Blue Envelopes and Harry Dresden

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

This is a sequel to 13 Little Blue Envelopes, which is an excellent book. I suggest it. This book takes place about 6 months after the first one. Someone has contacted Ginny saying that they found her last Blue Envelope and wants to meet up. Without really thinking twice, Ginny goes off to England to continue her Aunts adventure. While there she find new friends and that not everything can stay the same.

I really really enjoyed this movie. 13 Little Blue Envelopes is a book that I definitely though tneeded a sequel so I was pleased to actually get one. This book was everything I hoped it'd be. It took me to places I didn't expect and brought me to places I'd hoped it would. The ending felt perfectly final, giving me the closer I wanted while still letting me imagine what could happen. It was a great sequel. I suggest reading the first one if you haven't and I greatly suggest the sequel if you have.

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Harry Dresden is Chicago's only professional Wizard. He runs a private investigation where more often then not he gets calls asking if he really is a Wizard than a job. He's getting pretty desperate when the police calls him in to look at a murder scene who's victims hearts where brutally ripped out. It reaks of Wizard. From there his life goes down hill as he searches for the Dark Wizard who is the cause of the murder before he is blamed for it. Along the way he runs into vampires, a drug that grants the users magical Sight, an underground mob boss and a few demon.

My friend lent me this book, insisting that I read it. There are 15 books in this series so far. I know! What do you even do with a 15 book long series? So of course I was a little apprehensive. Any book series that just shells out books tends to be a little.. low on substance. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Sure it wasn't some literary gold mine, but it was enjoyable. I liked reading it and I found it sucking me into it's plot. It's a good book to just zone out in and relax.

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

Harry Dresden is back. After his adventure in the first book, he's not on the greatest terms with the Police. When they call him in because of another suspicious murder scene, it doesn't take him long to figure out Werewolves are the cause. Now while investigating he has to work carefully since the Police are constantly suspicious of him. Dresden quickly finds out that trying to dodge Police AND Werewolves is not conducive to solving this murder.

Just re-read my second paragraph from the first book, because it's basically the same thing. An enjoyable read.

Book Count: 9

The Grey

An oil drilling team's plane goes down on the way home from Alaska. Gathering together their senses and everyone still alive, they try to survive the harsh weather while trying to find civilization. And then the wolves come.

I was excited to see this movie: Liam Neeson fighting wolves. What more could you ask for? I gotta say, I actually got more than I asked for. The story was emotional and tense and I actually wanted all the characters to survive – even the dumb annoying ones. The movie definitely didn't pull any punches throughout the movie, especially at the end. Personally I loved the ending, it felt appropriate; however I know a lot of people who just didn't like it. Overall I liked the movie a lot more then I thought I would, it might even be going on my to be bought list.

Oh, also. Stay around after the credits.

Crazy Stupid Love

I only watched this movie because my roommate heavily suggested it, but I was still hesitant. Chick Flicks aren't really my thing, and despite how much I enjoy Emma Stone I didn't have high hopes for this movie.

When Cal's wife asks for a divorce, his life gets turned upside-down. In a fit of depression and uncertainty, Cal wandered into a bar which a professional ladies man decides to take him up under his wing, Jacob. Jacob takes pity on Cal, giving his life a much needed make-over with the desire to win back his wife.

At first I wasn't into this movie. It wasn't particularly funny nor was it very romantic for being a romantic comedy. None of the characters seemed very interesting or dimensional to me and it just seemed so not interesting. And then there was this point in the movie, maybe about halfway thought, when it just suddenly stepped up its game. The romance of the moment swept me away, giving me an 'Aw' moment that I rarely get from movies. Overall the movie wasn't bad. It was a fun watch which is usually all I require out of romantic comedies. However that one moment of romance made the movie worth watching more me. 

Also I'd like to note that I have no idea why everyone is obsessed with Ryan Gosling. Sure he's handsome in that classic Hollywood sorta way, but I wouldn't say he's significantly more handsome than any of the other actors. It just seems like the Gosling Fever came out of no where with no particularly good reason for it. If anyone can explain it to me, I'd appreciate it.

Like Crazy

Like Crazy is about Anna, a British college student studying abroad in America. While there she meets Jacob and they both fall hard for each other, quickly turning into a very serious relationship. In a moment of ill thought out stupidity, Anna decides to stay with Jacob over the summer instead of going home to satisfy her visa requirements and just goes home for a week instead. When she tries to return, they tell her she isn't allowed in the country and is forced back in Britain. The story follows both Jacob and Anna as they try to keep their relationship despite the giant ocean between them.

This movie wasn't a chick flick, it was just a movie about a relationship which I appreciated that they didn't feel the need to fluff everything up. In fact I loved the entire movie right up to the ending that left me feeling a bit.. unsure. Everything in the movie felt so real and heartfelt, so maybe my problem with the ending was that it was a tad to realistic. I was very invested in the characters and I wanted a bit more of a concrete ending. It didn't need to be a happy ending, just a more set ending.

Overall I'd suggest this movie. It definitely has an Indie feel to it and I always appreciate a realistic feel to a movie. Also Anna's mom is played by River Song from Doctor Who, if you're into that kinda thing.

The Road

So I just watched the movie adaptation of The Road. To be honest, it was exactly like the book. The dialog was exactly the same (seriously), and there were no different scenes. So.. it wasn't bad. It was the same amount of Okay as the book. In fact, I'm just going to put the link for my review from the book, because of how not different the two are.

Link Link Link 

A Frostbitten Road

The Road by Cormac McCarthy 

Set after some unexplained apocalypse, a father and son walk down a road, trying to make it south before the winter get really bad. That's about all the summary you need.

