21. The Dragon Book

The Dragon Book edited by Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois (Canada ) - (US)

Pages: 433 pgs.
Ages: 15+
Finished: Jan. 7, 2010
First Published: Nov. 3, 2009
Genre: short stories, fantasy
Rating: 4/5

Comments: This collection of 19 never previously unpublished short stories by mostly well-known authors is written for an "all ages" audience, meaning for adults but an acceptable cross-over for older teens. The book is entirely language and s*x free, though the themes keep the book form being suitable for anyone younger. There were a couple of stories I didn't appreciate but for the most part I rated the others 4s or 5s. I really enjoyed that this book of short stories contained one longer almost novella sized story along with several lengthy 30 page stories along with the shorter short stories, making for a wide range of reading, with the longer stories letting the reader become quite involved in the story. I certainly had my appetite whetted for some of the others here I hadn't read before, which was shamefully quite a few. Of the 19 authors, I had heard of 12 (even owning books by most of them), of those 12, alas, I had read only 8. A very engaging collection of stories with an amazing array of dragons: good, bad, those who fly and those who swim, with wings and without, those who breath fire, those who breathe ice. Plus the stories are told from all sorts of points of view including that of the dragon itself. A very enjoyable collection of stories. Recommended!



1. Dragon's Deep by Cecelia Holland - I really enjoyed this story of a fishing village that the Duke visits one day and tells them their taxes are now doubled. Not knowing what else to do they venture into the dangerous waters called "Dragon's Deep" to fish where they are attacked by a dragon and one girl, Perla, is accidentally taken away by the dragon. The story shows that a beast can learn to love through human tenderness and that humans can turn to beasts when they forget human tenderness. 4/5

2. Vici by Naomi Novik - An enjoyable and funny story with a quirky ending set in Ancient Rome of a man presumably sentenced to death when his punishment is to single handedly kill a dragon. Pure luck makes him successful and he comes home rich with the dragon's hoard and an egg, presumably is dead. When the egg hatches the man's life takes a turn for adventure and will never be the same again. Quite humorous while rather violent at the same time. 4/5

3. Bob Choi's Last Job by Jonathan Stroud - A dragon hunter goes out on a hunt has an encounter with a couple of dragons. Didn't really get this one. Well, I "got" it but wasn't that entertained. 2/5

4. Are You Afflicted with Dragons? by Kage Baker - This was a fun, clever romp of a man who owns a seaside hotel and has a bunch of small dragons come to roost on his roof. After trying the usual pest control measure for ridding oneself of these wyrmin pests he encounters a man who specializes in the job and promises to rid him of his troubles forever. A clever, humorous tale. 4/5

5. The Tsar's Dragons by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple - Much longer than the other stories at 35 pages this is the story of the beginnings of the Russian Revolution and the repeated attempts to kill Rasputin. Dragon's are in the story but don't really come into play until the end, when the Tsar's black and the revolutionaries red dragons are leashed upon the world. The dragons have a more metaphorical place in this story of empire vs communism. 3/5

6. The Dragon of Direfell by Liz Williams - I really enjoyed this story of a mage who has been hired by a small Dukedom to rid itself of a worm-like dragon wrapped around a mountain. The mage undertakes what should be a routine job and finds more than he expected. Deeper magic is at work and as he tries to expose the hidden dark mage things are even more complicated than they had appeared. 4/5

7. Oakland Dragon Blues by Peter S. Beagle - A Police Officer gets called to a traffic hold-up to find an old, sad-looking dragon sitting in the middle of the intersection. Not wanting to deal with all the hoopla that capturing a dragon is going to cause him he convinces the dragon to move out of the way and out of sight where the officer will see if he can fix his problems for him. Turns out the dragon is a remnant from an unfinished story and he wants to find the author, to have his revenge. Absolutely loved this one. Very humorous and we get to see a dragon's life from his point of view. 5/5

8. Humane Killer by Diana Gabaldon and Samuel Sykes - at 55 pages this started to feel more like a novella than a short story and contained a lot of plot. I really enjoyed it though very much. Two pairs both set off to kill the fierce dragon unbeknownst to each other. One pair is the weakling son of a recently deceased valiant hero who must return with his father's mace to prove himself and joins up with a heartless warrior woman wearing a full body leather thong. The other pair is a half heathen girl, therefore a sorceress, but a nice girl who has reanimated a dead soldier to be her protection and strength as she needs to kill the dragon to rescue a precious spell book. Obviously they meet up and the story is quite hilarious. But it was confusing when it first started with the jumping back and forth between these people without the reader knowing who they were or what was going on. 4/5

9. Stop! by Garth Nix - A short, interesting story that doesn't seem to have anything to do about dragons until the strange ending. 3.5/5

10. Ungentle Fire by Sean Williams - The author has written ten books set in the same world and this short story is also set in that world. A young man is bound to apprentice a warrior until he is deemed fit to go on a quest for his master. After five years his master sends him off to find and slay a dragon plus to bring back proof of the dragon's death, then he will set the man free to return to his homeland and marry his intended. The story starts on the 23rd day of that quest. I really, really enjoyed this story! I've never heard of this author before and this is the first story in this book that makes me want to read more by a new-to-me author. 5/5

11. A Stark and Wormy Knight by Tad Williams - A funny story in which a mother dragon tells her children a bedtime story of the days of old when there were big bad knights who slayed dragons and relates a time when their great great great grandpap pulled one over on such a knight. Humorous story, told with lots of word play in the vein of "Jabberwocky" with Williams creating his own fun words but also adding a "snicker", "beamish" and "uffish" here and there. 4/5

12. None So Blind by Harry Turtledove - Set in some time and world of an explorer's age with magic, a group of explorer's and sorcerers set out to explore a part of the map that has always been labeled "Here Be Dragons". The go to find if these dragons are real and also to find any other unusual flora and fauna. An ok story but I figured out the surprise ending and just didn't enjoy this more than ok. 2.5/5

13. JoBoy by Diana Wynne Jones - DWJ is one of my fav. authors and I loved this one! Can't really tell much without giving anything away but it's about a boy who experiences adolescence with both joyful and painful revelations. 5/5

14. Puz_le by Gregory Maguire - One rainy afternoon, a boy works on an old jigsaw puzzle picked up at a garage sale with strange results. Can't say much as this is short and has a twisty ending. Really enjoyed it! 4/5

15. After the Third Kiss by Bruce Coville - May Margaret is cursed and turned into a dragon by her wicked stepmother and only three kisses from her sea adventuring brother will return her to her rightful form. He unexpectedly does arrive home after hearing his homeland is threatened by a dragon. May Margaret gets her three kisses and the stepmother is punished and you would thing all would be well. But this is just the first few pages! No, this fairy tale-like story has much more to it and May Margaret finds that though she no longer breathes fire, there is a yearning fire burning in her blood. I loved this one! 5/5

16. The War that Winter Is by Tanith Lee - In a land where winter lasts 9 months of the year, and may well last longer as time goes by, the tribes have learnt to cope in this harsh land but one thing they have no control over is the dragon, Ulkioket, who can blast a village with it's breath of of ice and freeze everything and everyone glass-like ice that will shatter. Until one day, a small group of scavengers find a frozen city with a pregnant women near the edge, when they touch her she shatters and a live baby is born, one with pale skin and white hair. This, they believe is the hero who has come to rid them of the dragon. At 29 pages, this short story has a lot of space for a well developed story that I just loved. I've only read a few books and stories by Lee but I've never been disappointed yet. 5/5

17. The Dragon's Tale by Tamora Pierce -This story is set in Pierce's fictional universe of Tortall, which I haven't read before. At 39 pages, this one felt like a novella and really had plenty of time to be a well-developed tale. Told through the point of view of a young dragon who is on a trip with an entourage visiting the Emperor's villages, he gets bored and watches a group of boys through stones at a lady scrounging in the garbage who then runs away. Feeling magic in the air, the dragon follows her and discovers magic and a whole lot more. He keeps his secret and comes up with a plan to keep him occupied with big results. I loved, loved, loved this story!! 5/5

18. Dragon Storm by Mary Rosenblum - Tahlia's eyes are different from every one else in the grove and the other children call her "bad-luck eyes". But she does have a special closeness to the surf dragons and one day when she finds a dragon egg a bit different than usual and it hatches, the dragon does not appear to be a surf dragon. In fact it starts to grow at an alarming rate, protects her against any harm, talks to her and reveals the truth that has been kept secret from her for so long. Another fabulous story that I just loved, just shy of 30 pages making it long enough to really develop some character along with the plot. 5/5

19. The Dragaman's Bride by Andy Duncan - It's the 1930s, in the Virginia mountains and every so often when the sheriff's men are around a few of the adolescents will go missing. At first this caused great concern but they all eventually came back after 6 weeks with tales of a hospital, being treated well, and fed well. The girls all had small scars as they'd had to have their appendix out. The boys, well, they had tiny scars a bit lower down, but after finding out everything worked fine they had no complaints. That is until Allie Harrell goes missing for 3 months causing the mountain folks to rile up against the sheriff and his men. Then one day Pearl Sunday follows an old Fire Dragaman down a hole and discovers a lot of answers. Another longer story just shy of 30 pages that combines some historical fiction with a shapeshifting giant/dragon that reads a lot like a folk tale. Really enjoyed this as well 5/5

Books in the Mail

Seems to be a trend going on here, last Monday I had no post as I had an empty mailbox all week again. But this past week I had a couple of days with parcels galore. All review copies this week. Some of these, my son and I will be enjoying together. He loves it when review books for him come in! I think it's a pretty good guess which of these books I'll be reading first though!

One thing I found quite amusing was I got a LT Early Reviewer book but hadn't been sent an email that I'd won. So when I got the book, I didn't recognize it but read the back and thought wow this sounds fun. Wondered why I hadn't been notified, had I accidentally been sent the book perhaps, and then later in the day I got the email telling me I had won the book! LOL.

From Simon & Schuster Canada


Janie thought she knew what her future held. And she thought she’d made her peace with it. But she can’t handle dragging Cabel down with her.

She knows he will stay with her, despite what she sees in his dreams. He’s amazing. And she’s a train wreck. Janie sees only one way to give him the life he deserves: She has to disappear. And it’s going to kill them both.

Then a stranger enters her life — and everything unravels. The future Janie once faced now has an ominous twist, and her choices are more dire than she’d ever thought possible. She alone must decide between the lesser of two evils. And time is running out. . . .


Frankie Pickle returns for another imaginative adventure and this time it all comes down to race cars. Well, not quite race cars, but the Pine Run Derby for scouts. Frankie is in danger of not advancing to the next ranking with the rest of his troop unless he can win the Pine Run 3000. But Frankie wants to do everything on his own so he imagines himself as a world-class sculptor, a mad scientist, and of course, a pro-racecar driver. In the end, Frankie learns that team work is the only way he won't get left in the dust.




From LibraryThing Early Reviewers:


Treat yourself to a visit to the wackiest restaurant ever!Ten-year-old Shoshi and her eight-year-old brother, Moshe, arrive in New York in 1898 from Russia with their mother and Snigger, the baby dragon that saved them from an attack by Cossack soldiers. Five years earlier, their father had also come to New York to make his fortune, but no one has heard from him since. Through a series of adventures and misadventures, Shoshi and Moshe use their wits to navigate through New York City's Lower East Side, making new friends and even a few foes: Salty, the seaman who helps the family smuggle Snigger through Ellis Island; Aloysius P. Thornswaddle, carnival barker extraordinaire; Dingle Hinglehoffer, pitcher for the Brooklyn Slobbers; and the mysterious Man in the Black Cape. With the help of Snigger, they set out to solve the mystery behind their father's disappearance, helping to free the Lower East Side from the tyrannical rule of gangster Nick the Stick along the way. Mrs. Kaputnik's Pool Hall and Matzo Ball Emporium is a colorful tale that blends history and fantasy with a journey of discovery, adventure, and fun.

From Random House Canada:


Introducing an exciting new series! Steeped in Victorian atmosphere and intrigue, this diverting mystery trails a feisty heroine as she takes on a precarious secret assignment.

Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn is surprised to be offered a singular education, instruction in fine manners — and an unusual vocation. Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls is a cover for an all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test. Assuming the guise of a lady’s companion, she must infiltrate a rich merchant’s home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the household is full of dangerous deceptions, and there is no one to trust — or is there? Packed with action and suspense, banter and romance, and evoking the gritty backstreets of Victorian London, this breezy mystery debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits while uncovering secrets — including those of her own past.


In this tense, mesmerizing thriller by Linwood Barclay, critically acclaimed author of Fear the Worst and Too Close to Home, a man’s life unravels around him when the unthinkable strikes.

A warm summer Saturday. An amusement park. David Harwood is glad to be spending some quality time with his wife, Jan, and their four-year-old son. But what begins as a pleasant family outing turns into a nightmare after an inexplicable disappearance. A frantic search only leads to an even more shocking and harrowing turn of events.

Until this terrifying moment, David Harwood is just a small-town reporter in need of a break. His paper, the Promise Falls Standard, is struggling to survive. Then he gets a lead that just might be the answer to his prayers: a potential scandal involving a controversial development project for the outskirts of this picturesque upstate New York town. It’s a hot-button issue that will surely sell papers and help reverse the Standard’s fortunes, but strangely, David’s editors keep shooting it down.

Why?

That’s a question no longer at the top of David’s list. Now the only thing he cares about is restoring his family. Desperate for any clue, David dives into his own investigation—and into a web of lies and deceit. For with every new piece of evidence he uncovers, David finds more questions—and moves ever closer to a shattering truth.

From Penguin Group (Canada:


Danny Dragonbreath knew girls were trouble. But the new foreign exchange student, Suki the Salamander, is beyond trouble. Not only has she reduced his best friend, Wendell, to a blithering, lovesick tadpole, but she’s apparently the object of an elaborate ninja frog kidnapping plot. Danny is never one to pass up an adventure (especially one involving ninja frogs), and so he and Wendell and Suki set out on a dangerous quest through the mythical Japanese bamboo forests to find out what these fearsome frogs want. Danny may not be able to breathe fire like a normal dragon, but he and Wendell have watched lots of kung fu movies and can totally take on a bunch of ninja frogs. Or, um, so he hopes . . .

Using her trademark hybrid style of comic-book panels and text, Ursula Vernon has packed this second book in the hilarious Dragonbreath series with lots of kung fu, a little bit of loooove, and plenty of everyday school drama.

And the Winner is ......

And the winner has been randomly selected using random.org. After counting up all those +1s and +2s random.org came up with the winner...

#2 ...... lilly

Who is very lucky she took the time to answer the question for an extra entry! What one colour would lilly choose to see if she could only see one? Her answer: "And if I had to choose only one color, it would definitely be blue."

I was really surprised with how many answered blue! Way more than half of you answered blue. I guess you would always see some colour in the sky! I loved The Celebrated Author's answer who figured since she was going to be seeing grey all the time as the other colour, did some colour combining and came up with her favourite colour combo of yellow & grey.

Personally, I was thinking the answer to this question while I was reading the book and while it would be great to see a bright colour like red, purple or orange that would mean everything would mostly be grey with just pop's of that colour every now and then. So I, personally, decided on green because it is the colour of nature and I would see it every time I was outside in the grass and trees, of course I would be restricted to living within a certain distance of the equator. But, hey, no complaints to that!

Congratulations Lilly! I'll be send you an email shortly.

For those who didn't win, look out tomorrow for another chance to win another great book!

20. Angel: After the Fall, Vol. 1

Angel: After the Fall, Volume One by Joss Whedon & Brian Lynch. Illustrated by Franco Urru (Canada) -(US)
Angel: After the Fall series

Pages: 192
Ages: 18+
Finished: Feb. 4, 2010
First Published: Aug. 4, 2008
Genre: graphic novel, paranormal
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

It all started with a girl.

Acquired: Bought and own a copy.

Reason for Reading: I love "Angel" to the nth degree!

Comments: I usually start my reviews with a brief summary but I can't with this book which picks up some time after the fight at the end of Season 5 of the television series Angel. The show ended with the end of the world and "the gang" taking on an epic battle against a horde of demons, including a dragon, which the viewer would assume continued until the bitter end. Well things are not exactly as they seem and the first five comics gathered here contain shocker after shocker about pretty much everything, especially about each individual member of the cast. And everybody is present and accounted for, except of course for dear Cordy. But we do have the return of three characters who had limited story lines in the show Groosalugg (from Pylea), Nina (the werewolf girl) and Gwen (the electricity girl).

This is a perfect continuation of Angel. I am completely satisfied with the direction that has been taken. The characters retain their sense of voice from the show. You can hear the actor's voices in your head, the humour and sarcasm, plus the interaction between the various characters is all perfect. The artwork is delicious. It is aptly dark and broody but the use of colour has been wisely placed to make a stunning book to just look at.

My book doesn't have a rating on it but I'd assume the comics were rated Teen. There is the typical violence of the TV show, that is the slaying of demons and beasts, nothing that would deserve a Mature rating. There are a few bits of language that wouldn't have made the show but nothing terribly profane or frequent. The only thing that could be of concern is the plenitude of women in barely there thong bikinis or bikini-like costumes, shown from various scintillating points of view.

The book itself has bonuses. I have the hardcover which comes with a ribbon bookmark (fancy shmancy!). The book starts with a note from Brian Lynch, then once the five volumes are over there is an art gallery which includes the covers of the comic books, artwork by various artists and photos of Angel and Spike. Next comes the original proposals for each of the five volumes, these are textual short stories and not exactly how the finished comics turned out. Then comes a Sketch Gallery by Franco Urro and finally the book ends with an annotated script of chapter one. I actually read through the annotations right after reading chapter one and gained a lot of insight before continuing on with the story.

If you have watched all five seasons then you must continue on with the story by reading this and be prepared to be shocked over and over as each chapter ends with a stunner. I can't wait to read the next one!

I Got Michael Buble Tickets!!!

I am in fantasy land right now talking with my voice in a high pitched squeaky tone and flapping my arms because I just got tickets to a Michael Buble concert in August. And they are great seats as far as I'm concerned. On the floor, second section, centre stage! Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!

Feeling lyrics

Michael Buble - Feeling Good Video - Feeling Music Videos

Music Videos by VideoCure

Michael Buble lyrics

Michael Buble - Spiderman Video - Michael Buble Music Videos

Music Videos by VideoCure

19. Burn by Ted Dekker

Burn by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy (Canada) -(US)


Pages: 368 +reader's guide material
Ages: 18+
Finished: Feb. 3, 2010
First Published: Jan. 12, 2010
Genre: supernatural, suspense, Christian Fiction
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

Salazar Sanso raised his binoculars and looked out over the edge of the steep drop into the rosy New Mexican desert.

Acquired: Received a review copy from the book's publicist.

Reason for Reading: I've become a fan of Dekker's new mainstream thrillers and wanted to try one of his books from a Christian publisher.

Summary: Janeal lives in a Gypsy community but is not altogether accepted. Her father is the leader but she is half white. She has always felt the need to leave, do her own thing and knew that one day she would. Then Salazar Sanso, a powerful and dangerous man, comes to her with a way to help her father get out of a terrible life/death "business" deal and offers her a life of everything she's dreamed. Janeal has her own life and death choices and consequences to deal with, that leave few of her Gypsy community alive.

Comments: My summery is quite brief, I think the publisher's jacket summary gives away too much information and I hate knowing something that happens halfway through the book so I've tried to keep the mystery remaining in my own summary.

I loved this book! It was a fantastic read. The plotting of the book was superb. Part One takes place when the characters are teenagers and is itself a complete story. Then Part Two picks up fifteen years later and slowly reveals who is left and what is happening now. Then at a certain point we are hit with an absolutely shocking and surreal twist. From that point on it is a fast paced roller coaster ride to the end.

The characters are great. Janeal, the main character, is the one the reader most feels for, though she isn't necessarily someone you will like. She is shown from both sides of her personality, the teenager she used to be and the adult she has become. The book is very well written and while the Parts are quite distinct from each other and the pace goes from slow to fast, it never drags, and it always holds together seamlessly. The shocker was cleverly placed and became a "Holy Wow!" moment for the book, totally shaking things up and moving the book to another level. I really, really enjoyed the plot, the suspense and the thrill of this book.

To speak of the Christian Fiction aspect of this book, I think it's a long shot to be labeled with that genre. The book is clean (ie. no swearing, so s*x). There is one Christian character who is quietly so and could be found in any mainstream book. The real CF part of this book comes, if one looks at it that way, from the theme, which does have a character announcing Biblical prophecy to set it up. I don't want to give anything away so this is a bit difficult to go into. However, I did not buy the Christian theme, it did not correspond with my beliefs, it may with yours, but I felt it could just as easily be interpreted as a supernatural (a la Stephen King) theme.

This all leads to say that it doesn't matter, didn't affect my enjoyment of the book and don't be afraid to pick up the book because it's by a Christian publisher. Christians and non alike who enjoy a good suspense story with a bit of the unexplained thrown in for good measure are sure to enjoy. I surely did!

18. Roger Moore: My Word is My Bond

My Word is My Bond, The Autobiography by Roger Moore, with Gareth Owen (Canada) -(US)


Pages: 330 +index
Ages: 18+
Finished: Feb. 3, 2010
First Published: Nov. 2008
Genre: non-fiction, memoir
Rating: 3.5/5

First sentence:

For years, people have said to me 'Write your book,' and for years I said, 'No, there are too many people I'd have to write about, and even if they're dead, what I might say would be an intrusion on their privacy. And apart from that, I'm too lazy.'

Acquired: Borrowed a copy from my local library.

Reason for Reading: Roger Moore is the Bond I grew up with, the one I went to the movies to see as a teenager.

Comments: Right from the introduction Mr. Moore states that he will not be 'dirt-dishing' nor telling 'tittle tattle'; he wants to write a fun book filled with memories the way he saw them and the wonderful people he met in his life but he promises that does not mean it will be a 'fluffy book' either. Roger Moore lives up to this statement giving the reader a very enjoyable look inside his life without trashing anyone. He does mention a couple of names that he simply hates with a straightforward reason why, he tells stories leaving the irritating one unnamed and he mentions names and follows the "if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all rule" frequently. But Roger Moore is a charming fellow, very easy going, loves a prank or two, and can take a joke on himself as well so his book is filled with people he adored and those who adored him back.

Moore spends a good part of the book on his early life in England; his childhood, days in the army, acting on stage, becoming an actor in British movies. This was all very interesting and it's hard to believe that Roger Moore is really that old to have been in WWII! Even when acting in Britain the famous names start knocking about such as David Niven (a lifetime friend) and Michael Caine. Then he comes to America and makes a name for himself on the small screen starring in Maverick (replacing James Garner as his British cousin), then his famous Simon Templar as The Saint and finally The Persuaders with Tony Curtis. Not until we are closing in on page 200 does Roger Moore get to James Bond and the book has been so interesting up to this point that Bond is not the vital part of the book. Even if you started to read because of the Bond connection. I won't go into any more details but from there Moore continues on with Bond, his wives, his other movies and work, ending finally with his long association with UNICEF.

Moore comes across just as I had expected him too. He keeps his debonair, suave, gentlemanly air about him but he also has his tongue firmly planted in cheek at the same time. Even as a child he behaved this way, he calls himself on it frequently saying "ever the poseur". He tells some wonderful memories and anecdotes as he's been with all the greats throughout his career: Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Noel Coward, Stewart Granger, Richard Burton and countless others.

The only thing I didn't enjoy about the book was the last few chapters which mostly focused pretty heavily on his UNICEF activities that it began to feel like an infomercial. I will state I don't support UNICEF for conscience reasons but I did enjoy hearing of the travel and good work he accomplished. But then it just seriously devolved into three chapters about UNICEF with Roger as the emcee. Otherwise, I had a very enjoyable read and certainly learned a lot more about the man who I previously only knew as The Saint and James Bond.

Ignatieff wants to fund the killing of unborn children

Warning: Off-Topic - Political, Pro-life Post
(Don't read or comment if it makes you feel nasty. I will delete rude comments.)

Ignatieff gives just another reason why not to vote Liberal. Prime Minister Stephen Harper wants to increase maternal and infant survival rates in the Third World and what does Iggy come back with? Make sure that funding includes abortions, Mr. Harper! How does an abortion extend an infant's mortality rate??


Ignatieff opposes human rights for unborn children

Michael Ignatieff wants to fund the killing of unborn children

h/t: Big Blue Wave

Jan. Wrap Up: Books & Movies & Feb's Random Read

I'm "this close" to finishing two books, but last night I read as much as I could and then kept falling asleep as I tried determinedly to finish one. So not having any book review for today, it's a good time to get down to some business.


First, I used random.org to pick my February random read for me and it chose #39. So after counting the books in piles on the floor of my bedroom #39 is ........

Defenders of the Scroll by Shiraz

This is a YA fantasy I am looking forward to reading!

January Wrap Ups

Not too bad with reading, I prefer to see at least 19 but 17 is close enough and I read a lot of 4-5 star books this month. Not a one was I disappointed in. Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey was my favourite book of the month. I ended up reading two books aloud to my son this month, which seems a bit low but it was a hectic month. And my son read two books aloud to me.

January: 17
1. The Levee by Malcolm Shuman (4****)
2. Irredeemable by Mark Waid (4****)
3. The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews (4.5****)
4. The Diary of Sophia Macnab written at Dundurn Castle, Hamilton, 1846, Age 13 (3.5***)
5. Innocent War by Susan Violante (3.5***)
x. Dr. Horrible by Zack Whedon (3.5)
6. Fables: Sons of Empire by Bill Willingham (5/5)
7. Fallen by Lauren Kate (4/5)
8. The King's Legacy: A Story of Wisdom For the Ages by Jim Stovall (3***)
9. Graphic Glassics: Louisa May Alcott edited by Tom Pomplun (4.5****)
10. The Jungle Vampire by David Sinden (5*****)
xx. Marvel Adventures (#18) Featuring Nova by Paul Tobin (4/5****)
11. Graphic Classics: Special Edition edited by Tom Pomplun (4****)
12. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (4.5****) (FAVOURITE Book of the Month)
13. The Last Safe House: A Story of the Underground Railroad by Barbara Greenwood (5*****)
14. The Silver Anklet by Mahtab Narsimhan (4****)
xx. Father Bear Comes Home by Else Holmelund Minarik (5*****)
xx. Hiccups for Elephant by James Preller (4****)
15. The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker (book tour review to come in April)
16. Leaving Gee's Bend by Irene Latham (4****)
17. Calamity Jack by Shannon & Dean Hale (4****)

Movies

The ones marked with # were watched along with our 9yo. We took advantage of the free library movie evenings this month. As you can tell I spend more time reading than watching but still trying to fit some in here and there.

January: 4

(#)1. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) (live viewing at the library) - This was a load of fun. The 9yo has currently been in a phase for quite sometime where he wants to be an inventor when he grows up so this was right up his alley. I hadn't a clue what it was about going in except of course that it was based on the picture book which I haven't read since my 20yo was little, so no memory of that. Lots of laughs, fun plot and good time had by all, kids and grown ups. (Canada) - (US)

2. End of the Spear (2005) (borrowed from the library) - My sister recommended it to me and when she was telling me the story I said yeah that does sound good, in fact it sounds a lot like the Jim & Elizabeth Elliot story. I've read Elizabeth's books. So I start watching and it *is* the Jim Elliot story only told from a completely different point of view, that of Nate Saint's son and that of the natives who killed the missionaries. So Jim Elliot only appears in the first opening scenes. Anyway, great movie, very well done. I loved it. Though being a Hollywood movie the missionary part of the story was downplayed while focusing on the saving of a dying race who were killing themselves because of their warlike lifestyle. But still the Christian conversion was handled in a positive light and the movie was truly inspirational. Not any really famous actors but a familiar face or two like the guy who played the son in Dr. Quinn and was the autistic kid in St. Elsewhere. Recommended! (Canada) - (US)

3. Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009) (live viewing at the library) - I LOVED this series of books so much and was sooooo excited about the movie. What can I say, the movie does not live up to my expectations. So much was changed, all the reveals that happen near the end of the series are given away in this first movie so if you intend to read the books Do Not Watch The Movie Before You Read the Books or they will be spoiled for you. I heard this was supposed to cover books 1-3; I've now also heard it's really 1-4 but honestly it just takes all 12 books and randomly takes information and plops it into this first movie to set up the story how Hollywood has decided to tell it. So not overly impressed. Now, I didn't "hate" hate it. It was fun. I loved seeing the characters come to life and they were pretty good choices except for Steve and Darren's parody of parents. I'm glad I didn't spend money to watch it, but not unhappy to have seen it. Special effects/CGI were good. Read the books! (Canada) - (US)

(#)4. Spider-Man 2 (2004) (own) (re-watch) - This is my favourite of the three movies. I know most people think it's the weakest but I just love Dr. Octopus. We've just started allowing the 9yo to watch these types of movies and he thought it was awesome. Not much more to say than "I Love it". It's only my second time watching it but given enough time I'd gladly sit down and re-watch it again. (Canada) - (US)

The Story of Old King Cole

The Story of Old King Cole by Daphne Doward Hogstrom. Illustrated by Anne Sellers Leaf (US)
A Start-Right Elf Book

Finished: Feb. 1, 2010
First Published: 1975
Genre: children, picture book, easy reader
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

Old King Cole was a merry old soul, and a merry old soul was he;

Acquired: Bought and own a copy.

Reason for Reading: My son read aloud to me.

Comments: Here we start off with the traditional nursery rhyme but once the king has his fiddlers three he does not stop calling. Oh no, he keeps on calling for such things as pipers, his clerk named Clive, his clown,his band, his gold, his wizards, his Dukes and Dames and oh so much more as the King is preparing a ball for his Queen. Cute little story that also has a counting theme as after the fiddlers three, there are the pipers four then footmen five all the way up to tailors ten. Ds really enjoyed the story and when we were finished I had noticed something. There is a tiny ladybug hidden in each two page spread right from the title page, so we went back and searched for the bug on all the pages! Delightfully illustrated! Anne Sellers Leaf was a popular artist for Rand McNally's children's books and I'm very fond of her illustrations. I'll often pick up a book simply because of her illustrations.