Wow, it has been awhile! Life gets away from me and I forget which way is up now and then!
So, cruising on my kindle, I came across a book series by Karen Moning called the Fever Series. Essentially, a girls sister comes up missing, so she decides to take it upon herself to track down what happened to her. She heads across the ocean to Ireland, and starts retracing her sisters footsteps, only to discover that that trail is more dangerous then she could have ever imagined.
I wont spoil the rest of the story plot, but I will tell you that this first novel really had me hooked. Monings awesome descriptions and fantastic story plot had me "feverish" for more. In fact, I went out and bought what I believed to be the second book, only to find out it was the third, and it has been sitting on my coffee table awaiting my eager eyes. So, tonight, I pick up part two and continue my journey!
On a semi book related note, Bella from the twilight saga's birthday is coming up, and to celebrate, Summit Entertainment is re-releasing Eclipse to theaters. I may have to go sneak to see it for the fourth time! Of course, with the extended version of Avatar, the new 3D Resident Evil, and so many others on my to watch list, I will probably have to suffer through until the tentative November release date!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Son Of A Witch
So, yesterday was hectic, flooding made my trip to be bookstore take a very long detour... So alas, no blog post yesterday!
Today, however, I decided to touch on the sequel to the ever popular "Wicked".
Son of a Witch was really a good read. Much tougher, however, than wicked was. Mostly the story is slow, which makes it harder to not put it aside and move on. The story, however, provides much needed information for the next installment, and therefore a necessary read. The story follows Liir, the young boy whom Elphaba departed from the mauntery and took to Kiamo Ko with her. Liir has no more knowledge of where he came from than anyone else does, and sets out after the witches demise to find out and make a life for himself. He gets side tracked several times along the way, but his main goal is to find the girl who may be his half sister, Nor. Nor was arrested and imprisoned, leading Liir to join the Emerald Guard looking for her.
As previously stated, the story is slow, but I can pretty much tell you that if you do not read this one, come A Lion Among Men, you will wish you had!
Today, however, I decided to touch on the sequel to the ever popular "Wicked".
Son of a Witch was really a good read. Much tougher, however, than wicked was. Mostly the story is slow, which makes it harder to not put it aside and move on. The story, however, provides much needed information for the next installment, and therefore a necessary read. The story follows Liir, the young boy whom Elphaba departed from the mauntery and took to Kiamo Ko with her. Liir has no more knowledge of where he came from than anyone else does, and sets out after the witches demise to find out and make a life for himself. He gets side tracked several times along the way, but his main goal is to find the girl who may be his half sister, Nor. Nor was arrested and imprisoned, leading Liir to join the Emerald Guard looking for her.
As previously stated, the story is slow, but I can pretty much tell you that if you do not read this one, come A Lion Among Men, you will wish you had!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Wicked
Gregory Macguire is truly a fun author to read. This book is the first in what is so far a pretty good trilogy. The book is about the life of The Wicked Witch Of The West. How did she become this way? Was she always so wicked? So many questions, and Macguire delivers!
The Wicked Witch, Elphaba, is born green, sparking a life full of being feared, ridiculed, and loneliness. The story starts with how she may have became green, and how her early years play out, then follows her and her younger sister, Nessa Rose, into school at Shiz. While at school, Elphaba learns she has some sorcery powers and is encouraged to go forward with them, but she grows ever aware that Animals (animals who can talk) are being punished and resort to being merely animals (lacking the power of speech). She works hard to fight for Animal rights, but is cast out, much to the dismay of her best friend, lady Galinda, Glinda for short.
For anyone who enjoyed the Broadway show, you will enjoy this adventure a million times more. Anyone who has ever watched, read, heard of, or even thought about the Wizard of Oz must read this! I have heard from some that the language used in this series is a bit difficult to follow. If that is the case, I would also recommend checking out the audiobook. I have had both experiences and will no doubt be going back to read it again!
