Mini Movie Reviews: The Hill Have Eyes and How to Train Your Dragon

I know I don't always post reviews on the movies I watched, but I want to share my thoughts with you on these two movies which I saw lately. Let me begin with The Hill Have Eyes. I have to admit I am a total wimp when it comes to horror movies, yet I am fascinated with them. We watched this on MioTV, which is a subscribing channel but we got a free one-year subscription since we subscribed to a new Broadband plan which expired last year. Though there is a limited access to their programmes, at least we have four movies to look forward to each month.

Anyway, The Hill Have Eyes is a remake from the original which was first released in 1977. My husband and I had waited till our daughters have gone to bed before watching this because of the gore and the strong violence elements.

A team of men in NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) suits were brutally killed when they explored a secret military base where the government has secretly used for conducting their nuclear tests. The terror continues when Bob Carter, a retired officer and his family were being forced to camp at this place during their road trip after someone had intentionally punctured their tyres.

Unfortunately for the Carters family, they did not know that this place is inhabited by a mutant family and soon they have to do everything to fight for their lives before they became their meals. Without saying, some family members have to die during the struggle, and of course they died in the most inhuman ways. While I was bothered by the gore and all, what really made me think about this movie is the nuclear tests and how it would badly affect the world should there be a nuclear war. It is definitely a terrifying thought.

(My Rating: 3 out of 5)

Onto a cheerier issue, we watched How to Train Your Dragon with our eldest daughter last evening. We totally enjoyed watching it and I think we all have something to learn from Hiccup, our young Viking hero of this movie. When I first watched this movie, I didn't know this was based on a children's novel by Cressida Cowell, and that this is the first instalment of her How To Train Your Dragon Series.

One would never expect Hiccup is the son of a Viking Chief, for Hiccup is quiet and he does not seem to have the viking blood as his father. However, all the young ones in the tribe are required to go through trainings in catching and taming the dragons, and Hiccup could not say no to this ordeal and has to grit his teeth no matter how much he dislike it.

During a mission when they are required to fetch a dragon for training, Hiccup caught a black scrawny dragon and named him Toothless. Toothless is not friendly towards him in the beginning, but they began to trust each other and a special bond is formed as the days go by. However, no one in the clan knew of Toothless existence and Hiccup has no intention to tell anyone about it. Through his experience with Toothless, he began to learn ways of soothing and taming dragons. Little does he know that his experience with Toothless will change his life thereafter and he will encounter a challenging task that not only will prove his courage but also allow the other tribe members to change their attitude towards the dragons.

For this movie, we chose to watch a 2D version because my husband had complained of giddiness when we first watched a 3D movie last year. I think it has got to do with the glasses issue as I could not imagine wearing a pair of 3D glasses over a regular pair of glasses (for this, I'm thankful for being a contact lens wearer and I only wear my glasses at home). Anyway, we totally enjoyed the movie experience! What I loved best about this movie is the humanity and the emotions portrayed in all aspects: loyalty, friendship and of course, love. I loved the part that shows the struggle between Hiccup and his father, and how their feelings towards each other changed and became stronger as the plot progress. The bond between Hiccup and Toothless is especially moving for me, and I was choked with emotions over a scene which I'd rather not tell. All in all, a great inspirational movie for the young audience and adults alike.

(My Rating: 4 out of 5)

Wordless Wednesday

My Wordless Wednesday's post for today is mainly focus on some of the transportation in Berlin, Germany. I am also sad to say these will be the last pictures of my Germany series for WW. I want to take this opportunity to thank all my readers & friends for following this virtual journey with me all this while; I hope you had enjoyed them. Meanwhile, I will still continue to participate in WW but have yet to decide on what series to post thereafter. I will have to run through our photo archives and see if there's anything interesting there!

Top Ten

This is a meme hosted by Random Ramblings.  Since I love all things listy, thought I'd give it a shot.  This week's theme is Top Ten Fictional Characters...While it's open to any media, I'm going to stick on the literary end.  These are in no particular order, since I can't really rank them.  They are all so different, it would be like trying to rank my kids...

