Three Dark Crowns: Book Review

Last year, I decided to give myself the best birthday present ever: A subscription to OwlCrate. Each month they send out a recent release book along with other bookish goods. September’s box came with Three Dark Crowns (hereafter TDC) by Kendare Blake.

Look! Look! It’s my photo instead of a stock one!

The premise of the book is interesting: Every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born to the current queen and her consort. Each of the triplets is born with one of the gifts of the island – Poisoners who have the ability to resist poisons; Naturalists, who can bloom flowers, heal or destroy the living, and form bonds with animal familiars; and Elementals, who can manipulate the natural world. There are a few other gifts–seers and warriors, but those are less common. The triplets are split up at the age of six to be raised in separate cities and trained in their gifts. Ten years later, they meet again to spend a year killing the others. The survivor becomes the Queen of the island, and the cycle begins again.

In the generation of TDC, all three sisters are keeping secrets. Mirabella, a fierce elemental with gifts so strong that she has become the favorite, doesn’t want to kill her beloved sisters. Katharine, supremely gifted at concocting poisons, is not as immune to them as a poisoner should be. Then there is Arsinoe, who is protected by the most powerful naturalist on the island, but cannot make a flower bloom, let alone call an animal familiar.

I fear I have already spoiled too much, so I will move on to what I didn’t like. The book moves between the homes of the three young queens, and they each have families that protect them. There are so many characters all at once that it’s difficult to keep them straight. Throw in animal familiars with very human names, and I found myself repeatedly flipping back to chapter titles and the map in the beginning of the book to help keep track. I also had trouble keeping the voices of the characters and the three locations separate. They all sounded similar, but once I became more familiar with the characters, the changes in location became easier to recognize.

The good about the book outweighs the negative. The storyline is full of intrigue of both human relationship and political types. The mythology of the island is easy to follow if fairly… conveniently revealed. However, I’d rather have this gradual presentation than a giant info-dump. About halfway through, the storylines tie together in an even deeper way that creates question upon question and leaves room for a few interesting reveals.

Honestly, without the surprises, I would probably give this book a 3 star review. But with the way the story revs up toward the end, I award TDC 4 Stars. I now can’t wait until the sequel, (which is finished but no release date has been revealed). Alas, books with sequels keep me patient.

Book at a Glance:

Title: Three Dark Crowns 

Author: Kendare Blake

Rating: 4/5 Stars ; Worth the buy

Publisher: Harper Teen

Other books you might know by the author: Anna Dressed in Blood ; Slasher Girls and Monster Boys (multi-author anthology)

Genre: YA Fantasy

Read the First Three Chapters here: http://www.epicreads.com/blog/read-the-first-3-chapters-of-three-dark-crowns/

Book Trailer: And it’s a pretty decent one, too, although it doesn’t reveal much.

Video Book synopsis: Mostly because I spent the first 1/3 of the book mispronouncing everyone’s name. You’re welcome.

The Glittering Court: Review

The Glittering Court (TGC) is Richelle Mead’s latest book. You might recognize her name from The Vampire Academy and Bloodline’s series. First, although I’m not usually a fan of people on book covers, this is gorgeous…. and really only minimally describes the book. Haha. I suppose that’s how publishing works.

TGC follows a young noble who, rather than be forced into a political marriage, joins what is essentially a mail order bride etiquette and training program which will take her across the sea to a futuristic (sort of) version of colonial North America. Of course, she must hide her true identity or she risks being returned to her family in shame and forced to marry.

All of these factors complicate matters when she falls in love. Confused? Yeah, me, too at first when I realized that a lot of this book was essentially a mail-order-bride western story and not the elegant dystopian that the cover would seem to indicate.

Don’t worry though. The book is still awesome. I was a little concerned after Soundless, which felt underdeveloped compared to Mead’s other work. However, Mead seems to have returned to her former glory and grown as an author.

The main characters are rounded out just enough to give character insights and make them feel like a real person while still managing to let a large group of readers relate to them. There are positive and varied depictions of female friendship, and a lot of feminist questions raised in a way that makes the reader uncomfortable because those questions are way too valid today.

I am a fan of western/colonial adventure books, and that’s what this eventually turns into, with just enough intrigue and suspense to make it difficult to name this solely a romance book.

The thing I really love about Mead’s YA books is that they seem to be maturing. I know she writes adult stuff too–I haven’t read it, so I can’t comment there. But I’ve noticed, starting with the Bloodlines series, she seems to be increasingly focusing on real-life relationship issues after a couple gets together rather than just a tortuous path to togetherness, ending in a moment of bliss that would imply a happily ever after.

