Awesome Adaptations (61) Life of Brian

This meme celebrates an awesome adaptation related to a weekly category. Any format of adaptation (television series, film, web series, etc.) is acceptable as long as it is based in some form on a book. Awesome Adaptations was created by Alisa Selene at PictureMeReading.

An Awesome 1970s Adaptation (in honor of Alisa's Birthday)

Title: Life of Brian
Loosely Adapted from: The Bible

Well, it's probably iffy to call this an adaptation, but there are a few elements from the Bible that make it into this film so... I'll allow it.  Although this film does not depict the life of Jesus, but of Brian, whose life parallels Jesus so he gets mistaken for the Messiah - because people get confused easily.  This film is much more of a subversion on aspects of the Bible, a commentary on religion, and as always with Python, an examination of human nature and fallibility.  And it's just silly!

I really think this film does a good job of understanding humanity's approach to religion.  There's so many different interpretations (and misinterpretations) of the Bible, that the confusion and frustration experienced by Brian in the film echoes what many people feel about organized religion.  And to make that frustration funny and entertaining is just part of the unique genius of the Pythons.  I just love how they can turn something quite dark and disturbing (crucifixions for instance) into the backdrop of a hilarious situation by focusing, not on the reality of the situation, but on ideals that seem unimportant in the scenario, but ultimately are very important.

I feel like this post is leaning towards the serious side even though Life of Brian is at it's heart a fantastic comedy.  There are so many funny moments, but I think my favorite is pretty much anything with Pontius Pilate's lisp.  This is my favorite Python film by the way.  Of course I love Holy Grail, but I think this one is more cohesive, more clever, and just generally flows better.  And it's thought provoking while also being so funny.  If you've seen Holy Grail, but never seen this film, you should definitely check it out!

Review: The False Prince

The False Prince (The Ascendance Trilogy #1)
by Jennifer A Nielsen

Plot Summary:

THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

Review:

It's easy to fall in love with a story when the main character is so deliciously complex and frustrating but admirable and I'm glad to say this book has that character.  Sage is often thought the best choice to impersonate the long lost prince because he's street-smart and able to think quickly and lie convincingly.  But he's also unpredictable and uncontrollable, and while he struggles to find a way to both defy Conner and also get chosen as the false prince, the reader sees more and more layers to his character gradually unfold.  When he seems most callous is when you find he has compassion and it's interesting that while so many deceptions are planned in this story, the reader is also getting duped because Sage keeps so many secrets himself.  He's just as unpredictable to the reader and I thought the journey we took to get to know him was alone completely worth reading this book.

But there's much to this story with the fantasy world building.  The politics of Carthya and the competition between the other potential princes made this an even more engaging read.  It was interesting to read how Sage's rivals developed - Roden and Tobias changed so much throughout this story that again I was impressed by the author's ability to reveal so many facets of character.  Even with Conner - the nobleman who insists he is trying to help his country by deceiving it - was a rather likable villain to me, and often it was difficult to decide if he was really a villain or just a man without scruples but devoted to his country.

There is a potential love triangle that is sweet, but had a lot of room to grow, as it doesn't get much of a focus in this book and I didn't feel particularly taken with that aspect of the story.  I think there is a clear choice of who Sage should end up with, but I'm glad that both female potentials are strong characters in their own way, which should make things very interesting in the next couple books.

The story has lots of twists and turns, and a particularly big plot twist towards the end which was amazing! Add to that an emotionally satisfying first book, with a great characters and a believable and fun main character and I really can't wait to read the next in the series!  I wish I had read this book sooner!

Amazon

Goodreads

Review: Stormdancer

Stormdancer (The Lotus War #1)
by Jay Kristoff

Plot Summary:

A DYING LAND
The Shima Imperium verges on the brink of environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST
The hunters of Shima’s imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger – a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.

A HIDDEN GIFT
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that if discovered, would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.

Review:

My first thought when starting this book was how completely depressing the bleakness of Shima was - so polluted and overrun by industrialization - that I found it difficult to get into such a dreary, filthy setting.  I am personally put off by books that indulge too much in descriptions of certain bodily functions - and I could have done with less phlegmy coughs, rising bile, and slick black blood.  But this is so not a cheery book and the picture the story paints of a world in need of change before it destroys itself is perfectly fitting for this vivid tale of greed, vengeance and survival.  But there is a bright point in the story - the friendship between Yukiko and the thunder tiger or arashitora.

Yukiko is an embittered and angry character, because of the choices her father has made, and her grief at things that happened in the past, and yet she has the moral strength to do what's right which makes her such an admirable character.  It also helps that she's a formidable fighter - and the many things that happen in this book that forces her to stand up and fight makes her very inspiring as well.  Yukiko's bond with the thunder tiger is just another facet of that because when they work together they are so much stronger.  The idea of a stormdancer is fantastic and I loved the fight scenes with Yukikko and the arashitora because there was so much power in them when they fought together.  The fight scenes in general though were outstanding.  Very gory of course, but that's in keeping with the style of this book.  The arashitora develops in personality as well - until I was always glad when he made an appearance in the story - from his deadpan sarcasm to his earnest and protective love of Yukikko, I thought he was a great balance to the darkness of some of the characters in the story.

