A Little Break and Figuring it Out

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I've been pretty sporadic in my writing this year. I started this blog 2.5 years ago so I could express my love of books and movies. Starting this blog has been a life-changer for me, literally. I want to thank everyone I've met blogging these last couple of years. You are amazing and you have inspired me. I've been able to converse with authors and review their books. I've been able to participate in reading challenges, book giveaways, book tours, write guest posts, review movies, etc. It's been amazing! Thank you all for letting me in to your lives and your world of books.

But right now I'm kind of in a rut and need to take a break. I want to revamp the blog and get it organized and figure out how I want to get it going again.

I may write a post or two like I've been doing but I felt like I wanted to take an official leave of absence for a tiny bit (though I am reviewing a Quirk Book in January...). I hope I'll be back soon rearing to go soon! Thanks for reading my humble little post from time-to-time.

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I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and New Year as well! Oh, and happy reading!

One Line Movie Reviews

1. The Kids Are All Right (2010): A touching story on how an unorthodox family keeps it together.

Rating: A-

2. Stake Land (2010): Vampire zombies ravage the land...bloody and weird.

Rating: C-

3. The Ledge (2011): Love, philosophy, religion, and tragedy all rolled into one.

Rating: B+

4. Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004): Lots of action, conspiracies, and zombie mayhem!

Rating: B

5. Resident Evil: Extinction (2007): A little cheesier, both in action and dialogue, than the first two.

Rating: C

6. Horrible Bosses (2011): Crazy funny, so much so that my drink sprayed out my nose!

Rating: B

7. MST3K: The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed Up Zombies (1997)(1964 for original movie): The Mystery Science Theater team is the only thing that keeps this one funny and witty!

Rating: (B+ for commentary and F for actual movie)

8. Luther (2010): (BBC TV show) The victim sometimes die, a sociopath can have a heart, and yeah this is a fantastic TV show.

Rating: B+

9. Capitalism: A Love Story (2009): Heart-wrenching stories but it didn't sit well with me since he uses emotion rather than facts and logic to persuade.

Rating: C-

Monday Movie Meme- All About Cars...

This week’s Monday Movie Meme (hosted by Madlab) invites participants to "give me some that you like where a car is one of the central characters in the film." So let's think of the cars!

1.  Christine (1983): A nerdish boy buys a strange car with an evil mind of its own and his nature starts to change to reflect it.

2. Transformers (2007):  Shia LeBeouf gets a yellow mustang that can transform into a robot. Bumble Bee was the coolest transformer, well any character, period in that movie.

Zombies Vs. Unicorns by Holly Black & My Life As a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland

Part of Velvet's September's Zombies Event!

Genre: young adult, zombies, fantasy
FTC Disclosure: borrowed from library
Published: 2010
Pages: 415
Content: zombie violence and unicorn mayhem.


Summary: The best darn humorous zombie and unicorn anthology ever!


Funny. This is an anthology of stories on zombies and unicorns (separate stories). Holly Black is a unicorn fan and Justine Larbalestier is the zombie lover. They both have little dialogues at the beginning of each story describing why respective story beats out the unicorn or the zombie! They're both very witty. The stories are each unique, and some are funny and some are violent. You just never know what you're going to get. One has a unicorn farting rose-smelling farts, one has zombies as everyday Joes.


I loved me some unicorns as a little girl but now that I'm older and "mature," I love me some brainzzzz ;) So go team ZOMBIE!!!!!


Rating: 4 stars

Genre:  paranormal, urban fantasy, zombies, mystery
FTC Disclosure: bought from Smith's
Published: 2011
Pages: 310 
Content: Lots of zombie brainzzzz and lovin'.

Summary: Surprisingly awesome rendition of zombie lore, humor, and crime fiction!

The cover alone made me wanna get it! It's just awesome. And the story does not disappoint. Angel is a white trash loser. Pain killer addict, lives with her abusive dad, and can't keep a job...til she wakes up in the hospital with a poor memory of how she got there and a desire for brainzzzz. All she gets is a note that says go to the morgue, you've got a job, along with a some bottles of brain goo.

It takes her a bit to figure out she's dead and a zombie but it's fun getting there. It's fun watching her change and get her life together. And she's a zombie!!!! Rowland's zombie world is just awesome. Zombies can be the good guys; they just gotta eat the brains!!! They don't even have to be fresh. Throw in a cute cop romance...and her trying to solve who made her a zombie and why people keep turning up with their heads missing. Only a mystery Angel can solve. Brainzzzzz.

So yes, go pick up this book. Go!!! Eat your brains first, though.

Rating: 4.5 stars

One Line Movie Reviews

1. Daybreakers (2009): An interesting take on the vampire mythology.

Rating: C+

2. The Wolfman (2010): Decent spin on the classic and a great one to start the Halloween season with!

Rating: C+

3. Hackers (1995): Cheesy, predictable, but fun little movie with a really young Angelina Jolie!

Rating: B-

4. Rango (2011): Surprisingly cute, strange, and loveable!

Rating: A-

5. Limitless (2011): If only everyone could take smart pills, maybe we could really save the world!

Rating: B+

6. Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005): Jolie and Pitt really do have chemistry!

Rating: B+

7. 300 (2006): Visually stunning, bloody with good action, yup, pretty good.

