5 books

So a little behind again. I've got 5 books to report on now. 'The Chocolate Lovers' Club' by Carole Matthews, 'The Jane Austen Book Club' by Karen Joy Fowler, and the first three books from the Blue Blood series by Melissa de la Cruz : 'Blue Bloods,' 'Masquerade,' and 'Revelations.' All were books worth my time in their own right. Lets start from the first shall we?

First off I'm a bargain shopper... most of the time. I found 'The Chocolate Lovers' Club' on the bargain table at Barnes and Noble and couldn't resist for 2 reasons. 1: it was on sale. 2: it was about chocolate and I'm a self-proclaimed chocoholic. This book hit a sweet spot for me because I like books by the talented British female authors. Don't get me wrong, the talented British male authors are good too but you have to have some solidarity, right? This book followed those lines. It's about these four very different women who use a favorite chocolate haunt to satisfy a craving for chocolate, friendship, and escape from the everyday stressors of life. These women can pack away the chocolate too (women after my own heart, let me tell ya) and there are even a few guys in this book who are just as dedicated to the love of chocolate as these four women are. This book is a roller coaster. You have infidelity, theft, gambling, champagne, shenanigans, drama, and of course CHOCOLATE. All in all a good read.

Next on the list is 'The Jane Austen Book Club.' This book also shows one thing being a coping tool. This time it's the voice and lessons of Jane Austen to be found in her books. There is love and loss in this book as well. Every person should get themselves acquainted with Jane Austen and this is a nice way to get the toes wet with just a bit of modern entertainment. There were also exerts from each of Austen's book and explanations found at the end of the book to help people along with some of the notions being slung around by the characters of the book. I enjoyed this one greatly. It made me want to dive in head-long into the complete works of Austen.

Next I started working on the new vampire series. We've grown up with the folklore of vampires, heard the stories, ever variation. This one I vaguely remember hearing and I like it the best so far. I know, I know I say that all the time but hey, when you read new stuff it's bound to be trumped. This series is based on the theory that vampires are fallen angels. And they are the good guys. It's about time they become the good guys right? Sure you need blood for a life force and all but so do humans, so why can't they be good guys? Anyway, this group of vampires are reincarnated all the time to keep Lucifer and his follower AKA Silver bloods (the bad vampires that follow the lines of the more stereotypical vampire) at bay. These Blue Blood vampires are responsible for the major accomplishments in the world, according to this series. For example, the Met and the Blood Bank (go figure). Each time that they are reincarnated they live out regular lives until they hit puberty (everything goes down hill at puberty) and then they start to transition and obtain their memories from past lives. By the time that they are 21 the transition is complete.

Now while the task of keeping Lucifer at bay is important it is also sort of why they are "stuck" on earth and were expelled from heaven. Lucifer is supposed to be the original fallen angel and was kicked out of heaven along with a bunch of others who followed him while he was in the heavens. Well the Blue Bloods thought that was ridiculous and decided to take him out and atone for their sins and make it back to paradise, thus the major accomplishments for the Red Bloods (humans) of the world. The only thing I didn't like about the book, but I can also understand why it's portrayed this way, as a vampire notion, is that humans are thought to be useless and would basically parish without the Blue Bloods around. At least that is the attitude of most. There are some Red Bloods who help Blue Bloods, sort of as protection and guidance, they are the conduits. Anyway, this series is shaping up well if you like vampire books.

Hope you enjoy!

Janet Evanovich

Janet Evanovich is one of my favorite authors. She has a certain flare that can't be ignored. I've recently read two of her books; Sizzling Sixteen and Wicked Appetite. Sizzling Sixteen is part of a long time series that you just can't get enough of; the Stephanie Plum novels. I laughed through the entire book. Her books make you want to go to Jersey in search of these characters. Life would definitely be interesting with Lulas, Connies, Mooners, Morellies, and Rangers all milling about. The book was a bit frustrating in the fact that it ended and it ended with Stephanie owing Ranger one (what kind of one who knows?) and Morelli standing in her living holding lacy bits. Now we wait.