The world building is incredibly detailed - there's fantasy, steampunk, and dystopian elements, as well as Japanese mythology and folklore.  The world of Shima is rich with history and I felt it was easy to fall into this world once I got used to the squalidness of it.  And more than halfway through the book I realized how much this story hurts.  The condition of the world, the tragedies, the strength and bravery of the characters and the sacrifices made, created a lot of heart hurting for me!  By the last few chapters I was completely gripped by the action and doing that thing where I try to take everything in too fast and had to back up to get the complete picture.  So frustrating when you can't absorb words directly and en masse!

This is a dark story, and while emotionally satisfying in some respects, it is overrun with moments when you want to ask the author what happened to him that he likes to hurt people.  I can't wait to find out what happens next though in this fantastically engaging story!

Amazon

Goodreads

Suspense Sundays (67) Goodnight Mrs. Russell

Suspense was a radio series from 1942 to 1962.  I have a fondness for "Old Time Radio" as we call it now, and Suspense is my favorite show.  It sets up weird, dark, scary, or intriguing stories with a plot twist in the end, and all in half an hour.  For Suspense Sundays I'll give a short review of an episode.   {My archive list of episodes}

"Goodnight Mrs. Russell"

Air date: October 20, 1949
Starring Bette Davis

>>Episodes here<<

Nice Mrs. Russell visits the nearby diner nearly every day during lunch and strikes up an acquaintance with the cook, Henry.  When she visits for dinner after a late work day, she finds the diner empty and Henry just a little bit weird.  She stays away for awhile, but decides it was all in her head and goes back after another late work day.  This was a terrible mistake.

Two things.  First Henry has a complex because he wasn't accepted into the army and he feels like everyone thinks he's inferior.  This is similar to the crazy guy in an earlier episode of Suspense called "To Find Help".  So I guess this was a common fear around that time for young men who were left behind as it were.  Interesting.  Second, let's talk Mrs. Russell.  You did good getting away from Henry that first time.  Very smart.  Then you ran around the neighborhood and generally lost it.  WHY did you go back with Henry when he found you?? Freaking kick him where it hurts and get out of there!  He didn't even have a weapon!

But even though Mrs. Russell should have gotten a hold of herself, I really enjoyed this epsiode!  They may have been going with a sympathetic angle with Henry and the reason why he's crazy, but I think he was uber creepy and I wouldn't have wanted to play along with his delusions, but just shake him until he sees sense.  Which probably would have gotten me killed...

The Journey Home: Final Thoughts on Finnikin of the Rock

Chapter 17 - The End 

General First Impressions of Finnikin of the Rock

Spoilers!!!

Beware!!

Okay, how many people got that Evanjalin was really Isaboe??  When I first read this book, I so didn't pick up on that, so the reveal was a punch to the gut!  And re-reading the story again, keeping in mind that she is the youngest princess, I still find it difficult to pick up on it.  I was surprised by that because  I thought it might be obvious, but the way Melina keeps working in mentions of Balthazar or the prophecy that seems to point to Finnikin being King, I really don't feel too bad not realizing the truth sooner.  I think Melina did a great job obfuscating the facts, because it was an incredible reveal for me.  And I loved how Evanjalin just became Isaboe when the time came - despite her fears and the darkness that came from walking the sleep, she does what needs to be done.  Always.

And while I at times still think of Isaboe as the main character of Finnikin of the Rock, I think I understand now why Melina made Finnikin the title character - because he grows the most in the story.  All of the books in this series are named after the character that has the most to learn I think, and in this Finnikin comes to understand many things he needed to by the time he comes to accept his true role.  So of course my co-host Paola is right in her comments from our intro post!

There's another thing I love in this story - those moments when the motivations or circumstances behind questionable actions are revealed and other characters are humbled by the reveal.  For instance when Evanjalin walks the sleep while she's not supposed to be bleeding, or when Trevanion finds out why Beatriss had another child.  It's incredibly moving to find out how strong these characters are, not from the character themselves (they either don't want to talk about it or explain themselves), but from a third person with a little more understanding.  It is indeed very humbling to read about what these characters have had to endure.

I hope everyone has finished the book by now!  I really look forward to reading your thoughts on it, and if you would like to comment with those thoughts, head over to A Novel Idea who is in charge of the discussions this week!  Bombard her with your feels! :D

Review: Ferragost

Ferragost (Lumatere Chronicles #2.5)
by Melina Marchetta

Plot Summary:

A short story featured in Review of Australian Fiction.

Lady Celie of the Lumateran Flatlands is visiting the Belegonian spring castle on the isle of Ferragost. Cut off from the rest of Belegonia by poor weather, she is confined to the island with four others, including the mysterious castellan of the castle. When the body of one of the guests is discovered on the rocks outside the east tower, Celie is not only considered a suspect, but finds herself embroiled in events that are entwined with her own kingdom's cursed history, as well as the future of the entire land of Skuldenore.

