Best Moustache-Twirling

Booking Through Thursday

Who’s the worst fictional villain you can think of? As in, the one you hate the most, find the most evil, are happiest to see defeated? Not the cardboard, two-dimensional variety, but the most deliciously-written, most entertaining, best villain? Not necessarily the most “evil,” so much as the best-conceived on the part of the author…oh, you know what I mean!

Now this is really a fun question! I mean, what's a good book without a good villain?? In the literary world, they come in all shapes and sizes. And I'm sure many are going to choose Lord Voldemort, since it's been a Harry Potter couple of weeks. But if I had to to choose just one, I'd have to say Randall Flagg from The Stand by Stephen King. He was truly evil! Trying to take on a such a sweet spirit like Mother Abigail?? What was he thinking?? Stephen King KNOWS how to write a villain, too. Flagg is evil incarnate. And he was not just out and out bad. He was a master of using a person's weaknesses against them. Very psychological he was.

Classically, there a quite a few villains that I could throw in the mix. Inspector Javert in Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. Of course, with Javert all is kind of grey. Is it fair to label a man a villain when he was trying to do his job? Then again, it is fair to label a man as a convict for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family? But my love for Valjean made me hate Javert....ALOT! So he gets the label of villain from me.

What about Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier? She spent so much time trying to undermine the second Mrs. de Winter, I was constantly rooting against her. The second Mrs. de Winter was so insecure, it made all of Mrs. Danvers actions seem even worse. But she was just plain mean!!

What about Iago in Othello by William Shakespeare? I mean, he was supposed to be Othello's friend?? What could be worse than a villain posing as a friend? He actually made Othello believe that Desdemona was unfaithful, ruined his reputation and caused him to commit suicide. Pretty sick stuff!!

Finally, just for fun, see who your movie villain inner-self is:

Blogging Tips Meme

Blogging Tips Meme


What fun!! (And since I'm feeling rather blah today, and don't have anything else to post, thought I would join along!)


Angela from SciFi Chick has tagged me with the Blogging Tips Meme. And as they say, this isn’t your usual meme. But here are some helpful blogging tips that fellow taggers can add to…


-Start Copy-


It’s very simple. When this is passed on to you, copy the whole thing, skim the list and put a * star beside those that you like. (Check out especially the * starred ones.)


Add the next number (1. 2. 3. 4. 5., etc.) and write your own blogging tip for other bloggers. Try to make your tip general.


After that, tag 10 other people. Link love some friends!


Just think- if 10 people start this, the 10 people pass it onto another 10 people, you have 100 links already!


1. Look, read, and learn. **-http://www.neonscent.com/

2. Be, EXCELLENT to each other. **-http://www.bushmackel.com/

3. Don’t let money change ya! *-http://www.therandomforest.info/

4. Always reply to your comments. ****-http://chattiekat.com/

5. Link liberally — it keeps you and your friends afloat in the Sea of Technorati. *-http://chipsquips.com/

6. Don’t give up - persistence is fertile. *-http://www.velcro-city.co.uk/

7. Give link credit where credit is due. ***-http://www.sfsignal.com/

8. Pictures say a thousand words and can usually add to any post.*-http://scifichick.com/

9. Visit all the bloggers that leave comments for you - it's nice to know who is reading! -http://stephaniesbooks.blogspot.com/


-End Copy-

Don't you just love fun things? And this one is rather helpful too!! So...in the spirit of things, here are my 10 links!!

• Amanda at A Patchwork of Books
• Bonnie at Bonnie's Books
• Chris at Book-A-Rama
• Iliana at Bookgirl's Nightstand
• Tanabata at In Spring it is The Dawn
• Wendy at Musings of a Bookish Kitty
• Rhinoa at Rhinoa's Ramblings
• Chris at Stuff as Dreams are Made On
• Nymeth at Things Mean Alot
• Gentle Reader at Shelf Life

and a bonus blogger, Kookiejar at A Fraternity of Dreamers (Since she is just so damned fun!)

Later!

Rockin' Girl Blogger

Wow! According to Kelly at Kailana's Writtern World, I'm a Rockin' Girl Blogger!! Now, let me ask you.....how cool is that?? And kind of ironic too, since she is the one that actually talked me into STARTING this blog!! So...I'm supposed to nominate 4 others that I feel are Rockin' Girls too! It seems a lot of my 'daily' bloggers have been nominated, but I do have a couple to add to the list!!

• Darla D at Books and Other Thoughts has wonderful reviews, especially on children's and YA books!! I love to read her Other Thoughts!
• Trish at Trish's Reading Nook is pretty new to the blogger world, but she has some wonderful insight in her book reviews. Check them out!!
• Kimmie at Kimmie's Krap is a reader and a crafter! I love reading her opinions about books and other stuff! Besides...you just have to LOVE her blog name!!
• and finally Erin at The Paperback Stash is a new-to-me blogger. She has a wonderful blog, with book reviews, book news and other literary 'stuff'. A must-read for the bibliophile!!

