NOS4A2 – Joe Hill A Book Review
This book explorers the world created in the mind and the carnage when it spills out into the physical world that we all share. Joe Hill (Locke & Key) has done an amazing job writing this horrific adventure story. His characters are so believable and have you rooting for them as their personal journeys are impeded by each other and their own flaws. Read More…
The Ocean at the End of the Lane: A Book Review
On the surface, the ocean is light and illuminates life just beneath. However, when you dive deeper, the beams of light begin to narrow and you are left amidst the shadows and the creatures that hunt in the uncertainty. The Ocean at the End of the Lane lies just between. You feel as though you are treading between the last rays of light above you, but wanting to know what lies beneath your toes.
The story begins in the light, an artist returns to his hometown for a funeral. He wanders to a farm where his childhood friend Lettie Hempstock lived with her mother, Ginnie, and her grandmother old Mrs. Hempstock. He vaguely remembers the duck pond towards the back of the property and as he approaches it he begins to remember much much more. He is overwhelmed with long forgotten memories of supernatural beings and truths that pre-date the moon hanging in our sky.
No spoilers…. I promise!
The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
Once upon a time, a young boy lived down the lane from three ladies; a grandmother, a mother, and an 11 year old daughter. The eleven year old is called Letty Hemstock and she claims that the duck pond in their backyard is an ocean. Her mother remembers crossing the ocean from the old country and the grandmother remembers the really old country that was before the big bang. These women are the only hope our young narrator has to overcome the trouble he is in.
I did not need to check the dust cover to know this was the plot of the newest Neil Gaiman book. Gaiman has a distinct writing style that invites the reader into a world that is full of adventure and memorable characters. His writing style is unique because he can take fantastical elements and integrate them into reality in a plausible way. The Ocean at the End of the Lane feels like it will have a solid adventure and the plot already gives us insight to three interesting women.
Gaiman has said that this was a story he hadn’t even meant to write as a novel. It evolved from a short story to a novella then finally his first adult novel since Anansi Boys. He feels that this is something different than anything he has ever written, and this gave him a bit of anxiety. However, with a little help from some lucky advanced readers he was confident enough to release it and now us mere mortals are counting down till we have the same privilege. Be ready to pick up your copy on June 18th this summer.
“I’m so proud of it and hope you will give it a chance, Thank You.”
– Neil Gaiman
I am in page-turning love with this author…
Over the past months I have shared the authors who make my heart go boom and have the unique ability to
transport me. Patrick Rothfuss and Carlos Ruiz Zafon are two of the authors who came out of nowhere, for me, and they are about to have a lady friend to keep them company on my shelves; Tiffany DeBartolo.
I was doing my usual Goodreads search when I came across a comment from an online buddy, she was raving about a book that was so good she had basically highlighted each line. This book is called, How to Kill a Rockstar.
I have finished this book and if I could choose only one quote to prove its worth I guess it would have to be this one:
“Fate is the magnetic pull of our souls toward the people, places, and things we belong with.”
More after the jump (no spoilers).
Zombies only want you for your brains…
Hello Zombie Fans,
I Saw Zombies Eating Santa Claus – by S.G. Browne
What we have here is a wonderful holiday themed example of what a zombie novel can be. This book is funny, insightful, and down-right entertaining. It is the sequel to S.G. Browne’s amazing zombie love story: Breathers.
If you haven’t read Breathers you may want to pick it up. It has everything you would ever need for a proper love story. It has heart, brains, and a few more squishy bits. (Get it? Zombie humor…) Breathers takes place in a world where some of the dead just come back. It answers all the practical questions: Can Zombies speak? What about decomposition? Where can you buy embalming fluid in bulk? What are my rights as an Undead American? You get all of this plus an awesome story of raging against the machine and finding love in a unlikely circumstance.
S.G. Browne has a way of writing where something as ridiculous as an undead support group is actually kind of plausible. You find yourself saying “aww” at certain moments and laughing the next. This author is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
Okay, as you may have noticed by now I am a fan of books that become movies. Actually it seems like recently just about everything on the big screen falls into that category. I found this book after watching the trailer for Warm Bodies. I vaguely remembered the plot from my search for a zombie story that was less gore more heart.
If you have seen the trailer you know that this story tries to make light of the Protagonist, R‘s, situation; you know… being the walking undead. Here is what you need to know about the plot.
