Fermenting: How to Ferment Vegetables by Rashelle Johnson

I love fermented foods but have not made a lot of them from scratch to date. 

In spite of being an avid cook and cookbook author, it's something I always thought was too much work and not really worth the effort. 

But after reading: Fermenting: How to Ferment Vegetables, I'm ready to give it a go!

Author Rashelle Johnson has done a great job explaining how to go about the process of home fermenting vegetables in an easy to understand and straightforward way. She has included an extensive (very!) Q and A section that I found most helpful in addition to the many recipes.

This is a lot more than just a how to guide for the basics like sauerkraut and pickles. There are recipes for a variety of fermented veggies including some of my favs like: beets, kohlrabi, carrots and zucchini...and all of them sound so yummy!

I need to get a good size crock to work with then I'm going to give this collection a good kitchen workout. ;-)

Only one question I could not find the answer to, perhaps I missed it. I would still like to know if the actual crock used to hold the foods needs to be sterilized before use, as is the case with making pickles etc, with regular pickling methods? If the author could answer this (at Amazon or here) that would be great.

Overall rating for this ebook: Very Good. 4 out of 5. 

Epson XP-310 Wireless Color Photo Printer with Scanner and Copier

I was excited about buying this printer: Epson XP-310 as at the time I did, it was reduced from $350. to 40. at Amazon.ca. Well, it might be worth 40. but it certainly would not be worth over $300!!!

The set-up was a pain...I usually set up a new printer in less than 1/2 hour, but with this one over an hour later, I was still trying to get it to work wirelessly. Finally gave up and plugged it in using the USB, which I did not want to have to do. Thank goodness I had a spare USB cable here as there isn't one included with this printer.

The display panel takes a bit of getting use to, how to navigate the screen.

Plastic is thin, rather cheap looking. My old HP printer that was about the same price as this one was a lot sturdier.

As is the case now with most printers and cartridges, it's actually cheaper to buy a new basic printer than to replace the cartridges in an old one. Such a waste of materials and resources but it's something a lot of people do. Why do these companies continue to charge such a big price for replacement cartridges???

I think this printer will work for the limited amount I need it but it's nothing special from what I've noted so far. And as I said above, the set up should have gone a lot smoother than it did. Not user-friendly in this respect. For eg. There is suppose to be a prompt on the wireless set up, when to remove the USB cable (using it just for set up) but that never came up on the screen.

One plus I have noted already, the printing is nice and clear.

I'll probably go back to HP next time, still like their printers better overall.

Overall rating for this product: Fair. 2 out of 5

Free Kindle Book Promo This Weekend ;-)

I have another free Kindle promo at : Amazon.com, .ca, UK....all this weekend.

Check out the details here.

Hope you enjoy all my books and do share this promotion if you can!

Happy Reading and Weekend! 

A New Direction for My Real Life Reviews

As any of my regular readers have probably guessed by now, I LOVE to write product and book reviews. I've been writing reviews here, at my other blogs and at Amazon for many years now.

When it comes to my reviews at Amazon, I find myself spending more and more time writing reviews there and not so much here at My Real Life Reviews. 

For the most part, my recent reviews over at Amazon are shorter than most of the ones I've written here in the past, but hopefully still helpful and interesting. I know that I don't usually read really long reviews (or posts for that matter) anywhere, so why write long reviews myself? ;-)

I am now on the Top Reviewers list at Amazon, hovering around 2000! It's a  long way from where I started over there, with a rank at the beginning of around 15,000,000 for reviewers. 

I would like to reach the Top 1000 reviewers rank or less, eventually as I really do enjoy my time at Amazon so much. I could browse there for hours and browsing can and often does lead to purchases and then reviews. I'm sure you can relate to the "dangers" of browsing at Amazon LOL!

