The Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King

The Shawshank Redemption
by Stephen King

Different Seasons ('82) is a collection of four novellas, markedly different in tone & subject, each with a journey theme. The 1st is a nonhorrific tale about an innocent man who carefully nurtures hope & devises a wily scheme to escape from prison. The 2nd concerns a boy who discards his innocence by enticing an old man to travel with him into a reawakening of long-buried evil. In the 3rd, a writer looks back on the trek he took with three friends on the brink of adolescence to find another boy's corpse. The trip becomes a character-rich rite of passage from youth to maturity. These 1st three novellas have been made into movies: "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" into Frank Darabont's '94 The Shawshank Redemption (available as a screenplay, a DVD & an audiocassette), "Apt Pupil" into Bryan Singer's '98 film Apt Pupil (also released in '98 on audiocassette) & "The Body" into Rob Reiner's Stand by Me ('86). The final novella, "Breathing Lessons," is a horror yarn told by a doctor, about a patient whose indomitable spirit keeps her baby alive under extraordinary circumstances. It's the tightest, most polished tale in the collection.--Fiona Webster

My Rating: 5 of 5 "Loved it!"

Fantastic story. I was captured for the whole four hours it took to read it. I didn't want to stop.

I have yet to watch the movie, but I believe it's on Netflix, so I'll have to watch soon. I've been told that the movie is fantastic as well.

What I liked most about The Shawshank Redemption was the ending. It felt like I got everything that I wanted for the characters, only it was given to me in a way that wasn't the most obvious or direct rout. It pulled on my heart strings just enough. In the span of these four hours, I met a stranger with a background unlike mine, and came to care about his troubles and rejoice when he overcomes them. It was very satisfying.

Some books I end up reading don't leave me with too many thoughts afterward. The Shawshank Redemption is not one of them. I don't know if it was Stephen King's intention to make me wonder about the prison system and the people (guilty or innocent) trapped inside it, but it certainly left me with thoughts that I'll have to chew on before they become opinions.

Excellent book, and well worth the time to read. Pick a free evening and enjoy!

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

A Wrinkle in Time 
by Madeleine L'Engle

It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger. "Wild nights are my glory," the unearthly stranger told them. "I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me be on my way. Speaking of way, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract". A tesseract (in case the reader doesn't know) is a wrinkle in time. To tell more would rob the reader of the enjoyment of Miss L'Engle's unusual book.

 My Rating: 1 of 5 "Didn't Like It"

This story largely felt like a bad caricature of imagination. I completely couldn't get into the characters, and I didn't like the world either because there was simply too many worlds with not enough depth. Good and evil were clearly defined without having any real active agents of good and evil.

And singing holy centaurs with wings made of rainbows and poetry? Are you kidding me?

Maybe I'm just flat-out too literal for this story. Which is saying something about the outlandish nature of the story considering I've always been willing to suspend disbelief. But please. Fantastical things were happening without a reason for their happening. It was just a literary acid trip.

Despite that, I did fall in love with one of the quotes. From Aunt Beast to Meg when trying to communicate in English:

"Oh child, your language is so utterly simple and limited that it has the affect of extreme complication."
-Aunt Beast

The second half of the book was much better than the first half of the book. Likely because we finally got a 'bad guy' and direction for the characters

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

The Three Musketeers
By Alexandre Dumas

First published in 1844, Alexandre Dumas's swashbuckling epic chronicles the adventures of D'Artagnan, a gallant young nobleman who journeys to Paris in 1625 hoping to join the ranks of musketeers guarding Louis XIII. He soon finds himself fighting alongside three heroic comrades—Athos, Porthos, and Aramis—who seek to uphold the honor of the king by foiling the wicked plots of Cardinal Richelieu and the beautiful spy "Milady." As Clifton Fadiman reflected, "We read The Three Musketeers to experience a sense of romance and for the sheer excitement of the story. In these violent pages all is action, intrigue, suspense, surprise—an almost endless chain of duels, murders, love affairs, unmaskings, ambushes, hairbreadth escapes, wild rides. It is all impossible and it is all magnificent." 

My Rating: 3 of 5 "Liked It"

I went back and forth between really liking this book and being like 'eeeeehh, speed it up why don't ya'. At first I didn't like D'Artagnan because he seemed like a complete brat, but he eventually turned out to be a character I really liked because he grew up throughout the book.

