Station Eleven

Station Eleven
by  Emily St. John Mandel

Genre:  Science fiction; Suspense; Dystopia
Publisher: Random House Audio on 
09 September 2014
Reading with my ears:  Unabridged 
10 hours 49 minutes
Narrator:  Kirsten Potter

An audacious, darkly glittering novel set in the eerie days of civilization's collapse, Station Eleven tells the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity.
One snowy night Arthur Leander, a famous actor, has a heart attack onstage during a production of King Lear. Jeevan Chaudhary, a paparazzo-turned-EMT, is in the audience and leaps to his aid. A child actress named Kirsten Raymonde watches in horror as Jeevan performs CPR, pumping Arthur's chest as the curtain drops, but Arthur is dead. That same night, as Jeevan walks home from the theater, a terrible flu begins to spread. Hospitals are flooded and Jeevan and his brother barricade themselves inside an apartment, watching out the window as cars clog the highways, gunshots ring out, and life disintegrates around them.
Fifteen years later, Kirsten is an actress with the Traveling Symphony. Together, this small troupe moves between the settlements of an altered world, performing Shakespeare and music for scattered communities of survivors. Written on their caravan, and tattooed on Kirsten's arm is a line from Star Trek: "Because survival is insufficient." But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who digs graves for anyone who dares to leave.
Spanning decades, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, this suspenseful, elegiac novel is rife with beauty. As Arthur falls in and out of love, as Jeevan watches the newscasters say their final good-byes, and as Kirsten finds herself caught in the crosshairs of the prophet, we see the strange twists of fate that connect them all. A novel of art, memory, and ambition, Station Eleven tells a story about the relationships that sustain us, the ephemeral nature of fame, and the beauty of the world as we know it.

My thoughts:
I loved this one.

"Survival is insufficient".

Star Trek: Voyager

The story revolves around characters that were connected to Arthur Leander, an actor who's fame was starting to faze out.  Arthurs dies on stage in the opening scenes of the book but he is the centre of this story.  Almost everyone in the story can be traced back to him in one way or another.

On the night Arthur dies, a terrible flu starts to erase life as we know it.   And civilisation dies.

Through flash backs we get to know Arthur, his friends and his ex-wives.  His first wife, Miranda, created a comic book called Station Eleven.  This comic becomes a favourite escape for Kirsten, twenty years after it was given to her by Arthur when she was a little girl in the King Lear production he dies in.  

We do not get a lot of the epidemic and it's effects (the parts that I always love), this is more about the people and their relationships with each other almost twenty years after.  It is all about how the past and actions taken then can impact today.

Another great narrator that added to my enjoyment of the book.

The Ruins

The Ruins
by  Scott Smith

Genre:  Horror; Science fiction; Suspense
Publisher: Simon & Schuster  on 
18 July 2006
Reading with my ears:  Unabridged 
14 hours 39 minutes
Narrator:  Patrick Wilson

Trapped in the Mexican jungle, a group of friends stumble upon a creeping horror unlike anything they could ever imagine. Two young couples are on a lazy Mexican vacation–sun-drenched days, drunken nights, making friends with fellow tourists. When the brother of one of those friends disappears, they decide to venture into the jungle to look for him. What started out as a fun day-trip slowly spirals into a nightmare when they find an ancient ruins site . . . and the terrifying presence that lurks there.

My thoughts:
I saw the movie a few years ago, not great but very entertaining.  I forgot all about it until I saw someone talk about the book on a Halloween video on BookTube.  I was intrigued, I remembered bits and pieces of the horror and wanted to experience some of that suspense again.  

Just let me start by admitting, the characters are all dumb assesses.  Yeah, I said it!  Don't get me wrong, they are not unlikeable, in fact you will be hoping they find a way out of this mess they got themselves into.  But they had clues all through the beginning chapters, even Mayans trying to warn them away but no . . .  they had to keep going.  Just over the next hill . . . 

I loved this book.  The atmosphere and the desperation were described so well that I was reaching for my bottled water a few times.  I could actually feel the heat and the thirst. There are some gore and the descriptions get very detailed but it is all part of the story and nothing is there just for shock value. 

