cucullus non facit monachum

Book Review - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car

2013-05-20T07:58:00.000-06:00

I watched the movieChitty Chitty Bang Bang as a child and have vaguely fun and yet confusing memories of it. To this day I still find some of the tunes from the movie jumping into my head at random. Years later I was told that the original book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was written by Ian Fleming...yes, the same Ian Fleming who was the creator of James Bond. Naturally my curiosity was aroused. From a very high level, it's not surprising to see both James Bond and Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang as being creations of the same author. Both feature some crazy high-tech gadgets and exciting adventures dealing with spies or thugs across multiple countries. Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang is just written for children while James Bond was written for adults.

I read Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang along with my 9 year old daughter. I haven't seen the movie in many years. She watched it a few months ago. As we started reading, it was quickly apparent some of the differences between the movie and the novel. Strangely enough, after the movie was released and widely enjoyed, they decided to make a "novelization" of the movie version of the story...which goes to show the large amount of differences present. They couldn't simply push film-goers towards the original novel...they actually wrote a new novel based on the film. Strange fun indeed.

As to the original book of Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car, it starts off introducing us to Caractacus Pott and his family. Caractacus is an inventor who loves to invent but doesn't always find much financial success as a result. His wife and two children are very supportive and they enjoy his quirks and fun almost as much as he does. As in the movie, Caractacus invents the "Toot Sweet" and sells it to a candy shop. He has more success in the book, however, and with the money he earns, the family decides to buy a car. They find Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang in a scrapyard and immediately all four of them fall in love with it. Pott takes it home and spends hours/days in his workshop fixing it up.

I loved the narrative style of the book. It was written to be read aloud or at least for the reader to be very cognizant of the narrator's voice. The narrator speaks to the reader, adds additional commentary outside the scope of the main plot and asks questions about the reader's knowledge or thoughts on a particular point. As I read the book aloud to my daughter, I tried to be sure to add the inflections of the narrator as I read to try and draw her in to answering the questions or commenting on the points the narrator made. In reading the book I pictured the narrator as an extension of Ian Fleming and the style existing to put for the feeling of Fleming reading the story to his own children.
Click through for the rest of the post »

Movie Review - Iron Man 3

2013-05-17T07:07:00.000-06:00

Super Hero movies continue to be a big force in theaters so much so that it's not financially realistic to see all of them. Especially knowing that some are better than others. Last year I was very pleased with The Avengers. Sure it had its cheesy bits and was a bit strained in points, but it's a "comic book" movie…come on folks. Still, The Avengers was amazing and raised the bar for what viewers expect.

So moving into this year's super hero season, I was a little unsure if Iron Man 3 could adequately follow The Avengers. I really enjoyed the first Iron Man film. I felt like it gave us a great origin story for Iron Man and created a fun yet obnoxious character in Tony Stark. The second Iron Man continued the fun and ramped it up with the great villain Whiplash. So what about Iron Man 3? Is it as good as the first 2 Iron Man movies? Worse? The Same but different?

In terms of overall plot and storyline, the idea was engaging. The special effects and action sequences were dramatically over the top as you would expect. Plenty of intense action, 'splosions and fights. The overall plot of the story is very character driven based on the interactions of Tony Stark with his "demons" both external and internal.
Click through for the rest of the post »

Book Review - NOS4A2

2013-05-15T17:24:00.000-06:00

It's not often that I opt to not finish a book, especially a book that I picked for myself to read. But in this case, I just couldn't keep going. I decided this year to read some books from genres I don't normally read or that I haven't read for a while. One such genre was the "horror" genre. I'd heard that Joe Hill is supposed to be great, so when I saw NOS4A2, I thought I'd give it a try.

The premise sounded interesting…sort of "true crime" meets light supernatural magic. Sadly the book ended up being too vulgar and disturbing for my tastes. Too much swearing, too many violent and sexual references. Just too many graphic details that honestly didn't need to be included. All they really added to the story, in my opinion, was to make the book darker and more disturbing/distasteful. Now I'll admit that there really are some people who talk and act like some of the characters in the book…but I'm uncomfortable around people like that as well. With that in mind, I can't recommend this book for its content. I do find the premise interesting and intriguing. I had hoped it would be more in line with some of the TV Crime Dramas that I sometimes watch with my life…a sort of "TV-PG" rating rather than a definite hard "R" rating (though I think they'd probably have to tone things down even for an "R").

Basically the villain in the story (Manx) is a serial killer/kidnapper who has a magical car (with the license plate NOS4A2) that lets him drive to a place that doesn't exist in the real world. The place….Christmasland. He paints himself as a sort of heroic Santa Claus saving children for bad situations in the real world by taking them away to Christmasland where they can play and enjoy Christmas every day. Of course, Manx also "saves" the kids by killing their parents or guardians (who aren't winners per se…drug addicts or deadbeats or the like). There also seems to be some mystical soul sucking magic where Manx gains some sort of twisted immortality by living off the energy of the kids he's kidnapped. I stopped reading before it gave too many details about how that worked.