Rating: B-

8. The Conspirator (2010): Fantastic analogy about government and politics today; very insightful.

Rating: A-

9. Snatch (2000): Brad Pitt's unintelligible accent is definitely worth it!

Rating: B-

10. Kick-Ass (2010): Whoa! Way disturbing...

Rating: C-

Semptember Zombies 2011!!!!!

Velvet of vvb32reads is hosting Semptember Zombies 2011 from Sept 20-30! Come join her and others joining her for lots of zombie horror and goodness. I'll be having my own zombie sightings and reviews on Sept. 25! Click here for schedule and the zombie badge and schedule will be on the right side for future reference! Yeah!

The Iron Druid Chronicles (Hounded, Hexed, Hammered) by Kevin Hearne

Genre: Urban fantasy
FTC Disclosure: borrowed from library
Published: 2011
Pages: 289
Content: It's got blood, some language, and lovin!
Reason for reading: I saw the cover on Goodreads and knew I had to read it!

I just can't say enough how much I am loving this series. The first three were just released with three more early next year. Atticus is a 2500-year-old butt-kicking, smart, witty, and all around loveable Druid who is being hounded by all sorts of gods and their henchies for a magical sword he took a few hundred or so years ago. He has found a way to bind himself to an iron elemental which makes him really uber powerful when it comes to fighting demons, fey, demi-gods, and gods themselves. He also happens to have an agreement with his goddess the Morrigan, who has agreed to never take his soul...not that it'll stop another reaper from doing it...


Yeah, this is just one hilarious romp. Hearne knows his stuff, both historical and modern. He's up on the pop culture and has a lot to say through these wonderful characters. He combines elements of mythology, science, history, religion, everything into a fascinating world. In this world Thor is a big old meany and all the other gods hate him, Jesus likes beer and has a sense of humor. We also get to meet other lightning gods, Irish gods, Norse gods, Native American spirits and gods. Yup, it's all in here and it all meets together for one amazing and fun time. I can't recommend these books enough. Oh, and he has a wolf hound that he can talk to telepathically who thinks Genghis Khan got a bad rap...!


So yes, pick up these books and fall in love like I did!!!! Go...yes, go!


Rating: 5+ Stars!!!!

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Genre: young adult, paranormal
FTC Disclosure: bought from Walmart
Published: 2011
Pages: 348
Content: Some bloody bits. 

Summary: A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

One Line Review: A creative idea for a book with the old, weird pictures. 

Ransom Riggs is definitely creative and did a great job with splicing together a story from an old set of photographs.

But that also is somewhat why it's not quite a four star for me. The story seemed a bit contrived at times, which it was since he had to make stuff up to fit the pictures.

Also the ending was...lackluster. I was expecting something pretty big to happen and all we was something like if the Harry Potter series had ended with Harry walking into the forest to face his doom...I hope there's a second book because so much is left unanswered and in the air. If there's not one in the works? Shame on Riggs.

Overall, it was a fun and different read. I loved the crazy old photos and enjoyed his story telling.

Persuasion by Jane Austen

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Genre: classics, historical, romance
FTC Disclosure: bought from Barnes & Noble
Published: 1817
Pages: 249 (via e-book)
Content: Nothing offensive.

One Line Review: Smart and witty social commentary with a yummy sailor and more annoying family members!

I hate to admit this but Pride and Prejudice is my favorite Jane Austen novel (just because everyone's favorite is P&P and I so want to be different...), but Persuasion is definitely make second favorite!

I just love the story of lost love found again. Wentworth and Anne grow more in love and more as people through their years apart. It's a great love story. This is the second reading and I loved it even more!

I read this as part of the Classics Bribe Reading Challenge by the Quirky Girls!

One Line Movie Reviews

1. Along Came Polly (2004): Nothing special about this one; it's already forgotten.

Rating: C-

2. The Man in the Moon (1991): Depressing but interesting coming-of-age story starring wee Reese Witherspoon.

Rating: B+

3. I Am Number Four (2011): Interesting story but cheesily implemented.

Rating: C

4. The Adjustment Bureau (2011): Crazy story, wonderfully done with lots of interesting philosophy thrown in.

Rating: B+

5. Source Code (2011): A mind-blowing time travel mystery!

Rating: B+

6. Trainspotting (1996): Disturbing and yet funny look at heroine addiction.

Rating: B-

One Line Movie Reviews

1. Beastly (2011): Too much "sugar" in this one.

Rating: C-

2. Temple Grandin (2010): Amazing biography of a woman with autism who designed humane slaughter houses.

Rating: A+

3. Sucker Punch (2011): Surreal and dark and simply mind-boggling!

Rating: B+

4. Battle: Los Angeles (2011): Mediocre take on aliens attacking the world again.

Rating: C

5. Red Riding Hood (2011): Twilight's version of Red Riding Hood, but with a bit of passion.

Rating: B-

6. The Village (2004): A few twists and turns along the way but really disturbing in the end.

Rating: B

7. Lincoln Lawyer (2011): Intense, well-acted, and a great get-you-back plot!

Rating: B+

Monday Movie Meme- Summer Lovin'...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

hosted by Molly of The Bumbles Blog.

Summer movies...

1. Grease (1978): I watched this classic constantly as a teen over the summer break!

2. Weekend at Bernie's (1989): Also a classic as a teen. How long can they get away with carrying around a dead guy??

3. Raising Arizona (1987): It's a classic anytime but it seems to be more of a summer classic in my house!

4. Seconhand Lions (2003): Just a feel good summer adventure!