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Book Review: All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris (Series, #7)
Summary:
Against her fairy godmother’s better judgment, Sookie accompanies the Louisiana vampire contingency to Rhodes, Illinois for the vampire summit to work for the queen reading human minds at the various wheelings and dealings. She is excited that Quinn will be there as well, but a wrench is thrown in the works of their relationship when she is forced to exchange blood for a third time with Eric. To top it all off Sookie and fellow telepath Barry have the odd sensation that something isn’t quite right at the summit. It’s a lot for small-town girl Sookie to handle in one week in the north.
Review:
I want to say the action in this entry into Sookie’s adventures is excellent, but it isn’t quite there. The minor side-mysteries are quite good, but they are meant to distract from the main event, which frankly I had figured out way way way before Sookie. It was pratically hitting her in the face, and she didn’t get it. So the mystery leaves a little to be desired.
On the other hand, the plot point where Andre is trying to force Sookie to exchange blood with him, and Eric steps up to exchange blood with her instead is excellent. Quinn is unjustifiably angry, and Sookie discovers that trading blood three times is a magical number. She is more closely tied to Eric than she is comfortable with, and she is left incredibly confused about her feelings for him vs her feelings for Quinn. This is a love conflict that is bound to prove interesting because she has feelings for Eric but intellectually believes Quinn is a wiser choice. Now this is juicy romantic conflict!
Something that has been bugging me about the series that is featured epicenter of this book though is the whole idea of the vampires arranging their kingdoms based on the states. There’s the King of Tennessee and the Queen of Louisiana, and they even call each other simply by the state (as in, “Oh hi, Louisiana”). This makes zero sense. Why would the super-powerful and, for the majority of existence, hidden vampires arrange themselves based on arbitrary human dividing lines? Sure having multiple kingdoms in the US makes sense, but not arranged based on the human-created state lines. It doesn’t fit into the characterization of what a vampire is.
I think what really bothered me about this book though was that it made me dislike Sookie. I don’t like how she behaves, her superficial focus on clothing, or her prejudiced view of northerners. (Not a single northern woman she runs into does she view as anything other than a rude bitch). I don’t always need to like my main characters, but I think in a paranormal romance that’s problematic.
Overall, the action is excellent, even if some of the world-building doesn’t make sense and the characterization can be off-putting. I think this may be a set-up for a major, character-changing circumstance in Sookie’s life, which would make it more understandable. We’ll see if I’m right.
3 out of 5 stars
Source: Bought on Amazon
Previous Books in Series:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Dead To The World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
The Electronic vs. Print Books Debate
The eBook debate has been fairly consistently humming in my virtual world –twitter, GoogleReader, listserves, etc… Frankly I’m starting to wonder at the vitriol being spewed by both sides of the debate.
We have the print people who are absolutely certain that the electronic people are out to kill any and all print books leading to some sort of Big Brother society where The Man can delete our censor our books whenever he sees fit.
Then we have the electronic people who firmly believe print books are horrible for the environment and anyone who wants to still read them is a backwards, ancient person trying to hold society back.
Um, people, what planet are you living on?
I really believe the eBook vs. print book situation, if allowed to naturally play out, will lead to a world where print and electronic books coexist gracefully. A world where some people will still prefer print books in most cases but electronic books in others, and other people will prefer electronic books in some cases but print books in others. Consumers as a group are actually far more flexible than anyone is giving them credit for. Sure, there’ll be the die-hard hold-outs who will refuse to read anything not in print, and there will be the obsessive electronic fans who will refuse to read anything not on a screen, but in between these two extremes are everybody else. From what I have seen, people choose which option is best for the situation. Most people I know have a few books in each format, depending on what they need them for. Consumers aren’t busy spewing vitriol at each other. They’re busy saying “Well, I want this genre book on my iTouch for my commute, and this nonfiction book in print so I can write my thoughts in it as I go reading it in the evening.”
