R.I.P. Book Review #4

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

I really enjoyed this book. I've read fantasy-type books before but never one with true fairies. I thought, going into it, that I wasn't really going to like it. What intrigued me most were the trailers for the movie. Nevertheless, Stardust has earned a treasured spot on my bookshelf and will more than likely be dusted off to be read again sometime.

Stardust was truly a lovely book. Gaiman can weave a fantastical world full of fairies and make you believe that it could have existed once upon a time. He also has the ability to bring you into the story and make you care about the characters' fates.

I've also read American Gods by Gaiman but Stardust was a much lighter and easier read. I totally recommend it to anyone looking to lose themselves in a fairy world.

Hold on to Your Pants

If today's blogging experience is any indication of how it's going to be next month, things don't bode well for NBPM. This is my third attempt today to post something. I have this feeling that something bad is going to happen or that I'm forgetting to do something which is leaving me feeling scattered.

I started my morning by accidentally discovering a new show called Big Bang Theory. I had downloaded the pilot for free from iTunes a couple weeks ago and forgot about it. This morning I ran across the episode while I was browsing my "purchased" folder and figured, what the heck. Then, I bought the next two episodes, lol. It was funny! Just what I needed first thing on a very cold (cold for us anyway) morning. What really got me was how the show made me realize just how much of a nerd that I am. The main characters and their friends take nerd-dom to a whole new level and I have things in common with them, lol. The commonalities had mostly to do with computers and the Internet so I suppose if you're reading this, you're a nerd too. ;)

Also, yesterday C asked me why I have started joining online challenges. I explained to him that this is the best way to interact with people outside of the house. If the challenges or the people involved with them become annoying, all I have to do is stop and ignore whoever is annoying me. In real life, it's not so simple and usually results in my turning off my cell phone for days at a time. (Like I have for the last five days. Shhhh!!) I'm beginning to become a recluse in my old age.

And lastly, I changed one of my R.I.P. challenge books. Instead of Stephen King, I read Stardust by Neil Gaiman. The review will be posted tonight just in time for the close of the challenge. I meant to read Lisey's Story but I never got around to buying it so there ya go.

R.I.P. Book Review #3

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with this book. At the time it was written, it was surrounded with so much controversy that I have always found its origins, Wilde himself, as well as the synopsis of the story to be very intriguing. All of this combined, I think I set myself up for disappointment.

At times, it could be challenging just to turn the pages. Wilde could go on and on about details such as the things Dorian collected and his hobbies to the point where it all became muddled in your mind. The dialogue and character interaction were excellent and what I enjoyed most about the story.

I thought the ending extremely predictable. Somebody on GoodReads pointed out to me that it was probably predictable because of the history of the book, Wilde, and the sensationalism that surrounded its publishing. While I certainly concede this point, before reading it, I don't recall ever knowing how it ended. You could, however, see it coming from the first chapter.

I have to wonder, if there hadn't been so much controversy over the homoerotic themes in the story, would it have become a classic at all? Probably because Wilde was considered to be such a celebrated playwright. On its own? I'm not so sure.

Despite my feelings about this book, Wilde's words still make for the best signature line quotes.

R.I.P. Book Review #2

Cause of Death by Patricia Cornwell

I am an avid Patricia Cornwell fan. I'm in the midst of reading the Kay Scarpetta series from beginning to end, so for this challenge I picked the next book on my list, #7, Cause of Death.

First, let me start off by saying that I enjoyed this installment of the Kay Scarpetta series. Cornwell writes Kay's character so that the reader becomes involved and cares what happens to her. Her story lines are also believable. Scary, but believable. The ending had me holding my breath.

All that being said, the nuances between Kay and her niece were tedious to read. Lucy, in my opinion, is a brat and I have a hard time feeling sorry for her. Maybe it's too early in the series for me to form an accurate opinion of Lucy, but at this point, I skim through the parts of the story that include her.

The story itself was intriguing. It's hard to comment too much about the story without giving away the plot. Needless to say, this book has earned a spot on my bookshelf with the rest of the series.

R.I.P. Book Review #1

The Laughing Corpse by Laurell K. Hamilton

This is only the second book of Hamilton's that I have read to date. I find it amazing that she can write about zombies, vampires, and ghouls and not make it sound like a really bad B movie.

In The Laughing Corpse, Anita Blake is approached by a potential client to raise a zombie. This is pretty typical, if you can call zombie-raising typical, work for Anita but this is not a "normal" zombie. She would have to sacrifice a "hornless goat" which is a human sacrifice in layman's terms. Refusing to do so, she is relentlessly pursued and harassed (as only Anita can be) to perform this task by a man who cannot understand how someone would turn down 1.5 million dollars.

Meanwhile, Anita is working with the St. Louis police in an effort to solve the brutal slayings of two different families. These deaths are unlike any that she has seen before in their gruesomeness and it pushes Anita to her limit.

On another tangent, Anita is summoned by the new vamp leader of St. Louis. Finding him almost irresistibly attractive, Anita finds herself needing his help while at the same time, hating him and everything that he is.

As a guilty pleasure read, I rate this book a 9 out of 10. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I cannot wait to get my eager hands on the third installment of the Anita Blake series.