Truthfully, all the blogs I read on a daily basis are Rockin'!!

Vivaldi's Virgins, A Musical Story

Vivaldi's Virgins by Barbara Quick (304 pgs, Harper Collins) is one of the books I got from the First Look Program at HC. It really was an excellent book.

The story is told by Anna Maria dal Violin, one of the elite musicians of the Ospedale della Pieta, the foundling home whose maestro and composer is the ambitious and eccentric "Red Priest" of Venice, Antonio Vivaldi.

If you would like to read my review of this book, please check it out Here: At Historical Tapestry!!

Later!!

Beautifully Written Tale That will Live On

O' Pioneers by Willa Cather (212 pgs) was a book I choose to read for the Decades challenge. One of the reasons I ended up with this title was I've heard wonderful things about Willa Cather and her writing. I'm very glad I did!

As the story opens, we meet 16-year-old Alexandra Bergson. She and her family had immigrated from Sweden years before, and are now settlers on the wind-swept Nebraska prairie. As her father was dying, he told the children that Alexandra, as the oldest, was to be in charge of the land. A land he wanted to keep in the family, no matter what the cost. He didn't trust the boys to do what was right, and he knew that Alexandra would.

Many people at that time were cutting and running, selling the land for so much less than it was really worth. And the boys wanted to do this as well. But Alexandra knew better. She knew that the land would be worth a lot some day, and talked the boys into mortgaging the land to buy more. She traveled to different counties and universities to find the newest farming techniques and crops -- much to the dismay of her brothers, who were always so worried their neighbors would be "laughing" at them. And yet, as time went on, the Bergson farm flourished and grew. Lou and Oscar, the two older boys, each found a wife and moved out on their own. But Emil, the youngest, was Alexandra's heart. He was sent to the university to become more than just a farmer. She wanted him to have a life beyond just the land.

And just as Alexandra is starting to really feel the lonliness of her life, an old family friend, Carl, reappears to visit. She has some decisions to make about her life, her family and her land.

This tale spans a space of 25-years in the life of Alexandra. She is an incredibly smart business woman and a wonderful strong character. She is not given to do things based on appearnces, which is an attribute that I love about her character. But she is lacking a lot of the social awareness that most women have. Especially since the character was written by a woman! But through all the hard times and the good times, Alexandra is there to hold this family of pioneers together. This is truly a fantastic book, well deserved of the title "Classic"! If you haven't read anything by Cather, I strongly urge you to read this one!! 4.5/5

Also reviewed by:

Chris @ Book-A-Rama

Just Wild About Harry

Booking Through Thursday

Okay, love him or loathe him, you’d have to live under a rock not to know that J.K. Rowling’s final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, comes out on Saturday… Are you going to read it?

Yes, I'm wild about Harry!! And yes, I'm going to read the book!

If so, right away? Or just, you know, eventually, when you get around to it? Are you attending any of the midnight parties?

My son, Chad, and I went to the last midnight party and had a ton of fun. So we will definitely be going this year too! I have my books already on reserve at Barnes & Noble, just waiting for us to pick them up! I will probably read it right away, only because I'm afraid of all the spoilers that will be hitting the blog waves!

If you’re not going to read it, why not?

N/A

And, for the record… what do you think? Will Harry survive the series? What are you most looking forward to?

OK.....Here is my take on the whole Potter mystery. I love Harry Potter. The WORLD loves Harry Potter. And yes, we will be incredibly sad if Harry dies. But J.K. Rowling said there would be 7 books. Then it would be ended. I think that unless she kills Harry, the pressure on her will be awful to keep the series going. So, unfortunately, I do think that Harry Potter will meet his demise in the Deathly Hallows. That being said, if he DOES die, he will only die if Voldemort dies. Good MUST win over Evil. There can't be another ending than that. Again...this is just MY opinion. But we shall soon see!!

What am I most looking forward too? Closure. I just need to know what happens. I do like series reading, but I tend to need closure too. If that scary creature gets away at the end of a book or movie, it tends to make me jumpy!! I also need to find out what will happen with Snape! Borders has the "Friend vs. Foe" thing going....and I would fall into the friend category. Again...we will see in just a couple of days!

Happy Thursday!!!

Reading Slump???

Sheesh! I don't know what's wrong with me right now!! I think I'm kind of in a reading slump, or something. I just can't seem to get into anything right now! The books I'm reading are really good. I just can't seem to stick with them!! I am almost finished with Vivaldi's Virgins, by Barbara Quick. I will be posting a review for it soon over at Historical Tapestry.

