Princess Bride by William Goldman
Princess Bride with Cary Elwes and Robin Wright
I saw the movie first and absolutely loved it. Doesn't everyone? The wonderful characters, the sword fights, the wit and all the things that the grandfather promises too.
And then I read the book. I liked the book. But I didn't love it like I thought I would.
Now I'm going to warn you right now that I'm going to assume that everyone has seen the movie so if you haven't there might be some spoilers in here that you won't want to read. And if you haven't seen the movie I suggest that you do. I, as I mentioned, love it and I haven't run into anyone yet who didn't.
It's obvious that I liked the movie better so I don't see any reason not to mention that right off but I do see how the book could have more appeal to some.
The characters are basically the same. Westly is dashing, Inigo is a great swordsman out for revenge, Fezzik is nice but not so bright, and Vizzinii is out to make a profit and enamored of his own genius. You get more background on all of the characters in the book. They give a brief history of Inigo and Fezzik and how they came to hook up with Fenzini. You get to see Buttercup's home life too. In the book she has parents and you get to see more of a family life for her. So all of the characters don't just show up out of the blue. But everyone is just slightly different. Westly is more condescending to Buttercup, Buttercup is not very smart and seems less devoted to Westly when she gives her reasons for leaving him at the fireswamp. Fezzik was never very smart but it is more evident in the book and he becomes a little less personable. Inigo and Vizzini are very close though.
There are scenes that come word for word from the book. The inconceivable conversation, the iocane powder scene, and some others that were just as much fun in the book as they were in the movie. A lot more happens in characters heads in the book though. When Fezzik is trying to figure out why he can't beat Westly or when Inigo is going on about the Capo Ferro defense and all of that during the duel it is all internal monologue. But I think the dialogue between the characters in these scenes makes them funnier and I missed it in the book.
The friendship between Fezzik and Inigo is explored more in the book and there are more scenes with just the two of them. And I liked those two together.
The ending of the movie is much more fairy-tale than the book. But I think the movie was much more fairy-tale all the way through. I think the movie is funnier and more light hearted than the book. But the book does provide some more information about the characters and doesn't just start with two people in middle of nowhere with no explanation or reason. And I liked Westly and Buttercup in the movie better. But it depends on what you are looking for I guess. I probably would have liked the book more if I had not already seen and loved the movie.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
The Friday 56, Why Don't Students Like School?
Rules:*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it to Freda's Voice.
The book this week is Why Don’t Students Like School? by Daniel T. Willingham. My sister is a teacher and this is her book. I think she’s hoping it not only tells why kids don’t like school but also what to do about it.
The sentence:
Hypnosis doesn’t help. It does make you more confident that your memory is right, but it doesn’t actually make your memory more accurate.
Ah, well I guess students are just going to have to keep studying. Or not. As is often the case from what I gather from the stories my sister tells.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Theme Thursday -- Touch
Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Hosted by Reading Between Pages. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:
•A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
•Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
•Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
•It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)
Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”
This week’s theme is – TOUCH (any body contact)
Now keep in mind it says 'any body contact' in the rules. I didn't make that up.
Bannock's punches slammed into Jorge, with so much power behind them they jarred his bones. The giant put all his might into his fists, holding nothing back, obviously hoping to deal a killing blow.
--Colony by Scott Reeves
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
The Dangerous Days of Daniel X Review
The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson
(Amazon.com product description)
The greatest superpower of all isn't to be part spider, part man, or to cast magic spells--the greatest power is the power to create.
Daniel X has that power.
Daniel's secret abilities -- like being able to manipulate objects and animals with his mind or to recreate himself in any shape he chooses -- have helped him survive. But Daniel doesn't have a normal life. He is the protector of the earth, the Alien Hunter, with a mission beyond what anyone's imagining.
From the day that his parents were brutally murdered before of his very eyes, Daniel has used his unique gifts to hunt down their assassin. Finally, with the help of The List, bequeathed to him in his parents' dying breath, he is closing in on the killer.
Now, on his own, he vows to take on his father's mission--and to take vengeance in the process.
