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Five Films to Fall In Love With: Sir Peter Ustinov

February 14, 2019 by Host Leave a Comment

(This post contains affiliate links. Full info here)

 

 

This is a book blog, why tf are we talking about movies and…who?

Because it’s Valentine’s Day and love reigns and our eternal MCM is Sir Peter Ustinov, so what better time—book blog or not—to write a little love letter to bae?

The five films below are our favorites out of SPU’s enormous body of work (would’ve been six, but apparently Hammersmith is Out isn’t on DVD or any streaming service, lame.) But first, a mini-miniature biography as told by our own intrepid (*cough* boy crazy *cough*) librarian Host:

“Sir Peter Ustinov, born April 16th, 1921 lived a full life as a writer, actor, director, soldier, polyglot, humanitarian, comedian, lover, father, son, perfect, holy, sovereign, Oscar winner, author, documentarian, special envoy to the United Nations, president of the World Federalist Movement, university Chancellor, EGOT in my heart because he was robbed at the 1958 Tony’s twice-over for Romanoff and Juliet, novelist, and composer who will one day Ghost-and-Mrs.-Muir me if I keep the faith. And I will always keep the faith. He passed from this life on March 28th, 2004.”

Wow. Thanks for that. Good job, Host, well done. No one’s going to top that so here are the movies in reverse chronological order:

 

Evil Under The Sun (1982)

We have nothing but love and the utmost respect for every actor that has sank his teeth into the role of Hercule Poirot, one of the best detectives in literature, but hands down Sir Peter is the best. Evil Under The Sun is the best of his turns and such an entertaining, romp-y vacation of a movie with one of the best casts in a Agatha Christie adaptation ever. Roddy McDowell and Diana Rigg have so much fun, they’re a joy to watch as are all the rest.

 

Hot Millions (1968)

The best romantic comedy caper movie you’ve never seen. A little bit of How to Steal A Million, a little bit of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and a whole lot of Maggie Smith loving life. Bob Newhart gets in on the fun, too. And grand fun it is.

 

Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968)

What is says on the tin. For better or worse, Blackbeard has become a romanticized figure in pop culture, and it’s always a good time when he turns up.  (even when he’s foul—looking at you Pirates of the Caribbean 4.) Scoff if you will, but there are some classic plot elements here that are well done. Vengeful ex-wife witch whose spell can only be broken by a good deed? Who hasn’t been there? Also, peep the sets and fan favorites Richard Deacon and Herbie Faye.

 

The Comedians (1967) 

Graham Greene reportedly regretted penning the adaptation of his work himself, but there’s so much that’s great about The Comedians you don’t have to work too hard to get past the (admittedly many) not-great elements. Set in Haiti, the movie was filmed in Benin for safety reasons related to political terrorism and you see much of the beauty of the West African coast. It’s nauseating to see the incredible performances by black actors in this movie (as in all movies of this time) knowing that that talent has been hidden, ignored, downplayed, and silenced for nearly one hundred years in film. (Polite reminder to put your consumer dollars in the pockets of black and POC artists and entertainers. Think what the world would look like if our grandparents had done so.)

 

The Sundowners (1960)

Last but by no means least is The Sundowners. Notorious SPU is one of four main characters in a deeply moving family drama, and despite being the funny man pours out a complex and poignant performance against the backdrop of rugged Australia in a time of change. One of Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr’s best in our opinion, too.

 

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Thanks for taking this very sentimental journey with us, off topic but from the heart as it is. We always want to hear from you!

  • Have you seen any of these movies?
  • Do you have a favorite silly Disney movie or Agatha Christie adaptation to recommend?
  • What do you think is the worst accent ever attempted in a movie?

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Film

CYMRU AM BYTH – 9 Books On the Country of Wales

January 18, 2019 by Host Leave a Comment

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(This post contains affiliate links. Full info here)

 

CYMRU AM BYTH – 9 Books on the Country of Wales

If you aren’t hype for the incredible, incomparably bizarre and badass-since-before-the-onset-of-human-history country of Wales already, then sign on and buckle up because Cymru is d o p e.

“The Land of Literature and Song” is something we’d just kind of made up this week and carried around in our hearts during book selection, but the loving label is—of course—completely unoriginal in the extreme: hopefully the proud and fearless people of Wales would enjoy our well-intentioned ignorance and would be down for being celebrated in those categories (we kind of wish this was a rugby blog, not going to lie, but alas.)

Three regular-person-friendly histories, two cookbooks (omg there are exactly zero Welsh recipes that aren’t fucking heaven), three classic bar-setting works of fiction, and one modern novel (spoiler alert: queer protagonist yesssss #heroine #boss)

((strong recommendation: check out Pride Cymru at https://www.pridecymru.co.uk/ and https://twitter.com/PrideCymru #lit #goals))

 

Gadewch i ni fynd!

