Middlemarch – George Eliot

Book: Middlemarch
Author: George Eliot
Publisher: I read the Bantam Books version and also listened to the Audiobook read by Kate Reading
791 pages
My Rating: 4/5 stars


What can I say about Miss George Eliot and her masterpiece, Middlemarch? This is a novel that frequently shows up on the 100 Top Novels of All Time-type lists and is EPIC in every sense of the word. I really enjoyed Silas Marner, so a few years ago I picked up this book and started reading. I gave up after Book 4. I even did a nationwide interlibrary loan search for the unabridged audiobook to help me get through but alas, it was not meant to be. Once I actually found the audiobook I never went back to it.

When Ellie, a friend of mine on Shelfari mentioned that she was going to read the book I told her I was in and was determined to finish it this time. Every two weeks, we read a book (there are eight total). Part of the way through, I found Lydia from The Literary Lollipop’s Middlemarch Read-a-Long and yes, I was ecstatic. Her summaries were awesome and it really did appear that she might be doing the read-a-long all by herself so Ellie and I joined in on her weekly posts. Every week for probably 12 weeks we all got together on Lydia’s blog and chatted in the comments about these Middlemarchers who were, let’s face it, kind of a mess. Sure, the scandal was tame compared to today, but these people were hapless. Whether it was Dorothea marrying that stick-in-the-mud, Casaubon or Rosamund and her spendthrifty ways, we were consistently flabbergasted, bored, and entertained through this 800+ page tome.

Don’t get me wrong. The three of us struggled through parts of this book while other parts had us turning the pages because we couldn’t believe what was happening. We weathered it and made it through. It felt like we formed a special bond that only Middlemarch Read-a-Longers could form. Yup…it was that special when we finished. Lydia even said she felt like we deserved t-shirts that said, “I survived Middlemarch and all I got was this t-shirt.” I suggested, “To the well with her!” referring to Rosamund’s horrific behavior combined with a shout-out to Silas Marner. We joked, we threw up our hands in exasperation, and then we signed up for Lydia’s next read-a-long of The Count of Monte Cristo because even though it wasn’t the fastest read (it took 4 months!), we had great fun going through it all together. I even posted this video in the comments on Lydia’s very last Middlemarch post:



 

Oh yes, it was that special. I did a little jig. I threw my hands up in the air when I was done. I think it’s possible that Ellie and Lydia did as well (although you would have to ask them if they did actually do that. While I would never, ever pick up Middlemarch ever again, I did enjoy reading it with my new friends and I will gladly pick up any read-a-long with these ladies because they helped me finish this book that is simply one of the bigger reading accomplishments of my life. So thank you Ellie and Lydia for taking this journey with me and pushing me to finish this book!

Lastly, I do want to plug The Literary Lollipop’s next read-a-long of The Count of Monte Cristo. The first post goes up on October 13 and will cover the first five chapters of the book—totally doable! There are a lot of people who have told me that Alexandre Dumas is daunting. At 1300 pages, I will agree that this book is daunting, but it is so fun to read together. I will NOT be posting weekly posts like Lydia is doing. My comments will all be made in her weekly posts because honestly, I like doing it that way. I like the feeling that we are sitting around chatting about the book over coffee in one place instead of bouncing back and forth from blog to blog, AND Lydia does far better summaries than I could ever do. So if you are looking for my comments on The Count of Monte Cristo, you’ll see them in The Literary Lollipop’s weekly posts on the book and you’ll just see a post like this from me in five months time about the fun we had reading together. I can’t wait!

Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge

Yes, I know. This ridiculously long book just wasn’t enough for me so I watched the BBC mini-series that starred Rufus Sewell as well. Six-plus hours of Middlemarchers in addition to the 26 CDs I listened to while reading along in the book sounds like a perfect way to finish off this book. It was! The series was actually pretty good even though it left enough out that I didn’t really connect well with the characters the way I did with the book. The cast was pretty superb. They were all what I envisioned the characters to look like and behaved the way I thought they would.