1.  Jo March,Little Women:  For any woman over the age of 30 I probably don't have to explain this choice at all.  Younger readers, if you think that early American fiction isn't for you, think again and read this book!

2.  Alex Delaware, from Jonathan Kellerman's series:  I read many, many mysteries and love most of the main characters, but there is something about Alex that is comforting, and I really care about what happens to him as though he was a real person out there somewhere.

3.  Harry Potter,Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:  I realize that he is the main character in seven books, but this is the one where I liked him the best.  Young, uncomplicated, before he got all dark and twisty, as Meredith Gray would say.  Plus, let's face it, he may have been realistically surly in a teenage sense in Order of the Phoenix, but sometimes I wanted to tell him to man up and quit his cryin'!

4.  Francie Nolan, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn:  I think I like her for the same reason I like Jo March.  She was a girl struggling to find her way through the social and cultural rules of her time.  Whereas Jo was trying to find life and love on her own terms, Francie was trying to find a way to help her family survive in New York City around the turn of the century.

5.  Lisbeth Salandar,The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo:  I always like complicated female characters, and Lisbeth certainly fits the bill.  There's something cathartic about reading a revenge fantasy like the scene with her "guardian" in this novel, even if you would never condone it in real life.

6.August Boatwright, The Secret Life of Bees:  I almost wished I too had to run away from home so I could go to Tiburon, South Carolina and be taken care of by August and her sisters.  I loved her movie self as well, played admirably by Queen Latifah.

7.  Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe:  Yes, even Edmund, who comes through in the end.  Oh how I cried when Peter and Susan got too old to go back to Narnia!

8.  Hannibal Lechter, Silence of the Lambs:  Was there ever a so deliciously evil character written before or since.  Frankly he was the only reason I read Hannibal.  It certainly wasn't for the barely plausible plot.

9.  Myron Bolitar and Win Locke-Horn, Harlan Coben's Bolitar series:  Maybe it's the basketball, maybe it's the completely strange relationship these two have, maybe it's just that these are top-notch mysteries that are formulaic without being predictable, but I love reading about Myron and Win!

10.  Marietta Cook, Been in Sorrow's Kitchen and Licked Out All the Pots:  If you haven't read this book by Susan Straight you are really missing out on a truly insightful look into what a small town southern girl has to do to make it in the big city. 

Teaser Tuesdays

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

You and me are in this together, and no one else can hear what our eyes are telling each other now. It felt brave and mad holding on to his gaze like that, neither of us looking away.

(Pg 9, The Worst of Me by Kate Le Vann)

Monday Memes

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about multitasking.

Do you – or are you even able – to do other things while you read? Do you knit, hold a conversation, keep an eye on the TV? Anything?

Unlike work, reading is not about being productive but is all about sheer pleasure and entertainment, thus I don't multi-task while I read. However, I do read a little when watching TV but that is only when the commercials come on.

While I could read while holding a conversation, I try not to do so because I find it inappropriate, not to mention rude.

What about you?

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Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia from The Printed Page where readers are to share the books that came into their house last week.

These are what I received last week:

1) The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (bought from The Book Depository)

2) Read, Remember, Recommend by Rachelle Rogers Knight (review copy)

What books came into your house last week?

The Weight of Silence

In her examination of love, friendship, and family, Heather Gudenkauf provides the reading with a decent mystery, some suspense, and a lot of strong characters.  The Weight of Silence is a mystery wrapped in a family story, with a side of unrequited love thrown in.

While there are many characters, each given their own chapters, the story starts with Calli, a seven year old elective mute.  Her alcoholic father drags her into the woods early one morning, saying he is taking her to her "real" father's house.  Her mother, Antonia, asleep in the house, has no idea that she is gone.  Enter Martin, father of Calli's  best friend Petra, who is also missing.  They soon contact Deputy Sheriff Louis, an old flame of Antonia's and the man that her husband Griff believes is Calli's "real" father.  As the frantic search for the girls begins, the story of these adults and how their lives intersect unfolds.

