I Can't Complain- Elinor Lipman

I like essay collections. This was my first experience with Elinor Lipman and now I'm going to try her novels. This collection contains essays on every subject from birth to death and in between.

The Ghost & Lady Alice- Marion Chesney

This was a fun little romp with a few screwball elements. Alice is a scullery maid on a ducal estate, mistreated, and desperately wanting a better life. She ventures upstairs one night after everyone has gone to bed and sees a portrait of her employer's ancestor- a man who was a known rake & libertine, but who treated his servants fairly and with kindness. The nearly broken Alice wishes out loud that he could come bck and take her away from her miserable existance.

Gervase, the 8th Duke, is quite startled to find himself summoned back into existance after his death nearly a century before. He is amused by the little scullery maid who has unwittingly brought him back and decides to help her. It takes a while to put his plan into motion, but he eventually spirits Alice the scullery maid away and manages to bring her into society as Alice the French Countess.

The plan is to find Alice a titled husband and give her the secure life she'd dreamed of. Of course things NEVER go according to plan...after a disastrous series of engagements, Alice and her Ghostly Duke realize they've fallen in love. Now how do they get their happily ever after?

Here I Go Again- Jen Lancaster

This is Jen's second novel and quite a hoot to read. The main character is Melissa "Lissy" Ryder. Lissy was a high school homecoming queen/cheerleader/leader of the mean girls posse/snotty witch. You know the type- think Mean Girls meets Heathers. She spent her high school years running roughshod over everyone and the following years coasting on what she believed to be her past glory.

Then the proverbial rug gets yanked out from under her feet.

Suddenly Lissy finds herself broke, unemployed, single, and fat. And living with her parents. Things can't get worse, right? Wrong. She gets an invitation to her class reunion.

Thinking she can relive her glory days, and praying that her former classmates all have wretched lives, she goes. Things don't go the way she'd hoped. Most of her former victims are amazingly successful. Her ex-husband is there with a Sofia Vergara lookalike. People are lining up to take metaphorical jabs at her and her BFF has given up and walked away in disgust.

Only one person takes pity on Lissy- Deva, formerly Debbie, who has become a New Age practitioner. Deva took all the negativity heaped on her from Lissy and channeled it into something positive. She feels truly sorry for the girl who made her life hell and offers to help her by giving Liss a potion. "Only take one drop a day!"

Liss makes her way home and thinks Deva is a nut. Why be nice to someone who was so rotten to her? But it's not like she has anything to lose at this point, so she tries the potion. It doesn't taste too awful, so she has some more. And some more....and then she falls asleep...

...only to wake up in her old room. Nothing shocking there- she's had to move back in with her parents. Then she realizes that she's not just in her old room- she's in her old body! That's right...Lissy Ryder is 17 again. Now maybe she can right the wrongs of her past and have a brighter future!

Well, almost. She changes the past, and winds up with the kind of future she dreamed of. The problem is, she kind of screwed everyone else up in doing it, but is enlightened enough to care. So now she has to find Deva, get more of the potion, and try again. Does she succeed? Does she get a Happily-Ever-After without ruining it for everyone?

You'll have to read it for yourself. And if you're like me, you'll wind up digging out your old Whitesnake recordings.

"I don't know where I'm going...but I sure know where I've been..."

187 Men To Avoid- Dan/Danielle Brown

There isn't much to this- just a list of the types of men a single woman should avoid. Examples include:

Men who "just want to be friends."

Men who think farting is cute.

Men who burn fake logs.


Part of me can't help thinking that a similar book written about women would probably have never been published. Also, I wonder what it says about me that some of the categories listed in the Men book apply to me?

FYI- I don't think farting is cute, but it can be funny as hell. One side of my family views it as a contact sport, so family gatherings are pungent, yet entertaining.

Etiquette & Espionage- Gail Carriger

I believe I reviewed Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series in an earlier post. This is the first book in the Divine Miss Gail's new Finishing School Series for YA readers. It's set in the same world, but earlier than the PP books and you encounter some familiar faces in their youth.

The heroine, Sophronia, is my kind of girl. More interested in how things work and the world around her than is considered proper, she is 'banished' to finishing school after an incident involving visitors, a trifle, and the family dumbwaiter. An attack by air pirates as she is on her way to school makes Soph wonder just what kind of school this is.

She finds out pretty quickly. This school isn't just about learning nice manners and gentility. The girls also learn the finer points of espionage, battle with the air pirates again, and learn how to coexist with vampires & werewolves. And Sophronia adopts the cutest mechanical dog, Bumbersnoot. Reading about him made me want one of my own.