There were things that were done VERY well. The politics and societal changes were much more interesting in the movie than in the book. I found myself wandering in the book when they would talk about medicine or building a railroad, but the movie held my attention during the talks about Parliament and the railroad. It made more sense to me as well to see it played out by actors rather than just reading about it.

Other things I was disappointed in. Rosamund’s story with Will Ladislaw was played down and that was one of the best parts of the book! Will Ladislaw’s speech to Rosamund toward the end of the book was completely missing from the movie and it was so passionate and well done. His talks with Dorothea toward the end of the book were also missing so all that dramatic romance was missing. It was sad. It was one of the better parts of the book.

All in all, I think you could get a good idea of the book by watching the film and while it’s not a replacement for the book, it’s a great way to supplement it or I would recommend it as a way to determine whether or not you think the book is something you want to explore.

The Pacific - Hugh Ambrose (Part 2)

Book: The Pacific

Author: Hugh Ambrose

Publisher: New American Library (A division of The Penguin Group)

My Rating: 4.0 of 5 stars

Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge

Yesterday, I reviewed Hugh Ambrose's book, The Pacific, on my blog. The book was so dense, and the mini-series so long (10 episodes) that I decided to do a separate post for C.B. James' Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge.

So far, a lot of comments I've been seeing have been critical of The Pacific saying that it cannot compare to Band of Brothers. To me, I think Spielberg and Hanks showed the brotherhood created in war in Band of Brothers and were trying to convey the hell of war in The Pacific. It was meant to show the struggle to keep one's humanity when you are called upon to do the unthinkable. 

That is not to say that this didn't occur in the war in Europe. To me, the producers wanted to tell a different story this time and they found their inspiration in stories from Robert Leckie and Eugene Sledge with their memoirs, Helmet for My Pillow and With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa. From what I have been told, the memoirs are a more personal and internal account of war and the hell of it. With that in mind, The Pacific mini-series was extremely well executed. There was dialogue in the episodes that initially I didn't appreciate, but after reading the book, I appreciated conversations like those between Leckie and the doctor in Episode 4 where he tells the doctor about how the Japanese murdered sleep by sending bombers every night to drop bombs just to keep the soldiers from being able to sleep, or when Leckie writes a letter to Vera in Episode 1 saying, "There are things men can do to one another that are sobering to the soul. It is one thing to reconcile these things with God but another to square it with yourself." 

At the book signing of The Pacific, Hugh Ambrose stated (I'm paraphrasing) that Eugene Sledge's book, With the Old Breed was arguably one of the best memoirs of WWII. Sledge's journey from a teenage boy who wanted nothing more than to serve his country to a man that came home from the war profoundly changed. His struggle to keep his humanity when the world around him had none was difficult to watch to say the least. I think that so often we look at the men who served as being untouchable heroes, but we forget that that their heroic acts often came at a great cost to them personally. I have watched the series two times now (some episodes I've watched three times) and each time, I feel I appreciate their sacrifice even more.

The actors in the series were amazing. I was particularly impressed with Joseph Mazzello who played Eugene Sledge. He had these moments that with just a facial expression had me completely lost in the moment. In one episode on Peleliu, there is this one moment where he looks at Snafu Shelton (played by Rami Malek) and the look on his face just said, "What did I do? Why did I sign up for this," before he turns around and looks like he is about to break down emotionally. When I saw that, I got it. I really got the sacrifice of self that soldiers make for their country.

The book definitely enhanced the series. There were so many details that were given just a line or two in the series that the book explained in detail. The timeline of the war in the television series was much clearer to me after I read the book. I also had a much greater appreciation for the extent of the soldiers' hatred for the Japanese soldiers after reading the book (although I did know some of the reasons beforehand -- The Bataan Death March included many men from my home state of New Mexico so I grew up knowing a little about that). I will continue reading more books about the war in the Pacific because the series and book were so interesting. I haven't read Sledge's or Leckie's memoirs yet, but I will and hopefully it will be sooner than later.

For people who think that The Pacific was confusing, I would urge them to watch it more than once. It will make more sense the more you watch it because you will pick up on small details that you may have missed the first time around.

