Book Review- The Red Queen

    The Red Queen, written by Philippa Gregory, is the second book in what is referred to as "The Cousin's War" trilogy. This novel chronicles the life of Lady Margaret Beaufort, who is head of the House of Lancaster, one of two royal Houses vying for the English throne during the turbulent War of the Roses.

    Gregory begins the book during the early years of Lady Margaret's life, where we learn of her devotion to the young heroine, Joan of Arc. While Beaufort feels that she is destined for a holy life, those in authority insist her destiny lies in carrying the next heir in the Lancaster line. The remainder of her life subsists of weaving together carefully constructed threads in the treacherous and often fatal fight to the throne.

    I enjoyed this book. It's fraught with a multitude of names and dates, but don't let that scare you. Once you become enthralled with the story, names begin to stick and dates move along. Gregory manages to bring the past alive in all her books, paying special attention to cultural detail and setting.  Scheming and survival were certainly intertwined in the politics of the 15th century, and the story of Lady Margaret Beaufort is no exception.

Mommy Wars

        Before I ever opened this magazine, I'll admit that I really resented the inflammatory headline.

     Are You Mom Enough? This is exactly what mothers say to each other all the time when discussing feeding choices, while merrily strolling through the park. We feel the need to justify our choices, conditioned to be defensive by those condescending Breast is Best commercials. While breast milk is best for baby,  we've conflated that to mean that the breastfeeding mother is the superior parent. In reality, there's a multitude of reasons why a woman may not breast feed. Maybe her workplace doesn't support it. Maybe her breasts are rebellious and won't do their job. Maybe her kid never detaches (My Aidan) and she can't be a 24/7 diner because she has other kids at home. Maybe she just didn't want to. Who knows?

    What we should be doing, Ladies, is telling the rest of the universe to Fuck Off and support each other. I didn't find breastfeeding to be a magical experience, but I find it horribly offensive on your behalf that others won't allow you to do it in public. Or post a picture of it on Facebook.

     There are so many choices to make and judgement begins well before baby comes home, beginning with a woman's age, marital status, and income. Women who don't get testing done are viewed as incompetent and those who do get it done must only want to abort if problems arise.  Homebirthers are just asking for problems being away from a hospital. However, delivery rooms do not offer the same superior environment of the Superbirther who champions her way through the miracle of childbirth without so much as an Advil.

     The list is endless but the bottom line is that in today's society, choices have become a competition; a chess move in the war to win. Why have we declared war on ourselves when it's possible for everyone to be a winner?

    Women have spent the last 100 years trying to accrue the options we currently have.Think about it. Simply by having choices now, we've won the war. If bickering mommies were to shift focus to bettering public education, we could do amazing things for our children. Even those mommies who prefer homeschool would benefit. We could collectively improve Women's Healthcare. Or shift the war to stop bullying in our neighborhoods, the crime levels of young adults, or suicide prevention. The controversial topics will still be there for us to bicker about, but if we keep our eyes on the prize, we can change several negatives about the systems our children will eventually age in to.

    A woman's superpower is (among others) the ability to open her heart. Love can be shown in a million different ways and it really does impact the world. But first, we have to start with each other.


    Despite the sensationalist headline, I'm glad I opened this article. It solidified my feelings that we've gone too far in the Mommy Wars. The headline alone made me think about my past feelings and re-examine the need to justify my choices. At the very least, I feel compelled to vocally support your choice and encourage Mommies everywhere to do the same. It's time to move on!

The Hunger Games

    Unless you've been living under a rock, the odds are pretty favorable that you've heard about The Hunger Games movie. Hopefully, you've either read the book or are planning to in the near future. This review contains *SPOILERS* so read at your own risk.


    One of the defining aspects to any movie based on a book is how well the scripts adheres to the original plot.  In order to save time, much of the back story is depicted with visual cues. We see the poverty of District 12 in the form of clothing, bare feet, and scenery.  Viewers get the sense that the relationship between Katniss and Gale is a comfortable one, with both characters acting as head of household. Katniss is given the Mockingjay pin by Greasy Sae in The Hob, rather than the governor's daughter, thus eliminating her character totally in the movie. However, Greasy Sae, the pin, and The Hob were all referenced in a very compact twenty minute span, giving the rest of the movie ample opportunity to continue the story line. It was an excellent indication that the movie was going to hit all the high points well.


    The depiction of the yearly Reaping was much more emotional than I anticipated. Viewers are subjected to watching poor, yet proud families of District 12 scrub the dirt from their children's faces and feet. You watch mothers button threadbare shirts with trembling hands and young children feverishly polishing shoes until they shine. Whispers of courage and bravery interspersed with glances full of worry and dread filled the screen. I sat with my hands clenched, knowing what was to come. Even those who hadn't read the book still seemed to understand that these kids weren't headed to a barn dance.


