Why, hello there blog world! I've been neglecting blogging because I hadn't really read much recently. But I shall now recap all that I have read in the past couple weeks.
First, I read part of a mystery novel called Steamed. I wasn't reading it very fast and wasn't really getting into it, but I gave it a go. About halfway through I realized that 1) after meeting a certain character for the first time, I knew that he was the killer, 2) I didn't actually care about why he killed a guy, and 3) I didn't care if the main character ended up with the guy she liked. So I bailed on the book. No harm, no foul.
So then I started reading Bad Boys by Olivia Goldsmith. By all respects I should have liked it. But man, I just couldn't get into it at all. I gave it a good go, but I didn't like the main chick...she was an idiot. And I liked her best guy friend until he decided that he should change from the awesome geek that he was into a Bad Boy. Lame lame lame lame lame. So again...bail!
After two no goes, I decided to read Pushing Up Daisies by Rosemary Harris. It was recommended to me by my mom and was a mystery novel. I kind of guessed who the killer was, but that wasn't really the big mystery. The main character finds the body of a child in the garden of an old house and tries to find out what happened, even though the body is from about 30 years prior. That mystery leads to a mystery about a young woman who has been missing for 30 years. All of that leads to a murder! It was a fun book, nothing too exciting, but the characters felt real and the police force in the town actually did a good job with their job...a rarity in mystery novels. It was a nice book to read after two failed starts.
I also read Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie. I like Crusie, so I liked this book. I think it was not the best choice coming off of Agnes and the Hitman because it was a lot more....calm? I dug the main character. She was strong, independent, badass, and didn't let people tell her what to do or push her around. I also found the main dude likable. And there were ghosts! In a Haunted Mansion/Castle! I mean, really, how can that be wrong? The story was fun and the side characters were all crazy and awesome. A solid read for a wintery day!
I am now switching genres a bit and reading Florida Roadkill by Tim Dorsey which is a crime caper (at least that is the genre given on wikipedia). I'd call it crime comedy? Have you ever read Big Trouble or Tricky Business by Dave Barry? They are kind of like that. The main character is a royal screw up of a human being, but I kinda like him. I also have a couple other straight fiction comedy books checked out from the library, not to mention a chick lit and a couple mysteries. I also have World War Z that I may or may not get around to reading. Depends on my mood, I guess.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
More on Doctor Who (because I don't feel like writing about books)
Yes, I know this is a book blog and not a pop culture blog. Yes, I know I wrote about Doctor Who not too long ago. No, I don't care.
I finally finished watching season 5 of Doctor Who, including the Christmas Special (which I supposed is really the beginning of season 6, but whatever). As a result, I am going to rank The Doctors and companions (because I love making lists!) from favorite to least favorite. I'll start with The Doctor.
My favorite Doctor is the Eleventh Doctor, played by Matt Smith. I was discussing with my sister and I still can't pinpoint quite why he is my favorite. I think that his youth has a lot to do with it. Matt Smith is only a few years older than I am which I think resonates with me. I also like his style of work as the Doctor (the capitalization of the name "The Doctor" is bugging me out...no idea what the proper capitalization is). He talks super super fast and doesn't seem to have an inner monologue...he literally talks through his thought process. I like getting to hear how he comes to conclusions. He seems a bit spazztic and less with it than the other Doctors, which is fun. Also, he is just quirk...in dress, physical features, and movement. I mean, he wears a bow-tie (bow-ties are cool!), suspenders and occasionally a fez. He is also just kind of adorable, but not in as obvious a way as David Tennant.
My second favorite Doctor is the Ninth Doctor, played by Christopher Eccelston. He was the first Doctor I saw, so he has a special place in my heart. I also like that he tends to go kinda manic around the Daleks. Like...he goes crazy nuts when he and Rose meet that first Dalek of the season. He also just seems like he is ten steps ahead of everyone else...like when he is out to dinner with the Slatheen in Cardiff. He is nonchalantly ahead of her thinking. I think that Eccelston is also great at combining the humor of the Doctor with torment. He also just tends to brush off anything bad and move on. Fantastic!