The Wicked Witch, Elphaba, is born green, sparking a life full of being feared, ridiculed, and loneliness. The story starts with how she may have became green, and how her early years play out, then follows her and her younger sister, Nessa Rose, into school at Shiz. While at school, Elphaba learns she has some sorcery powers and is encouraged to go forward with them, but she grows ever aware that Animals (animals who can talk) are being punished and resort to being merely animals (lacking the power of speech). She works hard to fight for Animal rights, but is cast out, much to the dismay of her best friend, lady Galinda, Glinda for short.
For anyone who enjoyed the Broadway show, you will enjoy this adventure a million times more. Anyone who has ever watched, read, heard of, or even thought about the Wizard of Oz must read this! I have heard from some that the language used in this series is a bit difficult to follow. If that is the case, I would also recommend checking out the audiobook. I have had both experiences and will no doubt be going back to read it again!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Just After Sunset
As a huge King fan, his art of the short story has never ceased to amaze, and this is no exception. Tackling tough life experiences, King adds his macabre twist on several stories in this book. I am not going to break down all of the stories, but here are some truly memorable ones:
"N"- This story was just down-right bone chilling. The accuracy of emotion playing makes you start counting things yourself. The story are notes from a psychiatrist about a patient, N. N suffers from OCD, and like most OCD people, his counting obsession is his way of making sure the world doesn't end. Only problem is, in his case, he is right. N's job is to count things in order to keep a tear between our world and a parallel one from ripping open and spilling monsters into ours. N eventually realizes to keep the world safe he needs to kill himself. Of course, his descriptions make the psychiatrist want to see the tear, and make sure it was just a figment of N's imagination. But he learns the truth, and the cycle starts again.
This story literally took me full circle in the emotion department, making me almost wish myself that the field mentioned in it was real. The descriptions were full and colorful, the characters were entirely too relate-able, and made this reader become completely immersed.
"Things They Left Behind"- One of the most taboo topics in todays society is 9/11. And King knows that. But this story did not look so much at the tradgedy of the grand event, but more how one particular person copes with survivors guilt. A worker from the twin towers had called in sick to play hooky the day the towers fell. One day, stuff shows up in his aapartment. Things that are not his, and noone can account for being left there. Things that were his co workers. The things drive him to the brink of madness, unable to throw them away or destroy them. Ghosts of his coworkers whisper to him in the night. He has to find a way to get rid of the items or end up losing his sanity.
This story was very tear inducing. A sore reminder of what happened that day for sure, but also a reminder that those who did survive are probably still suffering from knowing they should have died. This story gets two big thumbs up in my book.
"The Cat From Hell"- Not the first time King has written about his distaste for felines, this story literally made me gag, in a good way. The descriptions were so vivid that film could not have shown it in any greater detail. While unbelievable, the story itself was humorous, and disgusting all at the same time. I would give a synopsis, but the title says it all!
I can think of several more stories that stand out, such as "Willa", "Special on the New York Times", well really, all of them. This is a FANTASTIC Compendium from one of the greats. A must read!
"N"- This story was just down-right bone chilling. The accuracy of emotion playing makes you start counting things yourself. The story are notes from a psychiatrist about a patient, N. N suffers from OCD, and like most OCD people, his counting obsession is his way of making sure the world doesn't end. Only problem is, in his case, he is right. N's job is to count things in order to keep a tear between our world and a parallel one from ripping open and spilling monsters into ours. N eventually realizes to keep the world safe he needs to kill himself. Of course, his descriptions make the psychiatrist want to see the tear, and make sure it was just a figment of N's imagination. But he learns the truth, and the cycle starts again.
This story literally took me full circle in the emotion department, making me almost wish myself that the field mentioned in it was real. The descriptions were full and colorful, the characters were entirely too relate-able, and made this reader become completely immersed.