On the other side of the story is our hero, Victoria ("Vic") McQueen. The book follows her life from childhood to adult and it does bounce forward and backward a little bit with foreshadowing and flashbacks. As a child, Vic isn't super satisfied with her life and family but she doesn't have it that bad. One day after a family fight, she happens to ride her bike into the nearby forest and across a rickety wooden bridge. She is transported many miles and finds a piece of her mother's jewelry (which was the cause of the earlier fight). Her bike (combined with the wooden bridge) have a magical element like Manx's car which allows Vic to go to certain places and "find" things. She hears about Manx and his car (a Wraith) and one day goes to find him. It's a frightening confrontation but he ends up getting captured as a result. Naturally, he later escapes and decides it's time to come after Vic and her son.

Again, the plot seems interesting and it could be an exciting story. Apart from the violent and vulgar writing, I can applaud Joe Hill for his writing and storytelling. There were some excellent descriptions of character, setting and motivation. I legitimately enjoyed some of the less disturbing action sequences. I'm a bit disappointed that my recent re-foray into the horror genre was so over-the-top violent/vulgar/graphic. As a result, I think I'm giving up on Joe Hill and likely won't seek out any "horror" novels for a while (at least nothing above the Middle Grade or Teen level).

1 out of 5 stars

View all of my reviews on Goodreads.com

Book Review - Mom Rules: Because Even Super Heroes Need Help Sometimes

2013-05-13T20:14:00.000-06:00

Well, I realize I'm just missing the Mother's Day gift buying timeframe with this review, but maybe this will come in handy for a "just because" gift for mom/wife/etc. Or maybe you can pick it up and hold onto it until next Mother's Day. Whatever suits your fancy. :)

As the adage goes, there is no manual about how to be a good parent. As more and more time goes on, that adage isn't quite as accurate as it once was. Each year there is a new smattering of parenting books, magazines, posts and articles filled with new or modified advice for prospective parents, new parents or long time parents. A lot of the advice is similar though sometimes the different books contradict one another or try to come up with some radical new idea to differentiate themselves from the crowd. Whatever your take on parenting, you'll find that there are a ton of places to turn for advice.

Mom Rules begins by graciously acknowledging that moms are superheroes but then also acknowledges, as the cover points out, that even superheroes need help sometimes. This book is the follow up and companion book to Dad Rules released last year. Like its predecessor, Mom Rules is filled with dozens of "rules" for parents ranging from prospective parents to empty nesters. Each rule is short and to the point often taking no more than a single page. The rules are divided into three main sections of parenting advice and often reference other rules in this book as well as corresponding rules in the Dad Rules book.

For readers or parents looking for deep psychological insight into parenting and child rearing, this is not the book for you. Similarly for those looking for specific tactical advice or in-depth instructions to put into practice, you may want to look elsewhere. However, if you are looking for some quick insightful ideas that can make your parenting smoother and more effective, this book is a great place to dive in. Don't take that to mean that this lightweight book doesn't have merit. Many of the rules include reference to scientific studies and many of them also include humorous and poignant real-life examples to illustrate their points.

The light, easily accessible nature of the rules is actually one of the strengths of the read. Rather than getting bogged down in a lot of psychology or analytics, the authors "cut to the chase" and present straight forward no-nonsense advice to help work your way through the parenting minefields.
Click through for the rest of the post »

Books Read in 2013

2013-05-12T23:06:00.000-06:00

For the past few years (2012, 2011, 2010, 2009) I've had a goal to read and review a bunch of books over the course of each year.

My goal has been to average a book per week and end up with 50 books read and reviewed at the end of the year. If I included the short grade school or picture books that I sometimes read with my kids (or even just on my own for fun), I'd easily hit the 50 mark...but I usually just count the books that I actually review here on my blog. I've come a bit short of 50 each year. And yet, I don't consider it a failure in the least. The fact that I feel like I continue to get more and more wonderful books read each year tells me that the goal is a success.

So I'm modifying the goal for 2013. I'm still going to have a number to shoot for but the main goal is that I get through some of the many many books waiting on my bookshelves to be read (my "to be read" pile is huge). My goal will be to read and review at least as many books as I did in 2012...which means at least 45 books. But my goal also expands to include a few more aspects: 1) Read at least 8 "classic" novels, 2) Finish at least 3 "series" that I've already started, 3) Read more books in genres I don't normally read (such as mystery, romance, poetry).

If you have any suggestions for books to read or ways I can make my reading goal more exciting, please let me know.

And now, without further ado, here's the list of books I've read so far in 2013:
(I will be updating this post each time a new book is read/reviewed)

The Madman's Daughter
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Ender's Game
Beastly
The Measure of the Magic
Head Games (Locke & Key: Volume 2)
Seventh Son: Tales of Alvin Maker (Book 1)
Dead Men Kill
Mom Rules
NOS4A2 (Did Not Finish)

And for additional reference, here's a link to my "to be read" list over at Goodreads. This list includes purchased books on my bookshelves (but not read) as well as tons of books that have been recommended to me over the years. As you can see, the list is huge...and never really shrinks since there are always new recommendations coming in.

So tell me...what good books have you read lately that I should add to my list? Any that I "MUST" get to ~immediately? :-)

Life In Review - A Catch-Up Post From a Slacking Blogger

2013-05-08T16:24:00.000-06:00

Greetings from a blogging slacker. Over the past few months life has just been hectic and so sadly my downtime (when I can find it) has consisted of sitting very idly playing mindless games or watching mindless TV (*shudder*). That's not to say that all I've been doing is a bunch of mindless activities. I've had a lot of things going on that have been very entertaining and productive. But during the moments of free time when I might otherwise be doing creative writing or updating my blog, I have been adverse to doing anything that takes any real effort.

