Book Review: Beautiful Ruins

Alright I haven't written on this in forever but I figured that I'd start up again.  We'll see how long this lasts but I'm hoping my new laptop will give me some sort of incentive to do this.  And hopefully I'll actually have something interesting to write about.  Either way, I'm going to write this very basic book review.  Cheers if you care to read.

I started reading Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter about a week ago.  I had read some great reviews about the book in the Washington Post and in the New York Times so I guess I had some pretty high expectations going into it which probably isn't helping.  I'm about 2/3 of the way through the book and its a smooth, easy read so props Mr Walter for that, but overall I would only give it 2 1/2 stars out of 5 so far.  Like I said, the writing is good, easy to follow, and the plot is fine but I can't help but feel like I'mr easing the start of a movie script.  *SPOILER* Also, I really don't enjoy the addition of Pat Bender and his storyline.  I feel like it takes away from the two story lines that Mr Walter was already developing, so instead of really thoroughly and deeply developing the original two story lines, now there are three story lines that are all coexisting and none of them is really that compelling.  I plan on finishing because it is a well-written book and I am enjoying it, but I honestly believe that the praise for the book might have been a little over exaggerated.  I definitely enjoyed Dan Brown's Inferno far more than I enjoyed this book and Inferno did not receive the same kind of praise.  Granted, they are of two different genres, but Inferno was far more gripping and compelling than this book.  I was really hoping to get lost in this story but I feel like I'm merely watching as a slightly interested observer.  I would definitely recommend this book as a summer read on the beach but definitely not for something more than that.

Thanks world for reading.  Until next time!

Book Review: The Expats

I gotta say that I was not overly disappointed by this book but I was not overly impressed either. I had read some wonderful reviews about this book, which is why I had gotten it in the first place and these reviews went entirely wrong.  The book was fast paced and compelling, albeit mildly at times.  I can't decide whether I enjoyed the beginning of this book so much because I had just finished a book which could not have moved slower, making this book seem like a roller coaster, or because it was indeed fast paced and compelling at the beginning. Needless to say, I enjoyed the beginning and very end of the book much more than the middle chapters.  I felt like the author was trying just a little too hard to make certain plot twists unknown and mysterious.   LIving in DC and being a little addicted to crime and spy TV shows, some of the plot twists were really obvious or just downright ridiculous.  I would recommend this book if you are looking for a short, relatively mindless book.  I think that it is definitely a decent book and I don't think that the you will read it and say it was horrible.  Is it worth it? Depends on what you're in the mood for, but for me, it satisfied my need for a relatively fast paced book.  I just don't think it's one that I will waste my time rereading.

Recommendation: Three Stars

The Destruction of Rome

I'm not one to rate a book only one star, especially one that as highly lauded as this book but I gotta say that I absolutely did not enjoy any part of this book. This is particularly surprising due to the fact that I am a history major with an intense interest in architecture and art history, but its true, I absolutely could not get into this book. From the very beginning I should have realized that I was not going to enjoy it due to the author's lack of structural and historical organization. Mr Hughes would jump from speaking about a painter, to the picture, to a second painter, and then would speak about the early life of the first painter. Also, did I mention an extremely insufficient number of pictures within this book? Ok, don't judge but this is an art history and architectural history book and Mr Hughes' descriptions of the buildings and paintings were so inadequate that I was having a hard time picturing buildings, paintings, and sculptures that I had just seen in Rome three years ago. I think a lot would have been added if the publisher had included some photos of the buildings or paintings that the Mr Hughes discussed at length in the chapters in which he was describing it. But perhaps the publisher could not do that because there was absolutely no organization in any of the chapters. The book was exhaustively researched but there was so much information that the point of the book got lost in the author's musing on different artistic theories and methods. This book had great potential but it fell really flat for me. I'm sorry Mr Hughes but this was just not for me.