The reason for all the angry commentary is plain and simple: fear. People are afraid of change. Booksellers are afraid their stores will become obsolete or at least not profitable anymore if people are downloading their books. Electronic vendors are afraid the print folks will shout them down before they ever even get a chance. Then there’s the snobs who think their way is always the best way and are afraid of anything else.
Well, you know what? I doubt either scenario will happen. I see a future where booksellers have print books and stations where people can download new electronic books to their reader, and possibly even charge their reader for a small fee. I see a future where people still have a bookshelf of beloved print books, but also a charging station for their eReader. I see a future (hell, I’m already living this) where morning commutes feature people reading on eReaders and reading print books they own and reading library books and listening to audiobooks.
So, really, people, calm down and just let the change happen. It’s not going to kill anyone or anything.
Book Review: Definitely Dead By Charlaine Harris (Series #6)
Summary:
Sookie needs to go to New Orleans for both personal and business reasons. Her cousin Hadley had been a vampire but died her second death leaving everything to Sookie, so she needs to go clean out her apartment. As far as business goes, the queen of Louisiana has also requested her presence to figure out if she will require Sookie’s services for the upcoming vampire summit. When Sookie finds out that Hadley was the queen’s lover, a connection between the two purposes for the visit shows up that may be more significant than she at first realizes.
Review:
I’m glad I learned on some blog (wish I could remember which one) that a short story comes between the previous book and this one in the series, otherwise I would have thought I missed a book or something. That annoying tendency to retell things that already happened? Actually awfully helpful here, since I haven’t read that short story. You don’t need to read the short story to enjoy this book, but I wish I had and advise you to as well. If you’re interested, some investigation reveals that short story is contained in the collection of Sookie short stories called A Touch of Dead.
Also thankfully, my prediction that Dead as a Doornail was a random clunker and not a death toll for the series was correct. Definitely Dead is a step back up in quality. The multiple storylines actuall do reveal to be related and not just random throwaways designed to throw you off the scent of the main mystery. We also get the addition of a new supe–part-demons–and some serious reveals. I mean makes you rethink how you look at the entire story reveals. To give you non-spoilery hints, you learn something about Bill and something about just why Sookie is so darn appealing to the supe guys. I personally love that sort of thing, and I’m hoping these two reveals will help the series continue to grow and expand.
On the minus side, I have to come right out and say it that I am not impressed with Quinn. I’m glad Sookie has become a bit more savvy about pursuing a long-term relationship, but with Quinn? Really? The man’s looks don’t match what has been established to be Sookie’s type at all–tall and lean–he is instead the muscle-bound guy. That suits some women, but it comes out of the blue that Sookie’s at all attracted to him. Also, what’s with the purple eyes? On what planet is it sexy for a man to have eyes not only an unnatural color, but an unnatural color that’s girly? I of course dislike him for nonsuperficial reasons too. He seems far too perfect. He says those puke-inducing gushy things to Sookie that, I’m sorry, perfectly nice men just don’t say in real life, and you know why they don’t say them? Because they sound corny and false and how the man treats you is far more important than what he says to you. There’s also the fact that he originally came on to her when there was a fight to the death going on in front of them, something I find indicative of just how sympathetic he really is to other people. Frankly, I just don’t find Quinn or Sookie’s interest in him believable. Something just rings false about the whole thing. It isn’t like her interactions with Eric, for example, that are full of witty banter and internal conflict about liking this person on both sides. Quinn and Sookie’s conversations literally make me want to puke at how disgustingly sweet and false they sound. Reading their conversations is like eating a twinkie. A deep-fried twinkie.
Thankfully, there isn’t much Quinn in this book, so it’s still an enjoyable read and a sign of better things to come in the series.
3 out of 5 stars
Source: Bought on Amazon
Previous Books in Series:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Dead To The World
Dead as a Doornail
Indie Bookstores: Violet’s Book Exchange (Claremont, NH)
Since I am known for meandering into any indie bookstore that I happen across, I thought it might be fun to highlight ones that I visit on my blog. Obviously this will be a totally random recurring post.