This is an extended trailer that I think sums up the series perfectly.
**Note: There is strong language in this video

Related Posts:

Part 1 of my review of the book, The Pacific

My Trip to Fredericksburg, TX for the Hugh Ambrose Book Signing

Other posts I have written on The Pacific

The Pacific - Hugh Ambrose

Book: The Pacific
Author: Hugh Ambrose
Publisher: New American Library (A division of The Penguin Group)
My Rating: 4.0 of 5 stars


If you've been reading my blog for the past few months you are probably tired of me gushing over HBO's production of The Pacific. I had no idea that Hugh Ambrose was writing a companion book to the series until a few months before the series aired on HBO, and when I heard that Mr. Ambrose was going to be signing his book at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, TX I ran out and bought a copy to further feed my obsession with the series.

I am usually not a fan of books on war but after watching Band of Brothers on HBO nine years ago, I was so captivated by the men of the 101st Airborne - Easy Company that I watched the episodes over and over again through the years on DVD, the History Channel, and every other channel that aired it. For nine years I waited for Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks to produce a series about our men and women that served in the Pacific Theater during WWII because of the fantastic job they did for the European Theater.

The Pacific (The Official Companion Book to the HBO Miniseries) was written by Hugh Ambrose not to mirror the television series, but to give a more complete view of the war than is told in the TV series. The book focuses chiefly on five men:

• Austin "Shifty" Shofner - A Marine that was captured as a POW in the Phillipines
• Vernon "Mike" Micheel - A Navy pilot that fought in numerous naval battles in the Pacific Ocean
• Sidney C. Phillips - A young Marine that fought in campaigns on Guadalcanal and Cape Gloucester
• John Basilone - A Marine that had served in the Philippines before WWII and fought in Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima
• Eugene B. Sledge - A young Marine that fought in the Battle of Peleliu and Okinawa

Neither Shifty Shofner nor Vernon Micheel were featured in the HBO series, but their stories were pivotal to the book because they helped complete the picture of the large number of POWs that were imprisoned during the war (Shofner) and the large scale of the Navy's involvement in the Pacific Theater (Micheel). 

This was Hugh Ambrose's first solo book. He has previously been noted for his work as a research consultant on many of his father's (Stephen Ambrose) books. I have read some negative reviews of Hugh Ambrose's book and I have to say that I disagree with their assessment. While the book is a fairly dense read, the book was well researched and I found myself getting lost in the pages. I did watch the TV series first but found that Mr. Ambrose's book more than complimented the episodes on HBO. The book helped make more sense of the progression of the war. I felt the TV series was a little jumbled in that respect because it focused more on the soldiers' struggle to keep their humanity than the chronological progression of the war itself. The European Theater is so storied in WWII I think because with Adolph Hitler there was an individual face that people could call the "bad guy". The Pacific War lacked that and was also fought on many islands (some of which were not largely inhabited) which in my opinion, makes it a more difficult war to understand. The book cleared up so many questions I had from the series. Sure, I had to take some notes while reading the book, but I liked that partially because of the nerd in me and partially because I feel that the book did a great job in explaining this chronology. It also gave a very human face to the men and women that served during the war and I thought honored them in a very profound way. 

Some people have complained that Hugh Ambrose isn't as gifted a writer as his father. I have only read one book by Stephen Ambrose (Band of Brothers--which was fantastic), but I didn't compare Hugh's writing to his father's. To me, they are two separate people so it makes sense that their writing styles would be different. I enjoyed the amount of research he put into this book and his writing style didn't bother me at all. I also liked that he chose to feature Shofner and Micheel in the book even though they weren't in the HBO series because it enhanced my understanding of the war. I also was glad that he didn't overuse stories of some of the soldiers featured in the series like Robert Leckie and Eugene Sledge who had written their own memoirs, Helmet for My Pillow and With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa respectively, which were in part, the basis for the HBO series and deserve to be read on their own.  

My only complaint about the book was that I wish they had printed an index for the book. There were so many times that I wanted to look something up, but the only thing at the back of the book were the pages of footnotes from Mr. Ambrose's research. I also appreciated the maps that were available in the book, but I wish there had been more or they would have been grouped in a way so that I could refer back to them rather than page through the book to find them. 

