The Narrative Causality

1Q84 Book Give Away

2012-01-08T08:35:00.000+09:30

I am pleased to announce I am holding my first giveaway thanks to the kind folks at Random House Australia, who have given me a copy of Murakami's latest novel 1Q84 to give to my readers.

"The year is 1984. Aomame sits in a taxi on the expressway in Tokyo. Her work is not the kind which can be discussed in public but she is in a hurry to carry out an assignment and, with the traffic at a stand-still, the driver proposes a solution. She agrees, but as a result of her actions starts to feel increasingly detached from the real world. She has been on a top-secret mission, and her next job will lead her to encounter the apparently superhuman founder of a religious cult. Meanwhile, Tengo is leading a nondescript life but wishes to become a writer. He inadvertently becomes involved in a strange affair surrounding a literary prize to which a mysterious seventeen-year-old girl has submitted her remarkable first novel. It seems to be based on her own experiences and moves readers in unusual ways. Can her story really be true? Aomame and Tengo's stories influence one another, at times by accident and at times intentionally, as the two come closer and closer to intertwining. As 1Q84 accelerates towards its conclusion, both are pursued by persons and forces they do not know and cannot understand. As they begin to decipher more about the strange world into which they have slipped, so they sense their destinies converging. What they cannot know is whether they will find one another before they are themselves found. 1Q84 is a magnificent and fully-imagined work of fiction - a thriller, a love-story and a mind-bending ode to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. It is a world from which the reader emerges stunned and altered." - Taken from Random House Australia

This book has been taking the world by storm and generating much positive publicity. It has recently been nominated for literary prizes and has won people choice awards such as:

Winner of 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards for fiction.
Long listed for the 2011 Man Asia Literary Prize
Listed as #2 in Amazon.com Best Book of 2011

The rules are easy, just complete the form below and you will be in the running for a copy of 1Q84. The competition is open to international as well as Australian entrants. A winner will be picked using random.org after 31 January 2012, and announced on this blog shortly after.

Please note due to the content of the book entrants must be 16 years or older.

Good luck!

Please Complete This Form

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

2011-12-31T13:34:00.000+09:30

Rating 2.5 out of 5
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Random House Australia (2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1846554055
ISBN-13: 978-1846554056

It took me a month to read this book (due to holidays, work and illness). I finally finished it at the end of the December and have had a day or two to process it. I have come to the conclusion I still don't know if I liked or disliked this book. These day's I do not have time to stick with a book I don't like, yet for some reason with this book, something kept me turning the pages. I have no idea why. There is not a book I can remember reading which had me so conflicted about how I felt during and after reading it.

What I disliked

The amount of information given. Sometimes it was like wading through water, there was just so much description and detail. At first I endured it thinking "this must all be important. it must tie in somewhere" and yes some of it did do that, but the majority did not. Which for me is frustrating. There was also a lot of repetition, the same information given over and over. If there was a higher significance to this then I missed it.

At two points during the book the character Tengo was reading out passages from the book. This in its self is fine, but not when you then have to read word for word (for two pages no less) exactly what the character is reading.

In the final book (the English version is three separate books combined) the points of views change. For books one and two the story is told through Tengo and Aomame's perspective. But in book three we get Ushikawa's perspective, a little bit of Buzzcut, and another minor character (whose name currently eludes me). This annoyed me as by book 3 I was invested in Tengo and Aomame not these other characters. Plus their views did not really add to the story at all. The information could have been revealed in another way (and from my view there was only one really critical piece of information that was revealed, then sort of left hanging flapping in the breeze).

It felt like the author Murakami had a big jar of plot devices and was just randomly selecting them. Some of them really felt just random and in there for the sake of it. Also along these lines some things would be revealed and then left, not further explained or explored. The overall story plot seemed random and unfocused, with the odd plot device thrown in to perk it up.

What I liked

The characters. Tengo, Aomame, Fuki-Eri, Dowager, were interesting characters. They were complex, strange, quirky, and broken. Fuki-Eri in particular was fascinating. They were the main reason I kept reading so I could learn more and see where their individual stories took them.

The story its self and the world created is complex and just as fascinating as the characters that populate it. Murakami has a vivid imagination and has an interesting prose style. He has a unique way of painting a picture with words. While it was a negative for me it was also a positive. The reader is left in no doubt about how to picture the world created.

Book Three for me was the best out of the three books. I found it to be focused and driven, with most of the pieces coming together. For me it just flowed better and held my interest the best.

Overall

This is one quirky and epic book. It is very different to what Western cultures are used too, which is both its strength and weakness. I can see how people would either love this book or hate it. Me, I fall smack bang in the middle not really liking it and not really disliking it.

Movie Reviews: December 2011

2011-12-19T13:07:00.000+09:30

Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas - B-
Cute but not as much laughs I would expect. Kids will no doubt still love it. The main bonus is getting to meet the newest addition to the Ice Age crew Peaches, who is Manny and Ellie's daughter.

Merry Madagascar - A-
All your favourite characters are back in this Christmas Special. In this special King Julian shoots down Santa out of the sky and its up to our Merry crew to save the day. Lots of laughs and worth the watch (unless you dont like Madagascar then you should probably skip it).

The Madagascar Penguins In A Christmas Caper - A
I love the penguins and I love love loved this special. In this special they try to get a present for a Polar Bear who doesn't appear to get any presents. As usual mayhem ensues. I just cracked it laughing at this one the little dog scene was classic Penguins.

The All Nighter Before Christmas - A
Another great special from the Penguins. It is full of laughs. If you are a fan of the penguins this (as with all of the penguins specials) are a must.

Tower Heist - B
A fun silly movie about the little guy sticking it to the big guy. The acting was pretty good (though not outstanding) but the script was good overall. There were a few laugh out loud moments and I did enjoy it. Dont expect much and you will enjoy this a lot.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - B
No surprises, just like all the other MI movies. The technology seemed really way out there (not even remotely believable) but was still fun. The action scenes were good but again stupidly unbelievable. Simon Peg's character was a good addition to the series was sad Ving Rhyms character was not in this film.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

2011-12-19T10:43:00.000+09:30

Rating 3.5 out of 5
Hardcover: 592 pages
Publisher: Viking Adult; First Edition edition (February 8, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0670022411
ISBN-13: 978-0670022410

I sourced some book club questions to review this book. I have tried my best not to reveal any spoilers, and picked questions that did not reveal much - enjoy!

What was your first impression of the book?
Honestly I nearly didn't even pick this book up because it was so BIG. I don't have a lot of time to read and thought of committing to such a book was daunting. But the blurb sold me; a historian, a library, a magic book, vampires, witches and a mystery. All of my favourite things in a book.

What do you think Ashmole 782 reveals?
Not entirely sure but it is probably far more then what all the interested groups think (which seems to be the way to destroy each other). The book was hidden from ALL the creatures which I find very interesting considering a witch spell bound the book from other witches. Given that a theme through A Discovery of Witches evolution and the origins of species I suspect Ashmole 782 is the supernatural version of Darwin's Origin of Species.

Do you think the Congregation is mostly interested in stopping Matthew and Diana's relationship? In getting control of Ashmole 782? Or do you think there is some hidden agenda?
The congregation knows more then it has clearly let on. There is far more going on then just racism and an outdated agreement between the three creature races. I don't think the Congregation knows all the answers (and thus their interest in the manuscript and in understanding Dianna) but they clearly know it is bad news for the Congregation, for them to have interracial (inter species?) relationships.

Early in the novel, Harkness describes the typical personalities and physical traits of daemons, witches, and vampires. If you could be any one of these beings, which would you choose and why?A witch because they seemed to get the best of both worlds. Daemons tend to be kinda crazy (in our eyes), and Vampires are well dead and are slaves to their basic instincts. Witches get a whole swag of awesome powers and just seem cooler. Even the bad witches were pretty kick ass.

What did you think of the blend between magic, science, and alchemy?
The inner logical scientist in me really liked this blend. Giving scientific explanations to the creatures in the book (to a point). I really hope this continues through the rest of the trilogy and more explanations are given.

Most interesting character?
Yasabau. I would have loved to learn more about her and hopefully we do in future books. I was amazed given how long she has lived, the experiences she has had and the trials she has endured that quite frankly she wasn't completely bat guano crazy.

Weird fact about the book?
Elias Ashmole was a real person who studied Alchemy in the 1700's. Ashmole 782 is a real manuscript and it is currently missing!

Was there anything about the book you didn't like?
The fact the ending dragged. When it became clear the story would continue into the next book and there was no definite ending as such, the ending just seemed to go on and on.

Snuff (Discworld Book 39) by Terry Pratchett

2011-12-12T19:11:00.000+09:30

Rating 4.5 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 670 KB
Print Length: 382 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 038561926X
Publisher: Transworld Digital (October 13, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B00563M11M

Vimes is back! but he is a man living on the edge, his time is up, he is going on a holiday. Sybill, Vimes and young Sam are off to the Ramkin country estate for some fresh air and relaxation. Vimes is miserable, and at a loss until a Goblin girl is murdered on his property. Then the local blacksmith disappears and someone tells Vimes he CANT do something (which goes down about as well as a ferret does in trousers). This all adds up to Vimes doing what he does best being a police man and chasing the bad guy.

Snuff deals with some heavy themes wrapped up in the guise of fantasy. The Goblin race is subjected to some terrible treatment which to me seemed to mirror how colonists in the 1800's treated Indigenous cultures in their colonised lands. Pratchett has tackled racism (or specisim as it happens to be in Discworld) before but this book seemed to really drill the point home. The darker theme though is not off putting and it suits the subject matter. Also Vimes is darker in this book but more because he is grappling with what is right or wrong and how far can you go for the "right" cause.

Having said that Terry Pratchett was able to tell the story with humour, word puns, satire, and "life" observations. The best example of this is how Pratchett manages to capture, and bring humour too; the mind of a six year old boy (obsessed with poo). But Practhett also mange to shed bring humour to the interactions between husband and wife, and interactions between the elite and servants. I found myself laughing and chortling in many places.

This is not a City Watch novel, it is more of a Sam Vimes novel. The rest of the City Watch do not feature much in this book, we really only see a glimpse of the beloved characters of Carrot, Angua, Nobbs, Colon, Cheery, (and Detritus is not there at all). Wee Mad Arthur though left his mark even though he was a minor character. As always the Nac Mac Feegle steal the show (literally if they work out how) and Wee Mad Arthur was such a laugh. He was easily my favourite characters.

As with all Discworld books you dont necessarily have needed all the books before it. But it is a very good idea, especially in this book as it refers to events that happened in the book Thud! which will spoil Thud! for you if you have not read it yet.

I have seen reviews which criticise the direction Pratchett took with this book. I personally dont have a problem with. It showed the internal struggle Vimes has been moving towards for a long time as he tries to reconcile his old life and who he thinks he is, with his new life and what others think he is.

In all honesty I think the last few Discworld books have been getting better. But after writing 39 books there are bound to be some in there that don't quite shine as well as the others. I really hope we get to see a Rincewind or Witches novel again soon.

Extras
Here is an interview of Terry Pratchett talking about all of his books, some potential spoilers here if you have not read the series.

Asian Legends (Malaysia): The Lion City by Mohamad Salmi

2011-12-09T13:17:00.000+09:30

Rating 3 out of 5
Age Group: 3-8
ISBN: 9675222026, 9789675222023
Format: Paperback
Publisher: MPH Group Publishing Sdn Bhd
Publish Date:25-DEC-2010

How did Singapore get its name? It all begins with an adventurous young Sumatran Prince called Sang Nila Utama, who loves hunting. His hunting expedition brings him to an island, where he stumbles upon a magnificent animal that will inspire the name of one of today's most modern and prosperous nations in Asia.

I purchased this book while in Singapore for my older nephews (who are 3 and 4). I wanted to get a unique souvenir and both like books and reading so I thought this would be a great way to teach them about local Asia culture.

The English names Singapore derives from the Malay word Singapura (which means lion city). There are no known Lions to have inhabited the area and it is believed the creature encountered by Sang Nila Utama was really a tiger. And who is Utama I hear you say well he was a Srivijayan prince from Palembang who founded the kingdom of Singapura in 1324. So there your history lesson for the day back to the book.

So as you can see the tale of how Singapore originally came to be is an old one. It is amazing it has survived the passing of time and I wonder how accurate it really is. In this children's book it is retold simply and easily written in a style aimed at young readers.

The artwork is a basic cartoon style, with lots of bright colours to capture children's attention.

This is a wonderful book that can help teach your child about Malaysian legends and how Singapore came to be.

The Dark and Hollow Places (Book 3) by Carrie Ryan

2011-12-09T11:42:00.000+09:30

Rating 3.5 out of 5
Reading level: Ages 14 and up
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (March 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385738595
ISBN-13: 978-0385738590

Annah has been living and surviving on her own sing Elias left her three years ago. When she finally decides to do something and move on with her life she meets Catcher, her sisters traveling companion and former boyfriend, and discovers her long lost twin sister is alive and well but now in the Recruiters hands.

The third book in the series seems to be the darkest and bleakest of all. While Annah herself and her story is pretty bleak set in the ruins of the city (that was supposed to be safe), the Zombie horde hitting the city, the cruelty of the Recruiters, death being at every turn and a certain last stand feel to the story.

The previous two books always had hope attached to it. For Mary there was the place the girl from the woods had come from, for Gabry there was the City. The girls all had somewhere else to go, somewhere safer. In this book there is no where to go. As I said previously this book is really dark with no hope to balance the horror the character witness and participate in.

I really can not decide if I liked this book or not. I found the book to be a a bit too dark and depressing for my liking, plus there were somethings (mostly story threads) about the book and series as a whole, that irked me. Having said that I kept turning the pages wanting to know what happened next, if the group would survive, and what would be the fate of the city.

I didn't really like Annah. There I said it. She just didn't gel well with me. Her personality for me didn't fit someone who had been surviving in extreme conditions for a few years on her own. She just seemed so wimpy, defenceless and clueless. For someone who had led her life I would expect her to be really tough physically or mentally (possibly both), or a hermit who never went out side. Instead she was this wishy washy character who was annoying in most instances. The only time I felt I saw the person I felt she should have been was towards the end after her night in the snow storm which is about half way through the book.

It really bugged me again that we have no idea of what caused the zombie invasion or even why there was a rebellion. This time the characters were in a place where they could get answers yet seemed unwilling to dig deeper and ask why. Which to me would have been important to figuring out how to survive. Also why would know one want to do tests on Catcher's blood? or what research was done in the past? The science nerd in me was very frustrated with this lack of wanting to know more. But maybe this was just me?

I liked Gabry a lot better in this book, as a lead character (and whose point of view the story was told from in book two), she didn't impress me much. But in this book I liked her a lot more. She was more well rounded as a character and less annoying. Elias on the other hand was a bit of arrogant bastard in this book, but I was not turned off his character. I think the revelations about these two characters this book made them far more relatable.

The ending I thought was great for the series as a whole. It was a little on the Walt Disney happy ending side of happy endings but nonetheless I still thought it was a lovely way to finish the series and this book in particular that had been so dark and then right at the end was a small glimmer or more accurately the possibility of hope.

By the end of the book I was happier with the story and the trilogy as a whole. The third book did round the trilogy of quite nicely (despite all my criticisms!), and even though there were elements that bugged me I was still drawn into this world and enjoyed reading about it.

If you have read books one and two you can not decide to stop at book two.

Movie Reviews: November 2011

2011-12-03T20:55:00.000+09:30

The Hangover 2 - C

This is pretty much The Hangover but in Thailand/Bangkok. The story was almost identical with a few minor changes. Instead of a baby there was a monkey and no tiger. They were basically the only real changes. I chuckled a few times but to be honest I was bored by it (but I didn't like the first so not surprising really I guess). This one was more for hubby then me I just read my book through most of it.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes - B-
Hmm I think the first half of this movie could have been heavily edited. A lot of it was unnecessary and did not add to the story. It was also pretty slow and borderline boring. The second half though was much better and more interesting. The story picks up and so does the action. The animation was good (all the primates where cgi) but the primates did look "off". There was never a moment when you didn't know they were not cgi.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - A
This is one of the few Harry Potter films I have enjoyed for a long time. I didn't feel the need to pick it a part and think "argh they left that out" or "thats not how it happened in the book". They actually stayed pretty true to the book, including the still pointless very ending.

Songs for November

2011-12-03T08:30:00.000+09:30

My friend over at Polishing Mud Balls does a weekly meme of songs she listens to each week, how she does it is beyond me, as it was hard enough only picking 15 songs (yea sorry but trust me when I say this is the reduced list). Doing once a week is probably a bit much for me but I will try to attempt monthly. Below are the songs I am listening to this month. I have picked mostly party/summer listening type songs as it is now summer here!

These Kids Where Crowns - Jumpstart
This is such a fun boppy tune, what other song to start this post then a song titled Jumpstart??

Flo Rida - Good Feeling
I love this song at the moment. This is a good party song. The film clip is good too showing scenes from his concerts all around the world.

David Guetta ft Sia - Titanium
The king of techno is back with an awesome song (if you like this kind of music). The singer is apparently Australian but cant say I have ever heard of her.