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A History of Wales by John Davies

What’s so monster about this broad BROAD survey of Welsh history is two fold: that the author, historian John Davies, was a Welshman himself and a gifted teacher directly commissioned to write this comprehensive history AND that the original work was in Welsh and only translated into English later. This history book is the real deal and a perfect place to start a unit study.

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A Concise History of Wales by Geraint H. Jenkins

Clearly the work of a history professor (in the best way, make no mistake) Professor Jenkins covers a huge amount of territory (pun intended) in a small amount of pages. A Concise History is a great fit for ambitious travelers seeking a good overview to better understand and appreciate Cymru and also a great fit for more casual readers.

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The Welsh Kings: Warriors, Warlords and Princes by Kari Maund

There’s nothing we could say about this excellent piece of historical work that packs the punch of this summary: “This work revives the memory of the native leaders of the country from a time before the title ‘Prince of Wales’ became an honorary trinket in the gift of a foreign ruler. These men are restored to their rightful place amongst the past rulers of the island of Britain.” Maund has built a stellar history, it’s DA IAWN

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The Welsh Cake Cookbook by Gilli Davies and Huw Jones

We grew up eating potato cakes and salmon cakes so you can imagine the ecstasy of finding this joyful book FILLED with every variation of Welsh Cakes known to man. Lavender? Hazelnut? Yes please!

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A Taste of Wales by Annette Yates

The enourmously talented Annette Yates pulled together a beautiful survey of classic Welsh recipes, and there’s something delicious for everyone to enjoy. Ms. Yates, we discovered, is also a craftsman of fine jewelry! Rude to be so talented. Hmph. (Annette Yates Jewellery <3 <3 <3)

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The Journey Through Wales and The Description of Wales by Gerald of Wales

Gerald of Wales did NOT come to play—he wrote 17 books in Latin in his long life and this one is so special because it’s a time capsule of real Welsh folk living real lives in the Medieval period so influenced by their legacies. Also a hell of an OG travel guide.

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How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn

How Green Was My Valley is magnificent. Before reading it, we had never, ever ever ever heard a negative word said, only dozens and dozens of glowing, raving reviews. Moving, honest, humbling. On and on. And every lover is completely right and then some. You’ll hold this story close to you for the rest of your days.

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The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas: The Original Edition

The one. The only. You don’t need to hear it from us. Hear him in this collection compiled by the man himself.

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Poppy Jenkins by Clare Ashton

Author Clare Ashton is a heroin herself, bringing to mind wandering-wondering-multi-field greats like Hedy Lamarr (full first name Hedwig) and Bea Arthur (if you didn’t know Bea Arthur was a Marine, Google it. BAMF.) Lesbian Romance borne out in Wales penned by a Welsh lesbian? YES PLEASE. See also: After Mrs. Hamilton and Pennance.

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The world has been gifted with so many people who have dedicated their lives to exploring, preserving, and sharing the incredible history and talents of Wales and the Welsh. We are beyond grateful and hope you’ll use some of these books as a resource to start your own exploration!

 

Rhannu, rhannu! Share, share!

  •  Do you have a favorite story, song, experience, or book about Wales?
  •  Do you want to visit one day?
  •  Also! There’s an incredible welsh language magazine published monthly called Barn that is so great! Check it out, especially if you’re interested in or working on language learning. https://barn.cymru/

 

 

Filed Under: Book Lists, Classic Books, LGBTQ, To Be Read, Uncategorized Tagged With: Classic Novels, Cymru, LGBTQ, Wales

Brain Love – 8 Reads on Neuroscience

September 23, 2018 by Host Leave a Comment

(This post contains affiliate links. Full info here)

 

Brain Love – 8 Essential Reads on Neuroscience

We all have brains and we all want to make them strong, active, and wide open. Here are some of the best of the best books on neuroscience, our senses, neurodiveristy, health care for your brain, and how to use your mind to max out your life experience.

We’ve read and been enhanced by every book on this list and recommend them whole heatedly. But remember: we here at I Read Therefore are NOT doctors, scientists, mental health care providers, nutritionists, or sociologists.

Use this post and our work on it as one of many available stepping stones to start learning how to love, protect, and use your brain. Check with a doctor, scientist, mental health care provider, and/or nutritionist before you make any changes to your life, diet, lifestyle, or your way of approaching the world around you.

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How the Mind Works – Steven Pinker

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Thinking Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman

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The Language Instinct – Steven Pinker

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Brain Maker – David Perlmutter, MD

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The World Beyond Your Head

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Deep Play – Diane Ackerman

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A Natural History of the Senses – Diane Ackerman

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A Mind Apart: Travels in a Neurodiverse World – Susanne Antonetta

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Thank you for reading along with us! Have you read any of these books? And what did you think?

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Filed Under: Book Lists, Female Authors, To Be Read, Uncategorized

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