Awesome Adaptations (64) The Labours of Hercules

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.

My choice!

Title: The Labours of Hercules
Adapted from: The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie

As the penultimate episode of the last season of Agatha Christie's Poirot, I was eagerly waiting for this episode based on a book that is basically 12 short stories.  I was a little nervous about how they would adapt this book, but my goodness, what an impressive feat!  They didn't include every "labour" (in the book Poirot is solving cases that bear some tenuous connection to one of the labours of Hercules) but managed to incorporate five of the stories into one complex mystery that revolves around an isolated hotel in Switzerland and a dangerous thief and murderer who goes by the name Marrascaud.

With the initial scenes, where Poirot fails to save a girl he promised would be safe from Marrascaud, we see Poirot is terribly crushed by this failure and when an opportunity presents itself for him to reunite a man with a woman he loved and thought he had lost, Poirot takes it pro bono.  Already I'm in love with this adaptation for showing Poirot's boundless humanity in just a few scenes - in his guilt over not being able to save this girl, and in his attempt to help a very broken man.

Once Poirot gets to Switzerland where he thinks he can find this girl, the hotel is cut off from civilization by an avalanche and things get super complicated, mysterious and actually kind of scary.  It's been awhile since an episode of Poirot could unnerve me but there's this moment when Gustave the lieutenant asks Poirot fearfully if he thinks Marrascaud would climb the mountain to the hotel and Poirot doesn't think so.  And after Gustave leaves, Poirot intones mournfully, "He is already here."  WHAT!!!  The adaptor of this just made this episode about a group of people trapped in a hotel with a murderer among them.  Genius.

The episode has a very interesting, fluid way of moving through the setting to tell the story - I felt like the directing of this was especially striking and with the gorgeous backdrop of snowy alps and an opulent hotel, this was a beautiful episode to watch.  I have to say there are a few moments when I was not completely fooled by what was going on, and this episode does take quite a few liberties with the original book, but I'm going to sweep all those unimportant details under the rug because David Suchet as Poirot is absolutely magnificent in this, the story is unrelenting in it's unsettling atmosphere, and the different mysteries used worked so well together.  There is just one more episode of this series left and it's a big one (I'm a bound to blog about it, as it's of the very last Poirot novel ever published) but I am already prepared to think this episode was the best Poirot adaptation of this season!

Book Signing: Tim Conway's "What's So Funny"

Back in the good old days when I was young and my Mom dictated my taste in everything television, I would watch reruns of the Carol Burnett Show.  I would hope that some people who are reading this remember that show.  It was a sketch comedy/variety hour in the 70s and was so funny!  I loved it!  And Tim Conway was always the best part of the show - he could always make the cast crack up, no matter how hard they tried not to, and Tim's self-effacing and unrelenting comedic genius made him one of my very favorite people.  I do make it a habit of getting talent-crushes and to me Tim Conway is just such a brilliant performer.

So it was absolutely necessary for me to go to his book signing in Pasadena last Friday and although I've gotten better going up to authors since starting this blog and attending more author events, I did have to clutch both of my hands together so I wouldn't see it shaking once I was closer to the signing table.  Oh well.  I'm terribly in awe of Tim Conway and I was so happy to get his autograph!

The best part of the signing was the short Q&A beforehand.  While the moderator was introducing Tim, he was already standing up front and feigning boredom at his list of credits and praise of his book.  Once the moderator finally stopped talking, he took questions from the audience and pretty much started off each of his answers with a joke, mocking everything he could - himself, the question, the answer, the person who asked it, while also giving some funny anecdotes.  I don't think I've ever laughed so much at an author event - Tim Conway is so funny and entertaining!  My favorite moment was when someone's phone went off in the front row of the audience and Tim answered the phone.  His first response is to tell the caller that the guy they are trying to reach was just knocked out.  And it just gets funnier from there.  I recorded the moment and wanted to share it on my blog -

One more hilarious moment was when a lady started to say "I had the pleasure of meeting you..." and Tim immediately said "How's the baby?"  I'm still firmly convinced Tim is one of the greatest comedians of all time, and I was so happy to have this chance to meet him!  I don't even want to mention the actual signing cause I think I mumbled something fangirly and it's just so embarrassing.  But he's so awesome.  The event was far too short, and like my Mom said (who came with me) we could have listened to him talk for hours!  I look forward to reading his book, and I'll post my review of it here sometime soon!

Buy his book on Amazon

Of course I can't pass up on sharing something of his work (for anyone who hasn't seen him in anything - which is unacceptable.  Maybe you've seen him in the Disney films with Don Knotts though, so good job!).  This is one of my very favorite sketches from The Carol Burnett Show - No Frills Airline  - where you pay less for your seat, but it is definitely not worth it.

Review: Doctor Who: Magic of the Angels

Doctor Who: Magic of the Angels
by Jacqueline Rayner

Plot Summary:

'No one from this time will ever see that girl again...'

The Doctor, Amy and Rory round off a sight-seeing tour round London with a trip to the theatre. That's when things start to go wrong.

The Doctor wonders why so many young girls are going missing from the area. When he sees Sammy Star's amazing magic act, he thinks he knows the answer. Sammy's glamorous assistant disappears at the climax of the act - but this is no stage trick.

The Doctor and his friends team up with residents of an old people's home to discover the truth. And together they find themselves face to face with a deadly Weeping Angel.

Whatever you do - don't blink!

A thrilling all-new adventure featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television

Review:

This is a Quick Read adventure, but it packs in a very clever and entertaining story in just 110 pages!  The Angels are of course brilliantly scary monsters and the author uses them to good effect.  The idea of a magician using an Angel to create an ultimate disappearing act was a great one, and the danger that is always at hand when an Angel is loose made for some very tense moments in this story.  The time travel aspect was also well done when the reader realizes what has happened to the assistants who have disappeared.

The author also captured the banter and camarderie of the Doctor, Amy and Rory very well and it was nice to see that Rory had an important role in the story, that he was very suited for because he's a nurse.  I think the author made all the quirks of the characters work very well in the narrative and it made this a believable adventure for the trio.