I DID receive my book yesterday, from Graeme's Fantasty Book Review. You know...that book I WON! And guess what?? It was SIGNED! How cool is that?? I was pretty pleased. Maybe that will help me get out of this slump.

I also got a call from the library yesterday. Some of the books I had requested came in. So I tripped on over there to pick them up...and nabbed a few others before I got out of the door. Maybe THAT will help!! I got some good ones too!!

• Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson
• Dreams of my Father by Barack Obama
• The Moviegoer by Walker Percy
• Black Swan Green by David Mitchell
• Alentejo Blue by Monica Ali
• Flaubert: A Biography by Frederick Brown
• Restoration by Rose Tremain
• The Zahir by Paulo Coehlo

Now if those books don't bring me out of this slump, I may just have to resort to Vampires and Zombies!! May be the only way. What do you do if you find yourself in a reading slump? Do you ever find this a problem? Help!!

Bookworms Carnvival

If you get a chance, you should trip on over to Dewey's, at The Hidden Side of the Leaf and check out the first Bookworms Carnival!! The topic for carnival #1 is Novels and you might just find something new to add to your TBR!!

You might also find some really great new blogs to check out!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Yes, I admit it! I'm a geek when it comes to Harry Potter! I have seen all the movies. I have all the books. And yes, I will be at the Midnight Release of Book Seven: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I did make it to the opening day showing of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It was a great movie. I really don't know what can be said about it that hasn't already been said. I'm not a movie reviewer, but here's a quick snippet for those of you that don't know:

Our story opens as Harry and his cousin, Dudley, are attacked by Demonators. He has to use a Patronus spell, which is illegal to use A. in front of Muggles and B. outside Hogwarts. Harry is notified that he will be expelled from Hogwarts and must appear before the Ministry of Magic for a hearing. Order of the Phoenix members pick up Harry at home and take him to their HQ. The Order of the Phoenix was founded by Dumbledore to take on "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named", Lord Voldemort. Harry's godfather, Sirius Black (played by the FANTASTIC Gary Oldman) is one of the members.

This movie is just loaded with amazing performances!! Daniel Radcliffe has grown so much since he was first introduced in The Sorcerer's Stone, and his acting is so much more convincing. He is an amazing Harry. Maggie Smith, as Professor McGonagall, is always wonderful. Alan Rickman, as Professor Severus Snape (another genius casting move) is once again creepy and dark. But this time we get to see a glimpse into his past and maybe a couple of the reasons he is the way he is. Helena Bonham-Carter, is only in the movie a short time, but her portrayal as Bellatrix Lestrange is indeed memorable. I honestly think she really is a little unbalanced!! She just plays it too well. And newcomer, Evanna Lynch, as Luna Lovegood, is exactly how I pictured her to be!!

I thought the movie was fantastic! With every movie, as with every book, things just get better and more powerful. The most memorable scenes of the movie come when Harry is training some of the other students in the Dark Arts to help combat Voldemort. Even if you don't read the books, you will get alot of excitement from the movie!

If you'd like to read a great editorial by Uncle Stephen King about the release (and the end) of Harry potter, go to this EW article. It's good to know that other adults out there will be as heartbroken as I will be when it all finally ends!

Later!

Something About Me Reading List

And I thought it was hard coming up for 5 books that says Something About Me? That was nothing compared to coming up with a reading list for this challenge!! There are SO many books out there that look good! What's a girl to do?? Well...I narrowed it down to what I THINK is going to be my reading list. But as a woman, I reserve the right to change my mind at any time!

• Booked to Die by John Dunning (Bonnie)
• Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving (Wendy)
• The Erye Affair by Jasper Fforde (HeidiJane)
• The Echo Maker by Richard Powers (3M)
• Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbert (Raidergirl)
• Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult (Heather)
• The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood (Ellen)
• The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (Dewey)
• I am the Messenger by Markus Zuzak (Jill)
• Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck(Kookie)

Pretty sure I won't get to all of them...but it will be fun trying!

In Honor of the release of Order of the Phoenix

Find out your Harry Potter personality at LiquidGeneration!

Since we went to see the movie yesterday, I thought this was appropriate!! Thanks Dark Orpheus! I'm stealing from you!

Movie was out of this world, by the way!



be sorted @ nimbo.net

Booking Through Thursday - Celluloid

Booking Through Thursday:


1. In your opinion, what is the best translation of a book to a movie?

2. The worst?

3. Had you read the book before seeing the movie, and did that make a difference? (Personally, all other things being equal, I usually prefer whichever I was introduced to first.)
And, by all means, expand this to as long a list as you like. I’m notoriously awful myself at narrowing down to one favorite ANYTHING. So, feel free to list as many “good” or “bad” movie-from-books as you like. (Heaven knows that’s what I’ll be doing….)