I highly recommend this book to people who are looking for an overview of the American effort in the Pacific Theater for WWII and also to those who enjoyed the HBO series. I will definitely be reading more on the Pacific Theater because of the series and the book. 

Click here for my review of the HBO television series of The Pacific!

Related Posts:

My Trip to Fredericksburg, TX for the Hugh Ambrose Book Signing

Storm Front - Jim Butcher

Book: Storm Front (Book 1 - The Dresden Files)

Author: Jim Butcher

Publisher: New American Library/ROC Fantasy

322 pages

My rating: 5/5 stars

Jim Butcher is one of those authors that has been on my "To Be Read" list for a long time. It wasn't until a friend recommended that I watch SyFy's series The Dresden Files that I felt like I couldn't put it off reading Butcher's books any longer.

Harry Dresden is a wizard in Chicago that helps people with problems of an unusual nature. At times, even the Chicago Police ask him for help with crimes that cannot be solved using conventional methods. In Storm Front, the first book of The Dresden Files series, two people have been found murdered in a hotel room. The scene is grisly--the man and woman appear to have had their hearts torn out of their chest. Karrin Murphy of the Chicago Police knows the crime is of a supernatural nature and calls Harry in to examine the scene. He immediately knows that black magic has been used and to solve the crime he may be put in harm's way. 

Storm Front was an extremely fun read. Adventure, action, swaggering wizard, hard-nosed police detective--what more could I want for a quick Summer read? I really like Harry--he's smart, funny, and a little bit flawed which makes him relatable to the reader. He and Detective Karrin Murphy have a strong but arduous relationship because the paranormal is not the easiest thing to believe or feel comfortable with to the "normal" human being. I like the tension between them because it's what all noir novels have and need. Other characters in the story are also written with the same color so that you have definite, strong feelings and associations with them. There is Bob, the spirit stuck inside a skull, that constantly negotiates with Harry to give him temporary respite from his prison; Mac, the pub owner, who likes Harry but keeps his head down to avoid trouble with those who have magic; and Morgan, Harry's assigned Warden by the White Council, who would like nothing more than for Harry to mess up so that he can execute swift and final justice against him.

This may be one of the first noir books that I've read in awhile, and the book's gritty, dark vibe was mixed in with a little bit of humor made it difficult to put down. It read quickly, had an engaging plot that sucked me in immediately (I didn't even figure out who committed the murder until I read it--I will admit that I try not to figure out the mystery usually so I won't ruin the book for myself), and left me wanting to crack open the second book in the series immediately. One of the only issues I had with the book was Harry's wardrobe--a duster....really?!! Harry, you live in Chicago, not Texas! My friend (who is also a fan of the series) agreed with me and said the duster was "silly" and thought it might be a "geek-macho thing". Other than that, I think that if you like detective mystery/thriller novels and want to throw paranormal into the mix, Storm Front makes for a worthwhile trip the bookstore.

Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge

As I wrote above, I actually started watching The Dresden Files on Netflix Instant Watch before I read the books. A friend of mine has been hosting a Farscape meetup and I admitted to him that I'm a fantasy reader more than I am a science fiction reader (which I am in fact trying to work on). He immediately said that I should watch The Dresden Files even though it had already been cancelled by SyFy. I came home that night and watched the first episode, Birds of a Feather. I was hoping not to get too creeped out because frankly, the episode looked a little scary. I cannot watch horror films because it normally results in the bathroom or closet light being turned on for a month at a time when I go to bed. However, even though the episode was kind of creepy with the paranormal beings, it was not scary enough for me to lose any sleep at all. The show was really fun to watch. 

Since that first episode, I've watched two thirds of the series including the pilot episode, Storm Front, which was based on this first book. While the show is different from the book, I REALLY enjoyed it. I have been suggesting the show to all my friends that haven't seen it, and now that I've read the first book, I can recommend the books to them too (my post from the Books Application on my Facebook wall created some good discussion which resulted in my cousin saying that she needs to both watch the show and read the books). 

