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.