This focus gives this book especially a more “New Adult” feel, if you believe in such distinctions. As an adult reader, I therefore related more to the story. There definitely was the getting together through obstacles part, but then came adjusting to each other, the relationship, and more struggles. Just like life. Mead also spotlights the growth and maturing of friendships in this story.

TGC also claims some LGBTQ representation, though not as much as I was expecting or would have liked. However, it was presented well, through a character and society that made the other book characters (and hopefully any wary readers) wonder why it is still a taboo in an otherwise advancing and developing society. It presented a solid and natural commentary.

The only other complaint that I can present is that the side characters are a little too underdeveloped for my tastes. We definitely see a lot of them, and get a feel for who they are, but there are many things left to mystery. However, I suspect this is because the next two books in the series will be companions, told from the point of view of each of the main character’s friends.

Overall, I recommend The Glittering court to any fans of Mead’s, as well fans of romance, adventure, or westerns.  And pretty much everyone else.  4.5/5 stars.

 

Head to Richelle Mead’s website to read a sample: of The Glittering Court.

 

This Time for Real

World, I’m back.

I just received a notice celebrating my 8-year anniversary of beginning this blog… I didn’t even realize it had been that long.

Every time I restructure my life, I get the urge to write again and remember goals that somehow forgot when life jumped in the way. I suppose I probably should have started fresh with a new blog and an unsullied reputation, but I’m rather attached to this name, and am going to give it one more go.

I will start small, shooting for monthly book reviews, with other ‘stuff’ in the in-between weeks: comments on TV shows, nerdy craft features, and workout plans to go along with the Harry Potter Films. Maybe not that last one. Although It’s a good idea, right? 50 crunches every time someone tells Harry he has his mother’s eyes. Ehem. Anyway.

My return is really due to bookstagram, a lovely community I joined at the beginning of the year. Truth is, I decided to review books on my Instagram account, but quickly discovered that I ran out of caption space. I’m still wordy. I’ll work on it.

Some things have changed in the three years since I abandoned this venture last. Others have not. I’m still a huge book and movie nerd, and I find myself here once again primarily to write reviews of the many awesome books I’ve read. So wish me luck. As they say, third time’s the charm.

Kissing Shakespeare: Book Review

Normally, I would read something like this on my kindle, where no one could see the silly girl on the cover or the ridiculous title as I read. However, I had a coupon, and well, the name Shakespeare posses some weird kind of power over me. Specifically, I need to personally own every obtainable  copy of whatever it’s printed on–except those creepy covers for the plays. You know the ones I’m talking about.

Anyway, aside from that bizarre addiction of mine, I was also in the post-Doonian state of READ ALL THE HISTORICAL FICTION! (Click for my review of Doon.) So I picked up Kissing Shakespeare by Pamela Mingle. The book wastes no time jumping right into the plot. Miranda (Ah! Tempest reference!) is the daughter of two Shakespearean actors who has been cast as the lead in her school’s production of Taming of the Shrew.  She thinks it’s because her mother so famously portrayed Kate.

With the pressure of expectations, Miranda blows opening night, playing a flat and uninspired Katherine. While she’s hiding out in shame in the green room, Stephen,  the actor who plays Lucentio, approaches her with a wild story; He needs Miranda to come back in time with him to save Shakespeare’s life.

She doesn’t believe him, there’s a short chase, and then he pulls her off of a building after spouting some iambic pentameter. Suddenly they’re in the past, and Stephen reveals he is a time keeper, burdened with keeping the order of the world. And dun dun duh…. has recently discovered a threat to Shakespeare’s works and life. If Miranda doesn’t seduce Shakespeare to prevent him from becoming a priest, he will never write his plays and the world will fall apart. He may even die. And the world will fall apart.

It sounds ridiculous, and parts of it are. Shakespeare is young, charming, and seriously enchanted with the idea of becoming a priest, but not quite ready to give up on his writing and acting ambitions. Mingle uses the time right before Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, so as not to royally mess with history–a fact which makes me respect her more. She also capitalizes on the religious… issues of the day, and the Catholicism of the Shakespeare family. As someone who loves Shakespeare, I very much appreciate that.

There’s also a subplot of Miranda verses her parents expectations versus those she believes her parents have for her verses the ones she holds for herself. The mother-daughter relationship is examined throughout. The book also touches on religious freedom, marriage, and morality.

