Book Review: The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer

Title:  The Talisman Ring
Author:  Georgette Heyer
Genre:  Regency romance
Pages:  303

Rating:  A+

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):  When spirited Eustacie stumbles into a band of smugglers, she is delighted to be having an adventure at last. Their leader, young heir Ludovic Lavenham, is in hiding, falsely accused of murder. Pursued by the law, Eustacie and Ludovic find refuge at an unassuming country inn. The resourceful Miss Sarah Thane and the clear-thinking Sir Tristram Shield gamely endeavor to prevent Ludovic's arrest and Eustacie's ruin as the four conspire to recover the missing talisman ring that will clear Ludovic's name.

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When I started reading The Talisman Ring, I came really close to putting it down and not bothering with it.  The book started off introducing two of the four main characters, and at first, I couldn't stand Eustacie.  In the beginning, she seems so spoiled and melodramatic, and I just wanted to slap her.  I didn't think I could possibly bear reading an entire book about her.  I'm so glad I decided to stick with it, because this book is hilarious.  It's a romance, an adventure, and a comedy all rolled into one. 

The four main characters are Eustacie, Ludovic, Tristram, and Sarah.  When I saw that two of the character's names were Eustacie and Ludovic, I was a little worried that Heyer had lost her mind, but their names turned out to be very fitting.  Eustacie is a headstrong girl with an overactive imagination; Ludovic is the handsome heir who's resorted to smuggling to keep himself busy.  They're both funny and impatient and headstrong.  But my favorite characters were their friends Tristram and Sarah.  Tristram is Ludovic's serious, no-nonsense cousin with a dry, and sometimes wicked, sense of humor.  Sarah is their new friend who treats everything serious with a mocking tone and everything humorous in a grave, serious tone.  Together, this ensemble of personalities have incredibly funny conversations that made me literally laugh out loud while reading.

Besides all the hilarious dialogue (which is the best part of the whole book), the story was exciting and adventurous, and the romance was sweet.  I'm so incredibly happy I gave this book a chance past chapter one, because if I hadn't, I would have missed out on what is now one of my favorite Heyer books ever.  A+

Book Vs. Movie: Something Borrowed

I honestly don't know why I bother with chick lit or romantic comedies anymore.  Maybe I just keep hoping that I will find another book like Austenland.  But nothing ever comes close.  Chick lit & rom-coms are almost always cliched, immoral, and annoying.  I decided to give this one a try anyway, simply because I think Ginnifer Goodwin is a great actress, and because other reviewers liked the book.  Next time I will follow my instincts and avoid books & movies like Something Borrowed.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin tells the story of Rachel, an average, hard-working 30-year-old woman whose beautiful, superficial best friend Darcy is getting married to the seemingly perfect guy Dex.  After a night of "partying" for her birthday, Rachel ends up taking a cab home with Dex, and they sleep together.  The rest of the book centers around Rachel and Dex figuring out how they feel about each other, while also showing the development of Darcy & Rachel's friendship over the years through flashbacks. 

I didn't even bother finishing the book.  Besides the whole cheating storyline turning me completely off, the characters were two-dimensional and stereotyped.  The main character would just not stop whining about how old and miserable and alone she was; her best friend was as superficial and shallow as you could make her; and the fiance Dex was spineless and wishy-washy.  Could someone please tell me when men stopped being... men?  There is nothing attractive about a man with no backbone.  Also, the flashbacks that are supposed to show us how Darcy & Rachel became and stayed friends throughout the years were unrealistic.  There's no way these two completely different people would have remained best friends, especially considering how badly Darcy treats Rachel.  I just can't take this book seriously at all.  Perhaps if the characters hadn't been SO cliched and transparent, or if Rachel had not been such a whiny doormat, or if the guilt she and Dex supposedly felt had seemed real at any point, I might have taken the time to finish the book.  Incomplete

Something Borrowed, the movie, follows almost the same storyline except for a few changes I noticed here and there.  For one thing, Dex and Rachel were actually really into each other during college; Darcy just swooped in and "stole" Dex away.  But the two of them never stopped loving each other, even after Dex proposed to Darcy.  I suppose the screenwriters thought that if Dex and Rachel had always been in love with each other, then we'd be more forgiving and accepting of their cheating.