It's too bad this is such a short read, but it does have some great moments - like the Doctor donning the Third Doctor's outfit! - and I would recommend this one to every Doctor Who fan!

Amazon

Goodreads

Suspense Sundays (70) Too Hot To Live

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}

"Too Hot to Live"

Air date: October 26, 1950
Starring Richard Widmark

>>Episodes here<<

Down on his luck Jefferson wanders into a small town - forced to stop to get his worn shoes mended.  The Sheriff of the town befriends him and while Jefferson is waiting for his shoes, the Sheriff offers to buy him some coffee.  When he gets to the diner, the waitress flirts with Jefferson big time and offers him a drink in her rooms close by.  Jefferson agrees.  The alcohol, heat and lack of food makes Jefferson woozy, and when he wakes he discovers the waitress has been murdered, and the jealous cook from the diner discovers him and accuses him of murder.  Jefferson goes on the run.

It was easy to surmise that Jefferson was not guilty of the crime in this, but just who and why someone killed the waitress was a great mystery.  Actually the solution is a bit of a cop-out, and Jefferson happens upon the answer by luck, but it was still a very suspenseful story.  I could have told Jefferson going up to the waitress' room was a bad idea though!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Secondary Phase

The Secondary Phase continues some time after the events of the Primary Phase.  Arthur and Ford are still stuck on prehistoric Earth but they are trying to make the best of it.  If best of it includes drinking moonshine and trying to forget their troubles.  Zaphod has an entirely unbelievable experience escaping from the Haggunenons who have impatient chromosomes and constantly evolve into anything.  Including escape capsules.  And Marvin, the Paranoid Android.  My goodness, I love him so much!  Everything he says is hilarious!  Literally when he was screaming as he was falling, I was cracking up.  He still sounds depressed as he falls.

This phase also introduced the idea of the towel being the most important equipment a hitchhiker can carry with them, which is such a big part of the mythology of this series.  It's interesting to think that Douglas Adams only just thought of it (or maybe he thought of it and couldn't include it in the Primary Phase).  But I am proud to say that I do know where my towel is.

Douglas Adams enjoys lampooning bureaucracy, because it features memorably in the absurd, hilarious moments in this series.  You still can't get away from it - it exists in all of space.  But it makes it easy to relate to all the problems the characters go through!

I have one favorite scene in this where Arthur Dent is trying to get a cup of tea from the Nutrimatic Drinks Dispenser which analyzes your taste buds and neuropathways to come up with a drink that you would like.  And it comes up with a disgusting version of tea for Arthur.  And his refusal to give up, and his pointless attempts to get the machines to understand him goes from trying to tell them what tea is, to trying to explain why he likes dried leaves in boiling water.  The point is, machines can't do everything and they can also be a pain in the butt, which is a universal concept but made hilarious.  And maybe wasn't such a prevalent idea in the 1970s?  I wonder if people were more in awe of cutting-edge technology at that time, which is why Douglas makes a point of including it in this series.  And that scene also features an awesome song that is the company song for Sirius Cybernetics:

Share and Enjoy
Share and Enjoy
Journey through life
With a plastic boy
Or Girl by your side
Let your pal be your guide
And when it breaks down
Or starts to annoy
Or grinds when it moves
And gives you no joy
Cos it's eaten your hat
Or had sex with your cat
Bled oil on your floor
Or ripped off your door
You get to the point
You can't stand any more
Bring it to us, we won't give a fig
We'll tell you, 'Go stick your head in a pig'.

Robots aren't looking that great now.  By the way, I love singing this song randomly to myself.

The absurdity and wonder of this world that Douglas Adams created continues to grow in this phase.  There are many more interesting concepts in this (like the total perspective vortex - where if you can actually see your place in relation to the whole universe, you would go mad and elevators that can seen into the future so you don't have to press the button and make awkward small talk with the people who are also waiting for it).  This phase ends on another thought-provoking concept - who should rule if anyone who wants to rule isn't fit for it.  And apparently the ruler of the universe is a very frustrating person with ADHD.  It's sort of an open ending for this phase, which is surprising as the Tertiary phase comes 24 years after this!

My posts on:
The Primary Phase   |  The Secondary Phase   |   The Tertiary Phase   |   The Quandary Phase

Review: The Color of Light

The Color of Light
by Helen Maryles Shankman

Plot Summary:

NEW YORK CITY, 1992. At the American Academy of Classical Art, popular opinion has it that the school’s handsome and mysterious founder, Raphael Sinclair, is a vampire. It is a rumor Rafe does nothing to dispel.

Scholarship student Tessa Moss has long dreamed of the chance to study at Rafe’s Academy. But she is floundering amidst the ups and downs of a relationship with egotistical art star Lucian Swain.

Then, one of Tessa’s sketches catches Rafe’s attention: a drawing of a young woman in 1930s clothing who is covering the eyes of a child. The suitcase at her feet says Wizotsky. Sofia Wizotsky, the love of Rafe’s life, was lost during the Holocaust.

Or was she? Rafe suspects Tessa may be the key to discovering what really happened.

As Rafe finds excuses to interact with Tessa, they cannot deny their growing attraction to one another. It is an attraction forbidden by the Academy Board and disapproved of by anyone familiar with Rafe’s playboy reputation and Tessa’s softhearted innocence.

But Tessa senses the truth: despite his wealth, his women, and his townhouse filled with rare and beautiful treasures, Rafe is a haunted man…for reasons that have nothing to do with the rumors they whisper about him at school.

Intensely romantic and deeply moving, The Color of Light blends fact and fantasy in an unforgettable tale of art and passion, love and war, guilt and forgiveness, spanning the New York art scene, high-fashion magazine publishing, the glittering café society of pre-World War II Paris, and the evil stalking the back roads of Nazi-occupied Europe.

Review:

The Color of Light attracted my attention for a couple of reasons - I was interested in the forbidden romance nature of the story, and because Raphael is a vampire.  I also love intensely romantic stories and this book did not disappoint in any of those aspects.  In fact, once the story get's going it's full of this tragic, aching tension as Rafe and Tessa explore their feelings for each other and yet the rules of the school and Rafe's past keeps them apart.  I felt there was a touch of Wuthering Heights in this story (and it is mentioned briefly in the book) but thankfully this is a love story (Wuthering Heights can get a little iffy in that regard) as well as a story about life.