As mysteries go this one is OK-I figured out who took Petra pretty early on.  There were just too many references to a seemingly tangential character for it to be coincidence.  But what kept me hooked was the backstory of the adults.  Gudenkauf revealed just enough in each of her chapters, each told from a different point of view, to keep you wanting to know more.  While Calli's elective mutism doesn't seem entirely believable, it does provide the story with some suspense, as you wait to see if and when she will speak.  All in all this was an enjoyable way to spend a couple of days.

A Film Meme

Ceri at Not in the Pink tagged me for this fun meme.

* Name a film that you have seen more than 10 times.
Walt Disney's The Little Mermaid and The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning. My 6-year-old daughter never get tired of watching those, and the same goes to Barney & Friends. We have a few VCD collections of the latter.

* Name a film that you’ve seen multiple times in the cinema.
I only watch a film once in the cinema, no matter how much I like it. I would rather use that money to buy the DVD.

* Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a film.
John Cusack.

* Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a film.
Jim Carrey. (After I have typed my reply, it then struck me that Jim share the same initials as John, haha.)

* Name a film that you can and do quote from.
Oh no. I'm bad at memorising quotes.

* Name a film musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.
I rarely watch film musicals so I can't think of any.

* Name a film that you would recommend everyone to see.
Spirited Away. I love this Japanese animation! Great plot and great imagination!

* Ever walked out of a film?
No, I always try to watch till the end. I hate not knowing what happened, even though if I don't like the film.

* Name a film that made you cry in the cinema.
I know this may sound corny, but watching Jack and Rose profess their love to each other while struggling to stay alive on a sinking ship made me teary-eyed. (Titanic)

* How often do you go to the cinema (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?
Sadly, I rarely go to the cinemas nowadays (due to family obligations) but I do go once in a while if I want to watch the film badly. I watch more DVDs as compared to catching the films in cinemas as it is cheaper and convenient (not to mention more comfortable at home).

* What’s the last film you saw in the cinema?
Avatar in 2D.

* What’s your favourite/preferred genre of film?
I have no preference. I will watch anything as long as they piqued my interest.

* What’s the first film you remember seeing in the cinema?
Wow, that sounds like a long time to me, haha. Seriously, I have no memory of the first film I saw in the cinema.

* What film do you wish you had never seen?
Hmm...that's a hard one! Maybe My Bloody Valentine in 3D. Yikes!

* What is the scariest film you’ve seen?
Ring (Japanese version) and Shutter (Thai). Don't watch them when you are alone!

* If you could be any character portrayed in a movie, who would it be?
Ah... so many choices. I love reading butt-kicking heroines in books so maybe Lara Croft will be it.

* Last film you bought.
(500) Days of Summer. I loved this movie!

* Last film you watched.
Avatar in the cinema, and (500) Days of Summer in DVD.

* Five films that mean a lot to you.
~ Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs - Just because this is the very first movie my daughter watched in the cinema.

~ Spirited Away - I love this animation so much that I will never get tired of watching it.

~ All About Love (再说一次我爱你)

~ Clash of the Titans (Not the latest one but the original released in 1981. I was merely a child then and I remember I was so mesmerised by the story and the effects! I was so happy to be able to find the DVD last month!)

~ Harry Potter (the series that got me hooked to the books!)

I am not going to tag anyone but please feel free to tag yourself if you are keen to play!

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

ISBN-13: 9780061807404
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: August 2009
400 pgs
Source: Personal Library

I have seen this book around when it was first released, but did not get it at that time, and looking back now I really regretted for not picking it up earlier!

Anyway, Shutter Island is a story about two US Marshals who are on a mission to investigate the disappearance of a patient named Rachel Solando in Shutter Island, where the Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane is situated. Rachel is considered as one of the dangerous patients at the Ashecliffe Hospital, for she is a multiple murderess and not to mention very mentally disturbed. No one knows how she managed to escape barefooted from a locked cell, and what most puzzled is where could she go in the remote island? That is where Edward "Teddy" Daniels and his partner Chuck Aule come in, and they will have to find every means to uncover the missing person case.

