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Thursday, June 23, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Forbidden Kingdom Review
The Forbidden Kingdom
With Jackie Chan and Jet Li
A 21st century boy finds himself transported back to ancient China where he learns he must go on a quest to save the Monkey King with the help of two kung-fu masters.
It’s entertaining. The kung-fu is fun but not realistic. The plot is not anything profound. The underdog kid turns out to be the chosen one, the only one who can perform an important task. You have to be willing to accept the movie for what it is. The boy has to fight the bad guys with a ridiculously short time to train. The rivalry/friendship between his two teachers is predictable. The Monkey King is goofy. There is a fight between good and evil, some humor, kung-fu and even some more serious sad moments. But this movie is definitely light and fluffy. A movie with some action that you don’t have to think about too much.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
WWW Wednesday (June 15)
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?
The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks
It always pays to be prepared.
What did you recently finish reading?
The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano
It got a little dicey at the end but I liked it.
What do you think you’ll read next?
I think I’ll read something by Clive Cussler. I don’t know what yet but it’s been a while since I’ve read something by Cussler and I think I’m in the mood for one right about now.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Madame Tussaud Review
Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran
(From the book flap)
Smart and ambitious, Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated wax museum, the Salon de Cire. From her popular model of the American ambassador, Thomas Jefferson, to her tableau of the royal family at dinner, Marie’s museum provides Parisians with the very latest news on fashion, gossip, and even politics. Her customers hail from every walk of life, yet her greatest dreams is to attract the attention of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI; their stamp of approval on her work could catapult her and her museum to the fame and riches she desires. After months of anticipation, Marie learns that the royal family is willing to come and see their likenesses. When they finally arrive, the king’s sister is so impressed that she requests Marie’s presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. It is a request Marie knows she cannot refuse – even if it means time away from her beloved Salon and her increasingly dear friend, Henri Charles.
As Marie gets to know her pupil, Princess Elisabeth, she also becomes acquainted with the king and queen, who introduce her to the glamorous life at court. From lavish parties with more delicacies than she’s ever seen to rooms filled with candles lit only once before being discarded, Marie steps into a world entirely different from her home on the Boulevard du Temple, where people are selling their teeth in order to put food on the table.
Meanwhile, many resent the vast separation between rich and poor. In salons and cafes across Paris, people like Camille Desmoulins, Jean-Paul Marat, and Maximilien Robespierre are lashing out against the monarchy. Soon, there’s whispered talk of revolution… Will Marie be able to hold on to both the love of her life and her friendship with the royal family as France approaches civil war? And more important, will she be able to fulfill the demands of powerful revolutionaries who ask that she make the death masks of beheaded aristocrats, some of whom she knows?
Moran does a wonderful job of bringing the time and place to life. There is a cast of wonderfully rounded, interesting, and complex characters. You become involved in the lives of these people. There is a lot of historical detail and you certainly can learn a lot about the French Revolution here and it comes from an interesting perspective. You watch as Marie and her friends and family try to continue to live their lives as the world is in turmoil all around them. Even though you know what is going to happen there is still a sense of tension as you watch the events unfold. The fear and terror as the Revolution becomes bloodier and bloodier can be felt. Moran manages to show a sympathetic side to the royal family’s plight as they, like the citizens, are caught in something that goes beyond all control. There is a sense of suspense as Marie tries to walk the line between the two sides and every move, even the slightest one, could be the one that sends her whole life and the lives of all those she loves to destruction. It is an exciting story that the reader can become immersed in and will end up following these people on the harrowing and emotional journey.
I want to thank Michelle Moran for providing a free copy for review.
(From the book flap)
Smart and ambitious, Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated wax museum, the Salon de Cire. From her popular model of the American ambassador, Thomas Jefferson, to her tableau of the royal family at dinner, Marie’s museum provides Parisians with the very latest news on fashion, gossip, and even politics. Her customers hail from every walk of life, yet her greatest dreams is to attract the attention of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI; their stamp of approval on her work could catapult her and her museum to the fame and riches she desires. After months of anticipation, Marie learns that the royal family is willing to come and see their likenesses. When they finally arrive, the king’s sister is so impressed that she requests Marie’s presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. It is a request Marie knows she cannot refuse – even if it means time away from her beloved Salon and her increasingly dear friend, Henri Charles.
As Marie gets to know her pupil, Princess Elisabeth, she also becomes acquainted with the king and queen, who introduce her to the glamorous life at court. From lavish parties with more delicacies than she’s ever seen to rooms filled with candles lit only once before being discarded, Marie steps into a world entirely different from her home on the Boulevard du Temple, where people are selling their teeth in order to put food on the table.
