Summer Reading List

Two years ago during the Film Festival, we screened The Descendants and had a Q&A with the lead opposite George Clooney, Shailene Woodley. I remember sitting there thinking how well-spoken, down to earth and real she was while holding a mic and speaking to a room full of strangers. She had a command and presence that just pulled you in.

Fast forward to today, and she is blowing up. With the lead in the Divergent series (which by the by, is a FANTASTIC series and highly recommended if you enjoy/ed Hunger Games) and The Fault in Our Stars (just picked up the book, plan on reading it during this weekend’s Colorado trip), she’s in this spectacular trailer, The Spectacular Now. It’s also based off a book.

There’s your Summer reading list courtesy of Shailene Woodley’s movie career.

Oh and naturally, I’m all about the song in this trailer– “Feel Again” by OneRepublic

A Grand Vision

“I like large parties. They’re so intimate.”  — The Great Gatsby

Next week, after an early screening of the highly anticipated The Great Gatsby, we’re hosting a Junior Board after party Gatsby would love; full of champagne, cocktails, finger foods and of course dancing at the PUBLIC Hotel. Just looking at photos from this iconic hotel, it’s easy to get into the Roaring 20s mindset. And we’ll kick it up a notch by having partygoers dress in their favorite Gatsby attire (read pearls, red lips, cigarellas).

Aside from loving the book, I’ve been pumped for this film. Even Maggie, the not-so-movie-goer said, “Even I’m excited for this screening!” With a visual-spectacle director like Baz Luhrmann, it’s sure to be a treat. But I’m most excited for the music. The trailer alone features a handful of songs that I wish ran their full length (and it seems a new trailer is coming out every week).

Florence + the Machine’s song for the movie is my current go-to.

 

One for the Books

Yesterday was World Book Night. A day/night where thousands of volunteers pass out 20 copies of a book across 6,000 cities and towns resulting in 500,000 books out to light and non readers. My co-worker Amanda and I signed up to volunteer as Book Givers. The process was pretty simple. You filled out an application and if selected, decided where you wanted to pick up your books (We went to After-Words which just might be my new favorite place in all the land). Then, you hand out your copies.

Amanda handed out Bossypants and I dished out Moneyball. We did a few handouts on our way into work and decided that during lunch we’d stop by the Chicago Fire House nearby and then continue to hand out books around the Loop.

Walking up to the Fire House, we didn’t know what to expect. It was raining, so the doors were all closed. Unsure of our next move, we walked in to Mister Firefighter Chris greeting us. The interaction went a little something like this:

FF Chris: Good afternoon, how can I help you?
Hanna/Amanda: We have books. Here are some books. Thanks!
FF Chris: Oh awesome, come on in. Do you guys want some coffee? How about some pictures?
Hanna/Amanda: Yeapictureswouldbegreatofcourseuhhuh
FF Chris: Here, let me grab some guys we’ll get you helmets.
Hanna/Amanda: start sweating and turning red

Firefighters Reuben and Brian join us and Amanda and I suit up in fireman garb. Amanda’s wearing a jacket, a helmet (Captain’s nonetheless) and carrying hoses on her shoulders. I’m given boots, pants, a helmet and yes, even an ax. We stand around chatting in our attire, take a photoshoot and leave the firehouse huge fans of the Chicago Fire Department.

A little book drop turned into an afternoon pick-me-up neither of us saw coming. Needless to say, the rest of the day’s giving was fun, but didn’t include dress up time.

 

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A Night for the Books

Thanks to USATODAY, I finally learned there is a night out there just for me, and fellow readers. World Book Night (April 23, 2013) hands out books, spanning 30 titles, worldwide. You can apply to be a book giver, where you’ll receive 20 books to hand out around town.

The goal of the night, and organization, is to spread the love of reading. To find those non-readers or light readers and remind them of how good life is with a book in your hand. Next year’s list of books to hand out is quite impressive.

I’ve applied, and you can too here. Fingers crossed I’m chosen for such an exciting night.

In the Thick of It

Film Fest season has quickly arrived and taken control of my life. Though I must say, the 48th Chicago International Film Festival has provided lots of surprises, lots of guests and lots of fantastic films. Every day I’m there, at least three shows are sold out. And the films I’ve had the chance to see are simply magnificent, two in particular:

1.) Numbered— A documentary about Holocaust survivors today and what the number they received in camp means to them. Not nearly as depressing as I thought it would be, I often find myself drawn to any book or movie dealing with this topic. It was jarring, heart warming and saddening all at the same time. One of the directors is a still photographer and his images are so very poignant, they move the doc along without actually moving. Film clip here.

2.) The Sapphires–Mark my words, this film is going to do wonders when it’s released. Picked up by the Weinstein Company, it tells the tale of an Aboriginal girl group that plays for the US troops in Vietnam. Based off of a true story, I sat in my seat dancing and singing along to these tunes. You’ll surely tap your foot along. Chris O’Dowd (of Bridesmaids fame) is stellar delivering one-liners every where you look. No one left that theatre unhappy.