This is geared toward a young audience, even younger than I had been expecting. There is a very young hero and some of it is just goofy and corny. There is nothing wrong with goofy or corny but it was put beside these frightening scenes and times that are fraught with unspeakable danger and they just didn’t sit well together. They never really blended into one narrative tone. When the hero goes after what are supposed to be the top ten listed bad guys in the universe and they start using words like pukemeister it is hard to take any of it seriously or to have any real sense of danger even though worlds are at risk and very bad things are happening. And I found the juxtaposition of the two confusing. And there were points in the story that I had issues with. At the beginning of the story Daniel says he thinks he is an alien and then later he is telling us facts about his home planet, although some attempt is made to explain how he gets around living all by himself where the money comes from is never mentioned, and it seemed at times that a new power would pop up just at the time he needed it. There was just too much to take on faith and it asked you to stretch your credulity too far. There is some light hearted fun to the book if you don’t look too hard or expect too much in the way of tight plotting and I did like some of the dialog, both between the characters and when Daniel is talking to the reader. He did sound very much like a teenage boy. But I was disappointed with the book over all. I’m sure there is an audience for this book, probably young children, mostly boys, but it is not the kind of book that spans all age groups.
(Amazon.com product description)
The greatest superpower of all isn't to be part spider, part man, or to cast magic spells--the greatest power is the power to create.
Daniel X has that power.
Daniel's secret abilities -- like being able to manipulate objects and animals with his mind or to recreate himself in any shape he chooses -- have helped him survive. But Daniel doesn't have a normal life. He is the protector of the earth, the Alien Hunter, with a mission beyond what anyone's imagining.
From the day that his parents were brutally murdered before of his very eyes, Daniel has used his unique gifts to hunt down their assassin. Finally, with the help of The List, bequeathed to him in his parents' dying breath, he is closing in on the killer.
Now, on his own, he vows to take on his father's mission--and to take vengeance in the process.
This is geared toward a young audience, even younger than I had been expecting. There is a very young hero and some of it is just goofy and corny. There is nothing wrong with goofy or corny but it was put beside these frightening scenes and times that are fraught with unspeakable danger and they just didn’t sit well together. They never really blended into one narrative tone. When the hero goes after what are supposed to be the top ten listed bad guys in the universe and they start using words like pukemeister it is hard to take any of it seriously or to have any real sense of danger even though worlds are at risk and very bad things are happening. And I found the juxtaposition of the two confusing. And there were points in the story that I had issues with. At the beginning of the story Daniel says he thinks he is an alien and then later he is telling us facts about his home planet, although some attempt is made to explain how he gets around living all by himself where the money comes from is never mentioned, and it seemed at times that a new power would pop up just at the time he needed it. There was just too much to take on faith and it asked you to stretch your credulity too far. There is some light hearted fun to the book if you don’t look too hard or expect too much in the way of tight plotting and I did like some of the dialog, both between the characters and when Daniel is talking to the reader. He did sound very much like a teenage boy. But I was disappointed with the book over all. I’m sure there is an audience for this book, probably young children, mostly boys, but it is not the kind of book that spans all age groups.
WWW Wednesdays (February 23rd)
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?
Leave a link to your post (or the answers themselves if you do not have a blog) in the comments of Should Be Reading.
What are you currently reading?
Colony by Scott Reeves
Earth is overpopulated so they are sending people off to colonize other worlds whether they want to or not. So far it’s okay. There have been a few distracting editing errors and there hasn’t been anything terribly original yet but it’s not bad.
What did you recently finish reading?
Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington
I liked it but didn’t love it. Although it is much better than the movie which I didn’t really care for.
Interred With Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell
There are a whole bunch of people in two different time periods all connected to a vast Shakespeare plot. I had to pay attention because I was often on the verge of losing track of what was going on.
What do you think you’ll read next?
Pass…
Honestly my answer is exactly the same as last week. I have an Alison Dare graphic novel that I borrowed from the library that I should read soon and I keep looking at Farworld: Water Keep by J. Scott Savage. Both of them have to happen sooner or later. Maybe this is the week.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Peeking Between the Pages
Peeking Between the Pages has some giveaways!!
For The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry go here. Ends March 4th. Open to the US, Canada, UK and Europe. No PO boxes
For Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough by Ruth Pennebaker go here. Ends March 4th. Open to the US and Canada. No PO boxes.
For The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen go here. Ends March 11th. Open to the US and Canada. No PO boxes.
For The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry go here. Ends March 4th. Open to the US, Canada, UK and Europe. No PO boxes
For Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough by Ruth Pennebaker go here. Ends March 4th. Open to the US and Canada. No PO boxes.