Review:

This short story takes place between Froi of the Exiles and Quintana of Charyn, and gives a little backstory to what Lady Celie was doing by request of the Lumateran Queen.  In Froi and Quintana, there are hints that Lady Celie would not have been thought of as a good spy for Lumatere because she is so delicate, but in this story it's great to find out that she is anything but.  She does use that perception of herself to her advantage though, and I would love to read more of her spy adventures because she has a great sense of humor, and it's so fun seeing how easy it is for her to manipulate the people around her.

Of course this is Melina Marchetta we are talking about here, and all her characters have great depth.  But it's particularly noteworthy here how great her characterizations are because this is such a short story.  The reader gets a very complete picture of the personalities of all the characters by just a few words and how they interact with others - and this story is very tightly written and manages to convey so much plot and backstory.  It does help to know the world of the books, but I think this story does very well as a standalone too - there's enough information given about some of the key characters in the main series to give you an idea about Lady Celie's relationships to them.  And the mystery brewing is very intriguing with a solution that I didn't see coming at all!

The other element of this story that had me totally enthralled was the possible romance between Celie and Castellan Banyon.  Banyon, the character, is very reserved yet I felt like I knew him so well - and I would love to have seen more of him in this story - he's just the type of male romantic hero I like - brooding, conflicted, ruled by duty and with a sly sense of humor that only Lady Celie was able to bring out of him.  There's so much more that can be done with this pairing!  I hope someday Melina Marchetta writes more of their story!

This was a wonderful little mystery, romance and adventure story with wit and humor and some very emotional moments.  And it's a perfect complement to the Lumatere Chronicles!

To buy

Goodreads

Awesome Adaptations (60) Jabberwocky

This meme celebrates an awesome adaptation related to a weekly category. Any format of adaptation (television series, film, web series, etc.) is acceptable as long as it is based in some form on a book. Awesome Adaptations was created by Alisa Selene at PictureMeReading.

An Awesome Adaptation Based on a Poem

Title: Jabberwocky
Adapted from: Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll

This is a strange film.  Which fits because the source is a strange poem as well.  It follows the adventures of Dennis Cooper (played by Michael Palin) who wants to make something of himself so he can marry the girl of his dreams.  Who really doesn't like him.  And though many odd twists of fate, he winds up killing the Jabberwocky who has been plaguing the city for a long time.  The film is a satire and has some very funny scenes some of which are rather morbid.  There's also quite a bit of raunchy humor.  What made this film feel so strange is that the story is pretty silly, yet the directing and some of the acting is so earnest and somber.  The directing in particular is fabulous - very atmospheric and it felt very authentic to the time period.  Terry Gilliam does not skimp on capturing the sordid squalor of living in that time period.  I was also really impressed by Michael Palin's earnest, dim-witted Dennis - who so desperately wanted to be approved by his Griselda.  He's so adorable in this, but then I tend to think Michael Palin is adorable in everything!

The story of the film takes the basic idea of a fearsome creature called the Jabberwocky and a quest to kill the creature and embroiders a tale of a reluctant, generally down on his luck hero who achieves great acclaim but never really gets what he wants.  It's also silly and irreverent and I think that captures the purpose of Lewis Carroll's poem perfectly.

Review: Quintana of Charyn

Quintana of Charyn (The Lumatere Chronicles #3)
by Melina Marchetta

Plot Summary:

There's a babe in my belly that whispers the valley, Froi. I follow the whispers and come to the road . . .

Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi must travel through Charyn to search for Quintana, the mother of Charyn's unborn king, and protect her against those who will do anything to gain power. But what happens when loyalty to family and country conflict? When the forces marshalled in Charyn's war gather and threaten to involve the whole of the land, including Lumatere, only Froi can set things right, with the help of those he loves.

Review:

The is the third and final book in the Lumatere Chronicles, and what an amazing ride this series has been.  From a first book that is full of beautiful moments with characters we are just getting to know and understand to this final installment where the full realization of who these varied and complex people truly are; I was completely blown away by the awesome scope of this trilogy.  With the first book centering on the tragedy of Lumatere at the hands of Charyn, and the second book examining the circumstances that led to the corrupt government of Charyn, the third book tells the story of how these two lands can start to heal.  There are so many plot threads from the beginning of this series that find a different meaning in the third book as the reader starts to see the complete picture.  It's perfect interweaving of plot threads and characters by an author who I'm fast believing has a completely unearthly writing ability.

This series is high fantasy, but often gets put into YA as a category and I think that fits because as so many people point out, YA has stories where characters feel very strongly and dramatically over every little thing, but with this series those emotional moments are rightfully dramatic and feel life and death.  Whether it's filial or romantic love, love for your land or your child, the stakes are so high in this story that its hard not to feel just as invested in every love story and every heartbreaking plot twist as these characters who must fight for justice and healing.  It's again incredible how Melina Marchetta writes such realistic characters with believable emotional development who are not always likable, but real and relatable.

Quintana as the title character of the book, doesn't have much more scenes than the other characters in this book in my opinion, but she does change the most throughout the story - especially in the final chapters - where you see how much she has learned from the people who took care of her during her pregnancy.  It was so touching to read how this group of women who almost hated each other for most of their forced time together, became so close at the end of it and Quintana was able to grow so much because of that.  It's also interesting to see the parallels in the fierceness of the two Queens in the story - Quintana and Isaboe and their interactions was a joy to read.