Throughout the whole movie, I sympathized the most with Rachel's best friend Ethan.  He pretty much said it best when he yelled at Rachel for being a whiny pain-in-the-butt who brought these problems on herself.  And I can't stand that the movie is geared towards making you think it's okay that Dex and Rachel cheated because a) Darcy cheated too so "it's only fair", and b) they all ended up happy in the end anyway.  Rachel even says to Darcy, during a chance meeting months later, that she's sorry for hurting her, but not for sleeping with Dex.  And Darcy seems okay with it because she's happy with how her life is going (she's pregnant by the guy she cheated on Dex with).  So the moral of the story seems to be that as long as everyone gets to have a happily-ever-after, it doesn't matter how they were able to achieve it.  C-

Book Vs. Movie: Monte Carlo

It rarely ever happens, but sometimes a movie surpasses the book that inspired it.  For this first review in the Book Vs. Movie series, that is exactly what happened.  Monte Carlo, released in 2011, is loosely based on the 2001 novel Headhunters by Jules Bass.  Both center around a group of women who go on vacation together to have some fun and excitement, and while there, everyone believes them to be someone else, and they all find love.  That is the extent of the similarities between the two; the rest is incredibly different.

Monte Carlo tells the story of three young women-- Meg, Emma, and Grace-- in their late teens and twenties who travel together to France to celebrate Grace's high school graduation.  When escaping from the rain in an expensive hotel, Grace is mistaken for an heiress, and the three of them take advantage of the mix-up to travel first-class to Monte Carlo.  Of course this leads to all sorts of adventures and mishaps that lead to Grace and Meg finding love, until the real heiress arrives and panic ensues.  It's a fun, cute movie with surprisingly few embarrassing moments and a satisfying happy ending.  Selena Gomez isn't the most amazing actress, and her British accent was terrible, but overall she did a pretty good job.  But it was Leighton Meester's character that I loved the most; her story line was the most exciting and romantic.  A-

Headhunters is completely different.  The story revolves around four middle-aged, menopausal women (with filthy mouths and dirty minds) who decide to spice up their boring, monotonous lives by traveling to Monte Carlo and impersonating four extremely wealthy women.  They meet four men there, who are also impersonating people, and they all fall in love.  Their secrets eventually cause lots of drama and headaches.  One reviewer said of this book, "These women make the First Wives Club look like Little Women."  And it's absolutely true.  I couldn't finish the book; it was so trashy.  Every other sentence contained the F-word, and all the women talked about was sex in the crudest way possible.  Definitely not worth reading.  Incomplete

The Newest Addictions

Over the summer, I developed new addictions that took over my movie, TV, and book preferences.  The first addiction is everything BBC & Masterpiece.  I am absolutely in love with the British and their dramas.  The second, somewhat related addiction is period dramas.  Anything taking place in the past, especially the Jane Austen era, is an absolute must.  And the final addiction is the murder mystery.  Just consider my TV schedule.  Castle, Unforgettable, Psych, and Grimm are all murder mystery shows.  Of course when the addictions overlapped - such as a BBC murder mystery - that was the absolute best.

BBC (non-period drama/murder mystery)

• Primeval Season 4 -- After hearing that this dino-themed sci-fi series was going to be continued after its original cancellation, I was sadly disappointed when the fourth season finally arrived.  While it wasn't terrible, it didn't live up to the first few seasons.  Part of the problem is that they killed off most of the original cast, and the new characters just don't fill those voids.  The other part of the problem was that the show seemed to become overly sensational, like they were compensating for the lack of character development and chemistry with over-the-top, end-of-the-world scenarios.  Will I still watch season 5 if they ever decide to air it?  Yes.  (B-)
• The Last Enemy -- This miniseries starring Benedict Cumberbatch showed just how scary an Orwellian, "Big Brother is watching" government could be.  Mathematician Stephen Ezard returns home to England from China to find his homeland has changed radically since recent terrorist attacks.  Cameras on every corner, ID cards containing your entire life, and computer chips embedded in your skin that can track your every move.  It's a very thrilling story that really makes you think.  Unfortunately, the British seem to hate happy endings, so don't watch this movie and expect to feel good afterwards.  But I'd still recommend this miniseries (best seen as a companion to 1984 by Orwell and A Brave New World by Huxley) simply as a means of opening people's eyes to a possible future.  (A)