The narrator builds the creepy atmosphere of people trapped in an awful situation with no way out.  His voice was perfect for this story.  He definitely added to the enjoyment for me.

I can recommend this audiobook highly - it was an enjoyable ride.

Open and Shut

Open and Shut
by  David Rosenfelt

Series:  Andy Carpenter #1
Genre:  Mystery, Crime, Humor
Publisher: Listen & Live on
03 April 2008
Reading with my ears:  Unabridged
06 hours 50 minutes
Narrator:   Grover Gardner

Whether duelling with new forensics or the local old boys' network, irreverent defence attorney Andy Carpenter always leaves them awed with his biting wit and winning fourth-quarter game plan. But Andy prefers the company of his best friend, Tara, to the people he encounters in the courtroom. Tara, a golden retriever, is clearly smarter than half the lawyers who clog the courts of Passaic County. However, just as it seems Andy has everything figured out, his dad, New Jersey's legendary ex-D.A., drops dead in front of him at a game in Yankee Stadium. The shocks pile on as he discovers his dad left him with two unexpected legacies: a fortune of $22 million that Andy never knew existed . . . and a murder case with enough racial tinder to burn down City Hall. Struggling to serve justice and bring honor to his father, Andy must dig up some explosive political skeletons-and an astonishing family secret that can close his case (and his mouth) for good.

My thoughts:
What a fun read!  Someone in my Facebook bookclub read one of the books later in this series and was telling us about this lawyer and his lovely golden retriever, Tara.  (I love dogs so how could I resist taking a look!)  I have a problem with not starting a series at the beginning, so I went in search of where it all started, way back in 2003 - with the audiobook published in 2008 - a lifetime ago.  But it has not aged at all, I felt as if it could have been written yesterday.  

Andy is not your usual buttoned-down lawyer.  In the beginning of the book, he seemed too fond of dishonest (in my opinion) theatrics in the court room.  I was doubting my choice but after a few chapters this disappeared and he got more serious about defending his client which I appreciated much more.  

All in all, Andy has a good heart, even taking payment in watermelons when defending a client :)

After the fiasco of my previous read, I needed something light and fluffy and that is exactly what I got. It left me with a huge smile on my face.  

The narrator was great with a soothing voice not interfering with the story at all.  I enjoyed this one and would recommend if for a fluffy read.

Red Rising

Red Rising
by  Pierce Brown

Series:  Red Rising Trilogy #1
Genre:  Science Fiction, Young Adult
Publisher: Recorded Books on
28 January 2014
Reading with my ears:  Unabridged
16 hours 12 minutes
Narrator:   Tim Gerard Reynolds

The Earth is dying. Darrow is a Red, a miner in the interior of Mars. His mission is to extract enough precious elements to one day tame the surface of the planet and allow humans to live on it. The Reds are humanity's last hope. Or so it appears, until the day Darrow discovers it's all a lie. That Mars has been habitable - and inhabited - for generations, by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. A class of people who look down on Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought. Until the day that Darrow, with the help of a mysterious group of rebels, disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside. But the command school is a battlefield - and Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda.

My thoughts:
I first saw this book on BookTube (a new addiction which my bandwidth hates) where most reviews raved about it.  I could not wait to pick it up and the first few hours were wonderful.  I enjoyed the world building of the Reds living underground on Mars.  The characters were interesting and flawed. Unfortunately this was not what the story was really about and I was soon bored.

When Darrow infiltrates the Gold's world, the story changes.  In some parts I found my mind wandering and I had to consciously remind myself to get my head back into the story.  The story becomes one of the "dime-a-dozen" young adult books where the main character is prettier and smarter than most.  He (or she) is thrown into a "school type setting" where he has to fight his classmates (to the death for the most part) for the top winner position.  As in most dystopian young adult fiction there are lots of fighting, cruelty and death.  Not my favourite characteristics of young adult books although I love dystopian/technology advanced worlds.