There will be spoilers ahead, so skip down two paragraphs if you want to avoid those.

Predictably, while trying to enchant Shakespeare, Miranda begins to fall for Stephen. At the time, she is pretending to be Stephen’s sister, so naturally, with a probable spy and many people pretending to be someone else (another nod to Will), that causes problems. Stephen also enlists Miranda, now to be called Olivia (haha), partly because of the loose morals of the women of her time–i.e. her willingness to sleep with any man. Miranda resents the assumption and  that causes more issues and misunderstandings between the star crossed-lovers, using the love-hate relationships of some of Shakespeare’s most famous comedies. Not to mention the sexual tension.

The thing I probably enjoyed most about the book is that there was no quick fix to their impossible love-the two could barely be together while playing brother and sister. Also, they come from very different worlds and Stephen has a responsibility to protect the universe and Miranda has a dream of being on the stage. And there is no way around that; they cannot be together and the book ends with promises to never forget each other and Miranda leaving Stephen to return to her proper time. In a world of happily ever after books (or I end up with my true love books), it was refreshing to read something where the first love was ended and both characters had no choice but to move forward.

***

Was this book one of the best I’ve ever read? No. Did I probably enjoy it much more than I should have because it involves Shakespeare? Perhaps yes. The thing is, I couldn’t stop reading it. Something unnameable kept me reading virtually nonstop. I may have paused to eat at one point. So will I recommend it? I think I have to, especially for romantics and Shakespeare lovers.

Mortal Instruments: City of Bones – Movie Reviewish

I’m going to be honest. Because this is the internet. And people can be honest without fear of actual retribution. Jamie Campbell Bower is not my Jace Wayland. This sort of thing happens all the time. however, for reasons of chemistry or acting skill. And honestly, while I greatly enjoyed the Mortal Instruments series, I never fell in love with Jace Myself. So despite my still rather strong feelings about JCB  and my belief that he would … suck… as Jace,  I decided to see the film anyway.

Perhaps, because of these rather low expectations, I didn’t think the film was all that horrible. Campbell-Bower was better than I expected, though the chemistry between the two leads lacked that particular spark that makes the audience believe (SPOILERS HERE)  that Clary and Jace are meant to be together and there is no way they could be brother and sister. It’s just not there, but it’s not painful to watch the two, so that’s a plus.

And honestly Lily Collins is just so damn beautiful and talented, she could probably play opposite a goat and make me believe they loved each other. She has the Ginger Rogers effect–Since we’re being honest, no one really though Fred Astaire was physically attractive. Incredibly talented, but not your typical dream-boat. But when Ginger Rogers danced in his arms, she made  the audience fall in love with him, because she looked at him and danced with him like he was the best and most-beautiful man on earth. Lily Collins definitely possess that skill, and she’s going to be around for a while doing wonderfully great things, providing she keeps her head away from the Lindsay Lohan track.

The real standout, aside from Collins, is Robert Sheehan as Simon. I always liked Simon. I’m not so deluded to think Clary and Simon belong together romantically, but I just like Simon. And while the way Sheehan (you might recognize him from The Borrowers) plays Simon is slightly different from how I read him, it’s brilliant. He’s so much fun to watch, and he brings that edgy humour that JCB can’t always deliver as Jace.

Isabel and her whip are pretty characture-ish, but they look awesome. And the rest is forgettable except for Magnus bane, perhaps because I love his character. Oh! and Lena Headey plays Clary’s mom brilliantly. It doesn’t hurt that she and Collins look so much the part of mother and daughter. And then there is Jonathan Rhys Meyers. I have loved him since his Henry VIII days, but the way they styled his hair is so not Valentine, in my opinion, that I couldn’t focus on anything else during those scenes.

I suppose none of this really matters, as the production of the sequel has been postponed… indefinitely. In a market that is all about YA fantasy, this movie should have done well, but a series of poor decisions in casting and probably direction and marketing, left the film to flop.

But why? After the first few Twilight films, are audiences no longer as forgiving of faults when their favorite books turn into films? Do we expect more now? The fanbase for Mortal Instruments seems to be solid. Not as large as something like Vampire Academy (slightly terrified for that movie, by the way), but I’ve met a lot of people who have read and love Cassandra Clare’s books. I own them all.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but seems to me that the fantasy films that are flopping are those where the author has less involvement. Film and literature are very different mediums, and it’s not every author who can–or who wants to–involve themselves in a film while recognizing it as a different way to tell their story. But Harry Potter, Twilight, and Hunger Games (so far)  are all largely successful. All of those authors had more than the usual input into the films. Then there is Percy Jackson, Beautiful Creatures, and now Mortal Instruments. Don’t quote me on this, but I’m fairly certain the author involvement in these films  is much less. So pay attention, film studios.

