Teaser Tuesday - Ghost Story (August 30, 2012)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

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Once more with The Dresden Files!  I'm still on vacation, but I definitely did not want any of my Little Addicts to feel lonely or abandoned!  So, just for you, a Tease!
Feel free to leave your comments, and links to YOUR Teasers below, as usual, and I'll be sure to check them out when I get back! 


 The Tease:

 "It didn't matter that I was dead.  It didn't matter that I was literally a shadow of my former self.  It didn't matter that my murderer was still running around somewhere out there, vague prophecies of Captain Murphy notwithstanding.  My job hadn't changed: When demons and horrors and creatures of the night prey on this city, I'm the guy who does something about it. 
"Time to start doing," I whispered."

 -Ghost Story, by Jim Butcher

What's your Tease?

Book Review - A River in the Sky

The Amelia Peabody Mysteries, by Elizabeth Peters

1. Crocodile on the Sandbank 2. The Curse of the Pharaohs 3. The Mummy Case 4. Lion in the Valley 5. The Deeds of the Disturber 6. The Last Camel Died at Noon 7. The Snake, the Crocodile & the Dog 8. The Hippopotamus Pool 9. Seeing a Large Cat 10. The Ape who Guards the Balance 11. The Falcon at the Portal 12. He Shall Thunder in the Sky 13. Lord of the Silent 14. The Golden One 15. Children of the Storm 16. Guardian of the Horizon 17. Serpent on the Crown  18. Tomb of the Golden Bird 19. A River in the Sky * * * *

6/2/2004 1/13/2005 1/17/2005 1/20/2005 1/21/2005 3/7/2005 3/9/2005 1/28/2005 7/4/2005 7/8/2005 7/10/2005 8/4/2005 8/6/2005 8/8/2005 8/16/2005 8/19/2005 6/13/2006 5/27/2007 6/7/2011

From Goodreads: 

August 1910. Amelia Peabody and her husband, ­Emerson, are relaxing at home in Kent. But adventure beckons when Major George Morley asks them to join an expedition to Palestine, where he is determined to unearth the legendary Ark of the Covenant. Always ­skeptical, Emerson refuses until requests from the War ­Office and Buckingham Palace persuade him to ­reconsider by ­insisting that Morley is a German agent intent on ­stirring up trouble.

Amelia and Emerson follow Morley to Jerusalem and hope to reunite with their son, Ramses, working north of the holy city. But before they can meet, Ramses learns of a deadly plot, information he must pass on to his ­parents—if he can get to them alive.

My Thoughts:
This novel jumps back into Amelia's past and spotlights one of the "lost" years.  The story takes place in Palestine rather than Egypt, which on one hand was a nice change, but at the same time I really missed Egyptian setting and characters that are part and parcel of any Amelia Peabody story.  Also this story was really light on the archeology, which I was surprised to find that I missed as well.

However, where the story does excel is in the mystery, the drama, and the feeling of closeness that the Peabody family have.  Some things never change, and one can always trust that Amelia will always have her tool belt and parasol, Emerson (The Father of Curses!) will always be on the edge of losing his temper, and Ramses will always be getting into trouble, and Elizabeth Peters does not disappoint in this regard!

If you haven't read the series, this is totally NOT the book to start with.  They should definitely be read in order, but don't let the long list of titles frighten you!  These are fast and easy reads, full of danger, excitement and mystery, and I've only met one person who tried them and didn't care for them (and that person doesn't really like to read in the first place).  Give the first book a shot, and I'll be surprised if  you aren't hooked before the end of it!

Overall I give the series a solid 5 stars, but A River in the Sky only gets 4 stars - not because it was bad in any way, but simply because it was light on some of my favorite elements.

Book Review - Heartless

The Parasol Protectorate, by Gail Carriger       
1. Soulless         10/25/2010
2. Changeless    11/2/2010
3. Blameless      11/22/2010
4. Heartless        07/17/2011 * * * * *
5. Timeless         Due 03/01/12

From Goodreads:

Lady Alexia Maccon, soulless, is at it again, only this time the trouble is not her fault. When a mad ghost threatens the queen, Alexia is on the case, following a trail that leads her deep into her husband's past. Top that off with a sister who has joined the suffragette movement (shocking!), Madame Lefoux's latest mechanical invention, and a plague of zombie porcupines and Alexia barely has time to remember she happens to be eight months pregnant.

Will Alexia manage to determine who is trying to kill Queen Victoria before it is too late? Is it the vampires again or is there a traitor lurking about in wolf's clothing? And what, exactly, has taken up residence in Lord Akeldama's second best closet?

