Paperback Musings

Book Review: Star Trek

2009-07-16T19:08:00.012-04:00

by Alan Dean Foster

The novelization of the new Star Trek movie was very well done. Considering how excellent the movie was, I wasn't surprised to hear the book sold out. It closely followed the events in the movie, with some added scenes and explanations of things that occurred but were not shown in the movie (for instance, apparently Jim Kirk had an older brother, who was the boy seen walking along the dirt road in Iowa during the Corvette scene).

I found it interesting that the book opens with Spock's birth, indicating that he's the hero of the story rather than Captain Kirk. The movie version did make me think Spock played more of a central role and was more pivotal to the plot, but despite the fact that Spock opens the book, Kirk was the undisputed hero, appearing in more scenes, his actions and the consequences of his decisions central to the plot. Though I can't decide which version I like better in their treatment of the two characters, I enjoyed both.

I also loved the space-speak, all the language about weaponry and starships. The author was pretty good at making everything sound believable, and bringing us into that world.

Book Review: The Thirteenth Tale

2009-07-15T22:10:00.020-04:00

Author: Diane Setterfield

Well, wow. You know those books where, after you finish it, you close the back cover, flip it over, and stare into space for a minute or two, trying to absorb what you've just experienced, trying to let it all percolate in your head? Letting the lyrical cadences of the wonderful writing echo back through your mind? This book was just like that. It was also an honest-to-goodness, can't-put-down story.

The Thirteenth Tale, a perfectly delicious gothic mystery, had shades of Wuthering Heights (a strange, sordid family, the Yorkshire moors; as well, the character of Isabelle Angelfield reminded me strongly of Cathy Linton); The Turning of the Screw (a governess caring for two strange children, ghosts), Rebecca, The Secret Garden (again, the wild Yorkshire moors and the theme of gardens for hurting and/or healing), and last but not least, Jane Eyre (madwoman, attic, fire). In fact Bronte's Jane Eyre was such a central theme to the story that it was almost another character, a device used to give the reader clues to the mystery.

It was also fascinating trying to figure out the modern equivalent of the various psychological disorders exhibited by the central characters - the Angelfield family - and how they were dealt with. Equally compelling were the consequences and havoc those disorders wrought.

This was also a book about book lovers, and books. You can hardly go wrong with such a story. And that was exactly what it was - a wonderful, mysterious, dark, eerie, compelling story, written as if you were in the same room as the narrator. Listening to her as she recounted the mysterious occurrences through flashback.

This book had such rich atmosphere, such compelling characters that came alive in the pages, a great plot, and best, a drawn-out mystery that left you hungering to find out exactly what happened.

This one gets an A+.

If you haven't guessed....I like vampire books

2009-05-05T09:32:00.001-04:00

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Every vampire book I have read has been targeted towards teens (or tweens). So I am very used to the sort of romance that one expects in a YA book. Sighing, long stares, a sweet kiss, a take-your-breath-away makeout. This romance also typically includes love at first sight, without any explanation, and a love so intense that each would die without the other. But without any explanation. They would just die.

But I'm fine with that kind of romance and plot, because it's crack and easy to read. That being said, it was finally time for me to dive into a vampire romance meant for adults. I had originally tried to read this book a couple of months ago, but found it difficult to get into. I tried again while on vacation, with much more success.

Our heroine of sorts, Sookie Stackhouse, is a telepathic bar waitress in good ol' Louisiana. She's your regular hottie, but who doesn't know or act like a hottie, because everyone thinks she's a freak due to her "disability." She's got a manwhore brother, a sweet little grandmother, some waitress friends, and a boss who has the hots for her. Oh, and Bill Compton, the vampire that's just returned to the town he used to live in during the Civil War. Cause vampires are "out" and sort of socially accepted.

Obviously, our heroine falls for the vampire. Her first reason? She can't hear his thoughts. So ensues their love story, as she saves him and he falls for her. The only problem with this happy love story is that someone is going around killing bar waitresses who have sex with vampires. Hmm...I think there's someone like that in this story...crap...who was that....oh yeah, Sookie. So the romance storyline weaves into the murder mystery storyline, as someone clearly wants Sookie dead.

Overall, the book was your general brain candy, but a little better than the YA brain candy because these lovebirds actually have sex. And there's none of that fade-to-black junk (*cough* Stephenie Meyer *cough*). My only complaint was some of the jumping around from the narrator's POV. Sometimes it felt like Sookie would be in one place with one thought doing one thing and then the next paragraph without any smooth transition it would be her somewhere else, thinking and doing something else.

I'm planning on reading the next one (like I said, crack) and renting the first season of True Blood (which is based off of the book).

Review of "The Vampire Diaries"

2009-04-25T18:22:00.020-04:00

Alissa lent me The Vampire Diaries series by LJ Smith, of which I finished book 1, The Awakening. There were so, so many similarities to Twilight that I started getting suspicious. And because Diaries was published in 1991, way before the Twilight books were, all I can say is at some point either before or after writing Twilight, Stephenie Meyer must have read Diaries. Maybe that dream she had of the meadow scene between Edward and Bella that she claims started it all was a direct result of reading Diaries right before she went to bed. Because seriously? Suspiciously similar.

