based on a true story of a 356 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:36,440 Speaker 1: teenager named Pino Lela, and it's about him helping fight 357 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:38,680 Speaker 1: the Nazis. And I don't want to give anything else away, 358 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:40,679 Speaker 1: but it is based on a true story and the 359 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 1: author went to Europe, spent time with Pino, learned his 360 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:45,720 Speaker 1: story to then be able to write the book. Yeah, 361 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:47,639 Speaker 1: this is when you read and told me about like 362 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:50,480 Speaker 1: almost every like every time you sat down and what 363 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: read a chapter, you'll be like, I gotta tell you 364 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:54,520 Speaker 1: about this one. I couldn't stop reading it. So this 365 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:57,680 Speaker 1: one just for me who hasn't read any books these years. 366 00:17:57,720 --> 00:17:59,880 Speaker 1: They got to me because of how much you loved it. Yes, 367 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:01,399 Speaker 1: all right, so next time you list, what do you got? 368 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:03,360 Speaker 1: So the next one is one I just recently read. 369 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 1: It's called The Circus Train, and it is literally about 370 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:09,960 Speaker 1: a circuslan a train, but it's about this girl who 371 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:12,800 Speaker 1: grows up on the train. Her dad is an illusionist. 372 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: And then it's set in the time of World War two. 373 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:18,480 Speaker 1: And again I don't want to give too much away, 374 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:20,840 Speaker 1: but it's then about like her dad and the love 375 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 1: of her life and how World War two impacts her 376 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 1: life along the years. Is easier read of more intense read. 377 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 1: I think this one was an easier, more like entertaining 378 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:36,080 Speaker 1: read like less. I didn't feel it was too like 379 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:40,159 Speaker 1: choppyond the History. Alright, what do you have next? Al Right? Next, 380 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 1: I have The Diamond I by Kate Quinn, who I 381 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:47,520 Speaker 1: will say, like this. I started reading every book that 382 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:51,360 Speaker 1: Kate Quinn wrote because they're all so good. So this 383 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 1: one is also based on a true story about one 384 00:18:56,160 --> 00:19:01,680 Speaker 1: of the best like um no sorry streets deadliest Female Sniper. 385 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:04,680 Speaker 1: So she wins the award for Deadliest Female Sniper and 386 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:07,000 Speaker 1: it's her true story about how she goes from being 387 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 1: just an average girl to learning that she's really good 388 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:11,720 Speaker 1: with a gun and then fighting in the war. That 389 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:14,240 Speaker 1: sounds intense. It was amazing, it was great. I love it. 390 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: And I think I actually gave all of these five stars, 391 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 1: if I remember correctly, all five star books. So these 392 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 1: are all my five solid recommendations. Here only solid, And 393 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:24,479 Speaker 1: I will say again these are all typic place during 394 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:27,160 Speaker 1: the war. There is heavy elements to all of them, 395 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 1: so I will give some fluffier reads. Okay, we'll get 396 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: to those later. Um okay. And then the next one 397 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:37,600 Speaker 1: is The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rhymer and 398 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:40,399 Speaker 1: once again said during World War Two. These are all 399 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:43,119 Speaker 1: World War Two. Like I can't seem to pick up 400 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 1: a World War one book. It's only World War two. 401 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 1: But this one is about a It starts and a 402 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:54,119 Speaker 1: young woman is saying her wedding vowels, and then it 403 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 1: kind of takes you back through how we got to 404 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 1: that point. Interesting, So is it all of flashback throughout 405 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:01,640 Speaker 1: the entire book? Yes? And no? Is that hard to 406 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:04,159 Speaker 1: read and go back and forth? Because when watching a movie, 407 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:08,200 Speaker 1: usually they can differentiate by like the way a scene 408 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:10,640 Speaker 1: looks or it shows you like a fade to black, 409 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:11,960 Speaker 1: how do you do that in the book? So it 410 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 1: usually tells you in the chapter, like what talent at 411 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 1: seven and the time period. Sometimes I do have to 412 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 1: go back, like the one I just started um this 413 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 1: week for book seventy six is actually another Kate Quinn one, 414 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:26,240 Speaker 1: and I got confused at first and had to go 415 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:28,280 Speaker 1: back and say, okay, we went back and forth eight years. 