I talked about Candy Cane Murder in a prior post. By sheer chance, when I'd grabbed that book from the library, thinking it was just a pure Joanne Fluke Hannah Swensen mystery, I'd passed by gloms of books by the other two authoresses. For whatever reason, I didn't pick up any of the Leslie Meier ones - the all holiday/event-themed titles didn't appeal to me, I think it was - but I did pick up one by Laura Levine - the apparent debut novel of the Jaine Austen series, This Pen for Hire. When I realized that the second short story about the wise-cracking Californian coincided with that novel, I was excited, because I liked the urban tone of the novel (a little more relatable to me than a cozy small town where everyone always knew everyone or a rural area where...it was...rural. And you were pregnant.). Also, Levine's short story had been highly comedic.
Well, This Pen For Hire was like a full novel version of that short story. It was a great read. And, the characters were so endearing, I figured out who the real murderer was about halfway to three-quarters of the way through the book (or suspected), but I refused to believe it - I did not want that character, of all the characters, to be the killer. Of course, that was on purpose, but it was still a character connection. And, the novel was wise-cracking humor all the way through. It had some good subplots and really set up the potential for a good cast of characters.
Overall, I'm not sure if this has displaced the warm, fresh-baked coziness of the Hannah Swensen novels in my "unconventional murder mystery heroine" book, but I'm sure as heck letting Jaine munch on Hannah's cookies up there at the top. And...maybe I'll check out a Meier and see if Lucy Stone can chill with Jaine's friend Kandi, a fellow ex-New Yorker. (I'm getting very corny now. Wow.)
In less silly words, I enjoyed the book.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Hercule Poirot's Christmas
When I went to the library (over a month ago, now...my fault for taking out loads of books at once), I was in a Christmas spirit, and grabbed a few Christmas-themed mysteries, including a work by the great Agatha Christie that I happened to lay eyes upon: Hercule Poirot's Christmas. As witih all other novels by Agatha Christie that I've read, it was very proper, very polite English reading. And, as with all those other novels, it was good reading. I thoroughly enjoyed following Hercule Poirot's thought processes - he was brought in rather early in the novel, which I appreciated, because there have been times where he does not make an appearance until quite near the end - and trying to assemble the well-laid clues for myself. I fell for a few red herrings - at the beginning of the book, someone mentions that the butler would lie to protect anyone in the family, and that continuously led me down wrong paths - and honestly, the mystery was difficult to figure out. It's funny, though - in all my overspeculation, I actually had the right killer, but I ended up ruling them out in my own deliberations. And there were a lot of red herrings and lies and curiosities for one to work through - Agatha Christie really is a master, the mystery's solution was embedded deeply beneath several other mysteries. It was a feast for the mind, that's for sure. And I regret taking only one Agatha Christie novel out from the library this time.
An ironic take on the Christmas spirit, and a wonderful novel.
An ironic take on the Christmas spirit, and a wonderful novel.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Eleven Minutes
I just finished reading Paolo Coelho's novel Eleven Minutes. I read The Alchemist a few years ago, and fell in love with it; this book was just as enrapturing. It took a mature, spiritual view to love, desire, and sex, by telling the story of a Brazilian girl's sex life, from innocence to becoming a prostitute to having spiritual revelations and pondering what it is she is doing. The book explores sex unabashedly, sometimes a bit explicitly, but it never seems racy or overly smutty. Throughout the entire book, the more explicit bits are used more in the monumental turning points of her spiritual growth.
The book, besides having loads of food for thought on its particular subject, has its own dose of amusement. Particularly towards the beginning of the novel, the author adds what are almost his own sarcastic/sardonic asides in parentheses as he narrates Maria's (the protagonist) life in third person, making humorous addendums; of course, this could be a device to show Maria's innocence and naivety. Additionally, there is a clear reference to Coelho's prior work, The Alchemist - there is a sentence about Maria having read a book about a shepherd and how he follows his dream (which, for those who don't know, is the basic plot of The Alchemist, pretty much).
It's only the second book from Coelho that I've read, but I loved it, again. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to read yet another Coelho work, The Zahir soon; there are no guarantees for me on that one, though.
The book, besides having loads of food for thought on its particular subject, has its own dose of amusement. Particularly towards the beginning of the novel, the author adds what are almost his own sarcastic/sardonic asides in parentheses as he narrates Maria's (the protagonist) life in third person, making humorous addendums; of course, this could be a device to show Maria's innocence and naivety. Additionally, there is a clear reference to Coelho's prior work, The Alchemist - there is a sentence about Maria having read a book about a shepherd and how he follows his dream (which, for those who don't know, is the basic plot of The Alchemist, pretty much).