High school setting, with protagonist Elena also 17 years old
Extremely hot (vampire) boy who drives expensive car
Love at first sight
Stefan, the vampire protagonist, tries very hard to drink only animal blood
Stefan holds Elena at arms' length because he doesn't want to be tempted to drink her blood and thus put her in danger
Love triangle (granted, this one is between two vampires and not a vampire and a werewolf, but still...)
A scene where Stefan runs around showing Elena how fast and powerful he is, and another scene where Stefan's brother Damon runs around demonstrating to Stefan how fast and powerful he is. Sound familiar?
Stefan, like Edward, has a certain amount of self-loathing about being a vampire because he doesn't want to be a monster
Special vampire powers, like mind-reading
Stefan is from Italy...which made me wonder at the coincidence of Meyer picking Italy as the Volturi home
At least two, if not more, instances of the word "twilight" used in Diaires. Did Meyer get the idea to name her book from this? Because the title "Twilight" has really nothing to do with the story in Twilight, and Edward's explanation that twilight is the safest time for them has never made sense to me. Wouldn't midnight be the safest time for them? Or any point in the day that's full-on darkness?

There were differences between the books, mainly that Stefan is close to 600 years old and not 90 like Edward was. And sunlight actually kills these vampires, instead of merely making them all sparkly. Unlike Bella who was an outcast, Elena is an alpha girl and the Queen Bee of the school. But unlike Twilight, I hated the characters in Diaries. Stefan was devoid of all personality and was a total and complete wimp at the end of the book. He didn't hold a candle to the Edward that Meyer created. But I reserve all my hate towards Elena, who was an amazingly heinous character. She was vain, arrogant, incredibly self-absorbed, manipulative, and so, so full of herself. Urgh.

They are shooting the TV pilot right now in Vancouver for CW (the coincidences are just remarkable, as New Moon is filming there right now as well), but I'm torn on whether I'll watch it or not. I do want to make a point that my Twilight love remains firmly unshaken, but I am wondering...

REVIEW: The Silent Man by Alex Berenson

2009-02-28T16:29:00.005-05:00

So the love affair continues between me and Alex Berenson. No, not THAT kind of love affair. The I-continue-to-love-his-books kind. See, I was recently burned by an author who I long ago fanned, and the feeling of betrayal was as acute as if she was a longtime friend in real life and she told me she'd become besties with the girl who bullied me in high school.

Anyway, back to Senor Berenson: His most recent book, The Silent Man, came out early this month. A short plot synopsis thusly:

We continue where we left off (this is book 3, I forgot to mention) in the life of CIA spy John Wells who is now trying to live a domestic life with his domestic partner. Of course Mr. Wells finds all this domestication intolerable, but he gamely attempts to chug along despite some lingering PTSD and a sense that he still has some contributions to make in the fight against al Qaeda.

Naturally the bad guys couldn't leave well enough alone. In this world of pseudo-domesticated bliss, they ambush Mr. & Ms. Wells' convoy to work and nearly kill our intrepid hero's significant other. Of course that just won't do. Despite warnings of dire consequences, Wells tries to get revenge. He fails, but it turns out his attempt and subsequent failure make the real bad guys scared shitless enough that they offer him a carrot. And thus the plot to stop a nuclear bomb from detonating in D.C. ensues.

Good shit all around.

And now, for the review:

THINGS I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Roland. I like it when my hero gets to act out his inner bad guy. I can just picture Wells in this persona -- all black Armani and dark sunglasses and sexy as hell. And don't forget about that accent.

The humor. Best parts of the book all involved something funny -- Ellis rescuing Wells at the airport after the revenge trip, Ellis giving Wells shit for not buying Jen a ring, Ellis Googling the Penn State women's soccer team in the middle of a tense chase scene. Actually, come to think of it, one of the best things about this book is...

Ellis. Love this guy. Does he deliberately spill ketchup on his suits? Is that absentminded persona real or fake? Things that make you go hmmmmm...

The bad guys. Great backstories, believable motivations.

The freaking plot. My gawd, this book scared the living shit out of me because everything sounded real. It's like Two Bad Guy manuals in one: "How to Steal Two Nuclear Bombs From a Top Secret Russian Weapons Depot," and "How to Make a Nuclear Bomb 101." The best part about all this technospeak is that it was so clear and compelling and believable it didn't make me want to skim over, unlike Clancy.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK:

I read a review of TSM where the author said that Berenson said the story this time around is about revenge. I said, "Uh oh." A lot of revenge stories are also lone wolf stories. You know, the kind where the hero, against all sane advice, goes after the killer/perp, endangering not just himself but also the mission and those around him. Yes, Wells did go off on a revenge trip, but he failed (good thing). AND, best of all, his bosses end up sanctioning his mission and gets the power and support of the CIA without dangling by his lonesome.

The ending. I know Berenson is setting me up for a 4th book, but man! The mission is successful, but the man is broken. John better get some lovin soon. And I don't even mind that it might be from Ms. Universe.

The doctor's death. Poor guy. I thought this character's purpose all along was to be the bridge between the bad guys and the good. That he'll see the error of his ways (which did happen) and he'd be at least partially successful in reaching out to the kaffirs. That his character represented the enlightened, redeemed fundamentalist. But no. He dies after realization but before redemption. When I got to the part of his death, I thought, "what a waste of a good character. He could have been so much more compelling.

BEST LINES IN THE BOOK:

"You really don't know anything about women, do you?"

Ellis to Wells after Wells tells him Jen doesn't want a diamond engagement ring.

"In the desperate weeks to come, [Kowalski] would ask himself more than once whether he would have made a different decision if he hadn't been so damned hungry.

OVERALL RATING: 4.5 out of 5. Loved this book. Fantastic read, pulse-pounding action, great characterization, exciting and believable end-of-world scenario. I highly recommend. But only after you read books 1 (A Faithful Spy) and 2 (The Ghost War).