Meanwhile, many resent the vast separation between rich and poor. In salons and cafes across Paris, people like Camille Desmoulins, Jean-Paul Marat, and Maximilien Robespierre are lashing out against the monarchy. Soon, there’s whispered talk of revolution… Will Marie be able to hold on to both the love of her life and her friendship with the royal family as France approaches civil war? And more important, will she be able to fulfill the demands of powerful revolutionaries who ask that she make the death masks of beheaded aristocrats, some of whom she knows?
Moran does a wonderful job of bringing the time and place to life. There is a cast of wonderfully rounded, interesting, and complex characters. You become involved in the lives of these people. There is a lot of historical detail and you certainly can learn a lot about the French Revolution here and it comes from an interesting perspective. You watch as Marie and her friends and family try to continue to live their lives as the world is in turmoil all around them. Even though you know what is going to happen there is still a sense of tension as you watch the events unfold. The fear and terror as the Revolution becomes bloodier and bloodier can be felt. Moran manages to show a sympathetic side to the royal family’s plight as they, like the citizens, are caught in something that goes beyond all control. There is a sense of suspense as Marie tries to walk the line between the two sides and every move, even the slightest one, could be the one that sends her whole life and the lives of all those she loves to destruction. It is an exciting story that the reader can become immersed in and will end up following these people on the harrowing and emotional journey.
I want to thank Michelle Moran for providing a free copy for review.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Blood and Chocolate Movie vs. Book
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
Blood and Chocolate with Agnes Bruckner and Hugh Dancy
The book is about a family of werewolves. They have been forced to flee from their home and find a new one. Vivian, our hero, is trying to find her own way in a pack dynamic that expects certain things from her that she is not sure she wants for herself. She has a softer side that she does not see in the pack and looks to the humans to find. The pack looks for leadership and safety while trying to leave behind a bloody mistake.
The movie is not about that at all. Vivian does fall in love with a human but there is not much the same after that. She is not even the one to initiate the contact with him or pursue the relationship. Some of the things that she liked about him in the book are missing in him in the movie, his sense of ‘pack’ with his friends, the fact that he is not as rough as the guys in her pack. He has no friends in the movie and he is tougher in a running and fighting sort of way. The relationship between them is less sexually driven in the movie so in some ways seems sweeter but in the process it changes their relationship. The rules of the pack are completely different. There is a leader already and he is a bit of a jerk. And the whole outcome is completely different. So different they are almost opposites. It’s impossible to point out all the things that are different in the movie. They are just not the same story.
For that reason it is hard to say which one I liked better. I think the book is more about Vivian and her personal struggle than it is a straight werewolf story. There is more action in the movie, more fights and chases. The movie is more a physical battle for Vivian than the emotional one that she has in the book. So it depends on what you are looking for. I thought both of them were worth a look, but if you read and love the book don’t expect the same from the movie or you will be disappointed.
Blood and Chocolate with Agnes Bruckner and Hugh Dancy
The book is about a family of werewolves. They have been forced to flee from their home and find a new one. Vivian, our hero, is trying to find her own way in a pack dynamic that expects certain things from her that she is not sure she wants for herself. She has a softer side that she does not see in the pack and looks to the humans to find. The pack looks for leadership and safety while trying to leave behind a bloody mistake.
The movie is not about that at all. Vivian does fall in love with a human but there is not much the same after that. She is not even the one to initiate the contact with him or pursue the relationship. Some of the things that she liked about him in the book are missing in him in the movie, his sense of ‘pack’ with his friends, the fact that he is not as rough as the guys in her pack. He has no friends in the movie and he is tougher in a running and fighting sort of way. The relationship between them is less sexually driven in the movie so in some ways seems sweeter but in the process it changes their relationship. The rules of the pack are completely different. There is a leader already and he is a bit of a jerk. And the whole outcome is completely different. So different they are almost opposites. It’s impossible to point out all the things that are different in the movie. They are just not the same story.
For that reason it is hard to say which one I liked better. I think the book is more about Vivian and her personal struggle than it is a straight werewolf story. There is more action in the movie, more fights and chases. The movie is more a physical battle for Vivian than the emotional one that she has in the book. So it depends on what you are looking for. I thought both of them were worth a look, but if you read and love the book don’t expect the same from the movie or you will be disappointed.
Theme Thursday -- Numbers
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 – Numbers
No. 4711 Original Eau De Cologne: Everyone made such a fuss when Calvin Klein created CK One, a perfume that could be worn by both men and women, but 4711 preempted this concept by about two hundred years.