My Thoughts:
Well, I think we all remember how much I love this series, and Alexia, and Gail Carriger!  Each book in the series is better than the one before, and Heartless is no different.  I mean really, zombie porcupines?! What more could you possibly want?

Oh, but there is sooooo much more to Heartless than that.  Building upon the events from the previous novels, Alexia becomes aware of a threat against the queen, and begins searching for clues - clues that lead her straight back to the failed assassination attempt by the werewolves 20 years before.  As Alexia waddles around London (her baby is due any day!) she learns secrets that her husband's previous pack would rather stay hidden, and stumbles into the middle of a conspiracy to commit kidnapping and possibly murder.  But who is the culprit?  If only the ghosts weren't so unreliable!

Alexia sails through all these difficulties with her usual wit and charm - but can she solve the mystery and prevent the crime before the infant inconvenience makes its' appearance?  Will Ivy's taste in hats get better, and can she hold true to the sacred vows of the Parasol Protectorate?  Can a vampire and a werewolf find true love?  And what really happens when vampires swarm? 

I give Heartless 5 stars for being a thoroughly enjoyable and fantastically fun read.  And don't forget that Book the Fifth of The Parasol Protectorate is scheduled to be released on March 1, 2012!

Teaser Tuesday - Ghost Story (August 23, 2012)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

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Back to The Dresden Files again!  This week I'm on vacation, but I wanted to leave you with a little something to keep you all entertained.  Feel free to leave your comments and links to YOUR Teasers below, as usual, and I'll be sure to check them out when I get back! 

 The Tease:

 ""Aaaaaaaagh!" I screamed, emerging from the wards and onto Murphy's front lawn, chock-full of new insight as to why ghosts are always moaning or wailing when they come popping out of somebody's wall or floor.  Not much mystery there - it freaking hurts."

 -Ghost Story, by Jim Butcher

What's your Tease?

Teaser Tuesday - Star Trek: Avenger

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

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This week we have something a little different from the last few weeks, in that I've been reading a Star Trek novel that my mom loaned me.  I haven't read any Trek novels for years, so this has been kinda fun, as "Avenger" brings together Kirk, Spock, and some of the crew of the ST:TNG, working together to save the Federation from a deadly virus that is sweeping through the inhabited star systems, infecting all forms of plant life and causing massive breakdowns in the food supply, causing starvation and devastation throughout the Federation and beyond.

 The Tease:

 ""You realize you are describing the collapse of the Federation," Spock said.
Completely without emotion, Srell replied, "Unless a cure for the virogen is found and the food supply protected, the collapse of the Federation is a certainty.""

 -Star Trek: Avenger, by William Shatner
(with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens)

What's your Tease?

This weekend at the Theater...

Planet Of The Apes | Triumph Of The Apes | Contactmusic:
"The top ten films at the box office over the weekend according to studio estimates compiled by Box Office Mojo:
1. Rise of the Planet of the Apes , $27.5 million;
2. The Help , $25.5 million;
3. Final Destination 5 , $18.4 million;
4. The Smurfs , $13.5 million;
5. 30 Minutes or Less , $13 million;
6. Cowboys and Aliens , $7.6 million;
7. Captain America The First Avenger , $7.1 million;
8. Crazy, Stupid, Love. , $6.93 million;
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 , $6.9 million;
10. The Change-Up , $6.2 million."

I happy that Rise of the Planet of the Apes has retained it's hold on the number one spot!  I'm also a little surprised that The Smurfs are still in the Top 5...

Review - Movie catch-up - August

Only two movies to talk about this time - and with the up-coming vacation drawing near (1.5 weeks!!) it's possible Bob and I won't make it to any more movies this month.  But the two movies we have seen were:

Cowboys and Aliens * * * *

With both Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford starring in this movie, I was determined to see it no matter what!  A mash-up of sci-fi and western, horses and spaceships, it was sure to please.  And in my opinion, it did!

Did it have plot holes in it large enough to drive a Mac Truck through?  Why yes, yes it did!

Was the Aliens motivation weird and nonsensical?   Kinda!!

Did all the little villagers accept and understand the whole concept of Aliens without even batting an eye?  Totally Darn-Tootin' right!

Do I care about ANY of that?  NO, no I really do not!!  Because it was a fun, hilarious western movie with sci-fi elements and starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford!  Ergo, it was awesome!

Bob said the best thing about it was that the theater was dark and full of air-conditioning.


Rise of the Planet of the Apes * * * * *

This "re-boot" of the Planet of the Apes series is quite possibly the best thing to happen to the franchise since Charlton Heston first uttered those famous words, "Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!" 