However, it is definitely not easy to solve the case with the threatening hurricane but what is most challenging is getting the hospital staff to cooperate, and some cryptic clues which Rachel has left behind before her disappearance. To make things more complicated, Teddy is still deeply traumatised by the days during the Cold War when he was a soldier, but what most affected him is Andrew Laeddis, the man who set his house on fire that led to the death of his wife. He believes Andrew is in Ashecliffe Hospital and hence this is another reason why he is set to find all the answers in Shutter Island.

As Teddy and Chuck continue to track down clues, it began to dawn on them that things might not seem what it is at Ashecliffe Hospital, and they might not be able to leave the island in the end.

Shutter Island is one of the most intense psychological thriller I have read in a while. It is a suspenseful read, one filled with twists and turns and more questions are raised than answered. I totally enjoyed the reading journey as every page I turned, the anticipation kept on growing until I was totally blown away by the ending. The most thrilling part of this story is, you just could not know who to trust, considering the setting is at Ashecliffe Hospital where they kept the dangerous and mentally disturbed patients at bay. Anyone could be a threat or are lying, whether or not if they are sick in the mind or not, and to me that is the scariest part.

After reading this thriller, I am definitely going to look out the other releases by Dennis Lehane. And of course, I have to watch the film adaptation which is opening next month. I hope it will not disappoint.

(Click here to read what readers have said about this book.)

Booking Through Thursday: Break

Do you take breaks while reading a book? Or read it straight through? (And, by breaks, I don’t mean sleeping, eating and going to work; I mean putting it aside for a time while you read something else.)

I rarely take breaks while reading a book. I don't like putting the book aside and pick it up again after a while. I find that I need time to adjust to the setting and to familiarise with the characters all over again if I do decide to take a break, and I would rather read it straight through to avoid all the hassle. However, if I find the story does not interest me anymore, I would give it up.

What about you?

The Hunger Games and Catching Fire

For months I have been hearing about The Hunger Games, a young adult novel by Suzanne Collins.  Not only had all of my teacher friends read it, but so had many other people I know who are not teachers, nor do they have children.  This should have been my first clue that The Hunger Games is so much more than just another young adult book.  But, as someone who has to read children's literature for my job on a  daily basis, I usually put my foot down about reading it during my precious free time each day.  Finally, a critical mass of "It's so good!" and "You really have to read it!" built up and I borrowed the book and it's sequel, Catching Fire, from a friend.

What a great decision that turned out to be.  I devoured each of them, finishing each in a day.  Young adult novels they may be, but there is plenty of meat to them to satisfy even the most discriminating adult reader.In a post-apocalyptic North America, the land is divided into 12 districts, each with it's own role in the larger society, and all ruled with an iron fist by The Capitol.  The main character, Katniss, lives in District 12, the coal mining district located in what was once Pennsylvania/West Virginia.  At 16, she supports her mother and younger sister by sneaking out of the district and hunting in the nearby woods with her best friend Gale-an act punishable by death.  Once a year, the Capitol holds the Hunger Games, where two 12-18 year olds are taken from each district and forced to compete to the death in a large arena.  When Katniss's sister is selected to go, Katniss volunteers to go in her place.  She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta are sent to the Capitol, where they are paraded around town while those lucky enough to be born into the only place left on the continent that have enough food gawk and make bets on which one will die when.  The Games are shown daily on the only television station, and everyone is required to watch.  The first book details the struggles and horrors of Katniss's first Hunger Games.

In Catching Fire, Katniss is once again the target of the Capitol, not as a lowly tribute, but as a victor.  Now everyone in the country knows her name and face, and the story that was created to help her get help from the public during the first games.  Because of her perceived acts of defiance towards the Capitol, she is seen as a threat to their chokehold on power.  Because the 75th anniversary of the Games is approaching, the government decides to have a special Games-where all previous victors have to compete.  This throws Katniss right back into the spotlight-but this time it turns out she is not competing alone.

