Skyfall (2012)

DIRECTOR: Sam Mendes; CAST: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Javier Bardem…

SUMMARY (from IMDB): Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

MY OPINION:

I saw Skyfall last weekend and I really liked it. Although, it has taken me a while to review it because I  have no idea how to do that without spoiling it for you. So, my review probably sounds pretty vague.

I think one of the main reasons I enjoyed it so much was that I had known next to nothing about it before seeing it, apart from the fact that it is a Bond film and all the expectations I had had from seeing the previous 007 films. Therefore, some things caught me completely by surprise, which I did not mind at all. 

The breath-taking action is worthy of the Bond franchise, and the scenery and settings are spectacular. When people (i.e. mostly Bond) are not shooting, running, jumping, etc. and things are not exploding, there is emotional intensity and British wit to keep your mind whirling. And the fact that I noticed the music should say something about how good it is, since the score is one of the things I pay the least attention to in films unless it is really good.

I love the story arc of the last three Bond films, revealing Bond's backstory bit by bit. Skyfall gives us a few interesting pieces of information in that aspect.

All in all, the almost two and a half hours of watching Skyfall were time well spent.

RECOMMENDATION: If Daniel Craig is not a good enough reason for you to go watch this film, then a mix of action and drama, and an interesting story, spiced up with humour and stunning visuals are definitely the things worth seeing Skyfall for.

Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole (Immortals After Dark #8) and Gena Showalter (Alien Huntress #5)

Note: This review and the book reviewed reviewed contain adult themes. Please, do not read either unless you are an adult.

SUMMARY (from Goodreads): Deep Kiss of Winter contains two short novels: "Untouchable" (IAD #8) by Kresley Cole and "Tempt me Eternally" by Gena Showalter.

KRESLEY COLE delivers a breath-taking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time ... and a Valkyrie aching for his touch. Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela – the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can’t be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure. Can they conquer an agony of frustration and slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?

GENA SHOWALTER puts a daring spin on a tale of huntress and hunted ... and concocts a sensual chemistry that is positively explosive.
With only skin-to-skin contact, Aleaha Love can change her appearance, assume any identity. Now she’s an AIR (alien investigation and removal) agent on a mission to capture a group of otherworldly warriors. Only she is held captive when dangerously seductive Breean, a golden-skinned, iron-willed commander, threatens her new life – and for the first time, Aleaha wants only to be herself.

MY OPINION:

"Untouchable" by Kresley Cole

I knew Murdoch and Daniela would be awesome, and I was right. Their story runs parallel to the stories of the other three Wroth brothers –  so, from the beginning of the series – but with just the right amount of repetition. Hence, I was reminded of all the important things that had already happened, and I loved meeting all the familiar and beloved characters from the previous books again.

I felt so much sympathy for Murdoch and Daniela. They are both strong, but lonely, craving companionship and love but neither of them wants to impose on the other. They do not want to show their vulnerably by admitting how much they really care for each other. So, it takes them a while to work through it, especially since the chances of them being together seem very slim.

Daniela is partly ice-fey, and she hurts every time she is touched by someone not of her own race, which makes it impossible for her to form any kind of a love relationship. She pretends not to care, but she hurts on the inside.

Murdoch has problems accepting that his human preconceptions can no longer apply to his current situation. Also, he hates the concept of fate forcing him into something, so he fights the feelings he begins to develop towards Daniela.

Due to these issues they have a hard time coming together. However, they talk (and  argue, which was hilarious at times) about their problems, and they eventually work things out. I loved how, despite their disagreements and issues, they try not to hurt each other, at least not intentionally. They are really considerate and caring towards each other from the beginning, which makes up a sweet and warm relationship.

Overall, "Untouchable" is a touching and suspenseful story with some humour and Valkyrie snark (loved that, as always). The resolution for Daniela's and Murdoch's romance was so simple and brilliant I couldn't have seen it coming, On the whole, their love story was just prefect. Add the rest of the Wroth brothers and their wives. What more could you possibly want?

"Tempt Me Eternally" by Gena Showalter

This is a really short novel, just over 200 pages. I only read it because it came included with Kresley Cole's novel. I was curious about it, since Gena Showalter is such a  praised paranormal romance author, but I did not like it.

