Manic Mondays

Tags

Humorous Quotes

I have decided I no longer want to be an adult.

So if anyone needs me, 

I’ll be in my blanket fort…coloring.

~ Unknown ~

 

By the way, y’all are welcome to join me! 

I have A LOT of crayons!

The Movie Game ~ By Michael Ebner – 1.5 Stars

Tags

Coming of Age Stories, Contemporary Fiction, YA Fiction

I received this e-book from NetGalley and Pen and Picture in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: It’s been three years since Joe’s father vanished. Now seventeen, he is unaware that government agents are watching him in case his dad makes contact. Joe is too distracted by his secret girlfriend, midnight swims in the pools of strangers, free drinks from his buddies at the movie game, and the glamorous college student, Felicity. But his movie-esque existence and addiction to fiction is set to collide with a heavy dose of reality this summer when he discovers everything is not what it seems: his secret girlfriend wants to be the real thing. His college fling may have ulterior motives. And the government agents want cooperation to catch his missing father. All this and the three year old death of Joe’s girlfriend Alice are going to cause him to face some dark truths. It’s no longer a movie game. This is his life and he wants to win. 

I’ve been eagerly anticipating reading this book for months now. With it’s main character being a teenage cinephile, the whole premise sounded like just my cup of tea, so when NetGalley approved me I was quite happy.  Alas, despite it’s intriguing premise the story and it’s cast of characters are not only unsatisfactory, but downright annoying.

The main problem is the characters. For the most part they’re obnoxious, pedantic, and not relatable in any way. The main one, Joe is the worst of them. He should have been one in which I could sympathize, with his background filled with emotional trauma. I wanted to like him, truly I did, but his actions and the motivations behind them are atrocious, idiotic and at times bordered on sociopathic. Honestly! He aggravated me so much that after reading the first chapter I found myself grinding my teeth throughout the entire book.

The rest of the characters fare no better. Joe’s mother and father are caricatures of people who NEVER should have had children. Joe’s older sister Loren is a sweet girl, but completely clueless when it comes to Joe’s machinations. And finally, the two FBI agents who are supposed to be covertly surveilling Joe brought to mind memories of those old Keystone Cops movies, or perhaps Dumb and Dumber. Seriously. If I worked for the FBI and read this book, I’d want to sue.

The plot itself left me incredulous and frustrated. The events that unfold would never, ever, EVER happen. Well maybe in a fantasy, or a perverse alternate universe which this is not. It is supposed to be a dark comedy, but I found myself laughing in places that weren’t meant to be funny, which is never a good thing. I will say I enjoyed the scenes where Joe and his friends were playing the movie game. Unfortunately there just weren’t enough of them.

In my humble opinion The Movie Game could have been so much better than it was. Instead of being a thought-provoking portrayal of a young man who uses movies to escape the harsh realities of life, it’s juvenile writing and unbelievable and unlikable characters will leave many readers ultimately disappointed. I do want to say that the book has received some great reviews including one from Kirkus who called it “Fast-paced, funny, and dark” but I just didn’t see it. Maybe I was just in the wrong mood.  I will say it’s a fast read which for me was a good thing since the only reason why I finished was because it was a NetGalley book and I felt obligated to read it. Now I kind of feel like this:

and this:

and this:

 and a little like this:

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tags

Humor, Thanksgiving

Every year here in the U.S. on the third Thursday in November, we take part in this strange arcane ritual.

We solemnly gather together with our loved ones and reflect on what we are thankful for.

Oh, who am I kidding? It’s really about this:

 

and this:

 

and a little of this:

So to everyone here in the States I wish you the Happiest of Thanksgivings with your family and friends.

 

But c’mon people! Admit it. At the end of the day THIS is what’s most important:

Hellraisers (The Devil’s Engine #1) ~ By Alexander Gordon Smith -3.5 Stars

Tags

Horror, Paranormal, YA Fiction

I received this e-Arc from NetGalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (BYR) in exchange for an honest review. 