So, I've decided to share some of my recent Amazon reviews, here at My Real Life Reviews on a weekly basis, instead of writing new reviews at both places. I'll probably pick 5 varied Amazon reviews from each week and copy them here too, with my own rating system, instead of Amazon's star system. It will be my: Recent Review Round-up! :-)

Hope you enjoy this new feature. And if you do enjoy any of my reviews, a click through to Amazon and a "helpful" vote for a review (I'm Geraldine in BC) is always appreciated. I'm getting quite a few of those too which is always nice.

I will also still be doing some product and company reviews and posts, separate from these. An example is my recent report about Heinz Beans. When something like this happens, I think it's so important to share it and I will. 

For anyone who would like me to review their book, ebook or product, I have a separate page with information how to go about this. (see top of page).

 I do get quite a few review requests already, from individuals and from companies but they've got to be a "good fit" for me to consider. I'm guessing that will increase as my ranking goes up at Amazon too. Reviews take time to write, reading books takes time, testing products takes time...so if it's not something that I initially find interesting and hopefully can review favorably, I usually give it a pass. 

And when I do write reviews, they are honest ones ALWAYS.

If someone isn't comfortable with an honest review then again, they might want to look elsewhere for a reviewer. I do try to be constructive when I do have criticism to share though and most people do understand that they won't just get positive reviews, all the time and from everyone. And often authors and companies have thanked me for my feedback and found it very helpful, even if it was negative.

To everyone who stops by here and at my Amazon profile page, reading my reviews and hopefully leaving their feedback or votes (when at Amazon) I want to thank you sincerely. It means a lot to me when someone tells me that a particular review was helpful to them. From the companies that I work with too. 

Happy review reading and do keep that feedback coming! :-)

Starting Over by Wendy Lewis

I love transitional, "second chance" kinds of stories. 

I even wrote my first novel with that kind of theme: Third Chapter, Second Chance. ;-)

Starting Over by Wendy Lewis is that kind of story. 

I was attracted to the great cover on this novel to begin with. But unlike (too) many books I start to read, this one did not disappoint, after I started tapping the pages on my Kindle, far from it. I loved this story!

From the Amazon Product Page:

Fiona’s life seemed perfect. 

The cottage she had recently bought with her husband was lovely and the little country town was charming, and with two mad dogs and a vintage bicycle, she assumed she would be perfectly content. 

But when Martin decides to remodel the 400-year old cottage, he manages to bring the roof down. And Fiona finds herself living in a cramped caravan overlooking what was once her dream home. 

After that, things slowly start spiralling downwards. Fiona and Martin can’t stop arguing and she begins to wonder whether her marriage is at breaking point. 

When she takes a job at the local post office, sparks immediately fly between her and Simon - her boss. While things get worse at home, Fiona and Simon slowly become closer. 

Fiona realises it is time to start changing her life, whether Martin likes it or not…because love believes in second chances. 

And quickly she is 'Starting Over' all over again. 

***

Author Wendy Lewis has a wonderful talent for breathing life into her characters. I felt that I knew everyone who showed up along the way. 

Main character Fiona finds herself increasingly disillusioned by how her life with husband Martin is evolving, since moving to a small country town to start over; after Martin's business has failed. It's not only crumbling walls on the vintage cottage that they have now bought that is cracking up in a big way; their marriage seems to be headed for the rubble pile too.

And speaking of "cracking up" I enjoyed a LOT of LOL moments, reading this book. Some really hilarious passages in this book. Many in relation to Martin's definite lack of ability when it comes to all things carpentry. 

It also brought to mind a number of guys I knew from years ago (when I was between marriages and dating) who thought they were also talented in this respect but weren't. What is it about men and power tools?? ;-)

Along with the many, many laughs, this is a story I enjoyed to the very last page for other reasons too. As I said above, the characters are so well developed. I was cheering Fiona on almost from the get-go to move on and to find the kind of happiness she deserved, with Martin or without. 

Could their marriage be saved or was it doomed? And what about the handsome shop owner Simon (who hires Fiona to work for him part-time) and his gorgeous but overbearing fiancee Louise? What was on the horizon for them as well? 