A partial reason why I did not like this novella was probably because it is a part of a series, and I had not read the previous books. Therefore I was missing some background information about the world it is set in. But, this was my problem.

However, even bigger reason for not liking this book was the way the relationship between Aleaha and Breean is portrayed. It is basically all based on lust and sex, which I don't like, anyway. In addition, the sex scenes did not work for me, I had read much, much better ones. I could not feel any chemistry between Aleaha and Breean. They kept telling how much they want each other and love each other, but there was nothing in the story to support that.

All in all, the futuristic world Showalter creates seems interesting, but the romance and erotica in this novel were not my kind of thing.

RECOMMENDATION: Deep Kiss of Winter is definitely worth trying for Kresley Cole's "Untouchable". Fans of Immortals After Dark series absolutely cannot miss on Murdoch's and Daniela's story. 

Spirit of Lost Angels by Liza Perrat

SUMMARY (from Goodreads): Her mother executed for witchcraft, her father dead at the hand of a noble, Victoire Charpentier vows to rise above her poor peasant roots.

Forced to leave her village of Lucie-sur-Vionne for domestic work in Paris, Victoire suffers gruesome abuse under the ancient regime. Can she muster the bravery and skill to join the revolutionary force gripping France, and overthrow the corrupt, diabolical aristocracy?

Spirit of Lost Angels traces the journey of a bone angel talisman passed down through generations. The women of L’Auberge des Anges face tragedy and betrayal in a world where their gift can be their curse.

Amidst the tumult of revolutionary France, this is a story of courage, hope and love.

MY OPINION:

Spirit of Lost Angels is Liza Perrat's historical fiction debut. I have read several books set in the French Revolution era, but Perrat's novel offers a refreshing approach to that period as it does not centre on aristocracy and the revolution itself.

Instead, Spirit of Lost Angles focuses on the life of a simple countryside girl, Victorie, while only glimpsing at the main revolutionary events. It does however, very well present the living situation of the majority of the population and the horrible conditions that led to the Revolution.

Victoire is a flawed heroine. Yet, her very imperfection makes her all the more likable as a character if not as a person. Her almost cheating on her husband (she would have had there not been an interruption), vengefulness, and occasional lack of perceptiveness (despite her otherwise praised intelligence) are things I disliked about her. At the same time, those flaws make her more realistic, and because of that I liked her on the whole.

As her story unravels, Victorie finds ways to compensate for her mistakes and shortcomings (and no, I'm not telling you how, you will have to read the book to find out). Thus, she grows as a person. Generally, Victoire is a strong and endurable woman, who stands up not only for herself but also for others.

I especially enjoyed the writing in Spirit of Lost Angels. Through the first-person point of view Perrat captures Victorie's states of mind (depression, madness, anger) wonderfully. Victorie's character development is reflected in the manner of her narrative which changes from the perspective of a child to that of a sophisticated city woman and all the phases she goes through in between.

The plot seems a little far-fetched at some spots, with the people Victoire encounters and the streaks of good and bad luck, though the course of events seems generally plausible.

Overall, I enjoyed Spirit of Lost Angles. I especially liked the ending, which bears a positive note but not in the way one might expect.

RECOMMENDATION: Spirit of Lost Angles offers a great depiction of the French Revolution era from a somewhat different perspective than usually. I think people who like reading historical fiction, especially concerning French history, would enjoy this book.

Thanks to the author for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

The Book Riot's Top 50 – How Many Have You Read?

You know I love this kind of lists, don't you?

So, I've come across (via Sarah Says Read's post) Book Riot's Top 50 favourite novels the blog readers voted on, and you can leave the number of the books you've read from the list there.

Here's the list:

bold – books I've read

1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
4. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
6. The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien
7. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
8. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
10. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
11. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
12. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
13. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
14. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
15. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
16. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
17. The Stand by Stephen King
18. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
19. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
20. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
21. Persuasion by Jane Austen
22. The PIcture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
23. The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
24. The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon (only the first book, but I'm counting it anyway, I'm going to read the rest, too)
25. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
26. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
27. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
28. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
29. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
30. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
31. 1984 by George Orwell
32. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
33. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
34. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
35. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
36. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
37. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams
38. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
39. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
40. Ulysses by James Joyce
41. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
42. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
43. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
44. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
45. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
46. Dune by Frank Herbert
47. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
48. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
49. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
50. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

That's 14 books. Hmm, I guess I have some more reading to do. :) How many have you read?