Let’s Bring Back by Lesley M.M. Blume
Monday, June 6, 2011
Black and White Review
Black and White by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge
(from the back of the book)
They were best friends at an elite academy for superheroes in training, but now Callie Bradford, code name Iridium, and Joannie Greene, code name Jet, are mortal enemies. Jet is a by-the-book hero, using her Shadow power to protect the citizens of New Chicago. Iridium, with her mastery of light, runs the city’s underworld. For the past five years the two have played an elaborate, and frustrating, game of cat and mouse.
But now playtime’s over. Separately Jet and Iridium uncover clues that point to a looming evil, one that is entwined within the Academy. As Jet works with Bruce Hunter – a normal man with an extraordinary ability to make her weak in the knees – she becomes convinced that Iridium is involved in a scheme that will level the power structure of America itself. And Iridium, teaming with the mysterious vigilante called Taser, uncovers an insidious plot that’s been a decade in the making… a plot in which Jet is key.
I like books about superheroes. I like the cool powers and gadgets and the fight of good versus evil. And this book has those things. But if you are not into those things it also has an exploration of the bonds of friendship and how strong and fragile they can be. It has betrayal, redemption and people trying to deal with all their assumptions and beliefs being challenged. It goes back and forth between the two main characters and between the present and the past. As you see the events unfold in the present you get to see how these two women became friends and then enemies. You get the point of view of both the by the book ‘good guy’ and the rogue ‘bad guy’. It is interesting to see how these two people who had similar backgrounds, training and experiences took such different paths in life. You can see both view points and the line between good and bad starts to get confused. Parts of it are predictable and some points seem obvious but I don’t think that ruins the story since it has a comic book feel to it. And there is a lot of comic book to the story, with the superpowers, the good versus evil, and it even has a plot to take over the world but I don’t think you have to be a comic book lover to like this story. There is a real feeling to the relationships between the characters and the conflicts within themselves that they have to face. And it is exciting and fun.
(from the back of the book)
They were best friends at an elite academy for superheroes in training, but now Callie Bradford, code name Iridium, and Joannie Greene, code name Jet, are mortal enemies. Jet is a by-the-book hero, using her Shadow power to protect the citizens of New Chicago. Iridium, with her mastery of light, runs the city’s underworld. For the past five years the two have played an elaborate, and frustrating, game of cat and mouse.
But now playtime’s over. Separately Jet and Iridium uncover clues that point to a looming evil, one that is entwined within the Academy. As Jet works with Bruce Hunter – a normal man with an extraordinary ability to make her weak in the knees – she becomes convinced that Iridium is involved in a scheme that will level the power structure of America itself. And Iridium, teaming with the mysterious vigilante called Taser, uncovers an insidious plot that’s been a decade in the making… a plot in which Jet is key.
I like books about superheroes. I like the cool powers and gadgets and the fight of good versus evil. And this book has those things. But if you are not into those things it also has an exploration of the bonds of friendship and how strong and fragile they can be. It has betrayal, redemption and people trying to deal with all their assumptions and beliefs being challenged. It goes back and forth between the two main characters and between the present and the past. As you see the events unfold in the present you get to see how these two women became friends and then enemies. You get the point of view of both the by the book ‘good guy’ and the rogue ‘bad guy’. It is interesting to see how these two people who had similar backgrounds, training and experiences took such different paths in life. You can see both view points and the line between good and bad starts to get confused. Parts of it are predictable and some points seem obvious but I don’t think that ruins the story since it has a comic book feel to it. And there is a lot of comic book to the story, with the superpowers, the good versus evil, and it even has a plot to take over the world but I don’t think you have to be a comic book lover to like this story. There is a real feeling to the relationships between the characters and the conflicts within themselves that they have to face. And it is exciting and fun.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Theme Thursday -- Color
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 – COLORS
Okay I don’t know where the time is going. The days are flying by. So it is Saturday already and I haven’t done the Theme Thursday yet. But better late than never. Right?
Lavender was soooooo not in her color wheel anymore. Not looking like this, anyway.
It clashed with her hair and made her skin look sallow.
Marty Andrews was now an autumn. Thus, fall colors would best suit her new pallor. Greens, gold, and a couple of shades of yellow were presently her complexion’s new friends.
But the color lavender?
Not so much.
--The Accidental Werewolf by Dakota Cassidy
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
WWW Wednesdays (June 1st)
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?
The Accidental Werewolf by Dakota Cassidy
I want to like this. And honestly, I’m only on page 16 so maybe I’m jumping the gun a bit here, but I don’t think this is going to be my kind of book. I’ll finish it anyway though. I always do for some reason.
What did you recently finish reading?
Regarding Ducks and Universes by Neve Maslakovic
Parallel universes and mysterious government agencies controlling information and ideas. It’s a fun rather fast read with a hapless, likeable hero who just wanted to go on vacation and meet his double but ended up involved in so much more.