The author kept me guessing for quite a while and built up the anticipation slowly. I like that a lot. Too many novels I read (make that too often ATTEMPT to read) are so obvious about where the story will eventually end, right from the first chapter. When that's the case, why bother reading the book? Definitely not the case in Starting Over.

If you are looking for a light but realistic, funny, endearing, "second chance" kind of novel with great characters and an ending you'll love, give this one a try. I think you'll be glad you did. I hope that Wendy Lewis writes a sequel to this story, I'll be looking for that one too.

Overall rating for this book: Excellent. 5 out of 5.

My Heinz Beans "Horror" Story!

UPDATE MAY 2017:

PLEASE ALSO READ MY UPDATE COMMENTS BELOW (CLOSE TO THE END OF  LIST) THAT EXPLAIN IN MORE DETAIL WHAT ULTIMATELY HAPPENED WITH THIS COMPLAINT.

SUFFICE TO SAY, I WAS NOT IMPRESSED AND WILL NEVER BUY OR RECOMMEND ANY HEINZ PRODUCTS AGAIN! 😦

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AND HERE'S MY ORIGINAL POST ABOUT THIS INCIDENT FROM 2014: 

Yes, I know, I know...

I'm a cookbook author. I shouldn't be eating or writing about canned beans! ;-) 

But sometimes, as much as I like to cook (make that LOVE to cook) I need a night off from the kitchen. When that happens, beans on toast are sometimes on the menu here.

Our family (all the way back to my grandma...and forward) have been buying Heinz beans for a lot of years. Up until a couple of months ago, have never had any problems with any of their products. That all changed in December of last year.

Here's my initial email sent to Heinz Canada on January 8th, explaining what happened:

About a month ago, I opened a can of Heinz Beans in Tomato Sauce, 796 ML size, purchased at Save-On Foods, in Nelson, BC. The beans looked different than usual: mushy on top and there little sauce.

But I went ahead and heated them up and my husband and I ate them. Not a good decision. About 2 hours later, we were both feeling sick: stomachs churning, severe chills, feeling weak...all indicators of food poisoning.

The beans were the only thing that we can attribute this too, our symptoms were so similar and this was the one thing we both ate, just before this happened.

We didn't pursue this with you or Save On at that time and chalked it up to a one time bad experience.

Two nights ago, I opened another can of the 796 ml. size of these same type of beans (but not bought at the same time as the first problem can) and this time, we DID NOT eat them. The beans were all congealed at the top of the can, with what looked like a thick fatty substance. We were definitely NOT going to take a chance on another 'suspect' can of beans, after our recent bad experience.

I have kept this can of bean intact and covered, in the fridge.

L6R 1222 1531

Heinz Beans in Tomato Sauce

796 ML. size

I will wait to hear from you before contacting Save On about this problem.

We do expect some compensation for this obviously. Our experience with the first can could have been so much worse. As it is, we both felt very ill for that evening and part of the next day.

Sincerely,

Geraldine Hartman

***

Since writing this initial email, I have also been in contact with Heinz.com and Heinz.ca again, to no avail.

 On January 30th, I decided to write a letter to the CEO of Heinz Canada: Peter Luik, explaining our experience with their products and how our complaint had NOT been handled to date.

You guessed it. 

As of today, still no phone call, email or letter in response to my letter or earlier emails.

I happened to note an article in MacLean's magazine about a week ago, in regards to many factory closures that have recently happened or are pending in Canada.

Surprise, surprise...(not really) the Lemington plant for Heinz Canada is set to close this summer!

I don't know if this product quality down-slide is related to this upcoming closure and subsequent job losses but the timing certainly seems suspect, don't you think?

As for Heinz products of any kind, I won't be buying or eating ANY of them, any time soon, after how they have not followed up on what could have been a widespread and serious health risk for many, many consumers.

If you've got a can or two...of these beans in your cupboard or any Heinz product, buyer beware!