As you all know, this weekend I was in Vermont (right on the border of New Hampshire) visiting my family. My dad, knowing my perpetual love of books, suggested we stop in one of only two indie bookstores in driving distance of them–Violet’s Book Exchange located in Claremont, New Hampshire.
I had been there before, but not for a while. When she started the business, Violet had a few bookshelves and an excellent store credit for books policy. To my recollection, she didn’t have any new books. Now she has two floors, a children’s room, and a wonderful mix of used and fairly priced used books. She also features arts and crafts handmade by local people on one shelf, which is an excellent way for an indie bookstore to be connected to their community.
It’s not really surprising to me that this bookstore has taken off, as the library situation in that area of Vermont/New Hampshire is dire. There is one medium-sized, up-to-date library located in Claremont, but most of the people in the area do not live within the district that would give them access to free library cards. This is a predominantly poor, working class area of VT/NH, and most of the people can’t afford the exhorbitant library fee. With often bad, still *wired* internet access, there is little to do. Violet’s cheap used and new books with an excellent rate on books you yourself bring in for store credit really helps to fill that gap. Violet clearly has business acumen, and I salute her for filling a much-desired need in the area.
While I was there, my dad picked up a cookbook (which I would totally provide a cover image for if I could remember what it was), and a book for me. I present to you: The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming: A Christmas Story
To top it all off, the clerk asked us if we had any store credit. I honestly answered that I used to, but I had thrown away the card after moving permanently to Boston. (Yes, I should have given it to my brother, but I was being dumb and didn’t think of that). Anyway, apparently in the meantime they’d computerized and lo and behold she found my store credit and we got to use it. I was seriously impressed at this level of organization.
If you can visit Violet’s Book Exchange in person, I highly recommend it. If you can’t, you can at least check out their website where you can get books shipped to you. I encourage you to consider it, because this bookstore is vital for these small towns.
Book Review: The Waste Lands By Stephen King (Series, #3)
Summary:
This entry in the Dark Tower series opens with Eddie, Susannah, Roland, and Jake dealing with the paradox created when Roland saves Jake from being killed in his own world. Now Jake and Roland are both living with the knowledge of two different ways a time period of about three weeks went down, and it is driving them both mad. They must solve the paradox before it is too late. After working out the paradox the ka-tet faces a post-apocalyptic city stuck in an age-based civil war. Can the ka-tet who fit into neither side survive? More importantly, can they hitch a ride on a long-forgotten train to speed up their quest for the tower?
Review:
This book opens with a bang. I thought King was going to gloss over the obvious paradox caused by Roland saving Jake in The Drawing of the Three, but a significant portion of this book is spent dealing with just that paradox. I think King is at his best when he writes about psychological horrors, and he gets to really exercise his hand at this with this plot point. That’s not to say there aren’t physical horrors here as well. Of course there are. They mainly show up as the guardians of the ends of the beams that function like spokes around the tower. Decaying beasts and demons haunt the ka-tet’s every move. I actually had serious issues putting the book down during its first half.
The problem arises in the second half. First of all, this book really should have been divided into two. The plots are almost entirely different between the first and second halves, and this was more jolting than if the second storyline was started knowing that it was the next entry in the series. Even King acknowledges in an Afterword that the second storyline stops extremely abruptly. I believe this is because of the sheer length the book was getting to. This wouldn’t have been a problem if this storyline was its own book entirely.
I also personally don’t like plots revolving around kidnappers out to hurt children, which is essentially what this plot is, only in a more fantastical world and with a side-mission for Eddie and Susannah. I’m sure some people enjoy this plot idea, but I personally am far too disturbed at the thought to become thoroughly sucked into the story.
I could forgive these things, mainly due to the addition of a lovable critter to the ka-tet, if it wasn’t for an event toward the end of the book that I felt was too over-top, unbelievable, and done purely for shock value. I won’t tell you what it is here, because that’d be a major plot spoiler, but suffice to say you’ll know it when you see it, and it’ll probably upset you too. It read like lazy writing, and that made me feel like I was being talked down to as a reader.