The novel is rather epically long, and there are a lot of descriptive passages on the art and architecture of the student's works and their surroundings.  It's very informative about art and possibly critical of modern art (but I totally agree with the viewpoints of the students and Rafe), however it can take time to become invested in the story and characters because of this.  I think in the end, I was not as invested in Tessa's found family as much as I wanted to be, which makes me feel that there was a lot more that could have been streamlined in the story.  Tessa's relationship with Lucian was also a little tedious and I just wanted to shake Tessa to get her to move on already.  But Tessa's friends do have an important part to play, and this really didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story overall.

The past is important and is perfectly and thoughtfully portrayed in the scenes where we learn more about why Rafe is so troubled and haunted.   The author worked in the romance of Rafe and Sofia and the terror of the Holocaust to make this novel even more intense and poignant.  I sometimes felt I liked Sofia more than Tessa because Sofia felt more flawed and tragic and real, while Tessa was too perfect sometimes.  But reading about the past did wonders in bringing out Rafe's Byronic nature, and I found him to be such a complex and intriguing character.  The times when he exerted his magnetic influence and the times he was heartbreakingly vulnerable really brought out his character for me, and I'm a little bit in love with him, okay?

The story swept me up in it's tender melancholy, and I found the story to be very beautiful and very sad.  With the relationship between a vampire and a human there are some difficult questions that are brought up, but I loved that the story really focused on just taking one day at a time.  It also brought a very nice conclusion to the past that haunted Rafe.  If this story has any elements that interest you, I'd recommend reading it for the intelligent take on a vampire love story.

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

Amazon

Goodreads

Check out the other stops on this book's blog tour here!

I also found the Author's Pinterest board on the book very interesting - link

Awesome Adaptations (63) North and South

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 Multi-Generational Adaptation

Title: North and South
Adapted from: North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

This is a book I've been meaning to read for awhile - ever since watching this gorgeous adaptation. If my heart wasn't already bound to Jane Eyre, this would absolutely be my favorite period drama miniseries.  I believe there are a few liberties taken in this miniseries when compared to the book, but from what I've read about it all the changes improved upon the story.  The ending, for example, which is so curl-into-your-sofa romantic you want to haunt train stations in the hopes of finding your true love.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I'm pushing the multi-generational aspect but I'll just say that it is in the influences of Margaret and John's families on them - John Thornton's mother in particular plays a big role in the story, and her relationship with her son is so touching even while she can be a little too controlling.  This miniseries has a pretty large cast of characters - with a focus on the different families and how each are affected differently by the politics and class differences of the time.  It's an interesting commentary on the working class and compassion in the face of adversity.  I love the depth in this story in addition to the romance.

Of course I must say shallowly, how about that Richard Armitage! Such gravitas and earnest strength and piercing blue eyes, it's hard to understand why Margaret didn't fall for him immediately.  (Okay that first scene with John Thornton was pretty off-putting, so kudos to the adapters for totally redeeming John by the end - or rather within minutes!).  For most of the series Margaret has little respect for John, and he has to gradually earn it, which makes their relationship build in a way that is so beautiful.  And the fact that you know John is in love with her, but can't act on it because she has rejected him makes for some exquisitely romantic, tension filled scenes.

This series is smart, beautifully acted and shot, with strong, believable performances.  It has great character relationships - a romantic one of course, but also strong parent-child relationships and great friendships.  If you haven't seen this, please check it out!!  

Event Recap: Vegas Valley Book Festival + Giveaway

You may have noticed that while posts have been going live, I haven't been keeping up with responding to blog comments (thank you so much for those!) and that's because I just had a long weekend of fun and books in Las Vegas!  And it's important to know that I hung out with Paola from A Novel Idea because she makes everything fun all the time!  (With her awesomeness and for making me finally watch Pacific Rim, Mulan and both recent Star Trek movies!  Guh! They were all so good!)  I also got to see Stacie from The Shy Book Nerd who had an amazing suitcase of books to be signed!

The Vegas Valley Book Festival was non-stop flailing fun because from the very beginning the authors were so cool!  I was able to go to 3 panels on varying topics - Serial Killers to remixing the Classics to Resurrecting the Future (although on that last one the Moderator didn't really touch on the topic).  I took notes studiously but there were so many wonderful answers by these authors that it's hard to really capture in this post all the insight and humor they had to relate.  I noted several answers in my notebook on different questions, but I'm going to pick one panel and one question and talk about all the answers.  I'm going to paraphrase all the answers though, so I hope I'm getting the gist of it right!

One thing I'm always interested in is adapting or reimagining the Classics in new ways (it's part of my Jane Eyre obsession) so when the moderator on the Classical Remix panel asked if the original story limited the authors in any way I was really interested in the author's answers.

A.G. Howard (author of Splintered) said that with the Lewis Carroll books, not everyone is familiar with what goes on in Through the Looking Glass so she needs to make sure that people know what was in the original.  It helped her that her character uses the book as a guide through Wonderland.

Vivi Barnes (author of Olivia Twisted) wanted to improve on the characters (some characters in Oliver Twist really didn't get a good ending) which made the characters her own but she also needed to stay true to the original.

Gena Showalter (author of Alice in Zombieland) was much more straightforward - she took what she wanted from the original and discarded the rest.

Mary Lindsey (author of Ashes on the Waves) was constrained by her original story - Edgar Allan Poe's poem Annabel Lee - so she used 36 different works of Poe's and mixed in biographical information and Celtic lore. (I have to say- LOVE Annabel Lee soo much!  I can't wait to read this book!)

Claire LaZebnik (author of The Trouble With Flirting) wanted to make sure the book stood up on it's own, independent of the original (Austen's Mansfield Park)

Eileen Cook (author of Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood) said she took inspiration from the theme of her original book (The Count of Monte Cristo) and went off in her own direction.

