True Grit, Tron, The Fighter, and Other Movie Reviews

True Grit was awesome! The gritty tale of a girl seeking justice for the man who killed her father is a pretty main stream movie for the Cohen brothers. I was impressed that the young girl who stars in the movie was not overshadowed by Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon. I definitely recommend it. It's one of my top five favorite movies of the year.

The Fighter was a good movie, but the most impressive part was Christian Bale. He'll definitely get an Oscar nomination for his role. While this is the story of a boxer, there wasn't an over-abundance of fight scenes. It's a movie about a dysfunctional family and how they cope with the up and coming success of one of their own.

Tron pretty much stunk. Visually it was great and the acting was fine. But the plot was boring and predictable, and the dialogue was truly awful! The only redeeming part of the movie was Michael Sheen as Zeus. Unfortunately the movie was called Tron, not Zeus, so we didn't get to see much of his character. If I was a 12 year old boy and this was my first sci-fi movie I would have liked it, but I'm not and I expect more when I see a movie.

I also rented a few movies. Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work was good. It was a reminder to me that Joan Rivers is still as sassy and hilarious as she ever was. Notorious, the story of Biggie Smalls, was just ok. It was too long and, therefore, a little boring. Gone Baby Gone is probably the best most forgettable movie ever made. I had seen this one before and it was interesting, but something about it makes you forget it as soon as it's over.

Bookwise, I'm still plugging my way through the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. Narcissus in Chains was excessively long and full of passages that I could easily skim read. I think this book marks the turning point for the series and the books are going to start going downhill from here. I'm still determined to make it through them all, though.

Last Sacrifice, The Tourist & Real Vampires Have More to Love

I read Last Sacrifice, the conclusion to the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, in a day. It was incredible. I appreciate that she had an overall story arc in mind for the series, which included a dynamic ending. I was on the edge of my seat the entire story with action-packed excitement from start to finish. Even though it's technically classified as YA, I definitely recommend this series to any fan of the urban fantasy genre.

And speaking of Last Sacrifice...Richelle Mead is currently on a book tour and she made a stop in Michigan! She did a reading, answered some questions, and signed books (note the picture related to this post). She was very down to earth and seemed to enjoy meeting all her fans. Very cool.

What wasn't cool was the latest book in the Glory St. Clair series by Gerry Bartlett, Real Vampires Have More to Love. It was the same story with the same people doing the same things they've already done. As opposed to Vampire Academy which had a specific structure to the series, it's clear that Bartlett is just writing books with nothing specific in mind. Very lazy writing. I'm disappointed in this one.

I also went to see The Tourist starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. The critics are beating it up pretty hard. I didn't think it was that bad. Despite being predictable, it was an entertaining spy film. It's not a must-see movie, but you should at least try to catch it when it come to cable.

Faster, The Hurt Locker, & Fistful of Charms

Faster, starring Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) and Billy Bob Thornton, was a fun action movie romp. I love watching Johnson take down the bad guys to correct injustice! Johnson is released from prison for being the driver in a bank robbery, and immediately starts gunning down the people involved in his brother's murder. Thornton plays a crooked cop mere days away from retirement who gets assigned to this case. Also mixed up in the plot is a psychopathic killer who's hired to take down Johnson before he can finish killing everyone on his list. It's definitely not a must-see movie, but if you like action flicks then put this one on your list.

I finally got around to renting The Hurt Locker. I hated it. One of my biggest pet peeves is when there is NO PLOT! It's so aggravating. I thought I was going to get a small semblance of a plot when I Ralph Fiennes walked on screen, but he was killed about five minutes after his grand entrance. Eventually I started pushing buttons on the remote to my new blu-ray player to find out how much time was left in this torturous piece of crap, but I hit a wrong button and stopped the disc completely. When I went back to the disc it didn't save my spot so I just ejected the disc. What's the point? There was no plot so it's not like I missed some big ending where questions were answered and story lines wrapped up. Faster was much more entertaining.

I just finished my re-read of A Fistful of Charms, the fourth book in The Hollows series by Kim Harrison. This is such a great series! I'm having a lot of fun re-reading it. In this book, Rachel starts to use demon magic (black magic) but for good reasons. She continuously struggles with her choices but ultimately she is who she is, and that's a person who would do anything in her power to help her friends. The price of invoking demon magic is big splat of black smut on her aura to make up for the imbalance she created in the universe. Either before or after she dies, she's has to work to remove the smut before she can go to heaven. The usual characters are afoot in the story: Ivy is a mess, Jenks is human-sized, and Nick is a turd. If you like the urban fantasy genre, definitely pick up The Hollows series.

I also read A Bite Before Christmas by Heidi Betts. It's a series of three novellas that feature vampires at Christmastime. It wasn't bad for a Kindle freebie, but it's not a must-read either. I just didn't want this one to sit around too long like my other Kindle freebies because of the Christmas theme. If it's still free and you like vampire books then download it.

Next 3 Days, Blade Runner, Anita Blake 1-9

I just got Netflix and the first movie I decided to stream on demand was Blade Runner, a futuristic movie that explores what means to be human. What a great movie! It really stands the test of time. My only complaint is that Sean Young's acting was bad, but it was offset by the awesomeness of Rutger Hauer who will forever be my favorite bad guy.

The Next Three Days, starring Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks, was just ok. My mom wanted to go to a movie and it was either this one or Love and Other Drugs, and I'd rather stab my eyes out than see that stupid looking piece of crap. Three Days was predictable so the pace didn't really need to be as slow as it was. You can wait for this one to come out on cable.

I've been working my way through the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter book series by Laurell K. Hamilton and just finished the ninth book out of 19. I knew that they weren't going to knock my socks off. The first eight were ok. The ninth one, Obsidian Butterfly, was pretty good, though. The main point against them is that LKH started writing this series in the early 90s. I think if I had started this series back then I would have loved them, but they don't quite stand the test of time. I'm still planning to continue with the series. Ten more to go to catch up, and #20 coming out in the summer. I was hoping to have this series finished by the end of the year but I don't think that's going to happen.

Deathly Hallows and MANY other reviews

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 was EXCELLENT! Very good movie making and story telling. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire movie. I can't wait for the last installment to come out next summer. You definitely need to see this one. I'm going again this weekend, and it probably won't be the last time I see it.

Fair Game starring Naomi Campbell and Sean Penn was another excellent movie. It's a dramatization of the true story of the undercover CIA agent that got outed by the a-holes in the Bush administration. My only warning is that you will be so angry by the time the movie is over, but it's very well done.

