I saw a blurb online for Joe Hill's A Heart-Shaped Box and had to read it. Now, before you go off googling Mr. Hill, please, for the love of suspense, don't. Don't even look at any articles that have his name in it. I would like you read the book, or even Horns, and make your judgement before you know who he is. And if you know who he is, don't go around telling people.
I, personally, hate that I loved the books. Not because of who he is, but because of some of the subject matter in the books. I just....couldn't get through the books fast enough, and then I was mad when I was finished because, well, I was done with the book. I almost started reading Heart-Shaped Box again immediately. You will notice a trend in his characters, though, if you read both books back to back. Still, I find them worth reading, and keeping. So, if you get a chance, pick them up.
I have started a Kickstarter project. You can view it here.
Also, you have view my updates on my progress on both the Kickstarter funding as well as my progress in the books on my other blog.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
This is one of those perfect examples of how Hollywood completely butchers a book.
When I first saw the movie, I thought it was fantastic. I could not wait to read the book. I thought it would be just like the movie and I would ecstatic at the outcome and everything would be hunky dory.
Now that I've read the book, I'm really mad at the movie. First of all, it's a trilogy: it is followed by Inkspell and finally Inkdeath, which I fully intend to read. Second of all, they mangled the characters. Badly. Not a single character in the book seemed to be portrayed correctly in the movie. The aunt was not skinny and she was bit more brutish. The dad....I kept seeing Brenden Frasier, but it should have been someone else. Capricorn was the worst. He's supposed to be tall and skinny. Tall and skinny!!!
I loved the book. I started it over a month ago and just finished a few days ago. I chewed it slowly, enjoying it because it was a book about books and about people who collected books, fixed books, loved books, wrote books....came out of books... It was my dream book. I am going to place it next to The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Actually, my goal is to have an entire bookshelf dedicated to the Inkheart Trilogy: have a nice copy of every book quoted in them, plus the 3.
A bit much? Well, I can be mildly OCD at times. I'm okay with that.
I also want a box just like Meggie had. I will go to great lengths to have this box made.
It's a fantastic story. I read a lot of reviews about it and how people don't seem to like it as much as the quotes that are in it. In a way, I suppose I somewhat agree. The idea of the book was perfection on paper. I think having that idea in one's head would make any attempt at writing the story seem feeble. But if one can get over the idea of a perfect book about books, then one might appreciate it more.
Highly recommended, especially for those of you, like me, who like fairy tales, happy endings, and know your literature!! Children's literature, that is.
I wish Funke had held out a few more years until the age of the Trilogy hit Hollywood. We could have had 3 movies instead of just one, and maybe the characters would have lived up to themselves. But if you have not seen the movie, read the entire trilogy first, that way you're not overwhelmed with images of Brenden Frasier and Paul Bettany while you're reading it.
Also, I may have to rewatch the movie, but I don't remember Mortola being in it, either... Hmm. And...the movie was missing fairies, trolls, glass men, and Tinker Bell!! The book was way more entertaining.
That's that.
When I first saw the movie, I thought it was fantastic. I could not wait to read the book. I thought it would be just like the movie and I would ecstatic at the outcome and everything would be hunky dory.
Now that I've read the book, I'm really mad at the movie. First of all, it's a trilogy: it is followed by Inkspell and finally Inkdeath, which I fully intend to read. Second of all, they mangled the characters. Badly. Not a single character in the book seemed to be portrayed correctly in the movie. The aunt was not skinny and she was bit more brutish. The dad....I kept seeing Brenden Frasier, but it should have been someone else. Capricorn was the worst. He's supposed to be tall and skinny. Tall and skinny!!!
I loved the book. I started it over a month ago and just finished a few days ago. I chewed it slowly, enjoying it because it was a book about books and about people who collected books, fixed books, loved books, wrote books....came out of books... It was my dream book. I am going to place it next to The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Actually, my goal is to have an entire bookshelf dedicated to the Inkheart Trilogy: have a nice copy of every book quoted in them, plus the 3.