Overall rating for this product/company: BAD. 0 out of 5.

Back to Blogging. The Catch-up Continues!!!

I am finally back online with a new computer and Windows 8 to learn!

Not to mention a gazillion emails and other things to catch up with, including several reviews I have pending.

Mr. Cheddar is working on some new reviews too! 
He wanted me to mention that. ;-)

The Windows 8 part is turning out to be quite a challenge.

If you haven't "upgraded" from Windows 7 yet, my advice is not to until you absolutely have to. 

This new version of Windows leaves a lot to be desired. I now understand why so many people are complaining about Windows 8 online. I have yet to read any favorable comments about it. 

One plus about being offline for a while, I got to catch up with a lot of the books/ebooks I had on hand. Several of those, I plan to review here in the next few weeks. Some were very good, some stinkers! ;-)

I also have a couple of new posts over at:

My Poetic Path

and

Veggies, Yarns & Tails

that you might enjoy reading in the meantime.

I'll also be around to visit all my fav blogs as soon as I can.

Happy Weekend to All! :-)

Kindle Fire HD (2013)

I received a Kindle Fire HD as a Christmas gift and for the past month, I've been 'getting to know' my new Kindle. ;-) 

I previously had a Kindle Paperwhite, that has now been gifted to Joe. He loves having his own ereader now. I tended to 'hog' it quite a bit, when we only had one ereader to use.. ;-)

You can read my review of the Paperwhite here. It was a tough act to follow as I love the Paperwhite for reading. 

But my new Kindle Fire HD has so many new features that I am also really enjoying. 

At the top of that list, the amazing C-O-L-O-R! 

Looking at them online really doesn't tell the whole story in this regard. The colors are so vivid and clear. And what a treat it is to now browse and enjoy books with images in them, in color. Such a visual treat.

The price for the new Kindle Fire HD is currently $139. at Amazon.com. IMO, that is a real bargain especially considering how much ereaders of this quality were selling for, only a short while ago. 

The Kindle Fire HD is a bit heavier than the Paperwhite, but still not uncomfortable to hold, for long periods of time, when reading. 

The screen size is generous. Dimensions are 7 1/2" x 5" overall, a bit larger than the Paperwhite, which was a nice surprise. I actually thought that the Kindle Fire was longer and narrower than the Paperwhite, but it's just as wide but longer.  

Battery life is about 8 hours based on tracking this a couple of times so far. I have used the Fire for trying out a few games too (for review purposes only, of course LOL) and that may account for the less than 10 hours of battery life that these are suppose to have. If it goes down any further for battery time though, I may be calling Amazon to check on this.

There is a lot to learn with any new gadget and the Kindle Fire HD is no exception. I feel like I've just scratched the surface so far, of what this ereader is capable of doing. 

I purchased a Kindle Fire HD users guide recently that was recommended to me (I'll also be reviewing that ebook soon) and that is helping with the learning process. 

The user/help info. included with the Kindle Fire HD itself, leaves a lot of questions unanswered. At the very least, for first time ereader users in particular, I think Amazon should be including some basic info in the printed booklet that comes along with the Fire. There was not even a mention of how long to charge the unit for the first time, in this booklet and that's about as basic as you can get. 

On the plus side re: help, the Amazon support team has been great for answering my questions, in a timely and knowledgeable way when I've phoned them. So help is close at hand, if needed. 

There is still a lot more that I hope to use my new Kindle Fire HD for. It really is so much more than just a new way to read books. And speaking of reading, it is easy on the eyes, in spite of the high-gloss screen. Now if I could only find a way to minimize all the smudges from using the touch screen features. ;-) 

So many freebies to enjoy. Games and all kinds of apps. Organizational tools. Streaming video, watching TV and movies (not sure if that's available in Canada but not a priority for me anyways). I did recently move my Amazon.ca account to Amazon.com, so I'll have to look into what added features that may allow. 