These books are phenomenal.  Katniss as a character is richly developed, as are all the other characters.  The action is non-stop, and Collins does a great job creating a mood of unsettling fear.  I felt tense and anxious while reading the book, but in this case those feelings added to rather than distracted from the story.  The first book, The Hunger Games, is a great look at our tabloid culture.  I mean, really, what is a more stunning example of our hunger for tabloid TV taken to it's extreme (yet logical) conclusion than watching people actually have to fight to the death while we watch and make bets?  I guarantee of there was a show like The Hunger Games allowed on TV today someone would watch it.  Remember those videos from the 80s-"Faces of Death"?  I rest my case.

Both books also examine how absolute power corrupts, and how trying to control people with fear, resentment, and aggression leads to an uprising.  People will not be violently oppressed forever-sometimes all it takes is the right person, the right circumstance, to set the whole thing ablaze.  Even if that person doesn't even know she's doing it-as far as she knows, she's just trying to keep herself and her family alive.

The third book in the series comes out this summer, and frankly I can't wait.  The second book ended with such a cliffhanger that I still think about it occasionally when my mind wanders.  If it is anything like the first two, I know I have at least a day of obsessive reading ahead of me!

Wordless Wednesday

Paderborn, Germany

Bibliomania Day (And a Meme)

I read from Veens' blog that March 20th was in fact Bibliomania Day. What's a Bibliomania Day, you may ask. Well, here's the quote from Veens':

On March 20, 1990, Stephen Blumberg of Ottumwa, Iowa, was arrested for stealing over 23,600 books worth $20 million and weighing 19 tons. So look out for a the "bookey-man"!

Like many book thieves, Blumberg was also a book lover. "It was his habit to read constantly through the night, cat-napping, waking, reading, dozing, waking, reading again, never fully sleeping.

(click here to read more of Stephen Blumberg, taken from 123people.com)

Veens also tagged me for this fun meme:

#1: Are there any books you would like to beg, borrow, or steal?

Yes, too many of them!

#2: Are you addicted to trips to Borders or the public library?
I'm definitely addicted to visiting the bookstores! In fact, I always make sure to visit the bookstore at least once a week, since it is so conveniently located near my workplace. Ha!

As for public library, I'm sad to say I have never been to one for years (I can't recall when), but that's because I have enough books at home to keep me busy for years, and plus I don't think I'm able to return those books on time (with work, family commitments and so forth).

#3: Do you have a way to remember what books you have read?
I don't keep a list of books I read during my pre-blogging days, thus this blog is a great way for me to keep a record besides getting to know more friends around the world who share the same passion with me!

#4: When did your love of books begin?
It all started when I was in primary school. The first two authors who got me hooked to their books are Carolyn Keene and Enid Blyton. And as for the rest, as they say, is history.

#5: What is a favorite book?
If you ask me for a favourite book, I'm afraid I can't tell you much since I have too many of them on my list! But I can tell you what makes the list of my favourite book: great characterisation, a plot that blew me away and also that it is able to evoke emotions in me. But that is not all, for I also look out for the author's prose and voice. All in all, I love reading books that make me think.

#6: Do you still have in your possession a book borrowed, but not returned to its rightful owner?
I am relieved to say all the books I read in the past have already been returned to their rightful owners (not that I borrow a lot nowadays. Refer my answer to #2).

#7: What's the most in library fines you have owed?
I always make sure to return all library books on time, but of course there were some occasions I failed to do so. I think the most I paid is 60 cents.

#8: Do you loan books out to others?

Yes, I do but not often since most of my friends do not like to read (that's why I love this bookblogging community so I can always talk about books with you all).

I tag the following friends for this meme:

Julia

Alice

Ceri

Darlyn

Naida

Teaser Tuesdays

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

I have read a lot of good reviews on this book, and with the movie opening here next month (I know this movie was released a while back in the U.S.), I want to read the book first before I catch it on screen. I hope the movie is as good as the book! It's so intense, and oh full of suspense!


