I read the book "Loving Frank" by Nancy Horan a couple of weeks ago. It tells the tale of Mamah Cheney, a real-life woman who had a long-term affair with the world's most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. The book was fine, however, it reminded me of two other novels written in a similar style that I enjoyed much more than this particular piece. So read on for summaries and a brief review of not just this book, but also "Mary" by Janis Cook Newman and "Ahab's Wife" by Sena Jeter Naslund.
"Loving Frank": Little is known about the true nature of Mamah Cheney and Frank Lloyd Wright's romance. What Horan has mainly to rely on are newspaper articles written in the melodramatic stylings of yellow journalism, which was at its peak during their affair. Horan takes what was described as a salacious scandal and fleshes out these two characters' courtship into an elaborate tale of love overcoming obstacles. The tale has a lot of interesting elements, including Cheney's mission to advance the Women's Movement, which was in full-swing during the 1910s when the book takes place. The down-side to the novel is that Cheney and Wright are fairly unsympathetic characters, and you have to spend a lot of time with them. Wright is pompous and careless with his finances, to the detriment of many. Cheney sacrifices being a mother to her children (let alone a wife to her husband - both Cheney and Wright are married) in order to pursue her relationship with Wright. Horan tries to relay the overwhelming angst Cheney feels leaving her kids, but it wasn't enough for me to excuse her actions.
"Mary" by Janis Cook Newman is similar to Horan's piece, but infinitely more interesting. This is also a novel based on a historical figure whose life was steeped in scandal. This is the story of Mary Todd Lincoln and Newman weaves a captivating yarn relaying Mary and Abe's romance, and how Mary eventually came to find herself institutionalized in a mental hospital. In Newman's book, the story is written from the first-person perspective of the protagonist. Mary frankly describes herself as an incredibly passionate woman whose sexual longings get her in trouble with a relatively prudish (but not gay) Abraham and eventually lead her to a life of careless shopping sprees. That sounds dumb, but it's not. Here is an example of a character who does many unlikable things, but can still keep the reader on her side due to Newman's writing skill.
"Ahab's Wife" takes place roughly during the same time as "Mary": mid-19th century. Now Una is not a historical figure. She is the wife of Captain Ahab alluded to only once in Melville's classic "Moby Dick." However, Naslund, like Newman and Horan, saw an interesting character and ran with her story. This book is long and sometimes overly descriptive, but also excellent. Una is smart as a whip, and Naslund has a good time having her heroine encounter many prominent historical figures throughout the 1800s.
All three of these books showcase intelligent women looking for their place in world during the Suffrage Movement in America. None of them jive-well with the cultural norms of their times and fight being outcast from society at every turn. All three were books I'm glad to have read, but I'd read "Mary" or "Ahab's Wife" again before re-reading "Loving Frank," myself.
Read more!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Books - Sookie Stackhouse vs. TV - True Blood
So, I have now read the first seven* Sookie Stackhouse novels twice (I ran out of books while in Europe) and I am caught up on True Blood. I have some thoughts about comparisons.
As I mentioned before, the secondary characters - Lafayette, Tara, Jason, Hoyt, etc. - are all fleshed out much more thoroughly in True Blood than they are in the Sookie Stackhouse novels. I definitely think this is a major positive for the show, since these characters are really the most interesting part of the show, to me anyway.
However. After a second read of the books, and catching up to where we are with the TV show, I've got to say that I prefer Sookie, Bill and Eric in the books to Sookie, Bill and Eric on the show. I've already explained about Sookie. The real issue is Eric and Bill.
In the books, Bill is nowhere approaching the saint he is turning out to be in the television show. The books take a much more middle of the road approach to the whole good versus evil debate than the show does.
For instance, in a recent episode, there was an attack on a vampire nest and Bill was told to go after the humans responsible. He bit one of them, but then said, "Tell your people that a vampire showed mercy where humans did not," or something to that effect. In the correlating incident in the books, Bill kills at least one of the responsible humans. Now, I personally prefer this grey-area Bill to the White Hat Bill from True Blood.