Lloyd - Dedication to my ex
Nope not trying to make a statement about my life or anything. The song is just so damn catchy and similar in style to 60's kind of music? I just like the singing and the tune more then the actual words (weird I know). When this comes on the radio, it gets turned up!

Jessie J - Domino
I could only find a live version of this song for some reason. This song is so whimsical and light hearted. Is a good summer tune.

Martin Sloveig - Big In Japan
Another techno song but this is so much fun (and the music clip is funny!).

Jessica Mauboy - Inescapable

This is the latest from local girl Jessica. My little man likes this song and bops around to it happily when it comes on tv. This is a bit different form her usual R&B stuff being more on the dancey/pop side.

Hot Chelle Rae - I Like It Like That
I'm loving this group, their songs are fun, catchy with a bit of a rock edge.

Pixie Lott - What Do You Take Me For?
Her songs are all unusual. Her first album was more kind of blues/pop (not Amy Winehouse style). She does a mix of styles and she seems to always have fun in her music clips. Plus she has a cool name LOL. My favorite of her songs is Boys and Girls which has a very different vibe to this song. But I am enjoying this song at the moment.

Panic At The Disco – Ready To Go
This Aussie band are pretty awesome; there isn’t a song of theirs I haven’t enjoyed. Their songs are very hard to pigeonhole into a particular genre. This one though is more pop/rock.

Eskimo Joe - Love Is A Drug
A great easy listening rock song. This is another Aussie band I like and enjoy most of their the stuff. This song is right next to "Sarah" as my favourite for this band.

One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful
A new boy band from the UK and they are pretty good. They apparently won X-Factor there. This is a fun summery song and if you have (or know) a teenage girl you are probably going to know this song well.

LMFAO – Sexy and I know it
A very brave film clip. With lots of speedo jiggling. If you like techno then you probably know LMFAO are not doing much wrong at the moment. My little monkey and I like bopping around to this song.

Cobra Starship – You Make Me Feel
A catchy techno song. This clip has some famous faces in it such as Robin Williams, Jessie J

Wes Car - Been A Long Time
This is such a great summer song. It is very much an easy listening/rock type song. I thought it would be a nice song to end this post with.

An Elephant In The Room by Shamini Flint

2011-11-29T21:49:00.000+09:30

Rating 3.5 out of 5
Hardcover: 21 pages
Age: 2-5
Publisher: Sunbear Publishing
Language: English
ISBN-10: 981057813X
ISBN-13: 978-9810578138

We recently traveled to Singapore and this was one of the souvenir books i got our son. I have taken a liking to buying books related to the country we are in as souvenirs as I think it is then educational and different.

This particular book caught my eye as the artwork was bright and colourful, it had elephants (we were due to see elephants in the flesh later in the trip), the story was short and rhymed. I thought it was perfect for us.

The story its self was not specific to Singapore or even Asia. It is just a cute story about elephants doing various activities during the day. It is a short and simple story often with one or two lines max on a page.

"There's an elephant in the room.

And here's another with a broom"

The artwork is bright and colourful and really brings the story alive. The artist put small quirky details in each of the illustrations. For instance on one page the elephant is holding a sign saying "I'm sorry" and his little friend holds a sign saying "me too".

This is a basic, sweet book that is quick and easy to read. Any child should enjoy the book.

Dixie Divas by Virginia Brown

2011-11-25T20:28:00.001+09:30

Rating 2 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 483 KB
Print Length: 316 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0982175655
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (December 31, 2010)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004HO5M44

"You found my philandering ex-husband?" Bitty asked. "Where? Mexico? Paris? In Tupelo with a cocktail waitress?""In your closet," I answered. "Dead."

Break out the hoop skirts and the zinfandel. The Divas are on the case.Wine. Chocolate. Transvestite strippers. Just another good-time get-together for the Dixie Divas of historic Holly Springs, Mississippi, where moonlight and magnolias mingle with delicious small town scandal. But Eureka "Trinket" Truevine, the newest Diva, gets more than she bargained for when she finds her best Diva girlfriend Bitty Hollandale's ex-husband in Bitty's hall closet. He's dead. Very dead. Now Trinket and the Divas have to help Bitty finger the murderer and clear her name.

Sounds good right? It certainly got my attention and I thought this could be fun. However I really struggled with this book. As you know I don't really like giving bad reviews, so I decided to use the good old lol cats style of reviewing to help make it easier.

One plus was the book was short. Thank goodness. Otherwise I would have given up. I nearly did, I seriously considered putting it down just-after-the-next-page. Why did I still persist? I have no idea. I gave this book so much leeway when normally wouldn't. The second half of the book was better, and I think that is why I stayed (in the end, well I tell myself that) but seriously it took half of the book for me to even get into it. I skipped most of the first half, and skimmed a big chunk of the bits I didn't skip.

I didn't get the characters. The ladies were supposed to be in the fifties but honestly I thought they were written to be in their eighties. Now I have knowledge of the "South" of America and how ladies were raised in the 1950's, but I know plenty of fifty year olds and they act nothing like these ladies. To be honest it irked me....a lot.

The only characters I liked were Bitty and Trinket's parents. The main character Trinket bored me, and I didn't care what happened to her really. I would have preferred the book have been told from Bitty's point of view, as she was hilarious (and I don't think it was just because Trinket was so boring that anyone would look freaking awesome).

So this review is short and sweet. I just couldn't get into it or really enjoy it. However it has gotten plenty of good reviews elsewhere so maybe it was just me.

On a weird side note while searching for lol cat pictures to put in this post, my google image searches were turning up the most bizarre things. The kind of things eyes (innocent or otherwise) should not be seeing. Google must have been on the good stuff when I was doing my searches that's all I can say.

Freaks (Rizzoli and Isles Short Story) by Tess Gerritsen

2011-11-24T18:50:00.001+09:30

Rating 4 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 148 KB
Publisher: Transworld Digital (August 31, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B005JXBJFI

I am a big fan of the show Rizzoli & Isles and didn't even know it was based on a book series till a friend of mine kindly pointed out. Ever since I have been curious to read the books. I am not a fan of these more hard boiled crimes books even though I like the shows (I love the Show Bones but do not like the book series it is based on), weird I know. So when I saw this book being offered for free on Kindle I jumped at the chance. In my mind a short story set with all the characters was the perfect place to get a feel for Gerritsen's writing and her characters.

In this book Rizzoli and Isles are called to the scene of an emancipated murdered 17 year old girl in a church. The case takes a supernatural turn when her friend and now suspect Lucas informs Rizzoli that they were both vampires. Now another life is being threatened and Rizzoli is in a race to solve the case and save a life. Is Kimberly Rayner really vampire? did Lucas really kill her? how does Kimberly's angry father tie into her life?

As I said previously this is my first Rizzoli and Isles book. I am not sure about the tone of the other books but this one was pretty light and not serious at all. It had a great mix of action, humour, and crime drama. All the characters were similar to the tv series so they felt comfortable even though this was the first time I was reading about them.The supernatural twist made the story very interesting.

This was a great short read and a wonderful introduction to the world of Rizzoli and Isles. I will definitely be starting this series and seeing if the proper books are as enjoyable as the short story.

Note
As at the date of publishing this post Amazon still had this ebook listed as being free.

Quaky Cat by Diana Noonan

2011-11-24T13:13:00.001+09:30

Rating 4 out of 5
Publication: December 2010
ISBN: 978-1-77543-029-2
Age: 3-7 years

"On a cold Christchurch morning, while the city was sleeping, before the birds roused him with twitters and cheeping, curled up on the end of his friend Emma's bed, Tiger woke with a start ...and a feeling of dread.

He twitched his long whiskers and sniffed at the air. Danger was close, but what was it - and where? Then a voice in his head, one he'd not heard before, shouted 'Run for your life Tiger! Make for the door!'

Tiger fled from the house with a leap and a bound as, louder than thunder, from deep underground, came a roar and a shudder and terrible shaking! Around him, the city was rolling and quaking." Pages 1-3.

In September 2010 a 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocked the Cantabury region in New Zealand. Not even six months later in February 2011 the same region, and in particular Christchurch (which suffered wide spread devastation) was struck again by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake. This book however was written in response to the 2010 earthquake, and was relased shortly before the second devastating earthquake. My parents travelled to New Zealand in July this year and picked up this book for my little monkey. I am glad they did as 50% of proceeds from the sale of the book went to local charity and it gave my son a beautiful book that dealt with an unfortunately sad time in New Zealand's history.

Quaky Cat is about Tiger, a little cat whose world is turned upside down when during an earthquake he bolts from the house and becomes lost. The book is his story about trying to find his way home to his beloved Emma, through the devastated city.

The story deals with emotions that children would more then likely feel after an earthquake has hit their town. Tiger's feelings of fear, isolation and sadness are explored as he makes his way back to his house. While you would think this would make for a depressing book it is not at all. In fact the book is written is filled with hope and love as the quote below demonstrates:

"Home is the giving and helping and sharing.

When a city is crumbling, then home is the caring."

With a lyrical, rhyming narrative, the book is easy to read to children. It also makes it the story simple for them to follow. It is a beautiful, haunting, and happy story that makes you feel good about the world at the end of the story.

The illustrations are colourful but in a way (for me) creepy. Perhaps creepy is not the right word, erie perhaps is better? Only Tiger and his owner Emma have any real detail, everything else is in silhouette. This suits the tone of the book and highlights Tiger on his journey. The use of colours are interesting as well and subtle. When Tiger is scared and alone darker colours such as blues and greens are used but when Tiger is happy and safe warmer colours like yellow and orange are used.

If you are interested in purchasing this book you will be pleased to know funds from worldwide sales of Quaky Cat are going to the Christchurch Mayoral Earthquake Appeal administered by the New Zealand Red Cross. (The author and illustrator royalties will continue to be donated to their chosen Christchurch charities).

I highly recommend this book for anyone with children who have gone through an earthquake but at the same time any child can understand the messages this lovely book has to offer.

Extras
I am not sure where you can purchase it outside of New Zealand or Australia. But if you wish to purchase this book Fishpond ship internationally and around Australia.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

2011-11-12T15:48:00.001+09:30

Rating 3 out of 5
Reading level: Ages 14 and up
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061726826
ISBN-13: 978-0061726828
Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 1.8 inches

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn't understand that once love--the deliria--blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold.Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway has always looked forward to the day when she'll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy. But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: she falls in love.

What I liked
The story concept was interesting and the world created fascinating. The whole premise is that love is a disease and scientists have cured it. By having the procedure done when you roughly turn 18 (it can be done earlier) you can live your life with out sadness, anger, happiness, any emotion at all it seems.

The story is character driven. It focuses on Lena and her struggles. She is terrified she is really like her mother who the procedure didn't work on, and struggles with her emotions leading up to the procedure. She wants to do what is best by her family and bring some honour back, but at the same time starts to question her society and the world she has been brought up in.

I enjoyed the second half of the book far more then the first. In all honesty I felt the first half of the book probably could have been cut in half, it didn't really add value to the book as a whole really.

What I didn't like
It was pretty slow paced for the first half. This was in part due to the nature of the book being a character driven more drama type book. Don't expect a Hunger Games or Pretties type book, this is not that kind of book. To be honest I nearly gave up after about 100 pages. I was on holidays though so persevered (as I didn't have anything else to read). It was just a big info dump about Lena and her life, with out really explaining why the world was the way it is. This was a problem when Lena really wasn't that interesting.

There was not much "history" about how the world Lena lives in came to be. Events are hinted at but no real detail is given as to why they wanted to cure love and then why and how they did it. Apparently this is the first book in a trilogy and it certainly felt that way. Maybe the history side will be revealed later.

This book felt to much like a first book in a trilogy. There were story threads not really finished off and information not given to the reader. This was annoying because by the end of this book I wasn't sure if I would read the rest but I will probably have to now so I can get some answers.

Summary
This was not a terrible book and perhaps my timing was not the best (reading it after a fast paced action book). Sometimes I find it hard to shift from writing styles and might have been more critical as a result. But I did like this book and for someone who likes this type of book they will probably enjoy it more then I did.

Extras
If you would like to read and extract of Chapter 1 of Delirium then head over to Lauren Oliver's web page.

Hounded (The Iron Druid Chronicles Book 1) by Kevin Hearne

2011-11-12T13:57:00.001+09:30

Rating 4 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 440 KB
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0345522478
Publisher: Voyager (June 1, 2011)
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
Language: English
ASIN: B0050ZPAPA

Atticus O’Sullivan has been running for two thousand years and he’s a bit tired of it. After he stole a magical sword from the Tuatha Dé Danann (those who became the Sidhe or the Fae) in a first century battle, some of them were furious and gave chase, and some were secretly amused that a Druid had the cheek to defy them. As the centuries passed and Atticus remained an annoyingly long-lived fugitive, those who were furious only grew more so, while others began to aid him in secret.

Now he’s living in Tempe, Arizona, the very last of the Druids, far from where the Fae can easily find him. It’s a place where many paranormals have decided to hide from the troubles of the Old World—from an Icelandic vampire holding a grudge against Thor to a coven of Polish witches who ran from the German Blitzkrieg.

Unfortunately, the very angry Celtic god who wants that sword has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power, plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good, old-fashioned luck of the Irish to kick some arse and deliver himself from evil.

Sounds good right? well it was good! It was fun from the beginning to end. That is the easiest way to sum the book up. It was full of humour, action, mythology, bad guy smack downs, and witty one liners. All the things I love in urban fantasy series.

This book came on my radar by reading reviews on From My Bookshelf and Ticket To Anywhere (these two are bad for adding to my Mt TBR). I was intrigued as it has been described as being the next Harry Dresden series (I hate comparing but wont go there), plus it was about druids and celtic mythology an area in the urban fantasy area not really tapped into previously.

Up front the book is not really anything like Harry Dresden other then it had a guy as the main character, he was witty and sarcastic, oh and he did magic. So the comparison really is only at the surface level and was probably a gimmick by a marketing guru to get people to buy the book. By comparing the book they undersell this book/series.

The celtic mythology was really good and the research showed through. I actually learned quite a bit as I had to look some creatures mentioned up on the net. The characters felt believable and fit their "image". I quite liked Morrigan even though in other books she is painted as quite the villain, in this book she walks a fine line between being a baddy and a goody. The book also touches on other mythologies from around the world. There are also vampires, werewolves, and fairies to round out the mythological roll call. But you will no find vampires who sparkle and do creepy stalking type stuff, no the vampires and werewolves are much edgier and realistic.

The pace of the story is quite fast and energetic, you don't get much "down time" between scenes. It moves a long quickly, but not so fast that the story suffers. If you are a fan of anime or comics you can definitely see the influences they have had on Hearne, there is even a reference or two to anime (the author gets big points for that alone).

I loved the character of Oberon and the little old Irish lady who is Atticus’ neighbor. Both added a great comical element to the book and I look forward to learning more about them in later books. The werewolves and the vampire (whose names elude me currently) were fascinating and I hope to learn more about them over the course of the series.

This should definitely be on your radar if you love urban fantasy. I will be getting stuck into the rest of series in the new year.

Extras
Head over to Kevin Hearnes web page to read the first six chapters of Hounded.

City of Bones (Mortal Instruments Book 1) by Cassandra Clare

2011-11-12T12:13:00.001+09:30

Rating 3 out of 5

Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books; First Edition, Later Printing edition (March 27, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416914285
ISBN-13: 978-1416914280
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.6 inches

Given there are heaps of reviews on this book I thought I would do more of a Q&A style review with some basic questions. I found this book hard to review as it would be very easy to give away spoilers.

What is the book about?
City of Bones follows the story of 15 year old Clary. One night Clary and her friend Simon go to the Pandemonium Club and their lives change forever after witnessing a murder where the body then proceeds to disappear into thin air. Clary then finds herself thrust into the middle of world she never knew existed

Who was your favorite character?
Probably Jace. He was witty and interesting.

Which character did you dislike the most?
Easily Alex. I know the reader does get some back story to him at the end of the book which goes some way to explaining his character. But I didn't like him on any level. He could probably easily be voted "character most likely to turn to the dark side".

How does this book compare to A Clockwork Angel?
I can honestly say I liked A Clockwork Angel better. A Clockwork Angel came well after this series was written (even though it is a prequel), and it felt Clare had a better feel for the world in that book compared to City of Bones. Plus I liked the characters better. I cant really put my finger on why I liked A Clockwork Angel better I just did.

Is the story original?
Not particularly. You could see the plot twists coming. There are no surprises.

Is there much action?
There is quite a bit of action in the second half of the book. But the teen love triangle is more the focus I thought.

Is it like Harry Potter?
Not really. There are some parallels yes, but its not like that story line is really original, even before JK Rowling got it. The whole "orphan discovers they are a wizard/witch and there is a magical world existing next to ours" story line was being used for years before Harry Potter so don’t act like JK Rowling invented it.

What is the mythology used?
The book taps into the angels and demons mythology and builds on those. For instance the Shadow hunters are descended from the people the Angel Riezel mixed his blood with. I haven't read the whole series so do not really know the whole mythology attached to this world, but it seems interesting so far. There are also Vampire, Werewolves, and Warlocks. That side is not really developed in this book.