Way to Pull a George Lucas, Mr. Card

2009-02-10T10:13:00.005-05:00

Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card

You know how franchises sometimes make another movie or a spin-off of something just because the original is wildly popular and want to keep the gravy train rolling? And the newly created entertainment is just a shadow of the original and you wish it wasn't created in the first place? If you're not quite certain what I'm talking about just refer to Episodes I, II, and III of Star Wars and the joke that was the fourth Indiana Jones movie. Or read Ender in Exile.

Now, I am a huge fan of Ender's Game. Seriously, I read that book at least once a year, and right now am rereading the Ender's Shadow series. And so when Ender in Exile came out, of course I had to get it. And while it was nice to extend my time with Ender, and getting to see him grow a little older (sort of), there were numerous issues with book that led me to not enjoying it as much as I hoped:

1. Valentine (Ender's sister) has become exceptionally whiny and overbearing.
2. Part of what made Ender so wonderful was his ability to love and understand before ultimately destroying something. In Exile, his characterization is a shell of that. It's fairly one dimensional.
3. The climax of the story is completely abrupt and random.
4. Exile is supposed to directly follow Ender's Game, in fact, there's even some overlap. However, if you hadn't read the Ender's Shadow series (I have) or the Speaker for the Dead series (I haven't, but plan to), which are both divergent continuations of Ender's Game, you will get massively confused. Kind of like reading that sentence. Card assumes his readers have detailed knowledge of those two series and refers to events that occur in them constantly. But his reference to the events are not clear and would be impossible to follow if his readers actually read Exile right after Game, without reading the original follow-up series.
5. Too much talk, very little action. I've become very aware of this trap since Twilight, and Card fell into it. And the brief moment of action, the climax, was so jarring from the rest of the novel because there had been no set up for that flow.

So do yourself a favor, don't watch Episodes I, II, and III of Star Wars, the fourth installment of Indiana Jones, and don't read Ender in Exile. Stick with the originals.

Review of "With the MD...At the Altar?"

2009-02-08T13:20:00.014-05:00

Title: With The M.D...At The Altar? (Curse of Raven's Cliff)
Author: Jessica Andersen

This is the first book in the series called Curse of Raven's Cliff, and I must say, "With the MD...At the Altar?" has got to the the stupidest title ever. Looking at the title and the cover gives you the impression of a hokey category romance where the girl is obviously putting out so she can snag herself a rich doctor husband. Nothing can be further from the real story. This book is actually a medical crime mystery set in a gothic seaside town complete with mysterious lighthouses, haunted monasteries, and curses.

The heroine is the town doctor trying to battle an outbreak among the townspeople, some of whom turn very violent and murderous. Enter the hero, also a doctor, but who works for the CDC. He has arrived to help the heroine figure out what's causing the epidemic and find a cure. He and the heroine also have a history - they used to be an item when they worked together in rescue medicine in various developing countries in the past.

The mystery was interesting, the writing was solid, but the characters were so bland that if you notice, I don't even remember their names and have to refer to them as "hero" and "heroine" for this review. The hero is supposed to be this hotshot hot stuff, but he had no personality whatsoever. I also found both the hero and heroine's motivations to be contrived and forced, and when I finally found out what the reasons were that had kept them apart all these years, I was like, "so what? That's been the problem this whole time? Eh." Also, when they finally got together for teh secks, I was was so bored that I actually skipped ahead. No chemistry to speak of between these two.

And, because this is part of a series, the mystery wasn't resolved, which pissed me off. Hello, who was the killer?! I devote time to read through this book and get no payoff? Blah!

Grade: B-

Sound familiar?

2009-02-07T17:04:00.006-05:00

I don't know about you, but the heroine in this new book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips sounds like it's been modeled after Jennifer Aniston.

How did this happen? Georgie York, once the costar of America's favorite television sitcom, has been publicly abandoned by her famous husband, her film career has tanked, her father is driving her crazy, and her public image as a spunky heroine is taking a serious beating. What should a down-on-her-luck actress do? Not go to Vegas ... not run into her detestable former costar, dreamboat-from-hell Bramwell Shepard ... and not get caught up in an ugly incident that leads to a calamitous elopement. Before she knows it, Georgie has a fake marriage, a fake husband, and maybe (or not) a fake sex life. It's a paparazzi free-for-all, and Georgie's nonsupporting cast doesn't help. There's Bram's punk-nightmare housekeeper, Georgie's own pushy parent, a suck-up agent, an icy studio head with a private agenda, and her ex-husband's new wife, who can't get enough of doing good deeds and saving the world--the bitch. As for Georgie's leading man, Bram's giving the performance of his life, but he's never cared about anyone except himself, and it's not exactly clear why. Two enemies find themselves working without a script in a town where the spotlight shines bright ... and where the strongest emotions can wear startling disguises.

It's too bad I despise Jennifer Aniston, because if it weren't for that, I would totally read this book!

Review of "The Lost Tomb"

2009-01-28T22:15:00.021-05:00

Title: The Lost Tomb
Author: David Gibbins

So, in the space of one week in this crazy book (a sort of DaVinci Code meets Raiders of the Lost Ark), the hero, Jack, and his merry band of protagonists went here and found these:

St. Paul's shipwreck off the coast of Naples, along with priceless wine amphoras and ingots that were, of course, historical breakthroughs.
Emperor Claudius' intact and complete library at Herculaneum, miraculously preserved from under the pyroclastic flow of Vesuvius' eruption in AD 79.
The actual skeleton of an actual Vestal Virgin sitting on a throne underneath Palatine Hill in Rome, in what is strongly hinted at to be the Lupercale, aka the cave where Remus and Romulus were nursed by a she-wolf.
Boudica's tomb in London (Boudica the British warrior-queen), with intact skeleton and intact artifacts from the Iron Age surrounding her, along with the actual cylinder containing the long-lost Gospel of Jesus Christ himself.
The actual location of Jesus' tomb underneath the Holy Sepulchre church in Israel.