For The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen go here. Ends March 11th. Open to the US and Canada. No PO boxes.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Theme Thursday -- Love
Yes, I know it isn't Thursday. But, well, this is open for a week so even though I didn't get it in on Thursday I'm going to do it anyway.Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event that will be open from one Thursday to the next. It is hosted by Reading Between the Pages. Anyone can participate in it.
The rules are simple:
•A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
•Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
•Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
•It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)
Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”
This week the theme is: LOVE
I know I am not any poet and the one I tried to write about you the day of the picnic was fearful but the way I think about you is a poem.
-- Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington
Friday, February 18, 2011
The Friday 56, Colony
Rules:*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it to Freda's Voice.
The book this week is Colony by Scott Reeves. I haven’t started reading this yet because I just got it in the mail yesterday. It’s about a group of people who leave Earth to start a colony on another planet.
The sentence:
The sun had been no more than a rumor to her, a luxury reserved for the rich who lived on the upper levels, where the bottom-dwellers like her hadn’t been allowed.
That might be enough to get me to blast off into the unknowns of space too. It doesn’t sound like a happy time.
Treats From the Oven
Like to bake? Well, Bookin' With Bingo is giving away 2 cookbooks to give you some wonderful new ideas.
For 750 Best Muffin Recipes by Camilla Saulsbury go here. Ends at 6PM EST on February 22nd. Open to the US only, no PO boxes.
For Sweet Treats by Linda Collister go here. Ends at 6PM EST on March 5th. Open to the US only, no PO boxes.
For 750 Best Muffin Recipes by Camilla Saulsbury go here. Ends at 6PM EST on February 22nd. Open to the US only, no PO boxes.
For Sweet Treats by Linda Collister go here. Ends at 6PM EST on March 5th. Open to the US only, no PO boxes.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
WWW Wednesdays, February 16th
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?
Leave a link to your post (or the answers themselves if you do not have a blog) in the comments of Should Be Reading.
What are you currently reading?
Interred With Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrel
So far so good. There’s running for your life, mysterious clues, mayhem and Shakespeare.
Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington
This has failed to engage me so far. Maybe it will pick up though. There is always hope.
What did you recently finish reading?
The Big Splash by Jack D. Ferraiolo
A kind of noir mystery set in a middle school with candy habits instead of drug habits and kids are taken out with water guns. It works to a point but sometimes they just don’t sound like kids anymore.
What do you think you’ll read next?
At the rate I’ve been reading lately I don’t think I’ll have to worry about this for a while. But I have an Alison Dare graphic novel that I will probably read soon and I’ve been thinking of rereading Farworld: Water Keep by J. Scott Savage since I got the second book in the series for Christmas. I haven’t gotten to it yet but maybe it’s finally time.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Journals of Lewis and Clark Review
The Journals of Lewis and Clark with intro by John Bakeless
The journey of Lewis and Clark is always an exciting tale but it is even better when you get to hear about it from the people who were actually there. It takes a little while to get used to the way that they write but you soon get the hang of it and it doesn’t pose a problem. At the beginning it is a little slow as you hear that they passed this on the starboard side and this on the larboard side but the story soon picks up. It is interesting to see the attitudes of Lewis and Clark towards the men they traveled with as well as towards the people that they meet along the way. The footnotes by Bakeless are interesting as well. They help to clear up a few things but they also, at times, express his personal feelings about the people and events. They are obviously the comments of a man who did research into the journey and the personal comments are stated in such a way that you would not confuse them with facts. It is a book for any history or exploration fan.
The journey of Lewis and Clark is always an exciting tale but it is even better when you get to hear about it from the people who were actually there. It takes a little while to get used to the way that they write but you soon get the hang of it and it doesn’t pose a problem. At the beginning it is a little slow as you hear that they passed this on the starboard side and this on the larboard side but the story soon picks up. It is interesting to see the attitudes of Lewis and Clark towards the men they traveled with as well as towards the people that they meet along the way. The footnotes by Bakeless are interesting as well. They help to clear up a few things but they also, at times, express his personal feelings about the people and events. They are obviously the comments of a man who did research into the journey and the personal comments are stated in such a way that you would not confuse them with facts. It is a book for any history or exploration fan.