So consider this an effort to turn over a new leaf. I've got a number of friends/family blogs to catch up on. In addition, I need to be blogging more and doing more dedicated creative writing, book reviews, movie reviews, etc.

To start off…here's today's post. A "personal" post catching people up on the lives and happenings of myself and my family over the past many months. It's been a while since my last personal/family post. For those who aren't interested in the "human interest" side of blogging, go ahead and skip the rest of the post. For the rest of you, keep scrolling and enjoy the quick blurbs and pictures from recent and semi-recent adventures. I actually haven't done a recap of activities since last fall. So you're in for a treat....maybe ;)
Click through for the rest of the post »

Book Review - Dead Men Kill

2013-04-24T20:31:00.000-06:00

Before seeing Dead Men Kill (and other similar books) on the shelf, I had no idea that L. Ron Hubbard had written pulp fiction. I honestly only knew about him peripherally as the writer of Dianetics and founder of the Church of Scientology. Since I never really had any interest in either of those, I never bothered to learn more. So I was surprised to find that he had a number of pulp adventure stories like Dead Men Kill.

Based on the cover and the blurb, I was anticipating something akin to the action/detective thrillers of Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler. The main story arc of Dead Men Kill follows a young police Detective, Terry Lane, as he tries to solve a series of murders. This story takes a turn for the supernatural in that the murders are being committed by dead men, as the title suggests. Detective Lane sees a fairly obvious pattern to the murders and can logically link them together. Each man killed was a wealthy and/or prominent citizen in the community who has received death threats demanding money. Someone close to the victim dies of a fever or illness of some sort and then shortly after that funeral, the corpse turns up at the wealthy associate's house and kills them.

The supernatural twist made the whole thing feel very "Scooby Doo" to me. The writing certainly isn't as gritty as Hammett's work so it could potentially be accessible by Scooby fans. There is violence in the terms of shootouts and car chases but no harsh descriptions. The writing is also fairly simple and doesn't feel as tight or as elegant as hard boiled detective thrillers. With the other books, even though there were sequences of intense action and adventure, the writing still had a flow and tone that made it feel solid. Hubbard's writing got the job done but it wasn't anything overly impressive. If anything, it was written very simply and straightforward which once again makes it accessible to the young Scooby crowd.

As the story went on I was impressed by the degree of tension, twists and turns integrated into the plot. Rather than a simple shoot-em-up adventure mystery there was a fair amount of good detective work to be done. There were some pretty good character interactions and tension between Detective Lane and his superiors as well as some of the suspects and informants. As the story goes on, Lane finds himself the object of threats and attempts on his life. While some of the situations felt a little laughable (very "Scooby Doo" style - capture or just threaten the hero rather than kill him), they did create some good tension and left me wondering just how Lane was going to escape from one predicament after another.

When the final solution to the mystery was revealed, I found it to be actually fairly satisfying. I really liked the way the supernatural elements were dealt with, especially considering this was written in the 1930s without our 21st century sophistication. *grin* Some of the accomplices and motives were a little thin, but this is pulp fiction after all. It's never meant to be high drama with amazingly realistic and fully-fleshed-out characters.

Overall this wasn't a "great" read but it was a "fun" read. I haven't decided yet whether I'll seek out any more Hubbard in the near future. More likely I'll probably turn to Hammett or Chandler. But this was a fun way to broaden my horizons and find a new author I otherwise never would have turned to.

3 out of 5 stars

View all of my reviews on Goodreads.com

Theatre Review - Peter and the Pirates

2013-04-12T06:55:00.000-06:00

Ah, Peter Pan. The touching and heartfelt story of the boy who wouldn't grow up and the children who came along for the ride. When we got tickets for the production of Peter and the Pirates at The Off Broadway Theatre, I knew that it wouldn't be a straightforward production of Peter Pan. The OBT is known for their cheesy, farcical, tongue-in-cheek presentations. Still, the title didn't suggest anything too off the wall and the poster definitely depicted what I would expect from Peter Pan, so part of me wondered if they were actually going to "play it straight" and just do the standard Peter Pan story.

I hadn't had a chance to look in my playbill as the play began so at first I thought the child actors were mispronouncing names due to trying too hard to affect a British accent. I quickly realized that they were in fact calling the boy who wouldn't grow up by the name "Peter PUN." Now I understood...and with that, the wordplay was underway.

We spent the next ~2 hours on a fun-filled slapstick adventure with Peter Pun and his friends from Everclever Land as they fight Captain Crook and his henchmen save Sego Lilly and have a pile of other adventures. While all of the characters were definitely taken to the limit in terms of humor and fun, the most outrageous stretch was Peter's fairy companion, now named "Jingle" and portrayed by a large middle-aged muscular man with a mullet, tutu and multi-purpose tool belt.

There were plenty of absolutely cheesy and groan-worthy plays on words such as the pirates pulling out the "Gatorade" to save the Captain from the crocodile. Most of the wordplay was lost on the younger kids but everybody laughed up a storm at the great physical humor such as the pirate who ends up sword fighting against the handrail leading up onto the stage…and losing.