Wicked Appetite is sort of a new version of an older character; or at least a development of one. In the between the Plum novels a character Diesel tends to show up. He has some talents all his own and tends to show up and disappear just like that. In this new book he finds a new person to torture with is devilish ways. Lizzy is all about the cupcakes (can't go wrong there I'd say) and while she'd like nothing better than to kick Diesel out of her house and get back to her old life, she somehow can't get rid of him (both because he wont go and because she just can't bring herself to do it). A one-eyed cat with a unique tail and Carl the monkey (also one from the between the Plum novels) also tag along for the ride. Then you have Glo, a co-worker, who found a "spell" book and can't help but read from it and a broom who doesn't always like her in return. Being set in Salem, MA this makes for interesting combinations.

The type of book that Wicked Appetite is was touched upon when Evanovich wrote the between the plums. It's interesting and if you are a fan of Evanovich you will love it as much as you loved the rest of her books. Sizzling Sixteen holds true to form the rest of the Plum novels and leaves you in stitches, right alongside some of the other characters in the book. Both are must reads. Enjoy!

Iron Kissed and Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

This series has me hooked. It's not like your usual super natural series that focuses on just one type of super natural type or another. There are consistencies throughout the book based on the super natural beings but each book has a focus. Iron Kissed is more about the Fae. It is interesting how each book is set up that way and you learn bits about each of the beings but not the complete story. It leaves room for the next story. Bone crossed is more about vampires, ghosts, and the bonds of werewolves.

I like this angle on the wolves better than any I've ever heard before because it deals a lot more with the alpha and how those bonds are formed and broken versus what it means to just be part of a pack. Also, the forming of a pack (any pack) is touched on in the book Iron Kissed. Mercy Thompson is your typical stubborn, independent, woman, who knows the super natural world a bit more than just the surface, being a part of it herself, but finds herself being drawn in more than she bargained for. Maybe it's the destiny of the coyote that has her tangled in all this? Maybe it's her stubborn loyalty? Either way Patricia Briggs leaves you wanting more and on edge waiting for the next book. Enjoy!

Blood Bound-Patricia Biggs

This Mercy Thompson series of books is pretty good. The vampire hype has been huge, but this is more from a shifters point of view, which is sort of refreshing. It does have vampires in it too, for all the vamp lovers...especially this second book of the series. Mercy Thompson is a walker, meaning she can change from human to animal form at will; in this case a coyote. Mercy grew up with werewolves...the governing body werewolves, AKA Marrok, and has a lot of insight. She also happens to be a master VW mechanic, friends with a vampire, and prodigy to the fae...this all leads for an interesting book. Mercy finds herself in some hot water when a sorcerer is turned vampire and her vampire friend enlists her help to track him down.

The wolves and the vampires decide, once they know what the new vampire is, that they shouldn't have Mercy involved anymore, since they know what is best for her and team up to find him. This in an anomaly in itself, since vamp and wolf don't get along...as all well know. Mercy, being the headstrong person she is, does what she feels is best and all hell breaks loose. All in all a good read! A new spin on the vamp/wolf saga and from a new perspective, with some fae in there too. Enjoy!

Two more books

The last two books I read are 'Dead and Gone' by Charlaine Harris and 'Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City' by Holly Denham. Both were good in their own right.

'Dead and Gone' is part of the Sookie Stakehouse series. It had a completely different twist to it. The series is about the supernatural world melding with our world and how this one person who is straddling the line carefully constantly gets caught in the middle. I think in this one, it went a bit over the top in some aspects though. And I foresee a bit of what is to come...or at least what I believe what is to come. There was a lot of foreshadowing. Some characters were brought back into the picture and made you wonder, what's going on here? Really the job of making the readers want to hang on for another book was well played. I can't wait for the next one.

The book 'Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City' is book number two by Holly Denham. They are books that are written out in emails. This book had a few pages that were all texts but the rest is just a conversation between people via email. It's a great book for the nosey people of the world who always wondered what someone else's inbox looked like. I enjoyed it because of the characters in the book. The friendly neighbor, odd brothers, Aunty Trish, and friends like Aisha and Jason just make for a book full of laughs. There is also a splash of drama to keep ya enticed.