It's only the second book from Coelho that I've read, but I loved it, again. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to read yet another Coelho work, The Zahir soon; there are no guarantees for me on that one, though.
NFL Playoffs - Championships
Packers vs Bears - The Packers had the upper hand in most, if not all, of this game. They clearly outplayed the Bears, though it wasn't a blowout; the game, as a whole, didn't have a lot of scoring to it. The final was 21-14, Packers, making them the NFC Champions and sending them to the Super Bowl.
Jets vs Steelers - Everyone saw this one coming. There was a point where the score was 24-3 Jets, and I believe that may have actually been at halftime. Their defense and offense, compared with the Jets' inability to move the ball down the field (likely due to the Steelers' defense as well as some miscommunications within the team), shut the Jets down. To their credit, though, the Jets came alive towards the end, and were within a touchdown of winning. If they had managed to take possession of the ball in the last two or three minutes and score a touchdown, and then keep Pittsburgh from scoring, they would have won. But this elaborate plan fell through, as Pittsburgh held on to the ball in the critical moments. You knew it was over when Rex Ryan slammed his headset down. The final score was 24-19, Steelers, making them the AFC Champions and sending them to the Super Bowl.
Jets vs Steelers - Everyone saw this one coming. There was a point where the score was 24-3 Jets, and I believe that may have actually been at halftime. Their defense and offense, compared with the Jets' inability to move the ball down the field (likely due to the Steelers' defense as well as some miscommunications within the team), shut the Jets down. To their credit, though, the Jets came alive towards the end, and were within a touchdown of winning. If they had managed to take possession of the ball in the last two or three minutes and score a touchdown, and then keep Pittsburgh from scoring, they would have won. But this elaborate plan fell through, as Pittsburgh held on to the ball in the critical moments. You knew it was over when Rex Ryan slammed his headset down. The final score was 24-19, Steelers, making them the AFC Champions and sending them to the Super Bowl.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
I'd heard a lot of omplaining about this movie - that a lot of things had beeen changed, and that it really strayed from the book in irritating ways.
What I noticed about the movie was that it was very dark. Literally. I watched the DVD, and the only way that one could have a prayer of seeing the movie half the time was if the television was the only light-producing source in the room, practically. It was really hard to see what was going on, and a lot of details and such were lost because of it.
Also, I did see the differences between book and film. The two major ones concurned the Burrow and the end of the movie, with the major character death. First, the Burrow scene bothered me. It really did. It was like, I understood the symbolism and all, but it was still a "was that REALLY necessary?" sort of thing. The second scene, surrounding the major character death (in the Harry Potter series, from book four, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, onwards, there was one death per book - er, well, the first had the prequel deaths and the seventh was a veritable bloodbath), was what I had heard a LOT of complaint about. Admittedly, I found the ending to be very calm and stagnant, so to speak, with not much action, but the death scene I thought was done very well, and the infamous wand-raising thing I found to be a pretty nice thing. I didn't react to it as badly as a lot of people seemed to.
The concentration on romance in the movie kind of bothered me. I mean, I think part of it was in the books, as well, but it was incredibly pronounced. It felt like a major aspect of the movie.
Oh, and the revealing of the half-blood prince's identity...so anticlimactic.
I dunno. I guess compared to the action-packed stories of the previous books (particularly Goblet of Fire) and movies, this one was very slow and somewhat...quiet, almost.
I definitely see why people didn't like it. It wasn't a -bad- movie, though, just not as good as its predecessors.
By the way, best scene of the movie came at the beginning, in the Weasley twins' shop:
Ron: How much is this?
Fred/George: Five galleons.
Ron: How much for me?
Fred/George: Five galleons.
Ron: But I'm your brother!
Fred/George: Ten galleons!
What I noticed about the movie was that it was very dark. Literally. I watched the DVD, and the only way that one could have a prayer of seeing the movie half the time was if the television was the only light-producing source in the room, practically. It was really hard to see what was going on, and a lot of details and such were lost because of it.
Also, I did see the differences between book and film. The two major ones concurned the Burrow and the end of the movie, with the major character death. First, the Burrow scene bothered me. It really did. It was like, I understood the symbolism and all, but it was still a "was that REALLY necessary?" sort of thing. The second scene, surrounding the major character death (in the Harry Potter series, from book four, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, onwards, there was one death per book - er, well, the first had the prequel deaths and the seventh was a veritable bloodbath), was what I had heard a LOT of complaint about. Admittedly, I found the ending to be very calm and stagnant, so to speak, with not much action, but the death scene I thought was done very well, and the infamous wand-raising thing I found to be a pretty nice thing. I didn't react to it as badly as a lot of people seemed to.