A bit much? Well, I can be mildly OCD at times. I'm okay with that.
I also want a box just like Meggie had. I will go to great lengths to have this box made.
It's a fantastic story. I read a lot of reviews about it and how people don't seem to like it as much as the quotes that are in it. In a way, I suppose I somewhat agree. The idea of the book was perfection on paper. I think having that idea in one's head would make any attempt at writing the story seem feeble. But if one can get over the idea of a perfect book about books, then one might appreciate it more.
Highly recommended, especially for those of you, like me, who like fairy tales, happy endings, and know your literature!! Children's literature, that is.
I wish Funke had held out a few more years until the age of the Trilogy hit Hollywood. We could have had 3 movies instead of just one, and maybe the characters would have lived up to themselves. But if you have not seen the movie, read the entire trilogy first, that way you're not overwhelmed with images of Brenden Frasier and Paul Bettany while you're reading it.
Also, I may have to rewatch the movie, but I don't remember Mortola being in it, either... Hmm. And...the movie was missing fairies, trolls, glass men, and Tinker Bell!! The book was way more entertaining.
That's that.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
To Judge a Book: 7: Until Proven Guilty by J. A. Jance
I saw this book for 99cents at barnesandnoble.com for the nook, and I see the name a lot but have never read any of this author's books, so I got it.
I have to say I was mildly impressed by the whodunnit-detective story. The overall plot theme was interesting, especially considering the real-life stories it reminds me of.
It is a short story, too, weighing in at a lightweight 209 pages on the nook, so I finished it rather quickly, even though I read it leisurely.
The main character, Detective J. P. Beaumont, though he hates the initials for personal reasons we find out later in the story, is investigating the death of a six-year-old girl with his new partner, Peters.
The situation is this: the mother took the girl and they left the father in Chicago after having joined what basically amounts to a cult-like church in which the leader is incredibly controlling, psychotic, demented, sadistic loser who validates his existence by controlling idiots who can't control themselves.
Then enter the lady in red.
Yes, there is a lady in red.
So you get to know the characters in incredible detail for such a short tale, and connect with them. In addition to the detectives and the mysterious lady, there is also the jerk of a reporter.
The ending...is a killer. By the time you realize who did it, you've been focusing so much on the commotion on your left side that you don't realize the gun is pointed at you from the right.
It was really a good short. But there were quite a few errors as far as punctuation goes, and I wonder if the author or the publisher thought "oh, well, this is just going to be a nearly free book for nook, the reader can deal." That very minute thing, as small as it may be, irked me to no end, and I doubt I will be reading any other J. A. Jance books.
I have to say I was mildly impressed by the whodunnit-detective story. The overall plot theme was interesting, especially considering the real-life stories it reminds me of.
It is a short story, too, weighing in at a lightweight 209 pages on the nook, so I finished it rather quickly, even though I read it leisurely.
The main character, Detective J. P. Beaumont, though he hates the initials for personal reasons we find out later in the story, is investigating the death of a six-year-old girl with his new partner, Peters.
The situation is this: the mother took the girl and they left the father in Chicago after having joined what basically amounts to a cult-like church in which the leader is incredibly controlling, psychotic, demented, sadistic loser who validates his existence by controlling idiots who can't control themselves.
Then enter the lady in red.
Yes, there is a lady in red.
So you get to know the characters in incredible detail for such a short tale, and connect with them. In addition to the detectives and the mysterious lady, there is also the jerk of a reporter.
The ending...is a killer. By the time you realize who did it, you've been focusing so much on the commotion on your left side that you don't realize the gun is pointed at you from the right.
It was really a good short. But there were quite a few errors as far as punctuation goes, and I wonder if the author or the publisher thought "oh, well, this is just going to be a nearly free book for nook, the reader can deal." That very minute thing, as small as it may be, irked me to no end, and I doubt I will be reading any other J. A. Jance books.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
To Judge a Book: 6: Face the Winter Naked by Bonnie Turner...!!Free book for nook alert!!