Period Dramas (non-BBC/murder mystery)

• Jane Eyre (2011) -- I have seen many versions of Charlotte Bronte's book since it's one of my favorite romances ever.  This most recent movie version, starring Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikowska, is a poorly done remake.  While the filmography might be called artsy, the story itself was sadly undeveloped and contained huge holes.  Plus, the eeriness that's felt throughout the book is missing completely from this movie.  Another complaint I have is that Fassbender's Rochester is too calm and gentle.  Edward Rochester is supposed to brusque, brooding, and somewhat violent.  But I could have forgiven all of that had it not been for the ending.  Bronte wrote one of the best endings ever; it's sweet, romantic, and funny.  But this movie version destroyed it, and for that I cannot forgive them.  (D)
• The Duchess --  So depressing!  Kiera Knightley and Ralph Fiennes star in this period drama about a loveless, arranged marriage.  The Duke marries a young woman of good family in order to have an heir, but he doesn't love her and continues to sleep with every other female.  Including her best friend.  The Duchess falls in love with a young politician, becomes pregnant with his child, and has her child forcibly taken away from her.  She then goes home to live with her husband, his mistress, and all of their children as one big family.  After watching this movie, even though I'm tired of them, I had to watch a silly rom-com just so I could watch something happy.  (C)
• Venetia by Georgette Heyer --  I love Georgette Heyer's regency romances, and this one was great.  Venetia is a young woman who is about to resign herself to spinsterhood, when her rakish neighbor, Lord Damerel, returns home and swoops her off her feet.  At first he only does it out of boredom, but he soon discovers that Venetia doesn't fall for his tricks and games, which intrigues him.  He soon realizes that he's fallen in love with her, but as his bad reputation will ruin hers, he refuses to let anything come of it.  But Venetia doesn't intend to let him go so easily.  This story made me smile so much because the bantering and flirting between Venetia and Lord Damerel reminded me so much of the relationship between Castle & Beckett.  This is a fun romance with surprising ending.  (A) 
• Sylvester, or the Wicked Uncle by Georgette Heyer --  This book has now caused my three-way tie for best Heyer book to become a four-way tie.  Funny, exciting, romantic- an all-together amazing read.  Sylvester is an aloof duke looking to get married.  His godmother suggests her friend's daughter Phoebe, so he decides to meet her.  Phoebe is an interesting young woman who wants more than anything to publish a novel, which she ends up doing successfully.  Unfortunately, the villain in her story is based off Sylvester himself, and as the two end up growing closer after a series of adventures, her book ends up causing the relationship a great many more hurdles and adventures to overcome.  I loved this book so much, I could not put it down or stop laughing as I read it.  (A+)

Murder Mysteries (non-BBC/period drama)

• And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie -- I read this book because my sister was taking a detective literature class, and both she and my mom liked the book.  It was so amazing!  Absolutely intense, gripping, and mind-bending.  I had no idea who the murderer was; every theory I had was completely wrong.  Definitely one of the best murder mysteries out there.  (A+)
• Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot series --  I started reading these mystery novels after finishing Christie's And Then There Were None.  I loved the television version of these novels, starring David Suchet, so I figured the books would probably be even better.  They were.  The best of all them was Murder on the Orient Express.  Christie is gifted when it comes to keeping her readers on their toes.  In every one her books, I was completely amazed by the ending.  (A to A+)
• Heat Wave by Richard Castle -- This first book from the fictional TV author isn't bad, but it's definitely not one of the best mystery novels I've read.  Honestly, I didn't expect it to be amazing, since it is from a TV show..  It was like reading the script for an episode of Castle, except the mystery wasn't that quirky or exciting, and Castle & Beckett's counterparts end up together.  I'll probably stick to the TV show rather than read the rest of the Heat series.  (B)
• Castle: Season 3 -- What can I say about this show that I haven't said already?  It's still just as amazing as ever, but I'm starting to agree with my sister about the Beckett's mom story arc.  Could they just solve it and move on already?  The more twisted it gets, the more I lose interest.  The rest of the season was great however, especially the steampunk episode.  And nothing could have prepared me for that season finale.  Now that the 3rd season's out on DVD, I can't wait to get it and rewatch all the Castle/Beckett awesomeness.  (A+)