Release Date: December 1st, 2015

Synopsis: There is a machine from the darkest parts of history, concealed in an impossible location, that can make any wish come true, and the only price is your soul. Known as the Devil’s Engine, this device powers a brutal war between good anand evil that will decide the fate of every living thing on Earth. When a 16-year-old asthmatic kid named Marlow Green unwittingly rescues an ass-kicking secret soldier from a demonic attack in the middle of his Staten Island neighborhood, he finds himself following her into a centuries-old conflict between a group of mysterious protectors and the legions of the Devil himself. Faced with superpowers, monsters, machine guns, and a lot worse, Marlow knows it’s going to be a breathless ride–and not just because he lost his inhaler.

This is the first book I’ve read by Alexander Gordon Smith, and to be perfectly honest I have mixed feelings. I definitely enjoyed the horror aspects, and I thought the world-building was decent, but the overall story just didn’t capture my attention.

I’m not someone who has to have their protagonist be picture perfect. I actually like it when they have a few rough edges, but there does have to be something that draws me to them and I didn’t find this with Marlow. I did have a certain amount of sympathy for him because of the difficult circumstances he finds himself in, but I just found him to be a kind of bland character.

Pan, the “ass-kicking secret soldier” is brusque and aggressive to the point of being one-dimensional and unbelievable. I honestly couldn’t find one thing I liked about her. 

None of the secondary characters really stand out either. The only one I remotely connected with was Marlow’s best friend, but it wasn’t enough for me to become emotionally invested.

While it takes a while for the author to explain exactly what the Devil’s Engine is, the story is fast-paced with exciting action sequences practically on every page. I think though that’s part of the problem. It seems like the author put so much of his time into fight and chase scenes that there was very little left over for character development.

Hellraisers is the first book in a planned trilogy geared towards 12- 18 year olds. While there is plenty of violence it’s not gratuitous and is entirely in keeping with the storyline. Hopefully the characters will be more fleshed out in the next book. In the meantime, I think that teen horror enthusiasts will enjoy this interesting take on the classic Dr. Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe.

 

 

 

 

My First Guest Interview!

Happy Monday Everyone!

When author Sue Bahr contacted me about doing a guest post on her blog I very calmly accepted. Okay. I confess there was a little of this:

and maybe some of this:

Just in case you’re wondering what the post is about, here’s a hint:

Anyway, Sue has a fantastic blog so if you want to check out my post as well as all the other fabulous things she has on her site please visit: http://www.suebahr.com

Words To Remember

Tags

Emma Lazarus, Immigrants, Inspirational quotes, Statue of Liberty, The New Colossus

 

Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to be free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, 

to me:  I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

~ Emma Lazarus, The New Colossus ~

 

Ashley Bell ~ By Dean Koontz – 3.0 Stars

I received this e-Arc from NetGalley and Bantam Books in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: December 8th, 2015

Synopsis: At twenty-two, Bibi Blair’s doctors tell her that she’s dying. Two days later, she’s impossibly cured. Fierce, funny, dauntless, she becomes obsessed with the idea that she was spared because she is meant to save someone else. Someone named Ashley Bell. This proves to be a dangerous idea. Searching for Ashley Bell, ricocheting through a southern California landscape that proves strange and malevolent in the extreme, Bibi is plunged into a world of crime and conspiracy, following a trail of mysteries that become more sinister and tangled with every twisting turn.

Dean Koontz is one of my favorite authors after Stephen King and some of his books have been pure genius such as:  Intensity, Odd Thomas, Fear Nothing, and Watchers. Ashley Bell shows flashes of this brilliance, but due to a rambling and convoluted story and more than one plot hole, it ultimately winds up being a disappointment.

I’m going to start with the positives, and one of those is protagonist Bibi Blair. When told she has a rare and fatal brain tumor, and that she only has a few months to live, she responds, “We’ll see.” That same night she suffers a devastating seizure. She wakes briefly to see a man whose face is hidden, who’s accompanied by a beautiful Golden Retriever. The dog licks her hand and when she awakens fully the next morning she intuitively knows the tumor is gone. Alas, this miracle does not come without a price. With the help of a medium, Bibi discovers her life has been spared so she can save a mysterious girl named Ashley Bell. As she sets off on her quest she soon realizes she must battle an evil and faceless enemy who will do anything to thwart her.