Forgive me if I seem to be rolling my eyes literally and figuratively as I list these items - each discovery becoming more and more fantastic as the story develops - but come on. Look, I realize this is a fictional novel that's supposed to be fun and fantastical, but there comes a point where it becomes so fantastical as to be ridiculous and unbelievable and makes my head explode. What a real archaeologist wouldn't give to discover and experience even a fraction of what Jack and Company discovered and experienced in one week - which is exactly my point. They discovered all five of those things listed up there, in one week?

I also feel like we flitted and hopped from one fantastic location to the next, from one great discovery to the next, without taking the time to savor the discovery. I would've loved to spend a few more chapters exploring Claudius' library at Herculaneum and see the characters do some actual archaeology instead of stealing artifacts in pursuit of a treasure. No digging, no sifting, no wall profiling, no cataloging, no attempts at preserving the provenance of the artifacts - things essential to good scholarship and good archaeology. I understand these things probably would make for a boring novel, but at least make an attempt at reality. It seems to me like Jack took shortcuts everywhere he went in his single-minded pursuit of the solution to the mystery by diving through tunnels and sewers and then tomb-raiding some of the sites. No attempts were made at doing meticulous science and research. These ticked me off.

But what really ticked me off, though, was the treatment of the villain, who we don't actually meet until several chapters on. And then he doesn't appear again until near the end. For a large part of the book, until all is revealed at the end, the villain's motivations were unconvincing and bewildering at best, contrived at worst. What's more, Gibbins kept referring to the villain's "henchmen" - can you say trite cliche, anyone? Who uses "henchmen" anymore outside of comic books? I kept imagining the villain at the end going, "If it weren't for those pesky kids...!" in the manner of Scooby Doo.

When we finally see what's contained in the Gospel of Jesus, it does help to explain why the villain doesn't want the contents revealed and would do anything to hide it from the world. I also understood how this Gospel would change the course of the Catholic church. Having said all that, the contents were still kind of...lame. That's what Jesus chose to reveal? It made sense as far as motivation for the characters, but as far as Jesus revealing some great, great truth about the world, it was...meh.

Aaand this is why this book took me almost four months - four - to finish. I'm a fast reader and never take this long to finish one book. But wow, this was really hard to get through. And I love archaeology mysteries, so that's saying a lot. I felt like the dialogue was just prop - Gibbins had lots of lazy writing, like the extensive reliance on italics to convey awe or delight or disbelief. He also peppered his narrative with cliches to convey feelings. Seriously, how much more can Jack's heart "pound" with excitement?

But, I will say this. Going to the sites and reading the background history of each was a delight, and loads of fun. I did love that part. The book opens on the eve of the Vesuvius eruption and for Gibbins to put the reader right there, in the heart of the action, was brilliant. I enjoyed reading about Boudica's rebellion and the history of St. Lawrence Jewry in London, I loved imagining what the Villa of the Papyri looked like in AD 79 and picturing in my head the Lupercale. It was great to pretend how I would feel if I discovered the long-lost Latin library as an archaeologist. I enjoyed reading aboout the warring monks inside the Holy Sepulchre. These things were what saved the book. The armchair archaeologist in me really enjoyed those parts of the story, and were the main reason I picked up this book in the first place. I only wished there were more of them.

Grade: C

Tried and True

2009-01-12T14:51:00.002-05:00

She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb

I actually read this book several weeks ago. However, due to the lack of a computer or internet, I haven't been able to post my thoughts on the novel. And since so much time has passed since I read the book (and I've reread several books in between) my exact thoughts are a little fuzzy.

I can say this: this book was good and a much more enjoyable read than I Know This Much is True. And in retrospect, I don't think I Know This Much is True is as well written as I had originally believed.

The main character, Dolores Price, experiences several traumas in her childhood (leaving it vague so you'll take the time to read it) and grows up to be a fat and angry young woman. It is a lot easier to like, or at least sympathize for, the main character. And despite her faults, of which there are plenty, you still root for her. The rest of the novel follows her through her attempts to heal herself and fix her life.

Lamb also has some plot twists that he seem to like to use over and over. Mainly someone being "crazy," sexual assault, the therapy process, family. And it's interesting to me that this novel precedes I Know This Much is True, because he explores each of these themes far better in the eyes of his narrator than in his second novel. It seems as though his recent novel (his third) also explores these themes, which makes me wary of stepping into his work again. Thus far, his first attempt at weaving and exploring those paths have been good, the second alright. I doubt I'll read the third, cause as far as I'm concerned, he's beating a dead horse.

I just can't help but wonder what Wally Lamb has been through in his own life.

Favorite Books

2008-12-03T10:33:00.005-05:00

1. Fiction: Ok, we already know my favorite book of all time is Ender's Game, so I'll pick a different book. Carrie by Stephen King. It was the first Stephen King novel I read and it led me to read only Stephen King for a period in middle school. Except for Nightmares and Dreamscapes, which I kept under my bed because it scared me so badly. It was easy to (sort of) connect with a character that gets picked on and mistreated, who falls for a boy she could never have, etc. And then she turns all evil and gets sweet revenge.