Chuck came over. 'You find it?'

Teddy nodded, turned the notebook so that Chuck could see the page, the single word written there, tightly scrawled and already beginning to bleed in the rain:

run

(Pg 161, Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane)

Monday Memes

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about tbr books.

Where do you keep the books on the top of the tbr pile? Not the bunk of the mountain, but just the tip of the peak – the ‘almost up to’ books?

I wish I have enough space and bookshelves so I can put all my TBR books neatly without spending some time and efforts to rummage through the piles (which they are stacked haphazardly against the walls in our storeroom). All my latest acquisitions are always placed on the top of these piles. Since I am a moody reader, most of the times the books I choose to read are on the spur of the moment thing, thus there is no point for me to think of what book(s) to read next (unless I have made plans to do a buddy-read with bloggy friends or a review copy I have to post at a specific time).

What about you?

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Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia from The Printed Page where readers are to share the books that came into their house last week.

These are what I received last week (bought from The Book Depository) :

1) The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

2) The Line by Teri Hall

3) Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn (have to get it after reading Ana's lovely review!)

4) The Clouds Roll Away by Sibella Giorello (review copy)

What books came into your house last week?

Orange Prize for Fiction announces 2010 longlist

 The Orange Prize is an annual award given to literature written by women.  Every year they announce a long list, which becomes a short list...you get the idea...I read the synopsis of each of the books on this year's long list, and I've decided to read them in my effort to read 100+ books this year.  I've been feeling a need to get out of my mystery rut.  Surprisingly, I've only read one of the books on the list.  It is a British prize, though, so maybe that's not quite as surprising.  There are also a ton of new authors on there that I've never read before.  You might want to join me-we'll have lots of literary love to talk about!

Orange Prize for Fiction announces 2010 longlist

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All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

ISBN-13: 9780385738354
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: January 2010
352 pgs
Source: Personal Library

With a combination of mystery and character study, All Unquiet Things marked one of my most unforgettable reads this year. This story basically revolves around three teenagers; a murdered 16-year-old Carly, her ex-boyfriend, Neily and her cousin, Audrey.

Audrey's father is convicted of Carly's murder. But even after a year has passed, Audrey still believes her father is innocent and she hopes to find out the truth about everything, even if that means she has to approach Neily for assistance. Audrey has never been close with Neily right from the beginning, and on top of that Carly dumped Neily for another guy and she is not sure if Neily is still feeling bitter about everything. It turns out that Neily is still feeling guilty about not taking Carly's call before her death, and Audrey's request somewhat seems like a remedy thus they agreed to do an investigation of Carly's death.

However, in order to find out the truth, Neily and Audrey has to find out what secrets did Carly harbour, and what she was doing with the dangerous popular crowd before her death. Suddenly, everyone in that crowd becomes their suspect. But the most complex issue of all is, Neily and Audrey have to be honest and trust each other, including to their own self.

All Unquiet Things was a page-turner through and through, and I wished I had the time to read it all in one sitting. What makes this book such a gripping read (besides the premise, that is) is that it is told from Neily and Audrey's perspective in different sections. I find this pretty effective as the readers get to understand their thoughts and emotions through their respective narrative, besides their findings on Carly's murderer.

The dangerous crowd which Carly mixed with before her death is also another interesting read. Each character appears to be troubled and seems to have an agenda of their own, and I was glad that I was able to figure out the real murderer towards reading the half of the book. Anna Jarzab has done a great job in crafting this story, but I think it is her observations of the characters (their thoughts, emotions and behaviours) that really made this story stands out.

All Unquiet Things is a must read for any YA readers who love a good mystery. I will definitely keep a lookout for Anna Jarzab's new releases in the near future.

(Please click here to read what other readers have said about this book.)