The acting was great. There were a number of times when lines were forgotten or props or costumes slipped off unexpectedly, but the cast and crew all handled these slip ups wonderfully. It probably helps that many of them are regular participants in the theatre's improv show. With that in mind there were a few times where I wondered if some of the lines were part of the script or if the cast members were ad-libbing. The jokes and humor were still hilarious but the lines seemed to catch some of the other cast members off guard at times and led to a few unintentional giggles.
Click through for the rest of the post »

Book Review - Seventh Son (Tales of Alvin Maker - Book 1)

2013-04-03T07:09:00.000-06:00

I didn't know hardly anything about Seventh Son or the story of Alvin Maker before jumping into this book. I knew it was some sort of fantasy adventure story set in the early days of America's history and westward expansion. What I didn't know is that this was an Alternate History story set in a world with a slightly different timeline of events as well as different notions and ideals. For example, the Revolutionary War that we know happened a bit differently in this story and there ended up being only 7 states in the new United States as well as a number of different countries created from the other colonies and territories. In addition to the different history (which I suspect may play a larger part in future books?) there is also the presence of magic and supernatural occurrences. People are said to have "knacks" which enable them to see or do different things.

Seventh Son starts by introducing us to a young "Torch", a girl named Peggy who is able to see the various "elements" of things and people, especially their heart. She is also able to see possibilities in a person's life. As such, they like to have her present when a child is born so she can look into the heart of the baby and get some sense as to the future potential of the child and where the child may need help or guidance. It is through her that we meet the title character of the book, young Alvin Miller Jr, the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. Peggy sees his heart fire from a distance while still in his mother's womb and then is present at his birth and through her "knack" she saves his life during the birthing process. She sees a myriad of possible futures for him all fraught with threats and dangers but also with great potential. She sees his possible future as a "Maker", a person with a special knack to not only see or influence people or events but also to literally change and create things. As Alvin and his family move away from Peggy's family, there is a suggestion that Peggy will be a part of Alvin's life in the future.
Click through for the rest of the post »

Happy Easter 2013 - Jump Jump

2013-03-29T17:58:00.000-06:00

Have a "hoppy" Easter...Jump to it and have a great weekend. :)

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Book Review - Locke & Key, Vol. 2: Head Games

2013-03-27T06:16:00.000-06:00

About a year ago I read "Welcome to Lovecraft", the first book in the Locke & Key graphic novel series. I was impressed by the creativity and unique nature of the story being told but was turned off by the graphic violence and strong language. The story was rather compelling and I had some people tell me that it only got better throughout the series and that the violence and language did tone down a bit in future books. So with their prodding I hesitantly picked up book two, "Head Games" and started reading.

In the first book a lot of the graphic violence comes from the brutal murder of the father. His kids and wife are present and are pursued by the murderer and forced to confront him. The scene itself is violent and portrayed rather gruesomely and is then replayed in flashbacks or nightmares a couple of times throughout the book.

In this second book the event of the murder has been put behind us. The family is still reeling with the emotional turmoil of the event but they are not visibly reliving the details on the page. Just removing that scene lessened the violence level of the book. There was still some swearing and though there was less, it was still jarring.

The story of Locke & Key follows the lives of this family as they try to adjust and move on after their father's death. But more than that this is a story of magic. They are living at "Keyhouse", a strangely magic place where their father grew up. Within Keyhouse there are (apparently) a vast number of magical keys with a variety of special properties. In the first book we found out about the Anywhere key that allowed the user to open a door to anywhere and step through. We also found the Ghost key which literally opened a door that when the user stepped through they turned into a ghost flitting and floating around.
Click through for the rest of the post »

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2013-03-17T07:33:00.000-06:00

Wishing you a Happy St. Patrick's Day from my family to you and yours.

May your life be lucky and filled with magic. :)

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Happy Pi Day 2013!!!

2013-03-14T05:12:00.000-06:00

Happy Pi Day 2013!!!

Might I suggest you pick up some Pie and watch The Life of Pi. :)

(NOTE: Images taken from Wikipedia, Imdb, and this blog)

Movie Review - Oz, the Great and Powerful

2013-03-09T21:27:00.001-07:00

Through both the various new and reimagined stories of Oz as well as (finally) reading the original Wizard of Oz book, I've had a lot of refamiliarizing myself with the world of Oz over the past few years. When Disney initially announced that they were making a new Oz movie, it wasn't clear what to expect. Would it just be a remake of the popular Wizard of Oz film with Judy Garland? Would it be the speculated movie-musical for the popular Broadway show Wicked? Would it be based on some of the other Oz books? Or would it be something completely new similar to their reimagining of Alice in Wonderlandd from a few years back? The answer became obvious as more details were known and especially once the trailers were released. We were getting a new story in the form of a prequel explaining how the Wizard arrived in Oz and what happened once he was there.

As the title credits rolled, I enjoyed the art style and the music. The art around the credits was somewhere between pieced together whimsical carney work and an higher tech almost steampunk style. I've always been partial to Danny Elfman's music and the opening threads of the score definitely had sounds characteristic of his other work but it was also fresh and unique and had a fun and approachable style.

Once the credits finished, we were dropped into a circus/carnival scene presented in black-and-white. We remained in black-and-white through the entire opening sequence in the same way the Judy Garland film was in B&W throughout her Kansas scenes.

