Reading & Winen meets Magic Mike

Special Screening event of Magic Mike

I’ve never been to an advanced screening of a movie so imagine my surprise when I received the tickets for the one movie this single mom would have found a sitter to go see. SCORE! Even better was when I would not have to fight the hoard of men and women coming out on opening night to also check out the beauty that is Magic Mike. 


Magic Mike, starring Channing Tatum as Mike, the stripper Entrepreneur, and Matthew McConaughey  as Dallas, the Head honcho of his male strip review. The movie also stars, Alex Pettyfer, Gabriel Iglesisas, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Adam Rodriguez, and a huge surprise to me, Kevin Nash. The movie was directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Reid Carolin.  Magic Mike is a story inspired by Tatum as a young, male stripper. Mike is a hot, business savvy guy enjoying the good life that stripping has afforded him. Women, drugs and money surround his life. The Kid is a down on his luck college drop out who gets wrapped up in Mike's life after a chance meeting.

As soon as the theater went dark and the movie started to roll, the ladies in the audience were ready to see it all. I won’t give up all the juicy details but let’s just say, "LADIES, DON’T BLINK". The hooting and hollering was infections and soon I too was giggling from the excitement of the hotties on the screen. Now, it’s not all strippers and booze; there is a story line. I might actually have to watch it again because for the most part my mind was straight in the gutter. How could it not be with Tatum’s very impressive dance moves that included a lot of belly rolls and hip trusting? For those that have been to male strip joints, it bring back memories and for those that have never been, it might give them the itch to actually check one out. I won’t be surprised if the local male strip joints see a boost in business.

Just like all stripper type movies there is a basic model - stripper gets wrapped up in a life he can’t handle.  Personally, I feel they could have added another 30 min of script to it to evolve the story line a bit more. But you won’t really care much about that once you see the final dance.

Being a single mom I don’t get a chance to see many movies, but I would definitely recommend this flick. Who doesn't want to see glorious smooth and tanned behinds gyrating to the beats of Ginuwine and classics like It’s Raining Men? Make it a night out with your besties because after the movie I guarantee you won’t want to just go home.

Molly & Letty at Magic Mike Screening

Magic Mike (click to watch the official trailer)

In Theaters: Jun 29, 2012 nationwide
Rated R; 1 hr. 50 min.
Warner Bros. Pictures

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Follow Letty on Twitter at @Katiiz95 

Read my personal blog - www.momoftornado.wordpress.com

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed in this article are solely of my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. No compensation was received for this post. Free screening passes were received via gofobo.com and courtesy of KMVQ - 99.7 [NOW!]

Heres whats happening at Reading and Winen

Reading and Winen had another memorable meeting on 5/27/2012. There is a reason I look forward to our meetings. I'm like a kid at Christmas counting down the days untill I meet the lovely ladies of Reading and Winen. We bring great books, fabulous food, wine and spirits, and tons of conversation to fill hours and hours of fun, fun, fun. Between chatting up books and reading passages we squeeze in gossip, singing, and dancing.  We also conducted much needed buisness to help build up our blog. Please feel free to check out our latest review and our updated bios on our current members.

Besides taking care of the behind the scenes and eating, we did go over books we read during the last two weeks. 

·         The Lucky One – By Nicolas Sparks.

·         The Principal’s Office  -   By Jasmine Haynes

·         Always the Baker Never the Bride – by Sandra D. Bricker

·         Three Days to Dead – by Kelly Meding

·         The Difference Between Soccer and Football – T.J. Lutgring

Our goal for this meeting was to catch up on books that we had listed as must reads.  I don’t think we reached that goal but that’s just more reading we need to do. As you can tell we love reading.

 We also went over books to add to our list.

·         Weekend Agreement – by Barbara Wallace

·         Bitter is the New Black – by Jen Lancaster

·         Momnesia – By Lori Verni-Fogarsi

·         Always the Designer Never the Bride – By Sandra D. Bricker

 Gabriela read passages from Bitter is the New Black and I became intrigued. I love her bitter sarcasm and can't wait to read more. Gabriela said “It was great to read a book by someone who writes how I think!”