Unstoppable starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine was a fun action movie, but you can wait for DVD.

The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead was SO FREAKING AWESOME!! This is one of my most favorite book series ever! I highly recommend them. The last book in the series comes out on December 7th. I'm going to a book signing on December 12th, so I'm pretty geeked to meet her.

Full Dark, No Stars is typical Stephen King. It's the train wreck you can't look away from because his writing is so good. I always recommend Stephen King.

Unfortunately I've also read a few stinkers: Immortal by Allison Cassatta which I couldn't even finish, Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox which I had to skim read just to finish, and Immortal Beloved by James Simon which had a good story but was full of typos.

Currently, I'm working my way through the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton. I'm on the seventh book in the series. So far they're all ok but nothing special. I wouldn't recommend them, but I'm still going to continue the series.

Due Date, Good, Alfie & Every Which Way But Dead

Due Date, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galafianakis, was funny but not as funny as The Hangover. A funny, outrageous plot pits Downey's uptight character against Galafianakis' flaky idiot. It's definitely worth seeing.

Good stars Viggo Mortensen as a regular German guy who lets himself get swept up in the Nazi-ism in the 1930s. He is a "good" guy who doesn't take action to oppose Nazi forces and lets his Jewish friend get taken away to a concentration camp. It's a good movie that explores character weakness instead of strength in the face of Nazi forces. Definitely worth renting.

Alfie, starring Jude Law, is incredibly boring. Don't waste your time on this.

Every Which Way But Dead, the third book Kim Harrison's Hollows series, is fabulous! It was fun re-reading it to soak in all the details. I love watching Rachel take on the world even though she's kind of a mess. Great scenes between her and Al, and her and Trent. I definitely recommend this urban fantasy series.

Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Conviction, and Other Reviews

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest kicked ass! I thought this third movie held its own with the first two and was a fantastic way to wrap up the series. Noomi Rapace, once again, turned in a stellar performance as Lisbeth Salander. My favorite scene was watching her walk toward the courtroom in her full hard-core goth gear (see picture on the left). If you can tolerate subtitles, I highly recommend watching all of these movies.

Conviction stars Hillary Swank as the sister of a man convicted of murder, played by Sam Rockwell. The movie was very well done, but the story itself is pretty incredible: not only what the woman did to free her brother, but all the legal crap that kept setting them back. This is definitely worth watching.

Two movies that aren't worth watching are Paranormal Activity and The Fourth Kind. Both were slow, boring, and didn't deliver. Don't even bother putting these in your rental queue.

I've been a little slow in my reading lately. Wolf Tracks by Vivian Arend, the forth installment in the Granite Lake Wolves series, was good. I also read Scat by Carl Hiaasen, which was an excellent book aimed at the 9-12 age bracket. I appreciate immensely that he didn't dumb-down his writing and that he kept the story entertaining through humor and several well-developed subplots. This is a great book for a young reader.

Mockingjay, Crescendo, Clockwork Angel, and More

Once again I let all my reviews pile up, so these will be short and sweet. Let's start with Mockingjay which totally rocked my world! The third and final book in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins was an intense and exciting exploration of the uprising of an oppressed people. Katniss was such a wonderfully flawed and damaged protagonist who felt very real to me. I think everybody over the age of twelve should read these books.

Crescendo, the follow-up to Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, was almost as good as the first book. It was an action-packed mystery that kept my rapt attention. My only complaint is the cliffhanger ending to set up the next book. Cliffhangers are starting to get a little too gimmicky for me. If your writing is good then people will read your next book, even without a cliffhanger.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare is the first book in her Infernal Devices series, which is a prequel to the Mortal Instruments series. I liked it, but not as much as the Mortal Instruments books. I think the main reason is that some big issues were brought up at the end of the book to lure readers into the next book when it comes out. *sigh*

I've read some Kindle freebies recently. Sin's Daughter by Eve Silver was a decent short story. The Pearl at the Gate by Anya Delvay was an OK short story. The Ghost Shrink by Vivi Andrews was funny and entertaining! An Unwanted Hunger by Ciana Stone was one of the worst books I've read in awhile.

I'm currently working my way through the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. So far I've read the first four books, which are all OK but not great. I try to keep in mind that she started the series in the early 90s and helped establish the Urban Fantasy genre. It helps that I've been reading other books between these. Four down, eleven to go!

And last but not least, I went to see Hereafter starring Matt Damon and directed by Clint Eastwood. A very good but slow-paced movie about a few people struggling to come to terms how the afterlife has impacted them. Very well done. Definitely worth seeing.

Crave, Catching Fire, RED, and other reviews

Crave, the second installment of J.R. Ward's Fallen Angels series was pretty good. The overall plot of the series is that fallen angel Jim Heron has seven souls to save, one for each deadly sin. Each book in the series focuses on one of those souls. This book was well written and I enjoyed it, but I had already figured out the plot twist that occurred toward the end of the book as well as the ending (I hate when I already know what's going to happen). But, like I said, it was good and I recommend them to readers in the Urban Fantasy genre.

Catching Fire, the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, had just as captivated as the first book. In this installment, Katniss returns home to district 12 after surviving the brutal Hunger Games. She learns that many districts are primed for a revolt and that she is the symbol and catalyst they use. This is a very well written young adult series. I couldn't put it down. I definitely recommend these.

It was wonderful to re-read The Good, The Bad and The Undead, the second book in The Hollows series by Kim Harrison. I love absorbing all the details this second time around. It's fun to watch the various characters develop in the series. My favorites are Algaliarept the demon and Trent the...well I won't spoil that for you. ;) Harrison is great at writing complex and fascinating characters. Ivy, vampire and coworker to our heroine Rachel, is really struggling in this book and it was to watch that all play out. As usual, Jenks the pixie gets all the best lines. “Oh my God Rachel it’s polyester. I’m wearing polyester. I’m breaking out! I can’t wear polyester. Look. See? Welts. And it stinks. I can smell the oil. I’m wearing dead dinosaur. I can’t wear a dead animal. It’s barbaric, Rache.” *snicker, snort* I highly recommend this series.

I also read The Fury, the third book in The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith. This whole series is poorly written and I struggled to get through this. I couldn't bring myself to read anymore in this series. I recommend you stay away from these books entirely. If you're interested in this at all, watch the TV show on the CW which is much better than these crappy books.

RED was a fun movie! John Malkovich, Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, and Morgan Freeman are all retired CIA agents labeled as Retired, Extremely Dangerous. Willis' character was set up to be murdered, and he unravels an unsavory plot that requires the help of his former agents. It was a lot of fun and it didn't take itself too seriously. If you're looking for something light but highly entertaining I definitely recommend watching this.