We quickly meet Oz, the Great and Powerful as he prepares for his show in one of the sideshow tents. In a few short scenes we get insight into his character and behavior. He's a selfish, self-centered, womanizing, egotistical swindler. At the same time, we see a hint of a conscience. There seems to be an internal struggle between his sense of what might be the "right thing" to do fighting against his sense of "what's in it for me". In spite of an apparent stream of women that he cares nothing about, we also meet a longer term love interest that he seems to truly care for. Even though it's clear that he has feelings for her, he can't seem to overcome his selfish nature enough to do what needs to be done to allow himself to be with her.
Click through for the rest of the post »

Book Review - The Measure of the Magic

2013-03-08T07:06:00.000-07:00

The Measure of the Magic is the second (and final?) book in the Legends of Shannara duology and the bridging stories that take us from our "modern" world of science and technology (from the Word/Void and Genesis of Shannara series) into the fantasy realm of the rest of the Shannara series. I felt like the first book in this series was interesting generally but at the same time it felt to me like it dragged on and moved a bit slower than necessary. The cynic in me felt like these two books would have been better had they been edited into a single book but for revenue purposes there was a push for two books. It could have been a larger single book as there wasn't a lot that I felt extraneous or in need of culling. Like I said, I found the first book interesting, just a little slow.

With that introduction, it should come as little surprise that I enjoyed this second book in the duology much better than the first. The first book left a large threat (an army of trolls) looming over the inhabitants of the valley and in this book that threat is off the page for a good chunk of the reading. The trolls aren't completely ignored or forgotten by the text. It's just that most of the action of this book takes place inside the valley and the various schemings and machinations of the inhabitants there.

I really loved the way this book started. While the trolls were only a peripheral threat until near the end of the book, this book introduces a new antagonist for our heroes to deal with. The book begins with a seemingly crazy old man wandering through the post-armageddon world outside the valley. He calls himself the Ragpicker and for the first little while it's unclear whether he will be friend or foe to our protagonists. When he is finally noticed and confronted, we quickly learn his true nature. He is a demon and he hunts the Black Staff that figured so prevalently in the first book and the Genesis series. The Demon can sense the magic and he is trying to track it to its source. He discovers the troll threat and the presence of the valley and he works his way into the valley to subvert and manipulate the inhabitants in an effort to draw the staff Bearer to him.
Click through for the rest of the post »

Theatre Review - Curtains

2013-03-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend my wife and I went to see our local high school put on their spring musical. They were presenting the relatively new show "Curtains." I had heard a couple of songs from the play before and knew the very high level premise but didn't know a whole lot about it.

The basic idea is that we're watching the backstage goings on of a musical being produced in the late 1950s or early 1960s. Our play starts during the finale of the opening night in Boston. After the final number, the cast takes their bows…and the leading lady drops to the floor in a heap. A scene or two later, a detective appears on the scene and lets the entire cast and crew know that they are all suspects in a homicide investigation. The detective lets them know that nobody is allowed to leave the theatre until the mystery is solved. He also lets them know that "the show must go on" and he doesn't want to interfere with rehearsals or preparations. In fact quite the contrary, he reveals himself to be an avid lover of musical theatre and wants to help them with the show in any way he can.

The play is a witty comedy filled with lots of excellent writing and situational comedy. There are multiple love triangles or secret romances throughout the cast. Eventually things turn darker as blackmail is uncovered and more murders occur. A lot of the humor comes in the strange balancing act of getting the murder mystery solved while also trying to revise the show to make it a success. Especially funny is the way the detective alternates between his desire to solve the crime and his stronger desire to improve on the show and be a part of show business.

This High School production was well cast, well directed, well choreographed and well produced. The show was directed by Jim Christian the theatre professor from a local university. Jim has written and directed shows all over the country and he does a fabulous job. The local High School directors, producers, choreographers and other adult talent also did an excellent job as shown in the overall quality of the show.
Click through for the rest of the post »

Book Review - Beastly

2013-02-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

Beastly is a modern day retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairly tale as told through the perspective of the Beast…a handsome wealthy teenager living in New York City. We've had modern retellings of the story before (there's currently a TV series running and there was another TV show in the ~80s that I recall). In both of those TV shows the Beast was a sort of protector to the Beauty. She in turn was entranced by him and wanted to know more. This book follows much more closely the general outline of the fairy tale. Rather than a physical deformity explained by science, the book starts us out with a handsome boy transformed into a beast by a magic curse placed on him by a witch. Rather than slinking around the city and protecting a beautiful woman, our Beast holes up in his mansion and shuns society eventually kidnapping a beautiful girl to live with him.

Even though the book stays true to many aspects of the original fairy tale, it is evident right from the start that this is a different world. In addition to the normal storyline as told by the Beast, we get interludes before each "section" of the book. In these preludes to each section we read the transcript of an Internet Chat room occupied by people/creatures magically transformed in some way. We've got a bear (?), a frog and a mermaid all chatting with one another and moderated by a (presumably) human psychologist interested in exploring the turmoil these individuals are going through. Part of me found these chat room sessions a little distracting. They were interesting and fun but they were distracting because they didn't have enough meat on their bones. I would have preferred there to be more "chat room" plot or to have them removed entirely. I did discover that this book is going to be part of a series (presumably focusing on the Witch) so perhaps some of the other chat room characters will show up in the other books? I don't know.