416 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 1: So sometimes you do kind of have to, like go 417 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: back to the beginning of the chapter. I will say 418 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 1: that's my hardest thing to get over when reading, and 419 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,359 Speaker 1: why I probably don't read more is it's hard to 420 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 1: slow my brain down to just read, and I feel 421 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 1: like I'm reading but not taking anything in. And I'll 422 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:45,399 Speaker 1: go back to pages and I realize, I realized that 423 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:49,400 Speaker 1: I don't read anything. See that was me when I 424 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 1: would read like textbooks. But when I'm reading a story, 425 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:56,679 Speaker 1: I can get pretty locked in. I gotta work on it, all, right, 426 00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 1: what do you have next in here? The last one 427 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:03,119 Speaker 1: was my book and it happened to make it into 428 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: my being. The final one made it into my top five. 429 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:08,520 Speaker 1: Like when artists writes the song at the very last minute, 430 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 1: it makes the album. Yep. So this one is All 431 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 1: the Broken Places by John Boyne, and he actually wrote 432 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 1: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, which was a hit. 433 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:19,840 Speaker 1: Didn't they make that into him? They I haven't read 434 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:22,439 Speaker 1: the book or seeing the movie. You don't need to 435 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:24,600 Speaker 1: have read the book to read this one. It's kind 436 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:27,200 Speaker 1: of a sequel. It's technically Book two and The Boy 437 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:30,639 Speaker 1: in the Striped Pajamas series, but you can read them separately. 438 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 1: So this one was really interesting because it tells the 439 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:38,399 Speaker 1: story of a German woman and it's her life now 440 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 1: and you're going back and forth. But she was the 441 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 1: daughter of someone who was really high up in the 442 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: German forces and which really closely with Hitler, and so 443 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:50,159 Speaker 1: you're instead of all these other books where you're kind 444 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 1: of reading from someone who was like under Hitler's like rule, 445 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: she is someone who was on the enemy side, and 446 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:01,160 Speaker 1: so just seeing how she reckons with that and how 447 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:04,200 Speaker 1: her life ends up. I thought that was really interesting 448 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:06,119 Speaker 1: person I feel like that one could be a great movie. 449 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:08,520 Speaker 1: I would imagine it would be great if The Boy 450 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:10,920 Speaker 1: in the Striped Pajamas was made. That was one. I 451 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 1: think that one came out in two thousand and eight, 452 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 1: but that was a movie that a lot of people recommended. 453 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:16,919 Speaker 1: I think I was looking for like a movie to 454 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:19,119 Speaker 1: make me cry. So I remember watching it, but it 455 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 1: was still long ago. I don't think it made me cry. 456 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 1: I want to read the book next time on it's 457 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:25,880 Speaker 1: on hold of the library for me, and I'm down 458 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:28,119 Speaker 1: to rewatch that movie with you. All right, So what 459 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: is your next set of books? So these are just 460 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:35,520 Speaker 1: like my top five of the year, some of some 461 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:39,040 Speaker 1: of them are fluffy, I think, m m. Actually only 462 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:41,040 Speaker 1: two of them are fluffy read. Okay, so let me 463 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:43,240 Speaker 1: know which ones are the fluffy ones or somebody's looking 464 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 1: for a lighter read. Okay, we'll start with the fluffy 465 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:52,919 Speaker 1: Um A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella. I would compare 466 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:55,399 Speaker 1: it to kind of like a Lifetime movie in a book, 467 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:59,200 Speaker 1: but less cheesy. But it's one of those or more 468 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:02,119 Speaker 1: like an onso movie, think like New Year's Eve with 469 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:05,960 Speaker 1: like a star studded Hollywood cast and everyone's life intertwines. Okay. 470 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:09,080 Speaker 1: I like those kind of stories three people and their 471 00:23:09,119 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 1: lives intertwined. And I will say it's not fluffy in 472 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:14,720 Speaker 1: the sense that it doesn't have anything sad. There's one 473 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:19,160 Speaker 1: of the characters elderly widow. But it is so well written, 474 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:20,959 Speaker 1: and it just is one of those that makes you 475 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,360 Speaker 1: feel all the emotions and just reminds you like how 476 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:25,640 Speaker 1: hard it is to be a human, but like how 477 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:28,280 Speaker 1: beautiful it is in those moments of connection, like when 478 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:30,560 Speaker 1: we get to be there for each other. I really 479 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 1: liked this one, and I've read his other books and 480 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:35,800 Speaker 1: I really enjoyed What do you Got Next? Next, I 481 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 1: have the only other fluffy ish, The Measure, which I 482 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:43,399 Speaker 1: also by Nikki Rlick. I know I talked about that 483 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:45,400 Speaker 1: one when I wanted to see that one made into 484 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 1: a movie. Again, not fluffy in the sense that it's 485 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:51,159 Speaker 1: light because it's everyone gets these mysterious strings and it 486 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 1: tells them when they're going to die, but in the 487 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:54,880 Speaker 1: sense of like you don't have to keep up with 488 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:57,040 Speaker 1: like time periods. As I guess, the only thing I 489 00:23:57,080 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 1: consider fluffy these days. I still think that will make 490 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 1: a great movie. I want to see that one. I 491 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 1: want to see that made into a movie. Um, yeah, 492 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 1: I think that would be really good. I haven't read it, 493 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: but we've talked about it that I would recommend it 494 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:13,920 Speaker 1: without reading it all right. Next is Beautiful Country by 495 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 1: Chan Julie Wong, and that is a memoir she grew 496 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 1: up here her parents immigrated from Asia, and it's just 497 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 1: a really moving story about like the difficulties of growing 498 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:31,640 Speaker 1: up as an immigrant child in the US. And yeah, 499 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:34,640 Speaker 1: I just I loved it. Highly recommend it. I don't 500 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:36,320 Speaker 1: want to give away too much of her story, but 501 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 1: I think everyone will read it and have an appreciation 502 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: for things that those of us born here and don't 503 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:46,600 Speaker 1: have to go through. So very inspiring. Yes, I felt that. 504 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:49,880 Speaker 1: I think the last movie I watched and it made 505 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,880 Speaker 1: me feel like that was Minari, and Minari is kind 506 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:55,480 Speaker 1: of along the same lines. It's an immigrant family who 507 00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:58,840 Speaker 1: moves to rural Arkansas, and I saw a lot of 508 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 1: what my family went through moving here. Of just I mean, 509 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 1: just learning how to speak English and getting a job. 510 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:08,640 Speaker 1: The things that are seemed so basic are a lot 511 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 1: harder when you know this isn't your this isn't your country. 512 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:15,760 Speaker 1: So I love inspiring stories like that, so and I 513 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:18,920 Speaker 1: will I will correct myself. She actually immigrated as well. 514 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 1: She was seven the US and both of her parents 515 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: were professors in China, and then when they came to 516 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:29,200 Speaker 1: the US, like none of their education was doesn't transfer. 517 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:31,320 Speaker 1: It doesn't transfer over and so they had to start 518 00:25:31,359 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 1: in these kind of like ground level jobs. They went 519 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:37,199 Speaker 1: from this like notoriety. Dang, that's crazy. Yeah, it was 520 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 1: really good. Got next, all right? So we have a mystery. 521 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:43,959 Speaker 1: So those are my two. I love a suspense and 522 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,000 Speaker 1: I love World War two. So this one is called 523 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:50,399 Speaker 1: Firstborn by Will Dean, and it's one of the only 524 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 1: like mystery books I read this year that made me 525 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:55,600 Speaker 1: gasp out loud because there's not one, but there are 526 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:58,639 Speaker 1: two huge twists along the way that had me being like, 527 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 1: and I made some of my friends read it, and 528 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:03,320 Speaker 1: one of my friends finished it like midnight, and she 529 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:05,159 Speaker 1: text me and she's like, what did I just read? 530 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 1: So this was a you can't stop reading it once 531 00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 1: you start. So it's about it's girls. She's twin. Her 532 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:14,399 Speaker 1: twin lives in the US. She lives in London, and 533 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:17,040 Speaker 1: she gets a call that her twin has been murdered, 534 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:19,080 Speaker 1: and so she goes over to New York to try 535 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:21,280 Speaker 1: to solve her murder. And you learned so many things 536 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:24,720 Speaker 1: along the way that one sounds good and what's the 537 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:28,720 Speaker 1: final one? Final one is one that I also I 538 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:30,479 Speaker 1: stayed up, I think to like one I am reading, 539 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:32,199 Speaker 1: and then texted all of my friends. I was like, 540 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:33,880 Speaker 1: you have to read this. It's called Before We Were 541 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:36,399 Speaker 1: Yours and it's by Elisa Wingate and it is based 542 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:39,360 Speaker 1: on a true story of a woman in Memphis who 543 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:43,240 Speaker 1: ran kind of like a child trafficking ring almost where 544 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:48,359 Speaker 1: she would get like low income, illiterate parents. She would 545 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:50,840 Speaker 1: trick them into signing their rights away and she would 546 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:53,560 Speaker 1: kidnap their children and then sell them to wealthy families, 547 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:56,919 Speaker 1: like of people who couldn't have their own children. And 548 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:00,119 Speaker 1: it's the story. So this is it's based in a 549 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:01,919 Speaker 1: true story. This woman really ran this ring, but the 550 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:05,199 Speaker 1: characters are made up based on the children who this 551 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:07,280 Speaker 1: happened too. But it's about this set of like siblings 552 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 1: and you kind of go back and forth to their lives. 