The Social Network, Bayou Moon, and More

The Social Network blew me away. I can't believe how much I enjoyed this movie. The bulk of its success has to do with the writer, Aaron Sorkin, who excels at writing intense, fast-paced dialog. The story was presented well with cuts between depositions and the story of what happened. I found it fascinating that there really wasn't a good guy and a bad guy, or a right person and a wrong person. There's just what happened and how everyone felt about it. This movie will definitely get a few Oscar nods. I highly recommend it.

Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews did not disappoint. It's the second book in her The Edge series, this one featuring the story of William whose character was kind of left hanging after the first book, On the Edge. It dragged a little in a few spots, but overall I like the crazy 'world' she created, and I always enjoy a smart, capable woman in the leading role. It's a great mix of action, adventure, romance and fun. If you like urban fantasy you'll like everything written by Ilona Andrews.

I finally picked up The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I know, I know - it took me long enough! I didn't really want to read it, but I picked it up at four in the afternoon on Saturday and didn't put it down until I finished around 11. I just had to know what happened next! Set in a dystopian future, 24 teens are sent into an arena-type location where the winner is the last one left alive. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy. If you like young adult literature, you'll love this book.

I browsed through Exile by Diana Gabaldon in the bookstore. It's the graphic novel version of Outlander. I guess it was good for what it was. I just don't enjoy reading graphic novels. It has no flow since you look at the picture, read the text, then take another look at the picture before you move on to the next cel. I like to get lost in a story which is impossible in this format since you're always stopping and starting. This wasn't the first graphic novel for me and it won't be the last since this is one of the new waves of publishing, and several of my favorite authors have committed to making these. *sigh*

Last night I read Discovering Dani by NJ Walters, a Kindle freebie I picked up along the way. It was predictable and, therefore, somewhat boring. But it was short and I needed a book that would keep me occupied for one night, so I guess it served its purpose.

I recently rented It Might Get Loud, a documentary sort of about guitars. It features The Edge, Jimmy Page, and Jack White sitting around talking a little and musically wanking on their guitars a lot. I got bored. Unless you're a guitar player yourself and a huge fan of all three of these guys I wouldn't recommend it.

Vampire Diaries, Extraordinary Girl, and Angels' Pawn reviews

I decided to pick up the Vampire Diaries books by LJ Smith because I've started watching the TV show. If you were wondering, the TV show is better than the books. They were written back in the early 90s when young adult literature was dumbed down. I've only read the first two so far, The Awakening and The Struggle. I already have the next two so I'll read those soon, but I definitely recommend the show and suggest you skip the books altogether. {Please note the photo of Ian Somerhalder; he's the reason I watch the show. *wink*}

I also recently read the Extraordinary Girl series by Gena Showalter, which includes Playing with Fire and Twice as Hot. Belle is an ordinary girl with a sassy mouth who develops super powers of controlling fire, water, wind and earth. This series is a fun and funny way to explore what would happen if a normal people developed super powers. I definitely recommend these.

Somehow Angels' Pawn slipped through the cracks when I was reading Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series. It's a novella set in the "world" but doesn't involve the main characters of the series. It's good, and I recommend it if you've read the other books in the series.

Pat Benatar Rocks!

I just read Pat Benatar's autobiography Between a Heart and a Rock Place and I love her even more now than I did when I was eight (if that's even possible). I played my Crimes of Passion tape over and over and over until it literally wore out. I found it fascinating to read how she succeeded in a male dominated industry that wouldn't listen to her. Instead they exploited her as much as they could, and many of the people around her who were supposed to be looking out for best interests weren't. But she rocked it out anyway and bulldozed a path for women in the recording industry.

The best part about this book is that a dear friend of mine bought it for me when Pat Benatar was in her town signing autographs...so I have autographed copy!!! SQUEE!!! This is definitely one of the coolest things I own. :)

Blameless by Gail Carriger, the latest in her Parasol Protectorate series, was good but not as good as the first two books. The humor was there but the story lacked the mystery that kept me interested in the first two books. It was obvious where this one was going, even though it was a fun ride to get there.

Sin Undone by Larissa Ione is the fifth and last book in her Demonica series. It did a good job wrapping up various story lines, as well as setting up the spin-off series about the four horsemen of the apocalypse. I like Ione's writing so I'm looking forward to the new series coming out next year.

I rented a couple movies recently. Bronson starring Tom Hardy is a British film about the man considered to be the most dangerous prisoner in Britain. It was well made and done slightly over the top, reminiscent of Clockwork Orange but with better focus. I definitely recommend it if you're looking for a heavier movie done in a slightly artsier way.

I also rented A Threevening with Kevin Smith which was slightly disappointing. It wasn't nearly as funny as the first two but was still entertaining. Toward the beginning Kevin went off on an excessively long story about how he ended up with all his dogs that had me bored stiff. After that I never really got into the rest of his musings. But I'd still recommend this to any fan of his.

Review for Mortal Instruments, No Mercy, and more

I finally got around to reading the three books out so far in the young adult Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, which includes City of Bones, City of Ashes and City of Glass. I'm glad I forced these into my reading line up because they were a lot of fun. It's an alternate reality of vampires, werewolves, and nephilim. It's your typical epic saga format where the good have to unite against the evil, but it kept me captivated throughout. I definitely recommend these to fans of YA UF books.

I also read No Mercy, the latest book in Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series. It was good, but I was slightly disappointed in the main plot because there wasn't really anything original about it. Also, she didn't do too much with the primary subplot involving Nick. She didn't reveal anything new about him, nor did she put him in an interesting situation. Overall, I liked this book but it didn't advance the series in any way which left me wanting more.

I re-read Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison, the first book in her Hollows series, for my book club on Shelfari. It was great to be able to soak in more details this second time around! I love that Rachel's life is a mess, but she stubbornly fights the good fight because it's the right thing to do (even though it may not be the best thing for her). It's one of my most favorite series and I highly recommend it everyone.

I also picked up I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore, another young adult urban fantasy novel. A decade ago, an alien species sent nine children to Earth when their planet was destroyed by another evil race. The children are discovered on Earth and hunted by this evil race, but they can only be killed in the order in which they were numbered. When the novel opens the first three have been killed and number four is next on the hit list. It's a fast-paced entertaining read.

Regina in the Sun was a free Kindle download I picked up somewhere along the way and finally got around to reading. It was an OK vampire book, but I don't plan to read more in this series.