1. Well....this is a really hard question. Without a doubt, I almost always prefer the written word to the movie version. That being said, there are some AMAZING adaptations out there. Let's just go down the list of some of my favorite books/stories:


First, I will have to say To Kill a Mockingbird. Not only is it one of my favorite books, but it's one of my favorite movies as well. Gregory Peck made Atticus Finch come to life. He was fantastic!

Gone With the Wind was an amazing book. The movie is a Classic!! Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh were born to play Rhett and Scarlett. (Although, in the book, Scarlett wasn't nearly as sympathetic as Leigh made her out to be in the book. She was a Royal Bitch!)

The Stand is my all-time Favorite Stephen King book. I thought the mini-series (and let's face -- mini-series is the ONLY way this would have worked on film) was exceptionally well done. The casting alone was phenomenal!! (except for maybe the addition of Mollly Ringwald as Frannie!) Gary Sinese, Rob Lowe, Ossie Davis, Rudy Dee, Matt Frewer, Ray Walston. Suburb!! And casting Bill Fagerbakke as Tom Cullen was a stroke of Genius!!

I am rather hit or miss with Stephen King adaptations. I do so love his books. But sometimes they just don't translate all that well. Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption, Misery, The Shining (although Kubrick took a lot of liberties with this one) and The Green Mile were all amazing.


2. I guess we should just start with some of Stephen's worse adaptions. Umm....can we ever forget Maximum Overdrive or Children of the Corn? True, they were only short stories, but the movies were complete garbage.

There aren't a lot of movies from books I've read that I really disliked, to be honest. The latest version of The Count of Monte Cristo wasn't too bad. Exciting, and all. But it pales in comparison to the book.

3. I very rarely go see a movie without reading the book first. But that's just me. I can honestly say, though, I read the book The Devil Wore Prada and absolutely HATED it!! But the movie surprised me. The characters were so whiny in the book, I hated all of them. But Meryl Streep was amazing in the movie. She gave the "Devil" a little bit of a soul....not much, but more so than the book!!

I could probably go on all day about this one!! Any of you have any other ideas???

Random Posting....and More Free Books!

Yes, it must be my lucky week. Not only did I win a new Sci-Fi book, but the lovely Tanabata from In Spring it is The Dawn was giving away a copy of Anthony Doerr's About Grace for Buy a Friend a Book Week. And guess what? She drew my name too!! Yeah!! Thank you so much Tanabata!! I'm really excited. This looks like a great book too!!



John, at The Book Mine Set, is doing his Weekly Compare again this week. Last week's winner, Jane Austen, is squaring off this week against Kurt Vonnegut. Well....no contest for me. I'm a HUGE Vonnegut fan.








Speaking of Jane, they are releasing a movie about her life starring Anne Hathaway. It is called Becoming Jane. I saw the previews for it a few weeks ago, and it looks really good. Except, Anne Hathaway is WAY too pretty to play Jane Austen. I don't know much about this movie, or how factually it is supposed to be, but I still think I would like to see it.

Finally, I found something new. It is called the "Pay-It-Forward" Book Exchange and it is hosted by Overwhelmed With Joy! Click on the pretty picture for more details or to join up. It looks like the first book to be exchanged is Lucky by Alice Sebold. Looks Like fun!!

Later!!

Historical Tapestry.....Something New

For those of you that like Historical Fiction, I have the site for you!! I have been fortunate enough to be invited to join a group blog that is dedicated to Historical fiction in all forms: historical mystery, historical fantasy, general fiction, etc. There are five participating members:

Ana from Aneca's World
Kailana from Kailana's Written World
Marg from Reading Adventures
and Louise, who at the present time, does not have a blog of her own.

We are an eclectic group from the US, Australia, Canada and Portugal. Hopefully we will have something that will interest you!

The plan is that Historical Tapestry is going to focus specifically on Historical Fiction of all eras, including Historical Fantasy. Hopefully with a good group of people we will get an interesting mix of different eras and subject matter including our different countries. We are also hoping to have a mix of Author Spotlights, book reviews and general info on the Historical Fiction that we like to read.

Hopefully you will stop by and see us at:

Historical Tapestry

Wahoo!! I Won a Book!

Last week, Carl posted about book giveaways at his blog, Stainless Steel Droppings. He listed a bunch of giveaways that were going on right now, most in the fantasy/sci-fi genre. Of course, I have no problem with freebies!! I'm easy, what can I say?

So....I was logging on this morning and I got an email. I won a copy of Saturns Returns by Sean Williams from Graeme's Fantasy Book Review! He has a great site. If you like fantasy and sci-fi, you should really check it out!! Thanks Graeme!

Later!