What's New about the Kindle Fire HD from the Amazon product review page:

(click to enlarge)

If you've been considering buying an ereader for the first time or are looking to upgrade to one with color like I was, the Kindle Fire HD (2013) is a tough one to beat and for so many reasons. 

Overall rating for this product: Very Good. 4 out of 5. 

An Upcoming Free Kindle Book Promo!

Coming up this weekend: February 1st and 2nd, my poetry collection:

My Poetic Path: Selected Poems 2000-2010 

will be available as a free Kindle download at: 

Amazon.com, .ca, UK....

Do share this post if you can. 

And if you enjoy this book, a review at Amazon.com would be most appreciated. 

While you're there, I hope you'll check out my other books/ebooks too! 

Happy Reading! ;-)

Badger Damascus Rose Face Oil

I've been looking for a good facial moisturizer for a long while and this past December, I finally found one that I really like! :-)

Badger Damascus Rose Face Oil 

A superior facial care product, for so many reasons. 

* It contains all organic, natural ingredients. 

* It is easy and pleasant to apply and absorbs well.

* A little goes a LONG way.

 I've been using my 1 oz. bottle since December, every night and it's still over 1/2 full. 

* It has a lovely, pleasing and delicate scent. Not overpowering or harsh on the skin.

* It is very reasonably priced. 

At the Badger site, this product sells for under $14.

 It is also available over at Amazon.com and in health food stores everywhere. 

* Best of all, it really works! 

My facial skin just keeps looking better and better. 

Really softens the skin and makes fine lines virtually disappear.

From the Badger product page: 

USDA Certified Organic Face Oil

• Highly absorbent, antioxidant-rich, & rejuvenating base oils: Organic Jojoba, Baobab & Pomegranate.
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Face oil is ideal for dry, mature or combination skin, but can be used on all skin types.

Moisturize & Restore. Honor your beautifully evolving body with this elegant blend of naturally restorative oils. We've combined Organic Jojoba, Baobab & Pomegranate oils to create a light, super-absorbent and highly nourishing face oil. Baobab is especially superb for skin conditioning, abundant with vitamins, minerals, and omega-3, -6, and -9 fatty acids, which are essential in skin regeneration and detoxification. Organic Rosehip, Calendula and Seabuckthorn - AKA "the Three Sisters" - contain powerful antioxidants for radiant skin. Divinely scented with precious Organic Rose Oil and a supporting cast of true essential oils of Maillette Lavender and Roman Chamomile - some of the most profoundly soothing floral essences on Earth. A couple of drops of Badger's Rose Face Oil will soothe, moisturize and noticeably improve the texture of the skin.

Directions for use: Apply daily as an intensive moisturizing facial treatment after shower or before bed. Ideal for dry, mature, or combination skin.

Ingredient list:

*Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, *Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Oil, *Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Oil, Essential Oils of *Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender), *Rosa Damascena (Rose Otto), and *Anthemis Nobilis (Roman Chamomile), and CO₂ Extracts of *Rosa Canina (Rosehip), *Hippophae Rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn), and *Calendula Officinalis (Calendula).

*= Certified Organic

If you are tired of buying and trying out facial moisturizers that don't "walk the talk" and leave a lot to be desired, give Badger Damascus Rose Face Oil a try.

 I'm guessing you'll love it as much as I do! :-)

PS: And if your tootsies are in need of some TLC too, check out this previous review I wrote: 

Badger Foot Balm. Another wonderful product from Badger. 

Overall rating for this product: Excellent. 5 out of 5. 

The 7th Day by Nika Lubitsch

I recently noted the: The 7th Day at one of my favorite ebook sites: Free Ebooks Daily. 

I wasn't sure if this would be my kind of story to read, based on the description. Mystery thrillers, court room dramas...not usually my kind of book.

But my interest was piqued, based on it being a top seller for months in Germany (and I do have some German ancestry) ;-)

Well, I'm certainly glad I did decide to get a copy of this book. 

I actually read it in one afternoon, I just dropped the work of the day and kept on tapping my Kindle! 