 We can't forget the food because what is a meeting with out some food. Our theme was more of a back yard BBQ to coincide with Memorial Day weekend and Carnaval weekend in the San Francisco Bay Area. We had a spread that included: jalapeño artichoke dip, salsa, cheese and crackers, chips and bread, hamburgers, french fries, garlic fries and sweet potato fries.  Dessert was a yummy strawberry tart that Gracia brought over. It was DELICIOSO! Drinks included red Chiliean wine, and grapefruit margarita. 

 Can't wait for our next meeting.

Want to keep up with Reading and Winen follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

 

 

 *Momoftornado is a contributor blogger. Follow @katiiz95 on twitter.

Finding love at any age

The Right Thing, by Donna McDonald was available for free on Amazon this past weekend. I made sure I took advantage of that special offer. I have bought several of her books like the "Never Too Late Series" and The Next Song I Sing and those books did not disappoint. I was excited to see how this book played out.

After reading a couple pages of the book, I have to be honest and say that I was leary to read about senior citizens falling in love. Which wasn't the case, by the way. I prejudged the book just by the 1st chapter. I know it sounds horrible of me to say. I guess romance books to me, is more of young love (20's-50's). Going back to the Senior Citzen romance comment earlier, I thought I would be put off, or get a mental imagine of my parents. Gratefully none of that occurred. The romance and love of the senior citizens in this book was tastefully and respectfully done. It was very endearing actually. Reading that particular story line, I felt so loved. I caught myself "Awww-ing" at times. I hope I can experience the love that she wrote about at that age. Thank you Donna for showing me that at ANY AGE, LOVE is achievable.

So let me give you a quick  breakdown of the book. No worries, I have a no spoilers policy.

Morgan Reed is a man whose job as a fraud agent has jaded him from seeing that people can be good without any motives. He avoids relationships and prefers, umm what do you call that??? Oh yeah, booty calls. Due to a job injury, he decides to recover at his dad's place in Sedona, Arizona. He soon realizes that his dad, Gerald Reed, is the Don Juan of Sedona. His dad has more lady friends than Morgan has had in months. Morgan discovers that his dad withdraws the same amount of cash every month. The fraud agent in him kicks into gear and he desperately tries to figure out who's scamming his dad. Gerald doesn't trust his son's hardening heart to reveal his secret. In the process of Morgan's twisted investigation he becomes acquainted with Thea CarMichael who is lovely, sweet and a widow of 10 yrs. Not to mention that she is 10 yrs his senior. Cougar perhaps? He becomes a support for Thea with her struggling restaurant and her (ahem) personal needs as well. In the midst of all this his dad, Gerald, is going through a love triangle. What can I say the man has a lot of love to give. Actually, that storyline is very moving. My heart did swell up on certain parts. This book was not just about romance but had a good message "To live life to the fullest." In all the chaos and secrecy, did Morgan become a man with a heart? So you'll just have to read to find out. If I keep writing I might just get carried away and divulge more than I should.

 Ciao Bella's, Molly

 **Just on a side note, my new favorite word, courstey of this book is...Wididity. "It refers to widows who grow their virginity back by not having sex for years.(pg. 216)"**

Is it ever too late? A book review of the Never Too Late Series

As a single mom with absolutely no prospects in sight I have been diving head first into books full of love and debauchery. It's woken the romantic in me and it is helping me have hope for my own future of love in my later life. After reading the Never too Late Series by Donna McDonald, I realized that moms, workaholics and prudes can find love in their later lives and have it be as exciting as it was when they were in their 20s. I loved the series and can’t wait for the next book to come out

Dating a Cougar, Book one of the Never Too Late series, is about Alexa, a 50-year-old divorcee, ex-model turned business woman. She owns a lucrative lingerie company and she had practically given up hope to have a normal relationship. Who would have thought that the failing relationship of her daughter Jenna would bring a man into her life that would open up so many possibilities for her? Casey Carter, a medically retired marine who walks with a cane, proved that a cane does not inhibit his sexual desire or his attraction to the opposite sex. Alexa and Casey come together and flames erupt but would their attraction turn to more?

I loved this book and was so eager to move on to the next book. I got wrapped up from the first page, diving head first into Alexa Ranger's life. I love reading about how life does not end after a divorce. Not that Alexa Ranger stop dating after he divorce but what she never  found in all the other guys she found in Casey. I was able to mentally escape into this book and being the Pisces that Iam imagine that I too will find a love like this. Not that I’m a hot ex-model turned business woman but I am a single mom and love and passion have no age or boundaries.  This book gave me everything from doubt, frustration, hope, heartache, and finally ultimate satisfaction. Wink wink.

