All Consuming : booklover07

Okay - nothing special (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 09:41:08 GMT

by Various Artists

The problem with compilation albums is that while there are some belting tracks on them – in this case, The Stranglers ‘No More Heroes’, Blondie ‘Hanging on the Telephone’, The Clash ‘Rock the Casbah’ – there’s always some dross as well. Good when it’s good, but rubbish when it’s not.

A review of "Icky Thump"

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 20:31:11 GMT

Icky Thump

by The White Stripes

This album is delightfully bonkers! As always, the White Stripes can be relied upon to give us something original and innovative. My personal favourite is I’m A Martyr For My Love For You, but all of the songs here are great.

A story about the last time I consumed "Frankie & Johnny"

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 18:53:22 GMT

Frankie & Johnny

by Garry Marshall

I watched this today – two days before I get married. I wanted to watch something romantic, and I had never seen this before, although I had had a copy of the DVD for ages. This was exactly what I wanted for the romantic mood I am in – romantic, funny and sweet. It made me laugh and made me cry. It won’t be long before I watch it again. Al Pacino and Michelle Pfieffer are both excellent in their roles, and the supporting cast, without exception, are wonderful.

Three words of advice – just watch it!

Funny, sweet and charming (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 10:12:16 GMT

Everybody Loves Raymond - The Complete First Season

I’ve heard a lot of criticism of this show, but I don’t care. It’s funny and charming, and always makes me laugh. Each character is perfectly cast.

RIP Peter Boyle.

Charming book (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 06:36:12 GMT

Big Stone Gap

by Adriana Trigiani

This is the first book I have read by Adriana Trigiani, and I really enjoyed it. The characters are quirky and loveable, and it’s an easy read.

Ave Maria is the town spinster of Big Stone Gap – a town where if you’re female, over 20 and unmarried, you’re classed as something of an old maid. Life is passing Ave by, and she doesn’t even realise it. She is also coping with the recent death of her mother. However, a letter which her mother wrote to her before she died throws Ave’s life into turmoil, and sets her on an inner journey.

I found myself rooting for Ave, and loving all of the other characters who populate Big Stone Gap. I will definitely be reading the rest of this series.

Cut down in it's prime (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 22:06:37 GMT

Boomtown - Season One

by Tucker Gates

Boomtown was a fantastic show – great concept, superb acting, interesting stories. Who can guess why it was cancelled shortly after the second season began? Too many great shows seem to get cut down in their prime. Whatever the reason, this first season is well worth checking out if you enjoy quality, intelligent drama.

A shame it was cancelled (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 22:04:20 GMT

Law & Order, Trial By Jury: The Complete Series

This was a great show, and I am very surprised that it was cancelled after just one season. Bebe Neuwirth stars as ADA Tracey Kibre, ably assisted by a supporting cast including Amy Carlson, Scott Cohen (who is fantastic) and Kirk Acevedo.

The third spin off from the Law and Order series, this show concentrates on the workings of the District Attorney’s office. It’s a shame to see Jerry Orbach – so beloved of Law and Order fans – looking so ill, and in fact he is only in the first two episodes. Jerry sadly died shortly after filming these episodes.

I believe that this show was cut short way before it’s time. By about the third episode, it had really found it’s stride, and the acting and storylines were compelling.

Great and unusual (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 16:19:59 GMT

Elephant

by The White Stripes

I really enjoyed this album. The White Stripes are a truly original and innovative band, who are hard to categorise. Never afraid to try something different – which I like in a band.

My favourite tracks are Seven Nation Army, The Hardest Button To Button, Well It’s True That We Love One Another, and the cover version of I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself.

Superb! (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 16:14:51 GMT

There Is Nothing Left to Lose

by Foo Fighters

This has to be one of the best albums – if not the best – that I have listened to this year. There is not a single bad song on it, but stand out tracks for me are Learn To Fly, Breakout and Generator.

Great (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 16:11:46 GMT

One by One

by Foo Fighters

One By One is a great album. I personally didn’t enjoy it as much as There Is Nothing Left To Lose, but there is still loads to enjoy on this one.

Apart from the fantastic single, Times Like These (a song which never gets boring), my personal favourites are Have It All, All My Life and Overdrive.

Prince's finest moment (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 18:40:37 GMT

Music from the Motion Picture "Purple Rain"

by Prince & the Revolution

I love this album. I don’t think there’s a single bum song on it – for me, this is Prince’s finest moment!

Amazing album (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Thu, 24 May 2007 12:19:32 GMT

By the Way

by Red Hot Chili Peppers

By The Way is a brilliant album. There’s not a single dud song on it, which is pretty impressive, given how many tracks there are. My personal favourites are On Mercury, By The Way, Can’t Stop, and Minor Thing.

Listen and enjoy!

Absolutely brilliant (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Fri, 18 May 2007 13:10:03 GMT

Homicide Life on the Street - The Complete Seasons 1 & 2

Homicide: Life On The Street is just amazing. To use a cliche, it is ‘gritty’, can be very moving, and the acting is uniformly excellent (at least until Jon Seda joined the cast at the end of season 5)!

