February 2009

Based on the Movie

2009, Books in Bed, Fiction /

I found Based on the Movie sitting on the “just back” shelf at the library and I tossed it in my bag just because I liked the name.

It started slowly – I read a chapter and it almost put me to sleep. When I picked it back up the next night, I thought I was going to have to fight my way through it but 25 pages later I was hooked. And laughing. I’m glad I’m not in the movie business, just sayin’.

I don’t really love how it ended, but I don’t hate how it ended, either. And, I’m not sure what kind of ending I’d have preferred. There was just something a little unsatisfying about it.

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WTF with the large/extra large shirts?

2 Comments / Melissa Ferrick, Sights & Sounds /





I laughed out loud at Melissa talking about Olivia vacations that aren’t cruises, in case you “don’t like boats”. hahahaha (I also cursed her out loud, I’m not bitter not at all.)

And what’s with the Large/Xtra large tshirts? I might be a little bigger than Melissa but I’m not THAT much bigger and I’m guessing those shirts are not gonna fit me. Damn it. I really want the Heartbeat shirt, it’s very “Threadless-like”. Maybe they shrink?

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Jellaby

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Comics & Graphic Novels, Cybil Challenge, Fiction, Young Adult /

Jellaby is the graphic novel that Liz picked up rather than finishing Into the Volcano. She finished it pretty quickly and when I asked her about it, she never even mentioned the boy who was a primary character in the book. She talked about the girl and the really scary man (that really scary man was something she mentioned quite a bit, I’m surprised she didn’t dream about him herself!)

Anyway, I read it – and yes indeed, there is a scary man. There’s also a couple of weird kids and a weird purple monster and a dysfunctional mom and bullies at school and wow, that’s a lot of stuff happening in a really short graphic novel that has fewer words than a lot of graphic novels I’ve read.

It’s a busy little book and it ended with a cliffhanger, so now I have to go and get the next Jellaby book for Liz – but not for me, I don’t care enough to read anymore of them and besides, she’ll tell me what happens.

PS. Liz still says Chiggers is the best graphic novel we’ve read this year.

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The Graveyard Book

3 Comments / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Fiction, Young Adult /

The Graveyard Book is indeed worthy of the Newberry (whatever that means) – it’s excellent. An excellent story, excellently written. It is significantly better than Coraline.

But – I could not persuade any of the kids to read it.

Prince J looked at it and said “interesting, maybe I’ll read it this weekend” – but he didn’t. I wasn’t interested and only said that to appease me.

RJ took the book from TW and said she’d read it – after TW told her she MUST, it was THAT GOOD and after I told her that she had 24 hours to read it because I would want it… she read a couple of chapters, put it down and picked up Dracula instead. She even chose to re-read bits of Breaking Dawn for the 800th time rather than read more of The Graveyard Book.

This, I’m afraid, is one of those books we’ll have to force our kids to read – and they’ll like it well enough, but it won’t be until they’re 25 that they’ll really appreciate the mastery of the story or the characters or the writing. It’s a shame. It’s the best Newberry winner I’ve read in a long time.

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The Temptation of the Night Jasmine

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Favorites, Fiction, Women /

Yay Willig! The Temptation of the Night Jasmine was fun, as expected. I really like Charlotte and of course the Dowager Duchess. I even like the Duke of Dovedal (and I don’t always really like the men Willig pairs her women with.)

Sassymonkey says Penelope is next, which I’m looking forward too. But, not if that means there wll be no book about Jane… are you listening Willig. The series must now be seven books, not the rumored six.

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