553 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:12,600 Speaker 1: They were living on a riverboat with their parents too. 554 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:15,120 Speaker 1: Then what happens when they end up in the cow 555 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:16,840 Speaker 1: they all get split up, and just what happens to 556 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:19,440 Speaker 1: all those children? Hey, now it sounds pretty intense to 557 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:23,480 Speaker 1: It was so good and I I had seen it before. 558 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 1: And sometimes they pick really weird cover art for books. 559 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:29,640 Speaker 1: I'm gonna be honest times, cover art is a turn 560 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:31,919 Speaker 1: off and this was a weird cover and I just 561 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:33,760 Speaker 1: never and then I saw the synopsis of it. I 562 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 1: was like, oh, I actually do want to read them. 563 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 1: When picking a book, how do you find these? I 564 00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: still get like, I don't know how you find all 565 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 1: these books. You had seventy five this year and you 566 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 1: read them all on your kindle, So it's not like 567 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 1: we have seventy five books stacked up here. And is 568 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 1: it by recommendations? Is it by just looking at the 569 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,199 Speaker 1: cover the author? How do you find them? So I 570 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:58,120 Speaker 1: follow several Instagram accounts of people that give REX, which 571 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:01,120 Speaker 1: is why I started recommending things on Instagram and good 572 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:03,400 Speaker 1: Reads because I was like, oh, that's like if I'm 573 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:06,120 Speaker 1: influenced by like other people probably want to know different books. 574 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 1: So several like leads there. And then if I have 575 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:13,920 Speaker 1: like an author that I really like, I'll just see 576 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:15,960 Speaker 1: if they have anything new coming out, if they had 577 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:19,639 Speaker 1: anything old that I missed. Sometimes I just browse on 578 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:23,199 Speaker 1: or yeah, like Instagram, Amazon, I look a lot and 579 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:25,439 Speaker 1: then I have the Libby app, which is how I 580 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:28,399 Speaker 1: read from our library and it can recommend things to me. 581 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:32,640 Speaker 1: So a lot of just like random recommendations I went through. 582 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:35,400 Speaker 1: I'll find list like the top books of the year 583 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:39,800 Speaker 1: that moved people, books that everyone or books that people 584 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 1: think everyone should read. I have random sources and now 585 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 1: anybody who needs a book recommendation has ten great ones 586 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:48,920 Speaker 1: to check out ones. You can also follow me on 587 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:52,080 Speaker 1: good Reads. I'll make Mike put it in the show notes. Yeah, 588 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 1: if you missed a title of one of these books 589 00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 1: or an author, or you want the other six, you 590 00:28:57,720 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 1: can go click that link and see all of these 591 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 1: books we talked about. So that is the list. That 592 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: is our avatar spoiler review in your top ten books 593 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 1: of the year, anything else you want to say. I 594 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:13,720 Speaker 1: challenge people to read more next year. I'm going to try. 595 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:17,520 Speaker 1: I try. I genuinely love like at the end of 596 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:19,240 Speaker 1: the day, and I know I read on a Kendle, 597 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 1: so it's still a screen, but it just helps my 598 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 1: brain unplug so much because it's just a kindle. It's 599 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:27,040 Speaker 1: not find it's harder to read like on a kindle 600 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:29,600 Speaker 1: app on a phone because you have all the other distractions. 601 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:32,680 Speaker 1: But it's just my kindle. It's not doing anything else. 602 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 1: It's just a book. I light a candle, I pour 603 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:37,800 Speaker 1: a glass of wine, like I'll turn the lights off 604 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 1: and it just helps my brain turn off. And I 605 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 1: feel like my brain has kind of gotten back to 606 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:47,160 Speaker 1: being focused for longer stretches, because I feel like at 607 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 1: the beginning of the pandemic and we all turn to 608 00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:53,720 Speaker 1: our devices, I lost some brain cells. So I challenged 609 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:56,400 Speaker 1: myself this year. And I think just finishing grad school 610 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:58,800 Speaker 1: last year and not having any like it couldn't be 611 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:01,280 Speaker 1: a straight A student anymore, not having like any goals 612 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:04,080 Speaker 1: to work towards. I set like personal goals this year. 613 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:06,640 Speaker 1: So it was read books, it was start taking more 614 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 1: workout classes, just