I found it very fun to be given the Beast's first person perspective of this fairy tale. We get to spend a while with the Beast BEFORE he is transformed. We attend school with him and see him belittle those who aren't as "perfect" as him. He has a huge superiority complex and is painfully cruel to everyone around him. He smugly manipulates teachers and other students. He shamelessly insults friends and strangers alike. He has no respect for anyone around him. In spite of his superiority complex we see inside his mind and sense twinges of regret and disappointment with his life. He has a severely strained relationship with his father. He has friends at school but he feels like perhaps they're using him for his wealth and popularity. He certainly doesn't feel like they're at the same level as he is and not wholly worth his attention. Even before the curse comes around it is very clear that his life may be full of material wealth and beauty but it is also very hollow.
Click through for the rest of the post »

Book Review - Ender's Game

2013-02-06T06:48:00.000-07:00

For some reason I thought I had read Ender's Game shortly after it first came out. I have vague memories of talking about it excitedly with classmates. Yet as I picked it up and started reading the book recently, it quickly became evident that I either never read the book or I read it so quickly that most of the details had fled my memory. I suspect that I just never read the book. What I do "remember" about the story are small whisps of general plot points which I'm sure I simply "remember" due to various conversations with friends and family over the years. Essentially I knew the very basic plot of the story…that we are sometime in the distant future. Earth has fought of two attacks from an alien threat and they are preparing for what could be the final war of humanity. As part of the preparation, they have created a "Battle School" populated with young kids and training them in strategy, tactics and combat. Ender Wiggins is one of these young children and the story follows his adventure through Battle School and the training games that happen there. That bit of plot is laid out in the book synopsis and was the extent of my "memory" of the novel.

Whether or not I read this previously, I came to the book with fresh eyes. I quickly found myself intrigued by the future Earth presented in the book. The world was comfortable and familiar in many ways. We start the story in middle class America observing a family with sibling squabbles. We're presented with the stress and anxiety of a distant enemy who threatens peace and tranquility from afar. There are some futurific sci-fi elements, but they are simple and well integrated and described in such a way that everything feels very natural. We learn a little about the political unrest both on the planet Earth and across the Galaxy as the world tries to figure out a way to deal with the "buggers."

As we get to know about the family structure of the Wiggins family, we learn about Ender's place in the family. We get to know his violent (almost psychopathic) older brother Peter and his loving older sister Valentine. Ender is picked on mercilessly by his brother. Because Ender is being considered for Battle School, he is constantly monitored. In spite of the monitor, Peter finds devious ways to torture him physically and psychologically. After a time, Ender is told he has been denied for Battle School and his monitor is removed at which point he is subjected to even more physical violence.

Shortly into the book, Ender is summoned to Battle School. It's a surprise to everyone since they'd figured he'd been passed over and didn't have a chance. Due to the current state of affairs, neither Ender nor his family are given any choice in the matter and he is quickly shuttled away. Upon arrival at Battle School everything seems to be stacked against him. Even on the shuttle to the school, Ender is thrown into a situation where he is picked on and forced to defend himself. Once at the school, he is taunted and discriminated against because of his age, his size and his status. He is put into groups where it feels everything is against him. Teachers and leaders refuse to assist him and seem to be proponents for his ostracizing.

The book was structured such that many of the chapters began with a conversation (either written or spoken) between some unseen adults. It's apparent that these adults are leaders of some kind in either government or military capacity. We read as they make plans for Ender and for the coming war. We are never given full insight into their character and the conversations are usually very short and don't show any specific action or motivation. These conversations serve to provide the reader with insights into why Ender is being treated the way he is. We find that Ender's life and situations are being manipulated at a higher scale. Some higher power is working to keep Ender isolated and lonely, to present him with as many difficulties and obstacles as possible. They speakers seem convinced that Ender is the hope for humanity and they have determined that the best "training" he can receive is that of hardship in order to stoke the fire within.

Ender progresses through Battle School frustrated and alone. He slowly makes progress but constantly feels like he is being pulled back just when he should be getting ahead. He slowly associates with some kids who could become his friends but finds that obstacles continue to get in the way of any true friendship. Ender's life is one of endless frustration. And yet, as hoped for by the invisible adult speakers at the beginning of the chapters, Ender's confidence and abilities grow as a result of this forced self-reliance. As time progresses, he shows himself capable again and again. More than capable, he forces himself to excel in defiance of the struggles heaped upon him.

In Battle School, there are two "games" that Ender plays.
Click through for the rest of the post »

Movie Review - Pitch Perfect

2013-02-02T06:59:00.000-07:00

When we first saw the trailer for Pitch Perfect last summer, my wife and I both chuckled. It looked like a super cheesy concept with some decent writing and one-liners. It wasn't appealing enough to warrant a visit to the theater, but now that it's on DVD, we made a rental.

I honestly wasn't expecting too much from this movie. I'm a fan of music performed well. I'm even a fan of acapella music and have a number of CDs from various acapella groups and have been to a couple of concerts. They have a cool sound and it amazes me to see the kind of vocal talent people have. I just wasn't sure the "college acapella circuit" was something that could sustain a full movie.