I can't say much more without spoilers, but suffice it to say that it's a worthy addition to my library. I'm looking forward to book 2, due out much later this year, and the sequels to the Parasol Protectorate that are also forthcoming!

Gone Girl- Gillian Flynn

I wasn't going to read this one because I don't like following the rest of the sheeple in the world, but several authors I like (with similar tastes to mine) had put it on their recommended lists, so I thought I'd try it.

Wow, are these characters screwed up! The story starts out normally- boy meets girl, boy & girl get married. Then boy & girl both lose their jobs in NY, her parents go broke and have to take the money from her trust fund to pay debts, his parents are dying, and they move back to his childhood home in Missouri. She's not happy about it, but is trying to stay positive. He uses the last of her money to open a bar with his sister and thinks everything is peachy...until he comes home on their anniversary to find signs of a struggle and his wife missing.

Then it gets interesting.

The police ask the usual procedural questions. Her parents come to help with the search. Friends and neighbors start looking for the missing woman. And parts of the story don't quite add up. Neighbors paint a different picture of his life than the one he gives the police. Weird things show up, and the 'hero' is shown to be hiding things from the world...things that don't put him in a good light and make matters worse...like the affair he's been having...

Now he's accused of killing his wife and hiding her body. And while the police are trying to find evidence to put him away, the husband is trying to prove that his wife set him up to look like he killed her. As he grasps at straws to save himself, the reader is shown how the missing wife isn't quite the sainted angel she's been cast as.

I won't spoil the ending, except to say that it wasn't entirely satisfying, but in a way, most of the characters got what they deserved.

Relax- You May Only Have a Few Minutes Left: Loretta LaRoche

Yes, I read a self-help book. It wasn't my idea- the shrink I have been sent to (thanks to the psycho I work with) recommended it. This was better than most, but still not my ideal choice of reading material. Loretta LaRoche gives suggestions for way the reader can reduce their stress level by looking for the humor in stressful situations. There were a few helpful suggestions and some great one-liners.

One of my favorite sections was about people who play the "ain't it awful"/one-upmanship game. To quote:

I have the worst headache today.

I've had five headaches.

Ok, you win. You get 5 bottles of aspirin and a trip to the neurologist.
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Coming soon- I'm going back to fiction reviews, and possibly a few on DVD's I've been watching.

Simon's Cat Vs The World

I love Simon's Cat! This collection hasn't been released in the US yet- I had to order mine from a British seller on Amazon, but it was worth it. It's a slim volume compared to the other 3 books, but it's a hardback AND it's in color. I was surprised at how much depth the coloring added to the drawings. most drawings are 1 page each and show the titular cat taking on various things/days/what have you. Appearances are made by his new kitten pal, the hedgehogs, and many more.

Celebrate- Pippa Middleton

Bwahahahahahahahahahaha! She got paid HOW MUCH for this?!? At least she admits in the forward that people mainly know who she is because of her sister,  her brother-in-law, and her butt.

Ok, let me find something positive to say: The pictures are pretty.

The Casual Vacancy- J K Rowling

I can sum this book up in one word: Blech. Rowling succeeded at one thing- this book is nothing like her Harry Potter series. I didn't expect it to be and was quite hopeful when I heard it described as dark humor. There was plenty of darkness, but very little humor.

 The premise is that a man drops dead unexpectedly and leaves a vacancy on his town council. The surviving councillors are engaged in a war for supremacy for their group's views while trying to get a replacement. The story focuses on their internal warfare and the crumbling relationships with their children, class war, and how people cope with loss.

There wasn't a single likeable character in the book. Not even the teenagers were tolerable. I was slightly amused at them taking metaphorical potshots at the adults around them, but overall, this thing left me cold. One character is vaguely interesting- the sterotypical bad girl who has a horrible family life but is recognized by an adult as a diamond in the rough. The problem is that the adult in this case drops dead at the beginning of the book, nobody else cares enough about this girl to try to keep her going, and she winds up committing suicide at the end.

I'd like to thank J K Rowling for one thing. It's said that all fiction has a base in fact. If life in a British village is that dismal, with politics that pervasive, I am changing my future retirement plans to live in a flat in London!

Men In Black III

I *LOVED* the first Men In Black. It's one of those movies that I sporadically quote from, watch every time I catch it on TV, and even occasionally attempt to do the dance Will Smith does in the video for the theme song. (You're welcome for the mental image that probably just left you, and no, I won't come clean the drink you just snorted through your nose off your monitor)

The second movie? Eh. It had some funny moments, but just didn't live up to the first one.