A Rather Lovely Soirée – Regency Desserts

A Rather Lovely Soirée
for
Talk like Jane Austen Day
Event production by
Random Magic Tour
Sasha Soren (Random Magic)
Oct. 30, 2012

Welcome, dear guests! You've arrived at a rather lovely soirée in honour of Talk like Jane Austen Day. Talk like Jane Austen Day is an annual event, marking the anniversary of the first printing of Sense and Sensibility (1811), Austen's first published novel.

In honour of the day, we've assembled a delightful collection of interesting features on all things Jane Austen and her times. Feel free to stop in at any blog below to enjoy something interesting, and to leave your calling card (link to your blog) in the comments section of any blog, if you've particularly enjoyed your visit.

Just browse below for a delightful Austen-related tidbit offered to you by the co-hosts of A Rather Lovely Soirée for Talk like Jane Austen Day.

And here is my treat for you:

Who doesn't enjoy an apple pie this time of year? Jane Austen certainly did. She wrote to her sister Cassandra:

"I am glad the new cook begins so well. Good Apple Pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness." (17 October, 1815)

I'm sure she enjoyed an apple pie baked by this 18^th century recipe kept by her sister-in-law, Martha Lloyd:

"A Baked Apple Pudding (with Pastry)
Take a dozen of pippens, pulp them through your cullender, take six eggs, sugar enough to make sweet, the rind of two lemons grated, a 1/4 of a lb of butter (melted with flour or water). Squeeze the juice of the two lemons, let the apples be cold before the ingredients are put together. Make a puff paste in the bottom of the dish, half an hour bakes it."

If you are tempted to make one for yourself, here is a modern version:

Marlborough Pie
1 1/2 cup applesauce
3 Tbs. butter, melted
1 cup sugar, or to taste
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon rind, grated
4 eggs, slightly beaten

Instructions:
Blend all ingredients thoroughly and pour into an unbaked pie shell.

Bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees.

Reduce heat to 275 degrees and bake another hour until consistency of custard.

Photo found here.

You can find more about this and other regency desserts Jane Austen enjoyed on this site.

Shown below, we've assembled a delightful collection of interesting tidbits on all things Jane Austen and her times. Feel free to stop in at any blog below to enjoy a sweet treat.

Bookie Brunch: Trick or Treat! – My Top Five Favourite Paranormal TV Shows

Welcome to Bookie Brunch: Trick or Treat!

On each blog stop from now through Halloween, a blogger or vlogger will have a handpicked Halloween treat to share with you - it might be a video clip, or a feature about great spooky films, a playlist of great, creepy songs, a recipe for treats, or a gallery of witches.

It might be anything! But it's sure to be something fun, so feel free to drop by each day from October 23-31, to pick up some cute treats to put you in the Halloween mood. All the treats will be added into the linky at the end of this post, so feel free to browse.

My treat for you is:
My Top Five Favourite Paranormal TV Shows

As many of you may already know, or at least suspect, I love reading and watching about all things paranormal, so here is a Halloween-appropriate list of five TV shows I was (or still am) addicted to at some part over the last decade and a half (listed in order of airing):

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
   I was in high school, so about the same age as the main characters, when it first aired and this series was one of the first things that made me fall in love with paranormal genre, so it will always have a special place in my heart.
   
2. Charmed
   Three witch sisters, ghosts, demons, and angels were something I just couldn't miss.
   
3. Angel
   Naturally, I equally loved this Buffy spin-off, though I still haven't seen the last two seasons. But I'm planning to have a re-watch of both series some day and then finally catch up.
   
4. Supernatural
   Although I saw some episodes at its beginning, I actually only got fully caught up and addicted to it this spring. There's every monster and other paranormal entity you can imagine (and those you can't), together with an abundance of mythology, so it just doesn't get more supernatural than Supernatural.
   
5. The Vampire Diaries
   And so much more than just vampire diaries. I'm pretty sure I've already raved about TVD on this blog and elsewhere quite enough, so I'm just going to shut up. Do I need to say I love it?