Similarly, Eric seems to be pretty firmly in the Black Hat camp on the show (though there is a little bit of room there). In the books, he doesn't ask Lorena to keep Bill away from Sookie, though he does trick Sookie into drinking his blood.
It just seems to me that the television show is head more into black/white territory, and I like my television with a healthy dose of grey. We'll see if this continues, but as it stands right now, I'm not really on board with the Bill/Sookie/Eric dynamic that's going on in True Blood as compared to the novels.
I will say one thing, though. I hope that television show can keep the number of Sookie's suitors relatively low. In the books there are no fewer than seven men who relatively seriously vie for her affections (if not more). It gets a little out of hand, honestly. I'd like it if the TV show could keep it down to like three - maybe four.
And again, I still prefer the TV show. The acting, the production, and the supporting characters make it a much fuller story and experience. It's just that when it comes to Bill and Eric, in particular, I think the books to a better job of keeping them both in grey area, as opposed to White Hat Bill and Black Hat Eric.
*Disclaimer - I think there are at least two more published books, and possibly some short stories that I have missed, but I doubt they significantly change the points I'm making here. Read more!
As I mentioned before, the secondary characters - Lafayette, Tara, Jason, Hoyt, etc. - are all fleshed out much more thoroughly in True Blood than they are in the Sookie Stackhouse novels. I definitely think this is a major positive for the show, since these characters are really the most interesting part of the show, to me anyway.
However. After a second read of the books, and catching up to where we are with the TV show, I've got to say that I prefer Sookie, Bill and Eric in the books to Sookie, Bill and Eric on the show. I've already explained about Sookie. The real issue is Eric and Bill.
In the books, Bill is nowhere approaching the saint he is turning out to be in the television show. The books take a much more middle of the road approach to the whole good versus evil debate than the show does.
For instance, in a recent episode, there was an attack on a vampire nest and Bill was told to go after the humans responsible. He bit one of them, but then said, "Tell your people that a vampire showed mercy where humans did not," or something to that effect. In the correlating incident in the books, Bill kills at least one of the responsible humans. Now, I personally prefer this grey-area Bill to the White Hat Bill from True Blood.
Similarly, Eric seems to be pretty firmly in the Black Hat camp on the show (though there is a little bit of room there). In the books, he doesn't ask Lorena to keep Bill away from Sookie, though he does trick Sookie into drinking his blood.
It just seems to me that the television show is head more into black/white territory, and I like my television with a healthy dose of grey. We'll see if this continues, but as it stands right now, I'm not really on board with the Bill/Sookie/Eric dynamic that's going on in True Blood as compared to the novels.
I will say one thing, though. I hope that television show can keep the number of Sookie's suitors relatively low. In the books there are no fewer than seven men who relatively seriously vie for her affections (if not more). It gets a little out of hand, honestly. I'd like it if the TV show could keep it down to like three - maybe four.
And again, I still prefer the TV show. The acting, the production, and the supporting characters make it a much fuller story and experience. It's just that when it comes to Bill and Eric, in particular, I think the books to a better job of keeping them both in grey area, as opposed to White Hat Bill and Black Hat Eric.
*Disclaimer - I think there are at least two more published books, and possibly some short stories that I have missed, but I doubt they significantly change the points I'm making here. Read more!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Film - Inglourious Basterds
Some people absolutely love Quentin Tarantino, and I'm one of them. Bring on the long, drawn-out conversations filled with quirky quips, the awesome soundtracks, the chapter titles, and the grab-bag of surprises including drawing on the screen and sudden narration. That's his bag, and God Bless Him. It'll take a while for me to decide if Tarantino's latest WWII Jewish Revenge Fantasy is my favorite of his films, but I'm thinking it just may be. Read on for my discussion of this awesome movie.