Would you recommend the book?
To a teenage girl, yes definitely. That is the target audience and I think they will love it. For older readers, not so sure. While I didn't mind the story, it didn't grab me and make me want to read the rest of the series on the spot. There are better books in the paranormal/urban fantasy genre that I would recommend over this one.

Extras
Head over to Cassandra Clares page and read Chapter One City of Bones.

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae

2011-11-09T20:46:00.002+09:30

Rating 4 out of 5
Reading level: Ages 4 and up

Hardcover:

32 pages

Publisher:

Orchard (September 1, 2001)

Language:

English

ISBN-10:

0439287197

ISBN-13:

978-0439287197

Product Dimensions:

11.9 x 9.8 x 0.4 inches

"Gerald was a tall giraffe

Whose neck was long and slim,

But his knees were awfully bandy
And his legs were rather thin"

So begins the tale of Gerald the Giraffe who cant dance. Every year he dreaded the annual jungle dance as he could not participate with out being made a fool and be humiliated. But this year it is different, this year there is a full moon and a little cricket who teaches Gerald sometimes you just need a different tune to dance too.

This is a wonderful book to read aloud to children. It has an easy flow and rhythm, with rhyming words. You can have use silly voice to narrate the different characters which adds some fun.

The illustrations are bright and colourful. They convey the feeling and action of the story on each page. There is also a cricket hiding on each page!

The book finishes with a great "moral of the story" type ending. This one being about be happy with who you are, there is nothing wrong with being different, and sometimes you need to do things differently to achieve the same results.

This book will quickly become your child's favourite. It is one of our favourites to read.

Extras
A video of someone reading the book. For anyone who wants an idea of what to expect with the book.

Movie Reviews: October 2011

2011-11-01T10:27:00.001+09:30

The Change-Up - A

This film was hilarious, rude and totally inappropriate for any child under 15 or so. But I found myself laughing so hard I was crying on a numerous occasions. I dont normally like the stupid crass/rude type movies (I am proud to say I did not like The Hangover) but for some reason this one really appealed.

Green Lantern - A
I really enjoyed this film, even though it had a very Superman kinda feel to it (even the music was suspiciously close). Ryan Reynalds is really good in the role. The CGI was well done and the action fantastic. There was a good story line that was not to "out there" and required a complete suspension of belief.

Zookeeper - C-
Not the greatest but not the worst. A slight twist on the romantic comedy genre with the animals trying to help the looser guy. Nothing surprising in the story but some funny moments anyway. Good purely for the animal factor and the "pick the celebrity voicing this animal" factor. I would wait till it is on tv and watch it for free.

Captain America - B

This was not what I was expecting, which is interesting considering I know nothing about Captain America. Lots of clever CGI, bit of humour and sci-fi mixed in with a good dollop of action. This is not a serious film and I had fun watching it, it had an ok story line (some big story holes which did bug me) but good acting. Plus it tied in nicely to the marvel comics universe & the Avengers movie.

Kung Fu Panda 2 - B

Very cute and enjoyable film. Not as hilarious as the first one, but then again I was horribly sick while watching this, and Hubby did laugh a lot more then me so maybe it was just me? I did still enjoy this story and how it added to the over all story of the Kung Fu Panda world. Seemed to be setting the scene for a Kung Fu Panda 3?

Mr Poppins Penguins - A

As this didn't have a long theatre life here in Oz I kinda wrote this off as being a dud. Well I was wrong it was adorable, funny, and had a sweet and touching story line. Jim Carey really should do more family movies, his brand of comedy just suits it perfectly. A great story about setting priorities in life. Oh and the penguins totally steal the show as they are soooooo cute!

Smurfs - B+
Ok I was all prepared to hate this movie because I loved the original series as a kid. But I actually liked this movie A LOT. Found myself laughing in quite a few places, and chortling in others. It wasn't completely corny and stupid (did have moments). The acting was great (is there nothing Neil Patrick Harris cant do?) and the animation was fantastic. There were jokes for all age groups, and I love the sly digs at the original cartoon which only adults will get. A great family film for everyone.

Bad Teacher - D+
I dont really like Cameron Diaz, and I just found her annoying in this film. I didn't feel any chemistry between her and the two leading men. There were some funny (but few) moments, but over all it just seemed like the bad girl with the bad behaviour got rewarded because she was pretty. The only part I really found funny was when she was grading the papers. I think ALL teachers would love to write what she does at some point.

Old School

Frequency - B

An old detective sci-fi movie about a father and son talking across the decades. Very clever and interesting. Not much can be said with out giving it away (if you haven't seen it).

Side Jobs: Stories from the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

2011-10-17T11:31:00.000+09:30

Rating 4 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 685 KB
Print Length: 432 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 184149920X
Publisher: Hachette Digital (April 14, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004SBMJQ0

Side Jobs is a collection of short stories written by Jim Butcher over the life of the Harry Dresden Series. At the start of each story there is a short blurb from Butcher who talks about how the story came about, influences, and where the story sits in the Dresden world. There are some stories that were previously printed in anthologies which included a novella from Thomas’ point of view. But there were also some previously unpublished stories, including one set after the events in Changes.

Each story adds to the Harry Dresden world, insights into the main characters, and into his relationships with some of the characters. The majority also do not give away anything about what has happened in the series, however there are three stories that do. Though it isn’t necessary it would be a good idea to read this collection of stories either singularly (at the appropriate moments in the Dreseden series, each story tells the reader where in the series the stories fell) OR all of them at the end of Changes. The final story takes place after Changes and it will definitely ruin the book if you have not read it.

Most of the stories are just good fun. There is not a lot of depth or substance. But there are some with real depth, that gives real insights into the main support characters in Dresdens life. The Warrior is Michael centric; Backup is all about Thomas; Something Borrowed focuses on Billy and Georgia; and the story called Aftermath set after Changes features Karrin and Billy. These stories you really do want to read in order of the series. I actually like the Michael story the best.

The story order is as follows:
Vignette.......................Between Death Masks (5) and Blood Rites (6)
Something Borrowed.......Between Dead Beat (7) and Proven Guilty (8)
It's My Birthday, Too.....Between White Knight (9) and Small Favor (10) Heorot..........................Between White Knight (9) and Small Favor (10)
Day Off.........................Between Small Favor (10) and Turn Coat (11) Backup..........................Between Small Favor (10) and Turn Coat (11)
The Warrior...................Between Small Favor (10) and Turn Coat (11)
Last Call.....................Between Small Favor (10) and Turn Coat (11)
Love Hurts....................Between Small Favor (10) and Turn Coat (11)
Aftermath.....................After Changes

I don't really want to say anything more as I will probably give some of the story lines away. If you are a fan of the series then this collection of short stories is a must. I really did enjoy them all.

Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran

2011-10-14T17:53:00.002+09:30

Rating 4 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 853 KB
Print Length: 432 pages
ISBN: 0307588653
Publisher: Quercus (March 3, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004U4RY3S

We all know the name, and the famous wax museum. But what do you really know about the woman who was Madam Tussuad? If your like me probably not much. In fact I didn’t even know she lived in the 1700’s during the French Revolution.I confess to not knowing much about the French Revolution. I knew it had happened, I know there was a famous mis-quote “let them eat cake”, the musical Le Miserable is about it and has some cool songs…um that’s kinda it really. So I was pleased to read this book that was set during this turbulent time of France.It was fresh and interesting perspective into the French Revolution.

The book begins prior to the Revolution with the future Revolutionaries meeting in secret in the home of Marie’s uncles home and shop which was a wax works display. We get to meet Marie (who was Groholt at that stage not Tussaud), her family, and close family friends.

I thought I might try a character interview for this review. Hope you like it.

You are a woman ahead of your times, wanting and having a career, and trying to balance a career with family. You are an amazing role model for all women. Is there anything you hope women will take away from your story? Thank you for saying that it means a lot. I never considered myself to be a role model, but I did want a different life for myself. I was very lucky with the opportunities I was given, and that I had a gift. It was not an easy path to walk, sacrifices were made. I guess the main thing I would wan't other women to take away from my story is that; the path you choose may not be easy, but if you believe and want it bad enough, you can make it happen.

You have an amazing and supporting family do you think they helped you achieve the success you achieved?Definitely, my Uncle taught me the trade of wax modelling for starters. He also kept our family a float during the worst of the Revolution. My mother was always a wonderful source of support and delicious food. Both were savvy business people in different ways.

Did you ever regret not fleeing Paris when you had the chance?Of course I did, still do. Would things have been better, or easier? probably. But I made my choice, and I chose to stay and ensure my family had a lively hood to fall back on when the Revolution was over. There is no point looking back on what might have been, I made my choices and I stand by them right or wrong.

Did you worry about playing both sides as it were?Definitely, it was literally walking on a swords edge. But it was a game we had to play, with the Revolutionaries or the Royalists would win, and we HAD to be on the winning side.

Which side were you on?That is the big question isn't it? I was friends with some of the Royals, and don't believe they deserved the end they got. But I was also friends with some of the Revolutionaries. Both sides were as bad as each other, just coming from different directions. You had the opulence, wealth and waste of the Royalty and the poverty, starvation of the Revolutionaries.

You very cleverly didn't really answer my question? At the end of the day as I said previously it was about staying in business, I was going to be on the winners side. That is all I am going to say on the matter.

There is no doubt the Revolution was full of sadness and barbarity, but you seemed to find some peaceful and beautiful moments amongst the turmoil. What was one of your best memories?Probably my time spent with Princess Lisbeth teaching her to sculpt. When I was at her chateau it was as if all the troubles and sadness of the Revolution fell away. I was in a different world. I miss Lisbeth.

What was the most surprising moment during the Revolution? It would have to be when I visited the Marquis De Sade in the Bastille. I always imagined it to be, well, like a prison. But instead it was like a hotel. They had all sorts of stuff, including pets. If they had the money then they could purchase what ever luxury their heart desired.

So give us the scoop, what was the King and Queen really like?I really don't like to say, but I liked them as people and I am saddened by what happened to them. They were good to me, my family, and our wax museum. I feel they were however mis-informed by their advisers, and kept insulated from what was really happening in Paris and France. Perhaps if they had better advisers, things would have turned out differently. They didn't deserve what happened to them.

So you were pleased with the Revolutionaries who ordered their executions were eventually tried and convicted themselves?Certainly not, some of those people were my friends as well, at least in the start. Power seemed to corrupt them. They became the very things they were fighting against. No one was a winner during this time, and no one was in the right.

To conclude, what was your biggest achievement? Besides my children? and the wax museum? I would have to say staying alive. It very nearly didn't happen. For so many it didn't happen. I lost many friends and loved ones during that period. To say I lived would have to be a great achievement wouldn't you say?

Thank you for your time Madame Tussaud it has been a pleasure.

Extras
For more information and an excerpt of the book please visit Michelle Moran's blog.

Clarity by Kim Harrington

2011-10-02T08:07:00.000+09:30

Rating 4 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 239 KB
Print Length: 256 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0545230500
Publisher: Point; 1 edition (March 1, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004P5NVIO

Hi guys, for this review I am going to try a letter style review again. I hope you enjoy it!

Dear Irishyz

You are lucky I know how much you did try to book bully me into getting this book, otherwise you would be in BIG trouble. I can not believe I waited so long to read this book! I was setting it aside as a holiday read. But I wanted a bit of a change from the last few books I have read, (you know I get the jitters if I don’t get a good dose of paranormal stories) so thought I would give it a go. I blitzed this book in 24 hours, which I have not done since March when I was stuck on a plane for 5 hours.

I liked the basics of the story which focuses around Clarity (Clare) Fern who is Psychic. As you know she lives in a small American town with her mother and brother who also have gifts. I liked that her whole family had abilities, but different forms; her mother is a telepath and her brother is a medium. After a tourist is murdered Clare is brought in by the Mayor to help the new police detective solve the mystery. As the death toll rises, the pressure is on for Clare to solve the crime, and prove her brothers innocence. Phew did I miss something? I think that sums up the plot which while simple was still engaging.

Clare is a wonderful character. I instantly took to her as she is likable with a wicked sense of humour. She has snappy retorts, is quick thinking and intelligent. She is not perfect, and not “mature beyond her years”. Plus the girl likes pizza, and orders pancakes for lunch! She is a girl after my own heart. The supporting characters were all enjoyable as well, especially Clare’s family who I just wanted to adopt.

The love triangle with Clare, Justin and Gabriel felt believable and not to "teen agsty". I will be interested to see how Clare’s relationship with each guy develops over future books. Clare could easily be with either of them. Which team am I? Team Justin or Team Gabriel? As yet, I cant call which team I am on but so far I like Justin (despite his boo boo which lead to his ex status, which I personally think was a frame up!) however to be honest, I preferred Nate to Justin and Gabriel!

I really enjoyed the mystery side of it, as it was well written. It felt more like cosy style but as I like that style of writing I am not fussed. Clare, Justin and Gabriel never magically knew more then they could realistically find out, and there were limited to what her gift could show her. I guess the only quibble would be that in the real world I doubt the police would hire a 16 year old psychic, I’m sure there would be all sorts of problems with that ethically, legally and stuff BUT that would have made the story incredibly boring really, and to be honest I didn’t care enough to get upset about. I can normally guess pretty early on who the murderer is but this time I couldn’t make my mind up. The murderer was a surprise and the author, Harrington, did a good job of throwing the reader of the scent.

I really, really liked this book and I am so glad you talked me into buying it. I can not wait till the next book in the series comes out. This looks like a really promising series that is fun and light, and well written. Thanks again for letting me know about this book, I will definitely be spreading the word, and letting others know about it.

Cheers
Caspette

PS How was the Doctor Who finale?

Movie Reviews - September 2011

2011-10-01T13:55:00.001+09:30

Water For Elephants - C
Not my kind of movie actually. For come reason I was not expecting....well....what it was. I was thinking it would be beautiful, probably quirky/funny story and with a sad end similar to Marley & Me. Not a very heavy, serious, drama. The animal abuse was so sad to watch. To be honest I found it a little to drama-y (I know not a word), and I didn't really believe the chemistry between the two main characters. However on their own Reece Witherspoon and Robert Patterson put in solid performances. The cinematography is stunning though and the imagery is lovely. I haven't read the book yet, I was waiting till I saw the movie, now I'm not so sure I want to read the book. If the more heavy drama type movie is your kind of thing you will probably love this movie. Me...not so much.

X-Men First Class - A
OMG yes you read it OMG. I loved this movie. I am glad the X-Men franchise is still going from strength to strength and each movie has been an interesting edition to the whole big story arc. To be fair I have never read the comics so cant compare. But I thought this was a really interesting prequel to the original trilogy. Lots of good story development and action. The actors were great and it was fascinating to learn where a big chunk of the characters in the earlier movies (but later story lines if you follow the time line) came from and came to be. If you liked the other movies you will probably like this one. Oh and the action and CGI are fantastic.

Hannah - C+

A clever and interesting script, with good acting but it just got a bit to slow and boring in the middle. I also felt it was hard to work up any sympathy for Hannah or most of the other characters. I dont know if it was the acting, script or directing but she wasn't really likeable or interesting.

Thor - A-

Special effects were amazing and the fight scenes were good. There was a decent story line with a moral to the story at the end. I didn't really get the chemistry between Thor and Jane, it was almost like something was cut in editing. It almost went from them just meeting to being each others one true love (with no apparent in between) and it didn't really explain their connection (dont want to say to much). It just felt a little off for some reason to me. But I still enjoyed the film. No doubt there will be a sequel.

Limitless - B
A weird sci-fi drama about a guy who takes a super drug to improve himself then finds out the down side. An interesting way of saying "dont take drugs". It was good but I wasn't riveted to my seat and was doing other stuff while watching.

Hoodwinked Too - A

This was hilarious. I laughed loudly on numerous occasions, and groaned at some of the puns, snickered at the clever references, and just thoroughly enjoyed the experience of watching this movie. The voice acting was good, the scrip wonderful, and the animation was well done. If you liked the first movie you will definitely like this one.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - B-

I was disappointed with the finale of this trilogy. It was slow and long winded. I found the main character Sam to be a whiny, obnoxious brat. His girlfriend was pretty much eye candy only, no depth to her at all, the poor actress didn't really do much acting at all. Just stood there looking beautiful and well dramatic. It just didn't seem to have the humour, interesting characters or clever writing that the previous two movies had. It did have way more swearing and robot carnage (robot "blood" pouring and spraying everywhere). Oh and dont get me started on the slow motion camera work on the helicopters, once was kinda cool but by the 4th odd time I was over it. The special effects were awesome, the action when it happened during the film was nail biting, and the last half hour of the film was great exactly what I was expecting, which is what salvaged this score to a B-.

Arthur - B

A modern remake of the 80's film of the same name (which I have not seen or recall seeing). Russell Brand did the spoiled, rich brat really well and seemed well suited to the role. It had some funny moment and some serious moments. All in all a decent movie that I would recommend people watch. It is not the best movie in the world but it is still fun.

Old School

George of the Jungle - A
Such a silly, fun, light hearted movie. I always have a chuckle when I watch this movie. It doesnt help the Branden Fraiser is in tip top shape and half naked through most of the movie.

Coming To America - B+
One of Eddie Murphy's better 80's films. Bit dated and silly now. One of the most interesting aspects of this movie are the African American actors that appeared in this film that were yet to be like Samual L Jackson.