Friday, February 11, 2011
The Friday 56, Outrun the Dark
Rules:*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it to Freda's Voice.
Wow! I almost didn’t get this done because I forgot it was Friday. How do you forget it’s Friday? Well, anyway, the book this week is Outrun the Dark by Cecilia Bartholomew.
The sentence:
All the blinds on the front of the house were closed tight.
After being in a mental institution for 13 years that doesn’t seem like the warmest of homecomings.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
WWW Wednesdays (February 9th)
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?
Leave a link to your post (or the answers themselves if you do not have a blog) in the comments of Should Be Reading.
What are you currently reading?
Outrun the Dark by Cecilia Bartholomew
An 8 year old girl is accused of killing her baby brother and sent to a mental institution for 13 years. Only she doesn’t remember doing it.
What did you recently finish reading?
The Elephant to Hollywood by Michael Caine
He has some interesting stories to tell and knew a bunch of very interesting people.
What do you think you’ll read next?
The Big Splash by Jack D. Ferraiolo is a possibility. I don’t remember exactly why I wanted to read this book but I wrote it down on my ‘some day’ list and checked it out of the library some time ago.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
From Hell Review
From Hell
With Johnny Depp
A murderer known as Jack the Ripper is killing prostitutes in horrible ways. Johnny Depp plays the opium addicted Scotland Yard super detective that comes along to try to catch him.
I was watching this movie and it wasn’t until about 15 minutes from the end when I realized I had seen the whole thing before. That’s how memorable I found this movie. It’s dark, literally a lot of the time, sort of creepy with a few gory, bloody scenes. Unfortunately it is long, slow and rather dull. The reasoning behind the murders is interesting but the process of figuring it out wasn’t. There was a touch of the supernatural in it and I was fine with the way you were never really sure if Depp’s character’s visions were real or opium induced but then there were some strange things at the end that weren’t explained when I think they really should have been. Because as it was the conclusion didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I never really felt anything for the characters so didn’t care what happened to them so then I didn’t care what happened in the movie. I haven’t read the graphic novel this is based on so I can’t compare the two but I think the movie is certainly something that can be missed without loss.
With Johnny Depp
A murderer known as Jack the Ripper is killing prostitutes in horrible ways. Johnny Depp plays the opium addicted Scotland Yard super detective that comes along to try to catch him.
I was watching this movie and it wasn’t until about 15 minutes from the end when I realized I had seen the whole thing before. That’s how memorable I found this movie. It’s dark, literally a lot of the time, sort of creepy with a few gory, bloody scenes. Unfortunately it is long, slow and rather dull. The reasoning behind the murders is interesting but the process of figuring it out wasn’t. There was a touch of the supernatural in it and I was fine with the way you were never really sure if Depp’s character’s visions were real or opium induced but then there were some strange things at the end that weren’t explained when I think they really should have been. Because as it was the conclusion didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I never really felt anything for the characters so didn’t care what happened to them so then I didn’t care what happened in the movie. I haven’t read the graphic novel this is based on so I can’t compare the two but I think the movie is certainly something that can be missed without loss.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Fragment Vocabulary
Fragment by Warren Fahy
Pointillism: a theory and technique developed by the neo-impressionists, based on the principle that juxtaposed dots of pure color, as blue and yellow, are optically mixed into the resulting hue, as green, by the viewer
Integument: a natural covering, as a skin, shell, or rind.
Anteriad: toward the anterior portion of the body
Tonsorial: of or relating to a barber or the work of a barber
Dyno: a dynamic move, also known as the dyno move, is one used often in rock climbing. It is used to overcome situations when your next dead point isn't within reach.
Caldera: a volcanic crater that has a diameter many times that of the vent and is formed by collapse of the central part of a volcano or by explosions of extraordinary violence
Sagittal: of or relating to the suture between the parietal bones of the skull
2: of, relating to, situated in, or being the median plane of the body or any plane parallel to it
(aside) Parietal Bone: either of a pair of bones of the roof of the skull between the frontal bones and the occipital bones
Effulge: To cause to shine with abundance of light; to radiate; to beam.
Pointillism: a theory and technique developed by the neo-impressionists, based on the principle that juxtaposed dots of pure color, as blue and yellow, are optically mixed into the resulting hue, as green, by the viewer
Integument: a natural covering, as a skin, shell, or rind.