Going into this movie, I thought it was going to focus solely on a gang of unruly American soldiers, looking to give the Nazi's a taste of their own merciless medicine. That certainly is an enjoyable part of it. Brad Pitt's Aldo Raine, may be a caricature but if you're not smiling as he basketball pivots to the camera explaining his scalp quota, there's something sad about you. There's also plenty to like about the "Bear Jew" and the pleasing presence of B.J. Novak. Novak is great on television, but that bizarre face with its lop-sided Dali-esque melting eyes shines extra-bright on the big screen.
However, the Basterds are only a part of this movie. The other half is focused on the story of Shoshana - and that's actually where the movie begins. Shoshana is played brilliantly by a beautiful french actress Mélanie Laurent, however, the true stand-out performance is that of Austrian actor, Christoph Waltz. Waltz plays the uber-villian, Col. Hans Landa, who comes across a lot scarier than Hitler or Goebbels. When he strikes up a conversation, people freeze and sweat. He's the Jew Hunter, and he's gonna getcha. Waltz won the award for Best Actor at Cannes and I wouldn't be surprised at all if his name comes up at Oscar time.
Thank goodness for Tarantino. He writes and directs in such a way that I find both funny, kitschy, and brilliant. At two and a half hours long, I was suspecting some points of serious drag, but I never found them. Truly a new favorite for me!
Read more!
Going into this movie, I thought it was going to focus solely on a gang of unruly American soldiers, looking to give the Nazi's a taste of their own merciless medicine. That certainly is an enjoyable part of it. Brad Pitt's Aldo Raine, may be a caricature but if you're not smiling as he basketball pivots to the camera explaining his scalp quota, there's something sad about you. There's also plenty to like about the "Bear Jew" and the pleasing presence of B.J. Novak. Novak is great on television, but that bizarre face with its lop-sided Dali-esque melting eyes shines extra-bright on the big screen.
However, the Basterds are only a part of this movie. The other half is focused on the story of Shoshana - and that's actually where the movie begins. Shoshana is played brilliantly by a beautiful french actress Mélanie Laurent, however, the true stand-out performance is that of Austrian actor, Christoph Waltz. Waltz plays the uber-villian, Col. Hans Landa, who comes across a lot scarier than Hitler or Goebbels. When he strikes up a conversation, people freeze and sweat. He's the Jew Hunter, and he's gonna getcha. Waltz won the award for Best Actor at Cannes and I wouldn't be surprised at all if his name comes up at Oscar time.
Thank goodness for Tarantino. He writes and directs in such a way that I find both funny, kitschy, and brilliant. At two and a half hours long, I was suspecting some points of serious drag, but I never found them. Truly a new favorite for me!
Read more!
TV - Project Runway S6E1
Season Six of the world's most awesomest reality-competition show, Project Runway, started last week on it's new network Lifetime. Full of big personalities and classic gimmicky names (Hello, Qristyl!) there was also plenty of talent to go around. Read on for my spoiler-heavy discussion of the first episode of the new season.
Upon meeting all of the contestants, there are some that seem more likeable than others from the get-go. There's Ra'Mon who I've got to love because apparently he was well on his way to being a neurosurgeon, and I like big brains. I also like Epperson, who is the oldest guy and looks like you might see him drumming happily on the sidewalk in Ann Arbor. I also liked Logan who said he was the type of guy who could look under the hood and repair his limo, should it break-down on his way to Fashion Week.
I certainly did not care for Johnny, who was all to eager to let everyone know he was a recovering addict and then called out to his competitors to talk him through his panic attack, when I'm sure they were all undergoing tremendous amounts of anxiety.
I also did not have a lot of patience for Nicolas, who claims to make dresses out of feathers and champagne. That just doesn't sound practical!
As far as the runway goes, my favorite was not signaled out for recognition. I absolutely loved Irina's beautiful antique lace gown. It was gorgeous and definitely Academy Awards red-carpet worthy. And although it might not have been bad enough to warrant getting kicked-out, the over-looked bobby tassel dress by Carol was pretty hideous.