This book was interesting. You never find out the father and sons, or any other characters, name the entire book. They are just addressed as Man and Boy. The world is now just an ashy gray landscape with it only changing between pitch black, kinda gray, and raining. A majority of the population has died and you don't want to cross paths with most of the people still alive. Finding food is just one of the many struggles they have to stay alive.

I keep flipping back on forth on this book. On one hand, I love how simple the book is. You never learns names, you never learn how the world got to this point, and you never learn what happens later. Instead you just follow the Man and the Boy as they wander through the currant world with its own currant problems. On the other hand, I felt like it was missing something. I don't really need to know what happened to the world – I enjoy guessing what happened – nor do I need to know if the world ever gets better. I'm not sure what it was, but I just wanted more from the book. I think I just wanted more of a relationship between the Man and the Boy. Usually their conversation was so impersonal and scattered that I would have thought they were just a Man and Boy who met up and decided to travel together instead of a Father and Son. Overall I didn't dislike the book. I just wanted more from it.

Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong

The forth book in a series, Frostbitten follows the only female werewolf: Elena Michaels. Werewolves are a hidden society that are either born, or bitten. If born, they don't become werewolves until puberty, and then it's only the males who inherit the werewolf gene. If bitten, the person immediately goes through the genetic change – an extremely painful process that not everyone survives. Before Elena, no female had successfully survived the Change. After two decades of getting used to being a werewolf, Elena has finally gotten used to her new life and she's become an extremely useful part of the Pack. This mission around Elena and her husband Clayton go to Alaska to look into some human deaths with Mutt's (non-Pack werewolves) being the probably cause. Between the harsh cold weather, the startlingly silent wilderness, and the a pack of rouge Mutts, Elena and Clayton have possibly bitten off more than they can chew.

Book count: 6

Suite Develish Academy

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

Scarlett Martin grew up in a hotel. As interesting as that sounds, it quickly loses its appeal when you have to clean and deal with guests for your entire life. This summer was suppose to be spent getting a summer job for pocket money, instead she was told to work at the hotel some more. Now she has to attend to Mrs. Amberson – an eccentric, C-List celebrity who is determined to change everyones life around her. Between Mrs. Amberson, her angsty little sister, her struggling actor brother and a possibly love interest, this could prove to be her most interesting summer yet.

This book was about letting loose so you can enjoy what's going on around you. Mrs. Amberson acted as a sort of once in a life person who manages to influence everyone around her, changing things that were previously thought to be unchangeable. Of could her desire is to change everyone, but it's not until she loosens up a bit before she starts making the big changes. I think Maureen Johnson does an excellent job of showing the different type of siblings. There is Scarletts' brother, Spencer, who is an amazing physical actor who doesn't want to get tied down to the hotel forever. He loves to dote on Scarlett and they can usually be found talking and hanging out more then not. Then there is Scarlett's youngest sister, Marlene who is coddles and is allowed to do essentially anything she wants by their parents. For whatever reason, Marlene has a problem with Scarlett and is generally not a fan of her. Lastly there is Lola, Scarlett's older sister who works outside of the hotel and is not often around. Lola and Scarlett are always nice and sisterly to each other, but Scarlett won't go to the movies with each other or anything like that.

I really enjoyed this book. I found all the characters interesting and intriguing – Mrs. Amberson and Spencer are at the top of that list. Scarlett felt like a realistic 15 year old that I could relate to on some level (despite not being 15). I'll probably buy the sequel when I see it in the store so I can continue my journey with Scarlett Martin and her family.

Devilish by Maureen Johnson

Jane is ridiculously smart. The sort of smart that is isolating. She breezes through all of her classes, even the college level one that are offered special just because of her. Jane dyes her hair and rebels against their school strict catholic rules because there is no real reason to try. Her only friend is Allison Concord and to be honest Jane is fine with that. Ally is sweet, lovable, a little clueless but still Jane's best friend. After a traumatically embarrassing event in front of the school (let me just say barfing on someone was involved), Ally comes into to school acting and looking different. Jane, being the smart gal she is, investigates the weirdness with quickly gets her involved into a game for her soul with the devil.

I didn't dislike this book. It was fun and definitely a new idea. However I wouldn't be too distraught if I misplaced the book and couldn't find it. It just fell a little flat for me. I found myself not actually caring about any of the characters nor the overall outcome.

Knightly Academy by Violet Haberdasher 

Knightly Academy is a prestigious school where kids from well-to-do families study to become knights. At least it used to only be for well-to-do families, until a loophole let Henry Grim, a serving boy, take the test and pass. Now Henry Grim gets to fulfill his dream of becoming a knight, if only he can survive the bullying from his much more socially important classmates. However things get a lot more serious when the harmless bullying turns into threats, stolen items, and legitimate attempts to get them hurt or even expelled. Henry needs to figure out who is behind this before it ruins his chances to become a knight forever.

Before I read this book, I was told rather accurately that it was like 'Harry Potter with Knights'. Henry Grim was an incredibly likeable main character, he was smart and just wanted to learn despite no one wanting him to be there. His two friends he does have balances him out nicely – Rohan and Adam. Rohan is the reason, the one who pipes up whenever they are about to do something not exactly allowed. Adam is the wit, getting Rohan and Henry to relax and just enjoy themselves whenever they get too stressed out.

Obviously there are a lot of similarities with Harry Potter, not that that's entirely a bad thing. Just an observation. I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, fun read that drew me in. I have a thing for medieval stories, I'd never toss up the chance for to stories about knights and this book is no exception. 

Book Count: 4