Doon: Book Review

Usually I pride myself on giving critical, literary-based-ish reviews. Sometimes, I warn you that I’m a sucker for this or that and a review might be a tad biased. This is not either of those. This is an unbridled love-fest for the new Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon novel Doon.

Doon is based loosely off of the Musical Brigadoon, where two young American lads traveling through Scotland cross a magical bridge that appears only once every 100 years. That bridge leads to a magical Scottish town where everyone sings and stays young and the two adventurers must chose whether to stay or go.

Replace that with two young women, and you have the loose framework of Doon. Those two women are  Vee and Kenna, best friends and while not total opposites, they certainly have their differences. Vee’s boyfriend turns out to be a total tool, going the way of most of the men in her life. And her mom, if you can call her that, is more concerned about her boyfriend than anything Vee wants or needs.

So when Vee starts seeing a mysterious blonde boy wearing a kilt and bearing a heavy Scottish accent, well, she could just be going over the psychological deep end. Somehow, she doesn’t think so.

Then there is Kenna, passionate about theatre in the way that Vee breathes dance, she thinks she has everything worked out: Drag best friend on an epic summer graduation trip to Scotland, return home to a dream internship that begins her road to Broadway… if she can keep her best friend from hallucinating  men and go after some local ones of their own.

If I continue on with the summary, I will spend another three pages writing about it, because I haven’t yet finished my love affair with Doon to properly chop things out for an actual summary. So if you haven’t read the book, here is a link to the author’s site, complete with music playlists for inspiration. Also, don’t let the book trailer deter you. You need to read Doon.

Doon fits into a lot of the popular nows: a book series (There will be four books in all, and the wait will be agony!), fantasy/adventure/romance  genre (Romance–there is a lot a romance, which normally isn’t my cup of tea, but more on that in a moment), and it is told from the point of view of more than one narrator (Right now those are Mackenna and Veronica, but I have a feeling the men will make an appearance later). The girls are each written by a different author, so the voices remain mostly distinct. However, as they are best friends, sometimes the two blur a bit in the chapter beginnings. Luckily there’s a handy name at the top of each chapter that lets you know whose head you are about to enter.

Then, there are the Scottish boys –ahead are MILD SPOILERS, so be warned. Jamie–for all the bad boy lovers (me! me!) is tortured and conflicted. He’s a master at sarcasm and cocky as any prince would be. Duncan on the other hand–well, he reminds me of a less obnoxious  Emmett Cullen. Duncan is the boy next door, all smiles and sweetness. Don’t let that fool you though, he can still match wits with his brother, and take on more than a few men in an unfair fight.  Oh, did I mention the boys were brothers? So why have I just spent more than enough time describing the beautiful and lovely male characters when I typically dislike reading books with a romantic focus? Well, the question is all the answer you need.

And honestly, there is plenty of adventure to balance out the romance. The girls cross a magical bridge into a mythical land that is protected from a witch’s curses. But, as signs of the curse begin to creep into Doon, the people become suspicious of their two visitors. Cue the spooky music. Not that I didn’t figure out most of the mysteries at the beginning of the clue dropping, but there’s a twist at the end that will probably leave most surprised, and this book is more about the journey. Which happens to have an enormous payoff. Plus, I read a lot. It spoils me for most surprises.

One mild surprise is the obvious… belief system present in the books. Although I don’t know why that surprised me (pleasantly), as  the book deals with ancient, medieval-ish history. It is clear from the Doonian belief system that belief in a higher power is integral in the author’s lives. Not that that’s any of my business, and Doon in no way shoves religion, organized or otherwise, down the reader’s throat. It felt a part of the book in the way it is a part of the character’s lives, and that serves the overall themes of the book well.

And, as I said, there’s plenty of romance and action and adventure woven into the story along with all the other elements. Not to mention getting to know the authors’ version of Brigadoon, which holds just enough description to make the place easily appear in your imagination, but not enough to prohibit free interpretation. Speaking of musicals, there are plenty of references for the MT geek like myself, but not enough to be annoying or deter a casual reader. And before you ask, you don’t have to know Brigadoon before reading. You don’t have to like Brigadoon before reading. It’s never been at the top of my “to see” list. But now? I kinda want to watch it.