The movie starts with a scene at the collegiate acapella national championships. You get to see some vocal talent but more than that, you quickly get a feel for the tone of the show. The groups are over-the-top cheesy. Acapella is their entire life and meaning for existence. They are ultra competitive and snarky to one another. The "sportscasters" are hilariously tongue-in-cheek and 'unintentionally' risqué with their comments. And then, to put the icing on the cake, the championship ends with a literal explosion of disgusting hilarity. It caught me unawares and certainly showed that this was going to be an irreverent comedy.

Returning to the college campus, we catch up with the "outsider" who will be our main character. Beca is a music lover who spends her hours mixing music with the dream of being a DJ or music executive in charge of putting together the sickest tracks imaginable. She's caught somewhere between grungy and preppy but definitely leaning towards the loaner side. In spite of all the other clubs and groups out there, she soon finds herself drawn into the acapella crowd. At first it seems she's very reluctantly joining in just as "something to do" to appease her father who insists that she must get involved on campus.

With a new season of acapella competition beginning, the groups hold auditions and it's readily apparent that the choices are limited. There are plenty of people trying out but everybody comes with quirks and eccentricities that come together to create a very ragtag group of singers.
Click through for the rest of the post »

Book Review - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

2013-01-31T18:27:00.000-07:00

Through my childhood I watched the MGM movie, The Wizard of Oz dozens of times. I think I may have seen part of an animated version at some time as well. My mom had copies of the various Oz books around the house and I thumbed through a couple of them to look at the strange illustrations from time to time but I never bothered to actually read any of them. So I finally decided it was time to read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Going in, I knew there were going to be differences from the movie. That's to be expected. I'd been told once long ago that Dorothy's magic slippers were silver in the book and not ruby and that the choice of silver was some social commentary on the plight of the poor or something. But I was surprised at the vast number of differences as I started reading. The first difference was the fact that so little happened in Kansas before Dorothy was swept away to Oz. There's no scene of Dorothy pining for something more…for some land over the rainbow. There's no interaction with various farm hands or with a crotchety neighbor lady who especially dislikes Toto. Instead, we get a drab description of the bleak Kansas landscape and then the next thing we know, the house is being lifted away with Dorothy inside.

Once in Oz the differences from the movie just compound. It seems that MGM must have thought that the book had too many characters and adventures. In the book, Dorothy actually interacts with all 4 of the witches of Oz and through her journey she passes through a bunch of different villages and locations meeting many various inhabitants of the land.

Part of me kept anticipating moments from the movie and felt a little disappointed when they didn't happen the way I remember from my childhood. But a larger part of me really enjoyed the depth and variety in the book.

Baum has created a very unique world in the land of Oz. In the movie, we only get to know a few of the inhabitants and only superficially at that. Even though the book is fairly short, we actually get to know quite a few of the denizens of Oz and learn that this place is really very unique. The descriptions and adventures really make Oz a very compelling world. Not having read the book, I was a little skeptical that there would be enough material to warrant the ~dozen sequels. But now that I've read this first one and gotten a feel for Baum's style and creativity, I am really quite excited to read some of the other adventures of Oz and see what else he has in store.

If, like me, you or your kids haven't read the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, you should give it a try. It's a fun whimsical book that's really enjoyable.

4 out of 5 stars

View all of my reviews

Movie Review - Jack Reacher

2013-01-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

I've never read them but my wife has been reading the Jack Reacher books for a while and really enjoying them. So when we heard they were making a movie, she was pretty excited. When she heard that Tom Cruise was cast as the lead, she moaned in dismay. To quote her, "Jack Reacher is huge and intimidating. He has 'hands like hams.' He's not a pretty boy. He's not short. Tom Cruise is NOT Jack Reacher." Not having read the books personally, I had to defer to her judgment which seemed very sound based on her descriptions of Reacher from the book. I don't know the full degree of the backlash but I have heard other Reacher fans with the same basic argument.

When we went to see the movie, my wife tried to push down her frustration and accept Cruise as Reacher and enjoy the film. She admits that it was difficult to do so especially since this was an adaptation of the first book rather than a made-for-screen story. The movie plot was close enough to the book that it kept the book firmly in her mind and served as a reminder that Tom Cruise is not and could never be Jack Reacher.

For my part not having read the book, it was easier for me to ignore the fact that short-pretty-boy Tom Cruise was acting the part of the intimidating bad boy. Still, there were some lines and comments that really didn't fit. For example there's a scene when the police are looking for a man who could have killed a girl with one punch. They ask at Reacher's motel and the desk clerk says it must be Reacher and that when they "see him", they'll know why she assumes that. Frankly, Tom Cruise doesn't look like he could kill anybody with a single punch. There were a number of similar lines that made it clear that even the screenplay was written without Tom Cruise in mind.
Click through for the rest of the post »

Book Review - The Madman's Daughter

2013-01-17T03:51:00.000-07:00

The Madman's Daughter is a new imagining on H.G. Well's's classic novel The Island of Doctor Moreau. I first read Dr. Moreau a few years ago and really enjoyed the book. It's a historical science fiction novel with heavy focus on the science aspect. In Madman's Daughter we get a retelling of the original story but from a new perspective. The book starts out in London and introduces us to a teenage Juliet Moreau, daughter of the famed Dr. Moreau. We learn of Juliet's fall from high society after her father's exile for his experiments. We find her working as a low cleaning woman at the college. She is flailing in poverty and constantly threatened with inappropriate advances and disrespect from those around her. Her life continues to get worse and worse but then one day she finds her father's servant Montgomery. She's known Montgomery since she was a child since he was also a child in her home and was treated by the family somewhere between servant and son.