Big differences between the show and the books:

• Harry Dresden doesn't wear a duster and boots! He carries around a drum stick for his wand and a hockey stick instead of a staff which is both more urban and updated, and let's face it, funnier!
• Bob is much more parental and less out of control than in the book (but still smart and funny).
• Karrin Murphy looks nothing like the description of Murphy in the book, but Valerie Cruz who plays Murphy does a terrific job in capturing the character's essence. I actually prefer her in the show than in the books because she seems a little more believable as a hard-nosed detective in her looks.
• The show doesn't follow the books other than the premise, but it definitely pulls off the spirit of the books perfectly (as opposed to Legend of the Seeker which I reviewed for the Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge a few months ago).

I actually started following Craig Engler who tweets as @SyFy because I am really tired of finding all these great shows AFTER they are already cancelled. I really enjoy The Dresden Files. I really wish the show had better ratings because it was good and the actors are fantastic in it. Terrence Mann plays Bob and is one of my favorite actors on the show. Paul Blackthorne (Harry Dresden) and Valerie Cruz (Murphy) are also amazing on the show. I highly recommend renting it through Netflix or even taking the plunge (which I myself will most likely do) to buy the show!

**Notice of Disclosure: I received this copy of Storm Front from Penguin Books.

Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding

When C.B. James posted his Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge, I immediately thought of reading and re-watching Bridget Jones's Diary. I saw the movie years ago and thought it was absolutely hysterical. I've been wanting to read the book for years, and the challenge gave me just the excuse to read it.

Bridget Jones is an early 30-something single woman working at a publishing company in London. Like most women, she is unhappy with her appearance and decides to go on a diet at the beginning of the year. Her diary chronicles her diet, but more than that, it chronicles her hilarious antics as she fumbles her way through life. She is infinitely likeable--she has the same insecurities that most of us have when we pursue relationships, hang out with friends, and deal with the eccentricities of our parents. Bridget's relationship with Daniel is really hilarious. She fumbles her way through whether or not to call him after their dates, checks her caller ID (and logs how many times she checks it in her diary), and engages in some comfort eating when things aren't going quite the way she envisioned them. Fielding wrote Bridget as a character all us ladies can relate to and did it in such a laughably, loveable way that I couldn't help but enjoy all the pages I was reading.

I also really enjoyed her mother's story. It was so much more scandalous than the film! Her mom went way over the top with the affair with her Portuguese lover, Julio. I couldn't believe how flippant her mom was as she hurt all her friends and family and didn't seem to really blink an eye. She was in total denial which was a little hard to read but was also like rubbernecking while on the freeway when there's a bad accident. You don't want to admit that you're intrigued, but you secretly are!

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I enjoyed Bridget's growing relationship with Mark Darcy, her relationship with her friends, and I loved how she flubbed through life with some, but not much grace. I rooted for her through the whole book because she's a person that I think most people could relate to. None of us have perfect lives, but to live life with a sense of humor makes it all worth it.


Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge


Film: Bridget Jones's Diary

I bought Bridget Jones's Diary on a whim about two years ago when it was on a super sale at Fry's after Christmas. I loved the movie when I saw it and had always wanted to own it. I've only watched it once since I bought it so I sat down and rewatched the film after I read the book.

It's pretty true to the book. There are some differences, but the tone and feel is all still the same. Like I said in the book review, Bridget's mother is way more scandalous with her lover in the book than the film. In the film, she runs off with this overly tanned, home shopping network guy who is totally high maintenance. I actually preferred the story in the book better, but I thought her story worked out well nicely on the screen the way it was written. I was really satisfied with the resolution with her family at the end of the film since it was a lighthearted, funny movie.

I also have to admit that I think the movie might have the best romantic quote of all time (although John Thornton's proposal to Margaret Hale in North and South has to be right up there in the running for best romantic quote of all time). It's the scene where Bridget goes to dinner at Magda and Jeremy's. They are having a smug married couples dinner and Bridget is the only single person there. When she's leaving, Mark follows her tells her, "I like you very much, just as you are." I'm not an overly romantic person, but this line made me smile and swoon just a little....ok, A LOT! It made me think, "Too bad real life isn't like that!" Of course, that's what's great about movies. It's not real, but it's a nice little little escape for a few hours.

