Title:  Reaper Man
Author:  Terry Pratchett
Format:  Paperback
Pages:  384
Genre:  Fantasy/Satire
Read: 2010

Rating:  A

Synopsis (from publisher): They say there are only two things you can count on ... 

But that was before DEATH started pondering the existential. Of course, the last thing anyone needs is a squeamish Grim Reaper and soon his Discworld bosses have sent him off with best wishes and a well-earned gold watch. Now DEATH is having the time of his life, finding greener pastures where he can put his scythe to a whole new use.

But like every cutback in an important public service, DEATH's demise soon leads to chaos and unrest -- literally, for those whose time was supposed to be up, like Windle Poons. The oldest geezer in the entire faculty of Unseen University -- home of magic, wizardry, and big dinners -- Windle was looking forward to a wonderful afterlife, not this boring been-there-done-that routine. To get the fresh start he deserves, Windle and the rest of Ankh-Morpork's undead and underemployed set off to find DEATH and save the world for the living (and everybody else, of course).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Possibly the best Discworld book I've read thus far.  I think it's mostly because DEATH is the best character ever.  I know that sounds weird, but he really is hilarious.  And DEATH developing a conscience and getting fired is a great story idea.  

The other half of the story is really good too.  Windle Poons and his undead friends are so amusing as they try to navigate "life" after... well, what should have been death.  They're adventures with the "birth" of the modern shopping mall is one of the funniest satires I have ever read.  

Pratchett really outdid himself with Reaper Man.  I cannot wait to read it again.  A

Title:  I Shall Wear Midnight
Author:  Terry Pratchett
Format:  Hardcover
Pages:  355
Genre:  Fantasy/Young Adult
Series #:  4 of 4
Read:  2010

Rating:  A-

Synopsis (from publisher):  It starts with whispers.  Then someone picks up a stone.  Finally, the fires begin.  When people turn on witches, the innocents suffer. . . .

Tiffany Aching has spent years studying with senior witches, and now she is on her own. As the witch of the Chalk, she performs the bits of witchcraft that aren't sparkly, aren't fun, don't involve any kind of wand, and that people seldom ever hear about: She does the unglamorous work of caring for the needy.

But someone or something is igniting fear, inculcating dark thoughts and angry murmurs against witches. Aided by her tiny blue allies, the Wee Free Men, Tiffany must find the source of this unrest and defeat the evil at its root before it takes her life. Because if Tiffany falls, the whole Chalk falls with her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The fourth book of the Tiffany Aching series, I Shall Wear Midnight, is an exciting story that grips you and keeps you reading.  Opening with an intense and heart-rending scene, the book immediately sets you up for the drama to follow.  Tiffany's foe here is perhaps the creepiest of any she's ever had to face, especially since he's infecting the thoughts of the people around him.

I loved this installment because of the romance element.  In the three previous books, Tiffany was too young for any real romance.  Now that she's older, she's ready for love, but not with the person we all believed she would end up marrying.  Instead, Roland is to marry someone else, and Tiffany must deal with the heartbreak and jealousy.

I Shall Wear Midnight isn't my favorite of the series, but it's a close second.  A-

Title:  Avatar
Format:  Netflix
Genre:  Sci-Fi
Rating:  A-

I don't know why I'm bothering to put a description.  I think the entire world has heard of this movie at some point.

Description (from imdb.com):  When his brother is killed in a robbery, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully decides to take his place in a mission on the distant world of Pandora. There he learns of greedy corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge's intentions of driving off the native humanoid "Na'vi" in order to mine for the precious material scattered throughout their rich woodland. In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Jake gathers intel for the cooperating military unit spearheaded by gung-ho Colonel Quaritch, while simultaneously attempting to infiltrate the Na'vi people with the use of an "avatar" identity. While Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri, the restless Colonel moves forward with his ruthless extermination tactics, forcing the soldier to take a stand - and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I admit it.  I finally caved and saw Avatar.  And to all of you people who don't believe Avatar is anything like Pocahontas... you're wrong.  This movie is a futuristic Pocahontas with aliens.  That doesn't mean it's not a great movie; while the plot line is pretty much the same, everything else--the settings, characters, genre, and format--  is so radically different that Avatar is still a creative and original idea with amazing special effects.  And comparing it to Pocahontas shouldn't be seen as an insult anyway, since I think that movie was pretty awesome too.

My favorite part of the whole movie was the world James Cameron created.  Pandora is beautiful, and its inhabitants are fun and colorful.  The attention to detail and color, the unique creatures, and the amazing special effects worked together to create a new world which Cameron will be basing another two movies in at least.