My third favorite Doctor (not my least favorite...just third favorite) is the Tenth Doctor, played by David Tennant. I'm not sure why he is at the bottom of my list. I really like Tennant as the Doctor, but I feel like he gets a little too angsty sometimes. He is also very irresponsible with the TARDIS. I want to count the number of times that he gets separated from it or it gets sucked into Hell or ends up somewhere out of reach. If you are a space traveler, you should keep track of your one way to get yourself and others home. I think that the Tenth Doctor ends up with too much relationship drama, whether it be falling in love with Rose or having Martha pine over him, it gets to be a bit of a downer. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the Tenth Doctor and I love David Tennant, but by the end of his final specials, it seemed almost like mercy to have him regenerate and lose a bit of the drama. I mean, at the end of The Water on Mars, you can just see the torture...and then the next special makes him relive the heart break of losing Donna. Gah!
Anyway, now onto the companions. I won't have as long of descriptions (probably) as there are more of them.
1) Donna--Oh my goodness, how I love Donna. I loved her in The Runaway Bride and even more when she became an actual companion. She is a bit daft and a bit nutty, but so so so much fun. And I like that she and The Doctor are 100% just mates and nothing more. You can imagine them staying together for all of Donna's life. I think the most heartbreaking thing in all of Doctor Who is the end of season 4. However, I have a theory that Donna might come back eventually...or maybe that is just wishful thinking.
2) Captain Jack Harkness--It is impossible not to love Captain Jack. I love him when he is first introduced and he is a con man and a bit of a rogue. I also like him when he is more of the leading man in Torchwood and when he goes back with the Doctor in season 3. But nothing beats when he initially travels with the Doctor and Rose. He adds a nice dynamic to the group. And also, he's just really hot.
3) Amy Pond--I'm not a huge fan of companions pining after the Doctor, but Amy does it in such a way that it is adorable. I also just love that, like Donna, whenever the Doctor tells her to do something, she does the exact opposite. She loves traveling with the Doctor and trusts him, but also doesn't like how he can be slightly patronizing. I also love that she doesn't let him get away with anything. She calls him out on everything.
4) Rory Williams--Up until the end of season 5, Rory wasn't really high on my list, even though I knew he was going to be a companion. But now I love Rory. He is probably the most stable of the companions ever and he doesn't seem to mind that his wife has a crush on the Doctor. He seems like he will be helpful in a crisis because he is a nurse and to be honest, I just really think he looks good as a Roman soldier.
5) Mickey Smith--I love Mickey when he is a companion/ends up in the parallel world/ends up back in the real world, though not so much at the beginning of season 1. He has a nice character arch and really grows into an awesome character. I must admit that I started to love him when he hacks into government systems for The Doctor and then I fell in love when he turned into a badass militant dude.
6) Martha Jones--I like Martha as a character and I love her on Torchwood, but as a companion she annoys me. She is so in love with the Doctor, but not in a fun way like Amy Pond. It is better when Jack is with them, but she is just kinda meh as a companion. She is such a rocking character, though when she is out kicking ass and being a Torchwood doctor.
7) Rose Tyler--I like Rose fine as the companion of The Ninth Doctor, but I think the whole thing goes a bit soap opera with Rose and The Doctor loving each other but not being able to be together. Just not my thing. Also, Rose in love ends up being very annoying. She also seems to be the most "damsel in distress". Martha, Donna, Amy, Jack all seem to be able to get out of scraps, but Rose tends to need saving. Or maybe I just think that because I don't really like her. I so love Jackie Tyler, though!
*Updated: I forgot River Song! Probably because I'm just not sure where to rank her. I love how enigmatic she is and how she fits into the story, but I'm not sure that I dig that she may or may not be married to the Doctor. Also, how did she end up at the wedding at the end of season 5? Shouldn't she not know Amy and Rory since Amy didn't remember the Doctor, hence he didn't exist. How did that work? All the time travel makes sense to me until River shows up and then it confuses the hell out of me. I'd probably rank her as 7? Maybe 6? I dunno.