Enjoy!

Eat Pray Love-Elizabeth Gilbert

This book was very good. It was insightful and raw. There were some parts that I found a bit dry but then again, so is life. I am in awe at what this woman put in this book. I did stop and wonder a couple of times if she was only insightful because of the journey she had taken. How different would this book have been had she stopped part way through.

This book was broken down into three parts and each part into 36 separate parts. What was wonderful about this book was that you could actually see her growing. The writing style stayed the same but the person was clearly different at each stage. I think it would have been a bit more interesting to see the progression as she was going through the process. However, not sure Liz (and I do feel comfortable using just this form of her name as she is referred in the book due to how much depth she puts into this book and her own personal experiences) was up for the challenge at the beginning.

In the very first part of the book you get the background. You get what caused this woman to go out in the world for a year and "rediscover" herself. Then you move into the infancy of it all. Italy is where her first steps take place. Really it's the best place for her because Rome is a bit more laid back than her recent months have been. And it is here that she learns the first steps of discipline and devotion, both in learning a new language and in food indulgence. She immersed herself into the culture 100%.

From there she goes to the Ashram in India. Here is where I felt like I was slipping away. I had to push myself to get through this part of the book. This is the 'dry' part of the book. However, at the end of this section I feel she grew the most. She learned the most about herself and really pushed past some issues in this part of the book. And it was only because of this step that she was able to be open up to what was to come in Bali.

The section on Bali tied for my favorite part of the book and in second place all at the same time for 2 reasons. Tied because things work out for her and I'm a sucker for a happy ending and the Medicine Man Ketut was great. All the wisdom that was shared in this book is most certainly only a nth of what she learned in Bali. The reason it is second is because I love all things Italy. Her stepping stones portion was by far the most entertaining book wise and all the traveling she did in Italy was interesting; the culture you learned. Overall, the cultural education for this book was amazing. The frankness of these cultures I found refreshing. I tend to be a person who doesn't like to play games and would rather have something straight forward and this is the kind of surroundings Liz portrayed. I don't know for sure that this is how everything fell into place, some editing is quite possible, but I honestly hope not.

There was on specific part in Bali that has stuck with me. Liz is talking to Ketut about meditation and heaven and hell. Ketut says that through meditation he has gone the seven layers to heaven and it's love. He then says he's also been the seven layers to hell and it's also love. This confuses Liz. She asks how both can be love. Ketut replies that in the end, we all end up in the same place, that heaven and hell are both the same. What he felt and saw during meditation was love. Liz then asks if they are both the same then how do you know which is which? Ketut replies simply the route in which you got there. I LOVED THIS! If you are going to end up in the same place, why suffer through life? Why do things the hard way? Why not be peaceful? Bali seemed to personify this, at least on the surface. Bali, so it would be, is not even immune to the corruption of the world...even if it is an island.

The personal information that Elizabeth Gilbert was willing to share amazes me. She opened herself up completely on this journey and then put it in ink for all to see. This in itself shows how much she had grown as a person because in the beginning she would cry on her bathroom floor in shame. Now she has more of a "I am woman hear me roar" sort of a feel to things. This trip helped her and it was a serious struggle. This woman had a harsh year but the end product was something she could be proud of in more ways than one. She is a the person she was hoping to be and on a professional standpoint she is also accomplished with this journey.

I recommend this book to everyone. I especially recommend this book to those who feel down and out; they just might find something in it worth holding onto. Enjoy!

The Little Book- Selden Edwards

The title 'The Little Book' is the worst possible title for this because it is anything but. There is so much going on in this book it's mind-numbing in parts. First a bit of background. Selden Edwards spent more than 30 years writing this book. This is masterfully written, and lets face it, after 30 years it should be, right? Well, in some aspects sure, but in others it goes beyond that. This book really does just go beyond every expectation I had. It is a book of fiction rooted in history if you will. The historical events that do in fact take place in this book are amazing. Being the studious person I am, looked up each event after they were referenced in the book to find out if they were real or fictitious.