For you non-romantic types, there's also a fight between Colin Firth and Hugh Grant which is one of the funniest scenes I've ever seen in a movie. I laugh every time because I know that if I were ever to get into a fight, it would look something like that!

I love the entire cast of the movie and think they all embodied the roles from the book perfectly. Watching the movie this time around I also realized that Shirley Henderson who plays Moaning Myrtle from the Harry Potter movies is in it! Her character is named Jude who has a boyfriend with quite possibly the best name ever....Vile Richard. I also loved James Callis as Tom in the movie. I know this came out before Battlestar Galactica, but I have infinite love for the actors on that show and love watching James Callis in Bridget Jones's Diary.

I happily give this movie 5 stars. I loved it. So ladies, if you haven't watched the movie in awhile it's time to get together with your girlfriends, grab your favorite adult beverage, mix up some blue soup and marmalade, and pop the movie in to the DVD player for some good girl fun and laughs.

The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum

I have really enjoyed all the Jason Bourne movies that star Matt Damon. I'm not one to read spy/thriller novels, but since I liked the movies so much, I really wanted to give the books a try. I also wanted to try reading a "man" book with my husband and thought The Bourne Identity would be a good one for us to read since neither of us had ever read it.

Jason Bourne is a man who has been rescued at sea and has no recollection of who he is. He has been shot and wounded and is near death. The fishermen that pick him him take him to the town of Port Noir to be taken care of by an alcoholic doctor. As he is nursed back to health he realizes that he has certain advantageous skills and a curious implant in his hip. The implant is a bank account number for a bank in Zurich. Bourne realizes that he needs to go there to begin establishing who he is. When he has recovered enough, he heads to Zurich where the story becomes frantic and interesting. His appearance at the bank sets off a manhunt for him, and he begins his run from people who want to kill him. Along the way, he takes a female hostage from Canada and the two of them run from those who would see them dead all the while trying to figure out who Jason Bourne really is.

I have to admit that the book was a little slow for me even though the story itself was interesting. There was a little too much dialogue, and there were points in the book that I didn't realize it had "cut" to another parallel story because there weren't breaks between pages (it might have just been the movie tie-in copy that I was reading). I also really didn't like the whole Stockholm Syndrome thing with Jason and his hostage, Marie. The two have a love affair which doesn't quite make sense to me. I also found Marie somewhat irritating because she was a little clingy (although she was very smart and helped Bourne out a few times). The action in the book was good though, and it definitely kept me reading. Overall, I'd be willing to give another of the Bourne books a try, but if The Bourne Supremacy doesn't give me a little more satisfaction I'll likely be done reading the series and possibly toss out any chance of reading more Robert Ludlum altogether. I do wonder if the Eric van Lustbader Bourne books are better than the Robert Ludlum ones. If you've read them, please let me know! I'd be interested to see what other people think about this series.


Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge

Movie: The Bourne Identity

It had been more than a few years since I had seen the film of The Bourne Identity. I have to say that I really enjoyed it even more watching it this time around after I had read the book. I actually liked the movie better than the book. Fight scenes are easier to watch than read about (I had some trouble figuring out what was happening in the fight scenes in the book). I also liked the character of Marie much better in the movie than in the book. She was from Germany in the film and played by German actress, Franka Potente who I think is great! I liked that she was a little more leery of Bourne and stayed with him because she really had no choice. The authorities were looking for her and she knew she would likely end up dead if she didn't stay with Bourne. *SPOILER ALERT* In the book, Marie chose to stay with Bourne because he saved her from a man that was raping her and intended to kill her. I just didn't really find that all that believable since he had captured and held her at gunpoint.

The movie was fun and action-packed. I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars. The book I would give 3 out of 5 stars. If you liked the movies, but aren't a big fan of spy/thriller books, I'd just stick with the movie. It had a somewhat different storyline and wasn't really that faithful to the book, but it was still really well done and more enjoyable overall than the book.