!!Free nook book alert!!
I downloaded this book for free for my nook at barnesandnoble.com
Once again, I was surprised with a free book.
This is definitely not like the last free book I reviewed, Life, Love and a Polar Bear Tattoo.
This book takes place during the Depression era, and follows a family, Daniel and his wife, LaDaisy while they've been separated. Daniel is a veteran without a job due to the economy who leaves home in search of peace from nightmares, love for himself, and a steady income.
It is a long time coming. During the years that he is away, LaDaisy is left at home with their four children (only 3 of which Daniel knew about) and her father-in-law, Saul.
Daniel meets some interesting characters during his stint as a vagrant, hobo, beggar, or whatever name he happened to be called by various people. He is cheated by a man who hires him. He eats dandelions to survive when there is nothing else.
LaDaisy faces her own problems at home. Her sister, Ida Mae, is pregnant with her first child by a husband she does not know (but thinks she does), her mother is overbearing (whose mother isn't?), her land is ravaged by a tornado, she is trying to make a living by doing laundry and wet-nursing a neighbor baby for the mother who cannot, and she is behind on her rent.
It is a devastating story about what life was like during the Depression, and what life could be like again in the wake of a repeat of history. The connection between the husband and wife, even after the heartbreak and abandonment, is beautiful, as is how all the characters come together in the end - LaDaisy, Daniel, Ida Mae, the mother, the father-in-law, and even a vagrant boy.
This is a must read for people who like historical books, war fiction, Depression fiction, etc.
The author herself was a child of the Depression, born in 1932.
**Content Advisory: foul language, rape scene. My personal suggestion, probably not recommended for children under 18, but can probably be accepted by 16+.
I downloaded this book for free for my nook at barnesandnoble.com
Once again, I was surprised with a free book.
This is definitely not like the last free book I reviewed, Life, Love and a Polar Bear Tattoo.
This book takes place during the Depression era, and follows a family, Daniel and his wife, LaDaisy while they've been separated. Daniel is a veteran without a job due to the economy who leaves home in search of peace from nightmares, love for himself, and a steady income.
It is a long time coming. During the years that he is away, LaDaisy is left at home with their four children (only 3 of which Daniel knew about) and her father-in-law, Saul.
Daniel meets some interesting characters during his stint as a vagrant, hobo, beggar, or whatever name he happened to be called by various people. He is cheated by a man who hires him. He eats dandelions to survive when there is nothing else.
LaDaisy faces her own problems at home. Her sister, Ida Mae, is pregnant with her first child by a husband she does not know (but thinks she does), her mother is overbearing (whose mother isn't?), her land is ravaged by a tornado, she is trying to make a living by doing laundry and wet-nursing a neighbor baby for the mother who cannot, and she is behind on her rent.
It is a devastating story about what life was like during the Depression, and what life could be like again in the wake of a repeat of history. The connection between the husband and wife, even after the heartbreak and abandonment, is beautiful, as is how all the characters come together in the end - LaDaisy, Daniel, Ida Mae, the mother, the father-in-law, and even a vagrant boy.
This is a must read for people who like historical books, war fiction, Depression fiction, etc.
The author herself was a child of the Depression, born in 1932.
**Content Advisory: foul language, rape scene. My personal suggestion, probably not recommended for children under 18, but can probably be accepted by 16+.
To Judge a Book: 5: Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo by Heather Wardell...!!Free book for nook alert!!
!!Free book for nook alert!!
I got this from barnesandnoble.com for free for my nook.
I have to admit, after reading the first page of about fifty free books, I was not expecting much from this book, but it just goes to show, some good things in life do come free. This book is probably not going to be a guy's cup of tea, or thermos of black coffee, but as far as chick-flick type books go, this is the cream of the crop.
It follows the one month separation of Candice and her husband, Ian, while he is away on a business trip overseas. They've had some personal issues following the death of Ian's parents, have grown apart, and Candice intends to use the time that Ian is away to decide whether or not their marriage is worth saving.