I've seen several movies recently, but Get Low is the only one I recommend. Starring Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, and Bill Murray, it's one of the year's best movies and sure to get a few Oscar nominations. This is one of the very few must-see movies out this year.

However, you can definitely skip The American with George Clooney (well made but slow and boring), The Other Guys with Will Farrell and Mark Wahlberg (predictable and not funny), and The Last Exorcism (slow and not scary).

Big Mess o' Book Reviews

Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole, the latest in her Immortals After Dark series, didn't disappoint. It's the story of a demon-turned-vampire (vemon), Malkom, and his escape from captivity with the help of Carrow, a Valkyrie. Lots of action and adventure. I definitely recommend this series.

Amberville by Tim Davys was a freebie download from Kindle I picked up somewhere along the way. The characters are all stuffed animals - odd, but it's the reason I downloaded it in the first place. Eric Bear is tasked with discovering if there really is a deathlist and if a mobster dove is on the list. Eric indeed discovers the list but is heartbroken to see that his twin brother, Teddy, is on the deathlist as well. It's a very interesting story that delves into the nature of good and evil. I definitely recommend this one.

Mossy Creek is another Kindle freebie I collected somewhere. It's a series of short stories by various authors, with the common thread of all the stories being set in the small Southern fictional town of Mossy Creek. It's not bad, but I wouldn't recommend that anyone spend money to buy it.

A few other free Kindle downloads were The Wicked House of Rohan by Anne Stuart, Seducing Jane Porter by Dominique Adair, and Mistress by Mistake by Maggie Robinson. Of these three I only recommend the latter, which was surprisingly good because it actually had a plot and some character development. I don't know why some authors find these two concepts to be elusive.

The Expendables and More

I loved The Expendables! It was a good old fashioned 80s action movie revamped for a new generation to enjoy. Was the plot good or believable? Who cares?!! There were a lot of explosions, guns, explosions, knives and explosions. Each of the major action stars got to show off their stuff in their own separate scenes. It was very cool that Ahhnold and Bruce Willis each made a brief appearance. My only complaint is that I would have liked more of the funny/cheesy lines that go hand-in-hand with this type of movie. There was one great one that had the whole audience chuckling, but I would have liked a few more sprinkled here and there. If you're a fan of action movies, you definitely have to see this one!

I really enjoyed reading The Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett. I couldn't put it down. Even the beginning where all the different characters who have seemingly unrelated stories was great reading. It's set during WWII just before the Allies' invasion of Normandy. It explores the possibility of what would have happened if a Germany spy found out about the deception leading up to the planned attack. It's quite the page turner. I definitely recommend it.

I also finished reading the Wild Wulfs of London series by Ronda Thompson. It was a pretty decent trilogy. The thing I liked most about it is that they were the more traditional werewolves who were at the mercy of the phases of the moon. Each of the Wulfs had to figure out how to break the curse that's plagued their family for generations. I recommend these to fans of the PNR/UF genre.

Pile O' Book Reviews

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher is the best fantasy novel I've read in a long time. Technically it's classified as Young Adult, but once the story got going I forgot it's supposedly aimed at teens because I got wrapped up in the engaging story. In a dystopian future, people have picked an idealized historic period to "live" instead of their actual time period. They also made an advanced prison called Incarceron where they locked in thousands of inmates and a hundred philosophers who are supposed to be living in a utopia. But the reality is much different. The story centers on a group of people who are trying to escape from the prison, but Incarceron is so much more than they ever thought it would be. Great story, good writing. Definitely pick this one up.

I also read The Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh which includes Angels' Blood, Angels' Judgment (a short story in the Must Love Hellhounds anthology), and Archangel's Kiss. This series centers more on angels but also has vampires. It's decently written and I'll definitely read more in this series.

The Red Rock Pass series by Moira Rogers was better than I thought it would be. I got the first book as Kindle freebie, Cry Sanctuary, then I proceeded to read the rest: Sanctuary Lost, Sanctuary's Price, and Sanctuary Unbound. This series centers around werewolves and the overall plot is how the good packs are trying to save others from the bad packs. Decent, but not a must read.

I also read The China Study by Colin Campbell et al. It's a comprehensive nutrition study that concludes that plant-based foods, specifically plant-based protein, is so good for you that it has been shown to fight cancer; and that animal-based protein actually causes cancer to grow. Stunning conclusion, actually. It's definitely food for thought (pun intended). I couldn't jump into a vegan diet, but it will help me make better food choices for myself.

Eternal Kiss of Darkness, Salt, and Other Reviews

Eternal Kiss of Darkness, one of Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress World books, was good but I was expecting more. There was only the main story with Mencheres and Kira; there was nothing else was going on with any of the other characters. Vlad had a minor role in this book. He's one of my favorite characters in this series so it was great to see him, but again, nothing really happened with him outside of what was going on with Mencheres. It was a decent book and I'd still recommend it, but it's not as good as a Cat & Bones book. I'm looking forward to reading This Side of the Grave in February.

Salt turned out to be a better movie than I thought it would be. Yes, it was a somewhat typical Angelina Jolie action flick, but the plot more engaging than I anticipated. A few little twists were thrown in here and there which kept me interested. Also, Liev Schreiber just rocks. If you like action movies you should check this one out.

Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd was an excellent book. It's a thriller about a man who is somewhat framed for a murder and how he lives under the radar while everyone is searching for him. There are many other levels working in the story as well, and I couldn't put it down. Stephen King put this book on his recommended summer reading list and so do I.

I also read Pride Mates by Jennifer Ashley and Bitten & Smitten by Michelle Rowen. They were both better than I thought they'd be. They both had more involved plots than I was anticipating, which always makes for a better book. The former is about shifters and the latter is about vampires. If you're interested in either I'd recommend them both.

Sourcerer's Apprentice, Linger, and other Reviews

The Sourcerer's Apprentice, starring Nicholas Cage, was about what I expected it to be. As a Disney movie I expected it to be good, clean fun and it was. The script was good, the acting was good, and the effects were cool and not over-used (like Last Airbender). Not a must-see at the theater, but you'll probably want to catch it on cable or DVD.

I loved Linger, Maggie Stiefvater's sequel to Shiver. She's a wonderful writer - proof that young adult novels don't have to be dumbed down, which is a pet peeve of mine. She introduces a few more characters to the story of Nora and Sam, a werewolf bite survivor and a former werewolf, respectively. Stiefvater takes the story in an almost heartbreaking direction, but left me wanting more. I can't wait to read more in this series.