Some Dads by Nick Bland

2011-09-03T13:36:00.001+09:30

Rating 4 out of 5
Reading level: Ages 2-6
Hardcover: 24 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (01/08/2011)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 9781741697933

Some dads worry. Some dads hurry. Some get lost and some are sporty. Others like strolling and some are even naughty!

All dads are different, and this simple narrative by Nick Bland celebrates this fact. The book has one simple message, no matter what your dad loves you.

As with Bland's previous books, this story is told with a simple rhyming rhythm. There is an easy flow to the words and it makes for a fantastic read out loud book that everyone will enjoy. Bland has a wonderful way of presenting an important message in a fun and beautiful manner.

The illustrations are beautiful and humorous, showing an animal father completing one of the actions described. I loved the frog dad with a sweat band playing a computer game. Each picture has exquisite detail and really makes this book.

This will be a win for your child and a favourite for dads (and anyone else) to read.

From Narrative Causality Happy Fathers Day.

Smokin Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

2011-08-28T09:01:00.000+09:30

Rating: 3 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 439 KB
Print Length: 320 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 075538489X
Publisher: Review (June 21, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B0051GY24S

Stephnie is back in her 17th adventure as a Bounty hunter in Jersey. This time Stephanie has a serial killer leaving her presents and she needs to discover who the murderer is before he decides to kill her.

My initial feelings towards this book is that it was not as good as her last, and that this book was rather average. Though other reviewers seem to think the opposit that the last book was crap and this was great. For me the story line was predictable, and the same as the previous sixteen adventures with no real development character and story wise. Most of the humor I found centered around Lula and Grandma Mazur and I was laughing out loud at some of their antics.I am starting to think Grandma Mazur and Lula should get their own spin off series as detectives, and throw in Mooner and Sally, which I think would make an awesome book. But I am getting off topic.

There has been some rather harsh criticism around the web about this book. Most seem to be rather apposed to Stephanie sleeping with both Morellie and Ranger one after another. If I recall correctly in the other books Stephanie was either with one or the other in a relationship, when she slept with either man. But in this book it just seemed to be for the sake of it (blamed on vordoo).

Now I personally do not have a problem with this, its a romantic comedy type book so if your a bit prudish about it all read another series. What I do have a problem with is Stephanie needs to seriously make a decision, one or the other, or even neither. The reason I have a problem with her lack of decision is that I am really getting rather bored now with the whole love triangle. Also I felt there was a lack of chemistry between all of them, there was no spark, and as a reader I just didn’t care if Stephanie was with Ranger or Morellie.

To be honest I found Stepahnie to be well, a whinger, in this book. I started to get annoyed with her “oh woe is me I need a change” mantra that she repeated over and over again. Stephanie’s character needs some development, and the story line needs to move forward. It’s stagnated and I think that is really where most of the criticism about this book is coming from. People are getting bored.

I think the author knows this, and may even be setting the scene for a change. There were numerous references by Stephanie and other characters to Stephanie needing to change her life and pick a man. I hope the author does something soon either to progress the story/character development, or to end the series. I really think it needs that to keep it fresh.

BUT having said that I still enjoyed the book, and I would recommend it to fans. Because lets face it if you have stuck with the series for this long, you like the formula and know what to expect. There are no surprises with a Stephanie Plumb book and this book doesn’t fail on the expectations. You have the outrageous skips, the hilarious take downs, witty one liners, a ruined car (and what Stephanie Plumb novel wouldn’t have a destroyed car), the antics of Lula and Grandma Mazur, and finally the love triangle that is Morellie, Ranger and Stephanie.

Even though I have been a little negative about this book in this review, I did still enjoy it and will buy the new one due out in November (just in time for Christmas holiday's Thanks Janet Evanovich).

Extras
If you want to read an excerpt you can find on here on Janet Evanovich's website

Rex Riders by J.P Carlson

2011-08-20T15:13:00.004+09:30

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 440 pages
Publisher: Monstrosities Books (June 21, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0982579632
ISBN-13: 978-0982579633

This book was an advanced reader copy obtained through the Library Thing website reviewers program.

“When 14-year-old Zeke Calhoun goes to live at his Uncle Jesse's broken-down ranch in Texas, he discovers that he has a natural way with horses and loves to ride. But this is nothing compared to what he finds in a riverbed near the ranch: a mysterious stranger, riddled with bullets, lying face down in the dirt, and a juvenile T-Rex keeping a pack of hungry wolves at bay. Where did the stranger come from? Who shot him and why? While Zeke saves the stranger and sets out to answer these questions, he finds something much more interesting--a bridle in the dinosaur's mouth. From that moment on he knows he is destined to ride the T-Rex. What he does not know, however, is that his actions will set off a chain of events plunging him into an incredible adventure, one that will lead to the discovery of a deadly alliance between Earth and a prehistoric world that could threaten the very fabric of both “

Welcome to the Wild West but not as we know it.

Initial First Impressions
To start with the story was a little slow and choppy. It bounced back and forth between various character point of views trying to set the scene and tell the story. To be honest it got distracting and annoying. But it settled down and then the story flowed easier I then found myself rather enjoying the book. This book is a blend of westerns, sci-fi, and teen angst. I am not normally drawn to or read either of the Western or Sc-Fi genre and I have no idea why this sparked my interest when it became available as an advance reader copy, it just did. I am glad I read it even though it took me a month (eep, to be fair this was not the books fault but my fault for not being able to find time. These days life is busy, busy, busy!).

Characters
There are a lot of characters but I guess the main three would be Zeke, Uncle Jesse and Angelina. They were believable but a smidgeon stereotypical of western movies. However, Angelina was not, and was quite an interesting character with strong morals, a little bit of spunk, and intelligence.

Stumpy the cook was perhaps my most favorite character to read and he brought a lot of humor to the book. He was the wise, gentle old man who sort of played negotiator between Uncle Jesse and Zeke.

The bad guy D’allsandro was a fairly decent bad guy. On the scale of baddies one to ten he would be about a six. He was more of an oily snake kind of character then an out right pure evil type of character. He did have a “moment” toward the end of the book, but that was again more of an arrogance moment then pure evil bastard moment.

Story
The story was good and interesting. The blending of the western genre and sci-fi (the dinosaurs) was an interesting twist. Other then the choppy point of view and the slow start, the story actually moved at a fairly fast pace with lots of action and excitement.

This is classic pulp fiction. If you are not a fun of the pulp fiction style of writing then it is probably best to stay away from this book. Otherwise it is a fun story .

I really enjoyed the concept of this book. What if humans and dinosaurs had co-existed? Could we have domesticated them? Could we have used them as working animals? How would civilization look with domesticated t-rex’s rather then dogs?

What I didn’t Like
Well the constant jumping from point of views. It seemed really random and sometimes right in the middle of paragraph for about the space of a line. But this is more of a personal I thing. I really hate it when the point of view jumps around so much, for me it is distracting and often I just don’t see the point of knowing what a minor character is thinking when it is obvious (ie the baddie’s henchman not liking one of the main characters, the fact that he always tries to hit,shoot, belittle and bully the main character kinda gives it away that they don’t like each other).

I am not entirely sure how accurate the Professor character was.While fossils had been discovered and collected before 1800’s the first dinosaur wasn’t named till the mid 1800’s. Also given that information took a lot longer to filter around the world back then, depending on his academic base it would be hard for him to be up to date with the latest discoveries. So in short I am not sure if he would have been able to accurately identify the majority of the dinosaurs they discovered, at least not with the terms we know now. This is really a small quibble to be honest as I understand the need for a little suspension of belief to make it easier for today’s readers to understand. Also he would have been forever explaining dinosaurs. But on further thought having the paleontologist making up names could have been a fun experience.

In short
This book was fun. It is not a serious book at all; it’s light, fluffy and campy. I was not the target audience which really would be the teen male market from 13-18 (depending on likes and reading ability), and have seen a few reviews from younger readers who loved this book. Do not take it seriously and you should enjoy it. As for the target group; what teenage boy wouldn’t like this book with cowboys, cool sci-fi devices, Dinosaurs, and action?

To read an excerpt go to Rex Riders

A New Way To Comment

2011-08-15T19:33:00.002+09:30

I have been a little unhappy with blogger's commenting system for awhile. I have been most frustrated with the lack of reply function.

So I have decided to move over to Disqus commenting. I have seen this system popping up on numerous blogs now and find it interesting enough to give it a go.

Hopefully Disqus will address three major irks for me that blogger has. So I should now be able to do the following:

A reply feature.
Notification that you have been replied too (please let me know if this is not the case).
More flexibility with who can comment and how, but not letting spammers through.

This is a trial, and hopefully it will be successful. I am hopeful this will be successful.

Please any feedback will be welcomed, Disqus users any tips would be appreciated, hope you enjoy this new way of commenting.

Movie Reviews - August 2011

2011-08-15T17:25:00.008+09:30

We were a bit light on movies this month. There are a couple we have half watched but not yet finished. Never mind, will do better next time I promise :)

Cars 2 - A

I really did enjoy this film and it was one of the few movies I have managed to see in a cinema in the last two years YAY! This movie differs from the first movie in that it focuses more on Mater. There is also a host of new characters that take more of a centre stage. Only negative was the car death toll, and yes there actually was one which surprised me, but there was nothing traumatic about it. All that aside I still enjoyed it and laughed loudly at in a lot of sections. A great kids movie that shouldn't fail to please.

Super 8 - B-

This movie had an interesting storyline that was mostly mystery/teen drama for roughly 70% of the movie. It also had a dash of mystery and tension from the spooky happenings, so if you were expecting a kill em all kinda movie your will be disappointed. You don't get to see the monster until the end when all the action really kicks in. The focus is on the teenagers and how they are dealing with their own lives as well as the strange happenings that have started in the town. Up until the last 10 minutes this movie was good but then the very end happened and, for me it failed to hit the mark. To be honest I felt the ending was lame. But I did like the film regardless of the lame ending.

Movie Reviews - July 2011

2011-08-01T17:12:00.001+09:30

Unknown - A

A clever conspiracy theory type action film. The first 10 minutes are a little slow as it sets everything up, but then it really goes bang. Lots of action and a great story that unravels as the movie progresses. Not predictable at all. Liam Neeson is becoming quite the action film star. A good film which I enjoyed.

The Dilemma - D

BORING. Was not interested at all by this film, in fact I even contemplated doing house chores! However hubby watched it all and seemed to like it so maybe it was just me?

No Strings Attached - C+

Was an average romantic comedy film. Nothing out standing or special. The only real thing it had going for it was that the woman in this movie was the one who didn't want a "relationship" and the man did. A few laughs but not rip snortingly funny. Save your money and watch for free on TV.

Kings Speech - B

Was definitely worth all the accolades and awards. A great historical movie that told a fascinating story you hardly ever hear about. It really humanised the royal family. The acting was superb by everyone. But it was a little too slow paced for me and I did find myself drifting and doing stuff on the internet. But Is till really enjoyed the film and would recommend it.

Gnomeo and Juliette - B+

I love animated films and this re-telling of Romeo and Juliette is original, cute and funny. I had some really good laughs and chuckles. There were even some sad moments. It is a surprisingly clever script and a good introduction for children to the Romeo and Juliette story. However my mother thought it was ok, but a friends two daughters (aged 8 & 9) loved it.

Burlesque - D+

This film was just boring. I watched about half of it before I gave up. It didn't really do anything, it was slow and plodding. Cher's character was supposed to be (I think) this hard ass, bombastic, performer but she just kinda did nothing except stand around looking weird (she is starting to look like the cat lady). Christina Aguilira was actually ok acting wise and could (depending on the roles) carve out a decent acting career. I was thinking this would be similar to Moulin Rouge but it wasn't even close. This move overall was boring, the actors were under utilised, and the script predictable.

Old School

Transformers 1 & 2 - A

I love these movies, that is all. Ok a little bit more they are great action films, with a wonderful humour, great CGI, and good acting.

Daddy Day Care - C+

When this first came out I wasn't terribly impressed with this film. However this time round (now that I have a kid maybe?) I found it quite funny. Perhaps it resonated with me better at this stage in my life? Anyway I found myself chuckling a lot more to it this time round.

Bolt - A

Such a cute fun movie. I just LOVE Tank and Mitten is awesome. A road trip movie with a difference. A must see if you have kids or like me just like animated films.

Nobody's Princess (Book 1) by Esther Friesner

2011-07-16T15:02:00.001+09:30

Rating 3 out of 5
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (March 25, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0375875298
ISBN-13: 978-0375875298

Esther Friesner takes us back in time to ancient Greece to tell the tale of a young girl who later grew up to become Helen of Troy.

"Even if I was pretty, it wasn't going to be enough to bring me the life I wanted: one where I was free to make choices that mattered, one where people listened to what I had to say.

Aphrodite had the beauty; Zeus had the thunderbolts. Everyone loved Aphrodite, but everyone listened to Zeus.

I'd never get my hands on a thunderbolt, so if I wanted to be free, I'd better find a way to get my hands on the next best thing: a sword."

What I liked

That Helen is portrayed as a strong independent girl. Her portrayal in this book too me is more like what a Spartan Princess would be. Not some helpless little bimbo or a conniving temptress as she gets portrayed time and time again in Hollywood and most literature. In this book she is strong minded and strong willed, smart, independent, and trying to buck the shackles that tie her to her duty, while at the same time trying to honor the traditions she lives by.
The other strong women portrayed in this book. Friesner has some really wonderful women characters who guide the young Helen from childhood to her teenage years. Shaping her views on the world. There is the nanny Ionne who is loving but firm; her mother who is Queen, politician, wife, healer, and huntress; Atalanta a fellow princess to another Greek King and has followed the path of the warrior; The Delphi Oracle who while having the “gift” is the ultimate diplomat, who is fun and knowledgeable on the world beyond her years. All of these women were believable in their roles and provided many life lessons to the young Helen.
“Real World” explanations for the mythology aspects of Helen’s story. Helen’s own story is that she is the daughter of the mighty Zeus, but this book dismisses that as just a story. Like wise Friesner over and over discounts most of the “stories” as being just that stories. One character commented that “being told that the hero had killed a swamp snake, even a big swamp snake, is no where near as impressive as killing a three headed hydra”. While the Gods are not totally dismissed, they do not play such a pivotal role other then worshiping them.
It was a quick, brain candy read.
I loved the period it was set in which was the Greek “Age of Heores”. It touches on several mythological stories such as Jason and the Argonauts.

What I disliked

It was quite light and fluffy. Perhaps this is because there is very little “known” about a young Helen before she became Helen of Troy. Or maybe because it is a Young Adult book. I am not sure why, but it was not as meaty as I would have expected.
The modern world references irked me. While I understand for narrative purposes it probably made sense to use modern terms and ideas, but it still bugged me. At one point a character said a phrase that was essentially “she used to change your diaper” which was odd to me. The author actually used the word Diaper. While I am no expert or historian, I am pretty confident that babies in ancient Greece probably didn’t have diapers as we know them, and certainly wouldn't have used that word. This was only a minor irritant anyway.
The “history” skipped over an important fact. That at approximately 12 Helen was kidnapped by a prince. There is a scene towards the end of the book, where the prince Theseus tried to kidnap her on the street, but this by no means was not a proper kidnap as described by history.

Overall

I think this book is a wonderful introduction to the story of Helen of Troy and the historical period of “The Age of Heroes”. Teenage girls will probably enjoy this book the best as it would resonate with them (rebelling against authority and adults, going on adventures, and competing with men at their level). Not sure if I will read the next book or not while the book was enjoyable it didn't make we want to rush out and pick up the next book. But if you are looking for something fun and easy to read this will fit the bill.

Changes (Harry Dresden Series Book 12) by Jim Butcher

2011-07-09T09:11:00.022+09:30

Rating 5 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 727 KB
Print Length: 448 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1841497134
Publisher: Hachette Digital (April 8, 2010)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B003CUDOYE

Changes is the 12th book in the Harry Dresden series. I hate reviewing books in as series because you can't really talk about what you WANT to talk about, otherwise you ruin it for someone else. A Buckeye Girl Reads, recently did a LOLz Cats review for the book Hard Bitten, which gave me inspiration to give it a try. It was a fun and a refreshing way to review a book in a series. Thanks buckeye girl!

So I got my hands on the 12th Harry Dresden book and I was all kinds of happy! It has been awhile since I have read a Harry Dresden book for a lot of reasons but none that are worth talking about. I must confess I love this series and have been hooked from the very first book Storm Front. So needless to say, like a chocoholic who has been denied chocolate for a day getting their chocolate back; I was pretty excited to delve back into the world of Harry and be reacquainted with all my favorite characters. If you have not yet discovered the world of Harry Dresden then get your hands on Storm Front as soon as possible, you will not regret it!

For those who don’t know Harry is a wizard. His adventures started way back in Storm Front when he was a lowly private eye helping people with supernatural type problems, at that time he also consulted with the police to supplement his income. Fast forward 12 books and Harry rarely gets to do basic detective work anymore. He works on bigger picture stuff like fighting for man kind, his friends, and sometimes saving the planet.