Anteriad: toward the anterior portion of the body
Tonsorial: of or relating to a barber or the work of a barber
Dyno: a dynamic move, also known as the dyno move, is one used often in rock climbing. It is used to overcome situations when your next dead point isn't within reach.
Caldera: a volcanic crater that has a diameter many times that of the vent and is formed by collapse of the central part of a volcano or by explosions of extraordinary violence
Sagittal: of or relating to the suture between the parietal bones of the skull
2: of, relating to, situated in, or being the median plane of the body or any plane parallel to it
(aside) Parietal Bone: either of a pair of bones of the roof of the skull between the frontal bones and the occipital bones
Effulge: To cause to shine with abundance of light; to radiate; to beam.
Luxury Reading Giveaways
Luxury Reading has a long list of things for you to win.
For Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran go here. Open until February 22nd to the US only.
For Papertoy Monsters by Brian Castleforte go here. Open until February 22nd to the US only.
For The Seven Gifts by John Mellor go here. Open until February 22nd to the US only.
For Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen go here. Open until February 22nd to the US only.
For We Have Met the Enemy by Daniel Akst go here. Open until February 28th to the US and Canada.
For The Iron Fey Trilogy by Julie Kagawa go here. Open until February 28th to the US and Canada.
For Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert go here. Open until February 28th to the US and Canada.
For Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray go here. Open until February 28th to the US and Canada.
For Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran go here. Open until February 22nd to the US only.
For Papertoy Monsters by Brian Castleforte go here. Open until February 22nd to the US only.
For The Seven Gifts by John Mellor go here. Open until February 22nd to the US only.
For Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen go here. Open until February 22nd to the US only.
For We Have Met the Enemy by Daniel Akst go here. Open until February 28th to the US and Canada.
For The Iron Fey Trilogy by Julie Kagawa go here. Open until February 28th to the US and Canada.
For Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert go here. Open until February 28th to the US and Canada.
For Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray go here. Open until February 28th to the US and Canada.
Friday, February 4, 2011
The Friday 56, The Elephant to Hollywood
Rules:*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it to Freda's Voice.
The book this week is The Elephant to Hollywood by Michael Caine. I’m betting he has some interesting stories to tell. At least I hope so or this is going to be a boring book.
The sentence:
Once again I threw up all over my shoes and rushed out.
This was after he saw himself acting. Hard to believe he could have ever been that bad.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Fragment Review
Fragment by Warren Fahy
(from the book jacket)
In this powerhouse of suspense - as brilliantly imagined as Jurassic Park and The Ruins - scientists have made a startling discovery: a fragment of a lost continent, an island with an ecosystem unlike any they've seen before... an ecosystem that could topple ours like a house of cards.
The time is now. The place is the Trident, a long-range research vessel hired by the reality TV show Sealife. Aboard is a cast of ambitious young scientists. With a director dying for drama, tiny Henders Island might just be what the show needs. Until the first scientist sets foot on Henders - and the ultimate test of survival begins...
For when they reach the island's shores, scientists are utterly unprepared for what they find - creatures unlike any ever recorded in natural history. This is not a lost world frozen in time, an island of mutants, or a lab where science has gone mad: this is the earth as it might have looked after evolving on a separate path for half a billion years...
Soon the scientists will stumble on something more shocking than anything humanity has ever encountered: because among the terrors of Henders Island, one life form defies any scientific theory - and must be saved at any cost.
This book switches between periods of frenzied action and times of longwinded lectures. I don’t mind a little real science in my books but there were times in the book when we are literally listening to someone give a lecture and other times when certain things are being explained that tend to get long and sometimes get rather technical and then slip into boring and made me lose interest. And although much of the information provided does have something to do with the plot it is minimal in most cases and far more in-depth then it needed to be so wading through all this information was not necessary or rewarded in any way. And then we would be thrown into a scene of extreme violence where death and mayhem are everywhere and everyone and everything is fighting for their life. There are long scenes of people fleeing, bumping into one terror after the other that also starts to get boring after a while. Some of the scenes just go on too long. The danger is so constant and so violent and so much that it becomes hard to believe it is possible. In fairness to the book I think that was part of the point, that this ecosystem is completely different from anything else on earth and far from anything anyone could imagine but you really have to be willing to suspend your disbelief for this concept to work. The characters are hard to keep track of because they are not very well developed and some of them become interchangeable and so when the romance shows up it doesn’t add anything and seems almost out of place. And because the book goes from extreme to extreme so abruptly there is a lack of flow; there is a disconnect between the science and the action so they never really work well together. There are some great descriptions of the creatures and the drawings in the back are fun too. There are plenty of monsters and monster fights to keep any creature feature lover happy. It is a fast read that can be an adventure that you don’t have to think about too much. Unfortunately the surprise at the end is not much of a surprise and it does not have the bang that the tension and action of the rest of the book seems to promise.
