Saturday, May 16, 2009

Book Review: Ten Little Indians


"Ten Little Indians", is told in short choppy chapters that help to build the suspense and tension of the story. It is the first mystery that halfway through it I still hadn't figured it out. A group of strangers is invited to Indian Island, which is is off the coast of Devon, by an unknown host. The Cast of characters includes, a Doctor, a games mistress, a solider, a rich playboy, a retired policeman, a judge, a spinster, a retired general, and a married couple to serve as the servants. They arrive at a house, filled with every amenity and no host. Then one of them chokes during after dinner drinks. All of the deaths seemed to follow the ten little Indians nursery rhyme which is hung about the fireplace in each of the bed rooms. This story shows many sides of the characters, from politeness, to guilt, hate, and fear. It is the perfect murder mystery to curl up in bed with on a dark and stormy night.

A - Z Author Challenge

The Challenge is to read one author for each letter of the alphabet in 2009, which is a neat way to find new authors that you may or may not otherwise read. You can start with anywhere in the alphabet, and use first or last names. Be Creative, it is after all a challenge!

In order to keep track please create a post with your alphabetical list when your ready to begin, and keep updating as you move through the challenge. You can add the books as you go, or as you finish them. You can Make a list of books that you want to read, and then check them off. However you want to do it! :) Just have fun, and explore new authors!


A:Agatha Christie - Ten Little Indians
B:Dan Brown - Angel's & Demons
C:
D:David Morrell - Scavenger
E:
F:
G:Jane Green - Swapping Lives
H:
I:
J:Lisa Jackson - Almost Dead
K:Stephen King - Duma Key
L:
M:Gregory Maguire - What-the-dickens
N:
O:Diana Gabaldon- Outlander
P:
Q:
R:J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone
S:John Saul - Black Creek Crossing
T:
U:
V:
W:Toni Weschler - Taking Charge of Your Fertility
X:
Y:
Z:

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Dinner Based off What-The-Dickens By Gregory Maguire

Served By Candle Light During a Thunderstorm. (date to be determined)

(Drinks)
Dark and Stormy
Ice
2 0z dark rum
10 oz ginger beer or ginger ale
1/2 lime

Dark And Stormy Marinade

Ingredients
3/4 cup ginger beer (Ginger Ale)
1/4 cup dark rum
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Over Steaks With Baked Potatoes and Kernel Corn

And were going to do this creative writing activity, which i will post when finished.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Book Review: Wicked Lovely

Rule # 3 Don't Stare at invisible Faeries.
Rule #2 Don't Speak to invisible Faeries.
Rule #1 Don't ever attract their attention.

Those lines are what drew me into the story of Aislinn, Seth, and the Summer Court. I couldn't connect with the characters Aislinn never seemed to have any real emotion behind, but a tough girl attitude that was believable. Seth, was the character that i liked the most, his unwillingness to give up on what he loved was sweet, even if it meant believing in the fey. The story didn't seem to be centered around them, but more around Donia and Keenan, it seemed to be their story instead of the main characters. It was a cute story, an escape into something different. The highlight for me was the faerie run carnival, it was beautifully described. It was a strong debut, and i wanted to love it but i never really fell. Maybe with time the story will grow on me, after i read the rest of the novels maybe.


My Spring Book Club Challenge Haiku to go with the story:

Winter Ice So Pale

Creeping in the dark of night

Fighting temptations

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Book Review: The Lovely Bones

I had heard wonderful things about The Lovely Bones. In concept it was curious and interesting a story told from a murdered girls perspective. Surprisingly it was written warmly and failed to have any bitterness that one might expect from a murdered narrator. But I still thought that it didn't quite deliver on what I had heard. I read it in two days, but that is not uncommon because I usually finish books a few days after starting them. After the beginning it became more and more of a forced read. The concept of the story is wonderful, but i don't feel that it was executed to its full potential. About three quarters of the way through the story it takes this plot twist that is both unbelievable and just plain silly. From the cliche high school characters and the unbelievable plot twist i still do not know what to make of this book.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Book Review: Duma Key


I have been a fan of Stephen King for as long as i can remember. I love the boo factors that literaly fill up the pages, and keep them turning into the wee hours of morning. The First 3/4 of this book, are full of history, and memories, and an fairly intresting story, that written by anyone else would be enough. The las 1/4 of the book has the scare factor, and ghosts lots of ghosts. It took me twice as long to read this as any other of King's work mostly because it was different. It wasn't until the last 300 pages that it became a real page turner.
I was skeptical at the begining because unlike every other Stephen King work this took place somewhere outside of his beloved Maine, that we have come to know and love. The Characters are developed wonderfully and it provides an above average amount of entertainment. Edgar Freemantle is a loveable damaged soul that you just can't help but to relate to. I was sad that the actual horror aspect was limited to the last several hundred pages.