And then there is Darrow. . . I disliked Darrow.  I mean I really disliked him which is a problem as he is our main protagonist.  He claimed an undying love for his wife, Eo in the first few chapters of the book but this was very easily forgotten when he was immersed in the Gold's world.  I also felt that he was a bit too comfortable in this new life and conveniently seems to forget what the true purpose of his presence is.

I loved the narration by Tim Gerard Reynolds.  I really enjoyed his calm voice which starts with a vague Irish accent for the Reds and turns British-ish for the Golds.

I am in the minority with my thoughts above as the reviews on Goodreads almost all screams praise of this book. So you might have to read it for yourself to see . . .

{Movie} Review: Slumdog Millionnaire (2008)

 Starring:  Dev Patel, Freida Pinto and Madhur Mittal (2008)

A Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers.

This was the movie that has been on my PVR the longest (2+ years) and this afternoon it was finally time to give it a shot.
It started off slow and I was beginning to doubt my choice but it turned into "feel-good" film as the tagline assured us it would be.Some of the earlier "abuse" scenes were a bit much for me but I understand how it is a necessary part of the story.   The further the story unfolded, the more you are drawn in and at the end, I was a bit divided . . . where would the story lead?  Would Jamal answer the last question correctly . . . I must admit that the story would have worked for me either way.

All in all it was a fun afternoon with the bad guy redeeming himself and the happy ending we were hoping for.  I love happy endings . . . 

What I read in September 2014

September was a slow month but I did manage to listen to two books.  Two very different books but still both enjoyable.

The first book was . . .

The Good House by Ann Leary
Narrated by Mary Beth Hurt

Goodreads  How do you prove you're not an alcoholic?

Hildy Good has reached that dangerous time in a woman's life - middle-aged and divorced, she is an oddity in her small but privileged town. But Hildy isn't one for self-pity and instead meets the world with a wry smile, a dark wit and a glass or two of Pinot Noir. When her two earnest grown-up children stage 'an intervention' and pack Hildy off to an addiction centre, she thinks all this fuss is ridiculous. After all, why shouldn't Hildy enjoy a drink now and then?
But as the story progresses, we start to see another side to Hildy Good, and to her life's greatest passion - the lies and self deceptions needed to support her drinking, and the damage she causes to those she loves. When a cluster of secrets become dangerously entwined, the reckless behaviour of one threatens to expose the other, with devastating consequences.

My thoughts:  This audiobook was recommended to me by my bookclub quite some time ago but I just never got round to listening to it.
I am so glad I made time for it in September.  What a great book (and an awesome narrator!).

It is another thought provoking kind of book.  Not loads of action, although enough to keep the story moving forward.  It is more about the people.  Looking back, it is also a little sad.  Hildy just cannot admit to herself that she is an alcoholic even when she can see all the clues.  The intervention (everyone else is wrong), the blackouts, the times and actions she cannot explain . . .   She can still control her drinking or so she tries to convince herself.

Even though the subject matter is very serious, there are still some laugh out loud moments.  Hildy is an awesome person even if she does have her faults (and bitchy) moments.

I highly recommend this one.


The other book I listened to was .  .  .

Waiting to be heard by Amanda Knox
Narrated by herself

Goodreads: In the fall of 2007, twenty-year old college coed Amanda Knox left Seattle to study abroad in Perugia, Italy for one year. But that November 1, her life was shattered when her roommate, British student Meredith Kercher, was murdered in their apartment. Five days later, Amanda was taken into custody and charged by the Italian police; her arrest and the subsequent investigation ignited an international media firestorm. Overnight, this ordinary young American student became the subject of intense scrutiny, forced to endure a barrage of innuendo and speculation. Two years later, after an extremely controversial trial, Amanda was convicted and imprisoned. But in 2011 an appeals court overturned her conviction and vacated the charges. Free at last, she immediately returned home to the U.S., where she has remained silent, until now.

My thoughts:  I love biographies and memoirs (I had to go and look up the difference - apparently a memoir is a just a piece of someone life . . . a little story from a life).