"Things They Left Behind"- One of the most taboo topics in todays society is 9/11. And King knows that. But this story did not look so much at the tradgedy of the grand event, but more how one particular person copes with survivors guilt. A worker from the twin towers had called in sick to play hooky the day the towers fell. One day, stuff shows up in his aapartment. Things that are not his, and noone can account for being left there. Things that were his co workers. The things drive him to the brink of madness, unable to throw them away or destroy them. Ghosts of his coworkers whisper to him in the night. He has to find a way to get rid of the items or end up losing his sanity.
This story was very tear inducing. A sore reminder of what happened that day for sure, but also a reminder that those who did survive are probably still suffering from knowing they should have died. This story gets two big thumbs up in my book.
"The Cat From Hell"- Not the first time King has written about his distaste for felines, this story literally made me gag, in a good way. The descriptions were so vivid that film could not have shown it in any greater detail. While unbelievable, the story itself was humorous, and disgusting all at the same time. I would give a synopsis, but the title says it all!
I can think of several more stories that stand out, such as "Willa", "Special on the New York Times", well really, all of them. This is a FANTASTIC Compendium from one of the greats. A must read!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Series
I know a ton of people are going to be mad at me for this review, but it must be done!
Over the last few weeks, I have stuck my Sookie Stackhouse books into my purse and read them in between other books. After hearing all of the rave reviews and getting hooked on HBO's True Blood, I thought that this sounded right up my alley. And then I read them...
I am a horror fanatic, a sci fi fanatic, and just genuinely love the strange. So upon reading this series, I was not disappointed in that aspect in the least. The story plot is fantastic, and the characters the author chose to embellish were just as pleasing. The general overview however, is that this lady had a GREAT idea for a book, but had no knowledge what so ever on how to tell her story. she continuously repeats herself, each sequel taking what seems to be chapters explaining the previous books. Each story also has this massive build up for the majority of the book, only to be resolved in a few short pages. What is worse, in my opinion, is that each story ends with everything being neatly tied up. In a series of this length, she should have allowed herself more room to set some anticipation for the next book.
Overall, I am left feeling like the author is too much like her main character, an undereducated woman who is luckily swept along by no ambition of her own. Each book could have been twice as long, filled in many gaps, and saved this reader from the headache of redundancy. If you are going to write novels, make them novels, not short stories with fluff on the ends.
On the flip side, HBO took the poorly written and developed it into a fantastic piece of artwork. Normally, I would say "the book is so much better" But honestly, HBO hit the nail on the head when they decided to expand some story plots, cut others, and not kill off all of the favorite characters. Bravo HBO!
Over the last few weeks, I have stuck my Sookie Stackhouse books into my purse and read them in between other books. After hearing all of the rave reviews and getting hooked on HBO's True Blood, I thought that this sounded right up my alley. And then I read them...
I am a horror fanatic, a sci fi fanatic, and just genuinely love the strange. So upon reading this series, I was not disappointed in that aspect in the least. The story plot is fantastic, and the characters the author chose to embellish were just as pleasing. The general overview however, is that this lady had a GREAT idea for a book, but had no knowledge what so ever on how to tell her story. she continuously repeats herself, each sequel taking what seems to be chapters explaining the previous books. Each story also has this massive build up for the majority of the book, only to be resolved in a few short pages. What is worse, in my opinion, is that each story ends with everything being neatly tied up. In a series of this length, she should have allowed herself more room to set some anticipation for the next book.
Overall, I am left feeling like the author is too much like her main character, an undereducated woman who is luckily swept along by no ambition of her own. Each book could have been twice as long, filled in many gaps, and saved this reader from the headache of redundancy. If you are going to write novels, make them novels, not short stories with fluff on the ends.
On the flip side, HBO took the poorly written and developed it into a fantastic piece of artwork. Normally, I would say "the book is so much better" But honestly, HBO hit the nail on the head when they decided to expand some story plots, cut others, and not kill off all of the favorite characters. Bravo HBO!
