Movie Reviews - January 2011

Expendables B-

There is nothing original or surprising about this film. It is pretty violent. Most of the talent was under utilised, perhaps there was to many big names and it was too hard to give everyone screen time. Still a fun action film to watch.

Red A-

Such a fun movie. Ageing spies going out and kicking butt. Morgan Freeman, John Malcovich, Bruce Willis, Helen Mirron, and William Dafoe put in some good performances and all looked like they were having a good time. Helen Mirron I think missed her calling as she makes a sniper rifle look classy, and it seems she had a ball handling those big guns, dont think there was much acting going on there. If you like good action comedies a great movie to watch.

Alpha & Omega C-

Normally I love animated films. But this one failed to interest me at all. The only reason why I watched the whole movie was because it was on tv and I was doing house chores. I didn't hate it, I just didn't really think anything of it. Maybe watch it if it comes on free to air tv and your pretty bored.

Cats & Dogs: Return of Kitty Galore B

Not a bad effort. Some good chuckles to be had. Kids will definately enjoy it. The animation and voice acting was good. Very cute and a decent effort for a sequel.

Easy A B
A really fun film. Even though it is set in highschool I think adults will get more out of it. Some good laugh out loud moments. I did like the message it carried and the references to the book The Scarlet Letter. Was a clever movie. Was expecting it to be bad but enjoyable.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid B-
Not a bad film. But I didn't find it as funny as I thought I would. Kids around the 10 year old mark will probably get more out of it. I have not read the book so can not compare.

Friday Fill-Ins 28 January 2011

And...here we go!

1. Up, and away, I fly, zoom, zoom a zoom a zoom zoom.

2. For once there does not seem to be a nasty bug going around.

3. Coats and scarves, mittens and boots: are items of clothes I have never had to wear, or own living in the tropics.

4. A head massage and a nice back rub are great ways to relax.

5. I'm thinking about eating the rest of the chocolate I bought at lunch. Cos it’s mine, all mine mawhahahahah.

6. To be, or not to be. That is the question. But the real question is to share or not to share my chocolate.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to having pizza for dinner, tomorrow my plans include going to Bunnings and doing house chores and Sunday, I want to relax and start reading my new book!

The Mighty Toddler by Robin Barker

Rating: 4 out of 5

Publisher: Macmillan Australia
ISBN: 1405039116

Robin Barker is a registered nurse, midwife and early childhood nurse with over 30 years experience with families and babies, and we think you'll enjoy her commonsense approach.

This is a technical book about all things toddler. There are specific chapters on things like behaviour, development, health, family dynamics, and immunisation. In each chapter she breaks down the issues and gives you strategies on how to deal with them.

For the most part Robin Baker does not lecture. There are a couple of comments where she states her belief. For instance in the travel section she mentions she would never travel with a toddler, but acknowledges this is not practical for most families, and provides advice on coping. But the whole section is not her lecturing you on what she feels. She states her view, then moves on and presents both sides of the argument.

Her advice is simple and grounded in the latest research. The behaviour section in particular I feel will be very beneficial when the time comes. Her advice is very reassuring and practical. A lot of it made you think "oh yes well der that is obvious" but it might not have occurred to you otherwise.

However I did not necessarily agree with all her advice. This is why I didn't give this book the full 5 rating. But I have found with most baby books take away the information you find relevant to you and ignore the rest; and 90% of Robin Barker's advice I would gladly take on board.

A good basics book. For me the best part was the sections dealing with behavior which sets this book apart from other baby/toddler books around.

The Iron Witch (Ironbridge Chronicles #1) by Karen Mahoney

Rating: 4 out of 5
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: Flux (February 8, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 073872582X
ISBN-13: 978-0738725826
Due Out: 8 February 2011

First Sentence: "My father died saving my life when I was seven years old".

Donna Underwood is branded. After a near fatal accident as a child, that claimed the life of her father, she was put back together using magic. As a result her arms are covered in tattoos from the tops of fingers to her elbows, so she is literally branded. Donna comes from a long line of Alchemists and is being groomed to join the order. She has never had the need to question her life or do anything different. That is until her best friend Navin is kidnapped by wood elves, and Donna must rescue her friend or risk having him killed. As Donna races to save her friend she must make a decision that will either betray her family and the alchemist community, or betray her best friend.