In spite of the disjointed ending that was also a bit uncomfortable for me, the beginning was truly excellent. I’m hoping the next entry in the series reads entirely like the beginning of this one, but this book is still worth the read for the first half alone.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Source: Borrowed
Previous Books in Series:
The Gunslinger, review
The Drawing of the Three, review
Friday Fun! (On Thursday)
You guys get Friday Fun a day early this week, since I’m taking a three day weekend to visit my family in Vermont–father, brother, nephew, sister-in-law, grandmother, aunt, and uncle. I didn’t go up for Thanksgiving, since I had to work the day after, and Christmas is out of the question since that’s pretty much exactly when my very pregnant sister-in-law is due. So, we decided to do a visit mid-December and a visit mid-January instead. I like it. It means I get to skip lots of the holiday traffic.
Last Saturday was the first time I’ve washed my laundry in machines since June. Now, don’t think I’ve been wearing dirty clothes; I haven’t. I don’t have a washer/dryer at my apartment, and the nearest laundromat is a solid 1.25 miles away, so I’ve been handwashing everything. Yes, including towels. Well a couple of weeks ago, my drying rack broke (we’re fairly certain the kitty broke it), and I hadn’t had time to pick up a new one, so my laundry pile was enormous. Thus on Saturday I decided it was necessary to use machines if I was ever going to catch up, and guys can I just say, holy crap I’d forgotten what fabric softened clothes and towels feel like. *sighs* I don’t mind the upper body workout of handwashing, but my god I miss the fabric softener.
Also this weekend I officially became addicted to Lost. I’d almost finished the first season, which I was enjoying but not loving. But I decided to watch the season finale and start the second season anyway. Omg, the second season. I wound up having a mini-marathon, and I am now determined to catch up before the new season starts in February. The only other shows I’ve ever enjoyed this much are Buffy and True Blood, and I have to say that I think True Blood comes slightly behind Lost. I know; I can hear you gasping now. I am so into it; I even do the yelling at the screen thing. (Please remember I’m only in the second season, so no spoilery comments puhleeze!)
I wrapped all the presents I’ve bought so far, and they are now camped out under the tree. I’m almost completely done with my Chrismukkah shopping. I need to pick up a couple of little things, a present for my grandmother, and something for the kitty (yes I buy my pets Chrismukkah presents). Also a few presents I bought online haven’t arrived yet, and I need to bake cookies. It all sounds so busy, but it’s all stuff I enjoy doing, so I don’t mind.
I had really meant to get a book review up this week for the next Dark Tower book, but I still have about 50 pages to go, so it looks like you’ll have to wait for that until next week. It has been a very busy week with finals and life and all that, so I’m not too surprised I haven’t quite finished it.
Next week I’m giving my final presentation in class with my teammate, and then I’ll officially be on winter vacation! I’m also having some friends over for a Chrismukkah gathering, and other holiday activities. As long as I survive the visit home, it should be a pretty awesome week.
Friday Fun!
Reading other people’s blogs (most notably The Story Siren and Medieval Bookworm) made me decide my blog needs a bit of a consistent humanizing element to it. Non-opinion posts that just give you a general sense of who the hell this person is who’s yacking to you about books, movies, and general opinions. To that end I’ve decided to start this new (hopefully consistent) feature–Friday Fun!–in which I will ramble about general Amanda-stuff. I hope you enjoy.
This week I became the proud owner of both a menorah and a 3 foot tall fake Christmas tree. I can hear my family now. “Whaaat?! You bought a fake tree?!” But you see, a fake tree is easier and cheaper, so I’m happy. I’ll also need to skip the tinsel for the first year ever due to the presence of the kitty. She totally would eat the tinsel and we’d get to spend a lovely night in the MSPCA ER. As for the menorah, it’s the first time I’ll be the one in charge of lighting it. For the last five years, it was always a roommate or hallmate who did, so I’ve taken it upon myself to learn the Hanukkah prayers. My friend Nina helped me get the basics, but I found this website last night to help me practice when she’s not around.