I am so incredibly sick of writing about rom-coms because there never seems to be anything in them that's fresh or new or original.  The only real pull in these two movies are the actors.  Josh Duhamel and Matthew Goode are gorgeous eye-candy, but beyond that these two movies are just the same-old story, told again and again and again with a different setting and a different set of secondary characters.  Still enjoyable, but boring to review.

We'll start with Life As We Know It.  Two people who seem completely wrong for each other are thrown together by fate, and after lots of embarrassing situations and eye-opening revelations, they fall in love.  Cue obstacle that tears them apart, both physically and emotionally-- his job opportunity.  But then they realize that they still love each other and have to be together, and in the end, they are reunited in a sweet, heartfelt moment and live happily ever after.  Sound familiar?  What makes Life As We Know It somewhat unique is the baby.  Not that babies have never been in rom-coms before, but they're usually the biological child of at least one of the main characters.  This time the baby is the daughter of friends, who die in a car crash and leave the baby's care to the two main characters.

Leap Year follows almost exactly the same formula.  Two people who seem completely wrong for each other are thrown together because the woman is chasing after another man and needs help getting to him.  After lots of embarrassing situations and eye-opening revelations, they fall in love with each other.  Before they can reveal this to one another, cue the obstacle that tears them apart, both physically and emotionally-- the other man.  But then she realizes that she still loves "Mr. Wrong" and that they have to be together, and in the end are reunited in a sweet, heartfelt moment and live happily ever after.  The originality in this movie?  Ireland and an Irish proposal custom.  That's pretty much the only thing in this movie that sets it apart from every other rom-com out there.

That still doesn't mean that I disliked the movies.  I did enjoy both of them, mostly due to the fact that people seem to love the idea of polar opposites falling in love.  It's in almost every movie because people want it to be true.  The geek wants to end up with the cheerleader; the timid wallflower wants the exciting bad boy to notice her.  That's why Hollywood will be churning out these same-old romantic comedies until the end of time, and why people will still go see them.  Leap Year:  B.  Life As We Know It:  A-.

 Title:  Psych: Seasons 1-5
Category:  Crime/Comedy
Medium:  DVD
Rating:  A

Synopsis (from Amazon.com):  Fake psychic Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and his skeptical best friend Gus (Dule Hill) are on the case in the fresh and quirky runaway hit Psych!  Thanks to a childhood spent with a family of cops, Shawn possesses an incredible photographic memory and notices seemingly insignificant details. These traits allow him to spend his jobless days providing the police with mystery-solving tips - but his knowledge soon makes him a suspect. In order to clear his name, the unlikely sleuth declares that he has clairvoyant abilities and launches his own investigative agency, Psych.

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One of my favorite TV shows, Psych is a perfect combination of comedy, crime, and culture.  James Roday is hilarious as the over-the-top Shawn Spencer, a gifted observer who's still a child at heart and refuses to grow up, to the annoyance of his father, played by Corbin Bernsen.  Dule Hill is also spectacular as Shawn's best friend Gus, the level-headed business partner who tries to keep Shawn from getting carried away.  Their supporting cast is also extremely good.  Besides Bernsen as Shawn's disapproving dad, there's Maggie Lawson as the sweet junior detective Juliet O'Hara and Timothy Omundson as the disbelieving, workaholic head detective Carlton Lassiter.