Anyway, I faintly remembered the name and face of Amanda Knox and that she was accused of killing her roommate while she was a student abroad.  I did not remember the details although I did assume she was found not guilty seeing as she had written a book.

But after listening to her book, I am not completely convinced that she is innocent.   I will even go as far as to say that the book did not even provoke any sympathy for her.  I will admit (if her point of view can be believed) that it is scary to think that the justice system could be so "twisted" (I might even suggest corrupt).   But then other countries and their justice systems are mostly mysteries to most people. 

This is definitely not an Orange is the new Black story.  Prison is supposed to be a scary place and this is what I found it to be in the pages of this book.  I felt some paragraphs was repeated way to much but overall it held my attention until the end.

And is all I read in September . . . 

What I read in August 2014

I decided that I need to get some reviews down but I am sooooooooooo behind that I thought I would start a monthly blog post until I am able to write reviews again.  So let's start with August.

In August I read (listened to) 3 books.

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
Narrated by Caroline Lee

(Goodreads) At the heart of The Husband’s Secret is a letter that’s not meant to be read.

My darling Cecilia, if you’re reading this, then I’ve died...
Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . .
Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.

My thoughts: I do not usually enjoy contemporary novels but this one was a good fit for me.  I have recently discovered that I enjoy these kinds of bookclub books on my daily commute to and from work.  It does take a while to listen to all 13 1/2 hours but the narrator really made the time fly (and no road rage!).

About halfway through the book, I was really struggling to accept the choices that Cecilia was making.  What would I do in a situation like this?  Would I decide to keep my husband's secret? Would I be able to stay living with him, loving him, even though I could see the suffering of those affected by the secret?

I can highly recommend this one and Liane Moriarty has a new fan.  I am currently listening to Big Little Lies . . . another good choice . . .

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
Narrated by Peter Kenny

(Goodreads) The extraordinary journey of one unforgettable character - a story of friendship and betrayal, loyalty and redemption, love and loneliness and the inevitable march of time. Harry August is on his deathbed. Again. No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes. Until now. As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. 'I nearly missed you, Doctor August,' she says. 'I need to send a message.' This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow.

My thoughts:  This was something totally different.  Science fiction with a twist.  People must have thought I was a little strange sitting in my car a little longer after I arrived at my destinations.

I am a little lost as to how to describe this story without giving too much away.  All I can say is that it is the biography of Harry -  of his lives and of his deaths.  Of his rebirths and of his efforts to change the past so that it may change the future.  Confused?  You won't be, the author (and narrator) leads you through it all and it all makes sense.  Very entertaining.  I recommend this one.

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
Narrated by Becky Ann Baker

(Goodreads) Katie Wilkinson has finally found the perfect man - but one day he suddenly disappears, leaving behind only a diary written by a new mother named Suzanne for her baby, Nicholas. In it she intimately reveals the romance between herself and the child's father, her hopes for their marriage, and her unparalleled joy in motherhood. As Katie reads on, she realizes that the man she loves is Suzanne's husband. Now, filled with terror and hope, Katie must struggle to understand what has happened - and find out if her new love has a prayer of surviving.

My thoughts:  I enjoyed the first half of this book very much.  Unfortunately after that it become all too soppy and lovey-dovey for me.  Don't take this wrong, if you love heavy romances, you will adore this!  It was just a little too much for me.  I enjoy happy romances up to a point but then it just leaves me cold.  I could not wait to get through it -  I was invested in the story, so I wanted to know how it would end, so I persevered.

That was my August reads.  A good month :)

{Movie} Review: The Other Woman

The Other Woman (2014)
Starring:  Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Kate Upton

After discovering her boyfriend is married, Carly Whitten tries to get her ruined life back on track. But when she accidentally meets the wife he's been cheating on, she realizes they have much in common, and her sworn enemy becomes her greatest friend. When yet another affair is discovered, all three women team up to plot mutual revenge on their cheating, lying, three-timing SOB.

This is a perfect chick flick for that lazy afternoon when you just want to enjoy a fun nonsense film.  There is absolutely no way that this could ever represent reality and that is what makes it so enjoyable.