I am a major online holiday shopper, and a lot of the presents I’ve been buying arrived this week. I have quite the stash in my closet, and I need to acquire wrapping paper so they can wind up under the tree. Seeing all the wrapped presents is one of my favorite things. I’ve looked for wrapping paper twice so far, but finding non-holiday-specific ones for my Chrismukkah celebrations hasn’t been going too well. And no, I don’t like snowman paper.
On the sour note, last night my downstairs neighbors complained about me walking around my apartment. Yes, walking. Personally my first reaction is that they should suck it up and deal because they knew what they were getting into when they chose an apartment that’s not on the top floor. It’s not like I was dancing or running circles or something. Upon reflection after she left, however, I realized that the new kitty addition does have a tendency to run circles (and bounce off walls and randomly do dances) in the evening, and perhaps this is what the neighbors have been hearing. I can sort of sympathize with this, but it doesn’t seem to me there’s much I can do about it. It’s not my fault the landlord has wood floors on the top floor of the apartment building. I’m thinking of stopping by and letting them know it’s probably the cat they’re hearing, so they at least know (unless that’s unnecessary?), but in the meantime, any suggestions on how to deal with the neighbors?
This weekend my plans are a bit up-in-the-air, but I do plan on decorating the tree, maybe hanging out with some friends, and reading more. It’d been a long time since I’ve read a series, and I’m really enjoying the cozy familiarity I’m starting to feel with the main characters in both The Dark Tower and Sookie Stackhouse. Of course I also have a couple of movies on my radar to watch. You’ll just have to wait til next week to find out what they are!
Peace!
Movie Review: The Thing with Two Heads (1972)
Summary:
A white racist transplant doctor has figured out how to transplant a head onto a new body. When he encounters an accident and is in danger of dying, his staff desperately try to find a donor body. They finally snag a volunteer from death row–a black convict. The catch is that the two heads must live on the body simultaneously for the first month. When the convict escapes with both heads still attached, the race is on for ownership of his body.
Review:
This movie is hilarious, even though I’m sure it doesn’t mean to be. The effects are bad. The same car crash scenes are used repeatedly from different angles to show at least ten different car crashes. The two heads do not look realistic at all, and that is all part of what makes it awesome.
The soundtrack is classic 70s music, that of course wasn’t classic yet at the time. Watching the cops walk down death row to a disco beat is exactly the type of juxtaposition that makes this movie so funny.
I honestly have no idea what racial statement this movie was trying to make, but I can tell you that everyone is a caricature regardless of their race. It’s just that kind of over-the-top writing found in B movies. I would caution anyone reading the description against taking this movie too seriously. I’m pretty sure it was entirely the result of a “Wouldn’t it be hilarious if a racist was stuck with a black guy? Awesome!”
This is one of those rare instances of a movie so incredibly bad it actually is insanely good.
5 out of 5 stars
Source: Netflix
Movie Review: Bruno (2009)
Summary:
In this mockumentary Sacha Baron Cohen takes on the role of Bruno–a fabulously gay Austrian fashion reporter who comes to America in the hopes of becoming famous. Cohen places Bruno into situations with real people who don’t know he’s just a character and sees what unfolds.
Review:
If you’re easily offended at all, don’t watch Bruno. I, however, am not so I didn’t hate it. I also didn’t love it either.
A few of the set-ups are great. The episode where Bruno adopts an African baby because that’s what famous people do is an excellent commentary on celebrity culture. The scene where Bruno sees a come out of gayness counselor is also thought-provoking. Unfortunately, Cohen primarily goes for over-the-top sex shock value over commentary. To me there’s just nothing funny about him and another man bound together in S + M gear taking the bus because they can’t get unlocked from each other. I was just sitting there going “Wouldn’t the camera crew unlock them?”
Overall, Bruno falls flat. It tries to be shocking, but mainly comes across as adolescent.
2 out of 5 stars
Source: Netflix
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This work by Amanda Nevius is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Opinions of a Wolf 