I know that there are a few other companions who were around for only an episode or two, but that seems like too much trouble to rank them. So, how does my ranking line up with you? I know most people either love Matt Smith or hate him, so what side are you on? Who is your favorite companion?
I finally finished watching season 5 of Doctor Who, including the Christmas Special (which I supposed is really the beginning of season 6, but whatever). As a result, I am going to rank The Doctors and companions (because I love making lists!) from favorite to least favorite. I'll start with The Doctor.
My favorite Doctor is the Eleventh Doctor, played by Matt Smith. I was discussing with my sister and I still can't pinpoint quite why he is my favorite. I think that his youth has a lot to do with it. Matt Smith is only a few years older than I am which I think resonates with me. I also like his style of work as the Doctor (the capitalization of the name "The Doctor" is bugging me out...no idea what the proper capitalization is). He talks super super fast and doesn't seem to have an inner monologue...he literally talks through his thought process. I like getting to hear how he comes to conclusions. He seems a bit spazztic and less with it than the other Doctors, which is fun. Also, he is just quirk...in dress, physical features, and movement. I mean, he wears a bow-tie (bow-ties are cool!), suspenders and occasionally a fez. He is also just kind of adorable, but not in as obvious a way as David Tennant.
My second favorite Doctor is the Ninth Doctor, played by Christopher Eccelston. He was the first Doctor I saw, so he has a special place in my heart. I also like that he tends to go kinda manic around the Daleks. Like...he goes crazy nuts when he and Rose meet that first Dalek of the season. He also just seems like he is ten steps ahead of everyone else...like when he is out to dinner with the Slatheen in Cardiff. He is nonchalantly ahead of her thinking. I think that Eccelston is also great at combining the humor of the Doctor with torment. He also just tends to brush off anything bad and move on. Fantastic!
My third favorite Doctor (not my least favorite...just third favorite) is the Tenth Doctor, played by David Tennant. I'm not sure why he is at the bottom of my list. I really like Tennant as the Doctor, but I feel like he gets a little too angsty sometimes. He is also very irresponsible with the TARDIS. I want to count the number of times that he gets separated from it or it gets sucked into Hell or ends up somewhere out of reach. If you are a space traveler, you should keep track of your one way to get yourself and others home. I think that the Tenth Doctor ends up with too much relationship drama, whether it be falling in love with Rose or having Martha pine over him, it gets to be a bit of a downer. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the Tenth Doctor and I love David Tennant, but by the end of his final specials, it seemed almost like mercy to have him regenerate and lose a bit of the drama. I mean, at the end of The Water on Mars, you can just see the torture...and then the next special makes him relive the heart break of losing Donna. Gah!
Anyway, now onto the companions. I won't have as long of descriptions (probably) as there are more of them.
1) Donna--Oh my goodness, how I love Donna. I loved her in The Runaway Bride and even more when she became an actual companion. She is a bit daft and a bit nutty, but so so so much fun. And I like that she and The Doctor are 100% just mates and nothing more. You can imagine them staying together for all of Donna's life. I think the most heartbreaking thing in all of Doctor Who is the end of season 4. However, I have a theory that Donna might come back eventually...or maybe that is just wishful thinking.
2) Captain Jack Harkness--It is impossible not to love Captain Jack. I love him when he is first introduced and he is a con man and a bit of a rogue. I also like him when he is more of the leading man in Torchwood and when he goes back with the Doctor in season 3. But nothing beats when he initially travels with the Doctor and Rose. He adds a nice dynamic to the group. And also, he's just really hot.
3) Amy Pond--I'm not a huge fan of companions pining after the Doctor, but Amy does it in such a way that it is adorable. I also just love that, like Donna, whenever the Doctor tells her to do something, she does the exact opposite. She loves traveling with the Doctor and trusts him, but also doesn't like how he can be slightly patronizing. I also love that she doesn't let him get away with anything. She calls him out on everything.