Then, many moons later, they announced part 3 was being made. Part of me got giddy, part of me wanted to crawl into a hole and cry. The longer a series goes between sequels, the worse the movies seem to get. See Red Dwarf, the Star Wars series, and the Indiana Jones movies for proof of the depressing decline. (Digressing, I do have to admit I joined the rest of the theater in whooping wildly when the shadow of the hat rolled across the screen and you got to see that Indiana WAS back) I couldn't bring myself to go see it when it was finally released, just in case it really was bad.

Then, I was walking past a Redbox at the grocery store. Most of the time, getting a new release at that box is a no go. On a whim, I pulled MIB3 up and was startled to see it was in. So I rented it, went home, picked up an ornament I was cross stitching and settled in expecting the worst.

A couple of hours later, the ornament was forgotten, I was laughing and crying, and my fears were gone. This was a good movie. Not as humorous as the first, but very well done. The premise is that Agent J (Will Smith) has to go back in time to prevent the death of his partner, K. (Tommy Lee Jones) He meets the younger K (Josh Brolin) and the 2 don't see eye to eye, but wind up getting along and saving the world, just like they do in the future. Brolin is amazing as a younger K. He gets so many of Jones' quirky mannerisms down that you'd almost think it was him.

I suspected I knew what one of the plot twists was going to be, and I was partially right. Then, once I figured out the rest of the twist and it was played out onscreen, I cried like a baby. Won't tell what it was in case you haven't seen it yet, but I will say it explains a lot about a lot of things, especially the relationship between J & K. And despite the sadness of the plot twist, the movie ends with a smile (pretty much literally) and hope for the future.

Will they make a 4th movie? Probably not. I almost hope not, because they left it in a really good place with this installment.

One very minor gripe- I was totally bummed that there wasn't an extra scene thrown in at the end, during or after the credits. There also weren't any bloopers- you just KNOW there had to be some terrific ones from this bunch!

The Liddabit Sweets Candy Cookbook: How to Make Truly Scrumptious Candy in Your Own Kitchen!

I saw this listed in the new books section on my library website and requested it, not expecting much of anything. Cookbooks lately just haven't appealed to me at all.

My reserved copy came in and I sat down on the couch with it. WOW. Jen & Liz have done a great job with this book! They don't just assume that the reader knows how to do things, but they also don't dumb their insructions down to the point that you feel your intelligence has been insulted. There are clear step-by-step instuctions for various techniques, tips for how to save failed attempts, and suggested variations on nearly every recipe.

My favorite section of one of the baking classes I took in culinary school was the one where we made candy. We mostly did chocolates, and I had hoped to get a chance to try other things. Sadly, that didn't happen, but this book has rekindled my desire to give it another shot. I've placed an order for a copy of my own and suspect some of my officers are going to be my guinea pigs as I try a few recipes out...

A+++

You'll want to give this one a shot.

Wicked Wager- Anya Wylde

This was a hoot! Emma has snared the one of the most eligible rakes in England, only her uncle the Duke isn't so sure he approves of the match. He orders Emma to come to his country estate and think things over. Richard, Em's betrothed, decides to come along disguised as a gardener, and if she can't persuade the Duke to let them marry, plans to compromise so that he HAS to allow the marriage. Things get tricky when the Duke (who is sharper than they think) decides to invite the prospective bridegroom to the estate and Richard enlists a friend to pose as him. The friend keeps forgetting who he is supposed to be in love with and winds up falling for Emma's cousin, who is conflicted about everything at this point. Add in an impromptu house party, blackmail, and a murder, and you have quite the entertaining read! I'm looking forward to Anya's next book, which I believe is due out later this year...




Note: I recieved a free e-copy of this book from the author for my honest review.

The British: An Awfully Useful Guide- Toby Hill

A short, but cutely illustrated guide to some of the things that make the British what they are. It takes about 10 minutes to read through.

My DVD addiction is in full swing

No review this week. Instead, here's a look at 5 sets I've got waiting to be watched:





Ok, these 2 aren't a shock to anyone familiar with my fairy tale obsession.

MMMM, Castle. I want Nathan Fillion for Christmas, FYI.

Ok, so this veers close to fairy tale territory...

I've heard that this is the best quiz show ever. The clips I've seen on YouTube are terrific. Plus it stars 2 of my favorite Brits, Alan Davies & Stephen Fry, with guest appearances by many other favorites. Can't wait to watch it!

So, I lied. One mini review. Alan Davies as a chef?!? Ok. Sadly, only one season was made of this one. Alan is a narcissistic chef in a country hotel restaurant. Think watered down Gordon Ramsay meets watered down Anthony Bourdain meets Jamie Oliver on the skids. The supporting cast are what make this so interesting- and the talent show episode is a hoot.