This plan however, is derailed when Candice is given a project at work (at a design company) and winds up working in close contact with her first love, Kegan.
Over the course of the month, Candice goes out on some wild nights with her girlfriends, gets a tattoo (which everyone but Kegan said she would not do because she "is not the tattoo type"), gets her first wrap at a spa, gets in close proximity with her ex, misses her husband, and finds out something that could break their marriage apart even if she had not been considering what might have been with her first love.
The author has a great sense of humor, too, and in addition to crying in some part, I was actually laughing out loud and wanting to share certain parts with my husband because they were just so funny.
This is definitely worth reading. Possibly twice.
**Content Advisory: a little cussing, some close-to racy parts, nothing sleazy. Suitable for 16+. This was not a Harlequin romance type novel (thank God).
I do advise this for anyone (guy or girl) who has thought about cheating or leaving their spouse.
I got this from barnesandnoble.com for free for my nook.
I have to admit, after reading the first page of about fifty free books, I was not expecting much from this book, but it just goes to show, some good things in life do come free. This book is probably not going to be a guy's cup of tea, or thermos of black coffee, but as far as chick-flick type books go, this is the cream of the crop.
It follows the one month separation of Candice and her husband, Ian, while he is away on a business trip overseas. They've had some personal issues following the death of Ian's parents, have grown apart, and Candice intends to use the time that Ian is away to decide whether or not their marriage is worth saving.
This plan however, is derailed when Candice is given a project at work (at a design company) and winds up working in close contact with her first love, Kegan.
Over the course of the month, Candice goes out on some wild nights with her girlfriends, gets a tattoo (which everyone but Kegan said she would not do because she "is not the tattoo type"), gets her first wrap at a spa, gets in close proximity with her ex, misses her husband, and finds out something that could break their marriage apart even if she had not been considering what might have been with her first love.
The author has a great sense of humor, too, and in addition to crying in some part, I was actually laughing out loud and wanting to share certain parts with my husband because they were just so funny.
This is definitely worth reading. Possibly twice.
**Content Advisory: a little cussing, some close-to racy parts, nothing sleazy. Suitable for 16+. This was not a Harlequin romance type novel (thank God).
I do advise this for anyone (guy or girl) who has thought about cheating or leaving their spouse.
Friday, March 11, 2011
To Judge a Book: 4: Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer
You may recognize the author's name from the show on History "Decoded." It is a very fascinating show, I assure you. I was impressed with him while watching that show in that he appears to be a very intelligent person not given to fancy with an obsession with getting the facts and not judging based on opinion or rumor.
Indeed, this book definitely adheres to that appearance, with the exception of...his grammar and use of the English language. Don't get me wrong. He does not use words that don't belong in the context, he does not misspell words, he does not use grammar in a way that makes me think maybe he did not graduate high school. What it does do, however, is connect with the average person who doesn't read books all the time. He uses words such as "shouldn't've" and many sentence fragments, but in a way that makes it feel like you're actually reading what a person might say, not what a person should write.
The book makes a direct connectiong with many historical figures/groups that, until I read that book, would never have put into the same thought. From Cain (yes, Cain who killed his brother Abel) to the Nazi regime to the Thule leadership to the creators of the Superman comic to the KKK, this book has the perfect recipe for conspiracy theory. In fact, if I were ever tempted to start viewing the world in a "they're-out-to-get-me-why-can't-you-understand-that?!?!" sort of way, it was while I was reading this book. Meltzer does not only make it entertaining, he makes it believable. He ties everything together seamlessly.
The emotional story here is between a man and his long-lost father, and the ordeal that separated them when he was 9 years old. It's a heartbreaking tale, where you understand the anger the boy suffered that carried over into adulthood, and the life that broke the father that makes you understand some of the decisions his father made.
The book does not have a lot of anything that would render it unsuitable for teenage readers, with no sexual content save a kiss, a little violence, and the extent of profanity limited to "ass." The characters even use replacement words such as "fudge."