Day one: Introduction and Books review #1
Hello big wide world out there! I am creating this blog as a way to help myself organize what I have read and put together comprehensive reviews of each item. I also hope it helps others not only be able to pick apart their own reading, but communicate with others and interact on a higher plane of thinking.
Reading has been a personal passion since the tender age of 2 years old. since that time, my voracious appetite has been unending, and my genre preferences have changed to incorporate a greater variety of literature. With that said, I have also been in the movie entertainment industry for MANY years, so often, you will see references comparing books versus their on screen counterparts.
So, what gives me any right to tell anyone what to read? Absolutely nothing. I do hope that this will provide a forum of literary commentary where each reader can feel open about their choices and why they have made them. Each person should cherish their own opinions on everything, and as such, must also be respectful that others may not share that opinion.
Well, let us get this ball rolling! Today's book? Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella. Personally, I have never been a fan of romance, and yet this book was one of the closest to that genre that I have enjoyed. The protagonist, Lexi, is a young woman who suffers an accident, causing a strange form of amnesia. This may sound hokey, and it kind of is, like a bad soap opera. The accident leaves Lexi missing 3 years of her life, waking up in a hospital to find a woman far from the one she remembers. Her appearance has been greatly altered, her family has grown older, and her friendships have perished. Instead, she finds herself married, the director of a company, and rich. A far cry from the young 24 year old, single corporate lackey. The story is all about her struggle to find out what happened in those three years to make her into the woman she is now, and hope to cope with what she sees.
While it does seem fairly redundant a topic, the manner in which Kinsella tells her story makes you want to look in the mirror and ask yourself "how did this happen to me?" as well as turning a simple character on a page into your own best friend. Not only is Lexi made human, but is truly a lovable character. throughout the book, any reader will feel like choosing new "teams" and will stand up at the end cheering.
Over all, the story was a bit overused, but the manner in which it was presented was fabulous. I have heard great things about her other books, and now, I am thinking I should start doing a little shopping for "Shopping"!
Have you read this book? Do you have recommendations? Leave a comment!
Reading has been a personal passion since the tender age of 2 years old. since that time, my voracious appetite has been unending, and my genre preferences have changed to incorporate a greater variety of literature. With that said, I have also been in the movie entertainment industry for MANY years, so often, you will see references comparing books versus their on screen counterparts.
So, what gives me any right to tell anyone what to read? Absolutely nothing. I do hope that this will provide a forum of literary commentary where each reader can feel open about their choices and why they have made them. Each person should cherish their own opinions on everything, and as such, must also be respectful that others may not share that opinion.
Well, let us get this ball rolling! Today's book? Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella. Personally, I have never been a fan of romance, and yet this book was one of the closest to that genre that I have enjoyed. The protagonist, Lexi, is a young woman who suffers an accident, causing a strange form of amnesia. This may sound hokey, and it kind of is, like a bad soap opera. The accident leaves Lexi missing 3 years of her life, waking up in a hospital to find a woman far from the one she remembers. Her appearance has been greatly altered, her family has grown older, and her friendships have perished. Instead, she finds herself married, the director of a company, and rich. A far cry from the young 24 year old, single corporate lackey. The story is all about her struggle to find out what happened in those three years to make her into the woman she is now, and hope to cope with what she sees.
While it does seem fairly redundant a topic, the manner in which Kinsella tells her story makes you want to look in the mirror and ask yourself "how did this happen to me?" as well as turning a simple character on a page into your own best friend. Not only is Lexi made human, but is truly a lovable character. throughout the book, any reader will feel like choosing new "teams" and will stand up at the end cheering.
Over all, the story was a bit overused, but the manner in which it was presented was fabulous. I have heard great things about her other books, and now, I am thinking I should start doing a little shopping for "Shopping"!
Have you read this book? Do you have recommendations? Leave a comment!
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