Then there are the side characters. The King McCrae makes just enough appearance as a strong, wise ruler. But the true sidekick awards belong to Fiona and Fergus, members of the royal household and guard respectively. They act as the balance in Doon. When everyone is rotten, they are nice. When the romantic tension between Jamie and Vee made me want to shake the book, they diffuse it with their flirting game. They are developed enough to become whole, yet they do not take over the story.

Yes, this book truly belongs to Vee and with her, Jamie, who is just so deliciously tortured. But Mackenna  and Duncan also diffuse some of the Vee angst. and if you’re into the boy next door, don’t worry. MacKenna and her Duncan will own the next book.

I literally could not put Doon down. I went to the movies with a friend and brought the book, even though I knew I wouldn’t have time to read it. After the movie, I went home to finish reading. And I did. At 1:38 AM.  It might have a flaw or two, but they’re not important ones, and probably have more to do with my personal preference than anything else.

It’s been a while since I have been inseparable from a story (Harry Potter aside. That never leaves my life). It’s been a long time since a book had mad me shake with excitement and literally sweat with anticipation. Doon is every wish fulfillment I imagined as a kid, is intensely creative, and I cannot wait for the next installment. It’s right in the in-between of everything: Between YA and the new New Adult, between fantasy and adventure, between the bad boy and the boy next door, between two best friends, and between worlds.

The final message is for the authors: Thank you. Write well. and please, write quickly. Like running-across-the-brig o’ doon-scarily-close-to-midnight quickly.

What are you still doing here…. go read Doon!

Oh, and if you’ve finished Doon, you could always go back and reread your favorite parts like I’ve been doing. Or, you can head over to Carey Corp’s Amazon page and check out her self-published works.

Lea Michele Dedicates Award to Cory Monteith

I’ve been struggling for as while as to how I should address something that, as an entertainment blog, I felt I should address.

Did I know Cory Monteith? No. Not personally. I just connected with him in the character of Finn Hudson on FOX’s gLee. Aside from appreciating his incredible talent,  I appreciated him as a role model for young people and respected his openness about his struggles with substance abuse.

His death is tragic, and I hope that his friends will continue to support each other. It appears that FOX will take actual events into consideration while writing Finn, who should have been Rachel’s endgame, out of the show, which will run another two seasons.  I can’t imagine how difficult the filming of that would be.

I don’t have much else to say on the topic, except that I hope that his passing will encourage more people to be honest about substance abuse and to seek help.

Lea Michele, Mr. Monteith’s girlfriend, dedicated her Teen Choice win to him. You can watch the video below. My respect for her grew after watching her handle this moment with grace and strength.

Peeps: Book Review

I have Steampunk to thank for the introduction to author Scott Westerfeld. He is probably best known for his series, Uglies. I found him through Leviathan when I searched ‘Steampunk books with male narrators’ for a project at work. I have yet to read either of the aforementioned books, but after seeing his name repeatedly at work, and browsing through Leviathan, I stumbled upon Peeps in the local secondhand bookstore. In hardcover. In near perfect condition. I shouldn’t have to mention how awesome that is, but just in case… it”s awesome.

I started reading it slowly and realized it is one of the more unique twists on the zombie-apocalypse I’ve read. And I’ve read quite a few. It starts with Cal, who is a peep hunter. Peep stands for Parasite Positive, the name given to those who have become infected with an ancient parasite that takes over the body and causes the host to exhibit classic characteristics of vampirism. The vampire myth had to come from somewhere, after all.

Cal is a peep hunter because he’s s Typhoid Mary of sorts, a carrier of the parasite who does not exhibit the cannibalistic symptoms. He does have heightened speed and senses that make him the perfect hunter for the underground society designed to fight the parasite. He is also left with an insatiable lust due to the parasite’s desire to spread to others.

The book begins with Cal hunting down his old girlfriends and random make-out partners who he unknowingly infected. But when Cal begins to hunt for his progenitor, the person who infected him, things start to get weird. Well, weirder. He meets Lace, a journalism student seeking answers as to why there is a message written in blood on her apartment walls. She helps him to question things he’s been taught about peeps all the while challenging his strict abstinence policy.