4) Rory Williams--Up until the end of season 5, Rory wasn't really high on my list, even though I knew he was going to be a companion. But now I love Rory. He is probably the most stable of the companions ever and he doesn't seem to mind that his wife has a crush on the Doctor. He seems like he will be helpful in a crisis because he is a nurse and to be honest, I just really think he looks good as a Roman soldier.
5) Mickey Smith--I love Mickey when he is a companion/ends up in the parallel world/ends up back in the real world, though not so much at the beginning of season 1. He has a nice character arch and really grows into an awesome character. I must admit that I started to love him when he hacks into government systems for The Doctor and then I fell in love when he turned into a badass militant dude.
6) Martha Jones--I like Martha as a character and I love her on Torchwood, but as a companion she annoys me. She is so in love with the Doctor, but not in a fun way like Amy Pond. It is better when Jack is with them, but she is just kinda meh as a companion. She is such a rocking character, though when she is out kicking ass and being a Torchwood doctor.
7) Rose Tyler--I like Rose fine as the companion of The Ninth Doctor, but I think the whole thing goes a bit soap opera with Rose and The Doctor loving each other but not being able to be together. Just not my thing. Also, Rose in love ends up being very annoying. She also seems to be the most "damsel in distress". Martha, Donna, Amy, Jack all seem to be able to get out of scraps, but Rose tends to need saving. Or maybe I just think that because I don't really like her. I so love Jackie Tyler, though!
*Updated: I forgot River Song! Probably because I'm just not sure where to rank her. I love how enigmatic she is and how she fits into the story, but I'm not sure that I dig that she may or may not be married to the Doctor. Also, how did she end up at the wedding at the end of season 5? Shouldn't she not know Amy and Rory since Amy didn't remember the Doctor, hence he didn't exist. How did that work? All the time travel makes sense to me until River shows up and then it confuses the hell out of me. I'd probably rank her as 7? Maybe 6? I dunno.
I know that there are a few other companions who were around for only an episode or two, but that seems like too much trouble to rank them. So, how does my ranking line up with you? I know most people either love Matt Smith or hate him, so what side are you on? Who is your favorite companion?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Agnes and the Hitman: Review
I wasn't planning on reviewing books I've read because I feel like it is starting to get repetitive (mayhaps because I have been reading all chick lit and mystery), but then I read Agnes and the Hitman and decided that I had to rave about it.
Agnes and the Hitman is the second collaboration between Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer and it was sooooo great. It is a contemporary romance/chick lit type novel mixed with an action adventure. There were a lot of killings, a lot of swearing, and some really hot sex. All my favorite things in a story! It is like if you took True Blood, removed the vampires, and added the mob. As in any Jennifer Crusie novel, there were approximately 18 different story lines and 2700 characters. But I was able to keep most of it straight generally. I had a few times of having to flip back to an earlier section to check on a name or relation, but most everything was spelled out in the end for those readers like me who occasionally read too fast to remember who people are and how they are connected.
I loved the main characters a whole lot. Agnes used to go to a therapist so a lot of her inner dialog is "talking" to the therapist, yet ignoring the advice. Agnes also has some anger issues...in that she has a tendency to hit guys with frying pans if they cheat on her/threaten her with a gun. There was also a little incident with a meat fork to the neck. See, romance novel with lots of violence! Fun! Shane, the hitman, is fairly calm in his killings and his every day life, which is a nice match for how Agnes tends to explode about everything. Really, one of the best pairs of characters in a novel I've read.
The secondary characters all had interesting stories and I would read books about all of them, but my favorite was Carpenter, Shane's work partner. He is the one who cleans up after the hits and is a Spiritual Humanist, so he is often found just being calm or giving good life advice. Essentially, he just cracks me up. I feel like there could have been a concurrent story between Carpenter and Agnes' best friend, Lisa Livia.
My favorite thing about Agnes and the Himan was the dialog. It was some of the funniest and snappiest dialog from a book. If you've seen Buffy or Firefly, think of that dialog. How it flies by and makes you laugh and makes you want to quote it. It just feels real, but more. Like...the dialog is how I wish I talked, but it still seemed plausible and real. And it kept making me laugh out loud, which doesn't usually happen when I read. A little giggle or something, sure. But actual laughter is rare. And happened numerous times while reading.
