From the Library 8/12

From the Library is my new Saturday feature of what I checked out from the library this week including books, audiobooks, and movies.  This week was DVD heavy.


Books: 

The Messenger (audio) - written by Lois Lowry, read by David Morse

For the past six years, Matty has lived in Village and flourished under the guidance of Seer, a blind man, known for his special sight. Village was a place that welcomed newcomers, but something sinister has seeped into Village and the people have voted to close it to outsiders. Matty has been invaluable as a messenger. Now he must make one last journey through the treacherous forest with his only weapon, a power he unexpectedly discovers within himself.



The Taming of the Shrew (audio) - written by William Shakespare, read by full cast

The main plot depicts the courtship of Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, and Katherina, the headstrong, obdurate, and eponymous shrew. Initially, Katherina is an unwilling participant in the relationship, but Petruchio tempers her with various psychological torments - the "taming" - until she is an obedient bride. The sub-plot features a competition between the suitors of Katherina's less intractable sister, Bianca.







TV Shows:

Weeds - Season 1

Suburban widow Nancy Botwin (Golden Globe winner Mary-Louise Parker) launches a profitable but unlikely business venture as pot dealer in the first season of this hit Showtime series about the challenges of managing motherhood -- and marijuana. Desperate times force Nancy into desperate dealings with dangerous characters, which raises the suspicions of a self-involved neighbor (Elizabeth Perkins, in an Emmy-nominated role) and the DEA.


Movies: Let me note here that all the Alice in Wonderland stuff is for a challenge I'm doing


Alice in Wonderland - Disney (1951)

Disney's song-filled, animated retelling of Lewis Carroll's whimsical tale follows young Alice as she explores the strange and wonderful world she's hurled into after falling down a rabbit hole. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Score, this family classic features the voices of Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn and Sterling Holloway and boasts and usual cast of wacky characters, including the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Cheshire Cat and more.



Alice Through the Looking Glass - Kate Beckinsale (1998)

Once upon a time, Alice traveled to Wonderland. Now, she takes another journey and meets up with Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Humpty Dumpty, the Red King and Queen, Red and White Knights and Jabberwocky. Join the intrepid Alice on an enchanting magical adventure that will delight the whole family.





10 Things I Hate about You - (1999)

After learning that Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik) is forbidden to date until man-hating older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) finds a beau, Bianca's would-be boyfriend hatches a plan: Pay moody school rebel Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) to escort the churlish Kat around town. Larry Miller plays the siblings' overprotective dad in this witty farce that transplants William Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" to a contemporary Seattle high school.

 


Alice Upside Down - (2007)

 In this coming-of-age tale based on the books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Alice McKinley's (Alyson Stoner) life turns upside down when her dad (Luke Perry) moves her and her brother (Lucas Grabeel) to a new town six years after their mom's death. As the shy 11-year-old tries to adjust to her new school and tough teacher (Penny Marshall), she's sometimes derailed by her imagination, but an unlikely source offers help that could lead to a brighter future.





Hannah Montana: The Movie -(2009) (Don't judge me)

When the pop star fame of her secret alter ego, Hannah Montana, becomes too much to bear, Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) takes a break and journeys back to her Tennessee hometown of Crowley Corners for a much-needed break from the spotlight. But the pressures of celebrity life prove difficult to escape when Miley is pursued by a snoop who suspects the truth about her identity.