Avatar is definitely a great movie, worthy of watching more than once, but maybe not worth the extreme mania that surrounded it.  I know several people who think it's "the greatest movie ever," and while I agree it's great, I don't agree that it's the "greatest."  A-

Title:  Wintersmith
Author:  Terry Practhett
Format:  Hardcover
Pages:  336
Genre:  Fantasy/Young adult
Series #:  3 of 4
Read in:  2010

Rating:  A-

Synopsis (from the publisher):  At 9, Tiffany Aching defeated the cruel Queen of Fairyland. At 11, she banished an ancient body-stealing evil. At 13, Tiffany faces a new challenge: a boy. And boys can be a bit of a problem when you're thirteen . . . .

But the Wintersmith isn't exactly a boy. He is Winter itself—snow, gales, icicles—all of it. When he has a crush on Tiffany, he may make her roses of ice, but his nature is blizzards and avalanches. And he wants Tiffany to stay in his gleaming, frozen world. Forever.

Tiffany will need all her cunning to make it to Spring. She'll also need her friends, from junior witches to the legendary Granny Weatherwax. They—Crivens! Tiffany will need the Wee Free Men, too! She'll have the help of the bravest, toughest, smelliest pixies ever to be banished from Fairyland—whether she wants it or not. It's going to be a cold, cold season, because if Tiffany doesn't survive until Spring—Spring won't come.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I wish I'd reviewed this book as soon as I read it, so I could actually remember all the reasons I liked this book.  But alas, I did not; therefore, this will be a short review.  I think Wintersmith is probably my favorite of the Tiffany Aching series.  The story was exciting and the Mac Feegles were their usual hilarious, troublesome selves.  Tiffany was also a more enjoyable character, easier to relate to and understand.  The Wintersmith presented a formidable adversary, and yet you can't help but pity him.  The other witches were great secondary characters with a lot of depth and humor.  A fun read.  A-

Title:  The Lady in the Palazzo
Author:  Marlena de Blasi
Format:  Paperback
Pages:  317
Genre:  Memoir/Travelogue
Read:  2010

Rating:  B+

Synopsis (from the publisher):  Orvieto, an ancient Italian city rising above the cliffs of Umbria, is among the most dramatic in Europe. It is here that Marlena de Blasi, author of the national bestseller A Thousand Days in Venice, sets out to make a home—in the former ballroom of a dilapidated sixteenth-century palazzo—and win over her neighbors, who include artisans, counts, shepherds, and a lone violinist. Though wary of a stranger in their midst, they find her passion for the fine arts of cooking and eating irresistible, and together they create a spectacular feast as breathtaking as the city itself.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Better than That Summer in Sicily, but still not as good as A Thousand Days in Tuscany.  This addition to de Blasi's memoirs is full of interesting characters, fun anecdotes, and great descriptions.  But for me, it lacked the passion of her first two books.  I just didn't connect with her or her new neighbors the way I did in A Thousand Days.  It was still a good book, but I found myself skimming through parts of it.  Maybe it's partly because I've never bought a home that needed renovations, which is why those parts of the book seemed tedious (just like Under the Tuscan Sun).  I think the biggest reason I struggled to enjoy this book was because de Blasi herself struggled with her inclusive neighbors and lazy Italian contractors, and that struggle came through in her writing.  A great picture of Tuscan culture, but not as appealing as de Blasi's other works.  B+

Title:  Incarceron
Author:  Catherine Fisher
Format:  Hardcover
Pages:  702
Genre:  Fantasy/Steampunk/Young adult
Series #:  1 of ??
Read:  February 17-19, 2011

Rating:  A-

Synopsis (from the publisher):  Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness. Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, has no memory of his childhood and is sure that he came from Outside Incarceron. Very few prisoners believe that there is an Outside, however, which makes escape seems impossible.
And then Finn finds a crystal key that allows him to communicate with a girl named Claudia. She claims to live Outside- she is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and doomed to an arranged marriage. Finn is determined to escape the prison, and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Totally unexpected ending!  I love books that end with a surprising twist, and Incarceron did not disappoint.  Besides an amazing ending, it also had great characters and an original & exciting concept.

Claudia and Finn are the best characters in the book, with great depth and development.  The secondary characters also receive plenty of attention and detail, making them much more than two-dimensional sidekicks.  I wish there had been more time to develop the Queen's character.  She seems like a much more vicious and scheming villain than Claudia's father, but she doesn't come in until the end of the book, so we only catch a glimpse of her dark side.