Essentially, this is probably my favorite Jennifer Crusie novel. It took all the elements of her other novels that I love and added excessive amounts of violence and swearing. It was everything I like my books to be...strong female character, guy who challenges heroine without being a dick about it or trying to take her independence, lots of mystery, lots of yelling at people, an awesome dog, and hitting people with frying pans! I highly highly recommend reading Agnes and the Hitman.
I am now starting on a mystery novel I randomly picked up called Steamed by Jessica Conant-Park and Susan Conant. Probably won't review it unless it is super awesome or super awful.
Agnes and the Hitman is the second collaboration between Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer and it was sooooo great. It is a contemporary romance/chick lit type novel mixed with an action adventure. There were a lot of killings, a lot of swearing, and some really hot sex. All my favorite things in a story! It is like if you took True Blood, removed the vampires, and added the mob. As in any Jennifer Crusie novel, there were approximately 18 different story lines and 2700 characters. But I was able to keep most of it straight generally. I had a few times of having to flip back to an earlier section to check on a name or relation, but most everything was spelled out in the end for those readers like me who occasionally read too fast to remember who people are and how they are connected.
I loved the main characters a whole lot. Agnes used to go to a therapist so a lot of her inner dialog is "talking" to the therapist, yet ignoring the advice. Agnes also has some anger issues...in that she has a tendency to hit guys with frying pans if they cheat on her/threaten her with a gun. There was also a little incident with a meat fork to the neck. See, romance novel with lots of violence! Fun! Shane, the hitman, is fairly calm in his killings and his every day life, which is a nice match for how Agnes tends to explode about everything. Really, one of the best pairs of characters in a novel I've read.
The secondary characters all had interesting stories and I would read books about all of them, but my favorite was Carpenter, Shane's work partner. He is the one who cleans up after the hits and is a Spiritual Humanist, so he is often found just being calm or giving good life advice. Essentially, he just cracks me up. I feel like there could have been a concurrent story between Carpenter and Agnes' best friend, Lisa Livia.
My favorite thing about Agnes and the Himan was the dialog. It was some of the funniest and snappiest dialog from a book. If you've seen Buffy or Firefly, think of that dialog. How it flies by and makes you laugh and makes you want to quote it. It just feels real, but more. Like...the dialog is how I wish I talked, but it still seemed plausible and real. And it kept making me laugh out loud, which doesn't usually happen when I read. A little giggle or something, sure. But actual laughter is rare. And happened numerous times while reading.
Essentially, this is probably my favorite Jennifer Crusie novel. It took all the elements of her other novels that I love and added excessive amounts of violence and swearing. It was everything I like my books to be...strong female character, guy who challenges heroine without being a dick about it or trying to take her independence, lots of mystery, lots of yelling at people, an awesome dog, and hitting people with frying pans! I highly highly recommend reading Agnes and the Hitman.
I am now starting on a mystery novel I randomly picked up called Steamed by Jessica Conant-Park and Susan Conant. Probably won't review it unless it is super awesome or super awful.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Another day, another mystery novel
I read Just Desserts by G.A. McKevett. It was good. Not amazing, but decent. I enjoyed that I totally didn't call who the killer way until the end and I really enjoyed the characters.
The main heroine was Savannah, a southern belle from Georgia who is a forty-ish detective in LA. She has a big family back home, but no boyfriend/husband/kid. She spends most of her time with her partner, Dirk. Immediately, I liked the two together. Dirk is very old-school detective...gruff, grumbly, sarcastic...and Savannah matches that sarcasm with ease, adding in a healthy dose of saying exactly what pops into her head. I like a strong female character who stand her ground no matter what, so I liked Savannah.
About half way through the book, Ryan Stone was introduced, who I loved. He is kind of set up as the guy to fall in love with for Savannah, but then that story line ended up going in a much better direct. I was pleasantly surprised by the twist as I really didn't see it coming. The minor characters were mostly fun, though I wasn't a huge fan of the subplot with Savannah's sister Atlanta. I could have done without it.