DVD- Lenny Henry Live: So Much Things To Say

I love Lenny Henry. One of my favorite Brits ever, I first found him in a PBS catalog that had his series Chef! Since I was about to start culinary school at the time, and I love British comedy, I thought I'd like it. I was right. (usually am, LOL) When I find an actor/actress I like, I tend to become uber-fan and search out anything they've done that I can get my hands on.

The problem with loving British programs is that most of them are not available on a format compatible with US DVD players. However, thanks to my darling mother buying me a region free DVD player for my birthday this year, I can now go even crazier. This was one of my first purchases.

It starts out as one of Lenny's typical stand-up acts. But then he goes into new (to me, anyway) territory and throws in some character sketches. Then you're shown that the audience has a brief intermission. Now my attention has been piqued, because this is NOT typical of a comdey show. The second half of the show is where it really comes alive. Lenny fleshes out the characters you see him do bits of at the beginning. There's a shopkeeper, a soldier, an old man in a nursing home, and a lady. He switches from character to character seamlessly, and as the show progresses, you realize how they all connect and the ending will take your breath away. Not to mention, it's funny as hell to see Lenny Henry argue with figments of his own imagination.

If you have access to a region free player, this is well worth hunting down. If not, hope it airs on BBC America someday, or is released in a format compatible with your region. You really should see this.

God Save The Queen- Kate Locke

God Save the Queen, and lord help everybody else. This was a thumping good mashup of alternative history with a dollop of steampunk and a lot of supernaturals. Xandy, the heroine, is a half-vampire daughter of a vampire aristocrat, and a member of the Royal Guard serving the undead Queen Victoria. She's just been told by the Goblin Prince that her younger sister has been committed to Bedlam. Her other siblings relctantly confess that they knew, and as they plan to go visit, they're told that their sister has committed suicide in her cell. Xandy refuses to believe it and digs into the circumstances. What she finds shakes her world to the core.

Did I mention that her mentor/would-be lover is Churchill? Yes, THAT Churchill, only he's a vampire. And the Scottish Alpha werewolf (who has a mutual hate on with Church) has taken to courting her? And the goblins are fascinated with her, for reasons that only become clear at the end of the story? Heh.

Fans of Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series will probably enjoy this one as well. It's a bit grittier, but still a good read. Can't wait for the remainder of the trilogy to come out!

DVD- Disney's Tangled

Ok, as you may know, I LOVE fairy tales. I actually meant to go see this in the theater and never got around to it. (we all know this is probably a good thing) Then it kind of passed out of mind until I noticed it on the Library New DVD page. I've been trying to be good and not buy a whole lot of stuff, so I've been checking the library for movies fairly regularly and been pleased with some of the things I've gotten.

This take on Rapunzel is hilarious. A spunky princess (even if she doesn't know it), a charming rogue, and a horse & lizard who seem to know more of what's going on than their human sidekicks do, make for a good time. From Rapunzel's initial encounter with Flynn (watching her try to stuff his unconcious body in a wardrobe is priceless) to the Rogue's tavern singalong to the frying pan/sword duel ("This is probably the strangest thing I've ever done"), I laughed until I cried at the first half of this movie.

It got a little darker as the tale unfolds, and the final battle for Rapunzel's freedom from the wicked Gothel was VERY dark (funny how Disney throws traumatic events into all thier kiddie movies), but it all led up to a very HEA. Well worth watching, and try not to shoot Dr Pepper through your nose like I did when the little lizard tries to wake Flynn up. You'll see....

Libriomancer- Jim C Hines

What can I say? This book tapped into almost every geeky dream I've had. Imagine a world where a reader with the right power/imagination can pull things out of the books they read and into existance. Also, where paranormal beings come into existance based on how strongly the books they're from are read/believed in. (some of the vampire subspecies names are priceless)  In this book, those are the Libriomancers, and what they can do is amazing. Luckily, it's a rare talent, and closely monitored by a council to prevent the power from being abused. But what happens when someone goes rogue and starts a war between vampires & libriomancers? In this case, a downgraded libriomancer has to step in and save the day...and possibly the world.

Frumpy The Clown- Judd Winick

 

I didn't watch MTV's The Real World, so I had no idea who Judd Winick was. I don't even remember how I found these books, but I'm SO glad I did. Frumpy is a 6 ft, chain smoking clown with anarchist tendencies. He moves in with a quasi-typical suburban family and proceeds to make everyone's life a litle more surreal. If you liked Bloom County, the Far Side, and Calvin & Hobbes, you'll probably love Frumpy!