(from the book jacket)
In this powerhouse of suspense - as brilliantly imagined as Jurassic Park and The Ruins - scientists have made a startling discovery: a fragment of a lost continent, an island with an ecosystem unlike any they've seen before... an ecosystem that could topple ours like a house of cards.
The time is now. The place is the Trident, a long-range research vessel hired by the reality TV show Sealife. Aboard is a cast of ambitious young scientists. With a director dying for drama, tiny Henders Island might just be what the show needs. Until the first scientist sets foot on Henders - and the ultimate test of survival begins...
For when they reach the island's shores, scientists are utterly unprepared for what they find - creatures unlike any ever recorded in natural history. This is not a lost world frozen in time, an island of mutants, or a lab where science has gone mad: this is the earth as it might have looked after evolving on a separate path for half a billion years...
Soon the scientists will stumble on something more shocking than anything humanity has ever encountered: because among the terrors of Henders Island, one life form defies any scientific theory - and must be saved at any cost.
This book switches between periods of frenzied action and times of longwinded lectures. I don’t mind a little real science in my books but there were times in the book when we are literally listening to someone give a lecture and other times when certain things are being explained that tend to get long and sometimes get rather technical and then slip into boring and made me lose interest. And although much of the information provided does have something to do with the plot it is minimal in most cases and far more in-depth then it needed to be so wading through all this information was not necessary or rewarded in any way. And then we would be thrown into a scene of extreme violence where death and mayhem are everywhere and everyone and everything is fighting for their life. There are long scenes of people fleeing, bumping into one terror after the other that also starts to get boring after a while. Some of the scenes just go on too long. The danger is so constant and so violent and so much that it becomes hard to believe it is possible. In fairness to the book I think that was part of the point, that this ecosystem is completely different from anything else on earth and far from anything anyone could imagine but you really have to be willing to suspend your disbelief for this concept to work. The characters are hard to keep track of because they are not very well developed and some of them become interchangeable and so when the romance shows up it doesn’t add anything and seems almost out of place. And because the book goes from extreme to extreme so abruptly there is a lack of flow; there is a disconnect between the science and the action so they never really work well together. There are some great descriptions of the creatures and the drawings in the back are fun too. There are plenty of monsters and monster fights to keep any creature feature lover happy. It is a fast read that can be an adventure that you don’t have to think about too much. Unfortunately the surprise at the end is not much of a surprise and it does not have the bang that the tension and action of the rest of the book seems to promise.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Let's go Bookin'
Bookin' With Bingo has a whole bunch of things to give away. Just like always.
For Viola in Real Life by Ardiana Trigiani go here. Ends February 11th. Open to the US only, no PO boxes.
For Eighteen Acres by Nicolle Wallace go here. Ends February 11th. Open to the US and Canada, no PO boxes.
For The Secret of Chanel No. 5 by Tilar J. Mazzeo go here. Ends February 12th. Open to the US only, no PO boxes.
For Play Dead by Harlan Coben go here. Ends February 12th. Open to the US only, no PO boxes.
For the book and CD set of Doctor DeSoto by William Steig go here. Ends February 13th. Open to the US and Canada, no PO boxes.
For Directive 51 by John Barnes go here. Ends February 13th. Open to the US only, no PO boxes.
For Vampire Crush by A.M. Robinson go here. Ends February 14th. Open to the US only, no PO boxes.
For Late for Tea at Deer Palace by Tamara Chalabi go here. Ends February 16th. Open to the US and Canada, no PO boxes.
For Viola in Real Life by Ardiana Trigiani go here. Ends February 11th. Open to the US only, no PO boxes.
For Eighteen Acres by Nicolle Wallace go here. Ends February 11th. Open to the US and Canada, no PO boxes.