This movie comes almost exactly 10 years after the Tim Burton / Mark Wahlberg version which was released in late July of 2001.  And for reasons that I've never completely understood, the Tim Burton remake seems to be almost universally reviled and hated.  I don't know why - I've always loved it.  Whatever.

But Rise of the Planet of the Apes blows that one completely out of the water.  James Franco, as I'm sure you know unless you've been living under a rock, plays a scientist trying to cure Alzheimer's, a cause close to his heart as his father (played by John Lithgow) has been stricken with the disease.  During ape trials, one female ape, (nicknamed Bright Eyes in one of the many nods and references to the original series), gives birth, and when the program shuts down and the apes are all slated to be destroyed, Franco sneaks the baby home and raises it as part of the family, soon discovering that Caesar (played by Andy Serkis using motion capture) has inherited his mother's vast intelligence.

The story is emotional and endearing, and as a viewer you quickly grow quite attached to Caesar, and strongly empathize with the young ape who is intelligent enough to realize that he's somewhere between a pet and a person, but not quite fitting into either world.

Before we went to see the movie, during one of the previews on TV, Bob asked me why I thought the apes were so angry, referring to the scenes on the Golden Gate Bridge, and I told him I wasn't sure; but in the movie, it all flows very seamlessly together. And ultimately that is why I love this movie.  Everything makes sense.  Everything flows together, people's reactions are appropriate to the way humans interact with each other and with animals.  There's no big stretch to understanding why the apes on the bridge are angry and attacking helicopters and policemen.  There's a reason, it makes sense, and it's totally understandable and BELIEVABLE!

It's also a little bit terrifying, in the very subtle and quiet way the film uses to show the beginning of the demise of the humans (Stay through the first half of the credits at least...you'll know when it's safe to leave), because you can actually imagine that happening.

Overall, this now takes the top spot as my #1 favorite movie of 2011.  It's emotional, funny, thought-provoking, and just a plain-old all-around amazingly-awesome movie which you should totally go see right now.

I already want to go see it again.

 ------------------------------------------------------------

OK - That's it for this edition!  The upcoming movies that I'm still looking forward to are:

Conan the Barbarian - (Jason Momoa!)
Fright Night (Colin Farrell, David Tennant!)
Abduction - (Taylor Lautner - Don't say it, I know.  I know!)
In Time - (This looks A-Frickin'-Mazing!  Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Matt Bomer, Alex Pettyfer, Cillian Murphy, & Johnny Galecki)

The Three Musketeers (Milla Jovovich & Orlando Bloom)

Contagion (Matt Damon, Jude Law, Kate Winslet)

Anonymous (Political thriller theorizing that Shakespeare didn't exist. Vanessa Redgrave & David Thewlis).

Immortals (Henry Cavill, Freida Pinto - Looks awesome!)

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (Jude Law, Robert Downey Jr. Hooray - The boys are back!!)

Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol (I am such a sucker for this theme song!)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Daniel Craig and, oh who cares? It's Daniel Craig! Hopefully this will rock!)

Another Earth (I've heard such good things!)

Wow - That's a crazy long list!  What about you?  What have you seen recently, and what are you looking forward to?

Teaser Tuesday - Ghost Story, Again

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

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This week's Tease is from Ghost Story again, which I'm really enjoying but am reading very slowly, as I'm concentrating on too many things, and am not leaving myself much time to read.  In this Tease, Harry Dresden has come to see Mort, the one man in Chicago who might be able to help the ghostly Harry, only to discover that someone is trying to murder Mort.

 The Tease:

 "The gunman had a big lead on me, but I had an advantage he didn't.  I'd already been inside the house.  I knew the layout, and I knew where Mort was holed up.
Oh.  Plus I could run through freaking walls. "

 - Ghost Story, by Jim Butcher

What's your Tease?

Movie News - First Look at "Man of Steel"

I have to admit that up until now, I have not paid much attention to this movie.  We just had a Superman "reboot" - Superman Returns starring Brandon Routh in 2006 - and it seemed too soon to bring Superman back again.  I mean, I love me some Superman, but really?  So soon?

Also, I really wasn't down with the casting choice.  I didn't think that Henry Cavill would really fit "the look" of Superman.  I know I've seen him in several other movies, but I don't really remember him as being outstanding, and I never watched The Tudors.  So I was a little unimpressed.

However, today Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures released a First Look photo of Henry Cavill in full-on Superman gear, and I have to say that I was totally wrong.  He looks great, the updated suit looks amazing, and I'm finally starting to get excited about this movie.