like a personal challenge to grow my mind. 615 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:16,200 Speaker 1: And it sounds so cheesy, better myself, but that's what 616 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:18,320 Speaker 1: you did. It was like I I wanted to learn, 617 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:20,400 Speaker 1: and I feel like I learned a lot, even in 618 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 1: fiction books. So because I know people will ask, well, 619 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:26,520 Speaker 1: you set a goal next year, I don't think I will. 620 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 1: I'm also a very like when I start down a 621 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:33,760 Speaker 1: path of something, I get a little obsessive, and so 622 00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:36,800 Speaker 1: I don't. I don't think I want to force myself 623 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 1: next year, Like this was just kind of a set 624 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 1: a high limit. But I think I'll just go back 625 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:43,560 Speaker 1: to reading what I enjoy. This was more to remind 626 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:45,440 Speaker 1: me too how much I loved reading and that I 627 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:47,520 Speaker 1: don't always want to turn on the TV and just 628 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:50,760 Speaker 1: like numb out and watch something mindless at the end 629 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:53,080 Speaker 1: of the day. I kind of feel that way about 630 00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:56,040 Speaker 1: movies now, like I still love movies really now in 631 00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:58,120 Speaker 1: my free time, I enjoy more a movie that I've 632 00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:01,440 Speaker 1: already seen in familiar with and reminds me of, like 633 00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:03,840 Speaker 1: I don't know, being younger or a different time. I 634 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 1: feel like I watched movies to kind of take me 635 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:08,560 Speaker 1: back to those places. But it also sometimes when watching 636 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:11,560 Speaker 1: new movies, even like we're talking about Avatar, like we 637 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: probably wouldn't have watched that unless I was going to 638 00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 1: review it for this podcast. So in some aspects, like 639 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:19,680 Speaker 1: I feel like because of the podcast it feels sometimes 640 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:22,440 Speaker 1: like work in a weird way, but I still enjoy it. 641 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:26,480 Speaker 1: So I don't really put goals on myself of like 642 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:29,320 Speaker 1: how many movies to watch an entire year, But I 643 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:31,120 Speaker 1: feel like, although I feel like when it comes to 644 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 1: like Oscar season, we do get in that mode of 645 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:35,640 Speaker 1: like I gotta watch every movie, we have to see 646 00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:39,840 Speaker 1: everything that's nominated, which coming up. In the next episode, 647 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:42,720 Speaker 1: we will talk more about one of the best movies 648 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:45,600 Speaker 1: out of the entire year that I feel like if 649 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:48,040 Speaker 1: it doesn't win for Best Picture, I'm I'm rioting. I 650 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:51,480 Speaker 1: will I'm writing as well. So come back for that episode. 651 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 1: Thanks everybody for listening to the podcast this year. Yes, 652 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:56,480 Speaker 1: I have one more plug. I'm raising my hands. No 653 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 1: one can see that, but I'm raising me um. I 654 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:03,280 Speaker 1: also to plug public libraries. I forgot how much I 655 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:05,400 Speaker 1: love a public library, and because I do read on 656 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 1: my kindle, I was like, oh, I don't need a 657 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 1: library card. But there's this great thing called the Libby app, 658 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: and you just get a card from your public library 659 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:14,680 Speaker 1: and you sign up and then you can read all 660 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:17,040 Speaker 1: of your e books for free from the library and 661 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:18,760 Speaker 1: you can download them on your kindle. And it is 662 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 1: changed my life and you probably appreciate it because I 663 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:24,200 Speaker 1: spend way less money on books now because I forgot 664 00:32:24,240 --> 00:32:26,840 Speaker 1: that you could read the books. There's a weight sometimes, 665 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:29,920 Speaker 1: but I currently have like fifteen books on hold, so 666 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:32,320 Speaker 1: they just kind of cycle and I forget that I've 667 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 1: been waiting five weeks to read them. So that is 668 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:38,400 Speaker 1: my plug for your public libraries. They're great. You can 669 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:40,520 Speaker 1: do a lot of the public library I've seen here. 670 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:42,640 Speaker 1: Ours even has like a seed program if you want 671 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:44,960 Speaker 1: to start a vegetable garden. I don't know, I just 672 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:48,480 Speaker 1: think we forget about all these resources. So support the libraries, 673 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:54,200 Speaker 1: support the cinema, and support your local your local businesses, 674 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:59,160 Speaker 1: do all the things local, support local shops, and listen 675 00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:02,360 Speaker 1: to local podcast like this one. So that's gonna do 676 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 1: it for this week and until next time, go out 677 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:07,360 Speaker 1: and watch good movies and read good books, and we 678 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:09,400 Speaker 1: will talk to you later. M