Dating Dr. Notorious, Book Two of the Never Too Late Series, is about a successful sex therapist, notoriously famous for the content in her books and her seminars. Regina Logan, a spinster going thru pre-menopause, has no problems talking candidly about sex and how to get sex but does she herself enjoy the notorious life the media has assumed she has?? Ben Kaiser is a widower, persuaded to go out and get to know the world again after he secluded himself in his work after his wife passed away. Who would guess that one event would bring the Doctor and the recluse together to begin an affair to remember and envy?

Book Two showed me that not everything is how it seems and even famous people can have their own insecurities in themselves. Again Donna McDonald captured me with the prologue and confusing hot flashes with hot dreams. I adored seeing how a middle age widower and a premenopausal therapis tacted like complete hormonal teenagers. But the difference between teenagers and two grown adults is that eventually they took rein of their hormones and knew life might get in the way. What can be lost and what can be gained?  Is lust enough to establish a relationship with Dr Notorious? After reading this chapter in the Never Too late series, lust is powerful but combine that with love and watch how explosive things really can get.

Dating a Saint, Book Three in the Never Too Late series, is about Lauren McCarthy finding something she never wanted to find, LOVE AND SEX. After losing faith due to her failed marriage she had all but given up on finding love. Jim Gallagher was the only man that could ignite her fire but it was wrong. A married man with a heart made of gold. Would he find a solution to a cause close to his heart?  Would the Saint push aside social decorum and her mother’s ideals and follow what her body and heart tells her?

As Donna McDonald has proven not everything is at it seems. This book truly proved that it really never is too late to find happiness. And once you embrace it, the flood gates open and it just keeps going and going. This had to be one of the best of the series. After reading the other two books, personally I would have jumped on Jim, married or not, but as the true saint Lauren is, she held out and in the end was rewarded.

Dating a Metro Man, Book Four in the Never Too Late series, goes into a story line that was first introduced to us in Dating a Cougar. Meet Jenna Ranger, Alexa Ranger's very stubborn bull-headed daughter. What had Seth done to deserve such loathing from Jenna? Seth Carter, nephew of Casey Carter,and the metro man that got under Jenna’s skin. No matter how many hotties she dated she just could not get Seth out of her mind or her heart. Through the other books you could see how Seth came to the realization that he needed, desired and loved Jenna. Now it was Jenna’s turn to come to that realization.

Jenna's journey was driving me crazy. I literally wanted to shake her to knock the stubborn out of her. Sometimes love can be all consuming and can make us so frazzled; wanting something so much that we can’t see the many other scenarios that bring us to the same conclusion. Book four also brings forward Allen Stedman, one of Jenna’s attempts to forget Seth. The hot, hot, bodybuilder, security personnel for Casey Carter, personal assistant in training to Alexa Ranger. Does Stedman find love? I won’t fill you in too much but let’sjust say... IT’S NEVER TOO LATE.

Sure a great pair of sexy red underwear and fabulous supportive matching bra can make you feel sexy but so can the never too late series.  This series left me feeling giddy and eager to embrace my own sexual awakening with that one great person that comes along.

I am unsure as to why lately all the books I’ve been reading have been about sexual awareness but it’s helped me walk taller and feel sexy in my own skin. As a Pisces, I live day dreaming and having books that help me explore my dreams has been great. But these books are not only about sex. Each of the women in these stories has embraced their age, their looks, their careers and their own paths. Making success out of the lemons the tree of life has given them. They empower me to make my own lemonade.

I am eagerly waiting for book five and see whose story I will get caught up in next. 

Have you read this series?? What did you think?

And don’t forget follow us on twitter at @readingandwinenand follow our blog for more book reviews and updates on meetings.

      

     XoXo,

   Letty

*follow me at www.momoftornado.wordpress.com Tales of a Frazzled Mom. 

** Dating A Cougar, Dating Dr. Notorious , Dating a Saint& Dating a Metro Man all written by Donna McDonald**

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed in this article are solelyof my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. No compensation was received for this post.