Out of the judges favorites, my antagonism towards Johnny extended to my distaste for his dress. The judges seemed to applaud the structure, rather than the arresting color. Certainly the bright, lipstick red with black sequin detail seemed off-putting to me, however I wasn't able to appreciate the shape of the gown even when imagining it in a solid black fabric. The front was such a broad sack, only the skinniest of anorexic starlets would be able to avoid looking like a whale in this outfit. And the back was a bit too-much reveal.
I felt bad for Mitchell. He made a mistake in not allowing himself some wiggle room with the fitting, and I hope he learns from it. The Victorian color wasn't my favorite, but the look was a lot more interesting in it's original form, with the blue watercolor fabric trickling down the legs. If things hadn't gotten so screwed up during the fitting, Mitchell had a real possibility for a successful look with the dramatic collar and a shorter skirt, to make the outfit more contemporary.
As for Ari, she was definitely a case of an artist who works through fashion rather than a fashion designer. She was a bit too out-there, although I didn't think her outfit was the worst thing to come across the PR stage in its history.
Read more!
Upon meeting all of the contestants, there are some that seem more likeable than others from the get-go. There's Ra'Mon who I've got to love because apparently he was well on his way to being a neurosurgeon, and I like big brains. I also like Epperson, who is the oldest guy and looks like you might see him drumming happily on the sidewalk in Ann Arbor. I also liked Logan who said he was the type of guy who could look under the hood and repair his limo, should it break-down on his way to Fashion Week.
I certainly did not care for Johnny, who was all to eager to let everyone know he was a recovering addict and then called out to his competitors to talk him through his panic attack, when I'm sure they were all undergoing tremendous amounts of anxiety.
I also did not have a lot of patience for Nicolas, who claims to make dresses out of feathers and champagne. That just doesn't sound practical!
As far as the runway goes, my favorite was not signaled out for recognition. I absolutely loved Irina's beautiful antique lace gown. It was gorgeous and definitely Academy Awards red-carpet worthy. And although it might not have been bad enough to warrant getting kicked-out, the over-looked bobby tassel dress by Carol was pretty hideous.
Out of the judges favorites, my antagonism towards Johnny extended to my distaste for his dress. The judges seemed to applaud the structure, rather than the arresting color. Certainly the bright, lipstick red with black sequin detail seemed off-putting to me, however I wasn't able to appreciate the shape of the gown even when imagining it in a solid black fabric. The front was such a broad sack, only the skinniest of anorexic starlets would be able to avoid looking like a whale in this outfit. And the back was a bit too-much reveal.
I felt bad for Mitchell. He made a mistake in not allowing himself some wiggle room with the fitting, and I hope he learns from it. The Victorian color wasn't my favorite, but the look was a lot more interesting in it's original form, with the blue watercolor fabric trickling down the legs. If things hadn't gotten so screwed up during the fitting, Mitchell had a real possibility for a successful look with the dramatic collar and a shorter skirt, to make the outfit more contemporary.
As for Ari, she was definitely a case of an artist who works through fashion rather than a fashion designer. She was a bit too out-there, although I didn't think her outfit was the worst thing to come across the PR stage in its history.
Read more!
Friday, August 21, 2009
TV - Project Runway All-Star Challenge
Project Runway is backkkk! And in a true treat, a delicious appetizer was presented before the new season started. In Project Runway All Stars we were able to see how designers Korto, Uli, Sweet P, Daniel V, Jeffrey, Santino, Chris, and Mychael have evolved since their time in the competition. They created a small collection of three looks with a bonus fourth look thrown in at the last minute made from un-traditional materials. Read on for my thoughts on the results.
The judges sort of had a weird inconsistency. On one hand, they seemed anxious to see how the designers have grown since they last judged their looks. On the other hand, when the designers evolved significantly, the judges were uncomfortable not-recognizing the contestants style from years past.