What I love about the book is that there are so many points of view going on in the book. And the characters are so well written that you know exactly who they are. It is written from a mothers point of view based on her son's journal which also has snippets from other sources in it as well. So there is first, second, and third person points of view. And the book is a sort of time travel also, but not really in the corny sort of way, that you look back and say...what was the point of that. It's more of the 'what came first the chicken or the egg?' Going back to the points of view. In school we learn certain things about world history and it is projected in certain ways, now you sort of get another but through others' points of view. The views are on Sigmund Freud, Karl Leuger (and if Handsome Karl is there then you know Adolf Hitler isn't far behind), and anti-semitism. And the views all come from the Jung Wien (young Vienna), which were a group of young adults who were looking at the world and questioning it. This was all happening at the turn-of-the-century Vienna in 1897. This time was considered "modern" culturalism.

In the book you sit in on a few of the Jung Wien's chat sessions at the Cafe Central at the 'heart' of Vienna. You get to see what some of the thought processes might have been at this time, what some of the conversations might have gone at this time. Some of the conversations even show where some of the hatred that started WWII stemmed from. At this time in Vienna music, art, and intellect were thriving. The Jewish community was thriving and the world was beginning to move toward a more progressive and introspective sort of fashion. The notions that this author takes to show the steps that Dr. Freud took to get where he was are amazing. The points of view that the author puts in place as to give a possible explanation as to why Hitler turned out the way he did are interesting. Incidentally Dr. Freud and Hitler sort of mix together in that fact, at least in this book. The explanation for some of Hitler's behavior's is attempted by Freudian-ism. With sexual abuse, hysterics, and submission on at least one parent's point of view coming into play. I find it more interesting to see the authors what if scenario. A lot of people have one...what if one thing in history had changed at just one moment, would things have been different? For example, if one were able to go back in history and stop a certain dictator-type from genocide would one do such a thing? Would one be able to look a child in the face and see all the future evil and do what one feels is necessary to stop the future horrors from playing out?

Now I did say that this book is a sort of time travel book. It starts out in 1988 and you jump around between Vienna 1897 and Boston and California between the years 1914 and 1988. You follow Wheeler Burden's life via bouncy ball effect until his demise time 2. The whole circle of life aspect comes into effect in this book. I didn't like how you never really do get a concrete explanation as to how these people end up time traveling. There is a 'will power' sort of explanation and a 'it's what's supposed to happen to make the future what it is" sort of thing too. But nothing that says, this is how I did it, more so this is why it happened.

Now were all the mastery comes into play is evident in the characters and how everything plays out. The ending was appropriate, a little disheartening, but what it should be. The ouroboros style of the story was enlightening and a bit Freudian too. Along with all the history there is also love. Love of country, love of self, love between a father and son, and love between man and woman. I also find it interesting how Dr. Freud is sort of a key player in helping a father and son to know eachother when they have so little time together, when Dr. Freud had certain views that were not all that flattering where a father-figure were concerned. I also loved how Wheeler not only praised Dr. Freud for his work, but also put it to work first hand. That is after all the greatest compliment, is it not? You see it all play out...the power of talk. That 'guide.' All in all I thought this book was great and I foresee myself putting it in the 'to be read again someday' section of things. Hope you enjoy!

7 books

So it's been a while since I've blogged and now I've got 7 books to talk about. So let's see what we can do...

The first of these is called 'Mounting Desire' by Nina Killham. At first I was thinking no thank you because it just sounds like a bad idea. Not at all like what I would read. But a family member had suggested it to me and so I looked at the back cover and read. It actually sounded interesting because it is a book written by a female in a male perspective who is pretending to be female. So ultimately she is being female just a bit more butch, right? Not quite. The main character is a romance author that the world views as female. But he's not. So the character is very metro sexual. The twist...born-again virgin who finds himself in sticky situations while trying to be a mentor for a somewhat loose newbie female romance author. It was entertaining just for all the gender conflicts and the family issues.