I re-read one of my favorite books for a book club: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. I think I loved it more this second time around because I was able to take in more detail. Such a clever and funny book. This is definitely a must-read, as is the rest of the series.

I also read A Questionable Client by Ilonoa Andrews in the Dark and Stormy Knights anthology. This is a Kate Daniels story that takes place before the book series. It's the story of how she met Saiman. Very good story - a must read for Kate Daniels fans.

Icy Heat wasn't as bad as I thought it would be for a free Kindle download. Not really a glowing recommendation, huh? Well, I don't have a glowing recommendation for The Passage by Justin Cronin either. I gave up after 322 pages.

Inception and Many Other Reviews

The year is only half done but I'm declaring Inception the best movie of the year! Of course the special effects were good, but the story had me on the edge of my seat for the whole movie. It was original and creative, the acting was great, and the ending was fabulous!! You must see this movie.

The Swedish import of The Girl Who Played with Fire was excellent as well. I didn't find the subtitles distracting. If you can deal with subtitles you should see the Girl Who films before Hollywood gets their hands on them. However, you can completely skip The Last Airbender which sucked wind (pun intended).

Now on to books...I was hoping that I'd like Black Dust Mambo by Adrian Phoenix better than I did. I haven't read any of her other books but I know people love her Maker's Song series. I won't be reading more in this series. I did, however, enjoy the Granite Lake Wolves series by Vivian Arend. They were quick and fun to read.

I really liked the Demon Underground YA series by Parker Blue which includes Bite Me and Try Me. It follows the life of an 18 year old girl who is one-eight succubus demon. I absolutely recommend these to anyone who likes urban fantasy. I also read The Wallflower by Dana Marie Bell which was OK but not good enough for me to want to read more in this series. And I unfortunately read Lakota Flower by Janelle Taylor which was really bad.

Twice Bitten and Other Reviews

Twice Bitten, the third book in the Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neill, was absolutely as good, if not better, than the first two in the series. The character development is excellent and the story was riveting. I'm totally hooked on this series. I probably have to wait a year before the next book is released.

Undead and Unfinished, the ninth book in the Queen Betsy series by Mary Janice Davidson, was a decent read. Betsy continues to be hilarious, but I wasn't thrilled with the plot. However, the bombshell she dropped at the very end of the book still has me reeling - my feeble mind just doesn't want to process it! Now I'm dying for the next book in this series, too.

I watched a few DVDs this past weekend. Surrogates with Bruce Willis was good, but I was bound to like it since it was a sci-fi/action flick. X-Men: Wolverine was just okay. Blindness with Julianne Moore was weird! I thought it was supposed to be a government conspiracy thing that Julianne Moore was going to figure out since she was the only person who didn't go blind. But it turned out to be a study of how social norms break down in the absence of structure. Definitely skip this one.

Eclipse Movie and Other Reviews

Eclipse is by far the best movie of the Twilight franchise. There's a good balance between the teen love triangle of Edward, Bella and Jacob, and the character development and action scenes in the rest of the movie. The fight scene was great, and I love the wolves (they look like real wolves instead of part wolf-part monster things). It was great that this movie addressed the back stories of Rosalie and Jasper, which helped round out the story by focusing on characters other than the main trio. This definitely worth seeing in the theater.

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest is a first rate steampunk novel. It's set in an alternate reality in Civil War era Seattle. On the surface it's an action-adventure story, but her writing draws you into the story of a tragedy surrounding one family and a mother's love for a son she doesn't understand. This is definitely worth reading.

Born of Fire and Born of Ice, the second and third books in the League series by Sherrilyn Kenyon were about as good as the first book, Born of Night - which is to say that they're just okay. There's a good story in there and I liked reading them, but these were the first books she ever published and the writing lacks subtlety and the finesse she's mastered in her later books. If you want to read them, try finding them in your library or a used book store.

I. Can't. Wait!

Chicagoland Vampires and other Book Reviews

I absolutely love the Chicagoland Vampire books by Chloe Neill which include Some Girls Bite, Friday Night Bites, and the soon-to-be released Twice Bitten. Neill created an interesting and diverse world in which her robust characters thrive. The stories center around a masters student named Merit who, after being attacked and left for dead by a rogue vampire, is turned vampire to escape death by Ethan Sullivan, head of the Cadogan house. Merit turns out to be a powerful vampire, but she gets caught up in a new world of vampire politics and intrigue. Very well written. I definitely recommend these books.

I recently finished re-reading Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore. He's so much fun to read! His nutty fictional San Francisco is full of vampires, a homeless man who's declared himself The Emperor of San Francisco, and a crazy group of guys who work the night shift at the local supermarket, who spend a lot of their time bowling with frozen turkeys and water skiing on the back of the floor washing machine. I definitely recommend all of Christopher Moore's books.

I made my way through a few of my Kindle freebies as well. Demonfire by Kate Douglas started off with demon-possessed garden gnomes who eat rabbits and kill people. It was bizarre enough to hold my attention but I never would have paid money for this. Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa was a short story that was clearly part of a series that I haven't read. The story was easy to follow but I hate not starting from the beginning of a story. It was well written but not interesting enough for me to be reading the rest of the series. I read a couple of pieces of crap that aren't even worth mentioning.

Reviews for Infinity, Hush Hush, and More

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick is the story of a fallen angel who wants to become human. Unfortunately, the only way he can do this is by killing the girl he falls in love with. This is a YA book with a good story and good writing. I absolutely applaud YA authors who don't dumb their writing down just because they're targeting a younger audience. I definitely recommend this one.

Infinity, the first book in the Chronicles of Nick, is a YA spin-off series of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series. This will be a 12 or 13 book series that follows Nick Gautier through his teen-age years, and culminating to his own book in the Dark Hunter series. Already things are different for Nick than what we know occurred in his life in the Dark Hunter stories. I'm hoping (for Nick's sake) that these changes in his history will effect a different (happier) outcome for him as an adult. Good writing, good story, good character development. If you like to read YA then you should give this one a try.

Another YA book I read was Milrose Munce and the Den of Professional Help by Douglas Anthony Cooper. I got it as a free download on my Kindle, and I'm so glad I did! This was a wonderful and ridiculous story that had me laughing all the way through it. Milrose is a teenager who can see all the ghosts of the students who have died in his high school. His teachers have noticed him talking to "air" and decide to get him "Help." Very cleverly written. Definitely pick this one up too.