There's something that Melina does in this book that I like to think of as deferred pain - because there are so many moments that as a reader I was eagerly awaiting because I knew it would pack an emotional punch, but when it finally happens there is something else very important that needs to play out before that emotional punch can land, so that the emotional set-up of the moment is brought to fruition some pages later resulting in immediate tearfulness for me.  No set-up needed.  It was kinda fun actually being put through the emotional wringer with this book!

I can't recommend this series enough - the story never let me down, it's a moving and engaging portrait of strong, wonderful characters against a backdrop of broken lives, patriotic love, hope and friendship.

Amazon

Goodreads

Review: Doon

Doon (Doon #1)
by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon

Plot Summary:

Veronica doesn't think she's going crazy. But why can't anyone else see the mysterious blond boy who keeps popping up wherever she goes? When her best friend, Mackenna, invites her to spend the summer in Scotland, Veronica jumps at the opportunity to leave her complicated life behind for a few months.

But the Scottish countryside holds other plans.

Not only has the imaginary kilted boy followed her to Alloway, she and Mackenna uncover a strange set of rings and a very unnerving letter from Mackenna's great aunt—and when the girls test the instructions Aunt Gracie left behind, they find themselves transported to a land that defies explanation. Doon seems like a real-life fairy tale, complete with one prince who has eyes for Mackenna and another who looks suspiciously like the boy from Veronica's daydreams. But Doon has a dark underbelly as well. The two girls could have everything they've longed for...or they could end up breaking an enchantment and find themselves trapped in a world that has become a nightmare.

DOON is loosely based on the premise of the musical Brigadoon, with permission from the Alan Jay Lerner Estate and the Frederick Loewe Foundation.

Review:

The cover and the idea of a magical Scottish village made this book an easy sell for me!  I've also seen and enjoyed the musical film version of Brigadoon so I was intrigued by a YA story that uses the premise of a village that only appears in our world every 100 years.  This was definitely a fun story with two lovely romances between two different but equally swoon-worthy Scottish Princes.

The story has two narrators - best friends Veronica and Mackenna - and both characters have distinct personalities and appearances, but I often felt that switching between their points of view (which was not consistently every other chapter) slowed me down reading-wise as even though I saw who was talking through the chapter title, I had to mentally take that in and sometimes I got a little mixed up.  Since this book is a series, I wish they had decided to make the first book the POV of one character and the second could be for the other.  I think Veronica is the main focus of this book so that might have worked well.  But reading the thoughts of both friends was very nice because they don't seem to see themselves very clearly (for instance both girls think they are unattractive and awkward when everyone in the world thinks otherwise) and it was good to get a better perspective on them.  Even if it was silly that they didn't realize how beautiful they are by looking in a mirror.

The boy leads - Jaime and Duncan - made two different romances - one romance where the two are plagued with doubts, and the other with understanding and friendly Duncan.  It was actually really nice to have Duncan and Mackenna's easier (not too easy though) friendship and attraction when faced with Jaime and Veronica's more tempestuous one which had secrets and suspicions, but also their magical connection that is supposed to make them soulmates.  There's not much development to the romance because of this - they feel very strongly for each other right away, but it didn't bother me much.  I was frustrated by how their relationship kept getting complicated though. In the middle of the book, the story really focuses on the romance, and when they kept not seeing what was obvious, I just wanted to slap them.  Why can't they see what's obvious!

This book was really fun though - it had a great resolution (with last minute cliffhanger!) and some great characters.  It did feel a little bloated with romantic tension and it might have been better if the story was a little shorter.  I also have to mention that there are numerous references to musicals and I absolutely loved that!

Amazon

Goodreads

Suspense Sundays (66) Momentum

Suspense was a radio series from 1942 to 1962.  I have a fondness for "Old Time Radio" as we call it now, and Suspense is my favorite show.  It sets up weird, dark, scary, or intriguing stories with a plot twist in the end, and all in half an hour.  For Suspense Sundays I'll give a short review of an episode.   {My archive list of episodes}

"Momentum"

Air date: October 27, 1949
Starring Victor Mature

>>Episodes here<<

The story begins very dramatically with Richard Paine waiting for a train - with a gunshot wound in his neck.  And as he reminisces the listener discovers that Richard is a little lazy.  His wife bugs him to go out and find a job because she's been supporting him, but Richard has a plan.  He helped invent a type of wrench at his old place of employment and he tries to go to his old boss and ask for some royalties.  But the discussion goes wrong and Richard ends up killing his old boss.  After that it only escalates to more and more murders.

This is such a strange story!  Richard is such a loser, and his self-delusion has got to be heard to believed.  That aspect of the story amused me greatly, because his reasoning progressively got more and more erratic and unfortunately he acted on his thoughts way too hastily.  The story doesn't have much in the way of suspense, because we know things are only going to get worse for Richard, and in the end there is a sad ironic twist that really just made me dislike Richard even more.  