From the Amazon product page:

"The 7th Day" has topped the German Kindle´s best-selling list for several months. 

Sybille and Michael are a happy couple, finally expecting their first baby. But then Michael disappears without a trace, and Sybille finds herself living a nightmare. When her husband is found, stabbed to death, there is only one suspect: Sybille. While listening to the witnesses´ testimonies during her murder trial, Sybille recollects her life with Michael. On the seventh day of the trial, Sibylle realizes the truth. But how can she ever prove it? 

This clever mystery is set in both Berlin and at a secret place, a place so terribly secret that some readers recognized it anyway." 

***

Author: Nika Lubitsch  has a very compelling style of writing. I was drawn in to the plot very quickly. No lag time or wasted words here. Fast-paced throughout with a satisfying twist in the plot at the end too. 

I also liked that the story was told from three different viewpoints.

I don't want to spoil the story but this is a mystery/thriller/love story you won't soon forget.

 It brought to mind the classic novel: Crime and Punishment. It had a 'Euro-vibe" (for lack of a better term) that also gave it an edginess I particularly liked. If you do read this story, let me know if you felt that way about it too. 

Sometimes, it is worth taking a chance on a book, if it seems to be out of our usual genre comfort-zone. 

Nice to shake things up a bit now and then, when it comes to reading choices. ;-)

The 7th Day is the first book I've read by Nika Lubitsch but it won't be my last. 

Overall rating for this book: Excellent. 5 out of 5. 

Elvis Has Not Left The Building by J. R. Rain

 

This past week (January 8th) would have been Elvis Presley's 79th birthday. 

 

 

It brought to mind this wonderful novel I had read a couple of months ago, by bestselling author J. R. Rain:

 

Elvis Has Not Left The Building.

 

We've all thought about it; what if Elvis really was still alive?

 

But how often have we considered him coming back older, wiser and working as a detective? Not me, until I read this book.

 

This story made me laugh a lot, cry a little and kept my attention right to the last page. 

 

 I could actually imagine this having happened, not just as a fictional story.

All those sightings of Elvis, maybe they weren't fantasies after all? But in this case, Elvis looked a lot different than how his fans remembered him.

This is the first book I've enjoyed by this author but it definitely won't be my last.

 

And to J. R. Rain:

 

Ah...thank you, thank you very much, for writing this story! 


If you still miss Elvis, give this one a try.

 

From the Amazon product page:

Which is why in 1977 Elvis faked his own death and endured massive facial reconstruction surgery, and disappeared from the limelight to live a normal life as the unassuming Aaron King. Unfortunately, leaving fame behind also meant leaving his fortune behind, too, and now Elvis finds himself broke and living in near poverty in a small apartment in Los Angeles. Luckily for him, it turns out he's a pretty good private investigator.

Now in his seventies and contemplating a return to music (discreetly, of course), Elvis is hired to solve a baffling missing person case. The King digs deeper, and soon finds himself surrounded by the seedier elements of Los Angeles, from nefarious Hollywood producers who prey upon the young, to twin brothers with a very dark secret.

And as Elvis pieces the bizarre puzzle together, he slowly makes his singing comeback—and will be reunited on stage with someone even the King himself never dreamed possible.

 

Overall rating for this book: Excellent. 5 out of 5.

Friday Funnies! Coming This Friday ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

I have a new post series/meme starting this Friday, over at my poetry blog: My Poetic Path:

 

Friday Funnies!

 

Stop by this Friday, September 10th, to read the minor details, enjoy some laughs and hopefully participate too.

 

And do spread the word if you can. The more the merrier. :-) 

 

 

Hope to see you for:

 

 Friday Funnies!

 

 this coming Friday and many more to come.

 

 We can all use more laughs, right? ;-)

 

Holiday Movie Review Round-up!

  

I had a chance to watch quite a few movies over the holidays and thought I'd share my thoughts about four of them here at My Real Life Reviews.