The main victim of this thinking was Uli. Uli presented an awesome collection, but her lack of prints and flowy beach-dresses threw the judges for a loop. They were blinded by her change in aesthetic that they couldn't see the looks she presented for what they were: truly awesome designs! Her restaurant look was superb. That she wasn't included in the top four was a real shame.
On the other hand, Chris presented a look that was very different from his costumey presentation in seasons past. He made three sober looks out of the same flannel plaid, the first two were barely distinguishable to me. I thought he was given a bit too much praise. One thing I did love, though, was how Heidi talked Mama to him when he was getting a bit too overwhelmed with his admirable humility. Oh, Heidi... I've missed you!
(Naturally I missed Tim the most. When he said to Mychael "It displeases me!" and when he slammed himself into that heavy workroom door I was in absolute Gunn Euphoria.)
So anyway, back to the runway: the winner was Daniel V. Was this deserved? I'm sort of ambivalent. His red carpet dress was my favorite and I agree that it was perfect. However, I thought his restaurant challenge fourth look was the worst. That he's also sort of in the pocket of Project Runway (he's had all of the judges write for his new book and he's a PR sponsored blogger) was a bit uncomfortable as well. But what made me the most uncomfortable was Korto's totally pissy response to getting second place. She received a lot of praise and was shown a tremendous amount of respect. That she sees coming in second out of this terrific group as a diss is weird and insulting.
Overall I was so happy to be back in the world of Project Runway, regardless of the network switch. I thought all of the designers had at least one look that I thought was successful. Certainly it was great to see so many talented looks in an 7 person show. Normally when there are still 7 designers kicking around in a season, there are still plenty of duds. Here it truly was a matter of who was the best of the best.
Read more!
The judges sort of had a weird inconsistency. On one hand, they seemed anxious to see how the designers have grown since they last judged their looks. On the other hand, when the designers evolved significantly, the judges were uncomfortable not-recognizing the contestants style from years past.
The main victim of this thinking was Uli. Uli presented an awesome collection, but her lack of prints and flowy beach-dresses threw the judges for a loop. They were blinded by her change in aesthetic that they couldn't see the looks she presented for what they were: truly awesome designs! Her restaurant look was superb. That she wasn't included in the top four was a real shame.
On the other hand, Chris presented a look that was very different from his costumey presentation in seasons past. He made three sober looks out of the same flannel plaid, the first two were barely distinguishable to me. I thought he was given a bit too much praise. One thing I did love, though, was how Heidi talked Mama to him when he was getting a bit too overwhelmed with his admirable humility. Oh, Heidi... I've missed you!
(Naturally I missed Tim the most. When he said to Mychael "It displeases me!" and when he slammed himself into that heavy workroom door I was in absolute Gunn Euphoria.)
So anyway, back to the runway: the winner was Daniel V. Was this deserved? I'm sort of ambivalent. His red carpet dress was my favorite and I agree that it was perfect. However, I thought his restaurant challenge fourth look was the worst. That he's also sort of in the pocket of Project Runway (he's had all of the judges write for his new book and he's a PR sponsored blogger) was a bit uncomfortable as well. But what made me the most uncomfortable was Korto's totally pissy response to getting second place. She received a lot of praise and was shown a tremendous amount of respect. That she sees coming in second out of this terrific group as a diss is weird and insulting.
Overall I was so happy to be back in the world of Project Runway, regardless of the network switch. I thought all of the designers had at least one look that I thought was successful. Certainly it was great to see so many talented looks in an 7 person show. Normally when there are still 7 designers kicking around in a season, there are still plenty of duds. Here it truly was a matter of who was the best of the best.
Read more!
Monday, August 10, 2009
TV - Mad Men
People of Earth: there are only *6* more days to suffer through until the return of Mad Men. In case you haven't seen the show yet - don't worry - this is plenty of time to watch all of Season One and Season Two. The DVD box sets are on super sale at Best Buy and are pretty darn cheap on iTunes (like $17 bucks for all of Season One... not bad for 13 hours of goodness!)