    The selection process really brought home the very definition of a dystopian society. The Wikipedia entry for dystopia reads as follows:

    "A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian... Dystopian societies feature different kinds of repressive social control systems, various forms of active and passive coercion. Ideas and works about dystopian societies often explore the concept of humans abusing technology and humans individually and collectively coping, or not being able to properly cope with technology that has progressed far more rapidly than humanity's spiritual evolution. Dystopian societies are often imagined as police states, with unlimited power over the citizens."


    Representatives from the Capitol arrive with their festive and colorful costumes, even as armed guards surround the public square. They come with excited greetings, play the required film that plays with the minds of adults yet attempts to indoctrinate children that this Reaping is for their benefit. It is an honor to be chosen. It is an honor to be sacrificed. Death in The Hunger Games means glory for all. The scene culminates with Effie Trinket's memorable,"May the Odds be ever in your favor!" 


    Pacing is quick in this movie. There's always a feeling of desperation nipping at it's heels. As Katniss is whisked away to the Capitol, the audience begins to see the more obvious disparity between it and the rest of the districts. One of the key elements of the book is the outrageous costumes and culture of the Capitol. I was really curious to see how this aspect would play out on the big screen.


    Creators were wise in their choice to make the Capitol and it's inhabitants eccentric and outlandish, yet believable. The correlation between The Hunger Games and reality TV hosted by an exceptionally charming game show host was well made. Cinna's understated glamour came through with the application gold eye-liner. One of the interesting things about Dystopian writing is riding the edge beteen fantasy and what could be reality in a few short steps.


    This is what creators did best with The Hunger Games movie. They hit the high points but you could see how easy it would be for our own culture to meld into that of the Capitol. However, it's not a morality play. Just like Suzanne Collins, the studio took the story and laid it out for the world to see. People can take away their own opinions and insights, but the hamanity (or lack thereof) speaks for itself.


    I was hesitant about the casting, initially, but the actors involved made the roles their own and should be commended for it. Woody Harrelson wasn't my ideal Haymitch but I came to respect the way he chose to play the role and appreciated the art he brought to the screen. Jennifer Lawrence was excellent in her depiction of a very capable, yet unworldy young woman. 


    I'm excited to see the next movie. I hope the series continues to improve. Lots of young girls look up to the character of Katniss and I'm far more happy about that prospect than I ever was about Twilight's Bella. We have a capable heroine in The Hunger Games, who knows her own mind and doesn't dither about waiting to become someone else. As the mother of two young teenage girls, I can't ask for much more than that!

Book Review- The Imperfectionists

    The Imperfectionists, by author Tom Rachman is a New York Times best seller. The book features eleven chapters from the viewpoints of eleven different characters, all contributing to one major story arch. It reads like a short story and takes the reader a chapter or two to figure out exactly what all these characters have in common.

    The story revolves around a newspaper in Rome. The correspondents are largely American, all having found their way to the paper in one form or another. There's a lot of cubicle mentality happening in the book, so if you're a fan of shows like The Office, this might appeal to you. It's written in the third person point of view, with narration happening between every chapter, stingily giving up details as to how we got to the present.

    They say to never judge a book by it's cover, but I'll admit to being intrigued. Words like "Spectacular", "Magnificent", and "Beguiling" appear next to the publications giving this novel such high reviews. It has the New York Times sticker of approval on the lower right hand corner and a smaller Random House Reader's Circle on the upper right. By all accounts, this should be a great book.

    We begin with a character named Lloyd Burko, an aging and defunct Paris correspondent, who's on his way out. His money has gone the way of his charm, fleeting and currently in the back pocket of much younger lover, whom he allows to get sexual satisfaction from another in light of his now diminished libido.

    The next notable story line features Arthur Gopal. He's probably the most likable character in the book and naturally, the one highlights of reading the novel. If Rachman had stuck to writing the story from Arthur's point of view, I probably would have had a more enjoyable reading experience.

    There are nine more chapters in this book and only two of them are really worth reading. It really felt like the author had a bunch of short stories and slapped them together to make a book. I don't know if the book got so many rave reviews because the publications giving them were all newspapers or if I'm missing something. It felt like one of those dour first novels that writers create because they want to be taken seriously. Avant- Garde or something. There wasn't much depth to the book nor was it one of those light and simply entertaining books that we all indulge in from time to time. The writing wasn't bad but it lacked substance. I didn't learn anything from this book, nor was I entertained in any way. It didn't transport me to anyplace I wanted to be. It was absolutely dreary.

    Unfortunately, I bought this book. I thought I would give it away like I did with Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I can't hardly give a badly reviewed book out so I'll probably donate it to the library. If you'd like to read it, I suggest you get it there.