Next is 'The plot Thickens' by a whole slew of authors. It is a book presented by Mary Higgins Clark to promote Literacy Partners. Approximately 45 million adults can't read in this country and Literacy Partners provides free instructions in reading, writing, and arithmetic to adults. As a part of this Mary Higgins Clark and 10 other very talented writers put together 11 short stories to help in this problem. The only stipulations were that each story had to include a thick steak, a thick fog, and a thick book. All of the stories were interesting and a few of the authors I have never read before but I will now just from the snippets I got from this book. Over all the stories are good and they are for a good cause. Plus not to long, so if you want something light on the brain...this is the book for you.

Next would have to be 'Hero at Large' by Janet Evanovich. This author is a personal favorite of mine. The plum novels have sucked me in time and time again. This book is one of Evanovich's reprinted books. It was originally printed under the name Steffie Hall. It has all the quirk that Evanovich puts in her books but the little bits of 'oh jeez, now what?' and a good ending. It's a quick read and full of excellent characters. Of course, a strong willed woman, hard-headed man, and kooky family member...plus a dog just for kicks. All the makings of a great Evanovich book.

After I read Evanovich I fell into the land of Jim Butcher. The next two are by him. The first is 'Changes' the second is part of the Codex Alera series, 'First Lord's Fury.' Both were great books. Let's start with 'Changes.' I have to say of all the books in the Dresden files I have never laughed more than I did in this one. I mean no one else can make you laugh because all of the characters are facing their possible deaths and instead of being scared to death they are arguing about which character they get to be from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. And the kicker is, that it's not entirely out of character for these people. And Mouse (the best temple dog ever) has a great part in this book. On the flip side things don't go so well for Harry. He's stripped of everything in his life and it really looks like he wont make it out of this scrape. And the way the book ends you really aren't sure if he has or not. Can't wait for the next one to come out.
Now onto 'First Lord's Fury.' I have to say it was my favorite of the entire series. I thought that maybe 'Captain's Fury' was but this blew it out of the water. It had the great makings of a perfect ending to the series but some things were left open that if Butcher wanted to he could have another one. But, honestly, who can answer every question? And what story ends in the perfect happily ever after...certainly no Butcher book I've ever heard of. It is a must read for sure. A lot of things were pulled together in the book and you really saw just how much Tavi has grown and just how strong Kitai can be. Also, that this world that Butcher has made can't just be torn apart a page at a time. Every character and aspect of the book grew perfectly together into this nice package.

After Butcher I decided to head back to my roots and hit a Michigan author, Joseph Heywood. His book 'Ice Hunter' was excellent. I might be a bit bias because I am familiar with the areas (which was a bit odd at first) but I liked how real the book was. Most CO's (conservation officers) have a bit of a reputation for being "hard-asses." Heywood showed that side of the CO's but also the sheer ferocity in which someone who claims to protect Michigan. There is one specific part that proves both of these things. Officer Service has a tough go of things in the book and is working on over 24 hours of no sleep. He lets his dog out and realizes that there's a bear at the edge of his property along with 2 cubs. He'll take care of it in the morning (the UP-Upper Peninsula is full of them you know). When he is just about to fall asleep he hears a four-wheeler coming down the trail by his house. His brain kicks in even though his body is saying no because of the bear. So Service runs out to warn the guy, who at this time has been caught by the bear and is being chased up a tree. Service manages to distract the bear and get the guy out of the tree (who has a broken leg and lots of lacerations) and sends him to the hospital along with tickets for various violations including riding without a helmet, riding on and un-designated trail, and reckless driving. One might think that a guy being mauled by a bear would be reminder enough but not the CO's...the law is the law... The other thing about this book I like is that the vernacular is very unique to Michigan and only goes to prove that the UP is sort of a unique state all it's own, just tagging along with Michigan.

The final book that I read is 'Moon Called' by Patricia Briggs. The current hype is vampires and werewolves. The focus is usually the vampires. What I did like about this book is that while it is about the supernatural, it is mostly about werewolves and shape shifters with a couple of vampires thrown in on a few pages. Briggs adheres to some of the older myths of lycanthropy but still is very much about the alpha and omega of the packs. There is mystery mixed in and some female defiance. The only thing that I'd say was bothersome was that Briggs would touch on a point on one page and then make it whole several pages later, maybe even a chapter later and that sort of felt jumpy. It was an enjoyable book once you got used to the writing style though.