A lot of people in my life don't like the show. My husband and father for starters, and maybe Metta said once she couldn't get into it. These people hold a large amount of real-estate in my heart but they are so so so so wrong. Mad Men is good. It is not chipper, but it is radiantly beautiful. Talk about a show shot like a movie.
One of my favorite things about the show is the roles it has provided three very lucky actresses. It's the 1960s in both the corporate and suburban world, it's not such a great time to be a woman. It's all about being seen not heard, and these gals are struggling to feel valued. January Jones, Christina Hendricks, and Emmy nominated Elisabeth Moss are all super stars.
And then of course we have the real reason to watch: JON HAMM!! Did you know they used footage of him from his high school swim team to draw Prince Eric? : D
Familiar with the show? Click HERE to see two awesome videos from Hamm's peformance on SNL (Two A-Holes Go To An Ad Agency in the 1960s and Don Draper's Guide to Life)
Here are some cocktail recipes so you can get in the mood proper:
Gimlet:
2 oz. Gin
1/2 oz. Lime Juice
Combine in a shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Serve with a lime squeeze.
Old Fashioned:
2 oz blended whiskey
1 sugar cube
1 dash bitters
1 slice lemon
1 cherry
1 slice orange
Combine the sugar cube, bitters, and 1 tsp. water in an old-fashioned glass. Muddle well, add blended whiskey, and stir. Add a twist of lemon peel and ice cubes. Add slices of orange and lemon and top with the cherry. Serve with a swizzle stick.
Pimm's Cup:
2 oz Pimm's No. 1
3 oz lemonade
lemon twist for garnish
cucumber slice or peel for garnish
Pour the Pimm's into a collins glass with ice cubes.
Add the lemonade and (if desired) a splash of club soda or lemon-lime soda.
Garnish with the lemon twist and cucumber.
Read more!
A lot of people in my life don't like the show. My husband and father for starters, and maybe Metta said once she couldn't get into it. These people hold a large amount of real-estate in my heart but they are so so so so wrong. Mad Men is good. It is not chipper, but it is radiantly beautiful. Talk about a show shot like a movie.
One of my favorite things about the show is the roles it has provided three very lucky actresses. It's the 1960s in both the corporate and suburban world, it's not such a great time to be a woman. It's all about being seen not heard, and these gals are struggling to feel valued. January Jones, Christina Hendricks, and Emmy nominated Elisabeth Moss are all super stars.
And then of course we have the real reason to watch: JON HAMM!! Did you know they used footage of him from his high school swim team to draw Prince Eric? : D
Familiar with the show? Click HERE to see two awesome videos from Hamm's peformance on SNL (Two A-Holes Go To An Ad Agency in the 1960s and Don Draper's Guide to Life)
Here are some cocktail recipes so you can get in the mood proper:
Gimlet:
2 oz. Gin
1/2 oz. Lime Juice
Combine in a shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Serve with a lime squeeze.
Old Fashioned:
2 oz blended whiskey
1 sugar cube
1 dash bitters
1 slice lemon
1 cherry
1 slice orange
Combine the sugar cube, bitters, and 1 tsp. water in an old-fashioned glass. Muddle well, add blended whiskey, and stir. Add a twist of lemon peel and ice cubes. Add slices of orange and lemon and top with the cherry. Serve with a swizzle stick.
Pimm's Cup:
2 oz Pimm's No. 1
3 oz lemonade
lemon twist for garnish
cucumber slice or peel for garnish
Pour the Pimm's into a collins glass with ice cubes.
Add the lemonade and (if desired) a splash of club soda or lemon-lime soda.
Garnish with the lemon twist and cucumber.
Read more!
