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!
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
Book Review: Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris (Series, #5)
Summary:
Someone is shooting shifters in the parish, and the Werepanthers are suspicious of Jason. Sookie sets out to clear his name, but things get a bit more complicated when it becomes clear someone has their eye not only on the shifters, but also on her.
Review:
Although the back cover claims this entry into the Sookie-verse is full of entertaining plot-twists, it actually reads as a been there, done that, plot.
Jason is in trouble, again. Sookie’s fairy godmother has to save her, again. Someone isn’t what they seem. Again. Sam still has the major hots for Sookie (though I’ll never understand why. She seems to just use him repeatedly when she needs help). Bill still wants Sookie even though he’s sleeping with someone else, and Alcide is still kind of a jerk.
I think the problem with this book is that it doesn’t move the overarching plot forward much at all. There is a tiny development in the Sookie/Eric plotline, but that’s all. I guess I could forgive this if the individual storyline was new and exciting, but it’s not. Ooo, someone’s targeting the supes. Big deal.
In spite of all these complaints, I still want to keep reading the series. This book read more like a clunker episode of a tv series you really love than a death toll. I expect things will improve in the next book, and this was just a mystery idea that went bad for Harris.
2 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
Book Review: Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris (Series, #4)
Summary:
Just because Sookie has broken up with Bill doesn’t mean her relationship with the supernatural world is over–especially when she finds Eric naked and suffering from amnesia on the side of the road. When she discovers from Pam that a league of evil witches have their sights set on ruling Shreveport, she agrees to hide Eric while the vampires, werewolves, and Wiccans attempt to fend off the witches. To top it off, Sookie’s brother has gone missing, which may or may not be related to the near-war going on.
Review:
While the books in the series so far have been improving, Dead to the World is definitely a step back.
The individual plot lines aren’t so bad, but Harris doesn’t do a good job of keeping them integrated and flowing. The book reads as if it has too many sticks in the fire. Just too much happens in such a short book. The reader is left feeling a bit of whiplash from the rapidly changing storylines and situations.
I knew Sookie would have a rebound after Bill, but I’d hoped Harris would be more creative than having that rebound be Eric. Don’t get me wrong. I like Eric better than Bill, but I also enjoyed the tension between him and Sookie. I wish that had lasted longer. Similarly, I don’t think giving Eric amnesia was a wise character development choice. I’m pretty sure anyone with amnesia plopped into the supernatural world would be a cowering mess. That doesn’t tell us anything about who Eric is underneath his persona. Sookie’s interactions with him therefore felt so fake that I not only couldn’t take real interest in them, I was also a bit grossed out by the falseness of them. I didn’t expect Sookie’s rebound to be emotional, but I did expect it to be more real.
On the other hand, Sookie’s character development takes a nice turn. Without Bill in the picture, she may have expected the supernatural world to pretty much leave her alone. Instead she finds out they still depend on her. Through the various situations, she starts to become a more empowered version of herself, and I enjoyed seeing that.
The best part of the book by far is Jason’s plot-line. I can’t say much more or I’ll give away the secret, but suffice to say that I hope True Blood gets to this part of the story sooner rather than later.
While I’m irritated by some of the character development choices Harris has made, I am still enjoying the world she has created. I am hoping though that the series returns to the tight, witty writing found in Club Dead.
3 out of 5 stars
Source: Bought on Amazon
Previous Books in Series:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Movie Review: The Shining (1980)
Summary:
Jack Torrance thinks he’s found the ideal job. He, along with his wife and son, can move into a Colorado hotel and take care of it for the winter in exchange for a living stipend. An aspiring novelist, Jack sees this as such a perfect opportunity to write that he shrugs off the story of the previous caretaker who murdered his wife and daughters and then committed suicide. At first everything is fine, but soon the sinister forces in the hotel start to work on Jack and his psychic son.
Review:
Wow. I love horror movies, but it takes a certain combination of plot and visual to really scare me. The Shining has scares in spades.