 

I also would recommend checking out Opening Night’s Stand Up Guys, Any Day Now, King Curling and Off White Lies. We’ve completed our first week and have one more to go with this weekend’s Junior Board event featuring Helen Hunt and her film The Sessions. It’s been exhausting, trying to keep up with Cardinals baseball has proved at times difficult, but so very worth it. Meeting various directors and other filmmakers is inspiring. They walk around the theatre wearing their passion for their film and industry right on their faces–everyone’s smiling and eager to talk. It’s very catching.

Come see the world…

Fellow Junior Board Member (and Volunteer) Marcella and I spreading the good word

Book it!

Stumbled upon this video via The Book Bench of a domino effect with books in London. Is it me, or does Europe put together some of the coolest videos for inspiration. I must say, I’m quite surprised the books just don’t sprawl everywhere after falling.

Real Books

I know I wrote on how fantastic books are yesterday, but I just couldn’t resist. A Toronto-based bookstore, Type, put this little gem together. Makes me want to hop a plane to Canada just to high five ’em. via Brain Pickings

Certain as the Sun

Last night while watching Grey’s, a commercial for Beauty & the Beast 3D came on. My heart fluttered. My pulse quickened. And then I smelled chocolate chips burning.

Beauty & the Beast is the first movie I can vividly recall watching in a theater. Or rather, it’s my first memory of sitting in a theater with one of my parents (I couldn’t tell you if it was Mom, Dad or a family outing). As the opening credits began and the music swelled with Bonjour!, the projection reel went crazy, the film stopped working, frames froze and a smell of burnt chocolate chip cookies filled the air. As it turns out, the man who was manning the film canister was making cookies, burned them and freaked out trying to save them, thus, ensuring I remember being 7 and attempting to watch a movie.

Theater personnel moved us out of the theatre and, I can only assume/hope, handed us vouchers as we left. I don’t remember the first time I sat down and actually made it past the first minute of the film, but it didn’t harness my love for the film. Being a not-so girly-girl growing up, I never really related to any of the Disney princesses. I thought they were cool, but that was about it. Mainly, I just liked those movies for the songs. But Belle was the first one I could relate to. All because she walked around “with her nose stuck in a book.”

The story, the battle, the sidekicks and of course Mrs. Potts ensured this movie left a mark on me. And it’s why I cannot wait to see it in 3D. Here’s to hoping the projection rooms don’t have Easy Bake Ovens…

48-Hours of Firsts

After befriending a musician and Celia getting booked to werk the Treasure Island Music Fest, fate dealt some sweet cards and I was on my way to the west coast for 48 hours. Where I had a weekend full of first times.

-First trip to San Francisco
-First time navigating a new city without a map
-First time eating and drinking total German cuisine at Suppeküche
-First time walking up “hills” and being completely out of breath
-First time having a rooftop party that felt like a movie
-First time hanging with Kacee in America (Dublin reunion 4 years in the making)
-First time at a Music Festival
-First time movin’ and groovin’ in the Silent Disco (San Fran calls them “Silent Friscos”)
-First time using a sewing machine to create a beer koozie in the arts & crafts tent
-First time on a Ferris Wheel that was so old-school, it didn’t have a cage around it keeping you in
-First time getting a haircut on an island. At a music festival

And the big one:
-First time I bought a journal and started writing my book. While gazing at the Pacific Ocean.

Needless to say, I’m in love with San Francisco. And leaving was horrible. The music fest wasn’t too bad to boot either.

 

Sunrise Anniversary

Life has been pretty insane lately, which is why I think I’m completely blindsided that tomorrow is September 1. And that Summer Fridays end this week. As well as Summer Hours. Hell, Summer! Sigh.

After a pretty intense 2 Werk Weeks, I feel like I’m finally coming back up for air after swimming defiantly in a changing current. And it feels good. Because not only do I feel like I had a major accomplishment to tuck in my pocket, but I got to know some of the MDub team that I never really work with it. And since these weeks were filled with late nights and changing ideas, I learned to lean on them when I needed it.

Really, all of my co-workers. Everyone in the office knows how important this pitch was and really rallied to help me stay sunny throughout the process. Whether it was Jon sending musical inspirations for the day to help keep me from going postal (his best is below), or Sarah making sure we bike, pilates and zumba on a Saturday morning, I realized how blessed I truly am. And how I wouldn’t trade this place for anything (except maybe a TV show, movie and book deal, but they’d have to be rolled into all three).

And funny that this realization of how amazing my co-werkers truly are just so happens to land on my one-year anniversary with the company. This is officially, the longest place I’ve worked since the Dole Center back in Kansas (glory days).

I only hope everyone has the kind of support system I have here. Because it’s more than just being a team player. It’s that “Bud Light Fairy” who leaves you a brew when you go for a bathroom break at 9:30 at night. It’s those inside jokes you make when trapped in a room at 11 p.m. on a Wednesday when all you do is stare at the deck and laugh. That’s the best kind of support system. The green and orange walls are my Sunrise on Avenue C.