I forgot how much I love this one

ETA: No I'm not senile. Just not good at cutting and pasting. Fixed now.

I have a room with a view

Destiny is usually just around the corner.

The Shadow of the Wind follows a young boy as his father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books where he is instructed to select one book and become it's caretaker. Nice hook, right? The boy becomes obsessed with the book's author and decides to unravel the mystery surrounding his life. Commence epic story of love and loss and friendship and war, etc.

I liked this book but didn't love it like I had hoped to given that fantastoc start. The story is well told and the descriptions are well done. I just found the twists pretty guessable and some of the narrative devises were far too easy. The one part that I did adore is the character of Fermin whose a skinny man with a ghastly past. He's Lascivious and full of bravado and the best friend anyone could want. Reading about him was worth all of it.

All in all I give this book a 6.

Destiny is usually just around the corner. Like a thief, a hooker, or a lottery vendor: its three most common personifications. But what destiny does not do is home visits. You have to go for it yourself.
- Fermin

Trick to being cheated is to learn how to cheat.

The Brothers Bloom is the story of two con artist brothers set up to make one last score before they part ways. The actors in this film are spot-on perfect. I love that Steven's cons are compared to a Russian novelist's plots. And Rachel Weisz & Rinko Kikuchi both steal every scene they are in. It's filmed in a very clever way and written even better. I love this movie.


My only complaint is that I never understood Diamond Dog very much. Maybe I missed something, but I was a bit mystified by that character.

All in all this film gets an 8.5 from me. Watch it!

Not quite

The Women of Nell Gwynne's has a great premise. It's a steampunk novel written about a brothel that also serves as a house of spies and operatives for Scotland Yard. The ladies are outfitted with fantastic steam punk technology to carry out their missions.

Sadly, the story leaves a lot to be desired. It's written so hurriedly and not that well thought out. I can only give it a 3.

I love the idea of steampunk novels though. Anyone have one to recommend?

Ariane is a pretty name

Love in the Afternoon is all about a May December romance. (I must admit that the phrase "May December" is pretty awful now that I consider it.) Innocent Ariane attempts to appear much more experienced and mysterious than she is in order to capture the heart of lady killer Frank.

It's kind of cute. I loved the mad scenes with the gypsy musicians. I give this one a 6.

Wondering

Is anyone else watching Parks & Recreation? Cause it's cracking me the hell up. Thursday is turning into the only night I turn the tv on.

Meh

The Black Moth may be my most disappointing Heyer read to date. It's all about a pair of brothers - one a gentleman and the other a highwayman. They both have romantic problems, and then there's the despicable brother-in-law making life pretty awful for all involved.


It sounds better than it reads. The characters are so boring, and the story goes on for far too long. I couldn't have cared less what happened to any of them. Only a 2 from me.

Cockeyed caravan

Snappy dialogue + a fun story = a good movie. Veronica Lake can say those zingers like no one else. I give Sullivan's Travels a 6.