Juliet persuades Montgomery to take her with him on the return voyage to her father's island. He is very reluctant and warns her of danger but she insists and they take the voyage. The original Dr. Moreau story is narrated from the point of view of a castaway named Edward who was found adrift at sea by Moreau's servants as they return from London. They carried him back to the island with him where he then narrates the original book.

In this book, while Juliet travels on the ship, she provides a narration similar to that of the castaway in the original novel. We learn of her interactions and opinions of Montgomery, her father's other servants, and the strange collection of equipment and animals they carry with them. We are reminded that this novel is aimed at a teenage audience and there are hints of a romantic interest between Juliet and Montgomery, but more of that comes later. As Montgomery and Juliet near the end of their sea voyage, the castaway appears and is brought on board. While we don't get the story from his point of view, many of the actions both on the boat and on the island are similar to the original novel though sometimes they happen to Juliet rather than Edward.
Click through for the rest of the post »

Movie Review - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

2013-01-15T23:34:00.000-07:00

I read The Hobbit many years ago in Junior High School. I remember enjoying the story and having a lot of fun with the adventure though I honestly have few distinct memories from the book (which means it's time for a re-read, I suppose). What I do remember is that The Hobbit is profoundly shorter than The Lord of the Rings book(s). I remember this because although I read The Hobbit, I never did completely read The Lord of the Rings. It just seemed too daunting for me. So when it was revealed that this new live-action movie would span 3 movies, I was frankly a little confused and nervous. I was worried that the pacing and storytelling might feel like it was dragging its feet or filling the scenes with extraneous fluff that didn't really propel the plot. Now that I've seen the first film, I can say that I'm a little less nervous.

Like Peter Jackson's Lord of the Ring movies, The Hobbit does a gorgeous job of rendering the world of Tolkein's Middle Earth in a way that feels natural and real while being vivid and unique. The scenery. The countryside. The costumes. The characters. The entire world is filled with so many subtle and wonderful details that really paint a gorgeous picture (though I was taken a little aback by the portrayal of Hobbit feet…I don't recall them being quite as large in the other movies).

Along with the visuals, the movie has a great soundtrack. The music is entrancing and really helps to draw you into the scene. There's a scene early on (as shown in some of the trailers) of the dwarves singing about their home. The sad harmony is haunting and beautiful. My son just read the book and he's sad to hear that there isn't as much singing in the movie as in the book. I don't recall the songs from the book, so I can't comment either way. Though if they were done as well as the song in Bilbo's home, I would've enjoyed some more.

Since I haven't read the book in a long while, I can't really speak to elements that came from the core story versus things that Jackson pulled in from Tolkein's notes and appendices or wherever else. But what I can say is that the pacing did not feel strained or excessively slowed down. In fact, once we left the Shire, the story seemed to move along at a fairly quick pace. There were a couple of slower scenes where the characters deliberate or narrate various details, but overall we're treated to lots of fairly in-depth action sequences that keep things moving along and keep our heroes in ongoing states of suspense and high alert.
Click through for the rest of the post »

Books Read in 2012

2013-01-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

For the past couple of years, I've kept a running total of books I've read and have had a general goal to try and read 50 books over the course of the year. I generally exclude short picture books or young reader chapter books, but if I feel they're notable enough I'll put them on the list. I fell a little short of 50 books this year but still had a great year of reading and I'm looking forward to another great year.

What did you read in 2012? What are you looking forward to reading in 2013?

Here's the list of what I read in 2012:

I also have a "to read" list on Goodreads but it certainly isn't in any particular order nor does it represent all of the books overflowing on the bookshelves around my house (in many ways the Goodreads list is a wish list for future books and I assume I will always eventually read the books I already have)

What about you?

What are YOU reading?

Book Review - Christmas Jars

2013-01-09T06:53:00.000-07:00

Christmas Jars is an interesting mix between fiction, non-fiction, and inspirational story. The framework of the book centers around the life of a girl named Hope. We learn her story and follow her actions as we turn the pages. But the real story of the book is about the Christmas Jars and their impact on people and families.

We're introduced to Hope when she is found abandoned in a diner on New Years Eve. Her adoptive mother raises Hope without telling her the truth of her discovery for many years. Hope shows an extreme passion for writing and journalism. She works on family papers then school papers and eventually starts working for the city/regional paper at the bottom of the totem pole but with high hopes of a career as a world famous journalist. Then on Christmas Eve (and shortly after the death of her mother), Hope returns home to find herself the victim of an apartment robbery. That night, she also finds a large jar filled with money wishing her an anonymous Merry Christmas. As much as Hope appreciates the gift, the journalist in her takes over and she decides to solve the mystery of "who is the person anonymously delivering jars to people in need?".

The way the fictional story unravels is somewhat interesting but not overly gripping or compelling. Hope investigates stories similar to herself and finds other people who received jars. She interviews a variety of people and eventually stumbles on a family she thinks might be the mysterious do-gooders. Her entire investigative process takes many months and she entwines herself into the lives of the family members and finds a new sense of belonging. The fictional story may not be award winning writing but it does present a heartfelt story with sympathetic (if sometimes predictable or flat) characters.
Click through for the rest of the post »