Plus, there appears to be an amazing supporting cast - Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, and Diane Lane & Kevin Costner as Clark's adoptive parents, Martha and Johnathan Kent.  His Kryptonian parents will be played by Julia Ormand and (get this) Russell Crowe.  Rounding out the crew of attractive guys will be Christopher Meloni, who will play Colonel Hardy.

"Man of Steel" is currently still in production, and is scheduled to hit the big screen in June of 2013.  So, you know, we've got plenty of time.

For more information and a more detailed look at the enlarged photo, go to DC Universe!

So what are your thoughts on this new Man of Steel?  Yay or Nay?

News - My Blogiversary!!

As of yesterday, August 2, 2011, I have managed to survive one whole year since I re-booted SunnyReads!  A very special THANK YOU goes out to all of you who have helped me along by reading my blog, ignoring my typos and spelling errors, commenting on my posts (I <3 your comments!), and following SunnyReads, including the 2 of you who just joined this week!  (Hi New People!!  Welcome!)

As Year 2 begins, I'd specifically like to thank you all for putting up with my random ramblings about TV and movies, which seems happens a lot when you consider the name of the blog is SunnyREADS and not SunnySpendsAllHisTimeWatchingTV&Movies, which, face it, is just too long of a name.

Anyway, thanks for sticking around!

(Speaking of movies - is anyone going to see Rise of the Planet of the Apes this weekend?  I'm so excited I could just die!!)

Teaser Tuesday - Ghost Story

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!

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I haven't quite finished Coyote, by Allen Steele yet, but since I started reading Ghost Story on my Nook, I thought I'd share a teaser from that this week, since I've already done two from Coyote.

 The Tease:

 "I don't know if I bled to death from the gunshot wound or drowned.  For being the ultimate terror of the human experience, once it's over, the details of your death are unimportant.  It isn't scary anymore."

 - Ghost Story, by Jim Butcher

What's your Tease?

Book Review - Changes

The Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher
1. Storm Front      2/3/2007
2. Fool Moon       2/5/2007
3. Grave Peril       1/23/2007
4. Summer Knight 2/14/2007
5. Death Masks    2/16/2007
6. Blood Rites      2/18/2007
7. Dead Beat       8/23/2007
8. Proven Guilty   8/26/2007
9. White Night    10/30/2007
10. Small Favor   4/2/2010
11. Turn Coat     4/8/2010
12. Changes       5/10/2011  * * * *
13. Ghost Story (Currently Reading)

If you're already reading The Dresden Files, then you know that this is one of the best paranormal series available on the market.  If you haven't been reading the series, well, then, all I have to say is that you are missing out one of the best paranormal series available on the market!  Harry Dresden is a Wizard, living in Chicago, trying to do good, battling against the forces of evil, and helping those in need.  Sometimes, that's more difficult than it should be.

From Goodreads:

"Long ago, Susan Rodriguez was Harry Dresden's lover - until she was attacked by his enemies, leaving her torn between her own humanity and the bloodlust of the vampiric Red Court. Susan then disappeared to South America, where she could fight both her savage gift and those who cursed her with it.

Now Arianna Ortega, Duchess of the Red Court, has discovered a secret Susan has long kept, and she plans to use it - against Harry. To prevail this time, he may have no choice but to embrace the raging fury of his own untapped dark power. Because Harry's not fighting to save the world...

He's fighting to save his child."

My Thoughts:
Of all the novels in the series so far, I think this one may be my favorite.  Partly because of what's at stake - an innocent child, who may be Harry's own daughter, has been kidnapped and the Red Court Vampires are  planning to use her in a massive magical ceremony with devastating consequences - and partly because in this story, for the first time, Harry suddenly became more real to me.  Every book in the series plays off the naming convention of two words, each with the same number of letters, but in this book, as the title suggests, everything changes.  Harry's reaction to learning of the kidnapping of a young girl, who might be his daughter that he never knew about, is real, and visceral, and all else in his life ceases to matter, except for saving the child.  No price is too high, no sacrifice too costly.  Selling his soul to the Fae, which he's been avoiding for years, suddenly seems like a viable option if it will give him the power he needs to rescue his daughter and destroy the Red Court.  Actions and choices that he would never have considered in the past become less taboo, and as Harry and his friends brace themselves for an all out war against an overwhelmingly powerful enemy, we see who are truly friends and allies, and who are merely pretenders.

The story is fast paced, full of magical battles, mysteries, and strange encounters, and was nearly impossible to put down once I picked it up.  Several unforeseen twists along the way completed story perfectly, and the cliffhanger at the end made the wait for book #13 (Ghost Story) almost unbearable!

"Changes" gets 4 stars from me, and is followed by "Ghost Story" which was released in July 2011, and which I am now reading on my new NookColor!