Big Hair and Popped Collars

Anyone coming of age in the 80s probably has fond memories of big hair, parachute pants, and popped collars.  In Jen Lancaster's last book, Pretty in Plaid, she recounts her metamorphosis from small-town Midwestern girl to fashion-forward, Prada-loving businesswoman.

The book begins when Jen is still Jenni, and she is living with her family in New Jersey.  It is the late 70s, and she is rockin' a retro-60's vibe in her hand-me-down fringe vests.  Before long, her father moves the family to a small town in Indiana because of his job, and her high-style Eastern-seaboard existence comes to a screeching halt.  Throughout the rest of the book she shares tales of her trials and triumphs through the clothes that signify each period of her life-jeans and t-shirts in elementary school, preppy khakis and polos in high school, sorority sweatshirts in college, and frumpy business suits at the beginning of her career in business.

I should start the review portion of this post by saying that I love Jen Lancaster.  I firmly believe that we are meant to be best friends and go out of fancy martinis while we snark about all of the ridiculous things in the world.  I have read two of her other books, Bitter is the New Black and Such a Pretty Fat, and other than the fact that she is a Republican I felt like I was reading something my businesswoman alter-ego (if I had such a thing) might have written.  That said, I did not enjoy this book as well as her others.  Not because of the focus on fashion, which is why one friend of mine did not like it, but because I think that I prefer the fully-formed Jen to the still-developing Jenni.  I still laughed out loud more than once during my read.  Her footnotes add to the hilarity rather than distract from it.  As someone who was a teenager in the 80s myself, I was transported back to my own big-hair days.  I too was one of those obnoxious know-it all honors students who wanted to run the world.  I too got to college and lost my mind for a while (though I took way less than the 11 years to finish that it took Jen).  I too waited tables for many years trying to keep my head above water.  I too had big curly hair that frizzed when it was humid.  Overall, while I wasn't quite as over the moon about this book as the others, I still loved it, and can't wait for her to write many more!

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

ISBN-13: 9780441009237
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Published: April 2002
291 pgs
Source: Personal Library

Living Dead in Dallas is the second book of the Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris and I was delighted to do a buddy-read with Alice.

I was eager to read more about cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse after reading the first instalment, after all she has telepathy ability and on top of that she's got moxie; she is never intimidated by her own strength and I enjoy seeing the sparks continue to fly between her and her vampire lover, Bill, who I think oozes charisma enough to charm any woman on earth.

This story began when one of Sookie's coworkers is murdered. As if that is not enough to cause a ripple in her life, Eric, the head of the local Louisiana vampire nest, needs Sookie's telepathy to help locate a missing vampire from Dallas, who happened to be the "brother" of the local vampire leader, Stan. Sookie agrees since she owes him a favour, and on a condition that Bill is to follow her along and that any human involved will be entrust to the human law enforcement instead of the vampires'. But things do not turn smoothly for her, as she is first attacked by a maenad and her wounds nearly took her life.

Sookie soon learn of a cult named "The Fellowship of the Sun" which she think might be linked with the disappearance and this is where the story becomes interesting and exciting. I will not go into details but let's just say it is fun to see Sookie is back into action as she meets more vampires, werewolves and other shapeshifters in this book. Charlaine Harris has once again crafted a fun and entertaining read in this second instalment, and I enjoyed reading the adventures Sookie encountered, as well as her relationship with her vampire lover, Bill. The fact that she could not read into his mind makes the relationship sounds more intense and interesting. However, though I enjoyed reading this book, I can't say I loved it. I think it has mainly got to do with the plot; I had anticipated to read more about the murder case but instead it went into another direction - the vampire's disappearance and the cult. That said, there is nothing wrong with those but is more to do with my personal expectations.

Have you read this? What do you think of it?

(Click here to find out what other readers have said about this book.)

Related post: Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire series #1)

Wordless Wednesday

Hamburg, Germany

Cover Attraction

This is a weekly event hosted by Marcia of The Printed Page every Wednesday.