The plot and concept of the book were unique and exciting.  Once I really got into it, I couldn't put the book down.  The idea of a living prison that watches over its inmates, that has turned evil itself over time, is incredibly creative.  And on the outside, the people have been forced to freeze progress and stay stuck in one particular time in order to establish peace in the land.  So despite amazing advancements in technology, everyone's living as if they were born during Shakespeare's era, with ruffled clothes, arranged marriages, and only a few modern amenities (honestly, they weren't going to give up toilets).

My only complaint with the book was that it seemed incredibly jumpy and fractured at times, like something had been skipped over in the story.  I had to reread a few parts to make sure I hadn't missed anything.  Otherwise, Incarceron was amazing.  A-

Title:  Hogfather
Author:  Terry Pratchett
Format:  Paperback
Pages:  384
Genre:  Fantasy/Satire 

Rating:  B+

Synopsis (from the publisher):  It's that most wonderful time of the year, Hogswatchnight, when the Hogfather himself dons his red suit and climbs in his sleigh pulled by—of course!—eight hogs, bringing gifts to all the boys and girls of Discworld. But this year someone else is riding the sleigh. Death. He's had to stand in for the missing fat man—otherwise the sun won't shine tomorrow... 

It's up to Discworld's intellectual elite—with the help of a motley collection of unusual cohorts—to come up with a plan to save the universe. And they'd better hurry...

Yes, there's a "new" Hogfather in town.

HO. HO. HO.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Like Going Postal, I think watching the miniseries adaptation of Hogfather first affected my perception of the book.  I kept comparing it to the miniseries, and there were a few parts I felt the adaptation did better than the book.  Besides that, I really liked the story, the characters, and the writing.

Death is definitely my favorite character in Pratchett's books.  His conversations with his "granddaughter" and his unique outlook on the people of the Disc are entertaining and fun.  The villain of the story, Teatime, is genuinely creepy.  I would not want to meet him... ever.  The entire concept of the story was great too.  Death having to step into the shoes of the Discworld's equivalent of Santa in order to save the holidays... awesome!  B+

Title:  Hercules
Format:  Netflix
Genre:  Fantasy/Miniseries
Rating:  D

Awful special effects and bad acting/writing made this miniseries a chore to watch.  There were such talented actors in this; it could have been better.  But even they couldn't save the terrible script.  And some of the other actors were definitely not skilled; combine their lack of talent with that writing and voila! Instant crap.  Maybe they should've spent less money on getting big-name actors and more on good writers and special effects.  D

Title:  Meteor
Format:  Netflix
Category:  Sci-fi/Drama/Miniseries
Rating:  B-

I really don't think a synopsis is necessary for this one.  If you can't figure out what the miniseries is about from the title or the picture, I can't help you (you're beyond help).  A pretty standard disaster flick.  Think Armageddon or Deep Impact, only longer and kind of average.  There was nothing special about it.  The only part that I felt strongly about was the ending.  I hate movies that end on a "cryptic" note.  Everybody else is happy, but one person is already spreading pessimism and despair.  Blah.  B-

Title:  I Am Number Four
Author:  Pittacus Lore
Format:  Hardcover
Pages:  440
Genre:  Sci-fi/Fantasy/Young adult
Series #:  1 of ?
Read:  February 12, 2011

Rating:  A+




Synopsis (from publisher):  
We may be walking past you right now.
We are watching as you read this.
We may be in your city, your town.
We are living anonymously.
We are waiting for the day when
We will find each other.
We will make our last stand together—if
We win,
We are saved, and
You are saved as well.
If we lose, all is lost.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wow.  This book was amazing!  I don't blame DreamWorks for grabbing up the movie rights (let's just hope they do this story justice).  With great characters, lots of exciting action, and a sweet romance, I Am Number Four has something for everyone.

The book tells the adventures of Four, a gifted alien from the now-desolate planet of Lorien, who escaped to Earth with eight fellow gifted aliens and their keepers.  They are called by their numbers because they can only be killed in numerical order.  After splitting up the group in order to throw off their pursuers, the Mogadorians, Four has lived all over the U.S. and is now attempting to make a home in the small town of Paradise, Ohio.  Unlike every other place he's lived, Four actually begins to settle down, make friends, and fall in love.  While trying to live an ordinary life, his keeper, Henri, trains him to use his gifts or Legacies so one day he can defeat their enemies and return to Lorien.  It is also especially vital that he knows how to use his Legacies because alien Three is killed, making him the next target.

Everything is going smoothly until a near-fatal fire leads the Mogadorians to discovering his whereabouts, and they move in for an attack.  The growing tension and thrilling climax are extremely well-written, and I can't wait for August when the sequel, The Power of Six, is released.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy, sci-fi, action, and/or romance.  A+