So this book follows the usual Harry adventure formula of non stop thrill ride. It careens from one battle to another with barely a pause. The level of battle does seem to vary from mundane to titan throw downs. The action is fast paced and seems to have somehow been ramped up compared to the earlier books. The last battle scene can only be described as EPIC.

I think though this was the first time we see Harry really struggle, both mentally, physically, and even magically. This time he couldn’t just beat his chest and say “I am Harry. I am here to smite thee evil bastard”. It did make a nice change to show that Harry had limits, and how he dealt with this realization. Don’t get me wrong I normally love Harry’s sense of humour, witty repartee, and absolute belief that he will win; but it was also a refreshing character development to see Harry tested. What would he do going up against an opponent bigger, badder, stronger, and quicker witted then him?

This book is aptly named as Changes, there are some pretty big revelations that happen in this book (in the brief down times from annihilating baddies). A lot of previous story threads seem to fall into place, or make sense and we get to learn new things. I will be interested to see how these revelations change the direction of Harry’s story, his friends, and the over arching story of Harry saving the world. Are these good or bad changes? I guess we need to wait and find out.

Then we get to the ending and......OMG. It’s all you can say really. I got to the end and thought “are you kidding me? You stop there? You are leaving me hanging like this?”. I literally could not handle it and my finger automatically hovered over the "purchase" button in the kindle store, so I could buy and download the next book immediately. But I took some deep breaths, stepped away from my ebook reader, and said “focus, your world will not end if you do not start reading the next book immediately”. If you guessed that was an epic fail on my behalf you would be right. I now have the next book on my ereader ready to go. I have zero patience.

Edit - Apparently I do not have book 13. Looks like I got the Anthologies book Side Job, I didn't read the blurb closely as I didn't want to ruin the book for myself. Book 13 is due out later this year. Oh well at least I have the anthologies to tide me over. Boo :(

If you are a fan of Harry Dresden this is a must read for the big story revelations alone. All the usual ingredients that you love about the series are here and you will not be disappointed.

Extras

Not sure if the Harry Dresden Series is for you? Check out the Harry Dresden series sample chapters at Jim Butchers website.

Movie Reviews - June 2011

2011-07-01T19:57:00.000+09:30

All I can say is yay for long weekends!

17 Again - C

Not nearly as funny as everyone made it out to be. Dont get me wrong some laugh out loud moments and groan here and there. But for this type of time travel/living your glory days type movie it was at best average. Though I was surprised to see Zac Effron was not a half bad actor and the boy has some dance moves! no wonder he was huge in those High School Musical movies.

The Mechanic - C+

A movie about a hitman forced to kill his friend, takes on an apprentice, then seeks revenge. Pretty simple, nothing special or different. A bit of action, a lot of nudity and violence. Not a terrible movie but not great. Just an average action film.

Unstoppable - B+

I was surprised by this movie. I was expecting it to be stupid and boring. The only reason we got it is because Denzel Washington was in it. Boy was I surprised. It was action packed, tense, plausable and believable. The story was based on actual events and many of the narrative points touch on the true story. However it is only "based" on the events so in true Hollywood fashion it was seriously ramped up action wise.

Hall Pass - B

Another movie that took me by surprise. I thought this was going to be terrible, but found myself chuckling and laughing to quite a few of the gags in this film. It also had a pretty good message to it. Warning though there was some full on male nudity if that makes you squimish.

Just Go With It - C+

Standard Adam Sandler movie. Nothing original or surprising. No wait I tell a lie. Jennifer Anniston not being annoying was surprising, and Nicole Kidman doing a cameo was also surprising. There were some funny moments but over all it was a pretty average to sometimes boring and predictable film. If you love Adam Sandler you will probably like this film, otherwise wait till it is free on tv.

Battle For Los Angeles - A-

Quite a good alien invasion movie. Lots of great special effects and a simple but effective story line. It was even plausable. Heaps of action and things going boom in a spectacular fashion. Not much else to say really. I will be interested to see if there is a sequel though as the movie ended with the possiblity being there.

The Adjustment Bureau - C+

This is another case of the trailer giving entirely the wrong impression of the film. This film is not a sci-fi action flick it is more romantic drama with a dash of sci-fi. I have to be honest I was really tired so dozed a little through this film, unsure if it was because of the film or not. It is slow and Matt Damon does an ok job, but Emily Blunt is great. My biggest problem with this film was the big unanswered story threads. The biggest of all being why the Bereau were so hot to trot about keeping them apart? the only excuse I heard mentioned turned out to be a lie anyway so why was it imperative they were not together? It was an ok film but not the best around.

Paul - B+

A cute alien movie. There are some hilarious moments in this film and even a deepish story line to it. The animation involved in creating Paul is amazing and very well done Seth Rogan does a great job of voicing Paul and fits him to a t. Lots of familar faces in this film as well so have fun picking them. The humour seems to border being crude (with lots of swearing etc) and intelligent. All in all a good movie.

Source Code - B+

An interesting sci-fi movie with some fascinating twists. A smidgeon on the slow side but then it picks up fast. There is also a dash of romance. Cant say much with out giving anything away but a clever well written script with some solid acting involved.

Sucker Punch - D

We didn't even finish this. Watched about 20 minutes and then gave up. It was weird and not even in an interesting way. Visually interesting but that is about the nicest thing I can say about this movie really.

Old School

Madagascar - A+

One of my all time favorites. The penguins steal the show. This is such a funny movie I cant help but laugh every time I watch it.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

2011-06-25T13:15:00.005+09:30

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 819 KB
Publisher: Allen & Unwin (November 9, 2010)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004BA5HOY

First sentence “Major Pettigrew was still upset about the phone call from his brother’s wife and so he answered the doorbell without thinking.”

What a delightful and interesting book. I will be up front and say this not normally my thing. Anyone who reads my blog regularly knows I’m more of an Urban Fantasy, or Young Adult fan. But I had heard lots of people raving over this book and I thought why not give it a try after I read the blurb. To be honest I was expecting something light and fluffy that was a little bit funny; just a story about a little old man and an unlikely friendship.

This book was all that, I admit, but only on the surface. It was so much more. For starters it dealt with some pretty serious and topical issues like racism, family dynamics, life/death, love, discrimination, class relations, modern living, religious differences and cultural difference. It never delves in very deeply to these issues which is good otherwise the book would have been difficult reading for me (I hate being preached to in a book). But it highlights them enough you get a strong over all idea of the issues involved.

There is not much to hate about the main characters Major Pettigrew and Mrs Ali. They are both delightful characters with wonderful senses of humour. Dare I say it but they are rather perfect for each other. The book focuses on this relationship the most, and follows it as it grows from literally first contact to the deep friendship it becomes. Their dry wit, clever remarks, and quick responses to those around them really make this book. You are cheering for them to overcome the hurdles thrown in their way by the end of the book.

If you are looking for a feel good, delightful read this is definitely the book for you.

Extras

I found this clip of Helen Simonson reading an excerpt from her book. I hope you enjoy it!

Which Book From Mt TBR Should I Read Next? Poll Results

2011-06-13T13:44:00.003+09:30

Thanks to everyone who voted in my Which Book From Mt TBR Should I Read Next Poll. It was actually really close for awhile there with a three way tie, but at the last moment Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner took the lead with 5 votes.

I have decided I will read the rest of the books in order of their votes. So next with be Delirium by Lauren Oliver then A Dsiscovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. These two were tied on 3 votes so I went with who got to three first. Then finally it will be Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich which got 2 votes.

Again, a big thank you to everyone that voted.

Cozmo's Day Off - ebook

2011-06-11T12:46:00.008+09:30

Rating: 5 out of 5

Application: iPhone/iPad

Seller: Ayars Animation Inc

Price at time of Review: $4.99 AU (there is also a free lite version)

I have not been a huge fan of ebooks for children on the iPhone/iPad. Most of the ones I have downloaded were literally a slide show with pictures. For me this is was just a wasted opportunity. But Cozmo's Day off is not a narrated slide show, it is a fully interactive experience for kids and adults alike. THIS is how a children's ebook should be.

Cozmo is a little green alien who is having one of "those" days. He is trying to get to work and everything is going wrong. The story follows Cozmo's journey as he tries to get to work.

The story:

The illustrations are amazing, they are bright colourful and incredibly detailed. Also the quality of the images and graphics is evident.
Cozmo is incredibly adorable and likable.
The narrator has a wonderful animated voice, it reminds me of those voices on the tv adverts from the 50's. I loved it and its the first narrated children's ebook I haven't wanted to change.
The story is told through rhyme and is lyrical which makes it fun to read aloud. It is simple and cute with lines.

The cool stuff:

Virtually everything on the screen can be animated. Just touch around the screen and you will be amazed at what happens. Things play music, move, jump, or in the case of the space ship steal alarm clocks. Some things need to be touched first to activate other things, and some things will say/do different things every time you touch them.
Some pages have puzzles and games to play. I had way to much fun playing the "whack the alien" type game on one page.
You can play with the narrators voice. By moving the slider you can have a normal voice, or you can have a robot or squeaky alien! I kept mine in the middle with the normal but slightly over the top narrators voice.
You can record your own voice if you so wish.

My thoughts:

I am not sure if children over 5 would get much out of the story. The story is simple and cute, like wise the games are very basic. But for kids under 5 (my son is 15 months) they will love it. My son was entranced with the story and kept giving me big broad smiles as each new thing happened.

There is a free lite version which has some very basic animated features, if you want to give it a try first. I got this one first but fell in love with the story and pictures, and more importantly my son adored it so I happily paid for the full version. I would heartily recommend this ebook to anyone who has an iphone or ipad.

A Waltz For Matilda by Jackie French

2011-05-27T18:16:00.005+09:30

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 729 KB
Publisher: HarperCollinsAU (December 1, 2010)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004GNFX68

First Sentence "It was midnight in Grinder's Alley".

A Waltz For Matilda is set in the late 1800’s in Australia’s outback and tells the tale of a young girl called Matilda who after loosing everything she knows and loves in the city, heads out to “beyond the black stump” to find her missing father. There she has to grow up fast and learn the ways of the bush and its people to survive.

The start of the book was strongly tied into the song Waltzing Matilda, and the song has a presence through out the book. I liked this tie in which worked well with the story.

Matilda was a wonderful character who we meet at the age of 12. The book follows her life on the station and how she grows and evolves living there. Auntie Love is a lovely character that takes Matilda under her wing and shows her the way of the bush. I liked Jackie French’s treatment of the Aboriginal characters and culture, you got a distinct impression that French respects the culture. There was nothing clichéd about the characters at all.

Her friendship with Mr Drinkwater was an interesting one. It seemed to be a love hate relationship at best. But there seemed to be genuine respect for each other. What I found interesting, having recently been at a workshop run by Jackie, was the shearers themselves. Jacki said in her workshop she had originally planned for them to be the bad guys, but by the end of the story they were the comedy relief. Certainly the shearers were a funny bunch with interesting names like Mr Goto, they always floated around the sidelines supporting Matilda when she needed it.

This book covers some very important historical moments for Australia. The formation of the labour union movement, the fight for women to vote, the fight to become one nation instead of separate colonies, and the Boer War. This is not an actual retelling and the facts are not accurate, the events are just a back drop to the main story which was a girl struggling to survive in the bush. She captured the essence of the events and was able to tell them from the point of view of a teenage girl living on a farm in the middle of no where.

There are also some very serious issues that get touched on in this book such as immigration, racism, sexism, class differences, and technological advancement. I found it very interesting that the very thing that immigrants get accused of now in this modern day and age, such as stealing jobs; was the exact same stuff that was being said in the late 1800’s. It made me wonder just a little if we really had progressed as a society as much as we like to think.

Jackie French was very careful to not mention any dates, places, times etc. She did this deliberately as she was not writing a novel based on these events. She was writing a novel about a girl who witnessed these events.

This would be a wonderful book for a teenager to read and gain a solid insight into Australia’s history. While it wont give the reader the nuts and bolts of what happened it does give a good over view of what was happening at that time.

While the ending was good it did seem a little too neat and tidy. With everything being explained. While on one hand I did like having some things explained, I thought in a way it ruined some of the mystery that surrounded some of the characters like Auntie Love. The book would have been fine with out the explanation but like I said I did like finding out why, probably because I’m nosey ☺

If you like history and keen to learn more about Australian history this is a great historical novel with the added bonus that right at the end Jackie has included factual information about the events she writes about and the influences (such as Banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson). I found this just as interesting as the book itself.

The Outlaw Demon Wails (Book 5) by Kim Harrison

2011-05-15T18:18:00.008+09:30

Rating: 4 out of 5

Mass Market Paperback: 544 pages
Publisher: Harper Voyager; Reprint edition (November 25, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780061149825
ISBN-13: 978-0061149825
ASIN: 0061149829

First Sentence "I leaned over the glass counter, squinting at the price of the high grade redwood rods, safe in their airtight glass coffins like snow white"

We are back for the fifth installment of the Rachel Morgan series. Rachel's exploits are finally catching up with her. Someone is summoning a demon, who should be in demon jail, to kill her and it is a rather long list of contenders of who would want Rachel dead. There is a new big boss vampire in town, Ceri has a secret, a Gargoyle now lives in the roof of the church, and Trent is well Trent. There is also a possible love interest in Rachel's life because her life is not complicated enough.

There are some big story developments in this book and lots of revelations about Rachel and her family. It has been hinted at in the previous installments that perhaps Rachel has been living in a bubble her whole life. What did Trent's father do to her? what is her heritage? Why can she do the magic she can do? A lot of these questions are finally answered. Some of the answers were kinda obvious but it was still a surprise on the how and who.

The romance side of Rachel's life is played down in this book. I think it was good as we focused on Rachel and her inner turmoil as she deals with what her life has become and the need for change. I found this refreshing for this genre of book where the heroine usually just careens from disaster to disaster and never seems to take responsibility for themselves. Rachel frequently thinks and says "something has to change, things can not continue this way".

I was glad to see more of and learn more about Rachel's mum. She seems like a really interesting character and refreshing breath of air amongst the cast that are normally involved. She is both sweet, bad ass, funny, and a little crazy. I hope she features more in future books, and takes more of an active role in Rachel's life.

If you are a fan of this series you will want to read this book. A lot of the puzzle pieces fall in place and you get a better picture of the characters and the world the inhabit.

Extras
Head over to Kim Harrison's website to read and excerpt of the fist chapter.

Movie Reviews - May 2011

2011-05-15T12:06:00.020+09:30

Inkheart - B-

While this is an old film I had not seen it. I remember vaguely reading the book but I didn't like it. For the life of me I don't remember why. The movie however, was good fun. I actually didn't mind it at all. Lots of action and good vs evil type stuff. Nothing to over the top or scary so all round a good movie for the whole family.

Drive Angry - C

Stupid action movie with lots of blood, guts, violence, swearing, and sex. If this is your thing you will probably love this movie. It was a little weird storyline wise, and Nicolas Cage did not stretch himself acting wise. I think Nicolas Cage did this purely for the money. The special effects were bad but maybe they were better if you watched in 3d? we didn't and it just looked dodgy. The actor who played the demon seemed to be the only one having any fun, and doing any decent acting.

Here After - C-
This had a pretty full on opening sequence, and some interesting plot twists but mostly it was BORING. Really slow and was told for three different point of views. Two of which I didn't care about and one I did care but was let down with where the story went. It just didn't do anything really, I did not get the point to this movie. It wasn't a great script, and it didn't have brilliant acting. It was just average, oh and did I mention boring?

Old School

Groundhog Day - B+

A great film from 80's comedian mega star Bill Murray. About a man reliving the same day over and over. Still a good film that gets the belly laughs even though you know what is coming. There isn't much to not like about this film.

Up - A

Such a charming and delightful film from Pixar. Though the Disney influence in this film, I think, is pretty strong. In typical Disney fashion it has a sad beginning as Mr Fredricksen's wife dies. But from there it is funny and charming story about different generations, achieving dreams, and a bird called Kevin. Some great laughs with some awesome one lines such as Russell exclaiming "BUT its a talking dog!". Dug and Kevin steal the show with their hilarious antics. If you are a Pixar fan this film has to be in your collection.

Independence Day - A

What can I say I am sucker for this film and enjoy it every time. The witty one liners, the awesome action, and motivational speeches. The special effects are a little dodgy in places now and there are some big ass story inconsistencies if you stop and think about it. But I still love it. Will Smith for the win every time :)

Which Book From Mt TBR Should I Read Next Poll

2011-05-15T08:14:00.003+09:30

Hi Guys

Im having difficulty picking my next book to read from Mt TBR so I thought I would throw the selection over to you AND have a crack at running a poll on my blog!

I have selected four books for you to pick from and you can (In theory I ticked the box) vote as many times as you like. The poll is located at the top of the right hand column (Look right you cant miss it!)

The contenders are:

Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner
"She is beautiful, she is a princess, and Aphrodite is her favorite goddess, but something in Helen of Sparta just itches for more out of life. Not one to count on the gods—or her looks—to take care of her, Helen sets out to get what she wants with steely determination and a sassy attitude. That same attitude makes Helen a few enemies—such as the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseus—but it also intrigues, charms, and amuses those who become her friends, from the famed huntress Atalanta to the young priestess who is the Oracle of Delphi.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
“They say that the cure for love will make me happy and safe forever. And I’ve always believed them.  Until now.  Now everything has changed. Now, I’d rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.”

Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
“Turn on all the lights and check under your bed. Things are about to get spooky in Trenton, New Jersey.

 According to legend, the Jersey Devil prowls the Pine Barrens and soars above the treetops in the dark of night. As eerie as this might seem, there are things in the Barrens that are even more frightening and dangerous. And there are monkeys. Lots of monkeys.
Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has Munch on her most-wanted list for failure to appear in court. Plum is the all-American girl stuck in an uncomfortable job, succeeding on luck and tenacity. Usually she gets her man. This time she gets a monkey. She also gets a big guy named Diesel.

Diesel and Plum hunt down Munch and Grimoire, following them into the Barrens, surviving cranberry bogs, the Jersey Devil, a hair-raising experience, sand in their underwear, and, of course . . . monkeys.”

Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harknass
"Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell."

Altar of Bones by Philip Carter

2011-05-07T07:49:00.000+09:30

Rating: 2 out of 5
Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: Gallery (March 8, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781439199084
ISBN-13: 978-1439199084
ASIN: 1439199086

Ok I don't like doing negative reviews, so I thought I would have a little fun and do a Chibi review, using anime chibi's to help illustrate my review. Hope this makes the review a little more fun to read.

Altar of Bones is about an alter made out of bones with secret mystical powers. Of course there is a really bad guy who wants these mystical powers and will do anything to get it (with a psychotic blood thirsty girlfriend/side kick).
“I will defeat you mawhahahahaha”

Enter the clueless heroine who protects the alter (once she gets a clue and works out she is in fact the al might protector from a long line of protectors). Then enter stage right is the girl’s protector and love interest who will fight by her side and help her save the day.

“Dude…..BRING IT!”

Sounds good right? Well for awhile it was. I read through half of the book and while the action was pumping I did enjoy it.

Ready? Fight-o!

But then it got bogged down in conspiracy theories. While I don’t mind a little conspiracy theory here and there, this just got to much. There were roughly 20 pages of the stuff. It just went on and on and on, about JFK and Marilyn Monroe being murdered.

Enough! Enough already I get it! Waaaahhhhaaaa!

I could have handled the brief mentions that happened earlier but then the narrative jumped back and told the whole story in full of how the baddy killed Marilyn and JFK. To be honest the book totally lost me and I lost all will to read any further. It’s not like the conspiracy theory was new, it was just rehashed stuff.

“Bahahaha JFK & Marilyn Conspiracy, no one would have thought of that…..best conspiracy theory ev-a!”

If it wasn’t for the conspiracy theory overload, I could probably have overlooked the fact that a big chunk of the book was ridiculous and filled with too many inconstancy's. If the story is going to be flat out ridiculous then it needs to be a non-stop thrill ride with constant action and things going boom. So dont have a chance to stop and think "hey thats not possible". Then I don’t care if it is completely stupid, I just don’t want the action to stop (for an excellent example try Matthew Reilly!).

Crazy unbelievable fight scene – you’redoing it right!

If I get bored and start to think about it, then I get annoyed. There was one scene where the hero spent hours sucking air out of his tire at the bottom of the harbor, while waiting for the baddies to leave. The problem of sea water in his eyes aside (as he was watching them from the bottom of the harbor), Mythbusters
busted this myth yonks ago. I am sorry but even if Mythbusters said it can’t be done then why is it in your book! If
you’re going to write unbeliev
able stuff, at least write s
tuff that hasn’t been or can’t easily be disproven.

Totally Busted!

I think like me, you can all guess where this book was heading and that was to a big good vs evil smack down fight scene; where good ultimately wins.

“You’ve been pawned bitches”

Look this was not a terrible book despite the fact I put it down. The conspiracy thing really killed it for me. As my reading time is pretty precious these days I decided to ditch the book rather then struggle on and hope it got better.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

2011-05-01T13:58:00.007+09:30

Rating: 5 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 440 KB
Print Length: 290 pages
Publisher: Allen & Unwin (May 3, 2010)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B003KK6GOQ

I have decided to review this book in the style it was written, in a letter format to my friend over at Ticket to Anywhere. I apologise for the more formal language in some parts of the letter, it just kind of came out that way! I hope you enjoy.

Dear Irishyz

I hope this letter finds you in good health. I know it has been a rough winter for you in the wilds of New York. To cheer you up and give you something to look forward too I thought I would write you about a fantastic novel I have had the pleasure of reading.

It is called The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and her Niece. The book is set in the British Island of Guernsey which is a English channel island, just after World War II. The island had been occupied by the Germans for a period and the Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society arose during those dark times.

The whole book is told through letters! Can you believe it? It felt like I had snuck into my sister’s room and read her secret correspondence (not that you or I would know anything about that!). It made for a very intimate and personal way of discovering the characters and story At the same time though it was like they were your best friends and you were catching up on their latest news. The central character, the one all the letters revolve around is Juliet Ashton. She is a thirty two year old writer looking for inspiration for her next book and finds it in this society when they start corresponding with her.

The book was rather slow to start with and I must admit I almost gave up! But you know me I like my books actiony, fast paced and humorous. So to go for a slower paced book with detail and character development was quite a shock to my system.

However I am glad I persevered. There was a letter discussing Doodlebugs and I had no idea that they were bombs! That is what the British called a particular type of bomb that landed in London during those dark times. Reading Juliette’s response to Doodlebug was moving and terrifying. Could you imagine having to always listen out for the noise of the bomb and then the dread that you couldn’t hear it anymore! What could I say, from then on in HOOKED, and could not put it down.

I am glad it is just a made up story though or I would feel horrible saying the next part; it was a little predictable. That didn’t detract from the story at all and make it less enjoyable or interesting to read, oh no not at all. But the more emotional scenes probably did not have the impact on me that they should have when they happened, as I had already guessed what was going to happen. Despite the predictability, there was still a very sad part of the book (I won’t give anything away promise) that almost had me shedding a tear.

The ending was really rather sudden. I kept turning the pages of my ebook thinking that maybe it had not downloaded correctly. But no, that was it, game over, thank you very much for playing. Gah! How could it end just like that? It was a nice ending though but I wanted just a little bit more to round it all off, tie off some loose ends. Sadly the author did pass away after her manuscript was submitted so perhaps this was not the ending she envisioned? I guess we will never know.

While I know your tastes generally run towards the Young Adult and Supernatural genres, I also know you enjoy a good historical novel, and you are interested in WWII. I really think you should give this book a go, you won’t be disappointed!

I must be off now have the house work to do now and the washing will not wash it’s self (no matter how long I sit here and will it, the darn lazy things wont budge and clean themselves).

All the best from your friend
Caspette

Movie Reviews - April 2011

2011-05-01T13:43:00.002+09:30

Rio - A

The latest animated film by the makers of Ice Age. This movie has everything good about animated films; musical numbers, funny sidekicks, hilarious one liners, and awesome animation. The story is well written if not predictable. The monkey's doing Krunk dancing was too cute. This was also our first 3D movie experience at the cinemas and it was pretty cool.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - B-

A great installment. It stayed pretty true to the book with only a little bit of creative license. If you have read the book then you know there is a whole lotta nothing happening in the middle (just story and character development) so the movie does slow down for a big chunk. I suspect they saved all the action for part 2 judging by where they stopped part 1.

The Green Hornet - B-

Was a pretty good film. I don't normally like Seth Green (I know sacrilegious considering he is the "in" thing in Hollywood at the moment) but I found this movie to be a good mix of action, comedy and story. my only criticism is when they seemed to develop super powers, or what looked like super powers. Was just weird. Jay Chou who plays Kato was really good, I hope we see more of him now he has "broken" into Hollywood.

The Tourist - C

This was not a terrible movie it was just average. You just couldn't believe there was any relationship between Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, let alone that they were falling in love. There was also not a lot of action, despite what the trailer showed. The lack of chemistry between the main actors gave this movie a low score however the interesting twist at the end salvaged the score to a C.

The Fighter - B-

This is not really my kind of film because a) its a sports movie, b) its about boxing and c) its a drama. But all those aside it is a good film with a fascinating story. I found it ironic Christian Bale played the older brother (by ten years) to Mark Wahlburg considering in real life Mark is roughly ten years older then Christian. The actors really do make this film and I can see why so many got nominated. Christian Bale and Melissa Leo were just amazing in their roles and make the movie worth it.

Morning Glory - B+

A delightful movie full with lots of laughs, a little romance and a nice story line. Dianne Keaton, Harrison Ford and Rachel McAdams all do a wonderful job. This is light and fluffy movie viewing. I did find the scenes where Rachel McAdams character tries to save the show hilarious.

Little Fockers - B-

Not a bad effort for a third movie. Was it as funny as the first two, well no. But it was still good and there were a few laugh out loud moments. It was a shame that the Grandparent Fockers were not featured as much because their story lines, though brief, were interesting. I enjoyed it but I know many didn't. My recommendation, start watching it with low expectations and you should enjoy it.

Old School

Back to the Future 1,2 & 3 - A

As always a great trilogy. One of the few where all movies in the trilogy are just as good as the first. Back to the Future 3 spawned one of the most famous 80's movie quote ever "duded up egg sucking gutter trash". We enjoy watching it and watch it at least once a year.

The Transporter - B

Awesome pure action film with the spunky Jason Stratham. Funny one liners, with awesome martial arts fighting scene, great action scenes. What is not to love in an action film. The perfect brain candy film.

Cruel Intentions - C+

A clever movie about Upper class Manhattan Socialites. Based on the old French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses. I have not seen any of the other adaptions to compare but it was a good show case of the 90's teen Queen's and Heart Throbs acting talents beyond their respective shows. If you want to watch nasty people getting their just deserts in an elegant way this is the movie for you. Think Gossip Girl before the technological age and a a little darker. But this is not really my kind of movie, and its pretty predictable.

Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman

2011-04-17T12:02:00.001+09:30

Rating: 5 out of 5

Reading level: Ages 0-8
Board book: 24 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's (6 Aug 2009)
Language English
ISBN-10: 1847385907
ISBN-13: 978-1847385901
Product Dimensions: 18.4 x 14.8 x 1.6 cm

Report: Assessment of damaged caused by Claire Freedman's book "Aliens Love Underpants"

By Agent: Zerk Mayflower

Details: I arrived on Earth early 2008 (Earth time) after the Department of Underpants Raids received a report from fellow aliens that in children's rooms over the planet Earth, books with their pictures where appearing.

Upon landing I immediately checked out the neighbouring underpants, then proceeded to go undercover in a local human child's bedroom. I posed as one of his stuffed animals ( a truly terrifying thing human children have, local fauna stuffed and then used as a toy!) and was able to blend carefully into the bedroom environment.

I located the book and read it thoroughly from cover to cover. It was far worse then we had feared. This Claire Freedman had revealed everything. How we don't have underpants in space, our underpant radar tracking machine, and even the games we play upon discovering underpants. It was all there in vivid technicolour glory! The artist did an amazing job of capturing our likeness, so detailed and colourful. Commander Featherlight looked particularly good in Granny's spotted bloomers (see attached image).

A thought then occurred to me, considering the humans were now aware of our presence why had they yet to raise any kind of anti alien defences? Puzzled I investigated further by spending the night in the boy's room. Once he had changed into something called pyjamas (which I will detail in a separate report, these look like they could be as fantastic as underpants!) his mother entered the room. They sat down together and read the book aloud.

Oh what a wonderful thing it was to sit there listening to our story! It was funny, it rhymed, and by the end of it I was entirely entranced. The boy and his mother were laughing loudly and making silly sounds while they read. They were having fun, and seemed completely unaware that they were reading a TRUE account.

So once the family had fallen asleep, I accessed their internet to further research the book. I found it is classed as a children's book. A work of fiction. Something to be enjoyed by children and their families. It had won a heap of awards as well so that meant it was a very good book by Earth standards. To confirm this finding I infiltrated and observed three hundred homes with children that had this book. Low and behold it was the same situation, everyone thought it was make believe and funny, not a real account of a pant raid.

Conclusion: There is absolutely no threat to the Underpant Raiding Industry.

Recommendations: That we continue to monitor Claire Freedman. Her book is far too detailed for comfort and she must be getting her information either from an insider or from observation. Either way we must improve our raiding methods to ensure this Ms Freedman can not obtain any more information.

Magyk (Septimus Heap Book 1) By Angie Sage

2011-04-12T19:44:00.001+09:30

Rating: 3 out of 5
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 608 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books; First Harper Trophy Edition edition (March 14, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780060577339
ISBN-13: 978-0060577339
ASIN: 0060577339

First Sentence: "Silas Heap puled his cloak tightly around him against the snow"

At birth Septimus Heap dies. His father that same night discovers a new born baby girl dumped in the wintry woods. Ten years later the evil Supreme Custodian orders young Jenna's death as it is revealed she is really the missing princess.

This is a charming little story which never really delves to deeply into the issues it covers. There is nothing really scary or upsetting. It was filled with humor and adventure and was a fun read all round. There was nothing surprising about the story. The author did do a good job of not revealing if it was Boy 142 or the evil apprentice as being the missing Septimus. But you knew one of them was going to be the boy.

One thing I did not like was the multiple points of view. There were about ten different points of view and I struggled sometimes to see the relevance of the characters view the reader got. I just did not think some of the points of views added to the story. Some of the views I could see were there more for humor sake then plot relevance, for instance when the story was briefly told from the dogs point of view. But others just annoyed me more then anything.

I enjoyed the characters of Boy 142, Jemma and even Marsha. Boy 142 and Jemma have potential to grow into very interesting teenage characters as they are very strong willed and have a good sense of right and wrong. Marsha is just good for comedy relief. The fuss she made of her purple leather boots reminded me of far to many people I now.

The book is cute and funny. It would resonate a lot better I think with the age group it is aimed at the 9-12 bracket. The series is popular and there are a few books now in the series. I nice book to introduce a young reader to the world of fantasy.

Dark Life by Kat Falls

2011-04-02T11:15:00.000+09:30

Rating: 4 out of 5
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545178150
ISBN-13: 978-0545178150

First Sentence: "I peered into the deep-sea canyon, hoping to spot a toppled skyscraper."

Dark Life is set sometime in our future. The sea has risen and cities have toppled into the ocean. The humans remaining on the few scraps of land left are packed into mega high density buildings and the sea bed is the only place left for farming and space. It is being slowly colonised and is the equivalent of the wild wild west US in the 1800's.

This is where Ty calls home. He has lived here his whole life with his parents being among the original colonisers. He lives on a homestead in a large house with his sister. It was a pretty peaceful existence fishing and farming kelp on his parents farm.

Then he meets Gemma, a topsider looking for her brother, and everything changes.

This was a great debut novel. It had a nice mix of action and information for the reader. For a post apocalyptic story it has an interesting twist being set in the sea, and the area being a frontier type settlement. Also it makes a nice change from zombies.

The territory though is full of secretes which are slowly revealed through out the book. Some secrets are easily guessed but some you don't see coming till they are revealed. This is the first book in a series but could easily be read as a stand alone.

The characters were well fleshed out and believable. Gemma is incredibly brave, however this does lead to some incredibly stupid decisions. Also she sometimes she seems to be brave for the sake of it when all sense goes out the window. Ty is also brave but in a much more practical manner. He seems to be very aware of the world and does not view it through rose tinted glasses.

I really enjoyed the cultural changes to this world. For instance it seems women from topside wear full length dresses similar to what was worn in the 1800's. Its not explained why exactly. Plus they scorn and fear the colonists who live under the sea. It was interesting to see the Government referred to as the Commonwealth (or 'wealth in the book). I would be curious to know how it came to be called the Commonwealth. It almost seems like this future as reverted back to past traditions and beliefs.

This is the first dystopian, post-apocalyptic world I think I would want to live in. The under seas colony sounded like a kick ass idea, and why don't we do it anyway.

A great start to a series I will be interested to follow.

Movie Reviews - March 2011

2011-04-01T07:00:00.001+09:30

Skyline

C-

I am being generous wit the C to be honest. I found this movie boring from the start. It failed to grab me in any way shape or form. The characters are horrible, and I actually wanted the aliens to kidnap their butts. We actually didn't finish this movie

Due Date

My partner got more out of this then I did. I must confess to a few laugh out loud moments. To be honest though I found it average. No surprises with the storyline.

Legion

Not sure what this movie was supposed to be horror? or thriller? it never really fully achieved either. Some good CGI and action scenes, and scenes with lots of zombie like people getting slaughtered enmasse.

Book of Eli

I have heard other people say great things about this movie. But I didn't like it. It didn't really grab us so we didn't bother finishing it. But if you like the lone hunter in a post apocalyptic world (think mad max but bloodier) then this might be for you.

Jackass 3d (in 2D)

B+

Ok I admit it this one had me laughing pretty hard for a chunk of it. A big portion though was just stupid, revolting and not funny. Not sure why they would do it in 3D, it seemed a waste to me. If you like seeing guys doing stupid painful stuff to themselves and each other you will get a kick out of this.

Tangled

I loved, loved, loved this movie. It was hilarious, with a solid story line that wasn't overly cliched. Disney returned to what it does best; Princess stories. It is a rework of the Rapunzel story. The animation is amazing as well. As always in a Disney movie the minor comedy characters steal the show. The horse and chameleon (names escape me) where so cute and funny.