The concentration on romance in the movie kind of bothered me. I mean, I think part of it was in the books, as well, but it was incredibly pronounced. It felt like a major aspect of the movie.
Oh, and the revealing of the half-blood prince's identity...so anticlimactic.
I dunno. I guess compared to the action-packed stories of the previous books (particularly Goblet of Fire) and movies, this one was very slow and somewhat...quiet, almost.
I definitely see why people didn't like it. It wasn't a -bad- movie, though, just not as good as its predecessors.
By the way, best scene of the movie came at the beginning, in the Weasley twins' shop:
Ron: How much is this?
Fred/George: Five galleons.
Ron: How much for me?
Fred/George: Five galleons.
Ron: But I'm your brother!
Fred/George: Ten galleons!
NFL Playoffs - Divisionals Day 2
Seahawks vs Bears - The Seahawks' miracle run ended today. They actually made a pretty good comeback, considering. For most of the game, it was a shut-out -- the Bears were ahead by twenty-something points and the score was twenty-something to zero. The final score was 35-24, but the Seahawks, though they managed to lessen the damage by a lot, could not nullify it, and they lost.
Jets vs Patriots - What a game. The Patriots had the upper hand at first, finishing the first quarter off with a field goal. But, the next quarter, the Jets went to work, making it a 14-3 score at halftime. The Patriots began to catch up the third quarter, but the fourth quarter was the big one. Both teams scored in the final quarter - the Jets added another 14 points onto their score, and the Patriots made a valiant effort to catch up, scoring 10 points. But, the game was decided even before the timer ran out -- they started celebrating (with backflips, literally) with something like 0:23 left. The final score was 28-21 Jets, leaving an intense game with the other number one seed knocked out - another upset, one might say.
Jets vs Patriots - What a game. The Patriots had the upper hand at first, finishing the first quarter off with a field goal. But, the next quarter, the Jets went to work, making it a 14-3 score at halftime. The Patriots began to catch up the third quarter, but the fourth quarter was the big one. Both teams scored in the final quarter - the Jets added another 14 points onto their score, and the Patriots made a valiant effort to catch up, scoring 10 points. But, the game was decided even before the timer ran out -- they started celebrating (with backflips, literally) with something like 0:23 left. The final score was 28-21 Jets, leaving an intense game with the other number one seed knocked out - another upset, one might say.
Kekkaishi episode "Hurry Grandpa Shige"
Vic Mignogna is always a pleasant presence in an anime. :)
This anime, though, voicework aside, is pretty good. It's like how Bleach is, or was, with emphasis on the comedic as well as the obvious element of action.
For instance, at the beginning of this, Yoshimori's teacher takes a while to wake him up, to the dramatically freaked out reaction of the class. Once he awakens, the teacher explains the story he slept through. The story is told visually by little shikigami playing the story's characters. I found that an amusing, adorable touch.
The evil spiderish lady here really reminds me of Kagura from InuYasha. Similar look, for certain. That bored, heavy-lidded look, and the hair, and the earrings...she's like Kagura, and omg, she even has a spiderweb on her jacket, like Kagura's scar. That's interesting. Also, her voice is quite similar.
And interesting, a man with a number seven on his back. It's more elaborate, but very reminiscent, to me, of Bleach. The Soul Reaper captains, I mean.
This anime, though, voicework aside, is pretty good. It's like how Bleach is, or was, with emphasis on the comedic as well as the obvious element of action.
For instance, at the beginning of this, Yoshimori's teacher takes a while to wake him up, to the dramatically freaked out reaction of the class. Once he awakens, the teacher explains the story he slept through. The story is told visually by little shikigami playing the story's characters. I found that an amusing, adorable touch.
The evil spiderish lady here really reminds me of Kagura from InuYasha. Similar look, for certain. That bored, heavy-lidded look, and the hair, and the earrings...she's like Kagura, and omg, she even has a spiderweb on her jacket, like Kagura's scar. That's interesting. Also, her voice is quite similar.
And interesting, a man with a number seven on his back. It's more elaborate, but very reminiscent, to me, of Bleach. The Soul Reaper captains, I mean.