The most I reflect on the story, the most I think I liked it. I didn't feel terribly invested in it, but it is a long series, so I think I will be more invested after a few books. Kinda like The Cat Who Books. I'm excited to have a new series of books to read that I can actually get all of at the library, as compared to Jess Lourey, who I can only get a couple books of. Darn small town libraries!
The next book I am going to read is Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer.
The main heroine was Savannah, a southern belle from Georgia who is a forty-ish detective in LA. She has a big family back home, but no boyfriend/husband/kid. She spends most of her time with her partner, Dirk. Immediately, I liked the two together. Dirk is very old-school detective...gruff, grumbly, sarcastic...and Savannah matches that sarcasm with ease, adding in a healthy dose of saying exactly what pops into her head. I like a strong female character who stand her ground no matter what, so I liked Savannah.
About half way through the book, Ryan Stone was introduced, who I loved. He is kind of set up as the guy to fall in love with for Savannah, but then that story line ended up going in a much better direct. I was pleasantly surprised by the twist as I really didn't see it coming. The minor characters were mostly fun, though I wasn't a huge fan of the subplot with Savannah's sister Atlanta. I could have done without it.
The most I reflect on the story, the most I think I liked it. I didn't feel terribly invested in it, but it is a long series, so I think I will be more invested after a few books. Kinda like The Cat Who Books. I'm excited to have a new series of books to read that I can actually get all of at the library, as compared to Jess Lourey, who I can only get a couple books of. Darn small town libraries!
The next book I am going to read is Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Princesses are cool!
Lately on GeekMom, Jezebel, Meg Cabot, etc. have been talking about princesses, prompted by Disney's announcement that they are not going to do any more princess movies. There has been much discussion about princesses, princess culture, princess movies, princess books, if boys will watch princess movies, etc., etc., etc.
Personally, I don't see what the big fuss is about princesses. I grew up with princess movies as did most people my age. My favorite movies when I was little were Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and The Little Mermaid. I can name the favorite princess of all of my female friends (mine was Little Mermaid because having fins would be cool and Eric was hot), but most of my guy friends also know all of the princesses. It is a bit of a stigma now that princesses are for girls, but I really don't know many people who haven't seen the major Disney princess movies. Sure, princess culture tends to be for girls, but movies like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, or even more recent movies like The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, and Enchanted have a broad appeal. I watched Enchated a ton in college, mostly with guys. So...the argument that boys won't watch princess movies is bogus.
Next argument...and the one that is the biggest debate in feminist blogs...princess culture. There seems to be this idea that if little girls watch movies with princesses in them that they will wait around to be rescued by a guy...or something like that. I'm really not quite sure because there are only a couple movies that I can think of that have a rescue element to them, namely Snow White and Sleeping Beauty who need kisses to be awoken (which is weird on a whole other level...). But like, Cinderella...she goes to the ball on her own; Belle rescues the Beast, Princess Tatiana definitely rescues the frog prince, and Giselle decides that she doesn't want to be rescued. I suppose it is more the "do something radical for a guy" a la grow legs like Ariel. But even that, there ends up being the lesson that if the guy is really for you, he will like you even after he knows that you are a mermaid or a maid or smart or whatever.
As I earlier, I grew up on princess movies, but I never aspired to be a princess. Just like watching Rookie of the Year didn't make me aspire to play baseball, Tom and Huck didn't inspire me to fake my own death and attend my own funeral, and The Three Musketeers didn't make me want to kill a Cardinal all in the name of France. I think people don't give kids enough credit for knowing what is and isn't real. Sure, my sister and I acted our princess scenes with our Barbies, but we did that a lot less than we played Star Wars, with Barbies and full out. And while I sometimes liked to play Ariel or Belle, mostly I liked playing Star Wars because I always got to be Luke!
And how could being a princess be bad when you have Princess Leia as a role model! I mean, talk about badass! She is the one who rescues Han, Luke, and Chewie from the Stormtroopers, she single-handedly saves the rebel alliance by hiding stuff in R2, and she totally rocks by getting the Ewoks involved in taking down the Empire.