Of the three musketeers, Athos was easily my favorite. That guy is so cool.

Anyway- would I read this book again? Most likely not. The writing was too dense for my tastes. Characters got caught in long, winding conversations, some of which I actually enjoyed, but overall there was too much of it to keep me focused consistently. The sword fights were the best part, in my opinion. It was a fun way to see the characters' personalities shine through, and I always like to see characters work together as a team.

This is How by Augusten Burroughs

This is How
By Augusten Burroughs

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Running With Scissors comes a groundbreaking book that explores how to survive the "un-survivable" and will challenge your notion of self-help books.

To say that Augusten Burroughs has lived an unusual life is an understatement. From having no formal education past third grade and being raised by his mother’s psychiatrist in the seventies to enjoying one of the most successful advertising careers of the eighties to experiencing a spectacular downfall and rehab stint in the nineties to having a number one bestselling writing career in the new millennium, Burroughs has faced humiliation, transformation and everything in between. This Is How is his no-holds-barred book of advice on topics as varied as:

• How to feel like crap
• How to ride an elevator
• How to be thin
• How to be fat
• How to find love
• How to feel sorry for yourself
• How to get the job
• How to end your life
• How to remain unhealed
• How to finish your drink
• How to regret as little as possible
• And much more

Told with Burroughs's unique voice, black humor, and in-your-face advice, This is How is Running With Scissors—with recipes.

My Rating: 4 of 5 "Really Liked It"

This is, without a doubt, the most candid self-help book I have ever read. It covers a vast range of subjects, from how to deal with optimist do-gooders when you're down, all the way to mourning the death of a child. And the ironic part-? All of these situations, the book teaches, can be handled with a single, powerful, simple tool:

Absolute honesty with yourself.

"This Is How" spends 230 pages repeating the same honesty mantra in so many different ways, that it's a profound experience when it finally clicks. So many different examples are used that, at some point in the book, you're garunteed to find something that speaks to you, and when you do, the point hits home.

Everyone has issues. Some people more than others. And it seems to me that no matter how light or extreme your life difficulties are, this book will definitely help give a second perspective on your situation.

I read this book in a day and a half- exceptionally long for only 200 pages of text. But the words invoke a lot of thought, a lot of conversation, and offers something that lasts beyond the turn of the last page.

Dollhouse: Epitaphs

Dollhouse: Epitaphs
by Andrew Chambliss, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, and Cliff Richards

Joss Whedon's Dollhouse continues, written by television-series mainstays Andrew Chambliss (the CW's Vampire Diaries, co-writer of Buffy Season 9), Maurissa Tancharoen (Spartacus), and Jed Whedon (Dr. Horrible.) The Rossum Corporation's Dollhouse technology has gone viral with a synchronized phone call that wiped the minds of everyone it reached, turning them into mindless killers. Those who avoided the call - including show favorites Echo, Alpha, Mag, Zone, and Griff - must try to survive in the sudden apocalypse and be wary of Rossum's expansive technological reach. This is only the beginning.

My Rating: 4 of 5 "Really Liked It"

Dollhouse: Epitaphs is the first book of a series that is a must have for all Dollhouse fans. The comic retains many aspects of the show that I enjoyed most: the mood, the characters, and the psychological thrills.

The comics take the opportunity to explore characters besides Echo, who we already know so much about. Instead we follow primarily the story of Alpha and a 13-year-old boy named Trevor who gets wrapped up in the adventure. The comics explain several things about the ending of the television series that the show didn't have time to delve into, and I'm certain that future books will explore more of Joss Whedon's world that we didn't get to dive into during the show.

I'm really excited for the comic series. Besides the story, the art is really good, with most panels capturing the actors' likenesses well. The first volume also comes with the cover gallery at the back so that you don't miss out on any of the other beautiful cover pages you might not get with the mini-issues. I felt a little bit twitchy at first about paying 18.00 USD for a comic book, but I think it was worth it in the end. I look forward to more!

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
by Stieg Larsson

Lisbeth Salander—the heart of Larsson’s two previous novels—lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge—against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

My Rating: 4 of 5 "Really Liked It"

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is an awesome wrap up to an awesome trilogy. Stieg Larsson's stories may be dense with detail and back story, but it all seems well worth it when the series comes to a satisfying conclusion. I'm not normally into stories of intrigue and politics, but Larsson's compelling characters and intricate plot (peppered with bits of action the silver screen will love) kept me going to the very end!

