Ah, winter break. This is the perfect time to be lazy and relax, spending your days catching up on all of your DVR’d shows, newest movies and latest books. Whether you’re snuggled up in a blanket by the fire or lucky enough to be tanning on the beach, everyone needs some guilty pleasure entertainment during this time. Here are some suggestions!
Movies to See:
Playing for Keeps (Release date: 12/07/12, Genre: Romantic Comedy)
“Playing for Keeps” could be the romantic comedy of this holiday season. Staring a great cast of Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Dennis Quaid, the film focuses on former soccer star (Butler) who returns home to put his somehow broken life back together. He starts by trying to rebuild his relationship with his son, which leads him to coach his son’s soccer team. Butler’s attempts to finally grow up and become an adult are met with hilarious challenges.
http://playingforkeepsmovie.com/
This is 40 (Release date: 12/21/12, Genre: Comedy)
If you liked “Knocked Up,” it is most likely that you will like the new comedy “This is 40.” Staring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, this spin-off of “Knocked Up” features the two lives of Rudd and Mann as they approach the milestone in their lives of being 40-years-old. Audiences get an inside look of their lives and see how they are raising their family with a comedic approach.
Les Miserables (Release date: 12/25/12, Genre: Musical)
Staring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen (yes, Borat himself), this famous musical is coming to the big screen!
“Set during 19th-century France, Les Miserables tells the story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.”- http://www.moviefone.com/movie/les-miserables/54807/synopsis
TV Shows to Watch:
Nashville (Release date: 10/12/12)
Although this show has already aired, it is not too late to start watching! Only eight episodes into its first season, this is the perfect show for you to start watching when you’re home for a month and have nothing to do. “Friday Night Light’s” star Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere star as country singers Rayna Jaymes (Britton) and Juliette Barnes (Panettiere). The two are at odds with each other as Jaymes is “yesterday’s” country sweetheart and Barnes is the up-and-coming “it” girl of Nashville. If you like the movie “Country Strong,” you will love this show! Nashville has great country music (but it’s not all singing!) and a great dramatic story. Look for this on ABC on Wednesday nights!
The Carrie Diaries (Release date: 1/14/13)
If you were (or still are) a fan of “Sex and the City” and the ever so beloved Carrie Bradshaw, then “The Carrie Diaries” is a must see! This show focuses on 16-year-old Carrie Bradshaw and what her life was like prior to her career as a sex columnist for the New York Observer. Played by AnnaSophia Robb, see how young Bradshaw juggles her normal high school life in Connecticut with her new internship in NYC. Look for this on the CW!
Books to Read:
Something Borrowed, by Emily Giffin
Anything by Emily Giffin is a must read over break! Her novels have been commonly categorized as “chick lit,” adhering to women by addressing issues of “womanhood” in a humorous or lightheartedly manner. “Something Borrowed” tells the story of Rachel White and her best friend since childhood, Darcy Rhone, who are quite opposites of each other. Darcy is spontaneous and outgoing, while Rachel is more innocent and has been living in Darcy’s shadow. However, Rachel ends up drunkenly sleeping with Darcy’s fiancé, which eventually turns into an affair. Rachel has to choose between her best friend and her true love. Once you read this book, you can then watch the movie starring Ginnifer Goodwin as Rachel and Kate Hudson as Darcy! Look out for more Emily Giffin novels like “Love the One You’re With” and “Where We Belong.”
Firefly Lane, by Kristin Hannah
One cannot go wrong with reading any Kristin Hannah book! Any one of her books are great, but “Firefly Lane” is a must read. “Firefly Lane” tells the story of Kate Mularkey who is having trouble finding her place in the eighth grade until she meets Tully Hart who seems to have everything figured out, when in reality, she doesn’t. The two girls instantly become best friends and are friends for 30 years. They have always depended on each other through the hardships of their lives, but just when they think they have survived every possible hardship, a single act of betrayal tears them apart putting their friendship to the ultimate test.
Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me, by Chelsea’s Family, Friends and other Victims
Not looking for anything too serious? You are guaranteed to laugh when reading “Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me” or any of the other Chelsea Handler books. In “Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me,” her family and friends reveal stories about how they have fallen victim to Chelsea Handler’s practical (or not so practical) jokes and pranks. Anyone who loves watching “Chelsea Lately” and loves Chelsea Handler MUST read this!