 

None of them are new movies. But as is often the case for me, what is currently the 'hit' movies aren't the ones that capture and keep my interest.

 

These 4 movies were all part of our local library's collection. They are all available at Amazon too; I've included the links to product pages for each one. 

 

Have you seen any good movies (new or old) recently?

 

If you have, do share. I'm always on the look-out for a good movie or book and I couldn't care less, whether it's new or old.

 

Hope you enjoy my mini -reviews for these movies and happy viewing! :-)

 

 

 

Murder on the Orient Express

 

 

I really enjoyed this movie. It has a great cast and a rather interesting and very satisfying twist to the ending, that I thought was perfect.

 

This was a made for TV movie originally (there are a couple of different versions of this movie, with different plots from what I've read) and this particular one is now available in DVD version too.

The scenes on the Orient Express (click to read more about that famous train) in particular are so beautiful. They brought to mind a time not so long ago, when train travel was the height of elegance and style. Unfortunately, the original train discontinued service in 2009, apparently due to costs and stiff competition. But there is another Orient Express train service that is now running, you can read more about that  here. Luxury travel in keeping with the elegance of the 1920's still can be enjoyed. If $$ is abundant of course! ;-)
This movie is a great way to while away an evening but there are a few gory scenes and adult subject matter, so I wouldn't consider this suitable for younger children.

I haven't seen the original 1974 version of this film with Albert Finney, but now I plan to check that one out too.

 

 

 

9 to 5

 

 

There aren't too movies that make me really laugh, long and hard, but this one did. :-)

An all star cast that did not disappoint and a story that is not only funny but redeeming too.

Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman in particular really shone in this movie; I also enjoyed Dolly Parton's performance.

 

 I did think that Jane Fonda was the wrong actor for the part that she played though. She just didn't 'ring true' as the shy, ditsy and ditched housewife, returning to the workforce in the office from hell. I could picture someone like Mia Farrow in this part but I think Jane Fonda suits roles of strong, confident women, so much better.

 

And again, I wouldn't consider this one as suitable for young children, given some of the subject matter.

If you are in need of some real laughs, give this one a try. Especially if you've ever worked in an office with its share of chauvinistic men. I did years ago and more than once. Although none of them were ever as bad as Dabney Coleman's character was, thank goodness!

 

 

 

 

 

 The Last Brickmaker in America

 

I've always been a fan of Sidney Poitier's acting and he did not disappoint in this film. I can't imagine anyone else in the lead role for this movie.

A touching story of family, perseverance and triumph. Also dispenses with some stereotypes about older people not being able to physically work hard and contribute in the work world too.

This is a perfect movie for the whole family. The story has some good life lessons to teach and in a "non-preachy" way.

I also learned a lot about the art of making bricks by hand, which is actually a lot more complicated and skilled process than I had thought it was.

 

 

 

 

The Pursuit of Happyness

 

 

I found this movie very touching and sad. At times I was overwhelmed with emotion by what Chris Gardner had to overcome in this true life story. I shed quite a few tears before the end of this film.

Will Smith was a perfect choice to play the lead character, as was his adorable, real life son: Jaden Smith, who also played his son in this movie.

I had read the book previously and did enjoy it more than the movie (as is usually the case). Based on the book though, I felt that the part of Gardner's wife was not well portrayed in the film. She was a lot more cold-hearted and self-centered in real life apparently and I thought this should have also been the case in the movie version too. Her portrayal in the movie gave a rather false impression. Other than that, the movie stacked up quite favorably in comparison to the book version.

If you enjoy stories of triumph over the odds and seeing something really good come to a good person, after a long run of bad luck, give this one a try.

 

Overall ratings for these movies:

 

Murder on the Orient Express: Excellent. 5 out of 5

 

9 to 5: Very Good. 4 out of 5

 

The Last Brickmaker in America: Excellent. 5 out of 5

 

The Pursuit of Happyness: Very Good. 4 out of 5