Stacey Jay (author of Of Beast and Beauty) didn't feel constrained at all - she was only inspired by the original.  (And since this is the only book on this panel that I have read so far, I wanted to say it was very interesting how she took so many elements of the original fairy tale and twisted them around to something so new and unpredictable)

All the authors and Event organizers

After all the panels, the authors started signing in two waves, so Paola and I lined up and got to talk to all the authors we so admired. (I did bother Alexandra Bracken to sign my copy of The Darkest Minds a little earlier, and she was extremely sweet as was her Mom who seemed so happy to see her daughter being fangirled, haha.  EVERY author we talked to was welcoming and excited to see US which is just so weird but I'm very grateful because it makes it extra easy to love them and their books even more!  I'm also so happy that I went to this event because I was introduced to many authors' works I haven't had a chance to check out yet, and I can't wait to read them someday.

Paola brought her super-nice camera to the festival so if you stop by her blog sometime soon, she's sure to have a fantastic post about the event with way better pictures!  And Stacie is sure to have an awesome recap and giveaways on her blog as well!

Now I got some signed bookmarks at the festival and I've been thinking about how to give away some on my blog.  I would like to send them out individually to people who are really interested in these books/authors, so I'm going to do a RANDOM TWITTER GIVEAWAY all this week!  Starting today I'll tweet the bookmark up for grabs and the first follower to respond will get it.  I'll also randomly pick a winner from this post's comments if you include which bookmark you would like to get.  Here's what I'll be giving out this week:

Two signed Ashes on the Waves bookmarks by Mary Lindsey

One signed Every Other Day bookmark and Raised by Wolves Series temporary tattoo by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

One Of Beast and Beauty postcard by Stacey Jay

One Pivot Point and The Distance Between Us bookmark by Kasie West

And keep an eye out for something Catching Fire related as well (unsigned though!)

Follow @bookishwhimsy

Please click on the button if you aren't a follower already!  I will use the hashtag #VegasBookmark so you can keep track of the giveaways.  If I send a message that you've won, please DM or email (at bookishwhimsy(at)gmail.com) to send me your address and I will mail out the prize ASAP.  These will all be open internationally (except the Catching Fire giveaway).  I'm not responsible if these are unfortunately lost in the mail.  Thanks for reading!  And thanks to the Vegas Valley Book Festival for putting together such an amazing event!   I'm looking forward to going again next year!  And if I can just put it out there right now, if Melina Marchetta could be invited to attend that would be THE BEST.  

Review: Doctor Who: The Silent Stars Go By

Doctor Who: The Silent Stars Go By
by Dan Abnett

Plot Summary:

The winter festival is approaching for the hardy colony of Morphans, but no one is in the mood to celebrate. They're trying to build a new life on a cold new world, but each year gets harder and harder. It's almost as if some dark force is working against them. Then three mysterious travelers arrive out of the midwinter night, one of them claiming to be a doctor. Are they bringing the gift of salvation or doom? And what else might be lurking out there, about to wake up?

An adventure featuring the Eleventh Doctor as played by Matt Smith and his companions Amy and Rory.

Review:

This was a fun new adventure! The Morphans' Earth origins highlights some interesting aspects of our culture and how things can be misinterpreted after so many generations of passing on the information.  It's also frustrating because the Morphans can be so close-minded!  But it makes the scenes where the Doctor can make a difference in the Morphans' lives that much more meaningful.

The banter between the Doctor, Amy and Rory was great but sometimes it killed the pace of the action-y parts in the story for me.  It seemed like the characters should have focused more on the danger at hand sometimes.  But I did like a few humorous moments and it didn't kill my enjoyment of the story.

The story has quite a few surprises and it did a pretty good job capturing the voices of the Doctor and his companions (there were a few times when it did feel a little off though).  It also features an old TV show villain and I love when the books tie into the canon of the show.  This was a very entertaining story that kept me interested throughout and I recommend it to the Who fans!

Amazon

Goodreads

Suspense Sundays (69) Three Blind Mice

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}

"Three Blind Mice"

Air date: January 30, 1947
Starring Van Hefler

>>Episodes here<<

Mr. Lockwood owns a successful publishing company with two other partners.  Who he dislikes very much.  And unfortunately they dislike him too and might even try to edge him out.  When Mr. Lockwood finds one of his partners has committed suicide in his office, Mr. Lockwood makes it look like the other partner murdered him.  The man is arrested, and sentenced to death and Mr. Lockwood thinks he's gotten away with everything.  But he does have a weakness - in the form of a woman.

This is such a twisty episode!  So many hidden motivations, that it's difficult to figure out how this story ends.  I was suspicious about a few things, but I definitely underestimated a few characters.  I might have even felt sorry in the end for Mr. Lockwood though he didn't deserve it.  I love episodes like this which are difficult to guess, and has characters you actually care about.

Sci-Fi Month: Introduction & The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Hosted by Rinn Reads

I'm not sure if I can trace back my enthusiasm for Science Fiction to a particular book or movie.  I think maybe required reading in school opened me up to Science Fiction as a genre - where I wasn't too enamored with Brave New World or 1984, I absolutely loved A Wrinkle in Time, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and Flowers for Algernon, so luckily I kept wanting to read in the genre.  And SciFi movies like Back to the Future (OMG I LOVE THAT MOVIE) and E.T. (I missed all the Star Wars when I was younger - I know unacceptable) made me love the way Science Fiction can seem so realistic because it's building on the technology we already have.  It doesn't take too much of a leap to imagine the things we might one day have.  And it's also fun to see what we don't have now, that the stories in the past seem to think we would. (Flying cars right?)

I think it's fun to read about tantalizing worlds that seem within our reach and Science Fiction gives us that.  It can also give us a glimpse into human darkness and it can show us what we are capable of, good or bad.  Since it can hold a mirror up to humanity and show us what might happen it's interesting to try to strive for the ideals and avoid the pitfalls.  Or at least interesting to think it's possible we can.

Some of my favorite Science Fiction stories now include Doctor Who, Firefly, and what I'm going to talk about as a feature every Friday this month - all the radio phases of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "trilogy".