Never Delta

I'm just coming off of a four hour flight from Phoenix to Atlanta on Delta Airlines and to be honest, I've been doing a lot of traveling the last couple of months.  A lot.  The trip between Phoenix and DC is becoming quite normal for me so needless to say it means that I have become quite judgmental when it comes to airline carrier. And flying Delta Airlines Economy Class has been absolutely abysmal.  For those of you who have never seen me, I am not a tall person nor am I a large person and I don't  like to take up a lot of space on a plane.  I like to take up my designated area and thats it and I truly appreciate it when others do the same, but as you all well know, that rarely happens for me and instead I end up next to 15 month old babies that are being breastfed by the mothers and then switching sits to sit next to the jittery 4 year old who can't stop kicking.  Oh yeah, that just happened, but to be honest, the 4 year old was relatively well-behaved and the baby was adorable.  Ok, so why am I complaining?  ANYWAYS, like I said before, I'm not a tall or large person but I can honestly say that I had a very difficult time fitting into the Delta seats.  Delta Airlines, this is the part that I am honestly embarressed of for you.  The seats are so cramped inside the plane that you almost have to climb over the seats like a little kid to get to yours because there is not enough room between your seat and the seat in front of you to walk between or even do the seat shuffle.  You know what I'm talking about.  That awkward side shuffle that people do to get into their seat.  Yeah, you know, but then, once you have packed yourself into your seat, the flight attendants ask people to place their purses or backpacks under the seat.  Easier said then done missies.  There is literally not enough room under the seat to place even a modest sized backpack completely under the seat. *picture*  Say bye bye to that bag that is only partially under the seat because you are never gonna see it again unless you want to go into a seated Down-Dog position. And one is absolutely doomed if the person in front of you moves their seat back even an inch.  That inch means that the seemingly improbable task of retrieving your bag becomes absolutely impossible.  And once one person moves their seat back, it creates a Domino effect in the column because no one who has any sense of space can stand to basically have the person in front of them in their laps, forcing them to push their seat back as well and you get the picture.  Oh, and please note that I have never mentioned any space for your legs.  I don't believe that Delta considered having bipedal creatures on their aircraft.  I truly believe that the plane was meant for children and double amputees.  I had more room the airplane bathroom then I did at my seat.  Really?  Really?!?  I mean, when was the last time the claustophic plane bathroom was more spacious than the actual seats.  Completely screwed up.  Delta, please remember that the majority of your paying customers are not Hobbits or Dwarves or babies.  CEO of Delta, I recommend that you sit for four hours in Economy on one of your flights and you let us know if you too feel like you've been relegated to the cattle car.  Delta, the spacing in your cabin is completely unacceptable and I will most assuradly not be flying you again anytime soon unless I am in First Class.  Also, for those of you who are flying on Delta, please remember to be considerate to the people sitting around you.  They're cramped too so when you decide to push your chair all the way back, you're forcing the entire row to do the same thing.  Its very rude.  Delta, how incredibly disappointing.

Sir Court House, Defender of Seats

I'm reading the newspaper on the metro when all of a sudden I feel a soft warm feeling against my left arm. Comforting at first I ignored it until that originally soothing warmth becomes irritatingly hot and starts to make my left arm sweat but my right arm is freezing. Like seriously WTF is that heat coming from? Oh. The guy sitting next to me. Who is now asleep. Who is my size and weight but has somehow managed to take over not only his seat but mine as well. Now I am literally pushed up against the window because he has taken over my seat. I've tried everything to regain my territory. I glared. I made loads of throat clearing noises. I did a quick strike to his right arm. I awkwardly put my left arm all over his right one. I kicked his foot. I've tried everything. This man is determined and my stop is coming up so I am now sitting in a third of my seat, up against the window. Rosslyn you cannot come fast enough. Half of my body is burning and half is freezing. Also a guy behind me saw me and offered to help me. Sir, you are amazing. You are my knight of the metro. I knight thee Sir Court House, Defender of Seats.

Oh and to the guy sitting behind me next to Sir Court House, Defender of Seats. I saw you taking a picture of my hair. Did not appreciate you sticking your phone in the back of my head. Although turning around and seeing you freak out because I caught you made my metro ride. So thank you hair fetish paparazzi guy. You made my day.

All Magic Comes With A Price

Less than a week until Once Upon A Time returns to ABC!  I absolutely cannot wait!  All of the teasers that the producers have been releasing over the past few weeks have been driving me CRAZY!!!  So for all of you OUAT fans out there, check out another great sneak peek from TV Guide.  In this article you get 4 clips from the next season and, I'm gonna take a wild guess here, but they seem to be from the first episode which is RIDICULOUSLY EXCITING!  So without further ado here is my unnecessary analysis of the 4 clips and what they could possible mean for the rest of Season 2.

Dr Whale Getting Feisty- www.aceshowbiz.com

Clip 1: It seems as if Regina has lost her powers, but as you learn in another clip (clip #3) that magic does not work the same in Storybrooke as it did in the fairy-tale land.  Well no shit, we figured that out too.  With that said though, I still believe that Regina's enactment of the curse may have had an even larger price than she had anticipated.  It may have seriously diminished her powers.  Thats a little far-fetched but it could possibly be part of the problem.  The most interesting part of this clip however is the interaction between Regina and Dr Whale.  Was Dr Whale Team Regina in fairy-tale land or a victim of Regina's.  Is he mad because Regina betrayed him somehow or is he mad because he remembers the awful things that Regina did to him?  I don't know because I honestly am having the hardest time figuring out his character.  Was he one of Regina's guards?  He seems too important to be someone that insignificant but now I'm not so sure.  I just can't think of any fairy-tale characters that are doctors or medical staff in any way shape or form.  I still hold that he might be part of Pinocchio's story but my belief in that theory is fading fast.