Iron Witch is the debut novel of Karen Mahoney (though she has previously had some short stories published in two anthologies). I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advance reader copy, which I don't get very often so I was pretty excited to have it. Not as excited as discovering the hidden Christmas presents before Christmas, but pretty close.

From the start I was hooked. I read this in about two days which is great for me, but bad for my house because my house chores got a smidgen neglected doh. Mahoney does a really good job of creating her world where alchemists and faerie have done battle for centuries. She has balanced information with story development so you don't feel bombarded with information and loose interest. You have the right amount of information to understand what is going on.

Donna, does not seem to fall into the usual paranormal female lead cliched traps. There are no hang ups, ditzy moments, or stupid moves (like going into a known murderers house with-out telling anyone). She is a well balanced, likable character. Donna is a tough, practical cookie, but is also caring and insecure. She does have her romance moments with the lead male which she acknowledges, and even makes fun of it, but doesn't let it lose her focus. Also she has had a really tough life but seems for the most part ok, not bitter, or destructive.

The support characters are also good. They all seem to have secrets and troubled pasts. There was not a character I disliked (other then the baddie) which is refreshing. The male love interest is not a tosser which is also refreshing and the best friend is not there purely for comic relief. Also both guys get a decent role in the book being part of Donna's life.

While the book is not an action thrill ride from start to finish, it does have spots of action, and then a good dose right at the end which makes it exciting. There is quite a bit of intrigue and mystery in this book which I am assuming will be addressed/revealed in later books.

On a non story note, the cover art is lovely. It also fits in with the book.

I will definitely read the next book in the series (rumoured to be The Wood Queen) when it is eventually released. For all those who enjoy paranormal and young adult literature then this will be right up your ally.

The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade; Original edition (October 5, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425236676
ISBN-13: 978-0425236673

First Sentence: "Mina hadn't predicted that sugar would wreck the Marchioness of Hartington's ball; she'd thought the dancing would."

DI Mina Wentworth lives in the 1800's. Only its not the 1800's as we know them. There are zombies, pirates, nanoagents in people, Europe is occupied by the horde, and there is flying boats. When a body is dropped onto the national hero's door step it is her responsibility to investigate who is the murderer. As she digs into the mystery it becomes clear this not a simple case of murder but a conspiracy that runs so deep the lives of everyone in England is threatened.

Alright I thought this was a paranormal novel, that it would have a touch of romance like they normally do. Little did I know this was more romance then anything else, and the sex scenes would make a harlequin romance heroine blush. I felt the sex scenes were for the most part unnecessary and distracting from a good story. By the tenth page or so of sex scenes I was, to be honest, getting bored. If however you like your romance hot and graphic then you will probably love this. But honestly I thought it just got in the way of a perfectly good story.

The world Meljean created is a fascinating one. The horde (which is never really explained as to who/what they are) infected people with nanoagents to control them. Zombies are, from what I can understand, people whose nanoagents have gone rogue. Most of Europe is infected with zombies. Clockwork and steam powered machines are common place (there are steam carriages and flying airships).Women can work but Mina's mother is leading a movement to reintroduce the institution of marriage and staying home to raise kids.

Mina is an interesting character. She is considered to have had a privileged upbringing but in reality is still quite poor. Her life has also been harsh being half horde. She is intelligent and brave but seems aware of her boundaries. Rhys is a typical pirate who has a rough exterior and a soft core. Scarsdale I thought was a fun character and enjoyed reading his scene's, especially the one where he was in prison.

This does lead to my other gripe which is minor. There were just to many story holes for me. Who exactly are the horde? why did they invade Europe and Asia and stop there? Why have they not taken England back? I suspect this is the first book in a series so I hope the author will reveal these answers later.

If you like romance and steampunk this is definitely for you.

Other Stuff:
Read an excerpt here.

Friday Fill Ins 21 January 2011

And...here we go!

1. So many of us dont appreciate the value of white out.

2. My bookshelves are never empty, even in hardship.

3. Those who are accepting of chocolate, are a lot happier.

4. My Mount TBR pile is waiting quietly.

5. Light is in both the fridge and the freezer.

6. For the love of all that is ordinary, and all that is extraordinary.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing, tomorrow my plans include a new round of baby proofing and Sunday, I want to buy some new work pants and moisturiser!