What do you think you’ll read next?
Well, I have several things checked out from the library that I should read but I’ll probably end up reading The Loving Spirit by Daphne Du Maurier.
Books I Finished in May
Okay, so May did not turn out to be the month I got my blogging back on track. Maybe it will be June. Or July. Possibly August. Soon anyway, I’m sure. Anyhow, I may not have done much blogging but I did manage to read some stuff.
Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran
Moran can make her characters and settings come to life. This made me interested in the French Revolution even though I never really was before.
Immortality Inc. by Robert Sheckley
Basis for the movie Freejack. The stories are the same only in a very broad way. I think they are both worth a look.
Draconian New York by Robert Sheckley
Second in the series that I now want to find the first one of.
We Kill Monsters by Christopher Leone
Graphic novel about, you guessed it, killing monsters. But it isn’t all just monster killing action the characters are well written too.
How to Build a Robot Army by Daniel H. Wilson
Wilson’s books are fun and don’t require much thinking. I think I liked How to Survive a Robot Uprising better than this one but that might be because I read it first. Reading the two around the same time tended to make the second one sound somewhat redundant.
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey
There is a lot of information about snails here. And that is interesting. But it is also very interesting to see how Bailey becomes attached to and almost dependant upon the snail.
Hammer of the Gods: Mortal Enemies by Michael Avon Oeming
Graphic novel about Thor and Loki and Odin and them.
Werewolf Versus Dragon by David Sinden
Nice little story with dragons and werewolves and monsters of all kinds.
Killing Girl: A Sister’s Love by Glen Brunswick
Graphic novel about an assassin. It is a dark story and I really didn’t like the art so this one was not for me.
An Arsonist’s Guide to Writer’s Homes in New England by Brock Clarke
I like the voice that this book is told in and the quirky characters. I think I’ll read more by Clarke.
Then is the Power by Gerald Mills
I like the story here but Mills sometimes walks a very thin line with some of the characters. They almost go over the top into the unbelievable.
Marvel Zombies by Robert Kirkman
Graphic novel where all your favorite Marvel heroes are now zombies. It’s a bit gory and gruesome but all the best zombie stories are, aren’t they?
Rapunzel’s Revenge by Dean Hale
Another graphic novel. This one has a little lighter feel than most of the others I’ve been reading. It is fun and even silly at times.
Regarding Ducks and Universes by Neve Maslokovic
I have to admit that most of the reason that I read this was that I liked the title. But it turned out to be a good book too.
Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran
Moran can make her characters and settings come to life. This made me interested in the French Revolution even though I never really was before.
Immortality Inc. by Robert Sheckley
Basis for the movie Freejack. The stories are the same only in a very broad way. I think they are both worth a look.
Draconian New York by Robert Sheckley
Second in the series that I now want to find the first one of.
We Kill Monsters by Christopher Leone
Graphic novel about, you guessed it, killing monsters. But it isn’t all just monster killing action the characters are well written too.
How to Build a Robot Army by Daniel H. Wilson
Wilson’s books are fun and don’t require much thinking. I think I liked How to Survive a Robot Uprising better than this one but that might be because I read it first. Reading the two around the same time tended to make the second one sound somewhat redundant.
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey
There is a lot of information about snails here. And that is interesting. But it is also very interesting to see how Bailey becomes attached to and almost dependant upon the snail.
Hammer of the Gods: Mortal Enemies by Michael Avon Oeming
Graphic novel about Thor and Loki and Odin and them.
Werewolf Versus Dragon by David Sinden
Nice little story with dragons and werewolves and monsters of all kinds.
Killing Girl: A Sister’s Love by Glen Brunswick
Graphic novel about an assassin. It is a dark story and I really didn’t like the art so this one was not for me.
An Arsonist’s Guide to Writer’s Homes in New England by Brock Clarke
I like the voice that this book is told in and the quirky characters. I think I’ll read more by Clarke.
Then is the Power by Gerald Mills
I like the story here but Mills sometimes walks a very thin line with some of the characters. They almost go over the top into the unbelievable.
Marvel Zombies by Robert Kirkman
Graphic novel where all your favorite Marvel heroes are now zombies. It’s a bit gory and gruesome but all the best zombie stories are, aren’t they?
Rapunzel’s Revenge by Dean Hale
Another graphic novel. This one has a little lighter feel than most of the others I’ve been reading. It is fun and even silly at times.
Regarding Ducks and Universes by Neve Maslokovic
I have to admit that most of the reason that I read this was that I liked the title. But it turned out to be a good book too.
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