For The Secret of Chanel No. 5 by Tilar J. Mazzeo go here. Ends February 12th. Open to the US only, no PO boxes.
For Play Dead by Harlan Coben go here. Ends February 12th. Open to the US only, no PO boxes.
For the book and CD set of Doctor DeSoto by William Steig go here. Ends February 13th. Open to the US and Canada, no PO boxes.
For Directive 51 by John Barnes go here. Ends February 13th. Open to the US only, no PO boxes.
For Vampire Crush by A.M. Robinson go here. Ends February 14th. Open to the US only, no PO boxes.
For Late for Tea at Deer Palace by Tamara Chalabi go here. Ends February 16th. Open to the US and Canada, no PO boxes.
WWW Wednesdays (February 2nd)
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?
Leave a link to your post (or the answers themselves if you do not have a blog) in the comments of Should Be Reading.
What are you currently reading?
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
This time I actually did start to read it. So far it’s just okay but I haven’t gotten very far so I’m not ready to pass judgment yet.
Chicken a la King and the Buffalo Wing by Steven Gilbar
The history of how foods got their names. I’m reading a few at a time so I don’t know when I’ll actually finish. Some of the stories are interesting but some are not.
What did you recently finish reading?
Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman
I like that it spends as much time with the supervillain as it does with the superhero. He also does a good job of giving the characters a history without boring you.
Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey
I expected this to be more of Zorro like story than it is but it still had some of that feel to it. The end leaves it wide open for more books.
What do you think you’ll read next?
The Elephant to Hollywood by Michael Caine
For some reason I find Michael Caine interesting. I just hope that I don’t learn stuff about him that I don’t want to know.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Books I Finished in January
The list looks rather impressive at first glance but then you realize how short they all are and then not so much.
The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
Fun to read but forgettable.
Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs by Ursula Vernon
Cute, fun, funny.
Edible Stories by Mark Kurlansky
This is called a novel in 16 parts but it reads like short stories. Short stories are not my favorite genre but I like how these are tied together by characters showing up in more than one story.
What Do You Care What Other People Think? By Richard Feyman
Feyman is very interesting to me. This book is mostly about his time on the committee investigating the Challenger crash.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Spooky.
Eighth-Grade Superzero by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Lots of good themes and things I think it is good for kids to hear but it gets awfully preachy.
Slaughterhouse-five by Kurt Vonnegut
I don’t know why I thought I wouldn’t like this book. It turns out that I did.
Britten and Brulightly by Hannah Berry
A graphic novel with a dark noir feel. I like the art and the complicated plot and even the oversize book format.
Codex 632 by Jose Rodrigues Dos Santos
A lot of research went into this book. And I mean that literally. It is interesting stuff but it gets rather long and slow in parts. And I found a lot of the characters annoying.
A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
It was an okay mystery but I have to admit that I don’t get what all the fuss is about.
Nurk by Ursula Vernon
About a shrew on a quest. It’s a cute adventure story.
Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman
I like superheroes. And I like that this book divides its time equally between the good guys and the bad guy.
The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
Fun to read but forgettable.
Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs by Ursula Vernon
Cute, fun, funny.
Edible Stories by Mark Kurlansky
This is called a novel in 16 parts but it reads like short stories. Short stories are not my favorite genre but I like how these are tied together by characters showing up in more than one story.
What Do You Care What Other People Think? By Richard Feyman
Feyman is very interesting to me. This book is mostly about his time on the committee investigating the Challenger crash.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Spooky.
Eighth-Grade Superzero by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Lots of good themes and things I think it is good for kids to hear but it gets awfully preachy.
Slaughterhouse-five by Kurt Vonnegut
I don’t know why I thought I wouldn’t like this book. It turns out that I did.
Britten and Brulightly by Hannah Berry
A graphic novel with a dark noir feel. I like the art and the complicated plot and even the oversize book format.
Codex 632 by Jose Rodrigues Dos Santos
A lot of research went into this book. And I mean that literally. It is interesting stuff but it gets rather long and slow in parts. And I found a lot of the characters annoying.
A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
It was an okay mystery but I have to admit that I don’t get what all the fuss is about.
Nurk by Ursula Vernon
About a shrew on a quest. It’s a cute adventure story.
Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman
I like superheroes. And I like that this book divides its time equally between the good guys and the bad guy.
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