I like princess movies because they are kind of like chick lit on screen. They have a formulaic plot, a happy ending, lots of fun drama in the middle, and a fun heroine to root for. I don't know that Disney necessarily needs to have more princesses right now, since there are soooo many at the moment...I always really liked the movies with cool guys like Aladdin, Hercules, and the Lion King and think there should be more of those...but I don't think princesses are bad. Everyone likes to be able to fall into a story and have fun acting it out later. And trust me, most kids are smart enough to realize fairly early on that they aren't real.
Personally, I don't see what the big fuss is about princesses. I grew up with princess movies as did most people my age. My favorite movies when I was little were Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and The Little Mermaid. I can name the favorite princess of all of my female friends (mine was Little Mermaid because having fins would be cool and Eric was hot), but most of my guy friends also know all of the princesses. It is a bit of a stigma now that princesses are for girls, but I really don't know many people who haven't seen the major Disney princess movies. Sure, princess culture tends to be for girls, but movies like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, or even more recent movies like The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, and Enchanted have a broad appeal. I watched Enchated a ton in college, mostly with guys. So...the argument that boys won't watch princess movies is bogus.
Next argument...and the one that is the biggest debate in feminist blogs...princess culture. There seems to be this idea that if little girls watch movies with princesses in them that they will wait around to be rescued by a guy...or something like that. I'm really not quite sure because there are only a couple movies that I can think of that have a rescue element to them, namely Snow White and Sleeping Beauty who need kisses to be awoken (which is weird on a whole other level...). But like, Cinderella...she goes to the ball on her own; Belle rescues the Beast, Princess Tatiana definitely rescues the frog prince, and Giselle decides that she doesn't want to be rescued. I suppose it is more the "do something radical for a guy" a la grow legs like Ariel. But even that, there ends up being the lesson that if the guy is really for you, he will like you even after he knows that you are a mermaid or a maid or smart or whatever.
As I earlier, I grew up on princess movies, but I never aspired to be a princess. Just like watching Rookie of the Year didn't make me aspire to play baseball, Tom and Huck didn't inspire me to fake my own death and attend my own funeral, and The Three Musketeers didn't make me want to kill a Cardinal all in the name of France. I think people don't give kids enough credit for knowing what is and isn't real. Sure, my sister and I acted our princess scenes with our Barbies, but we did that a lot less than we played Star Wars, with Barbies and full out. And while I sometimes liked to play Ariel or Belle, mostly I liked playing Star Wars because I always got to be Luke!
And how could being a princess be bad when you have Princess Leia as a role model! I mean, talk about badass! She is the one who rescues Han, Luke, and Chewie from the Stormtroopers, she single-handedly saves the rebel alliance by hiding stuff in R2, and she totally rocks by getting the Ewoks involved in taking down the Empire.
I like princess movies because they are kind of like chick lit on screen. They have a formulaic plot, a happy ending, lots of fun drama in the middle, and a fun heroine to root for. I don't know that Disney necessarily needs to have more princesses right now, since there are soooo many at the moment...I always really liked the movies with cool guys like Aladdin, Hercules, and the Lion King and think there should be more of those...but I don't think princesses are bad. Everyone likes to be able to fall into a story and have fun acting it out later. And trust me, most kids are smart enough to realize fairly early on that they aren't real.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella: Review
Sometimes when I pick a book to read, I don't read the inside flap/back cover. I like to be surprised by the plot. I learned this from reading mystery novels. I always hate it that the summary tells who gets killed. In the first few chapters of the book I like to try to figure out who is going to get killed. Twenties Girl is not a mystery, but I still didn't read the back. I had been told that I would like it and that it had a ghost in it and that was all I knew.
I really enjoyed Twenties Girl. I found the main character, Lara very likable, if somewhat challenged when it came to guys. Her great-aunt Sadie who she didn't know dies at age 105 and appears at her own funeral as a ghost, though her ghost self looks like she did at 23. Lara is the only one who can see/hear Sadie, which means that Sadie is kind of stuck with Lara to try to get her favorite necklace, which has disappeared, back. Kind of a complicated premise for a story that is more about the people than the plot.