And off course they are all so beautiful.  I loved how you could see the little laugh lines around Cameron Diaz' eyes.  I am so happy that she has not fallen into the "face lift trend" that some of more mature stars have fallen into.

Don't forget, there are loads of bikini scenes to keep your husband or boyfriend glued to screen next to you.

The three stars look like they enjoyed making the movie and it definitely translates to the screen. I had some "spit-out-the-cooldrink" moments.  And as you would expect, we get our happy ending with a little epilogue for each of our girls.

I would definitely recommend this one!

{Movie} Review: After the Dark

After the Dark (2013)
Starring:  James D'Arcy, Sophie Lowe, Freddie Stroma

When the last day of school comes for a group of students in a philosophy class, their instructor, Mr. Zimit, challenges them to different sorts of exercises that take place in a post-nuclear apocalyptic world. While there, they each get chosen professions and have to decide whether who is valuable or not because the bunker they will be staying in for a year has only enough oxygen for 10 people. Mr. Zimit challenges them in different rounds to see how they could survive. Issues arise when they notice Mr. Zimit is disruptive to the game.

My thoughts: 
We watched this movie last night and I have to admit that I would not make a good philosophy student. Even though the questions and scenarios were all hypothetical, I really hated Mr Zimit for even the suggestions he made.  I take things way to personally and I am sure I would have felt like some of the students in the class did.

It was fun watching the three games - in the first game, the students were given professions only;   anything from an opera singer to an engineer.  In the second, there was something extra added.  The opera singer could speak 7 languages but would die of throat cancer in three years for example.  That made the choices much harder to determine who would enter the bunker and who would not - the existence of the human race is at stake after all.

The final game was led by one of the students making all the choices.  In this game, I had a bit of an issue with the storyline that went off track a bit - only one point did not make sense for me.  But it is just a movie, so I could overlook it to enjoy the story until the end.

Talking about the ending . . . if someone could explain that to me . . . .

It was an enjoyable movie but I would recommend.  Just remember this is fiction!

{Movie}Review: Anna (2013)

Anna (2013)
Starring:   Mark Strong, Taissa Farmiga, Brian Cox

In the near future or an alternate reality, there are memory detectives, people who have the ability to enter other peoples' electronically aided memories. They often are used to resolve psychological conflicts, and sometimes to exonerate someone from a crime. John was at one time the top in this field but he has been recovering from the death of his wife, and a stroke. To get back into work the head of the small firm he works for offers him what is supposed to be a simple job, getting 16 year old Anna to start eating again. However, the "simple job" turns into his most challenging.

My thoughts:
Why it that people that should know better always get sucked into bad situations.  They are supposed to be trained professionals.  John is a "memory detective" that get's sucked in by Anna's memories and don't see the signs.
Unfortunately we saw it all and we guessed some of the vital facts of the movie early on.  But it was still an enjoyable few hours watching John being manipulated by a very clever young girl.

{Movie} Review: Triangle (2009)

Triangle (2009)
Starring:  Melissa George

When Jess sets sail on a yacht with a group of friends, she cannot shake the feeling that there is something wrong. Her suspicions are realized when the yacht hits a storm and the group is forced to board a passing ocean liner to get to safety, a ship Jess is convinced she's been on before. The ship appears deserted, the clock on board has stopped, but they are not alone... Someone is intent on hunting them down, one by one. And Jess unknowingly holds the key to end the terror.

My thoughts:
I loved this movie.  All the twists and turns keep you guessing until almost the final seconds.  It makes you realize that you do not need big budget special effects to make a great movie, you just need a good story.  I have added this one to my favorites of all time.

It is difficult to talk about this movie because I don't want to give anything away.  I was even hesitant to add the whole blurb above.  What makes it a great movie is that you are kept guessing, so don't watch any of the trailers.  I was unable to find a trailer to add to this post as they all give too much away.  So stay away!

The only advise I can give, is to listen to the dialogue and take notice of the details in all the scenes. Something in the background of one scene might become significant later in the story.   There is a lot of gore in this movie but it is part of the atmosphere and terror that Jess feels, so do not let that keep you away.