I'll try not to wait so long to update next time and then just throw a tone of books out there all at once. Hope you enjoy!

Nefertiti-Michelle Moran

I have always been fascinated by Egyptian history. So naturally I wanted to read this book. Plus, Nefertiti was the queen of Egypt and became known for eternity because she became co-regent with her husband. She didn't have to wait for him to die to become a female pharoh. This in itself speaks volumes of the kind of person she had to be for her husband to give her such a title. I had known a little bit of history about Nefertiti (such as her co-regency) but I really did learn a lot about the Egyptian history at that time and it had a bit of the human dramatic flare with it. Now, it being historical fiction I know that while the events are real, the conversations ... probably not. We have no way of knowing that. But that is one of the things that I love the most about this book.

Michelle Moran put so much research into this book, and it really shows. I am in awe at how she made her conjectures and came up with a story that people would want to read (and if you are anything like I am...not want to put it down). One such example of this is based on an image of Nefertiti's sister Mutnodjmet. Nefertiti and her husband Akhenaten covered the walls of their new city, Amarna, with pictures of their lives. In one image the royal family is embracing the Aten (a deity that Akhenaten brought to supremacy), all except for Mutnodjmet. She is depicted standing off to the side with her arms at her side (the rest of the family had theirs arms raised embracing Aten for this deity was the sun). From this image Moran takes it that Mutnodjmet was not entirely happy with her sister's new Egypt. This is depicted throughout the book.

I also liked how the book is titled Nefertiti but it is from Mutnodjmet's point of view. While the tale is about Nefertiti and her time in history it really is about learning what it meant to be a part of the royal family (on both our part as a reader and for Mutnodjmet who was learning along the way). It was also about the loyalty to family and sister-hood while being loyal to yourself all the same. It was interesting to encounter the politics that went on during that time. The family dynamics of the Pharaohs and how a lot really was changed with Nefertiti (which we know because of how vain Nefertiti and Akhenaten really were). Even though Amarna was destroyed and later on Nefertiti's family were considered heretics, artifacts from Amarna's ruins tell us bits and pieces of Nefertiti's rein.

Some of the things that were changed that were most obvious was that Nefertiti became Pharaoh and then when her husband died she named her daughter queen to take the throne when something were to happen to her. The crown that a lot of people associate with Pharaoh's (the tall head piece) started with Nefertiti. Prior to that it was something more akin to what Cleopatra was known to wear. Egyptian art was transformed during Nefertiti and Akhenaten's time. Before them all Pharaoh's were depicted the same. During Nefertiti and Akhenaten's rein they were depicted as they were. Set apart from the rest.

I did enjoy the story all around and would like to think that the conversations were very much like they were back then, with the exception of Nefertiti. Before I read this book I didn't think of her as being as selfish and cold as she was portrayed in the book. I like to think of her has a strong independent woman who was cunning but with a little bit more heart; especially since she was considered the people's queen. More like what Mutnodjmet was portrayed as but with a bit more confidence through and through. Mutnodjmet got it in the end though. There were some things with the history that I would have a bit of a problem with but that's just because I live in a society were such practices are unacceptable ... and for good reason. And there were some parts of the book that I was able to go, 'oh yeah, I remember something like that,' especially where the black plague was concerned. All in all a good one to read.

The Invention of Lying

So I had originally said that I mostly wanted this blog to be about books, however, I did say I might stray...and good thing too because I have to say something about the movie The Invention of Lying. I just watched it and thought it was a little bit odd, yet entertaining at times. The movie is set in a time when no one has ever told a lie and do not actually have the ability to do so. That is except for one, Mark Bellison. So I get that you can't tell a lie but what about turrets? Do they also have turrets? Because people just blurted out whatever they had on their mind. There was absolutely no filter between their brain and their mouth. It's a little unnerving to hear exactly what everyone is thinking but slightly refreshing at the same time. Only refreshing in the fact that you don't have to pretend to be a mind-reader, psychic, or extremely intuitive to figure out what anyone is getting at. And offense really isn't taken because everyone is just right there throwing it in your face. Mark Bellison is the only one who seems to take offense and he is the only one who gains the ability to lie part way through the movie. So one would ask...is there really a MAN who is very much in touch with his inner self and is that the reason why he started to lie? Well, I'm not sure if that's how a lie came about but he was a very sensitive guy for the alternate reality. He also saw things differently than anyone else.