Peeps uses real parasite knowledge in its mythos structure. Cal was once a biology student and has a rather twisted sense of humour, so every other chapter he uses facts of a known parasite written in witty narrative to explain how the vampirism parasite works.  Now, I may be a nerd, but I looked forward to these short segments as much as the main narrative. Cal is a rather funny guy, so his inner dialogue narrative keeps the rather apocalyptic plot from becoming too devastating. Lace provides the intellect–it’s so nice to see a resourceful girl full of common sense helping out the intelligent (but occasionally dense) narrator.

Westerfeld did not write a simple zombie-vampire virus novel, however. Along with the survival and scientific explanations of fantasy lore, there’s also the mystery to solve about how Cal caught the virus and why some peeps are occasionally exhibiting ‘normal’ human behaviors that should be lost to a parasite positive. With ties to the Bubonic Plague, Peeps becomes a fantasy, mystery, historical, scientific, romance novel. And the blending of those genres is so flawless that it isn’t remotely ridiculous like I just made it sound. There are even a few horror elements as the mystery slowly reveals itself.

Cal’s narrative voice is immediately endearing and the reader will root for the character in all of his quests. Even when one seems to be resolved a tad to easily– I so saw it coming– the characters are immediately faced with another, larger problem. If you like stories where everything is 100% resolved, you might want to avoid Peeps. It resolves just enough while leaving much more to a sequel, which exists in The Last Days, a companion novel that takes place in the same world, but only uses some of the same characters.

Have you read Peeps? What did you think?

This was my first Scott Westerfeld book, but it certainly wont be my last.  Now, which book to read next…

The Princess and the Pig – Book Review

I hate Scholastic Book Fairs. I hate them because I love them. Every year I give myself a limit to the amount of books I’m allowed to purchase (a.k.a. the amount of money I’m allowed to spend).  And every year, I ignore that limit.

But school’s out, you say. You will be safe in the summer, you say. Not so. Because libraries hold book fairs too. And when you spend four out of seven days of the week in a library, well, you see my problem.

This year, one of my favorite finds is a picture book.

The Princess and the Pig written by Jonathan Emmett and illustrated by Poly Bernatene and published in 2011 includes many of my favorite things in one. Fractured fairytales, anyone? Princesses? Literary references? And while the cover doesn’t exactly sparkle with glitter, it gives off a definite sheen.

The book begins with a poor but kind farmer rescuing an unwanted pig from the market. Meanwhile in the palace, the queen passes off the responsibility of her stinky baby to sixteen nannies. Through a mistake and some mechanics, the baby and the pig switch places. A pig in the palace–who wouldn’t like that? And this is not a magical fairytale pig. It’s the regular, roll in the mud pig.

The people around the princess and the pig try to explain away the strange occurrences with a variety of references to classic literature and fairytales. This will lead the adult reader to smile at the inside jokes and the child to (hopefully) ask about the stories featured, including Sleeping Beauty, The Prince and the Pauper (obviously) and Thumbelina.

If you can get the boys past the Princess in the title–I say this for myself and others like me who read to groups of children from a variety of homes and gender “rules”–they will love it along with girls of the princess and tomboy variety. There’s enough silly dialogue to make it a fun read-aloud and just the right amount of repetition so that the kiddos can eventually take over ‘reading’ parts of it. The ending will have everyone laughing.

Because it’s one of the things that attracted me to it, I must mention the illustrations. They are bright, clever and cartoonish, mixing in equal amounts of cute and absurd. Each illustration has visible texture. You can see the brushstrokes. Well, just see for yourself.

Return of the Nerd

I know. It’s been an absurdly long time since I updated. And that’s inexcusable.

I’ve seen a lot of movies in the past year: Iron Man 3 (wow), Guilt Trip (unexpected), Silver Linings Playbook (ooh), Argo (compelling), Warm Bodies (great, but not as good as the book), Beautiful Creatures (eh–but good casting), OZ (double eh), The Great Gatsby (heart fountains).

I’ve also read a fair amount of books.  I pretty much loved them all. I have a book problem. And as I might want to review those someday, I’ll hold off on that long list.

I’ve become even more addicted to Downton Abbey and Once Upon a Time, converted to a Game of Thrones fan, and somehow fell into watching Teen Wolf (Thank you, Hypable).

But in all these ‘months off’ I’ve done a fair bit of thinking about what is important to me and what I want. The big questions still haven’t been resolved, but after a bit of indecision, this blog made the cut. My first return review will probably be a picture book, as I’ve been reading those nonstop lately.

I know you don’t really care about any of that blah blahity blah, but I’ve told you anyway, so there.