Last night I finished Born of Night, the first book in Sherrilyn Kenyon's League series. I think this was the first book she ever got published, and it kind of shows. While I like the story and the characters, the actual writing lacked any subtlety and the plot plodded along at a slow pace due to redundant situations that didn't move the story forward. It's not bad. I plan to read the other two books in this series, but I can't recommend it without a disclaimer.

I caught a few movies last weekend as well. Did You Hear About the Morgans starring Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be. However, there's no way around SJP's horribly flat acting. The 24th Day starring James Marsden and Scott Speedman was a little weird. It seems like it was adapted from a one act play. The Objective is about a special ops team in Afghanistan who go on a secret special mission only to discover aliens. Yeah...you can pretty much skip all three of these.

Pile 'o Reviews

*sigh* I let this pile up again just like I promised myself I wouldn't. Here we go...

I read Once Bitten and Twice Dead by Kalayna Price. Once Bitten was a Kindle freebie somewhere along the way which is why I decided to read these at all. The first one was just ok; it was clearly the author's first book. There was vast improvement in writing for the second book. Not 'must-reads' to recommend but entertaining nonetheless.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater is a young adult werewolf book. I really liked this one! There's an innocence and sweetness about it because it's YA. It's very well written. I absolutely recommend this one to anyone who likes YA books.

Staked by JF Lewis was a little slow at the beginning for me because our protagonist was a little too unsympathetic at first. But it eventually picked up and I enjoyed reading it. I definitely recommend this one if you're looking for something funny to read.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer is her latest Twilight add-on. I'm quite sick of her repackaging Twilight over and over again. I wish she'd write something else. Having said that, I'd recommend this novella to any fan of the Twilight series. Her writing has improved by leaps and bounds since her first book. Even though we knew how this one was going to end (it ties in to Eclipse), I still found it enjoyable. Now please write something else, Ms. Meyer.

The Forbidden Rose by Joanna Bourne is just a fun, quick little read. I've read her first two books, and I like that she has the same cast of characters that she works with. It gives the characters a little more depth.

The movie MacGruber was SO horrible that we walked out of the theater after a half hour. The good thing is that we went 'theater hopping' and snuck into a viewing of Letters to Juliet, which turned out to be a cute little movie. It's completely predictable but it's well made.

Kate Daniels and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

I'm reading my way through the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews which includes Magic Bites, Magic Burns, Magic Strikes, a short story in the Must Love Hellhounds anthology, and a new book being released tomorrow titled Magic Bleeds. Kate is an ass-kicking mercenary-turned-cop in a world full of shifters, vampires, witches and demons where the world fluctuates between flares of magic and a normal state where technology actually works. Kate is a powerful magician who keeps her power very deeply hidden for fear of death if she's found out. She's tasked with assignments that always get her involved with the local shifter pack whose leader is Curran, the very strong and powerful were-lion. I love these books! I love urban fantasy books with a strong female lead character, so these are right up my alley. I definitely recommend them.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is the latest book by Seth Grahame-Smith who also wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Like PP&Z, this book was decent but it didn't quite go as far as I wanted it too. It was a little on the dry side. I wanted something more; more crazy, more funny, more outrageous, more something. But I did enjoy reading it. It tells Abe's vampire hunting history, starting with the death of his mother from a vampire and delves into the 'real' reason for the civil war (lest you think it was merely about slavery). My favorite parts of the book were the old photographs touched up so show either the vamp-killing axe in Abe's hand or random vampires lurking in crowds. I would recommend you pick it up only if you have a real interest in reading this. If you pick it up as a casual read you may be slightly disappointed.

Robin Hood, John Adams, and Burned

Robin Hood, starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, is a terrific interpretation of the Robin Hood legend for a smarter movie audience. If you're looking for another cute and predictable version like the Kevin Costner rendition you'll be in for a shock. I'm most impressed by the script. I love when people actually spend time developing a story and characters for an action movie. This movie sort of ended up being a prequel to what we think of as "the story" so I'm hoping there will be more movies to come in this franchise. Definitely go see this one.

I finally got around to renting the John Adams HBO mini-series starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney. It was excellent! I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love when HBO takes on history because they breathe life into what textbooks portray as boring facts. If you haven't yet seen it, do yourself a favor and rent it.

I struggled through Burned, the latest book in the House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast. It was terrible. The series started out okay, but they've gotten sloppy with the writing and the stories are almost non-existent. If you haven't yet started this series, don't. I'm dropping it altogether.

Iron Man II, Mercy Thompson, and other reviews

Oh, I have been so bad at keeping up with my blogging. Oops. Since I have a lot to blog I'll keep them all short.

Iron Man II was great! It's definitely summer movie time now that I've got my big blockbuster movie. I love how Robert Downey Jr. and Gwenyth Paltrow come across on screen. They're great together. Mickey Rourke is freaky looking on a good day, so with the addition of nasty teeth and a huge pile of tattoos he was positively nasty. AND there's actually a good plot! I liked the end of the first Iron Man film when Tony Stark admitted to being Iron Man instead of keeping a secret identity like all other super heroes. The plot is the fall-out of that scenario, which you could easily see happening. Definitely go see this one.

I also saw The Secret of the Kells, a beautifully animated Irish fairy tale about the creation of the book of Kells. It was nice break from the usual Pixar animation. I really enjoyed watching it and recommend that you give this one a try if you have the opportunity to see it.

I read the Mercy Thompson series and the Alpha & Omega series, both by Patricia Briggs, and loved them! Briggs creates a rich and wonderful world of supernaturals which primarily focuses on the werewolf pack in the area in which our heroine, Mercy Thompson, lives. Briggs also dabbles a little in the Fae's who are much more terrible than the humans think they are, and, of course, vampires who are mostly evil except for Mercy's friend Stefan who drives a VW bus tricked out to look like The Mystery Machine from the Scooby-Doo cartoons. Anyone who reads urban fantasy needs to read these book. They're definitely among my favorites.

I read the latest in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Lover Mine, by JR Ward. Great book from a great series. All you vampire fans need to read this series. I also read Dead in the Family, the latest Sookie Stackhouse book by Charlaine Harris. I thought this book was good but not great. Harris managed to work in a storyline that covered issues from the Fae, vampires, and weres, which is no small feat. I recommend this series for those looking for lighter "beach read" type books. And I just finished Burned, the latest in the House of Night series by PC Cast. This YA series is getting annoying to read. She is unnecessarily dragging out the storyline which is making the books boring and tedious to read. If you haven't started this series, don't. Save your time and your money.