He saw beneath the surface appearance of people, which is how everyone else looks at the world. It was kind of entertaining that the people of this reality chose their partners based on genetics, strength, and status and NOTHING else. It reminded me of Darwin's Theory of Evolution. The strongest survived, the prettiest attracted the best mates, and the higher up in the food chain the better your chances of surviving. A lot like what we do now, except that human emotion plays a part. It's what makes us different from animals. But this reality was kind of showing a regression in mankind.

The next big thing was the lack of religion. It is only when Mark Bellison's mom is dying and afraid of drifting off into nothingness, that Mark realizes that he can alleviate her anxiety by telling her about the afterlife (a completely new concept). Of course, others have heard what he said and want to know what he knows and how he knows it. That is when 'the man in the sky' comes around. Mr. Bellison then makes 10 notions and puts them on pizza boxes...some sort of parody, eh? He informs the masses of how he hears 'the man in the sky' speaking to him and that everyone should follow these notions/rules. There is even a part in the movie where he takes on the actual Moses appearance.

The cherry on top is that this all comes down to a girl and a warm and fuzzy message of 'You should feel good about yourself no matter what your outside package. No one is better than you just because of appearance. Don't judge a book by it's cover. In the end the good guy always wins.' Plus he gets the girl. And still no one else can tell a lie. Until, of course, Mark has offspring. That offspring inherits the ability to lie. One could make the conjecture that the gene for lying was passed on until you get to a society like our own. Again Darwin's Theory of evolution could come into play here.

To think it all started with one.

Night Watch Series-Sergei Lukyanenko

Russian writer Sergei Lukyanenko has taken the world of Sci-fi and turned it into something all together different. The series starts with introducing to us the world within a world...just like every other sci-fi right? Wrong. First it's based in Russia...which is interesting in itself because of the Russian culture introduced to you, and second it's all about a government around the supernatural. There are two parts, the Day Watch and the Night Watch. Each watches the other and keeps them in check. There is the Head of the watch (much like the president) and then there are various offices within the watches, field workers and office workers. Then there is the Inquisition (and above it all sort of institution) that governs all. What really appeals in these books is you are sort of in Anton's (the hero of sorts) place through the entire series. You know what's going on when he knows what's going on and not really before then. I personally like when you can't figure out what's going on before the book is ended. Every book leaves you wanting more.

On the other hand, it bothers me personally that, much like Anton, I never seem to know what's going on. All the characters have a hidden agenda and things can get a bit confusing as well as frustrating at times. It seems to be a very tactful strategy because I always came back for more wanting to figure out what was going on. I also liked how Lukyanenko throws the "rules" for the supernatural out the window. For example, the 'myths' about vampires were changed as were the 'myths' of the werewolves, which were more like shape-shifters than anything else. These books have a smattering of every supernatural you could think of; enchantresses, magicians, warlocks, witches, vampires, werewolves... The Last Watch brought everything together nicely but did leave an opening for another book if need be. I personally wouldn't mind yet another one. I enjoyed the books.

Hello all!

I really enjoy reading and my dream job would be to sit around all day reading and then telling everyone about it. It wouldn't get any better than that. Unless of course, I was doing it somewhere nice and warm and peaceful...because lets face it, it's always better when it's nice weather outside. Plus, bonus...tan :) Anyway, I was sitting at my grandparent's house talking about the latest book I was reading (reading runs in the family) and Papa suggested that I do a blog about the books that I read. So I thought about it and here I am. I think the focus of this blog will be on books that I've read and reviewing them. Who knows I might stray a bit, what with loving to critique things and all. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.