Bleach [unkown episode]
This episode, I think, is relatively recent; it's the whole thing about the Kasumiyoji (it's something similar to that) clan, and there's a big face off right now between the head of the Soul Society (and, of course Ichigo) with the bad guy...who has arm weapons that look suspiciously similar to Chad's. Hm. I'm not really up-to-date with the series, so that could be something. *shrug*
Anyway. My thing for this episode is, I've heard the word "explain" at least five times in this episode. I dunno, it bothers me. It feels like it's getting repetitive, I suppose, because it's actually noticeable. :/
I would probably be more drawn in if I didn't come in in the middle of this...it's a dramatic story, very enrapturing, indeed, and quite heavy and complex, but I'm simply out of the loop so I'm not as understanding as I could be, I'd say.
Anyway. My thing for this episode is, I've heard the word "explain" at least five times in this episode. I dunno, it bothers me. It feels like it's getting repetitive, I suppose, because it's actually noticeable. :/
I would probably be more drawn in if I didn't come in in the middle of this...it's a dramatic story, very enrapturing, indeed, and quite heavy and complex, but I'm simply out of the loop so I'm not as understanding as I could be, I'd say.
Enter the Dragon
I just watched the Bruce Lee movie, Enter the Dragon. I must say, for all the hype and cult loyalty you hear about with this film...I'm not going to say it was bad, but it was surprisingly corny. Don't get me wrong, the fighting was amazing. But some of the acting was a little iffy, and some parts of the movie were confusing or just plain boring. The beginning, especially, suffers from this. Once he gets onto Han's island, things pick up, and that's where the fighting kind of really begins, so that's pretty much where it gets interesting, because the movie is certainly a focus on martial arts.
NFL Playoffs - Divisionals Day 1
Ravens vs Steelers - This game seemed to be pretty well fought out. The score was close throughout, pretty much, and for a long time in the fourth quarter, it was tied at 24. Near the end of the fourth quarter, though, the Steelers scored a touchdown, which gave them the necessary boost to win the game (31-24) and move on.
Packers vs Falcons - One could say this was a surprise. Atlanta was the number one seed, while Green Bay was the sixth. And, while the Packers have definitely been strong - after all, they beat the Eagles - I know many were thinking that the number one seed would have the advantage. To the delight of certain other sixth-seeders (cough), the Packers proved that seed number means nothing. They did not defeat the Falcons. They all-out POUNDED the Falcons. The score was pretty close at halftime, but the Packers all but exploded after that. This sixth seed brought the upset, big time, defeating the Falcons 48-21.
Packers vs Falcons - One could say this was a surprise. Atlanta was the number one seed, while Green Bay was the sixth. And, while the Packers have definitely been strong - after all, they beat the Eagles - I know many were thinking that the number one seed would have the advantage. To the delight of certain other sixth-seeders (cough), the Packers proved that seed number means nothing. They did not defeat the Falcons. They all-out POUNDED the Falcons. The score was pretty close at halftime, but the Packers all but exploded after that. This sixth seed brought the upset, big time, defeating the Falcons 48-21.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Haunted New York City
I read this book by Cheri Revai, Haunted New York City: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Big Apple. It outlined some (okay, a good number) of ghost stories and urban legends pertaining to the five boroughs of New York City. It went at them by borough, A to Z. It was about a hundred pages worth. While the stories were interesting, I think my mindset tends to be skeptical. A lot of the stories had me more than cynical - most of them I found hard to believe, or was simply not convinced by the accounts given in the book. But, that was just me. In terms of looking for an interesting book about the city, or just an interesting collection of legends and the like, it was good.
NFL Playoffs - Wild Card Day 2
Packers vs Eagles - The Packers took the Eagles down. As tough a team as the Eagles proved to be this season (this going mostly by a certain game against a certain New York team as firsthand proof, eck), the Packers managed to beat them 21-16.
Ravens vs Chiefs - I know some people were worried about the Chiefs as a potentially dangerous contender, but it was quite clear today that the bigger threat is Baltimore. They all-out creamed KC, 30-7.
Ravens vs Chiefs - I know some people were worried about the Chiefs as a potentially dangerous contender, but it was quite clear today that the bigger threat is Baltimore. They all-out creamed KC, 30-7.
Candy Cane Murder
I was rather surprised when I picked this up. Rather than being just another one of Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen mysteries, it was a three-in-one -- two other authors under the same publishing house contributed to the book, making it a set of three short stories.