I can't remember which I did first - if I read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or listened to this radio version, but the radio version is the original version, and in my opinion, the best version of the story.  Even though I really enjoyed the books, TV series and film that came after.  But with the radio version it's so much easier to imagine the wondrous things Douglas Adams details because the voice actors are so wonderful and the editing of the show is so sharp.

There are 5 "phases" of 6 episodes each, so for today's post I'm talking about the Primary Phase - the very first six episodes first broadcast in 1978.  What I love so much about the stories is the irreverent humor.  This show is just so funny!! All the Science Fiction in the story seems to highlight the absurdity - that we might think belongs to humanity, but in this show we realize it is common everywhere.  Everyone is susceptible to their foibles, although the main character - Arthur Dent - is probably the least absurd, though he is made to deal with the nonsense and inconsistency of the universe.  And his level-headed voice is just the perfect way for the listener to explore this universe.

There are so many funny concepts in this first phase - the improbability drive that runs on knowing how improbable an event is, and makes for a great device to get out of a couple sticky situations.  Marvin the Paranoid Android, who is an unfortunate byproduct of Sirius Cybernetics Corp's idea to create robots with Genuine People Personalities, and Marvin was given a personality with depression.  And you feel bad for him, but he's so funny!

I just love that this series starts off with some building constructors eager to raze his house to the ground to make way for a new bypass, but Arthur is not having it.  Even though he should make way for progress.  However, when the alien Vogons come to destroy the planet Earth for the exact same reason - it doesn't seem like progress is that important after all.  The story moves on with more clever twists and turns until a rather bleak ending where Arthur and his friend Ford is stuck on prehistoric Earth with some very idiotic people.  It's a sly dig at the real reason why people can be so exasperatingly idiotic today, but fortunately it is not the end of the story and there are many more adventures Arthur will be forced to go on!

Thank you for reading, and thanks to Rinn Reads for hosting this wonderful, month-long celebration of Science Fiction!  Visit her website to learn more about the event and visit other participants' posts!

My posts on:
The Primary Phase   |  The Secondary Phase   |   The Tertiary Phase   |   The Quandary Phase

Review: Palace of Spies

Palace of Spies (Palace of Spies #1)
by Sarah Zettel

Plot Summary:

A warning to all young ladies of delicate breeding who wish to embark upon lives of adventure: Don't.

Sixteen-year-old Peggy is a well-bred orphan who is coerced into posing as a lady in waiting at the palace of King George I. Life is grand, until Peggy starts to suspect that the girl she's impersonating might have been murdered. Unless Peggy can discover the truth, she might be doomed to the same terrible fate. But in a court of shadows and intrigue, anyone could be a spy—perhaps even the handsome young artist with whom Peggy is falling in love...

History and mystery spark in this effervescent series debut.

Review:

The voice of the main character, Peggy, is very candid and sincere and her open personality lifted this story from the myriad of deceptions and hidden motives that sometimes bogged the story down.  The first few chapters were excellent though in setting up Peggy's character and the situation that led to her needing to pretend to be someone else.  The author adds realism to her heroine's plight with all the little details of the dress and habits of 18th century lords and ladies and I think these points made it so easy to immerse myself into this story of adventure and intrigue.

The plot does get a little convoluted at times - with the many different scenarios that are presented as Peggy tries to uncover what happened to the real Lady Francesca.  And there were so many possibilities that when the conclusion is finally revealed, it all felt a bit overwhelming and it was difficult to concentrate on the action while trying to order all the events in my mind.  I think this is a minor quibble though because the mystery aspect of this story was very difficult to decipher and the fact that there were so many red herrings helped that.

The romance that develops in this story between Peggy and the handsome young artist is very incidental I felt to the whole narrative - it's nice for Peggy after a pretty horrid experience with a gentlemen earlier,  and the author weaves in Peggy's gradual trust for Matthew very well into the narrative.  Matthew was unfortunately not very clearly portrayed, and I had a difficult time connecting to him as a character.  But it was easy to like him because he was so kind and charming, and there's room for further development in this series.

The history of King George and the Jacobite rebellion supporting the Pretender James rounds out the "history and mystery" that makes this such an engaging read.  I loved getting such an interesting look at the court politics during this time through such an entertaining story, and the author really worked in all those details so well.  I would highly recommend this book to readers who want a light, entertaining read filled with intrigue and mystery and historical drama.

I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review. (I obtained this book through Around the World Arc Tours and later Netgalley as well)

This book releases November 5th.

Amazon

Goodreads

Awesome Adaptations (62) Psycho

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 Horrific Adaptation

Title: Psycho
Adapted from: Psycho by Robert Bloch

I haven't read the book that this Hitchcock film is based on, but from what I've heard it's pretty faithful to the book.  But there are some important changes made in this adaptation.  The book is inspired by a real-life serial killer and has more than one of the killer's murders detailed in the narrative but Hitchcock chose to focus on one, and use that to tell Norman Bates' story.  Norman Bates is also a lot more deceptive in the film because he looks so clean-cut and acts so mannerly.  Which of course makes the subsequent events all the more shocking and horrific.

I think the best part of this adaptation is in how Hitchcock deceives the viewers.  If you weren't familiar with the story and went into this film blind, it starts off so innocuously.  Marion has just stolen lots of money from her boss and is making a run for it.  She seems like a nice person generally, she just made a mistake, and while the film is very tense as she's trying elude the notice of policemen, there's really no hint about what is coming next.  It's a stellar twist to have your main character suddenly and unexpectedly killed within the first half of the movie.  And it's why this film can be so disturbing.  Now with the way films are made today, there would have been a lot more gore and horrible flashes of the murder to further shock the audience, but Alfred Hitchcock's elegant directing kept the full horror of the moment with sparing shots that lets the audience fill in the blanks.

Compared to horror films today, this film on the surface may seem rather tame, but it's deeply psychologically disturbing and an excellent tension filled mystery.  It's a classic movie for a reason and rightfully one of the top horror films ever made. 