Please let me know what you thought after watching this one.  You will not be disappointed.

{Audiobook}Review: The Rapture

The Rapture
by Liz Jensen
  
Genre: Apocalyptic Thriller
Date Read:  20 July 2014 
Reading with my ears 
Narrator:  India Fisher   
Unabridged audio - Length: 12 hours 42 minutes

It is a June unlike any other before, with temperatures soaring to asphyxiating heights. All across the world, freak weather patterns—and the life-shattering catastrophes they entail—have become the norm. The twenty-first century has entered a new phase.; But Gabrielle Fox’s main concern is a personal one: to rebuild her life after a devastating car accident that has left her disconnected from the world, a prisoner of her own guilt and grief. Determined to make a fresh start, and shake off memories of her wrecked past, she leaves London for a temporary posting as an art therapist at Oxsmith Adolescent Secure Psychiatric Hospital, home to one hundred of the most dangerous children in the country. Among them: the teenage killer Bethany Krall.Despite two years of therapy, Bethany is in no way rehabilitated and remains militantly nonchalant about the bloody, brutal death she inflicted on her mother. Raised in evangelistic hellfire, the teenager is violent, caustic, unruly, and cruelly intuitive. She is also insistent that her electroshock treatments enable her to foresee natural disasters—a claim which Gabrielle interprets as a symptom of doomsday delusion.
But as Gabrielle delves further into Bethany’s psyche, she begins to note alarming parallels between her patient’s paranoid disaster fantasies and actual incidents of geological and meteorological upheaval—coincidences her professionalism tells her to ignore but that her heart cannot. When a brilliant physicist enters the equation, the disruptive tension mounts—and the stakes multiply. Is the self-proclaimed Nostradamus of the psych ward the ultimate manipulator or a harbinger of global disaster on a scale never seen before? Where does science end and faith begin? And what can love mean in “interesting times”?
With gothic intensity, Liz Jensen conjures the increasingly unnerving relationship between the traumatized therapist and her fascinating, deeply calculating patient. As Bethany’s warnings continue to prove accurate beyond fluke and she begins to offer scientifically precise hints of a final, world-altering cataclysm, Gabrielle is confronted with a series of devastating choices in a world in which belief has become as precious - and as murderous—as life itself.

My thoughts:
The blurb above sounds very attractive, doesn't it?  Unfortunately the main character, Gabrielle Fox, detracted from the story so much that I had to slog through just to get to the end.

That woman needs someone to slap some sense into her.  She has a running inner-monologue throughout the book and all she seems to be grieving for is her lost womanwood because she is paralyzed.  It really gets a bit tedious to have to listen to it very few pages.  Because I had developed such a dislike for Gabrielle, it was difficult for me to keep an open mind but the story still kept me listening. That says a lot for the author.

Just imagine if you knew someone that was accurately predicting disasters and then started predicating the apocalypse.   Would you believe them?  And what would you do with that information?  

I will not comment on the ending except to say that it was perfect.  When I was getting near to the end of the mp3 file, I was getting nervous that so much still needed to be said but Liz Jensen just nailed it.  As I said . . . perfect.

If you are able to keep from wanting to kill Gabrielle, you will love this book.  It is definitely a different way to see the end of the world . . .  

{Movie}Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Starring:

GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL recounts the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune -- all against the back-drop of a suddenly and dramatically changing Continent.

My thoughts:
What a crazy fun movie!  And filled with so many famous stars.

I loved it and there are many scenes where my husband and I just looked at each other and burst out laughing.  Truly an unique, quirky movie.  The only downside was that the ending kind of sneaked up on us. Suddenly it was just over . . . we were enjoying the story and then in a few minutes we were just told what happened to the characters.

But still a very enjoyable movie!