I found this book in a thrift store, and, having watched Decoded for some time now, had to buy it. As I was going through his list of other books, I discovered I have another one of Meltzer's books on my shelf that I have never taken the time to read. "Book of Fate." So as I write this, I have also started on that one.
My rating for this book: 3 out 5. Why not more? While I applaud Meltzer's appreciation for the average Joe, as I was reading the book I was distracted at points with an internal conflict: is he really as intelligent as he seems? In the end, I decided that he is, indeed, I highly intelligent person who needs guidance in writing novels. But, it did get my boyfriend to actually pick up the book, which is more than I can say for any other book I have thrown at him, including my own.
Indeed, this book definitely adheres to that appearance, with the exception of...his grammar and use of the English language. Don't get me wrong. He does not use words that don't belong in the context, he does not misspell words, he does not use grammar in a way that makes me think maybe he did not graduate high school. What it does do, however, is connect with the average person who doesn't read books all the time. He uses words such as "shouldn't've" and many sentence fragments, but in a way that makes it feel like you're actually reading what a person might say, not what a person should write.
The book makes a direct connectiong with many historical figures/groups that, until I read that book, would never have put into the same thought. From Cain (yes, Cain who killed his brother Abel) to the Nazi regime to the Thule leadership to the creators of the Superman comic to the KKK, this book has the perfect recipe for conspiracy theory. In fact, if I were ever tempted to start viewing the world in a "they're-out-to-get-me-why-can't-you-understand-that?!?!" sort of way, it was while I was reading this book. Meltzer does not only make it entertaining, he makes it believable. He ties everything together seamlessly.
The emotional story here is between a man and his long-lost father, and the ordeal that separated them when he was 9 years old. It's a heartbreaking tale, where you understand the anger the boy suffered that carried over into adulthood, and the life that broke the father that makes you understand some of the decisions his father made.
The book does not have a lot of anything that would render it unsuitable for teenage readers, with no sexual content save a kiss, a little violence, and the extent of profanity limited to "ass." The characters even use replacement words such as "fudge."
I found this book in a thrift store, and, having watched Decoded for some time now, had to buy it. As I was going through his list of other books, I discovered I have another one of Meltzer's books on my shelf that I have never taken the time to read. "Book of Fate." So as I write this, I have also started on that one.
My rating for this book: 3 out 5. Why not more? While I applaud Meltzer's appreciation for the average Joe, as I was reading the book I was distracted at points with an internal conflict: is he really as intelligent as he seems? In the end, I decided that he is, indeed, I highly intelligent person who needs guidance in writing novels. But, it did get my boyfriend to actually pick up the book, which is more than I can say for any other book I have thrown at him, including my own.
Friday, February 11, 2011
To Judge a Book: 3: Thief With No Shadow by Emily Gee
If you are a fantasy fan, like suspense, and appreciate a muted story of romance, this is the novel for you.
It starts off with a wraith on the run....a female thief trying to avoid a man and his hound on her heels. She does not understand how she became known....she is invisible.
The story behind why she is running, what she stole, and where she is going is amazing, heartwrenching. Then there are the creatures - four of them - magical ones for each of the elements, and cruel each in their own way.
The characters are rich and relatable. The wraith and her brother, the man she stole from and his sister, and the stories from which they came, are all amazingly written. The writing is poetic, as well. It is a memorable story, and this is actually the second time I've read it.
P.S. There is treasure. And murder.
It starts off with a wraith on the run....a female thief trying to avoid a man and his hound on her heels. She does not understand how she became known....she is invisible.
The story behind why she is running, what she stole, and where she is going is amazing, heartwrenching. Then there are the creatures - four of them - magical ones for each of the elements, and cruel each in their own way.
The characters are rich and relatable. The wraith and her brother, the man she stole from and his sister, and the stories from which they came, are all amazingly written. The writing is poetic, as well. It is a memorable story, and this is actually the second time I've read it.
P.S. There is treasure. And murder.
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