2. Nonfiction: I like memoirs a lot, so this one is tough. So I'm gonna stick with the last memoir that I read that really struck me: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. Thoroughly depressing from an adult standpoint, but an excellent portrait of resilience in children. Also it's not an overly "woe-is-me" memoir, as Walls points out the things that were good and happy despite the hard times her family was constantly entrenched in.

3. Autobiography: Errr....I hate autobiographies. But I do have Mark Twain's on my to-read list. Only because he's brilliant and witty.

4. My choice: So a couple of weekends ago I went frantic because I couldn't find these books I used to read in middle school. And gloriously, they were found (in a random box, in a random room) and out of nostalgia I've started reading them again. Before there was Twilight and Stephenie Meyer, there was The Last Vampire by Christopher Pike (6 books) and Secret Circle (3 books) and Night World (9 books) by L.J. Smith. Vampires! Witches! Werewolves! Soulmates! Smith's work tended to be more chaste, while Pike's series dealt with more heavy duty stuff as in AIDS and sex. So yeah, I didn't pick a single book for this option, but each of these books are short enough for several to be read in a single day.

REVIEW: Vince Flynn's Extreme Measures

2008-12-01T10:33:00.009-05:00

DESCRIPTION:

In the continuation of Vince Flynn's popular Mitch Rapp series, rogue al Qaeda operatives enter the U.S. with the intention of suicide bombing some high-value, low-security targets. Mitch actually plays a backseat to a newish character, family man Mike Nash.

REVIEW:

Although I highly enjoyed this book, I have a feeling that if it weren't for the fact that (a) it had quite a bit of humor in it, and (b) the protagonist ISN'T Mitch Rapp, I'd probably forget about it in another few weeks. As it was, I really, really enjoyed reading about new hero Mike Nash. The touches of family life Flynn included in the book were very entertaining. It really made this particular story stand out and gave the new character of Nash his own distinct identity apart from Mitch.

As for the story itself, it was vintage Flynn through and through. Fast moving and tight, it had great villains and awesome supporting characters. I loved the way he got into the minds of the terrorists and even moreso loved it that the lead female antagonist wasn't a ho (unlike one of Brad Thor's characters). I liked it that she was redeemed in the end. Really enjoyed her story arc.

Speaking of arcs, I was a tad disappointed that Flynn didn't move Mitch's arc any. After his Separation of Power, I've been in constant search for the return of the Donatella Rahn character. Sadly, my wait must continue. I did like it that CIA director Kennedy has become less cool and more flappable with age, though. And that she went out on a date.

I think what I enjoyed most about this novel is the way it presented such a complete picture of what happens in my town, Washington, D.C. Flynn has an amazing eye for detail, from the streets and landmarks in the story, to the way the Senate chambers operate and how the Judiciary Committee meeting room is totally secure. I did not know that.

I'm happy to say that Flynn, unlike Brockmann and Thor, did not disappoint and continue to be on my AutoBuy list. Extreme Measures dazzled and, more importantly, entertained.

KARMELA RATING SYSTEM (out of 4):

An Exception to the Rule

2008-11-25T09:39:00.003-05:00

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Let me start with this: I loved the movie Stardust. I rented it on a whim one weekend and ended up watching it 3 times. Within a 48 hour time span. I loved the storyline, the characters, the arc, the costumes, the magic. I've seen it several more times since, telling my friends what a fantastic movie it was.

So I can't help but wonder how on earth they managed to create such a whimsical movie from such a flat book. Usually, movies fail to capture the essence of a great book (Harry Potter, Running with Scissors, um just about every book-turned-movie ever).

In the novel, like in the movie, our hero is Tristran (well in the movie, he's Tristan because Tristran is a mouthful) Thorn. A sweet, lovestruck, and simple farm boy who lives in Wall. The town is called Wall due to the existence of just that, a giant wall separating the "real" world from the Faerie world. There is one gap in this wall, and it is constantly guarded by men from the town, to prevent anyone from going over into Faerie. Except every nine years there is a very special market, where people from Wall and all over go into Faerie to buy magical things.

It's this market that leads to Tristran's existence, and then we fast forward to his 18th year. He's in love with a vain young woman, Victoria, and in his attempt to gain her love, he promises to find a fallen star for her and bring it back. Where did the star fall? Faerie, of course.

It's these events in the movie that lead to the adventure that Tristran takes in finding the star, a woman called Yvain, and bringing her back to Wall. A number of (exciting) obstacles occur on his way home, and the trip leads him to discover himself, his capabilities, and his true love.

In the book, not so much. The action that was breathtaking and exciting in the movie barely existed in the book. The love story between Tristran and Yvain is hardly developed in the novel. The depth of the characters is barely explored in the book. And the ending is so unriveting that it doesn't hold a candle to the movie's edge-of-your-seat finale. In all, despite the fanciful idea of the Faerie world, Gaiman hardly explored or described all the incredible things he could have thought up. Even the story arc fell flat, with the typical climactic event falling short.

So if you want an enjoyable way to spend your afternoon or evening, go rent Stardust. It'll just be better that way.

Er, no ugly heroes, please

2008-11-23T20:02:00.006-05:00

Title: To Seduce A Sinner
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt

Ookay, so I know this is not - I repeat not - the archaeology mystery that I am currently reading, but I saw this book when I was browsing through Amazon and it distracted me. I read the synopsis and reviews and was immediately intrigued by the originality of the plot - also, I confess that I am a sucker for stories about unrequited love and stories about marriages of convenience (especially in the historical genre), and it so happened that this book had both.