Changeless and other Book & Movie Reviews

Changeless, the second book in the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger, was everything I hoped it would be: very humorous with a twisty mystery and dash of absurdity for good measure. In this story our heroine, Alexia, is trying to figure out why areas of paranormal creatures turn into mortals. I definitely recommend this book, but be forewarned about a big cliffhanger of an ending.

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley was just as wonderful as his first novel The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Once again, our intrepid little 11 year old heroine, Flavia de Luce, is determined to solve the mystery of a puppeteer's murder. Charming, funny and well written. I definitely recommend both of these books.

Vampire A Go Go by Victor Gischler was a fun romp that I also recommend. Various factions and individuals are all chasing after the philosopher's stone for one reason or another. It's an action packed mystery adventure.

I picked up Dog Days by John Levitt for one of my book challenges, which was to pick a book based solely on its cover. It had a guy and a dog that glowed blue, and at the bottom is said Magic is a Man's Best friend. It was actually a pretty good book so I lucked out. What's not to love about a magic dog?

Date Night was funnier than I thought it would be. The previews definitely don't do it justice. Tina Fey and Steve Carrell are spot on. The funniest part may have been the outtakes when the credits were rolling.

Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was a good movie, which surprised me because the book was slow and tedious and I couldn't make it past chapter 10. It was made in Sweden. If you can stand reading subtitles I definitely recommend this movie.

Deadtown, Heroin Diaries, and other reviews

I just finished Deadtown by Nancy Holzner and I really enjoyed reading it. Set in Massachusetts, it takes place in a current time when a virus had mutated around Boston and caused some unfortunate people in the vicinity to become zombies. They're quarantined in the area now known as Deadtown. Our heroine, Vicky, is a shifter who comes from a long line of demon slayers. She lives in Deadtown with her vampire roommate and dates a werewolf lawyer. It's an action-packed, entertaining urban fantasy novel that I recommend to readers of the genre.

I also read The Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx, bass player for Motley Crue. He kept journals during 1987 when he was into some of his heaviest heroin use. It's fascinating/terrifying/heartbreaking to read what he was thinking during that time. He supplements his diary entries with his own reflections, as well as the reflections of others who were around him at that time. I usually don't read these types of books, but I definitely recommend this one to anyone who's even remotely interested. It'll blow you away.

I also made it through Monster in the Box by Ruth Rendell. I read a couple of her other books and absolutely loved them, but not this one. It was tedious to read and boring. The only reason I finished it is because it was only 300 pages long with big print. I just forced myself through it. If you're looking for a good mystery, pick up Thirteen Steps Down or The Water's Lovely instead. Those are well worth your time; this one is not.

I went to see Clash of the Titans yesterday. It was OK but not great. Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neesan are always wonderful to watch, but their screen time is short. Being a sci-fi/action film fan, I'm glad I saw it. If you're planning to watch it DON'T waste your money on the 3D version. Many scenes weren't in 3D. This is one of those movies they never intended to make in 3D but threw a 3D version together anyway.

Bite Me, How to Train Your Dragon, and Other Reviews

I've been slacking in my blogging so these reviews are going to be short. I'll start with Bite Me by Christopher Moore. I don't know how he gets funnier with every book but he does. I lost count of how many times I laughed out loud in the first chapter alone, not to mention the rest of the book. The third and last book in his vampire trilogy (Bloodsucking Fiends and You Suck are the other two) this book primarily focuses on the adventures of Abby Normal, self-appointed goth minion to the vampire couple she discovered. I don't want to say too much to ruin any of the laughs for anyone. I recommend all of Moore's books to everyone. Read them.

I also read the Merry Gentry series by Laurell K. Hamilton. I know this is a very popular PNR/UF series, but I didn't really like Hamilton's writing style. It wasn't until the last three books that anything of any substance actually happened in the overall story. I know these are very popular books, but I can't really recommend them.

A couple Kindle freebies also made into my reading: Murder Takes the Cake by Gayle Trent and Moonstone by Marilee Brothers. The former is a nice little cozy mystery placed in a small town involving cakes, pets, murder, and old town secrets. It was a nice little book but I'm glad it was free because I would never pay for this. Moonstone was a nice Young Adult book. Again, I'm glad it was free because I would never pay for this. If you happen to have downloaded either of these when Kindle was offering them for free then read them, but I don't recommend buying them.

Today I went to see How to Tame Your Dragon. I WANT A DRAGON!! They're so awesomely cute! This was a really good animated movie. I highly recommend it to everyone. Last week I went to see The Bounty Hunter with my mom. Gerard Butler is nice eye candy but you can otherwise skip this one. And I rented The Marine only to look at Manu Bennett who plays Crixus in the Spartacus series on Showtime. Nice eye candy, truly horrible movie.

Alice in Wonderland and The Green Zone

Alice in Wonderland was visually stunning but the story was slow. This type of story lends itself well to Tim Burton's movie-making style. My favorite character was the Cheshire Cat; the animation and voice were absolutely perfect. I also like that Burton worked in Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky poem into the main story line. However, it would have been a better movie overall if it had faster pacing and possibly a more exciting Alice. I recommend this movie to any Lewis Carroll fan.

The Green Zone is about the first few weeks of the Bush administration's disastrous invasion of Iraq. It's a well made movie with great actors. I definitely recommend it as a good movie, but it made me so angry all over again that I came home from the theater pissed off and bitchy. If you don't want to drudge up those emotions again, you may want to skip this one.

Kim Harrison

Last weekend I got to meet one of my favorite authors, Kim Harrison, at a book signing in Lansing, MI. She was really funny and nice. She started by reading a short passage from her newest book Black Magic Sanction, the latest in the Hollows series, and then spent a good 20 minutes answering all kinds of questions.



I thought it was interesting that she doesn't have much input on her book titles or her covers. She started the series with modified Clint Eastwood films for her titles, then when she started gaining popularity her publishers took over the naming of her books. But they still stay with the Clint Eastwood theme. For book covers, they always ask her what she would like to see, she always says Jenks, they always say no, but they always end up with a cool cover anyway.



Then when it was time to sign the books, she would sign as many books as you had - no limit, which was very cool of her. And she posed for pictures with anyone who wanted one. She was just very accessible and down to earth, which makes her very easy to like. It's always a treat when someone you idolize for their talent turns out to be a good person too. What a treat to have met her.