Review: Nefarious Doings

Nefarious Doings
by Ilsa Evans

Plot Summary:

Welcome to the sleepy town of Majic, where neighbourhood watch is a killer …

For Nell Forrest, life in the little town of Majic is not going smoothly. One of her five daughters has just swapped university for fruit-picking, another is about to hit puberty, while a third keeps leaving aggrieved messages on the answering machine. On top of all this, her mother is infuriating and it's only been a matter of months since Nell lost her husband of twenty-five years. It's no surprise, then, that she is even struggling to write her weekly column.

But the floodgates of inspiration are about to swing open, almost knocking her out in the process. Murder and mayhem, arson and adultery, dungeons, death threats and disappearances are just around the corner. Despite Nell's abysmal aptitude for investigative work, she manages to shine the light on the local Richard III Society and that's when things really start to heat up. Throw in some suspicious widows, nosy neighbours, a canine witness, plus a detective who is getting a little closer than he should, and it's clear that nefarious doings are well and truly afoot.

Review:

Nell's dysfunctional family is the highlight of this book for me.  Their shenanigans brings out so much humor and sometimes touching family interactions, that I somehow felt closer in empathy with the main character, Nell.  Nell is a wonderfully imperfect character that you want to see grow throughout this story.  She needs to deal with a lot and it's both fun and very relatable to read about her problems.

The mystery itself was also very well done.  There's a myriad of suspicious characters, and when they are all neighbors, of course they would be!  This story has a great mix of quirky and realistic characters which helps to keep the reader interested in all the little dramas that come out because of the murders.  And because there are so many different dramas it's difficult to decipher which one is important.  (Although the reveal of the murderer wasn't quite as surprising to me - there were a few narrative red herrings that really just pointed me towards the murderer.)

This promises to be the start of a fun mystery series, with a quirky, sarcastic lead in Nell Forrest, and I really enjoyed diving into the mystery.  It might not be wholly original, but it is still very entertaining and I'd recommend this book to all cozy mystery fans!

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

Amazon

Goodreads

Agatha Christie Poirot: The Big Four

When I was in high school I became majorly obsessed with Agatha Christie's mysteries - specifically the ones featuring Hercule Poirot.  And of all his mysteries The Big Four is my favorite.  It might be because I read it as a teenager because I know it is a bit cliched and over the top, but I still remember not being able to put it down because there was so much going on in it.  I even remember the class I was waiting for after lunch when I finally finished the book.  I think I found the format (a bunch of mysteries within a larger one) irresistible and the fact that Poirot and Captain Hastings are constantly in danger made this story so appealing to me.  So I was ecstatic when I heard they were finally filming this as a TV movie!

David Suchet has been playing Poirot since 1989.  And now they have finally gone through the Christie canon - with two more episodes airing after The Big Four to complete it.  Then David Suchet would have played Poirot in pretty much every single story.  It's an amazing achievement, and I'm so glad David Suchet will complete the oeuvre since he is the definitive Poirot.  Unfortunately not all the main characters from the books has appeared consistently in the adaptations.  Hastings was there in the beginning, but I suppose the actor moved on, and the role he plays in the mysteries has been mostly replaced by other characters in the subsequent adaptations.  And Hastings is one of my very favorite characters.  He's not the brightest, but his good old English bonhomie always won me over.  And he was a perfect foil to Poirot.  Their close friendship was also a lovely part of every mystery they investigated together.  But finally Hastings is in another Poirot adaptation with "The Big Four"!  So I was determined to watch this as soon as possible!!

So all the above was just prelude to my review of the show!  If you really don't want to know anything about how they adapted the story, you should probably stop here.  I don't get too spoilery but there are quite a few changes made in this adaptation and I do touch on that.

To create more of a dramatic opening the adaptation begins with Poirot's funeral and a reunion of his close friends.  Although it is odd that if this is really his funeral, wouldn't Ariadne Oliver have shown up?  But I didn't mind that they moved that part of the book to the beginning.  What I did mind was the lack of Captain Hastings.  It makes sense because he's been away for so long, but I really wanted to see him team up with Poirot in this!!  At least maybe, one little mystery?  But Japp did a good job as Poirot's right-hand man and of course the mysteries are just as intriguing.  There are some of the mysteries I missed, and the way things were moved around made this story more mystifying than I would have thought since I had read the book.  The real reason why it was so mystifying became clearer in the end, when it was revealed just how much was changed from the original novel.  The ending had a completely different spin and outcome to the book which so disappointed me!  I was hoping to see Achille and the face off in the mountains!  What I got was considerably different and not quite as believable to me.  It was a very elaborate scheme for a madman.  Oh well.

But I did enjoy the episode - the little puzzles of mysteries were great to see portrayed on screen at last.  And the final scene where Poirot and Hastings were reunited almost, almost made up for the fact that Hastings got such little screen time.  And also that scene that showed Hasting's drive to serve justice was so great to see.  I realize how much I miss mon ami Hastings.  I have to say too, that for such a different interpretation of the novel, this adaptation was really clever.  It can't have been easy to twist the events of the story to fit a new solution.  While this is not really the story I love, I appreciate it as an adaptation and I was glad to see so many wonderful characters come back.

The Journey Home - Wrap-up post + Giveaway!

THE JOURNEY HOME WRAP-UP POST

Charlene: My fellow Lumaterans. We are finally here! We’ve gotten to the other side of this wonderful book called Finnikin of the Rock, and from the feedback of the participants I believe we’ve all been really happy with the journey. THANK Lagrami and Sagrami! And thank everyone for participating!!

Paola: It’s such a good feeling every time we recommend this book and series to someone and they end up loving it like we do! *sobs* Thank you for traveling with us over the past three weeks. For those of you who foresee further adventures in Lumatere, we do have a Goodreads group you can join -- the #PostFinnikinSupportGroup, handing out Trevanion bear hugs since… early 2013… (LOL)

Charlene: Yes! Please do join us! We will be there to support you if you have yet to read the next two books in the series (cause believe me you will need support!). For the last post of the event, we wanted to have a countdown of some of our favorite moments from the book.  And if you have some favorite moments to share yourself, please let us know in the comments!