Clip 2: Snow White/Mary Margaret/Mrs Charming/Emma's mom/Henry's grandmother, Prince Charming/David/Shepard/Emma's father/Abigail's husband/Snow White's husband/Henry's grandfather, and Emma are walking down the street with the "good guys" of Storybrooke and basically Mr and Mrs Charming want to speak with their daughter about everything thats going on and Emma expectedly is like, um hell to tha nah.  I mean when you think about, how effed up is that?  If you're an orphan and all you dream about is finding your parents, I think that its pretty normal to assume that your parents are going to be, oh I don't know, OLDER THAN YOU?  Yeah, thats just effed up.  Totally understand Emma's concern in this issue.  Totally messed up.

Clip 3: Regina's in jail and can't use magic.  She tells Prince Charming that the land that they left is gone, that is has been destroyed.  Somehow I have a hard time believing that because where would the magic have come from.  Where would Jefferson have gone to get the apple if it wasn't from their land?  Also, I don't ever remember Rumpelstiltskin saying that the curse would destroy fairy-tale land, only that it would transport them to a place where they would not achieve their happy endings.  Also, Regina makes this claim because Prince Charming seems to think that by breaking the curse, they would somehow be transported back.  Last time I checked they never stated what breaking the curse meant exactly.  If they want their happy endings, then finding each other with their memories in tact would be breaking the curse, not transporting them back.  Also, they've already mentioned that magic does not work the same in Storybrooke.  Does that also mean that even though the "curse is broken," it could have originally meant that they would be transported back but because magic doesn't work the same, they weren't?  Also, I'm not sure if the curse has been broken.  Isn't Emma supposed to fight Regina a bunch of times?  Pretty positive that came into play in one of the episodes that she is actually supposed to fight Regina a few times.  Last time I checked, Emma has definitely not attacked Regina enough times to make that happen.

Colin O'Donoghue as OUAT's Captain Hook- msnbc.com

Clip 4: Belle and Rumpelstiltskin.  Enough said.  That relationship is gonna be weird.  The end.

Can't wait for the addition of Captain Hook!!! Thats going to be FANTASTIC!!!!

Magic Is Back!

The hit ABC show Once Upon a Time (sometimes known as Once to fans) finished Season 1 in May with a bang!  MAGIC IS BACK AND STORYBROOKE, MAINE IS THE PLACE TO BE!!!!  Once comes back to us on September 30th and I gotta say that it can't come fast enough.  I've been obsessively reading about all of the new characters that will be added this season, who will be playing them, and most importantly, what the return of magic means to the characters.  I won't go too much into it right now but I have quite a few theories, but right now my big question for everyone is: Who is Dr. Whale?  What is his character???  Its been driving me CRAZY!!!!  I think he's a character from Pinocchio but a part of me thinks that that is too simple.  Plus, he didn't recognize August/Pinocchio.  Also, do you think Sheriff Graham/the Huntsman will be making a come back???  I seriously hope so, but howwww?!?  I mean his heart is technically gone so will he be a zombie?  I didn't think that magic could bring people back from the dead...things to ponder.

I'm not entirely sure who made this poster, but it is giving me hope.  I'm just hoping that it won't turn out to be false and devastate my heart.  Ha.  Ha.  I'm so sorry for the puns.  I really hate puns and this is seriously not being done on purpose.

Check out these photos of Season 2 from TV Guide!!!  Dr. Whale seems to be having a pretty heated conversation with Prince Charming/David/Emma's dad/Katherine's husband/Snow White's husband/Henry's grandfather.  The highlighted could potentially get ugly.  Or awkward.  Or both.  Unless Frederick magically appears.  Ha ha.  Even though David/Prince James/Shepard left Katherine/Abigail I don't think they were divorced.  Does that even matter?  It might?  We know Frederick exists in Storybrooke but lets be honest, its still kind of awkward seeing as they will now have memories of both lives and will have to reconcile them.  Also, rumor has it (ooooo rumor has it ooooo- Adele :) ) that apparently at one point Snow White/Mary Margaret and Emma are somehow out of the picture?  Are they hiding in the woods?  WHAT IS GOING ON?!?

Anyways, I'll hopefully be updating more on other tidbits that I've found during the offseason to get people excited for the new season.  Enjoy and let me know what you think!