Black Magic Sanction Review

I was so excited on Tuesday when Black Magic Sanction was finally released. I think Kim Harrison is a very talented writer, and the latest book in her Hollows series doesn't disappoint. In this book, both the demons and the witches are hunting Rachel. Being neither quite a witch nor quite a demon, her unique genetic make-up would allow demons to start repopulating. Demons want to use her, and so-called white witches want to destroy her. And, as always, helping her out of sticky situations are her close band of friends Ivy the vampire, Jenks the Pixie and Pierce the witch, among others. Floating in and out of the story is Trent Kalamack, a billionaire whose history with Rachel goes back to childhood, and who isn't really on Rachel's side but isn't necessarily against her either. And Al! Al! Al! There's lots of Al the demon in this one so I was very happy to explore his teacher/student relationship with Rachel in more detail. Al is such a unique and interesting character so I was glad that he featured prominently in this book. If you like the urban fantasy genre of books, I recommend you pick up the first in this Hollows series, Dead Witch Walking. This is one of the best series out there, in my opinion.

I also managed to read the Demonica series by Larissa Ione. I loved this series, but I'm a huge fan of urban fantasy books. These books center on demon (obviously) brothers who run a hospital hidden under New York somewhere for other demons, vampires, weres, shifters, fallen angels, and other supernatural creatures. It's a fun series if you're into this genre.

Shutter Island Review

I've been lazy about keeping up with my blogging lately. I blame the Olympics which has me completely captivated. I did manage to tear myself away from the Olympics long enough to watch Shutter Island starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley and Max von Sydow. Scorsese makes amazing movies and this was no exception. DiCaprio plays a US Marshall sent to the island to find a patient who escaped and is presumably hiding on the island. What he discovers is so much more and it's a fun ride to take with DiCaprio as he uncovers clues and information. Definitely go see this movie. You will not be disappointed.

A few movies you can skip are The Ugly Truth, Year One, and Knowing. These movies are slow and boring. If they're in your movie rental queue you should consider removing them.

Olympic Ladies' Figure Skating

Ok, WOW! The women's figure skating last night was incredible. The three medalists are mind blowing! Gold medalist Yu Na Kim broke a record with the highest score ever awarded to a female skater. She was over 23 points ahead of the second place girl. And she's from South Korea of all places! She trains in Canada with Brian Orser, but it's incredible that her talent for figure skating was recognized in a country not known for its figure skating and cultivated. Her performance was absolute beauty.

Silver medalist Mao Asada also made history by being the first woman to land three triple axels in one competition, one in her short program and two in her long. Most women can't even do triple axels. Axels are the most difficult jump because they're the only jump that takes off forward, and they're a half a rotation more than every other jump. When she was setting up for her second triple axel last night I was chanting at the TV "do it do it do it do it" trying to will my energy and positive thoughts to her. The rest of her program was great too. {On a side note, this is another example (*cough* Evgeny Plushenko *cough*) as to why having a bigger jump won't guarantee you a gold medal. You need the complete package to get one of those.}

And Joannie...the person everyone on the planet was rooting for. How do you pull off an excellent program like that under those conditions? I knew she was going to do it, though, when she smacked her coach's hands with two hard fives and took two hard fives back right before her skate. The crowd erupted and so did I. Such a wonderful performance. It wasn't a "sympathy" vote to put her on the podium. She earned that medal fair and square. Only a true world-class Olympic athlete could have accomplished what she did.

I also want to take a moment to explain why the American skater didn't belong on the podium. Mirai Nagasu did very, very well but she was generally less polished than the top three. The area where Joannie edged her out was the Program Components which includes choreography, interpretation, etc. Joannie was 8 points higher than Marai in this area, and Marai was only 3 points higher than Joannie in the executed elements. You also have to remember that they factor in the short program as well. Joannie was almost 8 points higher than Marai in the short program score. Watch out in the next Olympics though. Marai Nagasu will definitely be a force to be reckoned with.

I hope you all got a chance to watch this. It was truly an amazing night for figure skating.

Wolfman, The Graduate, Clockwork Orange

Wolfman is a solid representation of the classic wolfman story. The acting is superb with a cast that includes Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving and Emily Blunt. It was also visually stunning with the setting and the wolfman effects, which weren't overdone. There's nothing particularly amazing about this movie, but it was well made and I recommend it to anyone who likes these kinds of movies.

I finally got around to watching The Graduate. It's one of the few older movies I've watched that actually holds up over time. It's about a guy who doesn't know what he wants to do with his life after he graduates college. He has an affair with a friend of his parents (the Anne Bancroft character), but ends up falling in love with her daughter.

It's soundtrack is famous for its use of several Simon & Garfunkel songs. My only complaint is the use of the same ones over and over. I really didn't need to hear Scarborough Fair four times in a row. S&G have an extensive music catalogue and I wish we got to hear more of it.

A Clockwork Orange is a product of its time. I'm sure it was cutting edge back when it was made, but it doesn't really hold up today. Kubrick tried too hard to make a weird movie.

Reviews for Legion, Temple Grandin, and How to Wash a Cat

I was so disappointed in Legion. I love action/sci-fi movies so I was kind of excited to see this one. I know the reviews weren't good, but I don't listen to movie critics because they don't tend to appreciate the action/sci-fi genre like I do. First the good points: Paul Bettany is nice to look at; and the best scene in the whole movie was when the fry cook ninja chucked a cast iron frying pan at the head of a freaky old lady. Bad points: a whole lotta nothing happened; it was never really explained why this baby of all the babies waiting to be born was the one that could save the world; Dennis Quaid (whose acting gets worse as he ages); and the thing I hated the most was the stupid, moron guy who was supposed to be the protector of the girl and her baby. He was borderline mentally handicapped. Very irritating. I'm sorry to say that I don't recommend this movie at all.

HBO's Temple Grandin biopic was fabulous. I read one of her books on animal behavior several years ago so I was very interested in watching this movie of the story of her life. She was born with Autism, but because of the way her brain processed information she was able to excel at the science animal behavior for which she has a PhD. She single handedly revolutionized the cattle industry. By noticing behavior in cattle that no one else was able to, she redesigned the way in which cattle are treated at ranches and at processing plants. Her design plans are currently used in over half the facilities in the US and she is considered the foremost expert in her field. This is an incredible movie. You should really try to catch it on HBO this month.

My dad picked up a mystery book for me called How to Wash a Cat by Rebecca M. Hale. It's a "cozy" mystery (as opposed to a forensic analysis) about a woman with two cats in San Francisco whose uncle dies. While investigating some mysterious clues her uncle leaves behind, we get involved in the history of San Francisco during the days of the gold rush. It's a fun story that's a little too slow in the middle, but picks up at the end. If you're owned by a cat and you're looking for a fun little read pick this one up.