Half the fun in Psych is the interactions between the characters and Shawn's absolute craziness.  But the other half is in the pop culture references that happen throughout the show.  Of course some of them go over my head, as I never watched or heard many of the movies and songs that Gus and Shawn refer to.  But those that I do get are incredibly funny.  I especially love when they reference current movies like National Treasure as well as 1980s TV shows like Family Ties.

Psych is an adventure every time I watch it, because I never know what crazy stunt Shawn will do next.  It's funny, romantic, exciting, and addicting.  Season 6 starts this fall, and I'm totally pumped for it.  (I bet you thought I was going to say "Psyched for it").  A

Title:  Bridesmaids
Format:  Movie Theater (May 14, 2011) 
Genre:  Comedy
Rating:  B-/C-

I'm giving the movie a mixed rating, because while it had funny parts, I will never watch it again.  I almost never watch rated-R movies.  I avoid them, because I really hate extreme violence, raunch, and hearing the F-word repeatedly.  PG-13 is where I usually draw the line, and I rarely go out of that comfort zone.  But this was for a bridesmaid outing with my friends Mary (the bride) and Christine.  Plus, I didn't even realize the movie wasn't PG-13 until the day before.

Bridesmaids was made by the same people who put out Superbad and Knocked Up (that should have been my first warning there), and focuses on the story of a woman whose best friend is getting married, whose love-life is a wreck, and whose fellow bridesmaid is an evil control-freak trying to take over her position as the bride's BFF.

The movie, being rated R, had plenty of raunchy humor and profanity (which is why I'll never see it again), and one rather gross scene involving food poisoning that had both Mary and me covering our eyes.  Both the opening & closing scenes of the movie were awkward and WAY out of my comfort zone.  If you dislike profanity, extremely raunchy humor, and puking, don't ever watch this movie!

What really disappoints me about this movie is that it had ridiculously funny parts that would have been awesome without all the raunch and grossness.  Bridesmaids could easily have been made a PG-13 movie without losing the real humor and fun of the movie.  I had so much fun laughing with my friends, but it would have been a better experience without all the rated-R material.  B-/C-

Title:  17 Again
Format:  Netflix
Genre:  Comedy/Romantic comedy
Rating:  B

Leslie Mann so deserves the credit for making this movie better than average.  She's another one of those great character actors who doesn't seem to get enough acclaim for her roles.  Zac Efron was good too, but the plot's been done enough times that nothing about this movie seemed original or unique.  Maybe the geeky best friend romancing the geeky principal was kind of funny, but overall, the movie was just average.  B

Title:  27 Dresses
Format:  Netflix
Genre:  Romantic comedy
Rating:  B

Typical romantic comedy.  Katherine Heigl and James Marsden are funny, but they're characters have so little development that they're practically two-dimensional.  Heigl's co-star Judy Greer, who never gets the acclaim she deserves, steals every scene.  I would have preferred watching a whole movie about her character, rather than sit through another hackneyed, cliched story.  B

Title:  When In Rome
Format:  Netflix
Genre:  Romantic comedy
Rating:  B+

Another typical rom-com.  Full of embarrassing scenarios to make you cringe, over-the-top and unrealistic characters, and an extremely ridiculous plot line, When In Rome is no different than any other modern romantic comedy.  I really love Josh Duhamel and Kristen Bell, but they desperately need to get out of the rom-com rut, or they will never get out.  B+

Title:  Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
Format:  Netflix
Genre:  Romantic Comedy
Rating:  A-

Synopsis (from All Movie Guide):  Famous Hollywood actor Tad Hamilton is trying to promote his new movie. His manager and his agent both convince him to participate in a dating contest in order to improve his bad-boy image. The contest is won by Rosalee Futch, an attractive young checkout girl who works at a Piggly Wiggly in West Virginia. When Tad ends up falling in love with her, he's willing to give up big-city life and move to small-town America. Meanwhile, her best friend and co-worker Pete is finally motivated to reveal his secret crush on her. Rosalee finds herself in the middle of a love triangle between her closest friend and a dream date.