The Journey Home - First Week Discussion

Prologue - Chapter 16 

General First Impressions of Finnikin of the Rock

When I first read this book I remembered thinking what a lot of story threads from the past are sprinkled throughout - what happened when Finnikin watched them burn Seranonna, what happened to the Monts, to the novices, Trevanion and Beatriss, and to the Guard, etc.  The picture is never really clear until the end, of everything that happened in the past and the non-linear way in which this story is told can be a bit overwhelming.  Reading it a second time really helped me order the events in my mind (and it's especially interesting to compare it to what's to come in the next two books).  Of course I am yet again in awe of Melina Marchetta's storytelling because despite the clear, precise prose and the pretty straightforward way in which the characters express themselves, this is so not a simple story.  And there are so many characters who feel 3-dimensional in this world, that I just can't believe this book didn't take 50 years to write!  Really my second impressions of this book let me take in how Melina tells the story, and how fantastic she is at spinning so many plates at once.

Another thing that stands out for me is the realism of the details.  I'm just going to point out the scene where Finnikin (and Trevanion!) goes off with some prostitutes.  It's just sex, and so matter of factly stated.  Why was this included when Melina could have painted Finnikin in a more heroically romantic way?  Because this is realistic.  And those touches of realism adds so much to the portraits of these characters  - where Evanjalin is hurt by his decision to go with some girl he doesn't know, but she doesn't pout over it - just throws it at him in a heated moment, immediately changing the subject.  But you know it rankled.  As it should.  And Finnikin has to grapple with his feelings for Evanjalin that is more than just physical need.  There's also the moments in the Exile camps when you feel the pain of these displaced people and you wonder what is the best place for them.  The scenes are brief overall but it's chilling and inspiring at the same time.  Because they have survived and are going to find a way home.

If you do feel overwhelmed though with all these characters and their individual stories as a first-time reader, I'd just recommend to stick with the story as things become clearer later on and emotional arcs start to coalesce into face-punching feels.  Not that there aren't enough major Feels moments already in the first part of this book.  Trevanion and Finnikin's reunion is a major one to me.  Evanjalin and Finnikin's contentious romance (!!)  And the moment when Evanjalin tells Trevanion about Beatriss (Bevanion 4eva! Thanks Paola!)  Also there's the introduction of the best hashtag motivator in the world:  #whatneedstobedone

"What have you done?" he asked hoarsely.
The look she gave him was pure anguish.
"What needs to be done!" (p75)

Just put that phrase up over your home or work desk space and stare at it whenever you don't feel like writing that blog post, review, or story.  It needs to be done folks! :)

If you would like, please comment with any of your thoughts on the first half of this book!
What do you think of the world building?
Any characters stand out or resonate with you?
Has it lived up at all to the ridiculous expectations our enthusiasm for the books has created?  (Sorry about that)

And if you are posting your own discussions/reaction posts you can link up to it here for all the other participants to read!  For a breakdown of what's been happening this past week for this event check out the links below:

• Introduction/Chat
• Relationship post: Beatriss and Trevanion
• Why I Moved To Lumatere

Week 1 Discussion: Link Submission

Review: When the World Was Flat (And We Were in Love)

When the World Was Flat (And We Were in Love)
by Ingrid Jonach

Plot Summary:

When sixteen-year-old Lillie Hart meets the gorgeous and mysterious Tom Windsor-Smith for the first time, it’s like fireworks — for her, anyway. Tom looks as if he would be more interested in watching paint dry; as if he is bored by her and by her small Nebraskan town in general.

But as Lillie begins to break down the walls of his seemingly impenetrable exterior, she starts to suspect that he holds the answers to her reoccurring nightmares and to the impossible memories which keep bubbling to the surface of her mind — memories of the two of them, together and in love.

When she at last learns the truth about their connection, Lillie discovers that Tom has been hiding an earth-shattering secret; a secret that is bigger — and much more terrifying and beautiful — than the both of them. She also discovers that once you finally understand that the world is round, there is no way to make it flat again.

An epic and deeply original sci-fi romance, taking inspiration from Albert Einstein’s theories and the world-bending wonder of true love itself.

Review:

The highlight of this book was the atmospheric mystery of the romance.  Why Lillie is so drawn to Tom and what do the disturbing dreams and hallucinations mean.  I love writing that evokes a sense of fascination and fear and knowing that there is a connection between Lillie and Tom and waiting for the details of it to manifest made this an enticing read.  

Lillie's small town life - with her little group of friends, her eccentric mother, and the obligatory collection of mean girls (or one girl) added a nice touch of routine realism to the tale - it's not very inspired, but the snarkiness of Lillie and her friends made it entertaining enough for me.  There are enough little dramas to enhance the simple main plot of who Tom is and where did he come from.  There's not a whole lot of depth to the characterizations, but I was more focused on the central plot so I didn't mind it as much.

I think the reveal of the story was very intriguing, yet the details of it didn't make it believable enough for me.  I recently read a science fiction book that dealt with some of the science in this one, and I felt that the other was more informative and realistic than this one.  While this book does have a dollop of sci-fi, the romance is really the core as well as the atmospheric development of the main characters' relationship.