The heroine was interesting, so I'll start with her. On the surface, Melissande Fleming is the classic historical romance spinster, firmly on the shelf at age 28, and as dry, prim, and colorless as they come. She has been in love with the hero, Jasper Renshaw (a viscount) for nigh on six years, but he has never noticed her in that time, nor remember her name. The story opens as he is in the midst of getting jilted at the altar, and we encounter our first surprise: the heroine proposes to him. She figures this is her last chance at happiness with the man she's always loved, but she keeps her love for him a closely-guarded secret (among her other closely guarded secrets). And as we delve deeper into the story, we discover other really surprising facets about her that break the typical historical romance heroine mold (which is a big part of why she turns out to be pretty interesting). We also find out that she's actually not as colorless and humorless and boring as first presented, but is witty, warm, and very intelligent.

The reviews on Amazon gave me high hopes for Jasper at first - he sounded simply wonderful - a gentle man with a great sense of humor who eventually gives Melissande the courage to confess her love for him. But in reality, I wasn't sure I was as enamored of the hero after all. He did have a great sense of humor - very endearing, in fact - but beyond that, I wasn't as drawn to him as I would have expected. There was something lacking...a certain chemistry, a charisma...that didn't make me fall in love with him. And it didn't help that the author seemed to imply - at least from her description - that he wasn't all that attractive. I'm sorry, but I can't have the heroes of my romance novels running around being ugly. It just doesn't do it for me. On the upside, he was pretty ripped, so that at least helped, especially during the pivotal secks scenes.

There was also a mystery sub-plot having to do with Jasper looking for a traitor who betrayed his regiment during the French and Indian Wars in the Colonies, and this part reminded me a little of Last of the Mohicans, especially as Jasper recounted the torture he endured. It was interesting seeing that war from the British point of view.

Which brings me to another point - the setting for this story was in 1765, but you would hardly know it from the descriptions - or lack thereof - of the time period. There were no little details that are crucial in putting us into the setting - the story lacked an atmosphere. We could just as well have been in 1815 as 1765. And that's a problem.

Overall, though, this was a solid read. The writing was good. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either, and I would probably pick up this author again.

My Favorite Books

2008-11-20T09:17:00.004-05:00

My turn. Favorite books in fiction, nonfiction, autobiography and my choice. Aside: I've never read any of Hazel's books below, not even Little Women. Here's my list:

1. Fiction: Hmmmm...the choice is endless! How to pick just one book? Okay, if I use Hazel's category of picking a book that has stayed with me over the years, I would have to pick this:

My favorite genre is romantic spy novels and this one is probably the best one I've read. It had Action! Adventure! Exotic locales! Hot sex! Hot heroines and even hotter heroes! Plus a scene toward the end that was so vivid and real and torturous I will never ever forget it.

2. Nonfiction: This book is a memoir, which is sort of the same as an autobiography, but different. A memoir tells a specific story about someone's life; an autobiography is someone's life story. For my favorite nonfiction title, this wins hands-down mostly because a lot of the scary-assed shit Anonymous talks about is happening right in my backyard.

3. Autobiography: Another no-brainer for me. This book is absolutely gripping.

4. My choice: A book that I can read over and over again? I guess it would have to be this one:

The final scene of this book, a takedown of Saddam Hussein's nuclear test facility, was absolutely riveting. I couldn't put it down. A very close runner up is...

...which involved a terrorist infiltration of the White House. It was ah-mazing.

Favorite Books

2008-11-19T23:30:00.011-05:00

I swear, I am reading as fast as I can on my current book (hint: an archaeology mystery!) but in the meanwhile, I saw this fun book post from Protege and I wanted to do one too.

I am supposed to list a favorite book in each category of fiction, non-fiction, autobiography, and then any genre.

Fiction: Oooh, this is a hard one - I love all kinds of fiction, and I have so many favorites (including, of course, the Series That Shall Not Be Named). I guess it would be cheating to make a whole list, so I'll go with Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. A classic from childhood, it stayed with me all these years and I still remember the magical experience I had living in the world of the March family.

Non-fiction: A Night to Remember by Walter Lord.

I don't read much non-fiction, but I did read this during the height of my Titanic obsession (which abruptly ended when it was ruined by that awful Leonardo diCRAPio movie). This book was haunting.

Autobiography: Ugh. I hate reading autobiographies. Come to think of it, I don't think I've really read any. Or if I had, I don't remember. Biographies I can do sometimes, but autobiographies just seem so self-important. However, there is one that I've been wanting to read for the past year, but have not yet gotten around to it - Benazir Bhutto's Daughter of Destiny.

Any genre: I was torn between choosing sci-fi or romance, and I think this time around romance has the edge. Night of Sin by Julia Ross is one of the best romance books I've read (and I've read many). The writing was absolutely lovely - lyrical, precise, mesmerizing, elegant. The setting was incredibly lush and the characters endearing. Oh, and teh secks was pretty hot, too.

A Book Review!!!

2008-11-13T14:19:00.006-05:00

At last! I did it! I finished reading I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb. Whew.

The novel places us in the viewpoint of Dominick Birdsey, a 40something from Connecticut with a twin. At the time we're introduced to him we learn a number of things: his twin is a schizophrenic, his mother has passed away, the man who raised him is his stepfather, and he has no clue who his biological father is. Each of these things are a source of stress, and oftentimes anger, for our narrator. The most trying aspect that we first face is his brother Thomas, and it is Thomas's actions from the beginning of the novel that propel us through. Importantly, Thomas's actions eventually lead Dominick to speak with Thomas's therapist (Dr. Patel), which then lets us into the world Dominick and Thomas grew up in and begins the weaving of past and present.

There are a number of issues tackled in the novel, from mental health and its stigma, the definitions of family, rape, war (the novel occurs during the Gulf War), life, death, homosexuality, and racism. Seriously, this book had every hard hitting issue imaginable. But Lamb eloquently wove each theme into the next.

The big thing that I can easily see readers getting irritated with is Dominick's general "woe is me" attitude. In fact, he once called it the "Dominick Birdsey Museum of Pain and Misery." It's not hard to understand how he got this attitude, what with the whole being responsible for his brother, having an abusive stepfather, losing close family members, getting divorced, and generally not being where he thought he would be at his age. There's a bit of complaining, tears and self-pity, and a whole lotta anger.

Being the nitpicky person that I am, I was really, really happy that Lamb did some serious research on the topic of schizophrenia, therapy, and the trajectory and changes of treatment over the years. It's because of the therapy process that Lamb included in the story line that I can't complain about one of the things I typically hate in books: random tragic past event memory (RTPEM). You know, the one that appears around half-way in the book to suddenly spice things up. Lamb did a decent job of making the RTPEM fit in and make it seem understandable why we didn't get introduced to it earlier.

There are a number of other plotlines that occur in this book other than Thomas and his schizophrenia. Dominick's relationships with his flaky girlfriend Joy, his ex-wife Dessa, and Ray, his stepfather. Dominick's "white guilt" and his interactions with Ralph Drinkwater (a Native American African-American boy/adult). The past of Dominick and Thomas's mother (Concettina) and the life of the man she idolzed, Papa.

It was an all around moving piece about family. There were a number of tear-jerking passages, and a couple of places where I knew I was supposed to cry but just couldn't. The first person writing made me feel as tired and worn out as Dominick and I just felt numb to some of the events.

It had a few twists (some predictable, quite a few not), but mostly nothing ridiculous. I generally have the problem of predicting the "twist" far in advance, and I didn't with this book. And I was so excited to have finally reached the end, that I didn't even get too pissed about the last chapter being those annoying wrap-up chapters.

Overall, a good yet exhausting read. I'd recommend it if you have the time, energy, and patience.

Now I'm off to read something fluffy and light and happy.

My turn

2008-11-06T22:36:00.007-05:00

I am on page 86 of my current read (hence to be known as the book that is attempting to break the Twilight cycle - but between reading stuff about the coming movie and the elections, I haven't been able to get beyond page 86). I will reveal all here when I finish it.

So in the meantime, as well...

SHORTEST BOOK I'VE READ: Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Gardner. I thought this book would be more clever and funnier than it turned out to be. It was so short I finished it in probably five whole mintues.

LONGEST BOOK I'VE READ: Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell. It's a good thing I already knew how it ended, or else I would have been really pissed, faithfully slogging through all those pages only to be left hanging at the end.

BOOK I'VE READ THE FASTEST: I am usually a fast reader, so it's probably a tossup between a whole bunch of books, but the most recent one is New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. I beat Alissa by 24 hours with her Breaking Dawn.

BOOK I'VE READ THE SLOWEST: My current read as well. I can't get out of page 86. It's a really, really fascinating book and I love the subject matter, but I keep getting distracted. (See: elections, Twilight movie.)

Meme part deux

2008-11-05T15:17:00.003-05:00

Yeah, I Know This Much is True is crazy crazy crazy long. I will hopefully be able to finish it this weekend during the ride to my cousin's wedding in Jerz. So in the meantime...

SHORTEST BOOK I'VE READ: Probs Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen. It's that or one of the Harry Potter "books" that Rowling wrote. Not the actually Harry Potter book, but one of the books she wrote that was one of Harry's schoolbooks.

LONGEST BOOK I'VE READ: The Game of Thrones aka A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin are pretty long. So was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.

BOOK I'VE READ THE FASTEST: Gotta be Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. Less than 48 hours. I wouldn't have mentioned it if I wasn't tagged for this particular meme, so Karmela only has herself to blame.

BOOK I'VE READ THE SLOWEST: There's a number of books that I would have read a lot slower than I did if it wasn't for those readings tests in high school. Let's see, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, Beloved by Toni Morrison, and I want to include The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. Last one is more teach-y, but whatevs I totally hated it.

On a sad note, Michael Crichton passed today. Karmela describes him far more eloquently than I can, so I'll just direct you over to her post.

Short Book Meme

2008-11-03T15:54:00.004-05:00

I swear to god, I'm almost finished with the book I'm reading. In the meantime, here's a book meme:

SHORTEST BOOK I'VE READ: Shopgirl by Steve Martin. Yes, THAT Steve Martin. He also turned it into a movie starring him and Clare Danes, remember that? It was actually pretty good.

LONGEST BOOK I'VE READ: It's a toss-up between The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough, Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, and The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber.

BOOK I'VE READ THE FASTEST: Got to be the latest John Grisham (The Appeal) which took me about 48 hours, although back in my high school/college days I plowed through those Harlequin novels in less than a day.

BOOK I'VE READ THE SLOWEST: Hmmmm...not counting textbooks? I would say my current read, Countdown by Michelle Maddox. But only because I haven't had the time to read lately!

I now tag my co-bloggers Hazel and Alissa.

"You're a Third, turd. You have no rights."

2008-10-28T13:57:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone, I'm Alissa and I lack both a catchy intro and an awesome blog to refer to. I once had a blog where you could have gotten to know my former angsty teenage self, but that was destroyed eons ago (the blog that is, sometimes I still get flashbacks of the teenage angst). So you'll just have to settle for this intro post.