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I am honestly sick of writing about romantic comedies, and I still have around five more to review.  What else can be said about them that hasn't already been said?  Boy likes Girl; Girl likes other Guy; other Guy turns out to be not-so-great; Girl realizes Boy was right for her the whole time.  The only things that set this movie apart from all other rom-coms were Ginnifer Goodwin's role as best friend and her one-liners (hilarious!), and Nathan Lane as Duhamel's agent.  His role in the movie is small but memorable.  (And then there's the fact that Josh Duhamel's gorgeous).  Otherwise, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton is your standard rom-com.  A-

Title:  The Invention of Lying
Format:  Netflix
Category:  Comedy (NOT!)
Rating:  F

I'm not even going to put a description for this; I hated it so much.  If I had known before watching it, that Ricky Gervais had written and directed it, and if the previews had been even remotely truthful about what this movie was about, I would NEVER have watched it.  It wasn't funny; the acting was awful; the movie was extremely anti-religion to the point of being offensive, especially if you're a Christian.  I could go on, but those are the three biggest reasons I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone.

1. Not funny.  The movie had a great concept.  Unfortunately, it just wasn't executed well at all.  It was the same joke, told over and over again, so after the first fifteen minutes, the novelty wore off.  This would have been more appropriate for an SNL skit than an entire movie.
2. Bad acting.  Jennifer Garner and Rob Lowe were wooden and unbelievable.  There was no chemistry, and I didn't, not even for one second, buy that ending between Gervais & Garner.
3. Anti-religion.  In all honesty, this movie was nothing more than a vehicle for Gervais to promote his atheism.  As if Christians don't get enough crap from Hollywood, here's a movie that is incredibly offensive to not only Christians, but all religions.  And none of the previews gave even the slightest hint that a huge majority of the movie was going to be focused on bashing religions and faith.

If you're a person of any faith, or if you're a person with taste, don't watch this movie.  F

Title:  Castle: Season 2
Format:  hulu.com
Category:  TV Crime Drama
Rating:  A

Description (from about.com):  Richard Castle is an incredibly famous mystery novelist who finds himself at the center of a police investigation when a serial killer uses scenes from Castle's book to commit his many crimes. Once Castle helps track down the killer with the help of the very beautiful Detective Kate Beckett, the two begin working together (with plenty of romantic tension) to solve homicides.

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Love, love, love this series!  I just bought and re-watched this season in preparation for Season 3 (on tonight!), and it just solidified in my mind how awesome this show is.  The dialogue, the humor, the exciting mysteries, the characters, the drama, the twists, the flirtation-- how can anyone resist loving a show with so much to offer?

The characters, their dialogue, and their humor are the main reasons this show surpasses other crime dramas.  Nathan Fillion is hilarious as novelist-turned-detective Richard Castle, and his banter with Detective Kate Beckett is the best part of the series.  Beckett is an awesome female lead; she's a kick-butt detective with a talent for sarcasm.  Her partners, Ryan and Esposito, are always handy with a witty remark or to tease Castle and Beckett, and their arguments over pointless and obscure facts add to the fun.  Castle's relationship with his mother and daughter also brings a lot of entertainment and laughter, and their presence helps keep Castle anchored to the real world.

The show is exciting, humorous, and fun, and its second season is the perfect follow-up to the awesomeness of the first.  A

50 Word Review 29

Title: The Proposal
Category: Romantic Comedy
Medium: Netflix.com
Rating: B

I actually liked this movie, despite some of the extremely embarrassing and awkward moments. It was really nice to have Sandra Bullock doing romantic comedies again, rather than cop flicks. Ryan Reynolds was also in his element, as he's mainly a comedic actor. And Betty White constantly stole the scene. B

50 Word Review 28

Title: Mr. Wrong
Category: Comedy/Romantic comedy
Medium: Netflix
Rating: B+

Surprisingly, I enjoyed this movie. I'm not a fan of Ellen; I think she's pretty annoying. But she was great here. I will never look at Bill Pullman the same way ever again though. He probably had fun with this character, but I preferred him in While You Were Sleeping. B+