There are moments of wit and suspense, and I was very invested in finding out what happens next, and this is a simple and lovely tale with it's own charm.  I very much enjoyed it, but I would have appreciated more depth to the characterizations and perhaps more of a solid foundation to the romance. 

(I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review.  I was not compensated for this review.)

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Awesome Adaptations (59) True Blood

This meme celebrates an awesome adaptation related to a weekly category. Any format of adaptation (television series, film, web series, etc.) is acceptable as long as it is based in some form on a book. Awesome Adaptations was created by Alisa Selene at PictureMeReading.

An Awesomely Bad Adaptation

Title: True Blood
Adapted from: The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris

There are 13 Sookie books and True Blood just wrapped up it's Sixth season so there's still a lot of material for them to adapt into the show.  But after the first book/season, the show gradually deviated from the plot lines, character arcs, and character personalties of the book series until it became almost unrecognizable from the original as all the characters have undergone such drastic changes.  I love the wit and humor of Sookie's sometimes scary or romantic adventures as they are in the books, but watching True Blood is an entirely different experience.  That I'm strangely addicted to!

The show is rather violent, graphic and disturbing (you know fun!) but it is a distinctive take on the Southern Gothic atmosphere of the story, and many of the characters have transformed into layered, complex personalities.  Lafayette, Tara and Pam come to mind - they are secondary characters who have really become integral to the show.  Actually  Lafayette is a huge improvement in the show over his character in the book - he also happens to be one of my favorite show characters.   When it comes to the main three there are aspects of each that both are true to their original incarnation and very different.   I think Sookie is snarky and plucky in both versions (maybe a little snarkier in the books) and makes some of the same choices when it comes to all the guys who are interested in her.  Bill is getting to be pretty unrecognizable as the gentlemanly, earnest vampire of the books, but it is interesting to see him get a bit of power in the show.  I think the fan favorite, Eric, is awesome in both the books and the show - he still gets to be a rough around the edges vampire with redemptive qualities.  And while in the books I've always felt Eric always put himself above others, I'm inclined to think he's more of a softie in the show.

I feel like this series has become loosely based on the books and for that it's not even really an adaptation anymore - if you don't like the show, you might feel completely different about the story if you read the books.  The show is pretty dark but it embraces the insanity of Sookie's life and takes it to a completely different level.  Even though there's much that I wish True Blood would adapt from the books, I enjoy watching each episode and truly having no idea where the story is going to go.  I am glad the creators have added so much to Sookie's world, and I think the over-the-top drama and flair of the TV series makes it a pretty awesome take on the books.

Beatriss and Trevanion - Star-crossed love in Finnikin of the Rock

This is what happens when I get a new
drawing app on my iPad mini

There are quite a few loving relationships in Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta - all of them with their own particular conflicts and hurdles - but when I first read this book, the relationship that appealed to me the most was the mature, heart-rending one between Beatriss and Trevanion.

Spoiler warning - if you haven't read this book, you probably shouldn't proceed further.

I think what touches me the most about their story is how much love they had for each other and how truly terrible circumstances come between them during the Five Days of the Unspeakable.  And because of that, finding their way back to each other is not easy.  It's something that can't even be resolved in this book.  But they are good people - who had to make huge sacrifices -and they definitely deserve to have a happy ending. 

The way they first met was anything but romantic, with Trevanion harshly scolding her about allowing the children she was taking care of to do something dangerous (he says to her "Be functional, woman. Are you nothing but a doll with a pretty face and a powerful father?" To which my reply would have been "You think I'm pretty?" LOL).  Unfortunately she is dismissed from her position because of this, but she gets to prove herself later, when Trevanion takes the royal kids with him to see her father.  The kids wander away and find themselves confronted by an angry bull.  And Beatriss diverts the bull's attention and gets knocked down because of it.  With a scathing comment to Trevanion ("was that functional enough for you Captain?") she grabs Trevanion's attention and it's a wonderful romance ever after.  Well until the Unspeakable.  But I love how they both have such strong personalities that are driven by duty (a trait common to all Lumaterans it seems) and even though they started off on the wrong foot, they realize each other's worth.  I would have loved to read more about their courtship and about their happier times - maybe a spin off novella if Melina would like to revisit Lumatere?? (Just thought I'd throw that out there.)

But love stories, for me, are far more interesting when obstacles are introduced that must separate the lovers, even though they still have strong feelings for each other.  And here there are many obstacles.  So many terrible things that happened with the tragedies in Lumatere and because the impostor King used their love to break them.  It's too much!  And something that I think echoes throughout this book - whether with all the pain everyone has gone through, is it worth it to fight?  Trevanion gave up after awhile until Evanjalin saw the way to make it worth it to him to fight.  And Beatriss does fight, but not for herself - for the people who are trapped in Lumatere with her and are unable to defend themselves.

I have to pull another quote from this book - one beautiful one that encompasses again why Beatriss and Trevanion are such a compelling couple:

"Most nights she is restless. There are too many people to worry about, and she wonders how she will be able to make things right. How can she be someone other than Beatriss the Beautiful or Beatriss the Beloved? But then, just when she’s about to lose hope, she remembers what you would whisper to her, Captain Trevanion. That she was Beatriss the Bold. Beatriss the Brave. To all others she was a fragile flower, but you would not let her be."