Paola: Without further ado, here are our favorite moments from Finnikin of the Rock, complete with commentary from your favorite founding members of the Lumatere Tourism Board! (Hey, we’re legit, okay??)

SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK!

SCROLL DOWN FOR THE GIVEAWAY AT THE END

O~O~O~O~O

#10: Evanjalin is welcomed in by the Monts

Well with all the mystery surrounding Evanjalin, to finally find out that she is not the bad guy and is in fact pretty much the hero (sorry Finn) (P: BAHAHA I love you Finn but this is true~) for bringing her people together - for Evanjalin to get a moment to be with family and the way she breaks down when she can let them take some of the burden is a beautiful moment. And it’s a beautiful moment for Yata to be reunited with a granddaughter she thought was dead.

#9: Trevanion is reunited with his Guard

It’s great to go from such a tense moment when Finn and Evanjalin might get attacked by this hulking monster of a man, to Finn mock fighting with him while Trevanion watches fondly. And the emotion of the Guard as they welcome back their leader was too perfect. I can’t believe how many wonderful and varied relationships Melina Marchetta has worked into this book!
(P: Indeed, the bro love in this book is just awesome. Well and in the whole series. *sniffle*)

#8: When Finn reaches the last ridge one mile from Lumatere after being gone for so long.

“He imagined what it would be like to see inside the kingdom, all the way to the rock of three wonders, where once he made a pledge with his two friends, believing in their omnipotence. That they could save their world.”
(C: An instant of perfect feels-inducing Nationalism that is so important to this story!) (P: And some more of those BFF feels from our Lumatere bros haha)

#7: Evanjalin dares to talk to Trevanion about Beatriss

(P: Um, of course she dares. It’s Evanjalin. Hahaha) Since everything about Trevanion and Beatriss is feels-inducing for me, I have to love the moment when Trevanion is forced to hear about Beatriss after so long believing her dead! And we also get a glimpse of Beatriss’ strength taking on the burden of helping and leading her people.

#6: We discover the fate of Balthazar.

Dude was a BADASS. The end. (C: I want Balthazar to be my brother too!! Just please don’t die!!)

#5: Finnikin won’t let his father divert the soldiers while he escapes from the mines

“Finn, listen!" Trevanion said, his voice raw."I prayed to see you one more time. It’s all I prayed for. Nothing more. And my prayers were answered. Go east, I’ll lend them west."

"We have a dilemma, then," Finnikin said fiercely. “Because I prayed that you would grow old and hold my children in your arms as you held me. My prayers have not been answered yet, Trevanion. So whose prayer is more worthy? Yours or mine?”

More chills! How could Trevanion think Finnikin would leave him when he’s just gotten his Father back!  And Trevanion just buckles down and makes their escape happen. #whatneedstobedone (P: ← THIS!!!!!!)

#4: Operation: Save Froi from the crazy Charynite soldiers

After we hear how Froi heroically saves Evanjalin from capture by drawing attention to himself - you know they need to bring him out of there. While Froi still has a long way to go to redeem himself in this series, this was one heck of an awesome first step! (P: Agreed!!! *hugs Froi*)

#3: Evanjalin tells Trevanion his son is in the Sorel mines

It was difficult to understand why Evanjalin turned Finnikin in to the guards, but when we find out how Trevanion has accepted his fate in the mines, it’s crystal clear. And the way Evanjalin threatens Trevanion if he doesn’t get his son out is classic, feels-inducing Evanjalin. (P: That’s my girl!!!) It’s sad to see a strong man broken, and to have this scene bring him to life was a major chills moment for me!

TIE!!

#1 The best proposal ever in any book, period. 

“This hand says you spend the rest of your life with me,” he said, holding out his left hand, “and this one says I spend the rest of my life with you. Choose.”

/Paola explodes into a burst of feels and hysterical sobbing (C: And happiness rainbows) (P: And lifetime supplies of cake because that’s like, baked happiness) (C: Good point!)

#1: Finn and Evanjalin standing at the gates of Lumatere at last. 

And the odds don’t look too good for survival, but they take a moment to talk about the might-have-been. (Sorry/not sorry guys, this ENTIRE quote is getting included because IT IS THE BEST.)

“Tell me about the farm,” she pleaded as drops of blood began to appear on her hands.

“The farm?”

“The farm that Finnikin the peasant would have lived on with his bride.”

“Evanjalin. That was her name. Did I mention that?”

She laughed through a sob. “No, you didn’t.”

“They would plant rows upon rows of wheat and barley, and each night they would sit under the stars to admire what they owned. Oh, and they would argue. She believes the money spent would be better spent on a horse, and he believes they need a new barn. But then later they would forget all their anger and he would hold her fiercely and never let her go.”

“And he’d place marigolds in her hair?” she asked.

He clasped her hands against his and watched her blood seep through the lines of his skin. “And he would love her until the day he died,” he said. He placed his other bloody hand against those imprinted for eternity on the kingdom walls.

/SPOILERS

O~O~O~O~O

Charlene: Please talk amongst yourselves as Paola and I try to get our feels back in order.

Paola: Yeah seriously, I could barely type out that quote, I was being facepunched by feels the entire time… I think I need to go curl up in a corner and cry for a while now.

Charlene: While we recover (these things take time) here’s a giveaway for the participants/incentive for people who have not read the books to get one of the books from the Lumatere Chronicles. It’s winner’s choice for whichever book they would like!

Paola: Whether you’ve been inspired to come to Lumatere or you’re ready to get back on board the feels train, we’ve got you covered! Good luck!!!

(Open Internationally!!)