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley

Far in the future, the World Controllers have finally created the ideal society. In laboratories worldwide, genetic science has brought the human race to perfection. From the Alpha-Plus mandarin class to the Epsilon-Minus Semi-Morons, designed to perform menial tasks, man is bred and educated to be blissfully content with his pre-destined role.

Rating: 3/5

My opinion on Brave New World keeps fluctuating between liking it, disliking it, and being outright confused by it. I really loved some of the concepts, but several sections felt too disconnected or unrelated for me to really say I enjoyed it. Likely I'll just have to spend more time thinking about this one before I can formulate a complete opinion.

It DOES make me want to write dystopian fiction, though...

Black Oil, Red Blood by Diane Castle

Black Oil, Red Blood
By Diane Castle

The thing about cancer is it’s hard to prove somebody gave it to you on purpose—but Chloe Taylor can prove it. In fact, she proves it for a living. She sues oil refineries that would rather save a buck than comply with safety regulations designed to do important things like, you know, keep people alive. 

Rating: 2 of 5 "It Was Okay"

I'm sorry to say that I struggled to get through this book. I'm going to give it two stars for "it was okay" because really that's what I'd have to say about it. It was okay.

The characters were overwhelmingly cardboard (with the exception of Nash, who actually seemed to have some complexity) and the plot was so-so. I feel like the story was an excuse for the author to lecture me about Big Oil. Characters randomly broke out into long-winded speeches and rattled off statistics as if they were reading it right off of wikipedia. The dialogue throughout these long stretches of texture-less expository chunks was brittle and constructed at best.

The action scenes were pretty okay, until the point that they inevitably reached a level of absurdity even I was taken out of the book. I'm all for camp, really, but if the main character noticed Nash's "chiseled torso" one more time at the very wrong time I was going to flip my desk. That, and the results of said action scenes were unsatisfactory. Chloe spent too much time being tossed from one action wave to the next without discovering any information on her own. She might as well not have been the main character of this book.

At any rate, there were several redeeming qualities that kept me going throughout. Miles, Chloe's gay paralegal, was entertaining comedic relief (even though the obviousness of his role in the story did irritate me by the time I hit the half-way point.) And normally I don't like the use of pets in books but I found myself oddly pleased by Lucy's simple pleasure in car rides and usefulness as a midnight look-out.

My roommate read this book at the same time I did, and she found much more enjoyment in it than I did. However, she didn't read the whole book, just popped in and out and read over my shoulder for the scenes that made me laugh. I'm not sure what that says for the book beyond saying it has potential that wasn't properly exploited.

Then again, maybe this isn't my kind of story? Unsure. I'll go compare notes with other readers and see if I'm just the odd-man out on this one.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
By Ransom Riggs

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

 Rating: 3 of 5 "I Liked It"

I really really liked this story. It's obviously set up for a series, so this book is all about introducing the characters and the world they live in. A couple story-points in the book were a little bit choppy, but overall the progression of the storyline and the development of the characters was engaging and exciting. But that being said, I probably won't read the rest of the series, which is why it gets a 3 instead of a 4.

This is a really good book that you can read in one day. Pick a free weekend and enjoy!

If you're up for spoilers...

Cursed by Rhianne Aile

Cursed
by Rhianne Aile

Upon their grandmothers death, Tristan Northland and his twin, Will, come into possession of her Book of Shadows and the knowledge that their family is responsible for a centuries-old curse. Determined to right the ancient wrong, Tristan sets off across the ocean to reverse the dark magic. (Adult Fiction)

 Rating: 4/5

This book was so much fun!! It involved all of my guilty pleasures wrapped up into one book: werewolves, true love, absurd levels of homosexual pairings, mysterious estates, magic, drama and happy endings. It felt like my version of the paperback romance novels you find old women and nurses reading behind the counter-- that is meant entirely as a compliment. The paperbacks I refer to are addictive, honest in their intention, and incredibly fun to get lost in for an afternoon or two. I fell in love with the characters in Cursed, enjoyed the werewolf lore in this world, and not to mention the explicit material was well-written. I've got a handful of friends who will enjoy reading Cursed, so I'll definitely be passing along the word.