50 Word Review 27

Title: Last Holiday
Category: Romantic comedy
Medium: Netflix
Rating: A

A heartwarming movie with an amazing ending. The perfect combo! And to make it even better, the main character is a Christian woman, who isn't cliched or whose faith isn't mocked. The movie was fun and sweet and romantic with minimal embarrassing moments, everything a romantic comedy ought to be. A

50 Word Review 24

Title: He's Just Not That Into You
Category: Romantic comedy
Medium: Netflix
Rating: A-

I loved some of the characters' stories, and despised one or two others'. The Alex and Gigi storyline was my favorite, followed closely by the Neil and Beth one. I really hated the Ben, Anna, Janine triangle. Good movie, but I didn't agree with all of the advice it gave. A-

50 Word Review 16

Title: Castle, Season 1
Category: TV/Crime/Comedy
Medium: DVD
Rating: A

(Same thing I said about Lie to Me and Glee).

Finally, Nathan Fillion gets to star in a show that lasts more than one season. Castle is a humorous, fun take on crime fighting. A great cast, intricate plot twists, and amazing chemistry between the characters make this a great series, rightfully deserving of its approval for a third season. A

50 Word Review 14

Title: Glee, Season 1
Category: TV, musical, comedy
Medium: TV, Hulu, DVD
Rating: A

(I really want to say more than 50 words on this, but I don't have time with these challenges coming up. Maybe Season 2).

I love this show! The music, the characters, the overall fun. Some of the storylines were annoying, but that's to be expected. After all, nothing's perfect. Matthew Morrison and Jane Lynch are spectacular as the feuding teachers, and the voices and performances are great. Finally, high-schoolers who can actually sing! A

Cancelled too soon

Title: Pushing Daises, Seasons 1 & 2
Format: Netflix/Blu-Ray
Category: TV/Mystery/Quirky/Romantic Comedy
Rating: A

This show was canceled much too soon. Full of vibrant characters, exciting mysteries, and lots of great plot twists, Pushing Daisies deserved at least another one or two seasons, if only to resolve many of the unanswered questions and twisting plot lines.

Description (from imdb.com): Ned possesses the unique talent of being able to bring life to the dead merely by touching them. However, the person may remain alive only for one minute, or else someone else dies for them. A second touch will render the person dead again, unable to be revived. Through his connections with PI Emerson Cod, Ned revives his childhood sweetheart, Chuck. The trio, aided occasionally by Olive Snook, helps solve the mysteries of various murders, whose murderer is often surprising.

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That description barely does this series justice. Like many other shows that are canceled too soon, such as Firefly, this series' popularity came too late to save it, and now its fan-base must be satisfied with only two seasons (which is much better than Firefly, whose fans only have the first season). I am one of those fans who is guilty of getting into this show too late. When I first heard about it and saw the commercials, I thought it looked like a fun show, but it unfortunately interfered with another show I was watching. I became a fan after getting the first disc of Season 1 from Netflix. And then I was hooked.

What makes this series so wonderful is its characters. Each one is so different and so distinct that they stay with you, no matter how long their appearance in the show lasted. Ned the piemaker is by far my favorite character (and that's not just because it's the gorgeous Lee Pace), followed closely by his girlfriend Charlotte, a.k.a. Chuck. They're both such well-developed, interesting people who you can connect with on an emotional level. The other characters have varying levels of depth and connection, but each contributes a lot to the storyline. The two eccentric aunts, the singing waitress, and the gruff PI with a hidden heart of gold. All of these main characters, as well as the secondary characters, are the real attraction of this quirky mystery show.

The other two factors that drew me to this show were the dialogue and the setting. The conversations between Ned and Chuck were so deep, but they were also sweet and fun, so you were getting complex, meaningful, and sometimes philosophical ideas delivered in the form of flirting or pie metaphors. Also, I would give anything to live wherever this series took place. The bright and colorful people and houses, the pie-crust awning of The Pie Hole, the decorative shapes of the buildings, the old-fashioned mixed with the modern so perfectly. If only it really existed!

While this show is definitely not meant for kids (many of the corpses interviewed are rather gross and creepy), it is perfect for everyone else. A