Bibi is a wonderful character to root for. She’s smart, funny, stubborn, and will not let anything or anyone get in the way of her completing her mission. As she tries desperately to find and save Ashley Bell, Bibi discovers that her past, one she’s gone to great lengths to forget, is somehow tied to this mystery. Although she’s fearful of unlocking those memories, in the end she does so knowing that it’s the only way to save this young girl. Everything she does, she does alone because she refuses to put the people she loves in danger. This makes for a very lonely odyssey.

Equally likable are her Navy Seal fiancé Paxton, and her best friend Pogo, who in the end do wind up figuring out what is going on and do their best to help. In comparison, Bibi’s parents unfortunately come across as weak and ineffective which is too bad because they’re also a big part of the book.

Ashley Bell is a huge book at almost 600 pages and 130 chapters and I think this is part of the problem. The author goes on these long disjointed rambles that seriously could have done with a good editing. The story also moves back and forth between Bibi’s childhood and the present which further adds an almost disjointed feeling. There are numerous scenes where characters are doing one thing, only to be interrupted with the addition of new scenes. I wound up having to go back and forth between pages because I was getting confused, and doing this on a Kindle is no easy task. There are also numerous plot holes that are never filled in which left me feeling frustrated at the end of the book. Even the two endings detailing the conclusion of Bibi’s quest and what happens to the villain are unsatisfying and left me confused as to what exactly the author was trying to accomplish. 

While not one of his best works, Ashley Bell still shows at times what makes Dean Koontz such a successful author. For the most part his characters are believable and ones you’ll become emotionally invested in. The story, while too long and overwrought, still shows that creativity and imagination which made me fall in love with his writing decades ago. It’s fast paced and there are many “gotcha” moments which kept me turning the pages. It’s because of this that I’ve given it as high a rating as I did. As far as recommending it goes, I honestly don’t know what to say, except that if you’re already a fan of Dean Koontz, you probably won’t want to miss this despite it’s drawbacks. If you’re new to his writing, I suggest you start with some of his earlier books before you tackle this one. 

 

 

 

 

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Harry’s Sacrifice

Hi Everyone!
David has one of the best movie review blogs and now he’s branching out into videogames and books! I highly recommend you check out his site if you haven’t already. He’s looking for more contributors so if you’re a gamer or a bookworm like me, and would like another forum to discuss your passions please let him know.

That Moment In.com

Book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Seventh book in the series)

Published: July, 2007

Author: J.K. Rowling. Rowling’s got the idea for a children’s book as she was traveling by train from Manchester to London. She’s stated: Harry “just strolled into my head fully formed” and by the time she had arrived at King’s Cross, many of the other characters had also taken shape. In 1997, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” was published and a literary phenomenon was born.

Characters:

• Harry Potter, an orphan boy wizard with a mysterious connection to Lord Voldermort
• Ron Weasley, a student wizard and Harry’s best friend
• Hermione Granger, a student wizard and one of Harry’s best friends
• Lord Voldemort, main villain and Harry’s primary nemesis, seeking immortality

---

Plot: After six books and countless adventures, it’s all come down to this. Harry is in more danger than ever before. Not just…

View original post 560 more words

An Evil Mind (Robert Hunter #6) ~ By Chris Carter – 4.5 Stars

I received this e-Arc from NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: December 1st, 2015

Synopsis: A freak accident in rural Wyoming leads the sheriff’s department to arrest a man for a possible double homicide, but further investigations suggest a much more horrifying discovery–a serial killer who has been kidnapping, torturing, and mutilating victims all over the United States for at least twenty-five years. 

The suspect claims he is a pawn in a huge labyrinth of lies and deceptions–but can he be believed?