Gulliver's Travels

A modern retelling of Gulliver's Travels. It was an average retelling with some funny moments. The best part is the singing and dancing at the end (which seems to be a pre-requisite to a Jack Black movie now). I just couldn't get past how Lillyput technology wise was equivalent to the 1700's and yet Jack Black makes them come to the 21 Century. Was just weird and didn't really work. But otherwise not a bad film.

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices Book 1) By Cassandra Clare

2011-03-21T09:22:00.000+09:30

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 498 KB
Print Length: 448 pages
Publisher: Walker (September 6, 2009)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B0046EDMZ6

First Sentence:"The demon exploded in a shower of ichor and guts."

Ok I LOVED this book. I was hooked pretty much from the moment I started. Why was I resisting this author for so long? Oh probably because I am weary now of "hyped" authors that everyone in the blogging world raves about. Clare's series the Mortal Instruments has certainly generated some positive reviews around the blogging world.

This is set in the same "world" as the Mortal Instruments series but is a prequel to the series. Set in Victoria London (1878). This series follows Tessa, a sixteen year old girl who travels to London to live with her brother. Upon her arrival she is kidnapped by the Dark Sisters and forced to discover her unique ability. She is rescued by the Shadow Hunters and provided protection by them. However it is soon discovered she is pivotal to a plot to over throw the Shadow Hunters and upset the balance between the different supernatural beings factions.

There is some wonderful action and great pacing. Clare has a good balance between action, humour, and information. The story moved smoothly. This could be because Clare has already created this world and knows it inside out, so was able to explain it properly.

The love triangle is more like a love pentagon. With all the teenagers in this book in love with the other, who doesn't seem to return the love and is unaware of the adoration's of the other characters. I can see this getting messy in the books to come and create some teen angst and conflict Victorian style. Happily in this book it doesn't over power the story but it does get a little confusing.

Will is the bad boy with a heart. Gem is the sick but gentle best friend. Both were enjoyable characters who didn't quite fall into the cliche. Both would make good partnerships with Tessa. Tessa is brave and strong, but conflicted. For the first time I actually enjoyed the bad boy in the book.

You don't need to have read the mortal instruments series to read this series or vise versa. The author on her blog says neither gives away plot spoilers though names and characters do crop up in each series.

A good start to the series. I will definitely be reading the rest of the prequel trilogy and starting the Mortal Instruments series.

Writing Workshop by Jackie French

2011-03-18T19:10:00.000+09:30

On Saturday 12 March I had the opportunity to attend a writing work shop with beloved Australian children's author Jackie French. This had been scheduled for February originally however due to a little thing called Cyclone Carlos the event was cancelled.

Jackie took us through the basics of writing a novel. There was nothing revealed here that you couldn't learn through researching the net. But it was good hearing it again, and she presented it by getting the group to make up a story using the tips she gave.

What was valuable, were her insights into the publishing industry and her own personal processes for writing. She admitted her advice will be different from another authors. She also recommended for future writing classes only do ones provided by senior editors and successful authors.

She read from her books Matilda and Diary of a Wombat. Jackie has a wonderful reading voice and the stories leapt from the page. I almost wanted her to just keep reading and forget about the course.

I enjoyed her stories and experiences as a struggling author and as a published successful author. One particular story I found hilarious was the censorship in the United States of her book Diary of a Wombat. In the copy released every where else in the world, there is a line that says "humans are dumb". This is because the wombat is a little bit on the cranky side. However when released in America the line was removed as the publishers decided a wombat cant be a cranky wombat, and it certainly can't call humans dumb.

She also had a cute story about Diary of a Wombat in Palestine being called Diary of a Not Kangaroo because in the Palestinian language there is no word for Wombat.

The main points I took away from Jackie's workshop were:

Thinking about your book is most important.
The first chapter is the most important part of the book, and hardest to write.
Writers block is just your brain's way of saying you haven't thought about your story enough, or it isn't working.
You have to be disciplined about writing.
How your book starts, may not be how it finishes. For instance you might have a protagonist who will be a hero and by the time you are finished the protagonist is now the comedy relief.
Be open to changes, criticism and changes to your story.
Dump rubbish from your story.
Completely immerse yourself in the world you are writing about.

It was a wonderful workshop and a great opportunity to be exposed to an international best selling author. Her workshop was only two hours so as you would expect it is not super detailed, however it was still valuable. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and would attend another by her.

Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French

2011-03-18T19:08:00.008+09:30

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Reading level: Ages 3-7
Boardbook: 32 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
Language: English
ISBN-10: 073228662X
ISBN-13: 9780732286620

I only know of Jackie French through this picture book. She has written a tonne of other stuff in young adult and historical genres, but to date, this is the only book of hers I have read.

Diary of a Wombat is a tale about a little wombat whose only goal in life is to eat, sleep, dig, and sleep some more. All the while trying to train those pesky humans she lives with into better pets.

The story by its self is mostly pretty boring and pointless. But combined with the wonderful art work it takes on a whole different dimension. Bruce Whatley has done an amazing job making the little wombat come alive. He infuses so much character into the little wombat that the images almost tell the tale with out the words.

The story becomes charming and funny. There are two pages in particular that never fail to raise a chuckle. Unfortunately I believe in the American edition of this book, one of these sections has been removed.

The book has won a heap of awards. In Australia it has gotten The Children's Book Council of Australia Honour Book award, Booksellers Choice Award, and Kids Reading Oz Choice (KROC) Award.

However I think this book is best for older children. While younger kids will get a kick out of the illustrations the story doesn't interest my son while at a year old. He prefers books that rhyme and have a rhythm. I am sure though as this is such a popular book, when he is older he will get far more out of it.

The story of the real wombat (Mothball) who inspired Diary of a Wombat can be found here.

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

2011-03-05T14:12:00.000+09:30

Rating: 4 out of 5

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 500 KB
Print Length: 368 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 141330864
Publisher: ePenguin (August 26, 2010)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B003YUC0MY

Age: Teen

First Sentence: "The door starts shaking."

John Smith is just your average teenager. Average as long as you don't notice the fact he is actually an alien. John is from the planet Lorien, which he fled as a child with nine other children, as it was being destroyed by another alien race called the Mogadorians. John with his keeper Henri now live a life on the run, constantly hiding, always running, waiting for the day his powers will arrive. Then they can fight back.

The first three of the nine children are dead, and now the Mogadorians are after John who is number four. The numbers and their order are important but I wont reveal why here. This eventually leads to John having to fight for his life, and some great action scenes.

I was confused though as to why the Mogadorians were so gun-ho on killing the children? they destroyed the planet, and killed their race off. Are nine children and their keepers really such a big threat? But perhaps all will be revealed in the next books.

There is a thread of romance which is not over powering to the story. I have some suspicions about the girl John is in love with, after what was said in the book but I wont give anything away. On love, there is a strong bond between John and Henri which is more like father and son, it is not surprising as Henri has raised John from when he was a young boy.

The book is surprisingly emotional. Edge of your seat action one minute, touching and tender moment the next. I was expecting the action but the tender moments that made me almost shed a tear.

The "world" created is an interesting one. The author puts a lot of thought and detail into Lorien society. However I find the contrasts interesting (as well as the message of the book). Lorien is a world that was nearly destroyed by pollution, war, and progress but changed their lifestyle. They renounced and gave up their wicked ways becoming a harmonious and peaceful race. The Mogadorians however kept going on their wicked ways and destroyed their planet. They then moved on to Lorien and destroyed it.

Now this to me is where the message (maybe I am reading to much into it?) gets confusing on one hand the book says war, pollution modern ways are BAD. The Mogadorians who still do it and don't care are evil. But then the Lorien get their butts kicked and are annihilated by the Mogadorians because they were too peaceful and didn't see it coming. So war is good? because then you can kick baddy alien butt?

Clearly this book is the start of a series so there were a few loose ends left at the end of the book. I saw somewhere there are six books planned. Not sure how true that is but I am going to guess each book will follow the remaining aliens and their quest to survive.

The author of the book is a character from the book. The actual author is Jobie Hughs who wrote it in collaboration with James Frey.

Overall this was a great book. I look forward to the other books in the series.

Movie Reviews - February 2011

2011-02-28T19:32:00.000+09:30

Paranormal Activity 2

A-

OMG scared the living daylights outta me. I watched maybe 95% of the first movie and only 60% of this one. I jumped clear out of my skin twice and gave up watching after the second time. If you like scary movies then this is a good one for you.

Megamind

B-

Cute and funny. Not as hilarious the whole way through as say Despicable Me but Im not entirely sure its supposed to be. I got the impression this was aimed more at teens/adults then kids as there is a strong love story through out. So there is touch of drama/seriousness in the story. Still a good movie which I enjoyed.

Going the Distance

C+

Had some good laughs but I wouldn't be rushing to watch this again. Christina Applegate is really good in her supporting role.

127 Hours

Was an interesting story. I couldnt imagine what the guy went through. But as a movie it was a bit to slow and smidgen boring for me. Its not normally my kind of thing the more introspective movie.

Life As We Know It

Standard romantic comedy fair. Had a number of good laughs as you would expect having a baby thrust onto a babyless couple (who aren't in a relationship either). No surprises with the storyline.

The Killing Hands (Book 4) by PD Martin

2011-02-20T16:25:00.000+09:30

Rating: 4 out of 5

ISBN 13: 9781405039024
ISBN 10: 1405039027
Binding: Paperback
Pages: 394
Dimensions: 234 x 153mm
Released: 26/07/2010

First Sentence: "He took another long drag of the cigarette and then flicked the butt, mesmerised by its perfect arc and fall"

This is the fourth book in the Sophie Anderson series. Sophie Anderson is an FBI profiler, she also has "visions". In this book Sophie is still in LA. This time her case is to do with the gangs of LA.

This time round the story focus is not serial killers but the gangs of LA. This makes for a different feel to the previous books that focused on serial killers. It also means there is a little more explanation in this book as Martin introduces all the different government branches that deal with crime (which there are a lot of if it is accurate, which I am sure it is).

The reader gets to learn more about Sophie's personal life in this book with her parents making an appearance. There is some development with Sophie's personal life. Which I think is a good thing because she was getting borderline crazy with all her exercising and keeping people at a distance.

The pacing is quite good considering this book has a lot of character development for Sophie. Martin has a good balance of information, story development, and action.

One thing I really like about PD Martins books are the topics she picks. She manages to deal with some really interesting ones that make her crime series just that little bit different. She also has clearly done a lot of research which also shines through in her writing.

One gripe I had which is not the authors fault was the character of Joe DeLuca. I actually work with a Joe Deluca and I found it hard not to super-impose the DeLuca I knew onto the DeLuca in the book. Unfortunately the DeLuca I know could never be an FBI agent, so this made it hard for me to find the character in the book convincing.

Another good book in the Sophie Anderson series. I will definitely be getting hold of the next book.

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by HP Mallory

2011-02-13T11:13:00.007+09:30

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 545 KB
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1453812954
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B003UNL8OG

First Sentence: "It's not every day you see a ghost"

Jolie is your regular psychic trying to make a living in LA. She has her best friend and a cat, and is happy. Then in walks Rand who says he is a warlock and Jolie is actually a witch. Her life is further thrown into chaos when she learns she can reanimate the dead. Suddenly she is the most popular witch going and everyone wants a piece of her. A war among the supernatural beings in brewing and Jolie has to decide which side she is really on.

All in all not a bad book. It didn't wow me, but I didn't hate it. There were some funny light hearted moments. But not enough to have me laughing hard, perhaps a smile or a snort but nothing else.

The story was an interesting one and there were some fascinating takes on the supernatural beings. I will be interested to see the concept of the Lurkers, that seem to be half human/supernatural being be explored further.

There was a pretty good action sequence right at the end which was interesting as Jolie battles a dragon. There was not much other then that scene for action. The story was a little slow going, spending more time on developing the characters. Which was good, the characters were well fleshed out for a paranormal romance.

I did get tired of every supernatural male she met wanting to have sex with her. Like wise Jolie also being attracted to every supernatural male she met while at the same time professing her love for Rand. But as I have previously mentioned I am not a huge fan of romance so for me this romance element didn't entertain me.

Not a bad book, but for me there are better ones out there.

Never Smile at a Crocodile by Jack Lawrence

2011-02-11T06:31:00.008+09:30

Rating 5 out of 5
Category: Children's Books / Children's Hardback Picturebooks
ISBN: 9781741696943
Format: HardCover
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: 01/11/2010
Pages:24

Age Group: 0-8 (ok and probably most adults)

Never Smile at a Crocodile is a beautifully illustrated book about the childhood favorite song. When I bought this book I didn't realise it was an Australian author. I got it mostly because where we live there are plenty of crocodiles so I thought the topic appropriate for my son.

You can’t help but not like this book. It is certainly a favorite for us.

The story is the lyrics from the song. Words wise they have kept it exactly the same. There are no surprises. If you know the song you know the story.

The art work by Shane Devries is delightful and detailed. The backgrounds are well imagined as he takes the reader from swamps, to jungles, to the circus and then the city. Lots of colours used but they are more earthy in colour and shade. The animals depicted are full of character and life.

http://www.shanedevries.com/

The main characters are a cheeky monkey (who defies the advice and smiles at said crocodile), a rabbit, and a guinea pig interacting with a very large crocodile. The images are fun and the characters are cartoon in nature. By that I mean they have the big round eyes, round bodies, and big toothy smiles.

This book is so much fun to read. As you know the song it’s very easy to slip into the rhythm of the song. My only quibble is the line “You may very well be well bred”, it can be a little hard to wrap your tongue around if you’re not paying attention. I wish they had updated the line a little but never mind. It's still charming to read and will give you a chance to explain the meaning of the term and later the word etiquette.

This book comes with a CD that adds a whole different level to the book. It is sung by Play School favorite Jay Laga'aia. His version is fun and playful and great to have playing along as you look at the book.

If you can get your hands on a copy of this book, you wont be disappointed.

Interesting Fact:
The song Never smile at a crocodile was originally written for Disney’s Peter Pan, although the lyrics were never used in the film but the tune was.

Ten Little Fingers Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox

2011-02-06T11:46:00.005+09:30

Rating: 5 out of 5

Reading level: Ages 0-2
Board book: 38 pages
Language: English
ISBN-13: 9780143503583

First Sentence: "There was one little baby who was born far away. And another who was born on the very next day. And both of these babies, as everyone knows, had ten little fingers and ten little toes."

Another delightful book from Mem Fox for babies and toddlers.

Using a rhyming, repetitive, lyrical style. Fox takes the reader on a journey about babies. She is very good with this style of writing and certainly the books I have are wonderful. It makes them easy to read, and your child can follow the story easily as well.

The author also teaches about diversity and tolerance. That even though the babies in the book have different back grounds they are all the same having ten little fingers and ten little toes.

The illustrations are sweet and simple. Helen Oxenbury gives the babies so much character on the pages. The colours are simple and lean more towards pastels in shades, but very nice all the same.

Anecdotally I have heard this is a very popular book amongst toddlers. My son certainly enjoys it. In fact when I showed him the video which I have added below (which doesn't have pictures from the book unfortunately) he sat there riveted.

So here is something a little different. This is a video of the author "singing" the book. It doesn't have any images it is just the story, but it is still an interesting way to present the book.

Movie Reviews - January 2011

2011-01-30T19:10:00.000+09:30

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

2011-01-28T13:22:00.002+09:30

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

2011-01-26T14:08:00.005+09:30

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

2011-01-23T16:26:00.001+09:30

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

2011-01-22T13:13:00.007+09:30

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

2011-01-21T18:37:00.003+09:30

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

2011-01-20T19:46:00.000+09:30

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

2011-01-08T16:39:00.003+09:30

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

2011-01-08T16:16:00.005+09:30

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.

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

Wicked Appetite (Book 1) by Janet Evanovich

2010-12-30T12:58:00.001+09:30

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (September 14, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312652917
ISBN-13: 978-0312652913

Series: A Unmentionable Diesel and Tucker

First Sentence:"My name is Elizabeth Tucker."

Elizabeth Tucker is a baker, a baker of delicious cup cakes. However she is also an Unmentionable (not of the underwear variety), someone who has an ability. Lizzy's ability is to find magical objects. I one day she meets the darkly, menacing Wulf and the drop-dead spunky Diesel, who are both in a race to find a magical item that only Lizzy can find. Of course the fate of the world rests on finding the object, and she isn't so sure about her new side kicks the ninja cat or rude monkey.

There were lots of laugh out loud moments, and some sniggering moments. I could totally relate to the scene where Lizzy thought the last of the chocolate coated donuts had been taken. To be honest I thought she under-reacted (is that a word?) I would have karate chopped Diesel upside the head and drop kicked him outta the car.

Evanovich has created a great cast of characters who are all hilarious. My favorite though were the cat (called Cat) and the monkey Carl. Most of my laugh out loud moments involved Carl he was pretty good comedy relief.

My only quibble is that this seemed to follow the same formula as her Stephanie Plum series. Slightly useless, but loveable, main character, sexy side kick guy, another sexy guy (the baddie), weirdo friend, crazy pets, weirdo baddie, and a long suffering but normal co-worker. BUT Evanvovich does this formula well, and using the paranormal angle does make it refreshing.