Marcia says:

I love beautiful, and interesting, cover art so every Wednesday I post my 'Cover Attraction' for the week along with a synopsis of the book. Everyone is welcome to stop by and, if they'd like, post a link to their favorite weekly book cover.

* * * * *

For today's Cover Attraction post, I have posted two covers instead of one since the stories are interconnected. Both covers are lovely, but I have to say it is actually the second cover which has caught my attention in the first place.

Also, I am sad to say this will be my last CA post. Though I really enjoyed participating in this meme, and I always find joy in searching for more attractive covers, it bugs me to say I need some time to do that and at this moment I want to use those time for my reading and reviewing more books.

Nevertheless, I want to take this opportunity to thank Marcia, our lovely hostess for hosting this meme!

A Year on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball
ISBN-13: 9780425225875
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: March 2009

Synopsis (From B&N):

Their husbands were gone, their families were grown, and the future stretched out before them like an unfulfilled promise...

Tired of always dreaming and never doing, Cici, Lindsay, and Bridget make a life-altering decision. Uprooting themselves from their comfortable lives in the suburbs, the three friends buy a run-down mansion, nestled in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley. They christen their new home "Ladybug Farm," hoping that the name will bring them luck.

As the friends take on a home improvement challenge of epic proportions, they encounter disaster after disaster, from renegade sheep and garden thieves to a seemingly ghostly inhabitant. Over the course of a year, overwhelming obstacles make the three women question their decision, but they ultimately learn that sometimes the best things can happen when everything goes wrong...

At Home on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball
ISBN-13: 9780425229781
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: October 2009

Synopsis (From B&N):

From the award-winning author of A Year on Ladybug Farm comes the continuing story of three women who learn what it takes to turn a house into a home.

A year after taking the chance of a lifetime, Cici, Lindsay, and Bridget are still trying to make a home for themselves on the newly-renovated Ladybug Farm. Life in the Shenandoah Valley is picturesque, but filled with unexpected trials- such as the introduction of two young people into the ordered life the women have tried to build for themselves.

As the walls of the old house reveal their secrets and the lives of those who have gone before begin to unfold, the cobbled-together household starts to disintegrate into chaos. And when one of their members is threatened by a real crisis, they must all come together to fight for the roots they've laid down, the hopes they share, and the family they've become.

The Tarnished Eye

Judith Guest is probably best known for her novel Ordinary People, which was turned into an award-winning motion picture.  In her book The Tarnished Eye, Guest gives us a completely different kind of story, but with the same intuitiveness about why people do the things they do.

The novel is based on the true story of a murder that happened in Northern Michigan.  In the fictionalized version, a family of six, the Norbois family, is brutally murdered while at their vacation home in Blessed, Michigan.  Sheriff DeWitt, still recovering from the SIDS death of his infant son two years earlier, is emotionally ill-prepared to investigate this crime, yet he feels a strong desire to see the perpetrator brought to justice.  His investigations take him to Ann Arbor, where the police chief is having troubles of his own in the form of a serial killer who is preying on young women at the University of Michigan campus.  Despite the fact that each of the Norbois family seems to have someone who might want to kill them, the investigation leads both men to the conclusion that their cases are linked.

The writing is spare, but the emotions are strong.  Through a series of flashbacks to the days before their deaths, Guest paints a picture of the Norbois family that makes you want to find their killer almost as much as Sheriff DeWitt does.  DeWitt himself as the main character begins to come to terms with the tragedy in his own life through the course of the investigation, and you feel for him as a grieving father as much as you respect him as a dogged investigator.  The setting didn't hurt my appreciation for the book.  My parents live near Traverse City in exactly the same kind of resort area that the book describes, and many of the real places mentioned in the book are places I've been.  All in all it was an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to any mystery lover.

Teaser Tuesdays

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

This was an early article, written before the police officially stated that they had a suspect in custody, before they arraigned and charged Audrey's father, before the town was invaded by a media circus and Carly's face was splashed all over the front page of every rag in the country.

I was the only person connected with the tragedy who didn't talk to a single reporter.

(Pg 17, All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab)