The Long-Awaited "City of Bones" Movie Not As Amazing as Book, but Still Entertaining

Most of the people I've talked to seem to agree. Lily Collins as Clary: brilliant. Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace: not so hot. Since "City of Bones" didn't get great reviews, I didn't rush to theaters to see it, even though I was a huge fan of The Mortal Instruments series. I waited for it to come to my local Redbox.

On another side note about the acting: I also loved Robert Michael Sheehan as Simon and Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Valentine--at least their looks were PERFECT. They needed to direct Rhys Meyers to be scarier in a murderous-lunatic-intimidating-wizard kind of way. Rhys Meyers is a super handsome actor (let's be honest), and it seems like they tried to play up his sex appeal more than his ominous, Vodelmort-like presence. But it was still a good choice of actor.

Perhaps because I didn't have high expectations, I thought the movie was fine. I'm never going to hope or expect that a movie will be as good as a really good book. Considering that, the movie did a fairly good job of sticking to the general plot. Fun action, cheesy romance, some twists and turns. Some inaccuracies to be expected. But I'm an "entertainment value" kind of girl when it comes to movies. So if it's a girls' night with possibly some nail painting on the side, then this is perfect.

Review: Blackmoore

Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I love that Julianne Donaldson is trying to resurrect the Austen-like genre is a modern way. The time period, the setting, and the mannerisms of the Victorian era are very easy to enjoy if you love stories that revolve on romance and "will they/won't they" questions running throughout the plot.

There are (of course) a few moments where you think, "that would never happen in an Austen novel" or (if you're married), "a man would never act that way in real life," but that's why it's fiction, I guess. Still an enjoyable, fun, fluffy, romantic read that you can get through in a day or two.

The main character drove me nuts once or twice. For example, she chooses to force her best friend (a man) into a bargain that is utterly embarrassing and more than a little predictable. I'm still not sure that such a bold move was believable for her character or the time period, even though she is driven and desperate when it comes to escaping her family situation (some parallels with Austen, btw).

As for the other little details I enjoyed...the main character Kate is a closet expert on birds and their various sounds while the love interest Henry has a passion for the moors and the ocean. These little details make the characters richer and make the setting come alive. Plus they add an element of mystery and foreboding to the story. (Who doesn't like that?)

But anyway, if you want a happy ending, a dashing love interest, and some romantic thrills along the way, then I say "yes." Go for it.



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Review: Shadows

Shadows by Robin McKinley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I forgot how much I liked Robin McKinley! At first I was a bit disoriented by the narrator's, Maggie's, way of narrating, but then I got used to it and enjoyed her personality. Only thing is, I got to the end & thought, "where the heck is the sequel?" The story grabbed me and now I need to find out what's in "Old World" and what all Maggie can really do with her suppressed powers. It's all magical adventure, spunky characters, romance of course, and teenagers just starting to grow up and kicking some butt. Good stuff!



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Review: Fire and Ash

Fire and Ash by Jonathan Maberry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This book for me was more about the price of triumph and about what it means to grow up than it was about defeating a zombie apocalypse. Plenty of zombie fighting, blood, death, tears, and darkness, but there was also hope and sacrifice an love and triumph. I love the shout-outs to samurai ideals along the way. This series was definitely a worthwhile adventure.



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Review: The High King's Tomb

The High King's Tomb by Kristen Britain

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This is one of those books where you don't care that it's really really long. Because you don't want it to be over. I love the heroine, Karigan. She has real concerns and real weaknesses and doesn't seem to realize how awesome she is. The book is too long to really sum up here, but when I think of The High King's Tomb, I think of the climax where Karigan faces down the King's sneaky, rebellious, and surprisingly powerful enemies in the royal tombs with the help of some supernatural coolness. It's pretty intense. And exciting. The unresolved romance is driving me crazy. What's a girl to do when she's in love with a king who's engaged to someone else for the good of the kingdom? I guess she just continues to distract herself by kicking butt, making him want her, and enjoying sneak peaks of him when she can.



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Review: Ready Player One

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Pretty intriguing and creative story about a young guy who escapes the real world into an internet-based cyber world where he goes by another identity and tries to beat the whole world to a million-dollar prize hidden within the game. (Sadly, can't recommend to everybody for some language and other sketchy issues. Wish Cline had just left some of that out, because it still would have been edgy with the characters expressing themselves in more creative and intelligent ways.) The setting of a cyber world with endless planets and galaxies to explore? Awesome. Limitless possibilities here. Cline does hit on some provocative points about cyber privacy, material greed, the conflicts with anonymity, and the difference between living in a real vs. a Matrix-like world. However, the book stays focused on the fun side; that is, the pursuit of a million-dollar inheritance by winning a series of video game quests. Pretty fun stuff.




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Create your own word cloud

I created this word cloud based on this very blog, Read with Sam, using Tagxedo.com! Cool, huh?

Review: Flesh and Bone

Flesh and Bone by Jonathan Maberry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



And the darkness continues...

The third book is a bit violent. I mean, it's zombies, so all the books are violent. Killing zombies calls for some specialized skills (especially if you want a zombie story that's believable). The good news is that it's a book and it leaves more to the imagination than if you were watching a horror movie.

Things get a bit more troubled and hopeful at the same time in Flesh and Bone. The search for the jet continues and the characters realize they have other conflicts they need to fix. Troubled relationships, past tragedies, and post-apocalyptic cults all haunt them.

It's chilling, it's exciting, and it leaves you hanging. Book 4 here we come.



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Review: First Rider's Call

First Rider's Call by Kristen Britain

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Granted, it's a little bit lengthy by the standards of today's fantasy-adventure genre, but it's so worth it. I'd say it's targeted for slightly older young adults.

Karigan's a great heroine with honor, sass, and just the right amount of frailty. She's not like twiggy females who somehow magically defeat buff, bouncer types. She kicks butts of bigger guys because she's strong, she trains, and she's smart. And it's not easy for her, which makes me appreciate her more.

You gotta love a good fantasy novel with the perfect combination of action, darkness, magic, and some sprinkled romance. I could always use a little more romance (just ask my hubby), but hey, it's enough to keep me turning pages.



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Review: Dust and Decay

Dust and Decay by Jonathan Maberry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



If you like books that tend to get a little darker with each installment, then you'll like this. Maberry takes the characters and the troubled world of hungry zombies to a whole new level. Gameland is pure creepiness. Dust and Decay has tension and tragedy, but also humor and triumph. Really gilly good.



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Review: Rot and Ruin

Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I really like this zombie story. It's original, exciting, and the characters seem so real. I love that the "hero" doesn't start out as the "hero." He's not even necessarily the most admirable character in the book, but I like that. He has room to grow, and you see him starting to do just that in book 1. It's a pretty compelling story about good vs. evil, but not in the way you think at first. (Sorry to give a blatant teaser, but I think the book's worth reading.)

I'm hoping to read the entire series by Halloween. Yep, it's my annual "spooky" read! Happy haunting everybody.



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Review: Green Rider

Green Rider by Kristen Britain

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Just finished reading this classic fantasy again. There is something so wholesome and refreshing about reading a "young adult" fantasy that came before the days of Bella and Edward and shock value.

It reminds me a lot of LOTR or the Wheel of Time series, but better for a crowd with a shorter attention span. It's a fully developed world of different kingdoms and peoples. The magic is subtle but compelling. The story has a little bit of everything - romance, suspense, action, coming of age themes...good stuff.

This time I'm going to read the whole series. I could only find an audiobook for book #1, but with the hubby in school, hopefully I'll have time to crack open an actual book!

Next up: First Rider's Call, book #2.



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Why do I always feel like reading?

Yep. This pretty much sums it up. 

Review: Old School

Old School by Tobias Wolff

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This was another book from Shelly's "required summer reading" list for her English students. It reminded me a little of the movie, "The Dead Poet's Society." Basically it's about an elite school for boys who have an unusual interest in literature. I like that the story primarily follows one boy's struggle to find his voice. THAT I could relate with. I also appreciated the cameo appearances from several real-world authors. The protagonist in this book did make me wonder if I shouldn't give Hemingway a second chance. Not many things could do that.



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Review: The Elite

The Elite by Kiera Cass

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Similarly to Book 1, The Elite reminded me of the reality show, The Bachelor. Except that most of the characters have some class and the story is more engaging. The romance is exciting in a youthful, dramatic, indecisive kind of way, but love triangles are not as enthralling to me as they used to be. I have a hard time respecting these heroines who can't decide which boy they love more. Still, an entertaining read.



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Review: The Selection

The Selection by Kiera Cass

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



It's a good recommendation if you need a fluffy, young adult romance/dystopia that is well-written and interesting. I didn't quite understand why there could be such a controversy about it. Maybe I'm not reading deep enough. I thought it was a cross between a spin-off of the Bible story of Esther and The Bachelor. Make of that what you will. Book 2 is available and I believe Book 3 is coming out next year?



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Summer reading

Hi all,

My summer reading list is VERY varied this year. I'm taking on everything from classic lit to light young adult reading. Here's a sampling of what's on the list:

• Crime and Punishment
• Old School
• Insurgent
• The Knife of Never Letting Go
• Heroes of Olympus

The reason for Crime and Punishment and Old School is not necessarily because I would have chosen to read them for entertainment purposes. Actually, these books are a shout-out to my supersmart sister-in-law who taught English to college freshmen in Boston. Shelly recommended them.

She's moving back to Utah and is now going to teach AP English to high school seniors. These books are their assigned summer reads, and I'm taking up the challenge. 

I'm not really sure what inspired me to do this. Maybe because my other sister-in-law, Annie, said she would do it if I did. Maybe because my inner English-major self misses putting myself through the torture of wordy, convoluted classic lit? Because I hope these books will make me smarter? Because I will have access to a high-school level study guide to help me get through the material?

I'm also re-reading The Knife simply because I want to. Those books were amazing. And this time I'll force my husband to listen to it on audiobook. Then there's the obligatory fantasy, adventure, and other young adult fiction that I can't live without.

Have other recommendations? Lemme know.

Review: Peter and the Secret of Rundoon

Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Dave Barry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars







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