I'm a big reader, and always have been. I purposely carry large purses so I can always stash a book. My general taste is that of the absolute truth or the absolute unbelievable. Which breaks down into memoirs and fantasy/sci fi. But when it comes down to it, I'll read just about anything.

Currently reading: I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb. This book falls neither into the memoir or fantasy/sci fi genres and it's also something my bookclub picked out. I'm halfway through, so the review will have to wait.

Favorite book: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. It contains the line of dialogue that serves as the title of this post.

Last read: The Lazarus Project by Aleksander Hemon

Next to Read: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Have to Defend: Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. Twilight and Eclipse were my favorites of the four books. Twilight because it introduced the world. Eclipse because Bella started to grow up and there was actually a thrill of action from start to finish. And while I recognized the immaturity of Jacob, I appreciated his insistence of Bella making her own (informed) decisions. Plus Jacob rode a motorcycle, which is a pretty good reason for me not to hate him. As for Edward, I was not crazy about his controlling nature, which was painted as "protective." I was much happier with the Edward once he let up on Bella. Oh and then once RPattz was cast in the role. That didn't hurt.

Karmela's In the Hizzouse!

2008-10-28T09:19:00.004-04:00

Okay, Karmela here reporting for book review duty. I actually haven't finished the book I want to review (Michelle Maddox's Countdown), but I just had to post SOMETHING just to get the obnoxious multi-cover jpg images of the *coughvomit* Twilight saga off the top of this blog. Since I haven't finished the book yet, I figured I could introduce myself which is a totally legit order of business.

Let's see...this is my fourth blog. I'm also here, here and here. In the real world I'm a marketing exec in the beleaguered mortgage finance industry, but in the Matrix I'm a writer of kickass novels and a dancer of uncommon virtuosity.

The books I will be reviewing will be totally different than the ~~vomitous~~ selection of my co-bloggers, which will mainly focus on genre novels with tons of sex and violence and shit blowing up. There might be a time when I actually review the exact same book as my co-bloggers will, but only to violently disagree with them. You, dear reader(s), are of course free to weigh in on your opinion. But I promise I won't be reviewing any ~~self-important~~ literary works of fiction, any Oprah book club selections, any books with an unhappy ending, any stories with a wimpy heroine who gets saved by the übermasculine hero, or anything with pedophilia (e.g., see previous Twilight entries) unless of course the pedophiliac is the bad guy who will die a horrific death via a million nasty little cuts with a razor blade. Yes, I watch Law & Order: SVU.

Twilight, revisited

2008-10-27T20:27:00.004-04:00

Of course the start of a new book review blog wouldn't feel complete without me revisiting my current obsession, Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga. My thoughts on these books sound more like stream of consciousness and less like a traditional review, but I wanted to link to them as they describe my thoughts about the books at the time that I was reading them.

You can find my Twilight review here (initial thoughts), here and here (final verdict).

Review of New Moon is here.

My thoughts on Eclipse is a bit on the passionate and emotional side, found here.

And the review for Breaking Dawn is here.

And because I still don't feel like I've said everything I needed to say on this topic, I will say more.

It's hard to tell, even now, which of these four books is my favorite. After a rough start, Twilight turned out to be an extremely exciting book. As I re-read it, and then re-read it again a few more times, I can now appreciate the poignancy, sweetness, and dream-like quality of the first half of the book, which I wasn't keen on at first.

I loved New Moon precisely because I found it to be extremely bittersweet and poignant, even though I hated the fact that Edward was not in a pretty big chunk of the story. The last half - the reunion in Italy, especially - contained several of my favorite scenes in the whole series.

I can say that Eclipse is perhaps my least favorite of the four, because I hated the stupid love triangle. It was driving me insane. Jacob Black's behavior was offensive and annoying, especially in sharp contrast against Edward's nobility, grace, and goodness. However, this book does make up for my annoyances with the scenes of Edward in battle - that was breathtaking; Edward was absolutely breathtaking.

And finally, I loved Breaking Dawn (I hear I am in the minority on this). The wedding and honeymoon scenes were extraordinarily romantic, and I didn't even mind the middle part where Jacob is narrating as much as I thought I would. Jacob's character gradually improves here. But my absolute favorite was the last third of the book when Bella finally awakens to the start of her new vampire life. It was like her personality underwent the same degree of radical change that her physical body went through. She came on her own and stood strong, confident, and an equal to Edward in every way.

And, of course, through it all, the one character that shone above everyone else: Edward Cullen. Clearly I was and still am enthralled by the magic that Meyer created with Edward, and he will go down in literary history as one of the most compelling heroes to ever grace the pages of books. I know he will definitely live on in my imagination for a long, long time.

In the beginning...

2008-10-26T23:12:00.000-04:00

And then there were books.

Welcome to Paperback Musings, site of all things books! The name is a bit misleading because I don't discriminate between paperbacks or hardbacks, it's just that most of the time, given a choice, I prefer paperbacks as they're cheaper and more portable. Unless, of course, it's a book so anticipated that I am unwilling to wait for the paperback. And there have been many of those.

My name is Hazel, and along with my sister Karmela and my sister-in-law Alissa, we'll be reviewing any and all books that interest us. For me, this includes mysteries, romance (I especially love the historical romances), police procedurals, fantasy, paranormal, YA, and the occasional thriller or two.

The three of us will alternate posting reviews as we finish our books.

I hope you find something here that interests you, to induce you to put up your feet and stay awhile.

Happy reading!