Stone of Tears - Terry Goodkind

For those of you that read my blog, it's been a few weeks since I actually posted a book review. This is because Stone of Tears is a whopping 979 pages long (and I have had a terrible addiction to the Olympics)! It took me about two weeks to read it, but it was well worth it. Beware that spoilers from the first book of the Sword of Truth series, Wizard's First Rule, will be included in this post!

The book picks up where Wizard's First Rule left off. Richard and Kahlan are returning to the Mud People and Zedd is still at the People's Palace where Richard has just taken over from Darken Rahl. Richard was able to defeat Darken Rahl using the Wizard's First Rule. Little does Richard know that the way he used the rule actually violated the Wizard's Second Rule causing a new threat to emerge.

As the story progresses, Richard learns that he is a wizard and must learn to control his powers. He and Kahlan's story diverges at this point as they each take a different direction to accomplish a common goal. Kahlan's journey takes her to Aydindril where she seeks to appeal to a council to help her fight the new threat. Richard's journey takes him to the Palace of the Prophets where he is taught how to control his wizard powers. Nothing is as it seems in the Palace of course and Richard is left to uncover another plot that could possibly destroy the land.

I have to admit that I think I enjoyed Kahlan's storyline more than Richard's. Terry Goodkind is a master of describing the horrors of war and battle. It is graphic, but I understand why he does it. In a lot of ways it makes it more real and shows the desolation that war has brought to the people. Kahlan has some Eowyn (from Return of the King--the movie brings a few thoughts to mind) moments where she just kicks a lot of butt. I love strong female characters and Kahlan is no exception! Richard's story is very important to the plot, but at times I found that it dragged on. I don't know if it's because I was feeling a little burned out on reading (I had two other books I had to read for book clubs this month that were not short and this was a 979 page book), or if I was just watching too much TV (those Olympics!!!). It became more interesting as time went on, but I felt like it took awhile to get there.

Still, I really enjoyed this book. Goodkind throws in some nice plot twists that I definitely wasn't expecting. I thought it really added to the book and at times made it really heart wrenching and difficult. I really did feel a little empty while I read this book because the characters go through such loss and betrayal. I like it when an author can really suck you into what the characters are going through and make you feel their emotions. I am thoroughly enjoying this series and am looking forward to the third installment, Blood of the Fold.


Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge

TV Show: Legend of the Seeker

I am still making my way through Legend of the Seeker. I am working hard not to watch the series too quickly because frankly, I have come to really enjoy it! Sure, it has very little to do with the Sword of Truth series even though it is "based on" it, but I find the show pretty entertaining and fun. I would probably compare it to Robin Hood (from British television) or less schlocky (but still with some schlock) Hercules. I know in my last review of Wizard's First Rule/Legend of the Seeker I was disappointed in the show, but it has really become quite fun to watch. I am taking my time to get through the show because I have noticed that they introduce characters from the books that I haven't read about yet. In other words, the story on the show isn't going in the same order as the books. However, if you decide to read the books and watch the show, it doesn't really matter because the characters are fairly different from the book. I just don't want to ruin any major plot points by watching the show too fast. I'll definitely keep posting my thoughts on the series as I read the books and watch the show, but I am changing my mind from my last review and giving the show my thumbs up.

Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind

There are a few fantasy series that most every fantasy fan has read. The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind seems to be one of those series. Every fantasy group on Shelfari seems to have loads of people talking about it and how great it is. Because of this, I decided to pick up the series and give it a try. Wizard's First Rule is the first book in the Sword of Truth series. Richard Cypher is a young woods guide who meets and aids a young woman on the run from a group of men in the forest of Hartland. Little does he know that this encounter is the beginning of his destiny. The woman Kahlan is searching for the wizard that can help her save her land from Darken Rahl. Richard decides to help her and in the process finds out that he is the Seeker. He is given the Sword of Truth (which can only be used by The Seeker) by his wizard friend to aid him in his quest to stop Darken Rahl from opening the Three Boxes of Orden which would give him control over all life and death.