For the person who’s freaked out by visuals, there’s blood pouring out of elevators, corpses, and of course Jack Nicholson’s amazing facial contorions when his character turns sinister. Truly the movie would not have been anywhere near as frightening without Nicholson’s ability to contort his face into so many different frightening combinations. The man’s face was made to act.
What really got to me though is the psychological aspect of this story. What really makes this story worth it is the question of how much of what is going on is in the characters’ minds. The truly evil things that happen are performed by characters whose minds are not all there. They have lost their tenuous grasp on reality, and that is more frightening than any axe murderer, because anyone could go crazy. Essentially, anyone could turn into a monster.
Take these two elements and toss in a bit of a last-minute puzzle at the end, and you’ve got the perfect formula for an excellent horror movie.
5 out of 5 stars
Source: Netflix
Book Review: Club Dead by Charlaine Harris (Series, #3)
Summary:
Bill has been acting oddly distant with Sookie lately, so she isn’t exactly pleased when he announces he’s going to Seattle on a mission for the vampire queen of Louisiana. She soon finds out from Pam and Eric, though, that Bill lied to her. He’s actually been in Jackson, Mississippi with his one-time vampire lover, Lorena. He’s also been kidnapped. Something he’s been secretly up to has put them all in danger, so Sookie must put aside her anger for now and try to help the vampires free Bill and prevent a vampire war between the kingdoms of Mississippi and Louisiana. Along the way, Sookie gets to know a whole lot more about the werewolves–not to mention about Eric.
Review:
I have to hand it to Harris, I expected there to be trouble in paradise for Bill and Sookie, but I didn’t expect it this soon or this serious. Reading Club Dead made me realize this series isn’t about Sookie’s relationship with Bill, but about Sookie’s gradual entry into the supernatural world. Bill just kind of served as a door. I tend to be a bit of a romantic, but I’ve never really liked Bill nearly as much as the other supernatural guys, so let me just say–woohoo!
The plot is complex. There are multiple mysteries for Sookie to figure out on top of dealing with her emotions about Bill’s betrayal and her odd popularity among the supernatural guys. I enjoy the fact that she was never desired by human guys, but is among the the supernaturals. It’s akin to the awkward growing up girl finding her niche in her 20s. At first Sookie thought it was just Bill who has the major hots for her, but it turns out she’s a hot commodity with lots of the supernatural guys, but it isn’t just about her looks. They like Sookie for her personality. Something it seemed to me Bill never seemed to appreciate much.
Harris does a good job writing a unique werewolf world. Whereas the vampires are notoriously cold emotionally, the werewolves are hot-blooded. They’re passionate, strong, and animalistic. Harris has them mostly working blue collar jobs, but excelling at it. Sookie’s escort, Alcide, runs a highly profitable family general contracting business.
My only complaint is that Harris doesn’t seem to trust her readers to remember the rules of the world she’s created. We get told yet again that silver chains can hold a vampire down, shifters aren’t out yet, Sookie had a hard time in school, the Japanese created synthetic blood, etc… It’s annoying, and it makes it feel like Harris thinks she needs to dumb down the story for her readers. I understand a quick rehash at the beginning of the book to remind us where we left off, but as for everything else, I think the reader can be trusted to remember that silver chain nets are dangerous to vampires. Those parts are easily skimmed over though, and the res of the book makes up for it.
I originally was uncertain that Harris could keep Sookie Stackhouse’s world interesting for seven books. I envisioned repeated “Bill and Sookie solve yet another mystery” outings, but I am glad to say I was mistaken. As the books continue, more of the world is revealed, and Sookie’s life becomes more complicated. I’m looking forward to what she’s going to reveal next.
If you enjoy the gradual building of a world around a strong female character, you will enjoy the direction this series is headed.
4 out of 5 stars
Source: Bought on Amazon
Previous Books in Series:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
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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.