Ends November 5th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And here's a list of all the wonderful posts that were a part of this event!
WEEK 1
Introduction/Chat @ A Novel Idea
Relationship Post: Beatriss and Trevanion
Why I Moved to Lumatere @ A Novel Idea
First Week Discussion

WEEK 2
Review: Quintana of Charyn
Review: Finnikin of the Rock @ Rinn Reads
Review: Ferragost  (Lumatere Chronicles #2.5)
Finnikin and Evanjalin @ YA Asylum
Second Week Discussion @ A Novel Idea
Thoughts on the Book #2
Discussion Post @ YA Asylum

WEEK 3
My Unconditional Love for the Lumatere Chronicles @ Gypsy Reviews
Finnikin of the Rock: A Reaction @ Rally the Readers
Review: Finnikin of the Rock @ Celestial Carousel
Thoughts on Finnikin of the Rock @ The Sleeping Latte
Review: Finnikin of the Rock @ Doing Dewey
World Building in the Lumatere Chronicles @ Rinn Reads
Duchess Book Club - Quintana of Charyn Review @ A Novel Idea

(if I somehow missed someone's post, please let me know and I'll add it to the list!)

Suspense Sundays (68) A Man in the House

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}

"A Man in the House"

Air date: August 2, 1945
Starring Joan Lorring and Joseph Kearns

>>Episodes here<<

Pretty young thing Emily realizes that she has become a spinsterish librarian at a young age.  Her father died unexpectedly and her mother didn't bear it well and became an invalid - querulous and difficult.  Emily cares for her, and the two lead a rather secluded life.  Emily's neighbors remark that what Emily and her mother need is "a man in the house."  Unfortunately, one evening, Emily comes home and finds one in their house.  With a gun, and preparing to stay for awhile because all he wants is food, shelter and a little hospitality.  He lets Emily go to work, with her mother as a hostage so Emily won't go to the police.  But Emily can't hold back and does tell a friend.  And they cook up a plan.

The mysterious intruder in a puzzle- they never really say why he needs to hide out, but he is awfully annoyed by Emily's mother and the way Emily puts her mother first.  I guess the real reason this scary man is there is to push Emily to become her own woman.  Which is kinda just my interpretation because the ending doesn't really bear that out.  Or rather it bears out that Emily should have asked some guy's help earlier on in this story.  This is a really suspenseful tale though, despite the lame "twist" in the end.

The Journey Home - The Duchesses review Quintana of Charyn

Another post related to The Journey Home is going live on A Novel Idea today.  Finnikin of the Rock and book blogging brought me together with three great bloggers - Charlotte from Gypsy Reviews, Tory from The Sleeping Latte and of course my co-host Paola, and we all decided to style ourselves the Duchesses of Lumatere.  (That's something everybody should do!  Give yourself a title!)  Since we all loved the first two books in this series we decided to read the last book Quintana of Charyn together.  And it was a great idea to have a support group in place for when we all completely keeled over from the awesomeness of this book.  Please go over to Paola's blog to check out our thoughts on the story and the series in general.  And thank you so much to the Duchesses for being such a fab group of people!  I'm so happy to know you all!!  #TrevanionBearHug!!

Image credit to Charlotte from Gypsy Reviews

Books to Music: The Scarlet Pimpernel

You can tremble, you can fear it
But keep your fighting spirit alive boys
Let the shiver of it sting you
Fling into battle, spring to your feet boys
Never hold back your step for a moment
Never doubt that your courage will grow
Hold your head even higher and into the fire we go

The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of my favorite stories ever and my love kinda started with this musical.  A friend recommended it to me but I couldn't really get into the soundtrack because I was unfamiliar with the book.  So I read the book, listened to the musical and completely fell in love.  It doesn't quite capture the book - I think the book is nearly impossible to adapt as it is because of various reasons (which I don't want to reveal in case you haven't read it) but I do think this musical captures the characters - and makes the character of the Pimpernel so engaging and believable.  The actor to play him in the musical - Douglas Sills - is amazing at all the facets he must portray of this character - a sensitive romantic, an adventurer, someone who is cunning and intelligent and deeply devoted to his cause, and someone who can pretend to be ridiculously inane and foppish.  The musical underwent some changes from the original broadway cast recording but the OBC is the only commercially available recording so I will be referring to it in this post.

The songs that capture the romance and despair that the Pimpernel feels are probably my favorite ones in this musical.  "Believe", "Prayer" and "She Was There" are moving ballads that show such deep emotions that they almost always make me want to tear up.  Even when it's happy, it is so beautifully touching to hear the deep emotions in these songs.  Marguerite's song "When I Look At You" is also a deeply moving song of regret and love and is another example of the brilliant way the songs in this musical captures the heightened emotions of the characters.  But again there's more to this story than all that heart-hurting romance because the Pimpernel embarks on many daring missions to save the innocent victims of the French Revolution.  And while the gravity of the situation is addressed in various scenes, there is a sense of boyish glee in how the rescues are portrayed on stage and in the music.  There are inspiring and fun songs to bring everything to life and probably one of the best parts of the show is the humor that comes from the Pimpernel's attempts to convince people that he could not possibly be the one causing such havoc in France.  "The Creation of Man" is a truly clever patter song with an argument to why men should be more concerned with keeping up their physical appearances and wearing pretty clothes than off being brave and fighting.  It's such a funny scene in the show.

I feel like I have to do justice to the villain of the show as well - Chauvelin - who has some great songs that bear out how much he believes in what he is doing; so much so that it is difficult to find fault with his actions when he thinks he is doing the right thing.  The mark of a great villain I think.  Unlike the book, the musical adds a seductive note to Chauvelin's character which makes him even more interesting to watch.

This musical is so close to me, that I wish everyone would give it a listen because it has all the things that make musicals a joy to me - humor, romance, and danger, and all set to catchy tunes, with wonderfully clever lyrics.  Everyone that I've introduced this musical to has loved it and I hope that if any readers here check it out, they will feel the same! But first read the book!

Song Spotlight: You Are My Home
If you click on the link above, you'll see a performance of this song on the Rosie O'Donnell Show by the original cast and you get a bit of back story to where the song functions in the show as well.  So highly recommend watching that.  But first, I'll say that this is not my favorite song in the show ("Believe" is) but I picked this song for the spotlight because it is an intensely gorgeous melody.  I remember when I first heard it, it literally raised the hair on my arms, because it's so beautiful.  It's a song sung between brother and sister when they believe they will die soon at the guillotine and that despair and deep love mingle very well to create such a breathtaking and moving song.  The original has better orchestration than that youtube link by the way, but I couldn't find the original on youtube.