This is obviously the first book in a new series as the story talks about a group of stones that need to be collected and only one stone is found in this book. I will definitely pick up the next installment. If you like the Stephanie Plum series, you will definitely enjoy this book.

Other Reviews

Books and Musings from Downunder

Movie Reviews - December

2010-12-30T08:15:00.013+09:30

Over the past couple of months I have seen a few movies while on holidays and on DVD. I thought I might share some of my thoughts on these movies for everyone. The reviews will be short though :) Let me know your thoughts on these movies if you have seen any.

Despicable Me - A
Fun entertaining movie. Lots of laughs and cuteness. That is all you need really. A nice feel good story. Probably one of the best animated films for 2010. If you don't fall in love with the minions I will be very surprised. On the DVD there are three extra little movies which are worth the watch.

Love and Other Drugs - C
NOT a romantic comedy. The trailer is very misleading. A drama about a girl dealing with Parkinson's Disease. Found it boring in some places. Some scenes seemed out of context with the film.

Avatar the Last Airbender - B+
I never saw the tv series so cant comment on that side of it. As a movie by its self I quite enjoyed it. The special effects are great, and the acting by the kids is good. If they don't make any more movies though the ending seems silly.

Salt - B
An action film. Nothing really original but if you want to check your brain at the door for awhile not a bad film. Action is done well and the stunts are pretty cool. On a random note Angelina Jolie looks a little weird with blond hair.

Social Network - B+
An interesting film. Originally I was not interested in watching this film but thought I would give it a go. The acting is good, the story well written, and it is an interesting story.

Tomorrow When The War Began - B
I have to admit I am not a fan of most Australian movies. This one though was a pretty reasonable effort. There were some glaring discrepancies to the book (book is 15 years old and there were no mobiles and video chat for rural communities back then). But it is an acceptable effort. There is a decent balance between action and story telling. Will be interested to see if the rest of the books are turned into movies.

Dinner for Schmucks - B
More of a Dramedy then a full on Comedy. A decent film with some great laughs (especially at the end). There is a good script in there. Steve Carrel is wonderful. Nothing surprising about the film but still a good watch.

The Dead - Tossed Waves (Book 2) by Carrie Ryan

2010-12-26T17:51:00.000+09:30

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Gollancz (8 April 2010)
ISBN-10: 0575090898
ISBN-13: 978-0575090897

First Sentence: "The story goes that even after the Return they tried to keep the roller coasters going."

Gabry lives a quiet and safe life behind the barrier. But her world is about to shattered when one night of fun turns into a disaster. Now Gabry has to decide to live her quiet but safe life at the light house, or take a chance and leave everything she knows behind. Can she save her friends? what secrets is her mother keeping? and who is Elias?

This is the sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth. The story picks up roughly 20 years after the events in Forest of Hands and Teeth. Mary is the lighthouse keeper responsible for killing the unconsecrated (or Mudo as they are known in this town), and she lives with her 16 year old daughter Gabry. The story is told from Gabry's point of view.

The reader gets to learn so much more about the world Mary inhabited. Vista is similar to the village Mary fled from. It is controlled by the Protectorate a government that rules, from what I can tell, the remaining surviving cities. Young men are volunteered or dragooned as punishment into the military known as the Recruiters. Everyone else is encased behind solid walls and are forced to follow strict rules. I feel we also get a sense of the bigger picture here, of what has been happening in the forest and beyond.

There was not as much action in this book compared to the first book. Towards the end there was a lot of action, but I felt up to about halfway through the book, the pacing was fairly slow. The death toll of the main characters is pretty low too compared to the first book.

Gabry is a little bit of a strange character. I found on one hand she annoyed me, but on the other hand I liked her and felt sorry for her. Somehow she has grown up completely afraid of her world and even who she is. So she really struggles with the turn of events, and beats herself up over it. I enjoyed Elias as a character he has the whole mysterious stranger with a dark past thing happening.

POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT - I was a little confused about Mary's story though. She apparently returned to the forest for a year or so, and its indicated she knows how to return to her home village. Yet she apparently has never returned even though it says in this book she spent some time in the forest previously (after fleeing originally). I am a little baffled as to what she was doing in the forest for that time?

DISCUSSION POINT - Another thing I don't really get plot wise is the zombies themselves. While Ryan does a decent job explaining why there is still so many around. It still doesn't ring true for me. I am positive in the first book Ryan said that the zombies sort of disintegrated the older they were. To me this would mean eventually the zombies would just decompose eventually. So why are there still so many around? I dunno maybe I misread, or I am misremembering that passage. Oh also I don't understand why the infection stopped the remainder of humanity using things like planes, cars or other technology? Wouldn't we have made power stations, airports etc safe to use? Also food, how are the remaining people living because farms don't seem to exist? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

This book sets up for another book as it ends with a bit of a cliff hanger then an epilogue. Looking on Carrie Ryan's website a new book The Dark and Hollow Places is due out March 2011. I will be interested to see where Ryan takes the story. If you have read the first book and liked it, then this is a must read to learn more about the world.

Grug and His First Christmas by Ted Prior

2010-12-26T16:04:00.008+09:30

Rating: 4 out of 5
ISBN: 9780731814305
Category: General
Format: Paperback
Publication Date: 2010-10-01
Series: Grug Series
Publisher: SIMON & SCHUSTER AUSTRALIA
Country of origin: AUS
Age: Under 5

First Sentence: "One day Grug was strolling past Cara's hollow log"

Our little friend Grug is back and it is Grug's first Christmas. Grugs friend Cara tells him all about Christmas. He then sets out to celebrate Christmas. Grug makes a Christmas tree, bakes some goodies for his friends and even gets a strange package from someone called Santa.

A cute little book for your little one. Big colourful pictures and a basic story that a new reader will find easy to follow.

This year my son was just to young to really understand, he did enjoy the pictures thought. But I suspect this book well be great next year. It should be a good way to introduce him to Christmas.

If your child likes Grug this one will also be a hit.

Fan Mail (Book 3) by PD Martin

2010-12-25T12:46:00.000+09:30

Rating: 4 out of 5
Paperback
Publisher: Pan Australia (December 1, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0330424025
ISBN-13: 978-0330424028

First Sentence:"The voice is deep and smooth. 'Agent Sophie Anderson?'"

Sophie moves to LA and on her first day in town is called out to a murder scene. It is of the famous crime writer Loretta Black. At first it looks like a simple case of murder, but then another crime author turns up dead and Sophie is suddenly hot on the trail of a serial killer.

This review will have to be short as I do not want to give anything away.

Another great installment from PD Martin. The new setting means a whole new swag of characters to get to know. Sorrell seems to be a good crime fighting partner for Sophie and I hope he is back in later books. He is a little gruff and burly but otherwise a pretty decent guy. I really don't like Justin, didn't from book two. I personally would be suspicious of a guy like him. But that's just me :) For a love interest I prefer Darren for Sophie and hope that now they are closer geograpahically he gets to be in the picture more.

I enjoyed the idea of the serial killer targeting crime writing authors. It brings a refreshing twist to the crime writing books. Actually all the books so far in this series I felt were the same. They had fascinating themes in them in terms of the serial killers. Makes the books stand out from normal crime stories. Well that and the visions of course.

The ending was a surprise which is great. I definitely didn't see it coming which is good as normally I can guess what will happen.

A good installment in the series which I enjoyed reading. I look forward to reading the next book.

Whales' Tails and Turtle Trails by Tammy Yee

2010-12-16T14:42:00.008+09:30

Rating: 5 out of 5
Board book: 16 pages
Publisher: Island Heritage Publishing (July 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1597009288
ISBN-13: 978-1597009287
Under 5

Opening Sentence: "Turtle dreams of turtle trails and riding high on whale's tails."

When on holidays in Hawaii recently I wanted to get my son a picture book with a story about Hawaii. This was a lot harder then I thought. So I settled for a Hawaiian author and a story that had Hawaii iconic things in it (like lei's and hibiscus flowers).

This is the tale of Turtle, who goes on a dreamy adventure through his habitat with his friends Seal and Whale. Along the way he encounters many things and creatures that inhabit his world.

This book is so much more then just a Hawaiian book, and I am delighted we picked it up. The story is a simple which makes it very easy to follow for young readers. It follows the rhyming and lyrical pattern which means it flows easily while reading it. Also woven into the story there is also counting, shapes, and colours.

Tammy Yee has illustrated the book itself and the pictures are wonderful. They are bright and colourful. The animals are in cartoon form with big eyes and wide smiles. What is really great is nearly every image has pictures with in the image. For instance on the pages with four big fish on it, the fish scales are pieces of fruit (for instance the orange fish has scales of oranges). So there is so much more to this then just a story and pretty picture.

This is one of my sons favorite books and I would definitely recommend it to any one with young children.

Where Is The Green Sheep? by Mem Fox

2010-12-13T13:14:00.006+09:30

Rating: 5 out of 5
Reading level: Baby-Preschool
Board book: 32 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group (Australia) 2006
Language: English
ISBN-13: 9780143501763
Under 5

Opening Sentence "Here is the blue sheep"

Another brilliant edition to Mem Fox's range of children's books. In this book we meet lots of different sheep, but we can not find the green sheep. Where is it?

Mem Fox again uses a lyrical style with rhyme and repetition. This works really well and makes the story fun, simple and easy to follow for babies and toddlers. The whole way through its shows lots of different sheep and at various points the book asks where is the green sheep? This builds the anticipation for children as right at the end Mem Fox says "turn the page quietly - let's take a peep...." and there is the green sheep fast asleep.

Judy Horacek has done a lovely job illustrating the book. She has used bright and vibrant colours. The pictures are simple and clear making it all stand out. Each page has a sheep "doing" what it is. For instance the bath sheep is sitting in a bubble bath. Even though the art work is simple the sheep still manage to be full of character.

A wonderful book to read to your toddler and for them to learn to read with. If you only get one or two Mem Fox books this has to be one of them.

The Dance of the Dinosaurs by Colin and Jacqui Hawkins

2010-12-09T15:05:00.001+09:30

Rating: 4 out of 5
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks (4 Nov 2002)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0007114443
ISBN-13: 978-0007114443
Product Dimensions: 25.8 x 22.8 x 0.6 cm
Recommended Ages: 3-6

First Sentence: "Lightening flashed, on a wild and stormy night and Georgie and Dee shivered in fright".

It's a dark and thundery night and Georgie and Dee could not sleep. Their cat, trying to show them there is nothing to fear of thunder storms, takes them on a magical journey to a land where Dinosaurs roam, and party creating thunder!

A lovely bedtime story for children about Dinosaurs who dance and make thunder. The story uses rhyming couplets that make it fun and easy to follow. The rhythm is good and the pacing just right for reading aloud. There is also opportunity for the reader to interject noises, such as loud roars, which makes the story more interesting to the child listening.

The illustrations are bright and colourful, filling most of the page. The animals are in cartoon form with big round eyes, and large smiley mouths. This makes them non threatening and very cute.

A delightful book with a lovely message of there being no need to fear thunderstorms. Because it is just Dinosaurs having some fun and dancing the night away. Is a perfect book to read at bedtime.

Ghouls Just Haunt To Have Fun (Book 3 Ghost Hunter Mystery Series) by Victoria Laurie

2010-12-06T16:05:00.007+09:30

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Signet; Reprint edition (March 3, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451226305
ISBN-13: 978-0451226303

First Sentence: "Here's some free advice: Never go into business with your best friend."

Ghost hunter M.J Halliday returns for another mad cap adventure. In this installment she and Gilly travel to San Fransisco to star in a new tv show. Everything is going well until the knife appeears. Then all hell breaks loose with a demon on the rampage. Now M.J must defeat the demon and send it back to hell where it came from.

This is a wonderful light hearted series. You will find yourself chuckling at the antics of Gilly and MJ. Most of the humour comes from MJ and Gilly themselves. A few of the scenes had me chuckling. I particularly loved the scene after they encountered the demon and were covering up their encounter with the hotel manager.

I enjoyed the introduction of Heath and Detective MacDonald. Heath compliments MJ very well and they make a good team. Detective MacDonald makes a refreshing change, being open to what MJ does and how she works. Most of the time she encouters skeptics, but MacDonald lets MJ go with it and assist with the investigation.

The series I think is going in an interesting direction that will set it apart from other paranormal detective series. The introduction of the tv show and twist on the whole paranormal tv series is an interesting one. It could either work really well with the series or not work at all. Only time will tell. For this book it worked well.

I had read three post apoclyptic books in a row and while they were good I need something fun and light to read for something different. This book is it. A delightful, fun series that should not be taken seriously. You can knock it over quickly but thats the point, its not supposed to be taxing just silly brain candy fun.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Book 1) by Carrie Ryan

2010-12-02T19:45:00.008+09:30

Rating: 4 out of 5Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Gollancz
ISBN-10: 0575090863
ISBN-13: 978-0575090866

First Sentence: "My mother used to tell me about the ocean. She said there was a place where there was nothing but water as far as you could see and that it was always moving, rushing toward you and then away."

Mary is like any normal teenager. She hangs out with her friends, she has a crush on a boy, and she never goes beyond the fence. Mary lives in a village in the Forest of Hands and Teeth where the unconsecrated live. The world as we know it is gone, an infection that turned humans into Zombies ravaged the planet leaving only Mary's village as the sole survivors. The village is controlled by the Sisterhood, who govern and protect the inhabitants. But Mary is curious and in the Sisterhoods eyes dangerous. Eventually Mary must decide between her village or her dreams, and keep her friends safe at the same time.

A fascinating debut novel. Even though the story is set in a world full of zombies, its not really about zombies at all. The story is character driven and is about Mary figuring out the world around her and her place in it. Mary is a great character, not a typical YA novel protagonist. She is a little selfish, and shallow, but at the same time brave and loyal. She is a likable character though, and realistic.

I was a little disappointed while reading the book, about the lack of elaboration on what happened with the world. At the time I read this book (middle 2009) I didn't know there was another book. However after I finished the book I thought the lack of information was appropriate. Mary and her friends only know what they have been taught about the outside world, so it would seem silly for them to tell the reader all about it. Also it would seem and obvious story filler, if they stumble on a book/room/person that could tell them exactly everything they needed to know. Life doesn't get tied up in a neat little bow so why should this story?

There are some pretty emotional scenes in this book. With out giving much away, two main scenes stand out. One with Mary and her Mother as they say goodbye, and the second was when Mary was in the tree houses with her friends. I will leave it at that.

Ryan has done a fantastic job drawing you in and making you care about the main characters. She also makes the story suitably creepy, with a touch of horror. This is where I think the lack of information really helps to build the suspense. As they don't know what expect they are shocked or discovered by discoveries. Also there is a lot of action and carnage in this book.

All in all a really solid first book. It was a great read which was hard to put down. If you like zombies this would be a great read, but even if you don't like zombies (like me) this is still a good engaging read.

Book Lists Are You Doin It Right?

2010-11-27T21:13:00.007+09:30

A bit of a fun post today, the BBC Top 100 book list is doing the rounds again and it got me thinking about book lists in general. What do they really mean to you? are you going to read a book because it is on the list or conversely not read a book because it isn't on a list? Do you feel guilty/happy reading those "have you read these?" lists?

There are lots of different lists out there, such as book prize lists, bestseller lists, and voted by the people lists to name a few. It seems every big brand book store has its own top something list. Book lists are every where, but does that really make it a good book? or a book you would enjoy?

I remember when Dan Brown was topping lists everywhere and he was on every ones lips when it came to books. I decided to give his book a go, The Da Vinci Code, and I have to say I really didn't care for it.*Gasp* I know I said it. I just did not like his book, it failed to grab me at all.

So for me a list is more of a general guide. If I see a book has made a list I know of, I tend to think "oh how nice". But it wont sway me either way to read a book or not. I am more likely to be swayed by my book blogging friends, especially those with similar tastes, then a list. Oh and a pretty front cover, what can I say, sometimes I am just that shallow!

As for those "have you read these" lists that do the rounds, I have given up on those and stopped feeling guilty. Mostly because I realised the books on the list I haven't read, I haven't read for a reason. That reason is I just don't want to, or have no interest in it. So I don't feel bad about it any more.

Having said that I have found a few lists that are pretty good. They seem to capture a really good cross section of genres. There is literally something for everyone. From Zombies to Geisha, Queens to Aliens, Detectives to Animals. So I have listed the few lists I do keep an eye on below, unfortunately they are Aussie centric for my overseas readers.

50 Books You Can't Put Down
Is Australia's largest annual celebration of books and reading. A wide range of genres is represented in the list: adult literary and popular fiction (including crime and fantasy), adult non-fiction (including biography, history, sport and humour), and young adult and children's fiction and picture books,

Angus & Robertson Top 100
Every year readers vote on their top 100. For the 2010 list a whopping 101,655 people voted for their favorite books. Has everything from classics to contemporary fiction.

Angus & Robertson Kids Top 50
15,000 kids between the ages of 5 and 17 were polled for their favorite books for 2010. A wide range of books including Stephanie Meyer, Roald Dahl, Mem Fox, and Philip Pullman.

Are there any lists you follow?