Richard and Kahlan's relationship is very interesting throughout the book. She keeps a secret about herself from Richard because she is afraid that he would not receive the information well. Goodkind did a good job keeping up the suspense and weaving the secret into the story so that I was constantly wondering what it was myself! Almost every chapter ends on a cliffhanger as well so I found it difficult to stop reading. The book's 820 pages read so fast that I didn't even realize how fast I was going. I really got sucked into the story and adventure of their journey. There were a few parts in the book that are not appropriate for younger readers -- there is torture in the book and a few absolutely brutal scenes which might bother a really young reader. An employee at Barnes and Noble told me that there were younger kids around 10-12 that were coming in to get the books because they had seen the Legend of the Seeker show which is based on The Sword of Truth series. If you are a parent, you might want to read the book first to see if your child can handle those parts.

Overall, I thought the book was excellent. I gave the book 4.5 out of 5 stars because there were two things that really irritated me. There was a very Tolkien-esque character in the book which made me groan a little. The Sword is also somewhat similar to Tolkien, but it didn't bother me because Terry Brooks also had a book with a sword that in my opinion, borrowed from Tolkien. Let's face it. Tolkien was great and it's hard not to be influenced by him! There was also another part of the story which made me groan a little because to me it was obvious, but to others it might not be so I am not going to give it away here. Besides those two relatively minor things, I absolutely loved the book and can't wait to pick up the rest of the series.


Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge


TV Show: Legend of the Seeker

As part of the Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge that I'm taking part in this year, I decided to watch the Legend of the Seeker show by streaming it off of Netflix. There are 22 episodes in the first season and to avoid ruining any of the other books for me (I am going to start book two of the series, Stone of Tears in a few weeks), I have only watched four episodes so far, but I feel like I can safely say that the series isn't anything like the book. The characters and their occupations are from the books, but the story is vastly different from the book. I am not very impressed with the series and would prefer if they said that it was "inspired by" the Sword of Truth rather than "based on" the series.

It's not that the series isn't enjoyable. If I hadn't read the books, I might enjoy the series. The producer of the series, Sam Raimi, also produced Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. I really enjoyed the schlockiness and tongue-in-cheekness of Hercules. I just think that too much of the story is completely different from the books to say that it is "based on" the books. That being said, I have only read Wizard's First Rule and have only watched four episodes of the show. It's possible that I could change my mind later on. I think I am just disappointed that Terry Goodkind's masterful story has been taken apart and turned into something that is almost not recognizable as his work.

If you have read the books and watched the series, what do you think?

Read The Book, See The Movie Challenge

You know how I said that I was done signing up for challenges? Well, I lied. I have been following C.B. James' blog and he is running a challenge that I couldn't pass up. It also doesn't add any actual reading to my 2010 list (though it does add to my movie/TV watching), and I am a movie/TV addict so I figure why not just add one more?!! So, here it is...my last challenge sign up of 2010 (we can only hope)...

From C.B. James' Blog (you can click on the image to go to his Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge page):

The Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge is based on a simple idea--read a book, see a movie based on the book, include both in your review. Whether yours is a book blog or a movie blog, this could be a way to add some spice to your posts, expand your outlook, have some fun. Mostly, have some fun.

You don't have to write full reviews both the movie and the book. You can write a review of one then add a brief paragraph or just a sentence or two about the other at the end.

Here's how to join:

1. Select a challenge level:

• Matinee: one book/movie
• Double Feature: two books/movies
• Saturday Movie Marathon: four books/movies
• Film Festival: eight books/movies
• Festival Jury Member: ten books/movies

2. Copy and paste the Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge button to your blog. (Optional. If you don't have a blog, you can still sign-up and play along. You can post reviews here.)

3. Sign up using Mr. Linky below. Please list your challenge level in a comment.

4. Get together a list of books/movies that you plan on reviewing. (Optional. You can just see what comes along during the year if you'd rather.)

I'll post monthly link lists so you can post links to your reviews here and I'll try to feature a few reviews each month.

The challenge will begin on New Year's Day 2010 and will last all year. There will be prizes. I don't know what the prizes will be yet, but expect several. I'm a big fan of giveaways. See here, here and here.

You can double count this challenge with any other challenges you're doing in 2010.

Hope you'll join and play along.....

**I will be doing the Film Festival since at least eight of my books have films adaptations of them. Wish me luck!