This is a story of star-crossed lovers. She is a teenage girl and he is a zombie who has eaten her boyfriend’s brain. When a zombie eats a human brain, it absorbs all of its prey’s memories and in the case of “R” he absorbs the feelings this boy has for Julie. R & Julie…. ring and shakespearian bells? R’s ability to love Julie causes a change and its contagious, proving that love truly conquers all.
Click to read what I thought about the book and to watch the trailer for the upcoming movie. Read More…
The Cemetery of Lost Books
Every couple weeks I go window shopping at my local bookstore. I browse the shelves and take pictures of the covers that catch my eye. I know I know… don’t judge a book by its cover. I have been burned many many times for this particular vice, but this time it has paid off!
I have stumbled upon a series by an amazingly gifted writer, Carlos Ruiz Zafon; The Cemetery of Lost Books. He is a Spanish writer and these books have been brilliantly translated. The cemetery is also referred to as the a place for forgotten books, but that is the only inconsistency I had found.
Zafon’s writing style makes you wonder if magic truly exists. His stories are woven in a way that you wonder if it is supernatural or perhaps an illusion to detract from the man behind the curtain. It is very clever and entertaining. This extends to his characters each of whom has a back-story and easily discernible characteristics.
As I have mentioned before I enjoy when stories share the same universe. This series takes place in Barcelona over a few generations, but you get updates on the amazing characters you grew attached to in the other stories. Each book has its own story and the character is linked to the world through the cemetery and their connection to a forgotten book. I am going to explain this Fight Club style. Read More…
The Perks of Being an advanced movie review…
It is hard to maintain the feeling you get while reading a book when you watch a movie. Film is so objective that you tend to lose parts that may feel essential to the reader. It stands to reason that the perfect way to overcome that obstacle is to have the author write the screenplay then direct the movie. Now, this may not always work, but for The Perks of Being a Wallflower… it did.
Stephen Chbosky did such an amazing job of adapting his book to the big screen. I was fortunate enough to watch it early, and even talk to the man myself! Okay perhaps I should mention that there were rows and rows of movie seats between us, but he looked right at me and answered the question I managed to scrape out of my cluttered mind… so yeah, it totally counts.
There are no spoilers beyond this point so please do not hesitate! Click to read myreview.
“This moment will just be another story someday.” A Book Review with No Spoilers
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Lately, I have been asked what i thought about this book, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I think the fact that the movie is coming out soon is behind the increased curiosity.
This is a straight forward YA novel, but Stephen Chbosky has made it so personal that you cannot help but connect to these characters. The protagonist, Charlie, is an innocent 15 year old boy who is trying to find his place in the world instead of observing from the edges. Read More…
What’s in my Library Bag?
I practically live at my local library, I mean it is perfect for people who possess insatiable media-based appetites. I can find that book I have been wanting to read, listen to the new album by <insert band name here>, flip through magazines that I don’t want cluttering up my coffee table, and even rent a movie to take home.
This week my haul is pretty amazing. Here is my week of figurative consumption:
BOOKS
I have been on a quest to understand the comic book world and since Batman is such a big part of 2012 I thought I would start from the beginning. First page and I feel so comfortable because an old friend from my Archie Comics days is there. Commissioner Gordon is a dead ringer for Hiram Lodge (Veronica’s father) in my humble opinion. Sorry, I am partial to tangents. The dialogue in this volume is amazingly bad! I mean he sees a light in a window and says, “A light! I should go there!” don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t take much away from “The Batman”. It is fun to see where this character we all grew up with came from and appreciate the evolution in art and writing.
What stuck out?:
The violence in this book is different than what I see in modern day heroes. Batman has no qualms about killing in the early issues and he is injured quite a few times. He gets shot and because he is human, he needs to make tactical retreats and lick his wounds. Oh and of course the Joker! He is not some lame mobster like the other villains in this volume. He is smart and has a game in place while also being insane. I immediately thought of The Dark Knight when i read it because this Joker calls his plays. Another touch I loved was the use of nerve chemicals to leave his victims with a gruesome smile. Very dark, I enjoyed it.
Please Click to see my advanced review of the new Bloc Party album and the rest of what’s in my library bag.
Call Yourself A Nerd 