Kid-Wrangling by Kaz Cooke

Rating: 4 out of 5
Paperback: 784 pages
Publisher: Ten Speed Press (October 1, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1580085571
ISBN-13: 978-1580085571

So now you have a baby. Now what do you do with it? This is the guide for you.

This books covers pretty much all issues from a newborn to preschooler. Issues such as getting through the first weeks, sleeping, eating, illness, getting ready for school, teaching kids to behave, using dummies (or not), tv shows for kids, books for kids, and the list goes on.

Her advice is practical, non judgemental, and makes sense. She also brings in a big dollop of humor, to lets face it a dry subject, which will have you chuckling. For instance in a section about dealing with tantrums, she lists ways to deal with tantrums then right at the end she writes "Or you can feign unconsciousness".

The version I have is the Australian one. I do not know if the UK or USA version is the same or if she changes parts for the overseas market. Personally I would think she would change certain information, otherwise I could see the point in her releasing it overseas. For instance when she talks about Australian laws (for cots, toys, broadcasting, car seats etc), I would imagine for over seas books this information would need to be changed.

Also a new edition has recently been released in Australia. This particular edition I read is from mid 2000's and some of the advice reflects this (she mentions the teletubbies as a good show for babies/toddlers and I'm pretty sure this show is no longer broadcast in Australia anyway). It is not glaringly out of date but there were some things that I noticed. However I assume the new edition addresses this.

This would be a great book for the new parent

Friday Fill-Ins - On a Saturday

Well I am going to try and get back into Friday Fill-Ins. It is a fun meme that I used to enjoy doing before I scaled back my blogging. Will see how I go at first so it might be pretty random to start with.

And...here we go!

1. It's 2011; I vow to take it easy. 2010 was a year of big changes for me so I figure I have done my bit and 2011 is my year to do whatever. Oh and actually share my chocolate sometimes, and not only just when it's a flavor I don't like. This one will be hard.

2. I hate pickles.

3. Thankfully I have my health, family, pets, and books.

4. Books, Chocolate, and relaxing in the bath are the best things in life.

5. I am so glad I got my kindle application on my iphone. However I do appear to now have an addiction to free kindle e-books.

6. A bowl of ice cream is bliss on a hot day.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to playing with my new apple mac air laptop, tomorrow my plans include working then a birthday dinner and Sunday, I want to get some cleaning done then go to mum and dads for dinner!

Mt TBR Challenge Update

Well this is going to be kinda a 2010 wrap up as well. Bit late, but better late then never right?

2010 was a mixed bag for me. I was in a major reading slump at the start of the year and didn't really pick up a book until around July. Then ever so slowly I got my reading groove back and finished the year pretty strongly. In fact in the last week of December 2010 I read three books, wowzers!

Out of the original twenty one, I have read nine books from Mt TBR. That leaves me with technically twelve books. However I have kinda picked up some new books (not bought so doesn't count right?). So I have realistically added four books, and I am not counting the free e-books I seem to be collecting like they are going out of style. So that means Mt TBR technically stands at about sixteen.

Confused yet? Well if makes it easier just ignore the new books cos as far as I am concerned, they just don't count. They were not part of the original deal. I figure if I tell my self this enough times it will become true.

So currently I am taking a break from Mt TBR and working through some more recent titles and a few toddler related books. The it will be back to Mt TBR by the end of the month and back on track.

So the books I have read I have marked in red and italics.

1. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
2. My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding edited by PN Elrod
3. Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner
4. Babylon's Ark by Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spence
5. Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn
6. The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison
7. Carpe Demon - Adventures of a Demon Hunting Soccer Mum by Julie Kenner
8. Stray by Rachel Vincent
9. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
10. Dixie Divas by Virginia Brown
11. The Killing Hands by PD MArtin
12. Mad Cow by Kathy Lette
13. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
14. Carbs & Cadavers by J.B Stanley
15. The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing by Mayra Calvani & Anne K. Edwards
16. Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun by Victoria Laurie
17. The Dead - Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
18. The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox
19. At Graves End by Jeaniene Frost
20. Fan Mail by PD Martin
21. Foetal Attraction by Kathy Lette