The case is immediately handed over to the FBI, but this time they’re forced to ask for outside help. Ex-criminal behavior psychologist and lead detective with the Ultra Violent Crime Unit of the LAPD Robert Hunter is asked to run a series of interviews with the apprehended man.

These interviews begin to reveal terrifying secrets that no one could have foreseen, including the real identity of a killer so elusive that no one, not even the FBI, had any idea he existed–until now.

An Evil Mind is the first book by Chris Carter that I’ve read but it’s not one I’ll soon forget. I think it’s it’s definitely going to be in my top ten list of favorite books for 2015!

This is the 6th book in the Robert Hunter series, but I had absolutely no problem jumping in midway through the series. 

I do have to warn you that it’s definitely derivative of stories like Silence of the Lambs, the movie Seven. Actually, the dance between Robert Hunter and Lucien is extremely similar to that of the one between serial killer Joe Carroll and tormented FBI agent Ryan Hardy in  the tv series The Following. That said, the story is so well written and mesmerizing that I found myself not minding the similarities.

Hunter is supposed to be going on vacation to Hawaii after chasing a serial killer in the last few books, but when an old friend who is being detained by the FBI after a grisly discovery in the trunk of his car insists he will only speak to speak with him, he reluctantly goes to to Quantico. Even though this is my first exposure to his character, Robert Hunter is obviously someone who is brilliant at what he does, yet has demons in his past that overshadow him. Because of this, Lucien Folter, his former friend and college roomate is able to  successfully play him at times throughout the story.

Lucien is the epitome of evil, just as the title suggests. He made my skin crawl and the passages that are written from his pov are especially disturbing. This is a man who is without a doubt a genius and a master manipulator, which has allowed him to fly under the FBI’s radar for more than twenty years. He is proud of the atrocities he has committed, and when his motivation is revealed it literally left me reeling. 

To call this a fast-paced story doesn’t quite do it justice. I started this 368 page thriller at about 2:00 pm on 11/15, and finished it by pm 11 pm the same day. This was because I couldn’t tear myself away. I only took a break for supper. There are so many revelations and gotcha moments that I almost felt as though I had been sucker-punched at times. There are also some pretty gory scenes that made me cringe, but they were never gratuitous. Chris Carter is a criminal psychologist and he uses his expertise well. I’ve read that the plot is actually based on real events from his days of practicing, which makes this all the more fascinating.

An Evil Mind is a rollercoaster ride that will leave you breathless. Just when you think you know where the story is heading, it will take an abrupt turn that I promise you won’t see coming. It’s horrifying, yet once you start you won’t be able to tear yourself away. After finishing this I’m adding Chris Carter’s previous books to my Must Reads list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NATIONAL AMERICAN TEDDY BEAR DAY! ~ November 14th, 2015

Tags

Humor, National American Teddy Bear Day

Je Suis Paris

I know this is a little late, but after the horrific events in Paris Friday night, I just couldn’t bring myself to post this as I had planned on Saturday.

~ Animated teddies from Sevenoaks Art ~

After being glued to CNN for most of the weekend, I feel the need for something a little lighthearted and fun, so I hope you’ll indulge me. Besides, you know what? It’s never too late to celebrate Teddy Bear Day!

 

If you go down to the woods today

You’re in for a big surprise.

If you go down to the woods today

You’d better go in disguise!

For every bear that ever there was

Will gather there for certain,

Because today’s the day the

Teddy Bears have their picnic.

~ Lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy ~

~ Illustration by Michael Hague ~

I stopped there because I’ve always found the rest of the song a little scary.

Please remember on today of all days you’re never too old to have a teddy bear!

~

My bear Philbin

~

Even gorgeous vampires have a softer side!

~

It’s Ted! Need I say more?

~

Okay. I have to admit, this is a little obsessive!

~

Even boy bands need some downtime.

~

It can’t be a surprise that Ellen’s a Teddy Bear fan.

~

And finally, because I know you probably never thought I’d be able to tie in cuddly teddies with the Winchester brothers from Supernatural, well think again!

 

And one more ’cause this just never gets old!