{Movie}Review: 1408

1408 (2007):
Starring: John Cusak, Samuel J Jackson

The cynical and skeptical writer Mike Enslin writes books evaluating supernatural phenomena in hotels, graveyards and other haunted places, usually debunking the mystery. While writing his latest book, he travels from Los Angeles to New York to spend one night in the Dolphin Hotel's evil room 1408, which is permanently unavailable for guests. The reluctant manager Mr. Gerald Olin objects to his request and offers an upgrade, expensive booze and finally relates the death of more than fifty guests over decades in the cursed room. However Mike threatens Mr. Olin, promising to sue the hotel, and is finally allowed to check into the room. Later in the night, he finds that guests of room 1408, once they have checked in, might never leave the room alive.

My thoughts:
Stephen King has not been very successful when it comes to movies made from his books but this one is a little gem.  You are not so much shown the horror as given little glimpses to make you feel the suspense - this is psychological horror at it's best. 

John Cusak is an expert at playing a tortured hero and in 1408 he becomes the cynical cult story writer trying to show that this hotel and it's ghost is just a scam.  I am hesitant to say anymore - you don't want to be robbed of all the shocking, scary moments.   

Also watch out for the alternative ending . . . I am not sure which one I prefer . . .

I really need to find the novella as I have not read the original pages.   I have heard that the movie is very close to the short story.

{Online Game}Review: Forge of Empires

In the browser game Forge of Empires you can build your own city and experience all of history from its perspective - from the stone age on through the centuries. Explore new technologies that ring in a new era. Leave a mark with unique, contemporary buildings and establish a gigantic metropolis that is unparalleled anywhere. Increase your empire with sophisticated strategic campaigns and skilled actions in Forge of Empires.

The strategy game Forge of Empires takes you through the different eras - explore new building types and technologies to continue developing your settlement. Meet the challenges of the single-player campaigns until you rule an entire continent, or compete against other players in the multiplayer mode. In the browser game Forge of Empires, dedicate yourself to research and develop more advanced battle units, innovative products and spectacular buildings. Passionate builders will have many opportunities to develop and beautify their cities in this strategy game. Good economic skills are essential in Forge of Empires to finance the growth of your empire with your residents’ tax money.
But not everything is peaceful in Forge of Empires. Fight exciting battles, use a variety of units and incorporate the individual features of the terrain in order to win. On the battle field you can either take on the computer or give other players a lesson in battle strategy. Steer the fate of your empire: Forge of Empires!

I am a bad gamer.  I have a real problem with figuring out where to go to find your next mission or how to solve the weird puzzles.  I get killed a lot.  And the frustration always make me give up after a few tries.

But this real time game (if it takes 4 hours to build a building – it takes four hours!) has had me hooked for the last few months.  Foe is a free online game where you build your little city through the ages.  I have played for a few months already and I am still in the Middle Ages.  I have recently been able to join a guild and now I am part of a team of players.  Having great fun!

If you want to join in the action, you can go here:  http://en.forgeofempires.com/

Let me know you gaming name, so we can be friends!

{Audiobook}Review: Mr Mercedes

Mr Mercedes
by Stephen King
 
Genre: Crime fiction
Date Read:  13 June 2014
Reading with my ears
Narrator:  Will Patton   
Unabridged audio - Length: 14 hours 21 minutes

A cat-and-mouse suspense thriller featuring a retired homicide detective who's haunted by the few cases he left open, and by one in particular - the pre-dawn slaughter of eight people among hundreds gathered in line for the opening of a jobs fair when the economy was guttering out. Without warning, a lone driver ploughed through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes.

The plot is kicked into gear when Bill Hodges receives a letter in the mail, from a man claiming to be the perpetrator. He taunts Hodges with the notion that he will strike again. Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing that from happening. Brady Hartfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. And he's preparing to kill again. Only Hodges, with a couple of misfit friends, can apprehend the killer in this high-stakes race against time. Because Brady's next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim hundreds, even thousands.

My thoughts:
Mr Mercedes is the journey of Bill Hodges, a police detective, with nothing to live for after his retirement from the force.   He puts away his father’s gun (and thoughts of using it) as he begins to tract the one crazy killer he was never able to catch. 

Brady Hartfield is very sick.  It is scary to think that he lives in real life too.  People blending nicely into society but with grandiose thoughts of being famous as the greatest killer. 