Books Made Into Movies- One for the Money

    Last night I watched One for the Money, starring Katherine Heigl. The movie is based on the series of books by author, Janet Evanovich.  If you've never read One for the Money, please close this post and go to your local library.

    There are millions of mystery novels but the reason why Evanvich is so successful is her style of using irreverence and humor, while threading together a love triangle that is pieced tantalizingly slow throughout the series of (currently published) eighteen books. Stephanie Plum is a lovable, crazy, down to earth sort of character that women can relate to and the public can root for. Evanovich writes the love interests for Plum's character with a dash of Prince Charming, a pinch of Rascal, and heaping tablespoons of Handsome. You just can't help but to cheer for the Jersey Girl during every novel.

    The first thing that struck me about this movie was that it.wasn't.funny. I counted the number of times people laughed in the theater. Not one guffaw until we were halfway through. Total laugh count=5 and only twice was it really funny. This is the hallmark of the series! The major part of the book's success was humor and the script writer totally missed it. Devastating.

    When I saw Katherine Heigl as Stephanie Plum, I'll admit to already being skeptical about casting. Stephanie Plum wears spandex and scrunchies. She has this traditional Jersey Girl look, maybe slightly downplayed but she's definitely not hip. Plum's pretty in that every girl sort of way but with an inherited amount of Jersey flash. In the movie, we see no spandex or anything resembling Jersey. Heigl got the brown curly hair right but she looks a bit like she just stepped out of a Tomb Raider game. Wardrobe just took it down a notch by using banana clip and jeans. Heigl's acting isn't bad but the writers didn't give her any of Stephanie Plum's trademark bitchiness or straight on humor.

    Morelli was a bad casting choice, too. He looked too old for the part. Jason O'Mara isn't unattractive by any means but he and Heigl just didn't match up well. He has that rugged look of a 40 year old and she's got that bum college look going on. It all looks a little jail-baitey to me, when you consider that she sold him her cannoli in high school. This could have been overlooked, though, had the writing been better.

    Ranger was decently cast, but not enough attention was paid to him. Grandma wasn't nearly as kooky and fun as I remembered her being in the books and the major scene involving her and Stephanie's gun just didn't play out as well on the Big Screen as I felt it should. Again, the writing sucked. The character of Lulu was really the only shining casting choice.

    The books are funny but One for the Money also has a dark side. They had potential in this movie to display a well rounded story line. Instead, we were shorted. The major scene with Lulu was written off in about two seconds. Ramirez was scary in only one scene and we were left confused as to why he was such a threat. The ending of the movie just appeared. There wasn't this major build up of detail, no big climactic scene. It just kind of happened to you which is the worst kind of ending.

    If another Stephanie Plum movie is made, I'll probably go see it. If the writing is improved, the casting deviations become minor. However, you have to maintain the spirit and style that the book was written in order to make a successful movie based on the book. If I had watched this movie before reading the book, I never would have been tempted to pick it up. As a matter of fact, I probably wouldn't have bothered reading any of the books, which is a real shame and discredit to a wonderfully talented author.

    In short, if you'd like to see another Stephanie Plum movie then you should purchase a ticket. That's literally the only reason I can find to bother yourself to get to the theater. Otherwise, stick to the books. Your imagination will tell a better story.

Friday Give-Away!

This week's book, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet goes to cupsbykim! Thanks to all that entered and I hope you enjoy the read, Kim!

Book Review- Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

  More than just a metaphor, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet takes us on a paper faded journey filled with the subtle sights and sounds of a time long gone.

    It's a love story, a coming of age story, and a historical narrative all wrapped into one. It's also a curious look backward in time, where we meet a young Henry Lee and watch how both small and major events help shape him into the man we come to love by the end of the book.

    The book begins shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor with a young Henry as the only Chinese student at a local school in Seattle. His strict immigrant parents have chosen to send him there, as opposed to the traditional Chinese school, in hopes that Henry might be viewed and accepted as more American. Like many children born to immigrant families, he is still expected to obey the laws and influence of his Chinese heritage. Henry carefully manages to keep a foot in both worlds until he meets Keiko Okabe, a Japanese girl who like him, works in the kitchen as part of her "scholarshipping" agreement.

     As the relationship between Henry and Keiko deepens, so does the anti-Japanese sentiment in Seattle. Homes are ransacked and shops destroyed. Eventually all Japanese , including Keiko, are rounded up and shipped off to interment camps.

     The drama that unfolds for both Henry and Keiko is captivating. Author Jamie Ford manages to insert beauty and humanity into his characters, which are believable and flawed. The plot is woven with care and devoid of the dreaded holes that plague many books.  Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet ended the way it began; full of promise and a tinge of sadness that the story eventually had to come to an end.