As I said, Lara was very likable, as is Sadie. They are polar opposites in some ways, but they end up influencing each other in good ways. Lara, for as much as she complains about Sadie, really does listen to most everything Sadie tells her to do. I also like that everyone thinks that Lara is kinda crazy because it looks like she is talking to herself. I liked when she would write something down for Sadie and then Sadie would respond orally. It was kinda fun to imagine if I would be able to not react to a ghost. Lots of multitasking! As a subplot, there is the relationship drama. Lara's old boyfriend has broken up with her and she isn't over it. She ends up using Sadie and her powers to try to get him back. Sadie, however, has found a guy, Ed, that she likes and makes Lara "date" him by proxy.
I gotta say, I would have loved for Ed to be in the book more. He was just kind of a normal guy and the relationship between Lara and Ed grew naturally, I think. Most chick lit novels have the love at first sight or hate at first sight thing. Ed and Lara were pushed together by Sadie and really just kinda like each other ok at first. They get on well, but don't care to date. I really enjoyed that the relationship stuff was in the background. But really...more Ed!
Overall, I am torn about Sophie Kinsella as an author. I really love some of her books like this one, Remember Me, and Undomesticated Goddess, but I didn't even make it halfway through Confessionals of a Shopaholic. I appreciate that her plots are intriguing and definitely not the standard chick lit formula. And the guys are always fun, normal guys. But I find her main heroines to be a bit daft usually. For British chick lit, I'd probably stick with Hester Browne as my number one, but Kinsella is definitely entertaining.
I am now reading Just Desserts, the first book in the Savannah Reid mystery series by G.A. McKevett. Apparently I am going to continue with my chick lit and mystery kick. Stay tuned for more reviews! And probably more blogs about non-book things. Because that is how I roll!
I really enjoyed Twenties Girl. I found the main character, Lara very likable, if somewhat challenged when it came to guys. Her great-aunt Sadie who she didn't know dies at age 105 and appears at her own funeral as a ghost, though her ghost self looks like she did at 23. Lara is the only one who can see/hear Sadie, which means that Sadie is kind of stuck with Lara to try to get her favorite necklace, which has disappeared, back. Kind of a complicated premise for a story that is more about the people than the plot.
As I said, Lara was very likable, as is Sadie. They are polar opposites in some ways, but they end up influencing each other in good ways. Lara, for as much as she complains about Sadie, really does listen to most everything Sadie tells her to do. I also like that everyone thinks that Lara is kinda crazy because it looks like she is talking to herself. I liked when she would write something down for Sadie and then Sadie would respond orally. It was kinda fun to imagine if I would be able to not react to a ghost. Lots of multitasking! As a subplot, there is the relationship drama. Lara's old boyfriend has broken up with her and she isn't over it. She ends up using Sadie and her powers to try to get him back. Sadie, however, has found a guy, Ed, that she likes and makes Lara "date" him by proxy.
I gotta say, I would have loved for Ed to be in the book more. He was just kind of a normal guy and the relationship between Lara and Ed grew naturally, I think. Most chick lit novels have the love at first sight or hate at first sight thing. Ed and Lara were pushed together by Sadie and really just kinda like each other ok at first. They get on well, but don't care to date. I really enjoyed that the relationship stuff was in the background. But really...more Ed!
Overall, I am torn about Sophie Kinsella as an author. I really love some of her books like this one, Remember Me, and Undomesticated Goddess, but I didn't even make it halfway through Confessionals of a Shopaholic. I appreciate that her plots are intriguing and definitely not the standard chick lit formula. And the guys are always fun, normal guys. But I find her main heroines to be a bit daft usually. For British chick lit, I'd probably stick with Hester Browne as my number one, but Kinsella is definitely entertaining.
I am now reading Just Desserts, the first book in the Savannah Reid mystery series by G.A. McKevett. Apparently I am going to continue with my chick lit and mystery kick. Stay tuned for more reviews! And probably more blogs about non-book things. Because that is how I roll!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)