Gawd, the writing in this book is so beautiful!  Beatriss and Trevanion make each other better.  Trevanion's formidable nature is tempered by Beatriss's grace and Beatriss's strength is brought out by Trevanion's belief in her.  

But how much can two people go through because of each other before they think maybe they have changed too much to have what they once shared?  That's what we are left with by the end of the first book - a largely unsatisfying sense of sorrow at their pain and a hope that they will be able to find a way to make it work.  Usually when I read these kinds of dilemmas in stories, I'm pretty confident that everything will work out in the end.  But with Finnikin, I wasn't so sure.  The issues felt too real and potentially insurmountable.  I felt like maybe the past might be too painful and they wouldn't be able to put it behind them.  It's another reason I like this couple so much - because there is that poignant feeling that it might just end with them.  Even though I crave happy endings, happy endings seem so much more fulfilling when the characters are tested by fire as it were.  And they find they still need each other after.  Of course you have to read the rest of the series to find out how it all works out.

Thanks for reading!  And for more information on The Journey Home event - check out yesterday's chat introduction and schedule post on A Novel Idea!

The Journey Home - Celebrating the Lumatere Chronicles

The event kicks off today!  It's time for me to re-read Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta, and I think it will be great to revisit the first book after recently finishing the last!  And to get some of my thoughts as well as my co-host Paola's on the first book - check out our chat on A Novel Idea today!

Tomorrow I'll have a more substantial post all about my favorite couple from the book - Lady Beatriss of the Flatlands and Trevanion of the River.

Suspense Sundays (65) Stand-In

Suspense was a radio series from 1942 to 1962.  I have a fondness for "Old Time Radio" as we call it now, and Suspense is my favorite show.  It sets up weird, dark, scary, or intriguing stories with a plot twist in the end, and all in half an hour.  For Suspense Sundays I'll give a short review of an episode.   {My archive list of episodes}

"Stand-In"

Air date: June 12, 1947
Starring June Havoc

>>Episodes here<<

Dianne is the stand-in for famous actress Maggie or Madame as she calls her.  When Madame gets married to a man who is very unhappy playing second fiddle to his famous and glamorous wife, Dianne and Madame's husband Dennis fall in love and decide to get rid of Madame so they can get all her money.  Will they get away with it?

It's a very clever plot to do away with Madame - so clever that they are unable to expose them except by a very silly circumstance.  This episode has a great film noir feel to it though, because of the sordid situation the two leads get themselves into, and even though the resolution is a bit of a let down, Dianne as the cool and collected accomplice and the ingenuity of the plan makes this a great listen.

Books to Music: Daddy Long Legs

It's been nearly two months now
Since I wrote you last
You can't imagine my regrets
Still it wasn't very nice not to write.

I so regret not seeing this musical when it was near me a few years ago because I love the music!  It is based on the novel by Jean Webster and written by Paul Gordon who wrote the music and lyrics for Jane Eyre the Musical which I also love.  Because the book is a series of letters, the songs are basically the letters sung through, and to keep that intimate setting, the show features only two actors, Megan McGinnis as Jerusha and Robert Adelman Hancock as Jervis.  Jerusha leads the musical of course as she sings her story and either acts it out or sings in harmony with Jervis.  It's a great balance between the two in revealing character and story through the letters, and of a necessity the songs have to bear much of the storytelling.

While in "Jane Eyre" Paul Gordon's music is much darker and romantic, "Daddy Long Legs" has a lighter feel with gorgeous melodies that emphasize the emotion of the characters.  And the singers each capture their parts expertly, especially Megan McGinnis' clear, youthful soprano voice.  The music in this show brings out the charm and whimsy of the original novel while also showing the progressive growth of Jerusha from teenager to a young woman.  It's a gorgeous little show, which I hope to see someday!

Song Spotlight: I Couldn't Know Someone Less
This is my favorite song from the show!  Jerusha is angry because her benefactor won't let her leave the farm to vacation with her friends, and while she is almost apologetically angry and tries to temper her hurt in the beginning, the lyrics get progressively despairing and reproachful.  The emotion comes through so well in the lyrics and in the soft slow beginning of the music and the emotional surge halfway through.  Another thing I love about this song is how the lyrics show so much about Jerusha's character, her hopes and dreams, and her current, stagnant life on the farm.  This song packs a lot into it, in my opinion, and is a great character piece.

Review: Saving Francesca

Saving Francesca
by Melina Marchetta

Plot Summary:

Francesca is stuck at St. Sebastian's, a boys' school that pretends it's coed by giving the girls their own bathroom. Her only female companions are an ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and an an impossibly dorky accordion player. The boys are no better, from Thomas who specializes in musical burping to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that Francesca can't seem to stop thinking about.

Then there's Francesca's mother, who always thinks she knows what's best for Francesca—until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression, leaving Francesca lost, alone, and without an inkling who she really is. Simultaneously humorous, poignant, and impossible to put down, this is the story of a girl who must summon the strength to save her family, her social life and—hardest of all—herself.