The show focuses on a Police Homicide unit. Unlike shows like CSI, it doesn’t rely on special effects, and the characters don’t all look like they should be sashaying down a catwalk. Instead, we get to see them doing their job – sometimes with an unsatisfying result – and how the job affects their lives. Just like in real life, sometimes, the criminals are never caught. Sometimes a case stretches on for week, rather than getting all neatly wrapped up in one episode. And in one of the episodes in the first season, there is actually no crime for them to solve. Instead, we see the squad sitting around chatting in the squad room, reading the paper etc., doing all the things that people do when they have nothing else to do.

Personally my favourite character is Meldrick Lewis, played by Clark Johnson, although the favourite of most viewers seems to be Frank Pembleton, played by Andre Braugher. But all of the characters – particularly in the earlier seasons – bring their own special ingredient to the mix.

All I can say is – if you haven’t seen it, get it!!

Great end to a great show (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Fri, 18 May 2007 13:02:09 GMT

Sex and the City - Season Six, Part 2

I never got into Sex And The City when it was on tv. It was only when I developed a crush on Chris Noth that I decided to watch it, and treated myself to all six seasons.

This show is funny, moving and sad in equal parts. I was really happy with the ending, but I won’t spoil it for anyone who still hasn’t seen it.

Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and Kim Cattrall are perfect as Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha, and the friendship and support that they provide for each other is lovely to see.

Great album

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Wed, 16 May 2007 06:28:54 GMT

The Best of Roxy Music

by Roxy Music

I love Bryan Ferry’s voice – it’s just so sensual. Generally however, I prefer his solo stuff to Roxy Music, but that’s not to say that Roxy Music weren’t a great band. This CD has all of their best tracks, and for me, the stand out tracks are More Than This and Same Old Scene.

Great show (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Fri, 11 May 2007 11:03:29 GMT

Law & Order Special Victims Unit - The First Year

I’ve been a fan of the original Law and Order series for some time, but somehow expected this to not be as good. However, having finally gotten around to watching season 1 of SVU, I can see that my fears were unfounded! This show is excellent – as good as the original series.

Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay are the two main characters, Elliott Stabler and Olivia Benson, who work in the Special Victims Unit of the NYPD, and the series follows the cases they work on.

The acting by everybody is excellent. It’s also good to see the character of John Munch (from Homicide: Life On The Street – another superb show) in another show.

I’m starting season 2 this weekend!

Great book (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Fri, 11 May 2007 10:59:42 GMT

Gods in Alabama

by Joshilyn Jackson

This book was on my bookshelf waiting to be read for ages – I wish I had picked it up sooner, because it was much better than I had expected.

The story focuses on Lena, a girl from Alabama but now living in Chicago. She hasn’t been back to Alabama for 10 years, but two reasons force her to return. One is her boyfriend Burr, who says that if she doesn’t introduce him to her family (who she also has as little contact with as possible), they have no future. The other reason is a secret from her past, which is revealed throughout the story.

I found this book hard to put down, and definitely recommend it!

Nothing special (rated 2 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 10:46:01 GMT

Demon Days

by Gorillaz

This album isn’t awful – it’s just not very good. The two best songs on the album were both released as singles – Dare and Feel Good Inc. Other than that, there are a couple of quite good tracks and a few tracks which I would be happy never to listen to again!

Not as good as the tv show (rated 2 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 10:43:36 GMT

Sex and the City

by Candace Bushnell

It’s hard to believe that the characters from the tv show Sex And The City (one of my very favourite shows) were based on characters from this book! The Carrie Bradshaw in this book is nothing like the lovely, warm Carrie who we saw on our screens. Miranda has just a small role in this book, and Charlotte’s role is virtually non-existent (she is an English journalist)! Only Samantha Jones seems to bear any resemblence to the character in the show.

I was disappointed in the book. There was none of the warmth and humour I was expecting.

Why I recommend "Girl with a Pearl Earring"

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 10:39:32 GMT

Girl with a Pearl Earring

by Tracy Chevalier

This book is beautiful. It is very atmospheric, and there are some very touching moments in it. I found myself getting completely lost in the story, and the characters are all very believeable.

It tells the story of how a girl named Griet becomes a maid to the artist Johannes Vermeer and his family. However, she finds herself drawn to Vermeer, which has consequences for everybody. I don’t want to say more than that, because I don’t want to give anything away!

I would definitely recommend this book, even for those who are not fans of historical fiction (I’m a recent convert to the genere myself) – it’s not a long book, and I enjoyed it so much, I just wanted to read it greedily in one sitting!

Good - but not as good as I expected. (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (booklover07) — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08:17:12 GMT

A short history of Tractors in Ukrainian

by Marina Lewycka

I had very high hopes for this book…but although it was a good read, it left me slightly disappointed. I think I had heard so much hype about it that the book just couldn’t live up to it. I would probably have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t heard anything about it beforehand.

It is quite amusing in parts, but not laugh-out-loud funny. What it does though is give glimpses of how hard it must be for immigrants trying to integrate into a new society, and how WWII affected ordinary citizens, caught up in the conflict through no fault of their own. The most interesting character for me was the sister Vera. She sounded awful at first, but I had quite changed my opinion of her by the end.