Photo credit: CW, edits found here and here.

Have you watched any of the shows or read the mentioned books? If so, what did you think of them?

Also, if there is any other paranormal show/book/ book series you enjoy, please let me know, I'm always looking for recommendations in this area.

Feel welcome to express your thoughts in the comments!

About Bookie Brunch: Trick or Treat!: The first blog hop was a Bookie Brunch special event for Halloween, and it was a lot of fun, so we're just continuing the tradition. Bookie Brunch was a weekly book discussion founded by Sasha Soren, the author of Random Magic. Browse archive.

Video Week: 'Random Magic' by Sasha Soren

Also this month - drop by for Video Week: Random Magic, from Oct. 21-30, featuring an entertaining week of cool reviews and creative features from vloggers around the world. They're featuring the book Random Magic by Sasha Soren. Visit the YouTube page for the schedule in infobox.

If I had to choose a Random Magic character for Halloween, I would definitely be Winnie, because she's brave and resourceful and never gives up, no matter how tough the situation is. Also, what better costume than a quirky doodle witch can you imagine?

 

Credit: Photo found here.

Find Random Magic Print | Kindle

If you stopped by for Halloween, here's what you'd find in your treats bag:

Credit: Photo found here.

Roasted chestnuts may seem boring but this is the delicacy that makes me look forward to autumn every year. Yum!

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, Chapters IX - XIX

Note: This post is more of a reflection than a review, and it contains mild SPOILERS for The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. These are my thoughts on the second half of The Hobbit, you can read my review of the first eight chapters here.

SUMMARY (from Goodreads): Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.

MY THOUGHTS:

In the second half of The Hobbit, Bilbo becomes more proactive, instead of just tagging along. After helping the dwarves out a few times, he becomes aware of his abilities, he realises he is more resilient than he thought, and consequently he gains a lot of self-confidence. Instead of depending on others, he becomes self-reliant.

The Ring certainly plays a part in it with its powers. It is true that the Ring corrupts people. But, as we see it in LOTR (for example, in Boromir's case) it does that through initially enhancing a person's inherent traits which it twists to its own purpose.

However, as Bilbo is essentially a good person, the Ring's power does not corrupt him as it would if he was not. Hence, Bilbo is not enslaved by the Ring's power. On the contrary, all the things that Bilbo does have only little to do with the Ring's power, only as much as it helps Bilbo reveal and put to good use the best of his features: courage, adventurousness, intelligence (common sense), and the wish to help others. Thus the Ring is 'degraded' into a sort of a placebo device – just as some people take a placebo and stop feeling pain because they think the pill helped, Bilbo, having the Ring, stops being afraid and passive, because he thinks he has the Ring to back him up (although not really).

Even though at this point, the true nature and power of the Ring remain hidden (to Bilbo and co., as well as to a first-time reader), I really like how Bilbo manages to avoid being corrupted by it. In spite of the fame and wealth he acquires, he remains modest and is happy to return to living a simple hobbit life in the Shire.

Anyway, I should stop this one-person discussion, although when I start on the concepts of good and evil and Tolkien I could go on for days.

In the end, the final outcome of The Hobbit is remarkably beneficial for the subsequent events in LOTR. Thus, The Hobbit is much more than a prequel to LOTR or a children's book. It is a vital part of Tolkien's world, perfectly incorporated into the whole.

Let me finish with some inspiring, funny, or otherwise interesting quotes I like:

“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”

“His rage passes description-the sort of rage that is only seen when rich folk that have more than they can enjoy suddenly lose something that they have long had but have never before used or wanted”

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

“I may be a burglar...but I'm an honest one, I hope, more or less.”

“Surely you don’t disbelieve the prophecies, because you had a hand in bringing them about yourself? You don’t really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!”

RECOMMENDATION: The Hobbit makes me feel good every time I read it. It is entertaining and suspenseful, and it makes me laugh (but not cry, though parts of it are touching). If you like fantasy, this beautifully written door into Tolkien's universe is a must-read. 

Fangs, Fur and Fey Giveaway Winner

We were giving away a keepsake tin of pretty art cards featuring fantasy characters. (sponsored by Sasha Soren, author of Random Magic).

And the winner is:

Marthalynn Rodriguez

Congratulations! You have been notified via email.