Books - Sookie Stackhouse Novels by Charlaine Harris
So, I'm in Europe with very spotty internet, but while I'm on vacation, I usually do a lot of reading. This is no exception. I read the first seven Sookie Stackhouse novels in a week. I bought a boxed set that I thought had the first eight books, but I can't seem to find the eighth. Maybe it's in my car, back in the states. Anyway, I just wanted to write a brief entry about these books while I have internet.
So, it's almost amazing that Alan Ball and the producers/writers of True Blood were able to make such an amazing series from the source material of the Sookie Stackhouse novels. That isn't to say that I don't like the novels, but the show is just SO much richer in every way. The characters are more interesting and developed; the stories are more detailed, etc. For instance, Tara barely rates mentioning in the books, and basically the same is true for Jason. I think part of why the show is able to do so much more is that the books are completely from Sookie's point of vies, so there are no scenes in the books that she isn't in. That makes it difficult to fully develop characters, since you never know what is going on with them outside of Sookie's presence.
That being said, these books are like crack. Like I said, I read seven of them in a week. I couldn't put them down. They are totally fun and funny. One thing I actually like better in the books is Sookie herself. I personlly think Anna Paquin is great in the show, but in the books, Sookie is a little more... believable? Maybe that's the word I'm looking for. I'm not sure that word has a place in a romance series about vampires. I would say these are better than the Twilight books, maybe n par with my beloved L.J. Smith novels.
I also just want to say, that if I had more time, I would have a LOT more to say about these books, but I'm trying to keep it relatively short. If you need some slightly smutty, fun summer reading, I highly recommend these books.
Read more!
So, it's almost amazing that Alan Ball and the producers/writers of True Blood were able to make such an amazing series from the source material of the Sookie Stackhouse novels. That isn't to say that I don't like the novels, but the show is just SO much richer in every way. The characters are more interesting and developed; the stories are more detailed, etc. For instance, Tara barely rates mentioning in the books, and basically the same is true for Jason. I think part of why the show is able to do so much more is that the books are completely from Sookie's point of vies, so there are no scenes in the books that she isn't in. That makes it difficult to fully develop characters, since you never know what is going on with them outside of Sookie's presence.
That being said, these books are like crack. Like I said, I read seven of them in a week. I couldn't put them down. They are totally fun and funny. One thing I actually like better in the books is Sookie herself. I personlly think Anna Paquin is great in the show, but in the books, Sookie is a little more... believable? Maybe that's the word I'm looking for. I'm not sure that word has a place in a romance series about vampires. I would say these are better than the Twilight books, maybe n par with my beloved L.J. Smith novels.
I also just want to say, that if I had more time, I would have a LOT more to say about these books, but I'm trying to keep it relatively short. If you need some slightly smutty, fun summer reading, I highly recommend these books.
Read more!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Book - Frank McCourt
I meant to write this post several weeks ago upon hearing the news of Frank McCourt's death, but this is better late than never. Many may know of Frank McCourt's most popular memoir "Angela's Ashes." If you haven't read this book than you might be thinking of it like I once did - a very sad memoir best to be avoided unless one wants to feel depressed about poor Irish lads. However, you'd only be part right. Yes. McCourt had a very sad childhood - depressing on all fronts. However, Frank writes about it in an incredibly hilarious and moving way. I can't remember the time I devoured a (non-Harry Potter) book so ravenously.
When I finished "Angela's Ashes" I was so sad that I would no longer get to witness Frank's brilliant story-telling... but then I found out there was a sequel, and then yet another memoir about his teaching career. Please do yourself a favor and read not just "Angela's Ashes" but also "'Tis" and "Teacher Man." They are all incredible. Read more!
When I finished "Angela's Ashes" I was so sad that I would no longer get to witness Frank's brilliant story-telling... but then I found out there was a sequel, and then yet another memoir about his teaching career. Please do yourself a favor and read not just "Angela's Ashes" but also "'Tis" and "Teacher Man." They are all incredible. Read more!
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