The first story was a typical Hannah Swensen murder mystery. It's Christmas in Lake Eden, Minnesota, and a local department store tycoon plays Santa...until he ends up dead. In typical Hannah fashion, the tight-knit ties of family and a small town mix with scrumptious cookies for a heartwarming yet bone-chilling mystery that's got a laid back, cozy pace.
The second story, written by Laura Levine, is a murder mystery starring an LA girl, Jaine Austen. While Jaine - who, as an aside, would fall head over heels for Hannah('s cookies) - deals with the doom of an upcoming Christmas in Florida with family and the discovery that volunteering to spend time with motherless girls isn't as simple as it seems, she takes on a request from a local roofer to clear him of suspicion. A roof that he recently fixed came loose, causing his former client to fall to his death, but he swears the roof was done properly. Jaine's story has a grittier feel to it than the former, having a more urban setting and pace.
The final story is probably the most relaxed of the three. Written by Leslie Meier, this follows Lucy Stone, a New York City mother moved to rural Tinker's Cove, Maine. She doesn't run around chasing down murderers - with a toddler in tow and a second child on the way, this comes as no surprise - but rather tries to solve the mystery of the local librarian's mother's death by digging through memories and records. This story is laid back, showing the historical mystery as well as Lucy's struggles to live in a major "fix-er-up" with funds drying quickly, all the while dealing with her child and husband.
The first story was a typical Hannah Swensen murder mystery. It's Christmas in Lake Eden, Minnesota, and a local department store tycoon plays Santa...until he ends up dead. In typical Hannah fashion, the tight-knit ties of family and a small town mix with scrumptious cookies for a heartwarming yet bone-chilling mystery that's got a laid back, cozy pace.
The second story, written by Laura Levine, is a murder mystery starring an LA girl, Jaine Austen. While Jaine - who, as an aside, would fall head over heels for Hannah('s cookies) - deals with the doom of an upcoming Christmas in Florida with family and the discovery that volunteering to spend time with motherless girls isn't as simple as it seems, she takes on a request from a local roofer to clear him of suspicion. A roof that he recently fixed came loose, causing his former client to fall to his death, but he swears the roof was done properly. Jaine's story has a grittier feel to it than the former, having a more urban setting and pace.
The final story is probably the most relaxed of the three. Written by Leslie Meier, this follows Lucy Stone, a New York City mother moved to rural Tinker's Cove, Maine. She doesn't run around chasing down murderers - with a toddler in tow and a second child on the way, this comes as no surprise - but rather tries to solve the mystery of the local librarian's mother's death by digging through memories and records. This story is laid back, showing the historical mystery as well as Lucy's struggles to live in a major "fix-er-up" with funds drying quickly, all the while dealing with her child and husband.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
NFL Playoffs - Wild Card Day 1
Saints vs Seahawks - Wow. Not only have the Seahawks been making waves with being the only team in the playoffs with a losing record (I think in league history), but they beat the Saints, and beat them pretty thoroughly. 41-36 was the final score.
Jets vs Colts - Tight game, it was. I saw the beginning and the end. The beginning, I remember, took over a quarter to get a score on the board. Indianapolis scored first, then the Jets tied it up. Fast forward to the fourth quarter, 14-13 Jets. The Colts' star kicker gets a field goal from (double-checking with ESPN here) the 50 yard line. And it was a model kick, too, all nice and straight and...it was a doozy. Problem for the Jets was, there was less than a minute on the board now. ESPN says it was at 53 seconds left. They turnover to the Jets, some good rushes, some good plays get them to the 32 yard line. The clutch catch that gets them there is close but doesn't go out of bounds, so the clock is still running. It stops at three seconds and they attempt a field goal, there, a tooth's skin away from losing. The crowd was silent until you heard a player shout "YES!!!" - field goal successful! Final score, 17-16 Jets.
Jets vs Colts - Tight game, it was. I saw the beginning and the end. The beginning, I remember, took over a quarter to get a score on the board. Indianapolis scored first, then the Jets tied it up. Fast forward to the fourth quarter, 14-13 Jets. The Colts' star kicker gets a field goal from (double-checking with ESPN here) the 50 yard line. And it was a model kick, too, all nice and straight and...it was a doozy. Problem for the Jets was, there was less than a minute on the board now. ESPN says it was at 53 seconds left. They turnover to the Jets, some good rushes, some good plays get them to the 32 yard line. The clutch catch that gets them there is close but doesn't go out of bounds, so the clock is still running. It stops at three seconds and they attempt a field goal, there, a tooth's skin away from losing. The crowd was silent until you heard a player shout "YES!!!" - field goal successful! Final score, 17-16 Jets.
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