I loved how King revealed only little bits of the support characters at a time.  We never really got to know the the other characters in the book, just enough to give us glimpses into the reasons for Brady’s psychosis. 

One of these characters is Freddy, Brady’s younger brother.  He is only mentioned a few times in this book but I felt such empathy for him.  A poor little lost soul, born into a family that ultimately killed him.  Freddy was always slow and suffered brain damage during his short life which made caring for him a huge burden on the family.  I understand the frustrations that the family must have felt but poor little Freddy did not deserve his life.  Thankfully he would not have understood all that went on.

If you are looking for a scary horror by the great master, then you will be disappointed.  Mr Mercedes is only scary in the way that an insane person can be scary.   And Brady is scary . . .
This is instead a great detective story, defining the phrase “cat and mouse games”. 

Will Patton once again showed why he is such a beloved narrator.  He did an excellent job and the story flowed beautifully from scene to scene.  He is a true professional.  Love him!

{TV series}Review: Helix

A team of scientists are thrust into a potentially life-or-death situation in this thriller, which begins with the group being deployed to the Arctic to secretly investigate what could be a disease outbreak.

This is a roller-coaster ride of a series.  I loved it!  Each episode had you believing another version of what the truth might be!  The whole series is played out in a “secret” arctic science lab where more that just lawful experimentation might be going on.    A group of CDC scientists are up against a decease that not even the director of the lab can (or want to) fully explain.  The first season ended on a cliffhanger of sorts and I am very happy that a second season will follow in 2015.

{Audiobook} Review: The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Date Read: 21 April 2014
Reading with my ears
Narrator: Kate Rudd
Unabridged audio - Length: 7 hours 14 minutes

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

My thoughts:
I have been putting off reading this book for months.  It is such a touchy subject for me.  I am currently going through chemo therapy and I was afraid of what might lie within the pages of the book.  I have done enough crying.  I was worried what would be done with such a serious subject.   Would it be too morbid, would it be too sentimental . . . ?

But now, after having read it, I can honestly say that I enjoyed it so much.  Even if I am not a teenager anymore, I could identify with the characters - a lot of their feelings are my feelings too.  I even had a few moments when I had to laugh out loud.  It is all so true!  Yes, life goes on even with cancer

There is not much that I can say that has not been said before, so I will leave it with my few personal thought above.

I can’t wait to see the movie.

{Movie} Review: The Last Seven

The Last Seven (2010)
Starring:  Tamer Hassan, Simon Phillips, Danny Dyer, Ronan Vibert, Sebastian Street, Daisy Head, Rita Ramnani, John Mawson

A man awakes to find the streets eerily silent and all trace of life completely removed. He has no recollection of what has happened but he will soon discover that he is one of only seven people left alive. He will also discover that he can trust none of his fellow survivors.

My thoughts:
I found another independent film that is worth watching.  This film had me guessing until the surprise ending.  It is difficult to say much without spoiling your enjoyment of the movie, so I will just say if you like post apocalyptic dark stories, this one is for you.  You will not know who to trust until your socks are blown off with the ending.  I really enjoyed this movie.  It is amazing what talent can do with a shoe-string budget.

{Movie} Review: Unthinkable

Unthinkable (2010)
Starring:  Samuel L. Jackson, Carrie-Anne Moss, Michael Sheen

A psychological thriller centered around a black-ops interrogator and an FBI agent who press a suspect terrorist into divulging the location of three nuclear weapons set to detonate in the U.S.

My thoughts:
Unthinkable is literally about the unthinkable.  Samuel L. Jackson is an interrogator that has no limits.  He will not stop until the terrorist reveals his secrets.  Agent Helen Brody has more of a moral dilemma with his integration methods.  But can she stand idly by when so many (including themselves) could die in the next few days.

This movie is about what is morally right.  Is torture only wrong if is not done for your own noble reasons.  How about if it is to save millions of lives?  What if you could prevent three nuclear bombs from detonating.  What would you allow to be done to the one man that knows the locations of these bombs?

I found this movie very entertaining but be warned it has a few gruesome torture scenes.