Review:

Well this was an amazing ride of a story.  What I love about Melina's writing is how the emotional moments just sneak up on you.  The author develops her characters with such precision - there's so many layers to each one, and all of them are so integral to the development of the story.  This story, with its themes on family, friendship, self-discovery and depression resonated so strongly with me and I can't even begin to describe how real the characters and their dilemmas felt.  This is an incredibly rich novel completely in keeping with the care Melina takes to develop her stories through relatable, realistic characters.

The main character, Francesca is very fragile throughout most of this story - she has relied on certain things throughout her life, and when it is taken away, she is unable to cope and unfortunately her strong mother has suddenly found herself in a similar state.  And so Francesca develops a wonderful, eccentric support group with her group of friends and it's these interactions that make up the heart of the story in my opinion.  Which is very difficult to say because Francesca's interactions with her family is almost equally important and amazing.  But there is so much humor and unexpected poignancy in the gradual way Francesca opens up and accepts these people, and in the way they accept her.  They all have flaws but they all work so well together.

There is a budding, delicate romance in this story that is a wonderful thread woven throughout - never overpowering the story but it does ground Francesca and becomes very important to her in the end.  It's just another rich aspect of the story that I felt enhanced both characters so much.  I loved that in the end a decision is made that might not be as romantically satisfying but was completely right for the characters and showed that they both are much stronger than in the beginning.

This book is highly recommended for the way the author takes such simple, everyday words and packs them with sudden emotional depth and meaning and the way the characters completely endear themselves to your heart.  It's amazing!

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Awesome Adaptations (58) Bonanza - The Hunter

This meme celebrates an awesome adaptation related to a weekly category. Any format of adaptation (television series, film, web series, etc.) is acceptable as long as it is based in some form on a book. Awesome Adaptations was created by Alisa Selene at PictureMeReading.

An Awesome Adaptation of a Western

Title: Bonanza - The Hunter
Adapted from: The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

In the very last season of Bonanza (one of my favorite TV shows ever and this is also the last episode of the series) they did an episode loosely based on the short story The Most Dangerous Game where a psycho hunter decides to hunt the ultimate prey - humans.  And in this version, Little Joe, played by Michael Landon, must use his wits to escape the hunter's snare.  Michael Landon also wrote and directed this episode, so kudos to him because this one is excellently tense and suspenseful and very different from the usual Bonanza fare.  There's very little dialogue, and with the psychological horror of having someone determined to kill you for no other reason than because he wants to hunt - this episode is also super creepy.

There are many similarities in how Little Joe evades the hunter (Tanner) to the original story - by covering his tracks and making snares and traps, but the reason Tanner hunts and the way he is stopped in the end is different.  I think this is a wonderful episode because it is so thrilling.  The Western aspect is more incidental to the story - Bonanza was always a show that relied more on the drama than Western themes - but having it set in the West where there's lots of isolated land enables the episode to work without having a lonely island like in the story.  And there's also a great moment when Little Joe thinks he's found some refuge when he sees a small town, only to discover it's a ghost town.  Devastating.  Although this episode does not embody what I love about the show in general, I do like it when shows try different things, and this episode was extremely well-told and entertaining.

Film Review: Time After Time

Before I get into my last entry for Classics Retold, I want to thank everyone who participated - for joining in and making this so much fun, and for all the Classics love I got to indulge in this month!  I hope everyone enjoyed reading their Classic and all the adaptations!

Now, Time After Time is a film that takes the idea of H.G. Wells' time machine and creates a romantic action story where H.G. Wells tells his friends about his time machine (like in the beginning of the book) but one of his friends, unbeknownst to him, is actually Jack the Ripper.  When the police come to H.G.'s house to arrest the murderous Doctor Stevenson, the Doc nips into the time machine and travels into the future.  There's a safety on the machine though that if a certain lever is not attached it returns to it's own time after a few minutes.  So H.G. gets his machine back and decides he must go after Stevenson and bring him to justice.

The look of the time machine and the explanation of how it travels through time, is pretty close to the book, so I was very happy with that.  Although the special effects is pretty lame, it's obvious that, at the time, this was top notch work, and I appreciated that.  There's really no connection between this film and the original book except for the time machine, but I found this movie extremely enjoyable.  It's funny, charming, and romantic, with some exciting and scary scenes.  There were a couple of times in this movie where I was literally on the edge of my seat.

Most of the humor comes from H.G. trying to adjust to this new culture (which happens to be San Francisco in the Seventies) as he tries everything from eating at McDonald's to driving a car.  Malcolm McDowell is utterly charming as H.G. Wells - he's sweetly befuddled, and shyly gentlemanly in a time when that isn't really appreciated.  Except by Mary Steenburgen's character who is delighted by H.G.'s manners and also helps to bring him out of his shell.  The chemistry between Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen is fantastic (it did blossom into a real life romance) and their interactions were a highlight for me.

Doctor Stevenson is suitably sinister and seemingly untouchable in this time, where the police won't help H.G., and it's so easy to find women of "loose morals" to kill. The resolution is tense and fitting, and very satisfying especially when it comes to how H.G. and Amy can continue their relationship.  This is a wonderful film that is a great tribute to H.G. Wells' The Time Machine.